#than second best hero and that makes a lot of sense since his ideals/goals as a villain go against his usual rational behavior | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

luimagines · 3 years

Note

RQ: He’s upset and needs comforting

Masterlist

Ya'll want angst? Because I have some angst.

Very hurt/comfort

Set platonically and within the group since there was no specification. Hope that’s ok! Sorry it took awhile, it got away from me again. I think this may be a trend.

Scenario under the cut! It’s super long so take caution!

Sky

It took a while for you to notice but eventually you do.

Sky has been acting weird all day.

It was only clipped responses at first, then it was was the lack of attention where Sky would have been the first to comment or act otherwise. What really tipped you off finally was how he seemed to be evading the whole group. Not necessarily stepping away and out of sight but he didn’t interact with anyone and when they approached him, he didn’t make eye contact, seemingly trying to cut the conversation short.

No one has said anything.

You mention it to Twilight about his out of character behavior but he says that it maybe a bad day, or he slept wrong, or some other reason that you stopped listening to because it didn’t make any sense.

Sky was always trying to be friendly no matter his mood and it took a lot to shake him up.

What was eating at the Chosen Hero?

Soon, the uncertainty begins to eat at you too and you wait for night fall, once everyone is asleep to strike.

Strike up a conversation that is.

Sky usually takes the last watch because he’s usually the first one out regardless of what activities for the day so you strive to wake up early.

It works for the most part, your internal clock doing what you want it to do when you blink your eyes open. Part of you begins to drift off again so you sit up and nearly fall asleep that way.

A hand comes up on your back and rubs a small circle. “Nightmare?”

It’s Sky and he’s looking at you with mild concern.

You smile and shake your head. “No. I’m alright but I think I’ll stay up with you if you don’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t mind the company.” He moves out of your space and back to where he sat.

You follow, still groggy from just waking from your slumber but succeed in not stepping on any of your friends or waking them up as well with the added noise. you sit next to the Hero of the Skies with little fan fare and let the moment settle on the both of you before looking skyward.

“Can I ask you something?” You don’t look at Sky and continue star gazing even if they’re a little harder to spot as the sun travels closer for it’s shift.

Sky hums in agreement and follows your gaze upwards.

“Are you ok? You seemed a little off lately.”

Sky doesn’t say anything for the first few seconds and you suspect that maybe he didn’t hear you. With him spacing out so much and the fact that you whispered for the sake of your still sleeping friends, you’re inclined to repeat yourself but Sky answers in time.

“Just thinking a lot, I suppose. Nothing serious.”

“Yeah?” You don’t look his way. This is casual. This is friendly. This is not a big deal. “Rupee for your thoughts?”

“It’s not that interesting.”

You shrug. “Hit me with it anyway. It’s got to be something if it’s throwing you off your rocker. Maybe a new perspective will help clear some of it up?”

Sky frowns at your attempts, once again retreating into his mind. You let the offer hang in the air and let it sink in.

You’re disinclined to bring it up anymore. Your brain is still tired and you’re wondering your effectiveness when half of your thoughts are still muddled with sleep and fatigue. You could have totally slept in some more. What on earth made you think this was a good idea?

“Time mentioned something earlier that I can’t seem to let go of.” Sky begins.

You hum back and let him keep talking.

“I never fought this Ganon guy they all so talk so much about. I fought the God Demise. Before I could land the final blow, he cast a curse on me, on us, that some cycle would continue. His hatred would last forever and my blood line and Zelda’s will be cursed to deal with constant darkness caused by him.” Sky admits, looking now at his intertwined hands. “I finished him soon after that but... I wonder... Am I the cause-... Is this all my fault? Am I the reason that we’re all here right now? That everyone has gone through so much? So many thing happened that should have never occurred. Time and Legend and Wild have all suffered so much.... more than I can possibly ever imagine and it seems like it’s never ending. Everyone starts they’re adventures so young... If I had killed him sooner... If I had just got it over with... If I had just shut him up-”

“Hey.” Your hand lands on his shoulder, cutting off his tirade. “None of this is anyone’s fault. The only people to blame are Ganon and now, this Demise guy. You did what you could. You still got the job done and no one here will ever blame you for what has happened to them or to Hyrule. You were young too... you’re still young. Give yourself a little kindness and understanding, just as you do with everyone here. You didn’t deserve it either. It’s not like you asked to fight a God.”

“Well...”

“Sky you know what I mean.”

“I should have been faster. If-”

“There’s no use in worrying about what if’s.” You shove him slightly. “This is our life. Even if you ask, no one is capable of giving you the answers. I get it. It’s hard to know if the path you took is the right one if it’s all you’ve ever known and you can’t see where the other would have lead... But... Even if horrible things happen, I’m still glad to have met you. I’m glad I met the others. I’m happy to be here with you and with them, and I’m glad that it’s not just me anymore.”

You let the words sink in before leaning down wards and trying to get him to look you in the eye. “I can’t answer your questions. But what happened, happened and the best thing we can do is learn how to play with the cards we’re dealt.”

He take a deep breath and finally looks in your direction. “I know you’re right.”

“Naturally.”

“But I can’t help but feel responsible for being-”

“But you’re not responsible for their pain or any of this Sky. If Ganon has anything to do with Demise then it’s all Demise’ fault. His and his only. Understand?” You stress. “I wish... I wish I could do something more to help.”

Sky places his hand over yours where you still have it on his shoulder and sends you a small smile. “I know. Me too.”

Wild

“Zelda, would you please drop it!” You hear the Champion yell, his voice carrying over the wind and somehow getting louder. “We’ve had this conversation before and it’s not the time to have it again. I have things to do excuse me.”

Wild storms into his house and shuts the door behind, blocking it with all his weight and waits for the indignant shrieking on the other side to go away. The voice ends with a frustrated huff and after a moment of silence, Wild relaxes and steps away from the door and further into the house.

You’re almost scared for the moment. You’ve not known Wild to yell, even less so for a Link to be on bad terms with Zelda no matter the universe. To make matters worse, you were the only that was actually within the house at the moment and you weren’t entirely sure how to proceed from here.

“Trouble in paradise?”

That probably wasn’t the way to go, if you were being honest with yourself.

Wild groans, loud and exaggerated and sits at the table in front of you with as much fan fair.

“Do not...call it that.” He sounds tired.

“Sorry.” You amend with an apologetic shrug. “That-” You reference to the scene outside. “-Didn’t sound ideal.”

“No. It’s not.” Wild sighs and places his face in his hands with his elbows on the table. Bad table manners, a small voice in your head pipes up. But it’s his house, so you bite your tongue.

“Can I ask what it was about?” You hesitatingly venture.

Wild takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. “I wanted to live a simple life.” He starts. “Everything was over now, right? That was the idea I had. Defeat the evil and get to finally live as a normal man. Maybe explore more of my home and show Zelda all the cool things I’ve seen and done. Everything I knew, everything I remembered is gone and has been gone for a while. No one alive misses it. No one alive even knows about it. This is the world they were born into and they wouldn’t have it any other way. I was prepared to accept that and join them.”

