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#source: fairytale fights
incorrect-joseimuke · 4 months
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Belphegor: Being awake is overrated.
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kalki-tarot · 8 months
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Your Shadow aspects you need to work on to meet your FS. 🥀
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1 - 2 - 3
Disclaimer — The images I used to select a pile were sourced from Pinterest, I hope the reading will resonate with you. I'm not responsible for any decisions you make in your life from my readings. I'm just a beginner and these readings are just for fun.
Check masterlist for more !
Pile 1
Death, wheel of fortune, queen of swords, the chariot, ace of wands, the emperor, king of swords, the lovers, 10 of pentacles.
The most prominent thing I see here is your obsession for fairytale romances, basically you are having unrealistic expectations etc.
This behaviour leads to you to watching a lot of tarot readings, like alot of them!
The high priestess in the bottom of deck tells me you need to learn how to identify and work with your own intuition. You need to develop it for your own good.
Don't be dependent on tarot readings or fiction romance.
You maybe have an image of a rich handsome ceo in your mind. Idk if it's right or wrong to imagine that or set expectations around it but the tarot the deck is showing me exactly this issue.
Please be reminded that a perfect love story in not perfect. It has ugly fights and a lot of things like that.
I'm not saying you don't deserve a love you desire, I'm saying not to be too obsessed with these unrealistic expectations.
Start working on your intuition, meditate, be in nature for sometime. It'll guide you, you'll be your own guide. Take tarot readings as a possibility of the future. Don't let anything take your power.
You'll surely have a love story, with passion and romance if you trust your intuition.
Pile 2
King of wands, ace of pentacles, strength, devil, the empress, queen of wands, 10 of pentacles, 3 of swords, 2 of swords, 2 of wands, 7 of pentacles, death
I feel like you're in a soulmate connection or a twinflame journey. Are you seeing 22 or 222 or 2323 alot?
Do you recognize your talents and creativity, pile 2? If not then start doing it. Nurture your divine feminine side. Keep yourself in check. It will align you with meeting your future spouse.
Don't be too harsh on yourself, it's okay to not be able to follow the same timetable or routine everyday.
Why are you restraining yourself to a point that it's hampering your spiritual growth?
You were born with these talents you have, keep doing it. Allow yourself to feel and do things what make you happy and peaceful.
I'm aware of the heartbreak or painful time you faced in the past. I know it's stopping you from loving yourself, but see the bigger picture.
You need to make a choice, it's in your hands. The choice to either be stuck in the past or move forward with a free and energized spirit on the road of success.
Work on your plans, carry them out in the reality. Plan and succeed. It's your destiny to reap the benefits of your hardwork.
Allow yourself to go through this transformation in life.
Pile 3
Ace of wands, strength, 10 pentacles, ace of pentacles, 7 wands, the lovers, 4 or cups, death, queen of cups.
You need to balance and keep check of your emotional health. You are too sensitive emotionally. You need to master your emotions.
I think it's because of someone broke your heart romantically or you were in a toxic relationship which made you like this.
Please remember how much potential you have carrer wise. You are much more capable of everything, more capable than you think.
You have a tendency to repeat this cycle where someone tells you something critical, you take that seriously, you blame yourself for being this way here and in your love life too and it just keeps going in a circle.
I think you need to rewire this pattern of self blaming. You are not what you think you are. You are much more tha that. You are meant to live a rich and abundant lifestyle, so focus on that. Love will itself find you.
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calliopefiction · 1 year
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Misplaced
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Misplaced is a fantasy romance interactive fiction WIP, wherein your choices not only determine your own fate, but that of an entire kingdom. Let me take you an adventure filled with both whimsy and tragedy alike.
The current public demo goes up to the end of Chapter 6, available here: https://calliopefiction.itch.io/misplaced
The demo on patreon goes up to the end of Chapter 7: https://www.patreon.com/CalliopeFiction
The Story:
For decades, the human kingdom of Gaiapeia has been fighting against the fae living in the surrounding lands. How this conflict started depends entirely on who you ask.
You are the child of Lady and Sir Grahm, a noble familiy who has been serving the crown for generations. Eager to follow in your father's footsteps, you have been training for years to become a knight worthy of being Prince Az'Lean's Champion - his right hand, his closest confidant, the one who protects his life from the growing danger of the fae.
When the time finally comes and you are chosen for the position, it's a dream come true. You couldn't be happier. But just one day later, on your 21st birthday, a terrible truth is revealed to you.
You are a changeling - a fae child that was smuggled into a human family with only one purpose: to gain the prince's trust and use it against him.
A war between humans and fae is surely brewing and the outcome depends entirely on you.
Features:
Customize the appearance of your MC, play as non-binary, female, or male and romance whoever you like however you like, including the choice for asexual or queer-platonic relationships.
Enjoy the story without having to worry about stats - you will be a competent knight no matter what. There is no failure or success, only different choices and their outcomes.
Shape your personality, and your trustworthiness, with your actions. Other characters' disposition to you will change depending on how they perceive you.
Pick a side early on, play the long con, or refuse to make a choice at all. There are multiple split paths that will feature the same romancable characters - but their relationship to you might vary greatly (including villain romances).
Romance:
Vynn (nb):
Vynn is one of your fellow knights and a long-time friend. Unlike you, they aren't a knight by choice and don't care much for fighting. You get the feeling they'd much rather be a bard if they could, seeing as they love playing the lute, spinning epic tales and generally being a source of levity. They are fiercely loyal and good-natured, though there is that bit of resentment that will never quite leave their heart.
Prince Az'Lean (m):
Az'Lean is your prince, the one you are sworn to protect. At a glance, he is the very picture of a fairytale prince: charming, chivalrous, and powerful. He is an excellent fighter, loves animals, and prefers to be treated like an equal. Anyone who cares to look will soon notice the darkness lurking beneath that shining exterior, festering ever since the death of his mother.
Lady Meave (f):
Maeve is a powerful dryad who was sent to educate you on the ways of the fae. She is usually playful and soft, but can get eerily intense at times. As much as she cares about decorum and courtly things, she finds joy in the simplest things and easily turns into a giggly mess. For all her humour, you can never quite tell if she is being serious. Sometimes it feels like she's just playing with you.
Thianne (f):
Thianne is a sorceress and one of Az'Lean's most trusted advisors. She is intelligent and hard-working, though sometimes at the expense of her own well-being. Although she comes across as abrasive and rude, she is always willing to help those who need it. Her dry sense of humour and brutal honesty have endeared her to just as many people as they have made her enemies.
Lester (m):
Lester is a half-fae servant, working in the castle. As with most half-fae, his presence isn't entirely welcome and his reasons for being here seem complexer than he lets on. Lester is known for his mischief and his crude humour, often pulling pranks that border on malicious. Despite the way he presents himself as laid-back and uncaring, it's clear that there's a lot he isn't opening up about.
Warnings:
This story contains potentially triggering content. There will be graphic depictions of violence, death, discrimination, body-image issues and mental illness (including panic attacks, suicidal thoughts and paranoia). Discretion is advised.
Support:
Thank you so much for showing any interest in this project at all! If you would like to receive biweekly update posts, participate in polls, and get access to bonus short stories, consider supporting me on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CalliopeFiction
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judesmoonbeauty · 2 months
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Fairytale Final Assessment 1st Anniversary SE: Jude Jazza's Epilogue ཐིཋྀ
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Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do NOT post my translations elsewhere.
CW: Brief mention of castration. Translation notes are marked with *** Alternate translation is marked with/// Hour Glass Banners Credit: @/natimiles ཐིཋྀ
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Kate, your work has reached my ears. Thank you as always.
Therefore, I would like you to evaluate one thing.
I wonder if Jude, who is cursed, is worthy of the Crown.
After reading the letter from Her Majesty several times, I finally understood. 
Just the other day, Jude and I were engaged in a battle over the Fairytale Keeper Continuation Agreement.
(Does that mean I'm going to assess Jude this time?)
(You're giving me the opportunity to make a fair judgment. Her Majesty is indeed very open-minded.)
(If it's an assignment, I have to face Jude properly and submit a report!)
There is no mention in the text that the person should be kept in the dark.
I mean, the quickest way to do that is to ask Jude himself about it, and his intentions to stay at Crown.
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Jude: I don't know anything about that. When you ask someone for something, shouldn’t you pay them for the information?
(I can't for the life of me believe that he will tell me honestly….)
(Come to think of it, I never asked Jude in depth why he was at Crown.)
It’s said that he dared to sign a contract with Crown when Victor suspiciously approached him with a tearful face, I’m sure…. I’m not wrong that it was to get information you need.
(I guess I have no choice but to observe Jude...)
Ellis: Your brow’s wrinkled. Thinking?
Kate: Oh, Ellis. 
Kate: Just in time! Do you know where Jude is today?
Ellis: It seems like Jude went on a mission after showing up at work. What's wrong?
Kate: Actually...
When I explained the reason, Ellis smiled.
Ellis: I'm joining Jude after this, so let’s go together.
Ellis led us to a pub with a suspicious atmosphere even though it was daytime.
There, Jude was in the middle of a cruel and merciless judgment.
Jude: Oy, no runnin’ away. The story is your usin’ illegal sleeping pills, messin’ ‘round with girls, and sellin’ ‘em off.
Scoundrels: Guh….!
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Ellis: Kate , if bottles start flying, it won’t be safe, so stay here and hide.
Ellis: I’ll be there.
Kate: Ah, yes! Ellis, be careful not to get hurt too.
Ellis: Jude, here you go.
Jude: Tsk, what’re ya waitin’ for?
Ellis: I'm sorry. I'll try a little harder to make up for my tardiness.
I watch Jude and Ellis fight together from the shadows.
Liquor bottles and people lightly fly through the air, and the sound of blows rings out.
(Hmmm...this is what it means to scream.)
(This is supposed to be a Crown assignment.)
Jude does not follow the orders of others unconditionally unless the conditions are acceptable.
Therefore, there must be a reason why Jude accepted this mission.
In the meantime, everyone had fallen to the ground.
Jude: What, ya think I'm gonna kill ya? I’m not gonna to kill ya.
Jude: There's a coal mine at the far end of the country, and I thought it’d be fun doin’ manual labor there.
Scoundrels: ……. A coal mine?
Jude: Before you go to a cold, dark, and fun place, I'll give you a present.
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Jude: Ellis, take ‘em to the black market surgeon later. Hand ‘em all over to be castrated.
Ellis: Yeah, okay. If it makes you happy, Jude.
As the thugs screamed in despair, Jude put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.
Jude: The prevalence of inferior products is proof that the drugs weren’t distributed sufficiently.
Jude: ……Guess we’ll just have to handle it ourselves.