Your face twists in sympathy as you nod along. “I take it that’s the issue here.”

“When I defeated Calamity Ganon and reunited with Zelda, she seemed so full of hope and purpose.” Wild continues. “I saw it in her eyes. She wanted a different thing to what I wanted.”

“And what’s that?”

Wild gives you a pained look. “Zelda wants to try and rebuild the kingdom. Make it into what she remembers it to be. She wants to strengthen relationships with the other nations and reestablish the royal family and a whole lot of other things that I cannot begin to think of how long it would both take and last considering all the damage that already been done. She wants to be Queen. And over what? Hyrule Kingdom is no more. Can’t be a Queen without a kingdom to rule and there’s not a lot of Hylians left that would agree to being ruled over or even enough of them to count as a kingdom to begin with.”

“I suppose it’s not a bad goal to have but you do make a point.” You try and add to the conversation, feeling wildly out of your depth. “Does she know that you-”

“Yes. And she thinks I’m crazy for it. She thinks that I’ve given up on my friends and the past and the future and- uugghhh.” Wild leaned forward and slams his head on the table with enough force to make you jump.

“That look like it hurt.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“I believe you.” A small smile covers your face.

A beat passes before Wild continues to talk with his head still on top of the table. “I don’t think she realizes that I’ve changed after everything. Maybe if I had my memories to begin with, or maybe if I had managed to defeat Calamity Ganon sooner, I’d be more inclined to agree with her, but I’ve experienced so much and done so much that I don’t want to go back to how things were. I’m a different man now.” Wild looks up at you. “She’s different too but I don’t think she’s ready for that conversation.”

“So you’re stuck with this one?”

“Yes.”

“That sucks man.” You shift in your seat. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Not if you can change the past.” He pouts.

“Shame. I’m fresh out of past changing wishing powder.”

“That’s not a thing.” He pouts even more.

You chuckle at the display before sobering up ever so slightly. “Do you want me to talk to her?”

“What good will that do?”

“Maybe a third person party has to step in. It could be that it’s because you’re the one who saying that she isn’t listening.” You shrug. “I think you’re right but I’m willing to give her chance to tell her side of the story while you cool down in here. I can be a distraction so you can sneak out quietly and she won’t know you’re here anymore! It’s a win win! And maybe you guys can come to an agreement when you both see each other again with new perspectives.”

Wild gives you another tired look and leans into his hand. “I doubt it would work. Zelda is incredibly stubborn, one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met. But if you think it would help, I won’t stop you. I’ve run out of arguments and I’m done hearing hers.”

“Ok.” You say getting up and moving around the table. “I think it’s worth a shot. There’s a saying where I’m from that goes, ‘it’ll all be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, then it’s not the end.’”

You give Wild a hug around his shoulder and squeeze him tight. “I have faith that you’ll pull through and get to live peacefully, but until then, you’ve got us on your side ok?”

He leans in your direction and wraps his arms around your own. “I know. I figured as much.”

“Good man.”

“I’m definitely sneaking out of here though.”

“That’s fair. Go hide.”

“I will... And thanks for listening to me. I didn’t mean to go off like that.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Four

"I'm sorry, what?" Four snaps his head up to stare at the Champion.

"What?" Wild tilts his head. "What? There's no stuff in the grass in my Hyrule. Just crickets and lizards...you know normal stuff. I don't know why there's tools and rupees in all of yours."

"You don't-" Four cut himself off with a click of his teeth, a piece in his mind clicking into place. He stands suddenly, clearly upset and tense as he processes the information.

"Four?" You call out to him but he doesn't respond to you, nor does he look back.

"Four!" Hyrule calls as well. "Where are you going?"

No reply.

"I'll go with him. Just in case." You stand up in a rush and nearly knock over the equipment at your feet in the process. "Don't wait up for us."

You follow him.

Four is fast and quiet and it takes very little time to lose him- or rather, for him to lose you.

Before you knew it, there's no trace of him and there's nothing within the forest that would give you a hint to his whereabouts.

"Great." You hiss and look around.

Nothing.

"Four!" If he won't show himself, you'll just have to make some noise. "Four! Four! Show me a sign so I know you're not dead!"

You wait.

"Don't make me get Wolfie!"

Nothing.

"Four!" You scream a little louder and begin to run. Now that you've said it out loud, despite being a joke in the beginning, the thought of Four being dead somewhere spikes your panic and anxiety and it fuels your quest.

It's only been a few minutes and Four can handle himself just fine but you don't think about that.

"FOUR!"

"Why are you screaming?" A voice come just beyond you.

You sprint toward it and find Four in a small clearing, crouched down and appearing to hold something in the palm of his hand.

"I was calling you." You don't know how you find it in you scold him. "A response would have been nice."

"Sorry." He shrugs. "I was having a conversation, it would be rude to drop it."

You get on your tip toes to look around him and find nothing. "With... With what?"

Four looks down into his hand and places it, ever so gently, on the ground, pausing and standing up to see you. "You can't see them?"

"See who?" You step over to him. "Four? Are you ok?"

His face twists in annoyance before sighing. "I'm fine."

"No offence, but I doubt that."

"It... a group of creatures that can only be seen by good children. They were important on my quests and have helped me greatly. Children usually stop seeing them around the time when they turn sixteen."

"Would it be easy for me to chalk it all up to magic?" You bit your lip.

"Probably. If it'll help you sleep at night." Four sighs and looks down to the ground, a small smile on his lips before it twists into a painfully and... he looks seconds from crying.

"I did so much to help them... and they helped me.... They leave gifts in the grass to help travelers and us heroes alike and yet... Wild says it doesn't happen anymore..." Four gulps and looks away from you and what ever is by his foot. "They wouldn't stop.... They're incredibly kind and hospitable and... There's no reason for them... Why are they gone?"

"Four." You reach out and place a hand on his shoulder.

"What happens to them?" His Adam's apple bobs a bit as he sucks in a breath. "It just means there was no one to help them."

"Oh Four." You pull him into a hug and nearly crush him with it.

"There's nothing I can do to help them, is there?" He sniffles into your chest.

"No, I... I don't think so Four. Not that far out into the future." You shake your head and begin to rub circles on his back.

You don't think he's crying but he might be fighting it because he does begin shaking.

He doesn't say anything else and you're loath to let him go when he's so emotionally charged. So you hold him. You hold him for as long as he needs and you wait for him to pull away first.

When he does, you keep your hands on his shoulders and he stays within your reach. Four begins to take deep calming breaths with his eyes closed and you instinctually run your hands through his bangs and push some of the loose hairs from his face.

Minutes continue to pass and the sounds of nature around you fill the void.

"I'm sorry." You say. "I wish I could help you but I don't know how."

Four nods and rubs his eyes. "I don't doubt that. Thank you. I'll be ok."

You don't think he's ready to go back to the group just yet, not after all that. "Tell me more about these friends of yours. How did they help you? How did you help them? What are they exactly?"

It earns you a small laugh and he grins up at you with a watery smile. "Sit down. And let me tell you about the Picori."