Jude's company eliminates the value of inferior products by distributing the correct products.
(That’s how Jude tries to eliminate evil at its source.)
Thanks to all the time I've spent, I had unintentionally come to understand Jude's way of doing things.
(The method may be as radical as ever.)
(But, there are somethings you can not protect with a straightforward approach. That’s why…)
Kate: Jude is absolutely essential to Crown…..
Jude: So, how long are you going to be sneaking around in there?
Kate: ….ah.
I was thrown onto a bed in a room at the back of the pub, and his hands restrained me while lying down.
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Jude: You’re a real bad princess for peeping without permission. 
Jude: So, what are you up to now?
Kate: That’s…..
Jude: I could torture ya and make ya spit it out. You're a pervert who expects to be tortured, aren't ya?
I could smell the scent of sandalwood wafting from Jude, and my body temperature seemed to rise once.
Jude: Ha. Why’re ya lookin’ so hopeful? Ya really are a pervert who likes things that feel good.
Kate: T-that's wrong! Actually- 
Jude: Hmmm, reverse assessment.
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Jude: That's just like that woman who loves fairness. ***
Jude: So, ya followed me ‘round to review me. You've come a long way.
Kate: As for following you around without telling you, I'm sorry.
Kate: But thanks to that, I was able to reaffirm what’s important to me.
Jude: What?
Kate: You are definitely suited for the Crown.
Jude: Ha. Who d’ya think ya are?
Kate: I’m a fairytale keeper. Hehe, I think I can write a good report with this.
Kate: I'll write it perfectly, so you can rest assured, Jude. Well then, I'm -
Jude: Why’re ya tryin’ to go home? There's no way ya could just spy on me and go for free.
Kate: Eh.
Jude: There's another matter to tend to.
Jude: I just need a decoy. You love hide-and-seek, don't ya?
Kate: A decoy!?
Jude: Poor thing. Ya wanna go home, but can’t. Pay the price for sneaking without permission.
Kate: Oh, come on….!
Jude: Those defiant eyes are so temptin’.
Amethyst eyes looked down at me cruelly becoming distorted.
Kate: In the report, you know I can write down all of your actions, Jude.
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Jude: Write, write. However…
Jude leaned forward and looked into my face.
Jude: You...wouldn't you be lonely without me?***
Kate: …….
Kate: That’s not true….!
Jude: Huh. What are ya upset ‘bout?
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[Master List]
***白々しい This appears to be a nuance: Jude’s being insincere about the Queen’s apparent fairness. It can be rendered white-wash, insincere, bare-faced (lie), shameless, but I felt that this was used just to explain his insincerity or doubtfulness in the Queen. ***Just to clarify, Kate is essentially threatening that what she writes in her report about Jude can cause his dismissal from Crown. So, that's why he tells her to write it, but.....she'll miss him, won't she?
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calliesmemes · 3 months
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LOVE IN ITS MANY FORMS
SENTENCE STARTERS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR PLATONIC DYNAMICS, ROMANTIC DYNAMICS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
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CHANGE gendered words and in-universe phrases as needed.
SPECIFY muse for multimuses.
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“   If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever.   ”
“   You are my fate. ”
“   I'm not whole without you. You are life itself to me ”
“   You mean so much to me that sometimes I don’t know how to handle it.   ”
“   Even before I was touched, I belonged to you.   ”
“   We are more than friends; we are family. ”
“   We’ll protect each other. ”
“   Blood makes you related. Loyalty makes you family. You’re my family. ”
“   I want so badly to protect you from the world because I know how bad it can be. ”
“   I promise I will find you in every universe.   ”
“   I’ve always wanted to live a fairytale, and you have written one for me. ”
“   When I fall in love, I fall to pieces.   ”
“   I love you. I’m not just here for the pretty parts — I’m here for you no matter what. ”
“   Something about you makes me feel alive. ”
“   You will never be unloved by me; you are too well tangled in my soul. ”
“   We’re in this together. ”
“   It’s you. It’s always been you. ”
“   I have loved you since we were children. ”
“   I don’t want to have the world’s attention. Yours is enough. ”
“   I broke my rules for you. ”
“   What I have with you, I don’t want with anyone else. ”
“   You have a place in my heart that no one else can claim. ”
“   I’ve been dreaming about you my entire life! ”
“   I’d choose you. Every single time. ”
“   You and me? It’s a forever kind of thing. ”
“   My soul will always find yours. ”
“   If only you knew just how completely and devoutly I worship you. ”
“   I love you with all the broken, blood-stained pieces of me. ”
“   I am your sword, your shield, and your lovesick protector. ”
“   For you, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do. ”
“   Your subconscious seeks me. ”
“   Sleep. I’ll fight the bad dreams off if they come to get you. ”
“   I don’t think you understand the effect that you have on me. ”
“   You saved me in every way a person could be saved. ”
“   Come back. Come back to me. ”
“   You would not believe me if you knew how often you are in my heart and mind. ”
“   Everywhere I go leads me back to you. ”
“   You are so adorable when you’re angry. ”
“   No, I am not angry. I know your thoughts. Your heart is better than your head. ”
“   I condemn you. Yet my heart yearns for you. ”
“   Whatever our souls are made of, yours and mine are the same. ”
“   My heart is, and always will be, yours. ”
“   I’m obsessed. I’m addicted. I will gladly cross every single line if it means making you mine. ”
“   I am so proud of you. You’ve been so brave. ”
“   The love you have in you is the kind of love that will vigorously shake the world. It is also the kind love that heals all wounds and save souls. And I am tremendously in need of it. ”
“   If I know what love is, it is because of you. ”
“   I will look for you in every lifetime, until we finally stay. ”
“   You will find me when you return, even if you're a thousand years late. ”
“   When it was dark, you always carried the sun in your hand for me. ”
“   Having a soulmate is not always about love. You can find your soulmate in a friendship too. ”
“   I have loved you in every life, I think. ”
“   The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person’s soul until you find a crack - and then gently pour your love into that crack. ”
“   I still remember you as a little girl who overwaters plants because she doesn't know when to stop giving. ”
“   You are dear to me. I don't want to let you go, and I won't give you up. ”
“   I'll tell every one in the world that you are the only one that matters. ”
“   The world was made so that we could find each other in it. ”
“   Friends are the family you choose. ”
“   You and only you, can make the rest of my life peaceful. ”
“   I don't want soft or subtle. I want rough, wild, heartache, I want sins, I want you. ”
“   I think I wished for you all my life. ”
“   How could I ever hate you, when all I know is you? ”
“   It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. ”
“   You did something for me I couldn’t do for myself. You loved me for who I am. ”
“   I long for you. I really, utterly long for every bit of you. ”
“   You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line that I have ever read. ”
“   You are beyond all the worlds that I have ever known. ”
“   I will forget my name before I forget you. ”
“   No human being has ever stood so close to my soul as where you stand. ”
“   I always have such need to merely talk to you. ”
“   I waited for you my entire life, and you are worth every minute. ”
“   Family means that no one gets left behind or forgotten. ”
“   We both know that he means the world to you. Why are you afraid to tell him that?   ”
“   You can become homesick for people, too. ”
“   The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in turn. ”
“   She’s my sister; she needs me. ”
“   Never sacrifice your family, your heart, or your dignity. ”
“   Whatever you do, you’re still my brother. ”
“   My identity rests solely and firmly on this: I am my mother’s daughter. ”
“   Family is supposed to be our safe place. ”
“   The warmest light is your body. ”
“   Forgive me for my love — for ruining you with my love. ”
“   "Family" isn't defined only by last names or by blood; it's defined by commitment and by love. ”
“   I beg of you — let us aside our differences, and see each other as our family. ”
“   You are my treasure, my pale gold, the heart of my heart. ”
“   It is too late to turn you out of my heart. Part of you lives here. ”
“   I don’t care; I love you anyhow. ”
“   I shall do one thing in this life — one thing certain — this is, love you, and long for you, and keep wanting you till I die. ”
“   I think I missed you all my life until you finally showed up. ”
“   Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in things we do for each other every day. ”
“   You bring me peace that I haven’t found anywhere else. ”
“   Remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still. ”
“   This morning I’m ambitious, proud, energetic and very madly in love with you. ”
“   You give me joy that few men know. ”
“   I suppose that I am too enamored by you anyway. Every time I see you I get more so if it is possible. ”
“   I just want to relax in your arms. ”
“   I never stopped looking for you. I never gave up hope that you were alive. ”
“   I wish I could be as strong as you. ”
“   It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. I promise. ”
“   The ones that love us never truly leave us. ”
“   The right people fight for you. ”
“   When we heal ourselves, we heal the next generation that follows. Pain is passed through the family line until someone is ready to feel it, heal it, and let it go. ”
“   Even if you fall or falter, I will be with you. ”
“   I’ll always want you more than anyone. You’ll always matter to me more than anyone. ”
“   Anyone who falls in love is searching for the missing pieces of themselves. ”
“   Perhaps we were friends first and lovers second. But then perhaps this is what lovers are. ”
“   I must admit I miss you terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby. ”
“   I love you. I knew it the minute I met you. ”
“   You didn’t break me. You helped fix me. ”
“   It’s nice when someone remembers the smallest of details about you. ”
“   Ever since I met you I want you by my side. ”
“   There's no better feeling than to be here with you. ”
“   When we work together, we are unstoppable. ”
“   Whatever I need, I have when I'm with you. ”
“   I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. ”
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sir-adamus · 5 days
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RWBY takes its inspirations from a lot of places
it's no secret that RWBY wears its influences on its sleeves - it's characters are all based on fairytales/myths/legends/memes and is a series created by someone who wanted to make his own anime. and while it does make a lot of nods to specific things (and is dogged on for that by some people despite that it isn't new or even exclusive to RWBY - see the episode of AtLA where Aang dreams about being Goku and Naruto), the show itself draws or seems to draw so many elements from so many different sources and arranges them into something new
putting the rest below a cut because it got lengthy
like i think i've seen the claim that Remnant's four Kingdoms are a ripoff of AtLA's four Nations... except the Kingdoms aren't elementally themed and these places are so important because most of the planet is uninhabitable, which isn't the case with AtLA, and each Kingdom has thoroughly different theming that it's barely similar. it's such a surface thing that it's barely a nod because the world setups are so wildly different
Dust is clearly inspired by Materia from FFVII (or more broadly, Magicite, which recurs through the FF series and has a similar function); a resource mined from the earth that allows the wielder to do magic (though Dust is more limited in its function where materia/magicite can allow for non-elemental and abstract stuff like time-stopping or summoning). the four Academies are almost definitely a reference to the three Gardens in FFVIII (and one of them, Balamb Garden, is where teenagers are trained to become SeeD, a mercenary force for hire that conducts missions around the world, which likely was one of the points of inspiration behind the Huntress/Huntsman career in RWBY)
Aura, being a personal protective shield, both visually and purpose-wise, is a reference to the personal energy shields used by the Sangheili in Halo
the Maidens seem to be a cross between the Sorceresses from FFVIII (who unlike normal people can do magic naturally, and each Sorceress passes on her power to another individual upon her death) and the rule basis for the Sirens from Borderlands (only 6 Sirens can exist at a time and their powers transfer to another individual upon their death, similar to how there can only be 4 Maidens at a time) - Sorceresses, Sirens and Maidens powers can also only be exclusively passed on to women (Troy Calypso in Borderlands 3 has partial-Siren because he was conjoined with his twin sister Tyreen in the womb, and has to leech off of her in order to survive; it's made clear both by the appearance of his Siren tattoos that he's an aberration to the normal process)
Grimm are so obviously inspired by the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts - dark beasts of destruction that are defined by their lack of something (the difference of course being that Heartless come from the nebulous 'realm of darkness' which is separate from the other worlds while Grimm are very much a part of Remnant). Kingdom Hearts has a lot of influence thematically, as it similarly presents itself as a bright and cheery story with a lighthearted, stylised aesthetic, only for that to be an artificial facade for a very dark and often brutal story that becomes more obvious as each series continues. and in terms of specific Grimm, the Apathy (and the Brunswick farm story in general) are a direct reference to the short story Bartleby the Scrivener, but the Apathy's emaciated, skeletal appearance and paralytic scream draw from the ReDeads of the Legend of Zelda series
the Faunus being part animal could be inspired from any number of different shows or games, but in the BlazBlue series, demihumans (who are also part animal) are also noted to face discrimination (though the series doesn't touch on it much by nature of being a fighting game)
in terms of characters, Ruby is obviously Red Riding Hood, but she wields a scythe like Maka from Soul Eater, was initially presented as a completely silent, gun-wielding protagonist in a high octane fight similarly to Black Rock Shooter (the 2012 show also served as an influence on RWBY's animation style, and BRS's flaming blue eye is similar to the Maidens), and her bladed weapon also being a gun brings to mind Squall's Gunblade from FFVIII. plus, positioned as the protagonist and falling into the leadership role and it continuing to weigh down on her is something she has in common with Sora from KH
additionally, the visuals for Ruby's Semblance are inspired by something similar Vincent Valentine does in the FFVII Advent Children movie, with the addition of rose petals (which may be inspired by a similar thing the protagonist of FFXIII, Lightning, has)
Yang is Goldilocks, her design evokes Tifa from FFVII (and her characterisation not being what you'd expect based on the initial impression of her design also borrows from Tifa), her original theme outright compares her to a Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball with her glowing, flaming hair when she powers up with her Semblance evoking the aesthetic appearance of the form (and her 'gets stronger every time she takes a hit' is essentially a temporary, low-level zenkai boost from that series; 'get stronger every time you almost die'). in fact, character-wise, her losing an arm and being characterised as fairly thoughtful and introspective, you could make an argument that she's meant to parallel Future Gohan specifically. however, losing an arm, growing up in the woods and having to care for her younger sibling when they were young also could be a reference to Ragna from BlazBlue (and to boot, Yang's weapon is named Ember Celica, Ragna's parental substitute was Celica A Mercury), and additionally, Nine the Phantom from the same series (Celica's doting older sister) also has heavy fire theming, meaning she could serve as another point of inspiration
finally, Yang may also be partly inspired by Nero from Devil May Cry. while it wasn't explicitly confirmed until DMC5, when Nero was introduced in 4, he is highly implied to be the nephew of series protagonist and demon hunter Dante (who typically wields a greatword) and the son of Dante's twin brother, Vergil (who wields a katana that he can open portals with). Nero's design from jump is asymmetrical, with one of his arms being demonic. asymmetry is a theme for Yang from her trailer (and culminates with her losing one of her arms), her uncle Qrow wields a greatsword and her mother, Raven, Qrow's twin, wields a katana and opens portals with them (that Nero then gained a mechanical prosthetic arm in DMC5 is a hilarious coincidence)
Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon is obviously the Wizard of Oz (his name comes from the acronym of the Wizard of Oz's actual name, Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs - OZPINHEAD), but he also draws from Cid Kramer from FFVIII (being the headmaster of Balamb Garden), as well as Gandalf in putting his faith in a 'smaller soul' (and his manipulative bs is clearly meant to analog to the guy from the bad wizard books, except in rwby it's clearly meant to be a bad thing that has actual consequences, and no more needs to be said about it)
Ironwood is clearly the Tin Woodsman as his main inspiration, a man who (thanks to a cursed axe) kept hacking off parts of his body and getting them replaced with metal until even his heart was gone (and at no point did he consider putting down the axe) - with the key point that he's a subversion of the Woodsman's story. but his descent could be inspired by Walker's descent in Spec Ops The Line (as it would've been in the public zeitgeist when Monty, Kerry and Miles were developing the show and writing these characters, and the game had been played on Achievement Hunter around that time), or from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, which inspired that game. his willingness to go to extreme and appalling lengths to achieve his goals may also be drawing from Director Leonard Church, from RT's first show Red vs Blue, who has the quote: "Have you forgotten sir, we were at war? A fight with an alien race for the very survival of our species. I feel I must remind you that it is an undeniable, and may I say fundamental quality of man, that when faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable." which feels very in line with Ironwood's willingness to compromise every moral and sacrifice whatever and whoever he thinks he needs to to win
Penny's fairytale inspiration is obviously Pinocchio but her robotic nature and relationship with a caring father also brings to mind Astro Boy and Mega Man, while her combat style is directly inspired by the Prime Field Devices of BlazBlue, who also fight with a floating array of many swords
the structure of the show honestly feels like a JRPG too - with the first few volumes being the lighthearted prologue where characters and concepts are introduced to ease you into the world, there's some hints to a wider world and a bigger story but there's very little sense that the protagonists are in real danger
until they are, and things go catastrophically wrong in a major way that shakes up the plot, throws the characters out into the world and gives them the main goal they're now striving toward (stopping Salem, in this case), with personal narratives developing in tandem with plot progressions that shake up how the audience and the characters see the world and reveal things to be more complex as things go on
you could literally go on forever; and it's not so much 'taking these disparate puzzle pieces and making a collage' so much as it is laying out the bones and building up something new on top of them through the way these bones intersect and interact in new contexts. RWBY isn't ashamed of its influences while still standing as its own story to tell
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hutahuta · 7 months
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P.AGE OO.1 — 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐔𝐌 & NOBILITY : 交 ✦ ⏱
intimacy headcanons (˶߹꒳߹) ❤︎ —
notes;; female reader !! established relationship, violence, nsfw hints, suggestive content. fluff, comfort, etc.
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Torment of isolation left him shattered, his trust in humanity fractured.
In the midst of this dark abyss, it was the steadfast companionship of dogs and wolves that became his sanctuary. Their unwavering loyalty a beacon of solace in the desolation.
Amidst the bleakness, their presence whispered reassurance, their protective instinct a balm to his wounded spirit. They huddled around together to generate warmth and provide for one another.
This.
This is true love. Isn't it? The kind that you offer your soul and heart to, and in return you get loyalty. Riches. Warmth.
Human companionship meant nothing if others were out to get him day and night. Hell, even his own former Boss tried to kill him one time. — And what was left in return?
A tie, some glasses. A wallet or two.
And the blood that trickled down his hands from slaughtering him alive. The trinket of warmth of the blood slowly staining the prints indented in his cold palms.
This is why he stuck to the kind of family bonds his canine friends had given.
He left a message that night. A message for you. His future spouse. His soon to be, beloved wife.
' Call me. Rest assured, I'll be there for you. But don't expect me to give anything back if you're not willing to fight for it. '
It was playful. All fun and jokes. If anything, it was Pavia who would let you be the first, and last person to let you step on him, run him over and he'd still pull the rings from his hand and make the dying effort to place them on your fingers.
Never, once in his life, did he think you'd actually commit to his words. You worked hard for him, nurturing his needs and offering a place of solace and comfort when he needed it most. Slapping the cigarettes out of his hands, much to his detest. Feeding him happily through the nights when he got weak and exhausted from refusing to consume his meals that one time.
Combing through his hair when he broke down that one time underneath the moonlight of his wrecked room. You were his light. His source of interest. His angel.
You'd sit there, on his lap, letting him braid your hair in an uneven tie, given he was never properly taught how to do such things. But his effort was cute.
Sometimes you'd face him, peppering and littering kisses on his face and soft smooches that your lipstick stains would remain on there for days to come. Your eager bites on his bottom lip, the slow movement of you grinding on his lap.
He could never, ever, think of letting you go.
During the nights, Pavia would hold your hand and refuse to let go of it even if he got tired of being in the same position. ( Knowing this bastard, he may accidentally kick you in his sleep, LMAO. ) But he mumbles out a quiet apology and promises that he would bring you some gelato in the morning in compensation for his sudden attack.
Pavia didn't enjoy the feeling of having to trust someone. Rely on human companionship was something he despised beyond any course of action. He didn't want to relive those memories.. Rest assured, you wouldn't intentionally do anything like that, so to speak.
Of course, like all fairytales, it changes when you meet that special someone. For him? The anguish he squashed down to the bottom of his stomach had soon dissolved into nothing but tenderness and eagerness to yearn for more of your gentle touch.
Pavia didn't care whatever the fuck you may look like. In his head, you are everything.
On another note. He vaguely recalls the times he somewhat disappeared on a few nights to dispose of the bodies he had slaughtered the day back. Any witnesses left were gutted alive like a fish. And yet, a dying man who struggled to write on a wall with his blood, eventually passed out cold on the floor. Hours later, it started to rain, and Pavia later on admired how the fresh stains began to wash away in an instant. He didn't even begin to notice that the once alive corpse had tried to stitch out a message for the police.
Most of his anger was taken out on victim's souls that were carved out of their bodies in his wrath. All in an attempt to control his pain that cried out for someone to release him from this stress, the continuous struggle of failure to compensate his past. All these silent thoughts resonated the spiral of shaky breaths and uneven mumbles under his thick accent.
Amidst his outburst of the sudden panic attack, a gentle hand laid on his shoulder. At first, his instinct was to sharpen his knife to ready himself. Moments etched by, seconds passed and not once did you intend to fight back. You stood there, deer in headlights, eyes widened.
He begged for forgiveness at least a few times that night, all you could do was whisper praises into his ear and press his head against the bosoms of your chest to offer that feeling of acceptance and responsibility. He got over it eventually and went back to being his sweet, laid-back self.