Twilight

“You almost died and for what?!” Twilight screams at Wild for the umpteenth time.

It startles you to hear his voice reach such volumes but you’re inclined to agree with him this time around. After Wild’s stunt with taking a hit to the head for Wind, you’d been on the look out for his more... self sacrificing behavior. You knew he wouldn’t think twice to do it and you tried to make it so there wouldn’t even be a chance for him to make such a decision.

This time though, in this last fight, you took your eyes off of him for only a moment and that’s when he broke his streak of uneventful fights.

Twilight, of course, is livid and has no regard for the poor creatures of the forest that have to endure his tirade as he unleashes his concern and worry in the form of rage and over exaggerated gestures.

When Hyrule finishes healing your more minor wounds, you slink away from the soon to be screaming match since Wild is very much still conscious, if a little roughed up. You don’t intended to stray as far as you go but you don’t find it in yourself to care for the time being.

Being around so many people for so long is taxing. You make the executive decision to remove yourself for the time being while tensions are high, to both cool off and to avoid getting hit in the crossfire.

There’s a small creek nearby, you find, and decide to make a small space for yourself there until dinner comes rolling around. The birds and the babbling waters calm your soul and snuffle out the last of the adrenaline. You don’t know how long you sit there, but you can faintly hear the screaming match in the distance that you dipped out of.

You don’t regret it.

More time passes and you find that you may or may not have taken a small nap in the meantime. If the position of the sun is anything to go by.

Despite the pain in your back from sleeping against a tree, the slight ache in your neck from the angle you slept in, you feel better. Clearer, even.

You hope your absence wasn’t entirely noticed but you can’t seem to regret leaving either.

Footsteps creep closer to you and you huddle into a small ball out of habit to avoid detection.

It’s Twilight.

He walks near the creek and takes a heavy seat next to it. He looks both pale or red faced at the same time but exhaustion is laced in his entire body from what you can tell.

He doesn’t notice you.

You uncurl and set your legs out in front of you. Leaning forward a little, as quietly as you can, you see that he’s upset. It doesn’t surprise you. But seeing as you don’t how to deal with an upset Twilight and you can’t really sneak away without crossing his line of sight or making any miniscule noise, you still yourself and wait.

And wait.

Twilight calls your name. Quietly and hollow- like he’s not all there. Or in the way one would talk to a memory.

It’s immediately unsettling. Both in how he sounds and how he knew you were there without you doing anything. But you suppose Twilight can just sense things like that from times to time. It’s certainly not the first time he’s done it.

“I’m here.” You reply.

“How long?”

“A few hours I think. Longer than you were here that’s for sure.” You shrug and slowly crawl out of your hidey hole. “I think I fell asleep....The sun wasn’t over there when I first got here.”

Twilights hums in what you think is agreement but it’s really only a sound. “It’s a nice spot.”

You smile. It’s tense and little fake, but he’s not looking at you so you don’t care for authenticity. “Good thing it’s big enough for the both of us huh?”

“Yeah.” He looked into the distance again, noting that the sun is beginning to set and takes a deep breath. “Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?”

“Can’t say that I have.” You move closer to him, aiming to sit by his side. “I’ve always enjoyed sun sets and I find them calming to watch but hearing someone finding them sad is a new one. Do you feel sad as dusk falls?”

He hums again. “They say it’s the only time their world interacts with ours.”

“Whos?”

“Lingering spirits I suppose...” Twilight tilts his head upwards before twisting it to look at you. “It’s nothing. I’m just reminiscing about my life before my adventure is all. My... father told me those words and I haven’t forgotten them since.”

You hum this time and lean back to mirror him. “Wanna tell me why?”

“That Champion reminds me so much of myself and yet... he’s ten times worse.” Twilight falls backwards with a soft thump. “I know why he does it but I...”

“You care about him and don’t want to see him hurt.” You shrug. “It’s not exactly a new concept.”

“Tell that to him.”

“Maybe I will. He gets just as upset as you do when this happens, you know.” You shift your weight to make it easier to stand up later.

“Does he? You’d think that he’d get the point to stop doing then.” He growls.

“Maybe he’s scared of losing more friends.” You blurt before you can stop yourself. That was something Wild told you in confidence and while he didn’t say you couldn’t tell anyone- that was kinda implied.

Twilight stills for a moment, the fight leaving him again in a single breath as he considers your words. They don’t seem to be new news to him.

Wild is pretty close to Twilight...Maybe he already knew.

“I still think I’m entitled to not like it.” He settles.

“It’s not he’s asking you to be ok with it. I know I’m not.”

“I guess that’s fair then.” Twilight sits up again and stands up in one fluid motion that you envy. With a turn on his heel, he holds his hand out to you to take.

You take it and feel him effortlessly lift you off of the ground with that one hand.

You don’t comment on it.

“Come on.” He says. “I’m going to need you for moral support.”

“Why?”

“If I yelled in front of him of the whole group, I should apologize to him in front of the whole group.” He admits and wraps his arm around your shoulders. “But I might need an excuse to get close to him again after all the things I’ve said.”

“I get your desert and you’ve got yourself a deal. I left to not get involved and here you are... involving me.” You tease. “I demand payment.”

“One desert? I can do that.”

Hyrule

“I can’t do this.” You snap your head to the sound of the voice and see Hyrule with his arms cross and shaking.

“What? What’s happening? Hyrule?” You step closer to him as you’re the only one within arms reach. “What do I need to do? How can I help?”

“There’s nothing. Nothing you can do, that can make this better.” Hyrule takes one ground step before throwing his arms down. “Don’t you see them? With all their tools and experience and then there’s- me. Just me. Some magic later and a old man with a sword and I found myself trying to save my princess and defeat some evil, but these guys...”

You look around, trying to see if Legend or Sky are close enough to give you back up, or better yet, take over. You suppose it’s better than a panic attack but it’s so left field that you’re stunned and floundering to catch this hot potato of a conversation.

He keep talking.

“For all that is good and holy, they are heroes. Do you see them? Some of them have training, and families and skills and I....was just a boy in a grave yard. How can I even compete with them? I don’t, that’s how. But how can they consider me an equal? When I was in town and listened to the elders and their stories, they would tell me of a legendary hero from the past who courageously defended our home until the very end and who was virtually undefeated in all his adventures. And then I meet Legend....and he’s so much cooler than all those stories combined.”

“Link.” You call out to him and back to the real world. “You need to slow down for me honey because you’re too fast for me to keep up. What do you mean how can they see you as an equal? You defeated Ganon just as they did. You stood up for your home just as they did. You did it all on your own just as they did. Why wouldn’t they consider you an equal? No one cares about where you’re from, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“But they can do so many things even without the sword!” He exclaims. “They all have a place to go to, a person who cares about them, a title or a skill and a world that’s not on the brink of collapse-”

“Ok, whoa, hey.” You step into his space and take his face into your hands, bringing it up for him to look you in the eyes.

“I have no idea what brought this up but I won’t stand for anyone talking bad about you. And that includes you. We... can talk about your home with clearer heads later, ok? Maybe the others can help with that when we get there, yeah? And well....” You’re sinking. You don’t know what to do with all this information and you have even less of an idea about how to address it.