But you do let him acknowledge that..
You got into this mess. You aren't planning to leave anytime soon, right?
Regardless of how he is, you don't want to 'fix' him. You love him as it is, if anything, you find that chaotic imbalance of puppy-like love mixed with his ferocious personality to carve his knife deep into any man or woman; quite arousing.
It kept you safe, and it kept his monsters residing at the back of his head at bay from having to unleash all hell upon both you and him. Your presence offered that step forward for him to slowly unwind his heart, slowly open it and pick out the nasty feelings from within him.
Remember when I said he holds your hand during the night? When you two got even closer with each other, you'd have opened your eyes to face his bare chest, the warm air hitting the top of your crown as his chin rested upon your head. His warm hands straddled your waist firmly in hopes you don't let go, and his quiet snores set you to fall asleep in his arms once again.
Sometimes you'd face the other way when you slept. His arms cradled you beneath him as he pulled you closer in bed and watched as you tried to nudge him off, but he didn't even move.
' Don't pry away from me, it's too early for this.. Dammi ancora cinque minuti.. '
He never had that solace as a kid. He never got that treatment from his family. This is something he treasures down to his core.
' Mi manchi, ti voglio qui con me .. '
Every fibre of his being screamed at him in the inside to never let you go or wander off too far into some other persons arms. He doesn't want to hurt you. At least, not intentionally..
He needs you, so don't break his trust. Okay?
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amethystpath-writes · 7 months
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Entertainment
(NOT A PR0MPT)
******
“I don’t love you,” Hero said. “I won’t love you, even though they all suspect it.”
“Isn’t it disappointing?” Villain asked.
Hero only hummed in question. She felt serene despite the storm brewing in her mind. For now, she would listen.
“To make another human your source of entertainment? You are televised. You don’t see your shepherds now, but there is a show playing in their minds during this very moment. You. Naked in my bed- as if we could ever be lovers. A scandal- because no one can ever be good enough. Nobody is allowed to be The Hero. That person, should they ever arise, must always be eradicated.”
Villain stared at the night sky from the park bench, swollen and wet from the rain which had passed. The dark clouds above appeared so thick that they stretched across space, blocking even the moon from seeing her subjects below. Another storm was being pushed through. “They wait for the day you’re found out- living out any trope that serves them, even if it’s not true of your life at all. Enemies to lovers.” He scoffed. “The new fad. Unfortunate for them, I hate you,” he said, and his eyes never left the stormy clouds. “We are not their love story, and I’ll spite you at every turn for making them think this rivalry could turn to such. Tell me, why did you decide to become their next victim, hero?”
“You make it sound like I wanted them to call me a traitor under their breaths.” Her voice held no contempt. She was too tired for that- for anything besides a quietly piqued interest. “I don’t want to betray them. I fight you because they don’t have the ability to. It’s all for them. It has always been for them.”
“And yet”- Villain shrugged- “what have they done for you? Spread rumors? Spoken to teen entertainment vlogs about their accounts on witnessing our ‘dates’? None of it is real. I tell myself I’m fighting for something, but the truth is, none of us are. Not even you, though you think your purpose is to oppose me- to oppose evil and all that is ill. It’s not.”
Progressively, Hero felt the tips of her ears warming- a deep contrast compared to the cold air around her. “I don’t entertain them.”
“You serve them. Is that phrasing any more to your liking?”
She couldn’t argue that. Hero did serve her community- by fighting Villain, by bringing justice to him. Or…trying to at least. The rumors came with their own consequences. She was outcasted. No one trusted her even though she never gave them a reason to distrust her. Hero fought Villain. That was all she ever did, but one person got it into their head that maybe- just maybe- they weren’t fighting at all. Maybe Hero and Villain were living a fairytale. Maybe they were an item and the fights were all a facade so at least one of them would be praised.
Still, it had nothing to do with entertainment. Hero didn’t want to think of it that way. If she did, it meant she did all of this for nothing. She had no purpose. She wasted her time, energy, and effort.
“Why did we meet here?” It was going to start raining again, and Hero was already shivering. She only met him tonight because doing so meant he was with her, in sight, and unproductive in his schemes. He volunteered her as a distraction; she wasn’t smart enough to say no.
“We might only be a means of entertainment, but I’ve learned to appreciate the act. You and I are not friends, but they think so. There’s a camera- over there…” He pointed to a tree, and Hero cursed under her breath. “And it’s been filming us the entire time. Having casual conversation on a stormy night where no one else would dare relax. Nice and private- though cold, but we’re willing to sacrifice that warmth if it means being together, right?”
“You set me up.” Here she thought she was allowing herself to distract him, but it was his plan all along. Of course he wasn’t wanting to fix this problem. “You said you were tired of the rumors, Villain. That’s why we were here, to lay them to rest.”
Villain laughed and finally looked to Hero. His eyes trailed to her ears, all red from her frustration. It irritated her even more and she untucked her hair. “You aren’t just their entertainment, Hero. You’re mine, too.” He muttered, “So easy.”
She wanted to argue: I’m not your entertainment; I’m Im no one’s, but it would only prove him right. Looking at his smile now, Hero regretted even pulling her hair from behind her ears.
I can fight him now. The camera would see it and the people would know that the two were not lovers at all. But again, she’d be amusing him. Right now, he was expecting her to make a move, to- to retaliate, if only to entertain him more. Yet, if she didn’t do anything, the tape he had now would only confirm in the community’s mind that she was a scandal. Untrue and unfit for being their voice. Would they arrest her?
“I’m all you have now. Your only security.”
Hero shook her head. “No. That’s not true.”
“Then who else do you have?”
The sky was sprinkling now. Fat cold raindrops touched on Hero’s shoulders and she shivered. “They’ll believe me,” she said, though it came out as a whisper. Still, Villain heard.
“Do they believe you now?”
No.
“If you are not with me, you are nothing but a bad face to them. I can give you a new identity. I can give you a new start, one where you can be the one entertained- not them.”
His hand touched her face. She flinched. When had she closed her eyes and when had he stood from the park bench? When did the sprinkling of them sky become thin, pelting drops?
It stung: his hand, the rain, the biting cold, the realization that she was running out of options.
“I don’t need your help.”
“They’ll arrest you. Treason,” he said, and rubbed his thumb across Hero’s cheekbone. “Isn’t that the highest punishable crime?”
Was it? She wasn’t sure.
He was scaring her.
He was scaring her, and it was working so well that she felt herself sweating despite also quivering in the downpour.
His fingers wrapped under her chin while his other hand rested on her shoulder. “I can help.”
“You’re the reason I’m in this position!” Hero tried to rip away, but Villain stopped her with a heavy grip. “I don’t want your help. I don’t want your help.”
“You put yourself in this position by fighting something you had no right mind fighting. You were unprepared, Hero. Ill-advised.” His thumb strummed her cheek again, calming, manipulative. “I only helped you realize.”
The drop on her cheek was warm- a tear, not a raindrop. “You told me we’re not friends.”
“No. I pity you.” The hand on her shoulder fell and Villain wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her into a hug. Instinctively, she turned her head against his chest. His shirt was soaked and cold, but it was comfortable. She stayed, forgetting entirely who he was.
When had the heat left her ears? Was it when the rain started or when she laid her head on his chest? “We’re not friends,” she said, but as she stood in the pouring rain, cheek pressed against Villain’s wet shirt, she couldn’t imagine leaving. Let them have their entertainment, she almost said, but no. She wasn’t supposed to be here.
Almost seeming to read her thoughts, Villain asked, “Who else do you have, Hero? Stand with me in this rain; let it wash away the hero you tried to be, and start anew.”
Thunder crackled across the sky. Hero remained silent. Enemies…lovers…amusement…what did it matter? She was comfortable in the rain, comfortable in the cold. “Will you delete the footage if I agree?”
He hummed.
“Delete it,” she begged, though her head never left his chest. “I want to start over. I would do anything.”
“Will,” Villain corrected. “I have some ideas for you.”
For now, they would leave the open sky, full of lightning and threatened existences. They would leave, and Hero would cry, grieve over her attempted heroism, and look to Villain- of all people- for a shoulder to cry on.
And as all villains do, he would take advantage of her, warp her mind, make her believe that she was wrong to be a hero, that she was a source of entertainment, though we, dear audience, know she was an inspiration all along.
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muffinrecord · 1 month
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HELL YEAH! Was able to beat the Albertine Witch on despair!
I used guadbe's strategy from the big discord server, which utilized both Yuu and Olga to great effect:
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However, I used Fairytale Yachiyo instead of Hotaru:
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My thinking was that Fairytale Yachiyo would contribute more damage while also having the mp restore on doppel to the whole team, but I did wonder if Hotaru would have been a better choice while fighting-- mostly because the witch periodically wipes your mp towards the end which messes with snowchiyo's contribution, while Hotaru's mp regen wouldn't be. Additionally at one slot, my snowchiyo isn't that impressive and I feel like even Mayu did more damage than she did. But then again, she *did* end up working anyways so it's all good.
Important to note here that my Yuu and my Scene 0 Sayaka both don't have full SE-- I'm not even talking about making them 100/100, they're both missing passives (because I've run out of yellow mats).
I was mostly really impressed by this strategy in that my Scene 0 Sayaka only has one slot but still managed to effectively carry the team to victory. It's key that she is able to doppel every 3 turns.
The main source of damage came from Olga, Mayu, and Snowchiyo, but I want to say that it was a very slow process.
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It took me fifty-one turns to plink away at the witch's health. I haven't had a Despair fight last this long (yet) so I was kind of shocked by it.
But yeah! I was really impressed by this strategy. I figured that Albertine would be a witch that I'd never defeat because my scene 0 Sayaka only has one slot and she's super necessary for this fight-- but the combo of Yuu and Olga really helped make it work. As mentioned in the above post, Yuu will clear buffs/granted effects on the boss while giving the whole team MP, while Olga will give the entire team anti-debuff. Personally I also liked that Olga would heal the whole team. Done correctly, only Sayaka should be taking damage but it helped with the first 4 turns of the fight (where gaining mp was a bit of a struggle) and it also helped Sayaka stay alive at the end when she was taking impressive smacks to her health.
This strategy does require you to have some limited units, but they don't need as many slots as one would think for it to work.
My only problem now is that I need to redo the fight for youtube... A fifty-one turn fight might be pretty boring. Well, the most important thing will be to still credit guadbe for their excellent strategy.
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kicktwine · 4 months
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for the ffxiv specbio stuff, do you headcanon the people on the First as having physically different traits from the people on the Source, or are they pretty one to one? and if so, were there any strange looks/social faux pas regarding the scions while on the First?
THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING ACTUALLY I think… that the species are all the same, mostly, but since they evolved/grew/colonized in/from different environments, there are definitely differences because of that. Like, say, dwarves not having any of the lalafells’ adaptations to sand, and instead having darkvision in their mining environments and more of a mole snout than a slit snout. Maybe being fuzzier overall. Or elves not having that split between duskwight (colorful, variant cave animal) and wildwood (forest animal). Heck there’s not a lot of elves at all, are there? Was their homeland just so concentrated that most of them were wiped? Another hard thing about this is the complete lack of knowledge we have of the regions before the Flood outside of Norvrandt! Or maybe just knowledge I have. Lol. I don’t have encyclopedia eorzea 2 or 3 just the first one… if anyone can hook me up with a First Lore Historian. I’d love to learn. Or with 50 bucks so I can grab the encyclopedia
And then, even, after the Flood, a lot of culture broke down in favor of communication and survival, so people just souped together. In short… ok. I think the First had a very fairytale vibe, so their designs should reflect that. I know drahn and galdjent have like a kingdom thing going on. There’s probably WAY less sea imagery and ocean features on roe in the first. More puppies than sea puppies, vaguely. More mountainy? Drahn I think are much more draconic than most Auri people, think fairytale dragon guys. They have the kind of customs that fairytale dragons and fae have, too, so it’s historically easy to say something odd to them and vice versa. Giants and dragons! I haven’t met a single elf except Ardbert’s friend. That’s an exaggeration but like no important npcs were elves. They seem very isolationist to me, very used to solo travel. Humes seem to have been mostly in kingdoms as well, like Ishgard, but less Catholic. They’re probably the most same. Garleans as a race of people do not exist on the First which is interesting. Ronso seem much more family-oriented, work-oriented, still cowboys, but very similar. I think the coeurl type hrothgar would be replaced with something else. Viis we know a lot about! They seem to be very similar as well, though I think just for fun for me, they’re Bigger. Like, taller, they’re isolated in a warm forest with plenty of prey and big magic energy. Viis big. Mystel I don’t know about, but they don’t SEEM to be desert cats, so I actually think. They don’t have undereye markings. Some of them have fold ears or domestic triangle cat ears rather than wild cat features. Familiar-like, not a lion pride — so they don’t have the same family structure miqote do either, it’s more like wolves where location and family are top tier. And Dwarves for sure have more mole than mouse features - thick claws on their toes and fingers, a little snoot, and very reflective eyes that are a bit sensitive to light. 
As for social faux pas… I think that Miqote, to show they’re unserious or apologetic, bunt or touch the other cat, lay down or sit next to them, put their tail on the other’s tail, something physical — and Mystel will lick their lips and look away and NOT touch, because further touching is To Fight. Ari FOR SURE tried to lean on and got smacked by Kai-Shirr and then smacked him back in betrayal. It took Alphy intervention to fix that. It is also way more common for humes to grumble and growl than it is for hyur (that’s bad manners. Imagine you bumped into someone at the store and they growled at you), so there was one point where Ryne actually (quietly like a kid swearing for the first time) grrrd at a monster and thancred had a whole 20 minutes of thinking to himself wether or not this was OK feral child behavior to let her keep doing or if he should tell her not to or. Or what. What do here. Is this OK. And lastly..,,, lalafellin alcohol is pretty strong, but their beer and mead taste great so it’s a popular party drink. dwarven alcohol is INCREDIBLY strong, it contains an ingredient mildly toxic to every other race except mord. You are SUPPOSED to, however you decide to do it, last a number of mugs (if you’re a bigger race, dilute the thing with soda or juice, you might get teased but it’s what you do). Some people were not aware of this and passed out after one mug, and got pitiful beards drawn on them (Urianger’s wispy stubble was quite silly to the rest of the party)
I’d love to compile more abt the First just in general. maybe my ideas would change with more info … anyways! Thank u for letting me drop a very large text bubble :]
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consistentsquash · 5 months
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@hprecfest. Day 31. A fav amongst favs
Almagest by eldritcher
Harry/Voldemort. Rated M. 133600 words.
Three men go to the moon to save the world.
If I can read only one fic ever again in my life because of some reason, I choose Almagest.
Beautiful theremin space opera telling a raw story about flawed people. Political, philosophical, romantic, sensual, kinky, funny, literary, musical, passionate, curious, unafraid, desperate, vulnerable, tragic, dark, profoundly human fairytale tempest.
Harry doesn't stop fighting for the right thing. Voldemort is doomed but he won't let "impossible" stop him. Dumbledore is brilliant, flawed and dangerous. They are the beating hearts at the center of the fic. My absolute all time favorite characterizations for them.
The pacing, the scale, the plot, the passion, the dynamics are absolutely incredible. The finale is a brutal victory march. The prose is lyrical and vivid. I don't want to spoil anything. So I am going to leave you with a quote by Ovid used in the fic which gets the vibe of the characters and the story.
"And now the measure of my song is done: The work has reached its end; the book is mine, None shall unwrite these words."
Almagest is a swansong. It burns everything it's got. Feels like a wildfire destroying a forest so that new pine cones can start growing, because "bright rose a different sun".
The perfect fic for New Year's Eve.
pic source
My other recs for this fest on Tumblr and also on AO3 collection
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incorrect-joseimuke · 4 months
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Bunal Tkmr about Bunal Shinpei: You've got to wonder how secluded a childhood must be before you start to find yourself becoming attracted to frogs.
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chaoticspeedrun · 1 year
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Donnie x fem! Reader The little merturtle 3
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Summary: Prince Donatello was the third of four brothers, the prince of an underwater yokai city, but he has always been searching for something else far more interesting than the mystic arts he is used to, he wants to know everything about the human world, their traditions, their creations... But when he finds himself entranced by a human princess it might just be the last push he needs to make his dream of exploring the land a reality.
"Without listening to Raph trying to stop him, Donnie hurriedly gulped down the fuchsia liquid, it went down quickly to his brothers' dismay, and he left half of it untouched.."
Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, tooth-rotting fluff
PREV • MASTERLIST • NEXT
The alchemist and the queen
A pair of eyes stared at Donnie as he sobbed at the bottom of his treasure cove, now only filled with piles of dust and burnt memories, the gargoyles slowly came out of hiding, swimming in circles around him.
“Oh, poor guy” Huginn said “That was really tough, don’t you think?”
His companion nodded sympathetically while Donnie raised his head to see them, a glare prominent between his brow “Oh, yes it was, I didn’t expect king Splinter to treat one of his children like that! It was so unfair.”
“Yes! So unfair!”
“What do you want?” Donnie snarked “That was private, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong” He growled.
“Man, sorry! We’re being rude Huginn” Muninn said, and Donnie heard Huginn apologize “We don’t have any ill will, we were just passing and hear the whole thing, it sounded like someone was in trouble.”
“Yeah, and after what we watched we just wanted to see if you were okay” Huginn finished, Donnie loosened his guard slightly, he was way too tired to fight them now, the crying had taken away all his energy and he just wanted a long nap.
Before he could tell them to leave again Huginn spoke once more “The collection you had was incredible, oh I love human stuff”
“Yeah! Master Draxum has a lot of their things lying around” Muninn said happily, grabbing Donnie’s attention.
“Draxum?” The turtle asked.
Hook.
“Oh yeah, you’ve heard of Draxum right?” At Donnie’s deadpan look that said he absolutely didn’t or he wouldn’t have asked Muninn continued “He’s a great warrior alchemist! He has been experimenting with human DNA since forever, he and Big Mama used to work together but that was, well, it was when Big Mama was still queen.”
Donnie raised an eyebrow, he had heard about Big Mama, at least briefly, but she had been long since dethroned by his father when Donnie was just a guppy, the only thing he knew about her was that she was dangerous and had been exiled because of that.
But of course, he thought bitterly, his father didn’t tell him many things it seemed.
“Why would he experiment with human DNA?” Donnie asked.
Line.
“Well usually Big Mama would give favors to her most valued subjects and a couple of times the requests were for them to be able to walk on land with the humans, with her magical powers as an energy source and Draxum’s alchemy they managed to find a way to give yokai the ability to live up top and vice versa, it was a time when both humans and yokai coexisted!”
Donnie’s eyes widened and he could have gotten whiplash with how fast he looked back at the gargoyle; the words that had just been spoken to him seemed like an impossible fairytale, it couldn’t be true, could it? A time when humans and yokai interacted together.
His mind went into overdrive, piecing all the puzzle pieces together, the mandate for yokai to not get in contact with humans was only put in place when his father acquired the throne, maybe that was how he himself had learned of yokai while being a human?
Donnie gulped loudly, his father had said he was ‘turned into this’, maybe the two of them had done that? And maybe that was why Big Mama had been exiled.
His eyes shifted between the gargoyles “So Draxum could help yokai walk on land?”
Huginn nodded “Definitely, why? Are you curious? It’s only natural, humans make so many cool things, it just makes sense.”
Donnie hesitated for a moment, he looked down at the pieces of debris covering the floor of his cove when he found it, his eyes paused wide on a piece of rock that had been separated from the rest, your statue had broken mostly in tiny pieces, except for your face, it lay there right in front of him sending a pang through his chest again, of both sadness and anger.
It pushed him to make a choice.
“Guide me to them” He ordered.
Sinker.
Huginn and Muninn smiled at him “Sure buddy, come on! Follow us.”
Swimming around in circles somewhere still in the reef were Raph and his two brothers.
“I didn’t mean to tell” He swore, “It was an accident!”
“We know, big guy” Leo said, kicking a pebble with his tail.
“We just need to give Donnie some space, what happened was…” Mikey cringed “Devastating to him, to say the least” He muttered, it didn’t make Raph feel much better.
He was about to say something else when they both heard Shelldon calling out to them, they turned to see the little turtle hurrying their way.
“Dudes! It’s Donnie! He’s going with some gargoyles far away from the limits!” He explained rapidly.
The guys all looked at each other worried “Which way was he going?” Leo asked.
They soon caught up to their brother who was swimming along the gargoyles, Raph recognized those gargoyles, he’d heard tales from the castle’s servants when he was little, of a banished alchemist and his subjects, it made him hurry as his mind alerted him of danger.
“Donnie!” Raph called swimming close to his brother “Where are you going?!”
“I’m going to see Big Mama and Draxum,” Donnie said in a monotone, a firm frown still set on his face that told his brothers he didn’t plan on changing his mind or listening.
Raph still tried “What?! Donnie no! Draxum is dangerous, he’s a demon!”
“Why don’t you go tell father Raphael?” Donnie bit back, looking at his brother for just a moment before continuing on his way “You’re good at that.”