“Good golly, when it rains, it pours with you lot, doesn’t it?” You hiss under your breath and bite the bullet. With a strong grip, you wrap your arms around the Traveler and pull him close. You try to keep your grip strong without fear of hurting him, but it hits you then how thin he is. How light he actually is. You can feel the hint of armor under his tunic and it does little to quell your fears.

“Clearly there’s a lot on your mind. And... I’m probably not the person to help you through this. If you want to talk about not belonging though, I’m free to listen. I’m the only one here who’s not a Link, if you haven’t noticed.” You try to joke but it falls a little flat. “You though... You belong here with all of us... all of them... And if you need more convincing then I’m bringing this up with Legend who’s is over the moon proud of you and what you can do and he told me himself that he couldn’t be happier to have you as his successor-”

“Really?”

“Not in those exact words admittedly,-” You gulp as the word vomit continues to bubble out of you in waves of panic. “-but I know that’s what he meant because he doesn’t stop talking about how cool you are.”

“Hm.”

“And everyone has a different background, ok? Everyone has skills and people that the others don’t have. That’s ok. It’s not a competition. I get worried that one day you guys are going to create some game out of all your trauma. Like... who had it worse and just go around in a circle listing off all the things that happened to each of you... Whoever runs out of things to say or can’t think of something as bad or worse than the others is out. Last man standing wins.”

“Don’t give them ideas.” You feel him chuckle. It’s breathless and small and it doesn’t reach your ears despite your closeness but you feel it.

“Good thing it’s just you and me right now.” You sigh a little in relief and loosen the hug. “Look, just.....whatever you think you can’t do, just know that there is someone who is confidently doing it wrong right now. In the group or not, just keep your eyes and watch. They don’t plan on doing it better either and people are celebrating them for it. Please believe in your own excellence as much as they believe in their mediocrity.”

“Big words.”

“You’re awesome for trying. Others are not and don’t plan to. You’re already better than them.” You amend, stepping away to look him in the eye again. “The group can’t do magic like you can. That’s all you. They all have items sure but no one can do what you do... and you’re self taught, right? That’s incredible! You have just as much as a reason to be here as the others. I swear it.”

Hyrule sighs and gulps. He doesn’t believe you. It’s not enough.

You knew it wouldn’t be and it’s definitely doesn’t scratch the tip of the iceberg of the bomb he just dropped on you but... step by step. Little by little. you have a plan.

“Screw it. Let’s catch up with Wind and Warrior and get them to tell you how awesome you are, since you won’t listen to me. And if you’re still a nonbeliever then we move on to the next pair. We’ll go down the line if we have to.” You nod and grab his hand, beginning to drag him along.

He laughs after you, a little hysterical and in disbelief. “You’re crazy.”

“That is not new information.” You reply, hiding your grin. “I say it’s Hyrule loving hours and I’m gonna get everyone to join.”

“You’re not joking are you.” It’s a statement. He already knows the answer.

“Nope!”

Legend

It was your turn on watch for the night. In an hour or two you were supposed to wake the Veteran for his shift and finally catch some sleep.

The others snored and slept away without a care in the world. It was just you and cackling fire that was active but you’d kill for something to help your mind get passed the boredom.

Anything but monsters or an attack that is. You’d hate to jinx your good luck so far.

In the corner of your eye, while fighting to keep your head up, you see Legend shift. Not necessarily unusual. You’re inclined to ignore it.

But then he shifts again, whimpering like he’s been hurt and a white knuckled grip on the blanket.

You still and begin to wonder what’s your level of care here.

Part of you, in kindness, wants to go wake him. The lack of sleep seems more merciful than letting him suffer a prison of his own making.

But you also don’t know how he’ll react.

You know he’d hate to be seen as weak for whatever normal reason and he’s been inclined to wake up swinging in the right circumstance.

Twilight suffered a broken nose for the whole night because he was disinclined to wake up Hyrule or take a potion.

Not you’d make the same decision and suffer the whole night in the same manner but it certainly fails to sound appealing.

Just as your about to appeal to your better nature and force yourself to go wake him before it gets worse, he shoots up into a sitting position with a strangled scream. The job seems to have been done for you- but in the worse way.

He’s breathing hard with his hand gripping his chest. Legend begins to frantically look around and slowly begins to piece together where he is and what’s happened. He never looks behind him, where you are, before running a hand through his hair a little harder than you think reasonable and getting to his feet.

You cough slightly, leaning away from the fire and back into previous position. You hadn’t realized you leaned into his direction as you watched him, inches from putting your face into the flame.

He startles at the sound and whips around, one hand poised to reach the sword he’s not equipped with.

“It’s just me.” You wave. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

He calms somewhat and you can see his jaw flex. “Well, goodnight to you.”

His voice is croaked- from disuse or an overwhelming emotion, you’re not sure.

“For me maybe. But you? That was quite a scare you gave me as well.” You play it off. You can at least pretend that you weren’t watching him. That you would have saved him a little earlier and took your sweet time doing it. You offer a peace offering to your morals. “Want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” He snaps, furiously rubbing his face. “It’s nothing new. We all deal with it one way or another.”

“True. But it’ll be easier to let it go, and let the experience float up into the air and never return. Otherwise it’ll fester and grow.” You shrug. “But I won’t force you. I know you’re not exactly fond of me.”

Legend glares into the fire as you talk and refuses to look at you. Once you finish though, he moves his head away, still not in your direction but visually drops more tension from his shoulders.

He doesn’t say anything.

“There’s a spot next to me with your name on it if you want it.” You offer. “A little company wouldn’t hurt.”

He takes more time to respond and you resolve to go back to staring at the fire.

A moment or two passes and you hear the faint sound of crunched foliage. It takes of your will power to not look up as he approaches and even more so when he decidedly sits next to you.

The fabric of his tunic brushes your leg for a minute and it strikes you odd that he sat that close despite the rest of the log at his disposal.

It must have been bad if he wants to be close to someone right after. The thought enters your mind. Once it’s there you don’t chase it away and instead casually lean back with your hand behind you.

If the angle causes you to lean closer to him in the process, you don’t say anything.

And if Legend notices, he doesn’t say anything either.

A moment of time passes in silence, the only sounds through the whole forest are crickets and a passing owl with the occasional whisper through the trees.

“How do you do it?” He asks.

“Do what?” You tilt your head in his direction.

He’s still not looking at you.

“Keep going.”

The answer shocks momentarily but you’re not surprised that it’s coming from him out of the whole group. “Legend-”

“I’m tired.” He says instead. “I hate this. I hate that sword. I hate that pig demon. I hate that I can’t be done.”

You hand comes up to his shoulder and you force him to look at you.

He lets you and he looks up to you with tears building up in his eyes and for a moment you’re struck by the odd balance of how old he sounds but how young he looks- is.

You stuck floundering for a response to answer him with but he asks one more thing. “Why can’t I be done?”

You pull him into a hug before you can stop yourself. “I don’t know. I don’t know Link.”