Raph faltered slightly but Mikey gave him a reassuring look and the three all followed their brother into the lair of the exiled queen and warrior.
Donnie shivered and swam faster, wanting to get to the end quickly, maybe this was a bad idea.
“Wow” Donnie winced once they reached the entrance “Stunning choice of décor,” He said sarcastically, looking at the dry algae laying around the unkempt place, he saw then something that petrified him, in between the algae there was something else, something alive and looking dry, many of them shriveling where they stood stuck to the walls of the cave, some beings with eyes, staring straight at him.
One of those things took grasp of his arm and he gasped, pulling rapidly, grossed out by the thing, and feeling nauseous, he managed to unlatch it from his wrist, and without looking back he reached the end of the tunnel as fast as he could.
“Come in, come in~” A feminine voice called out to him, Donnie breathed heavily after the experience but turned to see a yokai with pink skin and white hair looking back at him with a sweet smile. “Oh my, you look so white! Such worry is not good for your emerald complexion, here, sit, sit, I’ll get you something to drink.”
The woman guided him to a seat and Donnie by reflex sat, now holding a flower in his hands as a cup, he recovered from his panic and looked attentively at the woman with skepticism “Are you Big Mama?” He asked.
“That I am turtley-boo, oh look, your brothers are here” She said smiling at the other three turtles that swam in with caution. “come, come, I do not bite, oh it’s been so long since we’ve had guests” The woman hummed, her attitude and his brother’s presence –Though he’d deny it— calming Donnie slightly and apparently his brothers too who while still weary sat down next to him.
Before Donnie could get to the point of his visit she spoke again “Now, you’re here because you have a thing for this human, a human princess at that! You certainly know how to choose them, darling, she is quite a catch.” Big Mama said nodding her head approvingly but making Donnie tense up once again.
“How do you know that,” He asked with his eyebrows furrowed, Mikey was surprised he didn’t deny it.
“Oh dear turtley-boos it used to be my job, as you might know, to know everything about my subjects, to help the hidden city prosper! And of course, you do not remember me, but I was right there the day you were all created” She hummed knowingly making them all look at her questioningly “Oh you were such adorable little turtles just before Draxy made you into what you are, better, stronger! So powerful and intelligent!”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, that’s nice and all, uh? Auntie? I guess, can I call you auntie? But I’m sorry, you just said we were ‘created’? As in, you know, do you mean born? “Ok, no, I’m confused about whatever you’re going on about” Leo blabbed looking for an explanation for this whole entire messy affair.
Big Mama hummed “You’re right, that’s so rude of me, perhaps Draxy can help me explain, Oh Draxy~!” She called out and from another room inside the cave a goat yokai walked out, firm in every step he took, way more serious than the old queen attending to them.
He didn’t have a friendly look to him, Raph thought, no wonder Big Mama was the one greeting guests with that attitude.
Draxum greeted them all as if he knew them personally to their shock, the two gargoyles hanging from his shoulders “It has been too long, my warriors.”
“Thank you, yes hi, this only raises more questions” Leo groaned loudly.
It wasn’t for long, the two exiled yokai used a magical orb to show them the day of their ‘mutation’ is what they called it, or bits of it at least, not that the boys would know.
It was explained to them how with Splinter turned into a merman they were mutated from mere turtles to merturtles and how Splinter was accidentally mutated into a rat afterward, what was left clear was that Draxum had created them, to Mikey that essentially made him their second dad and Big Mama had been there that day, working as the power source that helped in their creation.
“Your father and I had our disagreements” Big Mama looked sad, only Leo wasn’t buying it “After he was rejected by the human world he started going against all of our work in uniting both worlds, Draxum and I were exiled out here because we were the last connection between both” Big Mama lamented but then smiled softly at Donnie “Poor turtley-boo, longing to be understood, for a world he cannot have, humans are so full of curiosity aren’t they? Just like you, is that why you crave it so much? But thankfully, you found us, and what could be better for the relations between humans and yokai to thrive again than an alliance between the royalty of both worlds? Oh darling, wouldn’t it be beautiful?”
Donnie’s heart was beating hard in his chest with those suggestions, was it possible? Or was it dumb for him to believe? But his mind kept telling him that everything was right there in front of him! Draxum and Big Mama had just placed all of their cards on the table, while his own father had hidden the truth from them for their whole life!
His chest filled with hope when he saw how Raph and Mikey were much less tense, processing the situation with softer eyes, he could even see Mikey smile slightly.
Leo though wasn’t buying it at all, he could tell something wasn’t right.
“Donatello” Draxum spoke this time taking Donnie’s attention “Follow me for a moment will you?”
Donnie looked from the yokai who stood up to walk through one of the halls to his brothers, Leo was about to stop him but Mikey spoke first “Go! We’ll be right here!” He said cheerily and Raph agreed hesitantly, they were right there after all.
Donnie followed the yokai and they walked silently for a moment “Child, your curiosity is not a fault, in fact, without people like you our world would never get anywhere” The yokai assured finally looking back at the merturtle who was giving him his complete attention, his words reassured Donnie, no one had ever truly understood his fascination with the human world but this yokai had been working with humans before he was born, and Donnie, well Donnie craved the approval, he started smiling smugly at the older yokai’s words.
Draxum continued speaking “It is the intelligence you were blessed with that would make the world you seek a reality, do not let anyone fool you, here” Draxum stopped in front of a table filled to the brim with colorful potions, shining bright with unnatural colors, he took a fuchsia-colored one that reflected its light on his skin.
 “This is the potion that you need, the only way to get what you want is to become human yourself, it requires a strong energy source which Big Mama will help you with, after finishing the correct ritual you will be fully transformed.”
“A human?” Donnie was hesitant before questioning “I heard you helped yokai walk along humans.”
“Well that is true” Draxum agreed, Big Mama and the rest of Donnie’s brothers entered the room then, listening by the door “However I fear humans have not seen yokai for decades, it might be dangerous if you kept your form, looking like a human would help you socialize with them,”
Donnie nodded his head and his father’s words from before were back in his mind.
“That human you saved may have been grateful the moment she breathed, but once she realizes who saved her, she won’t look at you as a hero but a monster.”
It pained him slightly to think it might be true, a new insecurity had made its way into his mind, turbulent as it was already through so many events, but with that potion, he wouldn’t have to worry about that, if he could meet you as a human then –his heart beat a little faster— his chances with you might be much better, and eventually, he could tell you who he truly was, once he knew you’d be open to it.
Donnie nodded taking the bottle in his hands, Big Mama placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Now, before anything you must know this first, every spell has to be extremely specific and it has a cost as you boys may know” She began explaining “The potion and my magic will make you human for one month! It is very important that you keep track of the time because before the sun sets on the last day you need to make the princess fall in love with you.”
“What?!” There was a chorus of the four turtles exclaiming at the same time.
“But why?” Donnie asked blushing wildly.
“Well, the terms and conditions settle with a true love kiss as many do, I’m sure you know, but don’t worry I am sure you can do that!” Big mama pinched his cheeks, and he batted her hands away “The reason for that is the cost of the wish, to keep the form and remain on land for more than a month would be too expensive, only the true love kiss may seal the magic then.”
Donnie grunted in acceptance, he knew how costly spells could be and this wasn’t a simple one, his request was huge.
“If she does kiss you before the end of the month you may remain human, permanently! But if she doesn’t, you’ll turn back into a merturtle.” Big Mama finished.
Raph looked like he was about to say something, to pull Donnie away and tell him he shouldn’t go through with it, Leo beat him to it.
“That’s it?” He asked doubtfully “He’ll just be back, no other consequences?”
“Oh Poseidon, no” Big Mama assured, “Just like that! The only thing I ask of you Donnie is that you reunite our worlds, after all, you wouldn’t want to leave your brothers behind surely, nothing would be more perfect than that.” She said, turning to Donnie.
He was excited, a moment ago all his dreams seemed to have shattered into a million pieces and now he had a chance to explore the human world and its wonders like he had wanted his whole life and he could meet you! Properly, like he had wanted, there was only one more thing he needed to ask, even if he just wanted to dive right in for the potion before his brothers decided to pull him away.
“What is the cost to transform in the first place?” He asked and the attention of his brothers went back to the exiled.
“Your voice” Big Mama answered easily.
Raph gasped “His voice?! How is he even supposed to make the princess fall in love with him in a month if he can’t even talk?”
Donnie winced, his brother did make a good point, of course, the situation couldn’t be so perfect.
“Oh don’t worry, there are so many other methods of communication my dear! I am sure you will figure one out, and if she truly is worth it, I’m sure she won’t mind! So, whenever you want turtley-boo! You only need half of the potion and I’ll make the contract.”
“Donnie” Leo spoke quietly close to his twin “I know you want this but I don’t trust Big Mama, there’s something they’re not telling us.”
Donnie rolled his eyes “Oh come on Leo, this is my chance! This is the only way I would ever get to see the human world!” Donnie’s voice made Leo deflate “If I tried anything else dad would chain me down to the castle’s floor, I’m ready.”
Without listening to Raph trying to stop him Donnie hurriedly gulped down the fuchsia liquid, it went down quickly to the dismay of his brothers, and he left half of it untouched.
Rays of golden color started enveloping him, coming out of Big Mama’s hands, her eyes now glowing white, and a piece of paper floated right in front of Donnie, he took the pen in front of him and quickly signed his name on the paper, he tried to read its contents while doing so but only got so far because once his name was fully signed in it disappeared, the golden light turned green and Donnie started feeling a scratch on his throat, he coughed loudly before feeling like the water left his body.
His brothers looked at him in panic and determined Leo took the bottle with potion out of his grasp, chugging a whole gulp of it in before reaching out towards Raph and forcing the drink on the eldest’s mouth who coughed wildly after that having been taken by surprise, Leo did the same with Mikey and pulled them both toward were Donnie’s transformation had just begun.
“Wait!” Draxum yelled but the three other turtles were engulfed in the light too.
Mikey watched in terror as Donnie yelled, his tail separating in an instant and suddenly there was a pair of feet where it used to be.
He himself started feeling weird, but on his upper body, before he could think about it though Mikey felt someone pulling him to Donnie and he realized then that his brother could not breathe under the water anymore.
Donnie’s lungs felt like they were on fire, he was clawing at his throat and realized his gills were gone, he tried to pull himself up, but thankfully he was dragged up out of the cave by some pairs of…fins?
They reached the surface and Donnie gasped, breathing heavily, the air was sweet salvation from all the pain he’d just endured, two bodies pushed their way under his arms, pulling his tired body toward the shore, belatedly, he realized the fish pulling him forwards were his own brothers, transformed into fish, or well, Mikey was a fish, an overly grown goldfish.
It made Donnie wonder if they were more related to Piebald than they’d originally thought.
Raph however, looked like a full-grown alligator snapping turtle, it must have been the effect of drinking just a bit of the potion without the contract Donnie had made with Big Mama.
Donnie was deep in his delirium, trying to make sense of what was happening to deviate his mind from the pain he had just experienced, so he looked for Leo, assuming surely that like his tail he’d become a sailfish after the spell.
They were about to reach the shore, but Donnie couldn’t stay conscious any longer, unable to find Leo to distract himself, he blacked out.
You were walking outside the castle, the building lifted from the sea but overlooking it by rocks and pillars, you rested your back against one of its walls while Mayhem played around close to the water, Mayhem had always seemed to love the sea as much as you did, sometimes it seemed like if you left him alone he would swim deep into the waters like they were home.
Your smile was soft but was soon eclipsed by your thoughts as they wandered back to a couple of days ago, your mind kept repeating the words of your savior over and over again, it made your heart flutter, what you remembered him saying about wanting to know your world and you, you wondered what he meant exactly.
You were snapped out of your daydreaming by a bark from Mayhem, sighing softly you pulled yourself away from the wall and started walking away from the castle.
“Do you think Casey is right?” You asked your companion with a small frown “Maybe a did drink too much seawater? I mean I swear I saw a tail disappear into the water” you chuckled humorlessly, worried that so many mermaid tales had just messed with you that day and you had just imagined an impossible romance.
Mayhem’s bark in response made you smile again “You’re right, I can’t just give out hope already, right? I know what I felt that day” your confidence returned, at least slightly, maybe you should go around town again. You weren’t able to see him properly that time but you were sure you’d recognize his voice anywhere.
Donnie felt the beginnings of a headache and groaned while recovering consciousness, he must have been laying on the beach because he could feel the sand beneath his…actually, his back felt weird over the sand.
His hand reached up to his head to get rid of the headache when he felt it, Donnie jumped up to sit up straight at the feeling of five fingers on his forehead instead of three; his eyes examined the foreign hand in front of him with fascination and his expression turned gleeful at the realization of what he was looking at, a five-fingered hand in golden brown that was his own.
His gaze went down quickly to where his purple tail would rest to find in its place a pair of legs the same color as his arm, he was human! He was truly human! He moved his feet in fascination, the fingers moving almost one by one while his hands were flapping rapidly; he was so excited he could scream!
No sound came out of his mouth, but he was too elated to care or notice at that moment.
Mikey gasped with sparkly eyes “Donnie! You’re human!” His little brother screamed like he hadn’t noticed already “Ohmigosh, you look so weird but so cool! But what will dad say?! Oh what if he finds out, wait of course he’s gonna find out, oh and I’m a fish now, he’s gonna be so pissed, maybe he’s worried already! What if he comes looking for us? What if he mobilizes everyone and—”
“Mikey!” Raph called out beside him “Calm down! We can’t panic now! No one panic!” He said, already panicked, his eyes barely leaving Donnie who still looked too excited to care about what was happening around him, he was trying to stand up on both legs, at first, he almost fell down, but he managed to hold himself up, even though his legs trembled under his body.
That was until he heard Raph’s next words.
“We need to go back and tell pops, I should have done that the moment you started swimming to Draxum” Raph’s words sent Donnie into a frenzy, he reached out to his now more of a turtle brother, shaking his head over and over to express his discontent “Don’t shake your head at me, young man! Look at what’s happening! Maybe we can get Big Mama and Draxum to turn you back and give you back your voice! We’d go home and back to normal, then you’d just be…”
Raphael’s rant stopped slowly while he stared into his brother’s eyes which were just the same despite his human appearance, Donnie looked pained and it sent guilt straight into the core of Raph’s being “Just be…miserable for the rest of your life” Raphael conceded looking down at the sand and sighing, yes, he was worried, but it wasn’t fair of him to take away his brother’s final chance at everything he had ever wanted. He sighed before looking back at Donnie “All right all right, we’ll find that princess and get you that kiss.”
Donnie grinned wildly, his legs unconsciously moving up and down under him, making him unstable for a moment before he steadied himself again, he only then noticed one of his brothers must have covered him up with an old boat sail while he was unconscious because it was tied around his figure, ignoring that, for now, he instead punched the air to show his excitement, his brothers chuckled at him looking much calmer now.
“All right! We’re getting Donnie his smooches and giving dad a vacation, let’s go!” They heard Leo’s voice call out and looked around but couldn’t see anything “Right here big guy, ugh it’s weird calling you that instead of Raph” The merturtle mumbled.
Instead of what Donnie thought he’d find his eyes stumbled into a tiny red-eared slider turtle looking at him from over a rock and the now man couldn’t stop himself from falling backward on the sand as he tried to recover his breath, laughing soundlessly but wildly at the appearance of his twin brother.
Raph’s and Mikey’s laughter was much louder, and Leo only rolled his eyes “Oh give it a rest, would you?! I do all of this so we can help Donnie out and all I get from you guys is mocking!”
“You turned us into turtles and a fish!” Raph exclaimed “We don’t even know how to get back to our bodies! And how is Mikey going to follow Donnie on land?”
“Well yeah, I didn’t know what exactly the effect would be on us” Leo mumbled almost in a whisper “But! We do know when we’re going to be back to normal! We didn’t make a contract and only took a small dose of the potion, in a month regardless of what happens the three of us will just be back to normal no worries! Right, Donnie?” Leo said confidently and Raph looked from him to Donnie with skepticism.
Donnie who’d just recovered his breath looked thoughtful, he considered what Draxum and Big Mama had said and it seemed about right, he nodded in reply and started looking around for his mask which was nowhere to be seen, while he marveled about it being gone and realized finally that there was hair where it usually rested on his head Raph sighed and Leo looked smug.
“All right fine, now, how do we find this princess?”
You were still walking close to the shore when Mayhem suddenly started jumping around you, barking and trying to pull you further away “Woah, what’s up Mayhem?” You asked the pet who kept making motions for you to follow, and you gave in with a chuckle, following Mayhem as they ran far away from you.
“All right Donnie, can you just tie that better? It’s gonna fall any moment now and I really don’t wanna see THAT” Leo groaned pointing at the cloth over Donnie’s body who was trying to hold it over his shoulder and waist.
A familiar bark took their attention, nearing them quickly.
Mayhem rushed over Donnie’s way and not knowing what to expect he hurried over to a rock, trying to hide from the creature behind it, Mayhem jumped close to Donnie who looked back in amazement before he heard your voice, repeating the scene back at the ship when he had seen you for the first time.
Donnie’s knees wobbled for a moment but he stabilized himself again quickly seeing you reunite with your pet before your eyes went up and clashed with his.
You seemed to pause in surprise and he wondered for a moment if you had recognized him somehow despite how different he looked now.
Mayhem went back to Donnie, jumping around and turning back to look at you like he was saying ‘Here! He’s right here!’, when you looked at this man you had the same feeling from before with your savior, you were confident Mayhem was right, this was him, it had to be, he looked shipwrecked, his hair drenched and he was covered in only a battered sail that had probably belonged to your own ship.
“Are you okay sir?” You asked as you neared him, Donnie’s eyes never leaving your face as he smiled and nodded rapidly at you, you smiled back before looking back at Mayhem and reaching out to hold them in your arms “I’m sorry if my, uh, dog, scared you, they’re harmless, just a bit hyperactive sometimes” You chuckled trying to avoid his gaze, it made you a bit nervous, you wanted to ask, you really wanted to ask if he was whom you thought, but if your eyes crossed with his again you were worried you’d stutter your question instead.
If you could only hear him speak it would confirm everything.
“Have I met you before?” You asked still petting Mayhem “You seem very familiar to me” That wasn’t true, you had never seen his face before but the feeling wouldn’t leave your body.
Donnie’s eyes seemed to sparkle when he heard you say that, he wanted to answer ‘Yes! That was me!’ but knew he couldn’t, if you just looked back up, he could nod in confirmation.
As if you had heard his thoughts you looked back up at him again allowing him the chance to nod in response, your smile seemed to widen impossibly and he could have swooned, feeling dizzy from your reaction “We HAVE met! I knew it!” You said letting go of Mayhem to get closer to him, forgetting how nervous you had just been a moment ago at the confirmation “You’re the man who saved me, I had been looking for you! What’s your name?”
Donnie faltered, realizing he couldn’t tell you his name.
Your smile dropped slowly “What’s wrong?” You asked worriedly and Donnie tapped his throat with his hand, trying to explain he couldn’t speak, you caught on “You can’t speak?” Donnie nodded and noticed you looked surprised then a bit disappointed “Oh, then you couldn’t be who I thought, I’m sorry for mixing you up” You smiled in apology and Donnie felt like smashing his face on the sand, no! He was! This was recent, his mutism happened just now! Oh, but how could he tell you so? How would you even believe that?
Donnie could hear the groans of his brothers coming from behind him and felt the need to groan too, instead, he leaned over the rock he had been standing behind and tried to make signs with his hands, there had to be a way for him to explain this!
You looked up at him curiously as he once again tapped his throat trying to communicate something, he waved his hands away from his throat in a leaving motion, trying to explain his voice had left, your head tilted to the side in confusion “Your breath?” he quickly made a dismissing motion, repeating the signal from before and then making a wave with his hand to simulate swimming “You need help?” you asked and his movements became wilder, in his frenzy he leaned over too much and almost fell, you gasped but managed to catch him quickly before he did.
Donnie was shocked at realizing he was now in your arms, his movements halting while you tried to lift him back to his feet “Woah careful!” You said worriedly but his cheeks felt really warm and if he could speak he would be completely unable to form a coherent sentence, for once he was relieved for his mutism if only for a moment, how were you so strong?! Despite lacking his tail he knew he couldn’t be too light.
“You really must have been through something” He tuned back into reality when you spoke, you looked worried about him but then smiled reassuringly “Don’t worry! I’ll help you” You said, with him standing up again you still laid one of his arms over your shoulders thinking he might need help walking since he seemed to have trembling legs.
Donnie was surprised but happy, you were taking him to the castle! He looked back over his shoulder towards his brothers with a grin, Mikey and Raph were making signs of approval and smiling back at him, but Leo was once again nowhere to be found.
Or so did Donnie think before realizing there was a weight on the sail covering him, he looked down to see Leo sitting on it, traveling along without doing anything and smiling lazily back at Donnie, Donnie rolled his eyes at his brother, secretly thankful that he was small enough to follow along.
He kept walking with you, his legs a bit wobbly but you helped him keep steady all the way to the castle.