You find yourself wanting to cry as well once Legend collapses into the hug. He’s not hugging you back but he’s being held for the first time in... you don’t know how long. Your grip tightens.

“But I do know is that you’re not alone. Not anymore. And maybe....maybe this is the final fight. That’s why we’re all together right? A darkness so evil ahead that every hero is required and then....rest. For each and every one of you.”

You sniffle, carding your fingers through his hair without a moments hesitation. “If it’s not then I’ll fight everything for you from then on. I’ll take your place you hear me. I’ll take your job and title and you won’t have to do this anymore.”

“I’m the Hero of Legend. That’s not exactly an easy thing-”

“No. I am the hero now. I’ve decided it.” You hide the tears in his hair to the best of your ability.

Legend snorted, loud and wet but you elected to ignore it just as you were ignoring the ever growing wet spot on your shoulder. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“It does now. I said so.”

A beat.

“...Ok.” He sniffled and rubbed his head on your shirt. He took a deep breath and exhaled, letting the night take over the atmosphere again. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

He nods once, definitive and final. Your expecting him to let go now and return to his roll, already electing to take over his shift as well and just push through the next day.

Except he doesn’t.

Legend calls your name, testing the waters and lifts his head up ever so slightly. “...It’s not that I’m... not... fond of you-”

“Save it for a rainy day.” You grin. “I think you’ve had your fill of emotions for the night.”

He nods and eventually slips into sleep with his head on your chest, no doubt lulled by your heartbeat.

With tearful eyes, you stare back into the fire.

Time

Time marched from the stunned group the same way a parent does after making a scathing remark instead of a lecture.

You know the one.

“I’m not mad. Just disappointed.”

The poor boys suddenly didn’t know what to so with themselves or how to get back into Time’s good graces.

You felt for them and their awkward meandering through the camp. So, with your pride swallowed, you follow in the vague direction where Time went off to and decided to at least talk him down.

He is... decidedly harder to find than you previous imagined.

Just as your starting to think the Old Man doesn’t want to be found, you hear subtle swing. It’s to your left and it sounds heavy.

So naturally you follow it

Which leads you to a small clearing just beyond a bunch of bushes.

Time is there, full armor still on and swinging his giant sword forcefully, each swing stronger than the last. It’s as if it weighs only as much as Four. You’ve wondered in the past what it would like if he decided to actually throw the smallest ones of the group but out of fear, do not voice your ideas.

Just because Time won’t doesn’t mean that the others won’t try.

It’s hard being the responsible one when there are nine Links to take care of, each as much as a gremlin as the last. It must be hell on Time’s back to carry the group.

You see where he’s coming from and yet...

“You can stand to be a little more patient with them.”

The words are out of your mouth before you can actually stop them.

Time stops abruptly, in both the figurative and literal sense, before the man turns to you with that same face of neutral disappointment.

“They are heroes.”

“They are also children, Time. I think that it’s because they are heroes that they deserve to act their age every now and then.”

“Slacking won’t divert the evil away from our home.”

“Running face first into the problem won’t solve it either.” You sigh and walk up the man. He tenses as you approach and slowly lets his weapon down. The Hero of Time is an intimidating creature but you refuse to let that dissuade you.

“Look, I know why you’re upset. I get it. It’s hard to get a job done when you feel like you’re the only one it’s important to... But have a little faith in our group. Please.” You plead and stop right in front of him. You have to look up at him slightly due to the angle but he was forced to acknowledge you here.

His arms cross and he opens his mouth to respond but you cut him off.

“You’re right, they are heroes and there is a job to be done and an evil to be done away with. But they were even younger when they earned the title. They still vanquished the darkness even for their age. You have to trust that they will do the same here.” You reach up and put your hands on his shoulders, getting onto your tip toes to look him in the eye better. “And they will. Because they are heroes. Because they have the spirit of courage. Because they are Link... Just like you.”

He softens his stance ever so slightly but he still doesn’t look pleased.

“It’s not easy I know.” You get down again. “But they look up to you. I think all of them do. And I can’t stand to see how hurt they look when you get upset when they act their age. It’s not like they can help it.”

He takes a deep breath and uncrossed his arms. He takes a minute to respond. Time stared at you intensely before he drops all the tension in his body and finally lets his weapon go. A single hand comes up to pat your head.

“Let’s head back to camp.”

He says nothing else and continues to walk past you and back the way you came.

You don’t ignore the sense of accomplishment and refuse to dampen it when you catch the tiniest slivers of a smile before he turns away from you completely.

Wind

You’re lying peacefully on the dirt when you hear someone sit beside you with more power than would ever be needed.

You don’t open your eyes for the sake of the other person, not really thinking much of it and even forgetting that they were there until you heard the smallest of sniffles.

Now, you’re sitting straight up with wide and concerned eyes locking directly onto the crying form of your beloved pirate.

It’s hard not to feel for him and while you’re not sure what sprung this up, you don’t have it in you to turn him away, or to ignore that he was upset.

Neither of you say anything and you’re almost afraid it make the picture in front of you a little too real.

Instead, you move yourself closer to him and open up your arms.

Wind doesn’t hesitate to throw himself onto you and let his body sag with unwanted emotion.

As sobs silently rack his body, you begin to feel yourself rock back and forth for both his comfort and yours. Soon you start running your hands through his hair and rub small circles on his back.

He cries for a long time and never once gives you a clue why.

You don’t ask either.

Still, once the moment has passed, you continue to hold onto him. He doesn’t make any moves to let go of you any time soon and you’re happy to be there for as long as he’ll let you.

That doesn’t stifle your concern over the cause but you’re loath to bring it up.

Minutes pass with the boy in your arms and it’s only when you shift positions, does he look up at your face. His eyes aren’t as red anymore with the amount of time that’s passes since he’s stopped crying but his face is still a little puffy and his cheeks are both stained in tears and incredibly red.

A small smile creeps onto your face when you look back at him. “Feel better?”

“A little.” He admits and sniffles the last of the tears away, wiping his face with his sleeve. “Thanks.”

“For you? Anytime.”

Warrior

It struck you as odd that it was dinner time the group seemed to be missing someone.

Earlier that day the group had split up to take down some troublesome monsters on the border of some tiny town defenseless town and that was that.

It didn’t seem like big deal nor was it a particularly hard thing to do. The monsters weren’t infected and they didn’t have numbers on their side so your group took care of the pests in a matter of moments.

And yet, when everyone regrouped there was a visible tension.

Some thing had happened on the other side of the fight and no one wanted to fess up, even less so when Time mentioned it.

It worried you.

Now, as it stood the tension was still there but Warrior didn’t want to come out of the wood work. He had left earlier claiming to need to check up on his appearance and no one had questioned him. No one offered to go with him.

It was always dangerous to go alone.

“Hey, has anyone seen Warrior?” You glance around again, hoping it was just a miscount on your part. “It’s been awhile since he left.”

“He takes his sweet time.” Legend snapped. “And you know how narcissistic he is. He’s probably trying to get every single little hair in the right place and working out every little blemish in his stupid uniform-”

“I’m going to look to him.” You stand, placing your cooling food down by your foot. You don’t know what happened or what caused it but at least an idea begins to form. “It’s been too long regardless. Keep my food warm for me, yeah?”

You don’t wait for a response and walk away into the tree line where you think Warrior might be.

“It’s getting dark. Be careful.” Someone calls from behind you, mouth clearly full of food.

“Yes sir.” You reply.

You march on.

When you’re sure you’re far enough away, you begin to call out to Warrior.

It takes a minute to get any results but you’re starting to worry about your friend. The sun is lowering in the horizon as time goes by and you’re beginning to feel silly and frustrated and-

“I’m here.” A tired voice replies.

“Oh thank goodness.” You cross the distance between you two. “I was really starting to worry.”

Warrior puts on a brave face and a small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes greets you when you stop in front of him. His look a little puffy and you think his eyes might be a little red but it easily be the lighting- or lack there of.

“Are you ok?”

“Obviously.”

You doubt him and it must have shown on your face because he immediately begins walking away. “Well look at the time. Crazy how fast the sun goes. Let’s get back to the group and eat. I’m starving-”

You grab his wrist as he pasts you and get a good look at him. “Are you ready to go back to the group? They can wait a little longer if you want them too.”

It irritated you that it’s come to this. How no one went to check on him. How no one offered to go with you. How no one seemed bothered by this. How long that he was alone dealing with something that’s been bothering him. How it took you so long to do something.

“No. It’s fine.” He says. Lying. It must have really bothered him, usually he’s better than this. “It’s about time to head back anyway.”

“They can wait.” Your grip tightens. “The sun can wait. We’re not obligated to be there. What’s wrong? ...If you want to talk about it that is...” You trail off uselessly. It only occurred to you that near the end that he may not even speak about with you. You weren’t the closest in terms of grouping but you can’t stand the thought of someone hurting alone.

“I’m fin-”

“You look like you were crying.” You cut him off. “If you don’t want to talk about it with me, that’s fine, just say it. But you might need more time before you head back anyway if you actually want them to believe you when you say you’re fine.”

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

“Warrior?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“If it bothers you then it’s not nothing.” You push. “But....fine. I won’t force you to talk to me. I just wanted to see if you were ok... You’re not but it’s better than seeing you bleeding I suppose.” You grit your teeth, annoyed by the lack of results. You did tell him that he didn’t have to talk to you and you don’t hurt him further but part of you wants to fix this. Even if you don’t know what it is, your heart calls for justice at his pain.

But he is unwilling.

“Camp is this way by the way.” You mention, looking at the ground. “You were actually farther away than I thought, so it’s a bit of a walk.”

“I just think it’s easier for people when I’m not around.”

You still and slowly turn to face him.

He’s looking at the ground as well, unable to say it and look you in the eye. It’s not what you were expecting and you’re not sure how to follow after that.

It’s a rare moment of vulnerability for him- even rarer that he’s showing it to you and you don’t want to squander the show of trust.

“Back home...there was a lot of... attention on me. A lot of blame... for starting the war. Or at least being the cause of it.” He admits, scuffing his shoe against the dirt. A little bit kicks up and sticks to the toe. He does nothing about it. “People listened to what I had to say because I was some destined hero. At first I didn’t think anything of it because I had thought it was one big mistake and sooner or later people were going to see that I was just some soldier not worth the time of day. It happened to be pure luck that Impa got it right when she gave me this uniform. Zelda made me a captain because of it and suddenly I had all of these men I had to give orders to. And if anything failed or if we lost, it would all have fallen on me. The blame, the guilt, the responsibility of the war...and then we found out why Cia was even opening these portals to begin with-”

You hug him.

“Please don’t cry.” You say into his chest. Your throat is tight and it a little hard to breath but you power through. “I’m not good at this. I never have been.”

“I’m not going to cry. It’s not worth crying.”

“I’ll cry for you then.” You admit and hug him tighter. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It was no ones fault.” Warrior hugs you back and rests his head on top of yours. His voice seems a little tight too and you’re sorry for all the things that he must have gone through.

You hug him for as long as you deem appropriate before letting your arms go lack and stepping away.

Or... at least you try to.

Warrior suddenly has a grip on you and refuses to let you leave.

“Please... Just stay a little longer.”

You do.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader #I had no idea where exactly to go with this one #believe it or not I wrote Legends first.#I didn't know it would get as long as it did #are these a bit generic?#yes.#warrior's is also very long #sorry not sorry #should I have split this one?#probably.#did I?#no.#it took days ya'll #next time I'll split it again

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loser-writings · 4 years

Note

Pleeeeease since you did Mirio can you do Omega Tamaki and Omega Aizawa ^0^

(Of course! I knew it was a matter of time before I got asked to do Aizawa so I kind of went all out

Shouta Aizawa

(TW: Mention of Teen Pregnancy and Miscarriage)

Nobody in class 1A had known that their homeroom teacher was an Omega, but looking back on it, it made sense. He was fierce when it came to protecting his students and made it clear that he would give up everything in order to keep them safe. His scent of coffee was just something the students had gotten used to, not considering it to be the scent of an omega since it wasn’t stereotypically sweet, and when you thought about it, that sleeping bag he carries everywhere may be his form of a nest since he clearly is rather too lazy to make a proper nest, or too lazy to clean it up when he has to put it away.

His low testosterone caused by being an omega also explains his overall lack of energy since lack of testosterone in males often causes sleeping issues, and even sleep apnea. Because of the downsides of being an omega, he takes testosterone injections at the cost of his fertility. Yes, he decided after high school that if he were to be a hero, he would need testosterone, but his doctors do say that if he ever decided to have kids, he could stay off of it for a while and let his body go back to how he used to be. He would experience a heat cycle (Another thing he hasn’t had to deal with for years) and then could start attempting. For now though, that was completely out of the question just because of his past. Something nobody knew about.

Despite his friends' attempts to set him up with somebody, everyone seemed to run away after hearing about his infertility and lack of desire for kids. He never really blamed them since he knew everybody wanted that ideal lifestyle. Get a mate, possibly get married too, have a kid and grow old. Yet here he was, choosing not to have kids because he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

He sighed softly seeing Hizashi with a very familiar look on his face. “What do you wan-” “I found the perfect alpha for you! Seriously Sho, the best part is that they already know you too!” Shouta instantly rolled his eyes and looked back down at the tests he was grading. “And who might that be?” The second your name left the loud blonds’ lips, Shoutas’ eyes opened a bit wider than they usually did.

You were in his class with Hizashi, so you both used to be close. Really close actually. When Hizashi noticed the others' silence, he cheered because he hadn’t protested to the idea yet. “Come on Sho! They’re relocating here since they got a new batch of heroes in Tokyo, and they got tired of it being a competition.” The Omega hummed and sighed, sitting up a bit. “Don’t call it a date, that is the last thing I want right now, but let them know I do want to meet up. It’s been a long time, and I want to see where they’re at now.”