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sourcreammachine · 6 months
Text
fuck it, let’s die on this hill
FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK IS THE ULTIMATE QUEER YULETIDE SONG
the straights have been getting increasingly uncomfortable with it in the last few years. you’re going to see a big resurgence of the censored version this year because Shane MacGowan died last week, but it has been well on the decline - meaning a wide open gulf is forming to allow the cheap, lousy faggots to swoop in and continue colonising it. here’s why we should
firstly it’s an absolute banger. traditional irish music combined with modern drums into a sound that fits the yule aesthetic perfectly whilst bringing drama and emotion. it’s cozied up by the fire, but alive and dramatic
the biggest source of discomfort for most people is that it’s MacGowan and MacColl aggressively arguing at each other, rattling off textbook sexist vitriol. and MacColl calls MacGowan a faggot, with total sincere usage of the slur, hatred and all. putting the slur aside, the nastiness of the song gets people’s ire. it’s a couple having a stereotypical domestic and they seem to kiss and make up in the final act, all unacceptable behaviour forgiven. it’s everything modern straights want to put in the past. so let them. it’s a het couple being toxic, cool. queer celebration has attached the bandwagon to worse things and it’s always taking up the castoffs of heteronormative society. queer love can be made of FONY all the same:
MacGowan’s first verse stings, does it not? sadness, desperation, and longing. in queer society, we have all been MacGowan’s character and we have all been the Old Man, even if it’s not the bottle and the drunk tank. we’re survivors, we’re bloodied and bruised, we refuse to go away no matter how many AIDS-genocides, moral panics, and hate-murders they do to us. there are nights where we think by all mercy we Won’t See Another One, and we turn our face away and Dream About You. there’s always hope. there’s always reasons to continue the fight, and they don’t have to be abstract
when the sobbing’s over, the Pogues immediately come to life for the main body. we go up and down the rollercoaster of emotions while the band keeps playing, while the air is always jubilant. the wonder, the delight, the hope, the madlove, the melodrama, the bile, the hatred. for a song making allusions of broadway, it sounds fresh from broadway - our story is painted through feelings, not words. and when it’s over, MacColl’s character (seems to, judging by the tonal finality of MacGowan’s lines and her participation in the final chorus) forgives her abusive partner and reattaches her hopes to him, her drunkard patriarch. but we’re queer, remember - we’re not celebrating these straggot pieces of shit. we find identity in the feelings. we have all been MacColl’s character, finding wonder and hope and the chance to become who we want to be, and being given false promises by false starts. and if you’ll forgive me for entertaining MacGowan’s character’s bastard misogynist perspective for a second, we’ve all found ourselves having to defend our queer communities, having to stand by our old sluts on junk, even as doing so takes its toll and sometimes feels like a burden. those feelings happen. they are irrational, they are bad, and they happen. and a new day comes and we’re thankful we stood by. it’s a melodramatic broadway banger - we can find meaning in all places, even the ‘b*tch-wife’ slurrings of a misogynist
it’s that power that lets a queer reading of FONY stick the fucking landing. again i repeat myself, from a surface reading the ending is toxic as shit. but queer reading is in the feeling. this lament, this mournful lament, of misplaced hopes, of lost dreams, and a commitment to what we have, and looking forward despite unbearable challenge. you’d scream ‘leave him!’ to every straight MacColl in the world, that’s like, feminism 101 - but queer life is nothing if not complicated. the queer-read MacGowan isn’t a toxic gay lover. he is queer life itself. he took our dreams from us when we first found him, so it may appear. the hatred we feel inside, the emptiness, the pain, it’s all there with the phantasmic joy, the discovery, the love, the everything. and the band always keeps playing. straight MacColls returning to their straight MacGowans is stupid, but we don’t have a choice. our community is everything, our support is everything. it’s rough. it can almost kill you. but would any of us trade it for anything else? we are MacColls and MacGowans all at once - we are the ones with fragile hopes, we are the ones who damage it, and shepherd it still. we’re our own worst enemy and we’re all we have
when Shane MacGowan adapted the original lyrics of a lonely seafarer, he did not turn it into a queer song. in fact, he wrote a character yelling the f-slur. there is not a gramme of queercoding here. but exactly what is the difference between the actual faggots finding commonality in the villain songs penned to mock us, or old broadway songs that have nothing to do with us, and the yuletide song that actively hates us? fucking little, i would argue. queer celebration’s power is its ability to reconstrue. they call us faggot every month of the year with nary a second thought, and we spit it right back at them with reclamation and solidarity. we should do the same in december. we dance to the tune of their bigotry and we sing along at the top of our lungs. they are quietening down out of embarrassment - long may our party reign. FONY, a bigoted song, is a queer anthem because it has been made so. the madness. the love. the sadness. the dreams. that is queerness. and queer revolution is not giving one single, solitary shite about straight people’s discomfort about what the cheap, lousy faggots choose to celebrate. the way the ending instrumental tapers off into beautiful emotion - the straights have abandoned it: that feeling of love, that feeling of joy, that feeling belongs to us now
sing it like you would all queer songs. hold your friends close and celebrate them. love everyone around you. and when the naughty word comes around, scream it
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strqyr · 13 days
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Tbh of all the stories in Fairytales of Remnant, I think The Infinite Man is the most fascinating one bc it's such a good read into Oz's belief system (old and new), what he's asking for now, and overall character. Granted, all of the stories are, I believe, good reads into Ozpins character, cause the whole book seems to be one big character study, but The Infinite Man is so INTERESTING.
I think it's set before Oz found out Salem is unkillable and thus before he gave up on his task. And that's really interesting bc you kinda get an insight into how he thought during this time period, seemingly only doing it because it would allow him to rest and that it was the 'only thing' he was here for, aka the only thing he's worth without Salem (It's mentioned that they will "make way for the final judgement" and that, as their message spread through Remnant, "This was what he was here for, he thought. Perhaps, in the end, he would be able to rest." <- probably lying to himself, he wasn't here for the task, he was here for Salem. Without her, what is he worth?).
Also the Circle is repeatedly stated to be a mistake he made, and if he was Still working towards his task, I'm pretty sure he'd say it was his greatest achievement, not a huge mistake. Also, he acknowledges that his task isn't what people want by including in that it (at least likely) WASN'T Salem who sent people to kill him ("Did someone send you to kill me?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Your mere existence makes you a target.").
And. I just. Gestures wildly at this: "I can't help what you've heard about me." The man shot the woman a pointed look. "But in my experience, Gods are far less than the stories told about them. I assure you, I am no God, and I don't want to fight you."
ALSO loudly gestures at "Some people still worship Gods, while others insist we must be our own salvation. But the world doesn't work in absolutes, so why can't it be both?". Oz knows the world isn't black or white, he knows Gods are fallible and imperfect, and he knows humanity can accomplish great things and replace the Gods with their own creations and ingenuity [gestures at The Gift of the Moon as well as The Infinite Man].
Also. Points at Ozpins notes at the end of The Infinite Man. He's pretty blatantly asking for forgiveness, for hurting Salem and for getting people killed during his old crusade. He's trying to say that he doesn't believe in that anymore, that he knows he did wrong; he had good intentions, but he was a fool and still got people hurt.
Sorry I'm clinically insane over Ozpin. I'm gonna turn this into a post
honestly i have nothing to add to this, gotta just appreciate how the whole idea behind the fairy tale book is oz not only making a collection of fairytales that's included in the curriculum of the academies, but getting some of his friends / colleagues to record some of them as well, and then the whole thing is just. oz telling on himself in multitude of ways lmao love that for him ✌
even in the introduction of the book he's like "i have discovered in this lifelong pursuit that if you wish to fully appreciate a story, you should consider its source and attempt to unravel and understand the storyteller's intentions. why did they tell this story? why now? yes, stories may be shared for entertainment alone; however, they also can disguise lessons, moral guidance, important historic records, moon-shattering revelations—and even dire warnings of hidden dangers in the world and difficult trials yet to come." <- dude's literally telling everyone to bring an extra oxygen supply because we're going Deep with this one!!
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aidenpriceless · 4 months
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Which Shrek character would excel the most in PFL, in your opinion?
Greetings. Apologies for forgetting this reply in the drafts, hopefully you are not inconvenienced by the delay. Am I correct in assuming that you would like me to draw some comparisons between the cast of the Shrek animated movie franchise and the roles of our agents? In that case, this question would require an in-depth analysis of their abilities for me to formulate a satisfying response.
There are plenty of characters within the source material, but let us stick with our main entries: Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, and Puss in Boots.
Shrek
Superhuman Strength (diminishes when transformed into a human)
Durability (survived being burned alive)
Can travel on foot for miles without tiring
Hand-To-Hand Combat (Krav Maga, Irish Street Fighting)
Survival skills from living in the swamp
Improvising plans
Knowledge of fairytales and ogre lore
Powerful roar he can use to blow people backwards
Bonus abilities from the original book: swallowing lightning, heat vision, fire breathing
If we were to compare Shrek to any of our agent, we might see resemblances with Agent Washington and Agent Maine. His durability and being a jack of all trades would certainly make him an asset to our organization. He is likely to meeting our standards, in terms of performance. His temper, however, can cause many issues and further observation would be required to establish the proper measures we need to take. 8-/10
Princess Fiona
Master Martial Artist
Superhuman Strength (As an Ogre)
Durability
Expert Weapon Combatant (in the alternative world of Shrek Forever After), can hit targets while blindfolded
Team Leadership (in the alternative world of Shrek Forever After)
Princess Fiona is most similar to Agent Carolina, as we have seen the speed with which both are capable of landing hits. Her already enhanced strength is a great addition. She would benefit from using our camouflage armour enhancement and become virtually unstoppable. 9.5/10
Puss in Boots
Combat Proficiency (mostly as a swordsman) despite his small size
Sharp claws
Expert thief and hunter (thanks to speed and fluidity of movement which he also uses in dance challenges)
Distraction, using his cute nature
Guitar playing
Implied to be at least bilingual
Even more so than Princess Fiona, Puss In Boots is fast. Due to his ability to deceive, he would benefit from a holographic projection enhancement such as the one assigned to Agent Connecticut, who shares the usage of blades as her main weapon. In short, there is potential, but the determining factor is the presence and focus on the mission. Those values may not align with this character. I would not send him on a mission alone and not expect him to wander on his own. 7/10
Donkey
Empathy
Ability to keep secrets
Diplomacy, with which he has successfully changed others' stance regarding people or issues
As you may have noticed from exploring the franchise yourself, Donkey's special...Skillsets do not unfortunately include combat, which is the main requirement in hiring our agents. (3/10) If we are not strictly talking codenamed agents, there is plenty of members from freelancer personnel who could instruct him to a suitable profession. Namely, our field medic for simulation troopers, mr Frank DuFresne.
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