Hizashi cheered again and quickly ran out of the room, Shouta assumed to tell Nemuri, leaving the Omega to his own thoughts. He sighed softly and laid his head down on the desk for a moment as memories came flooding back. Specifically the ones during the summer between 2nd and 3rd year. Neither of you had told anybody, but you were courting.

Late night dates in downtown Tokyo resulted in hours of the two of you hopping from hidden cafe to hidden cafe, enjoying each other as you used each other to forget about stress. Sneaking into each others bedrooms to cuddle and talk resulted in the both of you getting caught and scolded by your parents, but neither cared since they knew they would do it again.

Then it came back to his memory. The night where he had a nightmare about Oboro and went to seek you for comfort. It only ended up with you both going too far, yet at the time neither regretted it. It wasn’t until he sat in Recovery Girls office that he regretted what he did.

A hand slipped across his stomach and he shut his eyes as he gripped his shirt. Nobody ever knew except for you, and his omega wanted nothing more than you the second Hizashi said your name. His scent went from strong coffee, to burnt as he remembered hearing the news that the baby, the one neither of you had planned for, wasn’t there anymore. After that, he pushed you away and tried to avoid you by focusing only on his goal to become a hero. He never coped with any of it, just pushed it back down to ignore, but it was all coming back to him.

The students seemed to notice the horrible smell coming from Aizawa, but not one dared to mention it in fear of him snapping at them. At the end of the day, Midoriya seemed to pack up a little slower than usual and waited for everyone to leave before approaching his teacher.

“M-Mr. Aizawa, Are you okay?” He asked softly to the man who rested on his desk. He slowly sat up and looked at the other, seeing how he seemed to tremble under the intense gaze. “No, but don’t worry. I just have to deal with something that I completely neglected.” He slowly stood up and grabbed the sleeping bag before sighing. “Midoriya,” The boy hummed, wondering what the other would say. “Thank you for checking on me.” Aizawa walked past him and ruffled the green locks as he left the room. Midoriya couldn’t help but smile. He smelled like normal coffee again.

When he got home, his Omega told him to clean himself so he at least didn’t look undesirable. He huffed, telling himself he wasn’t trying to be desirable, yet he did so anyway. He showered, trimmed up his stubble, and put on some nicer clothes. Nothing crazy, just a black long sleeve and some grey jeans. Once he had finished, he had realized how much effort he was putting into his appearance and sighed softly, upset because he was ignoring what his Omega wanted.

He felt himself growing anxious as he headed towards his destination only to scoff a bit as it was a little hole in the wall. You would easily pass this place if you didn’t know what it was. As he walked closer, he saw you standing there. You were obviously as anxious as he was, but you didn’t hide it as well. You never did.

The second your eyes met, his Omega was scratching at his chest, yelling at him to run into your arms, but he kept himself calm as he approached you. When you opened your arms cautiously, he carefully slipped into your hug before subconsciously snuggling into your scent gland like he had done years ago. He pulled away after saying hello and followed as you walked inside.

The date itself was pretty awkward at first since you both knew a lot about each other already, yet almost nothing at all. He watched as he picked up on all of your nervous habits, smiling a little when he realized that you were still so similar to how you used to be. “Do you want to hold my hand?” He asked without thinking since it was something he knew would help calm your nerves. You instantly nodded and took it before smiling a little. “They’re still so rough. Do you even know what lotion is?” You joked a little, happy to see that it made the other grin a little. “I kind of forget about it until one of my students brings some in. Normally it smells disgusting though, so I had to start threatening them with extra homework if they bring in things that gave me a headache.”

That started the conversation of UA and how you were surprised when Hizashi said that he was a teacher. “You’ve always been a natural teacher though. I know you taught me a lot when we were together.” You spoke freely before tensing up when you realized your words. Aizawa sighed a little and squeezed your hand softly. “Yeah...You taught me a lot too.”

Another round of silence before you spoke again. “Hizashi also said that every date he or Nemuri set you up on failed miserably.” Shouta only smiled a little before nodding. “Majority of them were Alphas who only wanted to mate with a pro-hero. My guess is in hopes of having strong kids. Most left during the date once they found out I didn’t want kids or that I take testosterone since that also pretty much renders me infertile.” This time you held his hand a little tighter. “Well they don’t know what you went through. Not only that, it’s your body. Since that is what you wanted, that is what you did and you shouldn’t be treated badly because of it.”

He noticed how you seemed upset by him saying that they just left and couldn’t help but smile a little. “It makes sense to me. Why would anyone want an Omega who destroys what makes them an Omega?” You scoffed at his words and rolled your eyes. “You aren’t destroying anything, Shouta. You are doing what you need to in order to be comfortable. There is nothing wrong with that.”

His omega purred at your words, the first time he purred since high school, and squeezed your hand softly. “You haven’t changed at all.” He chuckled and rested his other hand on top of yours before sighing. “Neither have you. It’s nice knowing I don’t have to live up to some shitty hero expectation.” He hummed before nodding in agreement.

“I assume you’ve been on some courting dates as well?” You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “Those weren’t shit compared to what we used to do. All they would do is complain about me not matching my hero persona and then want me to pay the bill after they spend hundreds of dollars on food.” He chuckled seeing you ramble. “They all thought because I’m a hero that I’m made of money. I have money because you taught me to save it and not spend it all the second I got my paycheck, not because I’m a hero.”

After a bit at the cafe, you suddenly got an idea. “Sho, let's go run around the city for a bit?” He tilted his head as he sat down his empty drink. “We aren’t kids anymore-” “No, I get that, but one night. Let’s run around as if we were for one night.” He looked at your excitement and melted, feeling his omega begging him to agree. “Fine. Only because I don’t have to work tomorrow.” Seeing you cheer and stand up made him grin a bit. When you went to pay, he tried to fight over paying the bill because “You weren’t made of money” but you just flicked his head softly and told him to hush. He smiled one more time before giving in and letting you pay.

He let you drag him around the city and he couldn’t believe he was admitting this, but this was the most fun he or his omega had in a long time. Getting ice cream at 10pm, tasting random food from the vendors on the streets, window shopping, even sneaking into a drive in movie theater and renting a radio so you both could sit together and watch the movie. It made him feel young.

It was almost sunrise and you both were walking along the beach, smiling and laughing like old times. Like how it was when you both were courting in high school. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or the fact that you had scented him extremely well, but he was as giggly and happy as could be. The cool water washed past his feet, pants rolled up to make sure they wouldn’t get wet, and you hummed, feeling him squeeze your hand softly.

“Hey Shouta?” He hummed softly before grinning at you. “Thank you for agreeing to come out with me. I was really scared when Hizashi offered to push you in my direction, especially after everything that happened in our past, but I hope that we can recover what we once had.” His omega purred again causing him to press a hand to his rumbling chest. ��Yeah...No problem. I should thank you for getting me out of the house. If I’m not there, I’m in the school, so I guess I did need a break from that.” You grinned and squeezed his hand. “You always have avoided things by working. Sometimes you need to take a moment to just stop and relax. Remind yourself that everything happens for a reason, and that you’re alive. That in itself is something to be grateful for.”

He hummed in agreement before sighing softly, looking out to see that the sun was rising. “I can’t tell you the last time I stayed up this long.” He admitted. You hummed in agreement before sighing. “I guess I should take you home, huh?” He instantly let out a whine at the thought before looking at his chest with a red face. “Come on, stop actually doing stuff and go back to sleep.” he mumbled to his omega before you laughed. “It’s cute Sho. I miss hearing your omega make noises like that.” You kissed his cheek which made him turn dark and his omega to purr once more. He glared at you a little and sighed. “You’re so lucky. If it were anybody else, I would’ve left a long time ago.”

You chuckled before turning around to walk back to where you came from, pulling him behind you. “Come on, Sho. We need to sleep.” He huffed softly but nodded, moving to rub his tired eyes.

He led you to his apartment before stopping outside. “Have you already found a place to stay yet?” “Not quite. Currently staying at a hotel until I can fin-” “Want to move in with me?” He asked abruptly. “I mean...It’ll make rent cheaper and it’ll stop you from wasting anymore money.” You could only chuckle before taking his hands and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. “Only if you agree to not be a picky eater-” “I was not a picky eater when we were togethe-” “Don’t even try me, I had to convince you to eat real food.” “Okay and your point?”

You both couldn’t help but smile and you sighed. “Fine, I’ll move in with you tomorrow...Or I mean I guess today, but we need a nap since I kept your ass up.” He hummed and nodded. “Fine then.” He opened the door and took your hand, pulling you in after him. “Sho, what are-” “We are taking a nap together. I’ve always slept better with you.”

Tamaki Amajiki

(Mention of heats, harassment, and implied NSFW)

Someone please tell this boy that being an Omega hero is okay. He often feels pressured by society to fit into the soft, omega role that everybody seems to want. Yet with the help of Mirio and Nejire, he easily became one of the big 3 in UA.

Yet when it came to talking to others, especially in crowds, he felt himself grow anxious and even slightly panicked. His normal sweet yet salty scent would turn to smell more like fish during these times. This was when most Alphas would scoff in disbelief at the fact this omega seemed to be one of the big three.

Besides Mirio and Nejire, there was one other person he found himself able to talk to due to years of knowing each other. You were an alpha who never raised your voice or got irritated by his bashfulness. In fact, you would go out of your way to show your patience and kindness by doing little things when his anxiety was getting bad. Ordering for him at restaurants, letting him hide behind you when he started to tremble, and quickly getting him away from social situations that could cause him to have an anxiety attack were just a few of the ways you showed how much you cared.

This was one of those moments. He was out with you, Mirio, and Nejire when he heard them. The alphas behind him that were starting to comment about him being an Omega in a group of three alphas.

“Must be a Knot licker to keep three alphas to himself.” “Don’t you know that the proper term for a bitch like that is a Puppymill?” Tamaki felt himself whimper and grabbed your arm, holding you tighter as they continued on with their comments. You hummed softly, feeling him start to tremble. “In front of me baby, come on.” Your arm wrapped around him and softly pushed him in front of you, yet the comments continued.

Your alpha had started growling, scent starting to burn. Mirio and Nejire took notice and turned to see the Alphas snickering to themselves. “B-Baby don’t-” “Tamaki I don’t like how they’re talking-” “I know but...please ignore them. I’m not worth a fight.” You glared at him as he gave a sympathetic smile. You huffed softly and wrapped your arms around his waist. “It’ll be okay guys. Let’s just get our food and we can leave. Maybe a movie night would be fun?” “Yeah! Maybe we can watch something like shark tale! Right Amajiki?” Nejire spoke happily and the Omega couldn’t help but feel thankful for his friend group at that moment, but he then noticed your grip leave his hips as your sent burned ten times more.

Your temper was getting the best of you and before the others could say anything, you grabbed both men by their heads before slamming them together. “Will you two Knotheads shut the fuck up?! You’re making Omegas uncomfortable with your disgusting language.” Mirio was quick to start pulling you away as the two Alphas began to growl. “Come on, the last thing Amajiki would want is a fight, now stop it-” “They wouldn’t stop making comments-” “Yeah welcome to lose-tie knotheads.” He moved to sit you in front of him and Nijire, who was holding the Omegas hand to keep him calm.

After you all left the store, you stopped for a moment and shook your head. “Don’t you fuckin-” “Hey!” One of the guys from before started walking towards you. Tamaki instantly started to tremble as the men walked closer, yet you stood without wavering. “What.” you said bluntly. “That shit you did back there? Not fuckin’ cool”

“Oh but harassing Omega’s is?” Nejire spoke before they barked at her. “Shut the fuck up Cat-Pole.” “Cat-Pole?!” You growled once again and they just smirked. Mirio simply hummed and walked beside you before pressing his hand on your shoulder, a simple gesture to them but a secret code between the two of you.

You hummed and turned back to the other two, slipping an arm around them both as you walked down the street. “W-What was that-” Then there was the yelling before Mirio skipped back with you all happily. “Took care of that!” He cooed as you all continued to walk. Tamaki blushed slightly before noticing how your hand stayed on his waist.

When you all got back, Tamaki excused himself. He claimed not to be hungry anymore since the alphas had upset his stomach, but you knew the real reason. You told the other two about your plan and they hummed happily, letting you leave after the tall omega.

“Tama~” You called as he stopped outside of his door. “O-Oh...Is there something you need?” You nodded and held out your hand. “Come to my room for a sec okay? I have some things for you that I didn’t have time to give you.” He blushed slightly at the idea of getting something from you, but nodded. His hand slipped softly into yours as he walked behind you to your room.

He instantly purred the second he walked in. It always was comforting in your room, and it made him accidentally chirp. He instantly blushed dark and whimpered, covering his mouth with his spare hand. “You’re alright Tama. Sit on my bed, Okay? The stuff is in my closet.”

He carefully sat down, huffing as he started rubbing at his neck. He was one of the few Omegas who couldn’t take suppressants due to them messing with his quirk, so he knew what was happening. He had attracted those alphas because his heat was about to start any moment now. He was about to hide in his nest right before you pulled him away.

He tried to focus on anything besides how strong the scent of saltwater taffy was becoming, huffing softly as he moved to shrug off his sweater since he knew he was going to start soon. Another soft whimper came from him and you darted out of the closet. “Sorry baby, I lost one of the items. I know you’re getting uncomfortable but I wanted to give you these for your heat.”

He let out another whimper as he moved to sit on his legs instead of his ass, huffing as he quickly started digging in the bag to pull out what you wanted to him to see. He was nervous because out of the three alphas, he grew closest to you and was hoping it was a courting gift even if it was a bit late. He only gasped when he pulled out a hand crochet octopus, smiling at it and hugging it tight to his chest. “T-Thank you, Alpha.” he called out before hiding his face in the toy.

You simply hummed and moved to stand. “That isn't all of it, but your heat is coming faster than I thought. Come on, you can open the rest in your room” He nodded and felt you move to pick him up. He gasped and held onto you as you rushed him back to his room. The other gift was in your hand, but you could only focus on how amazing Amajiki smelled. Of course you knew why, but you held back as you looked for his nest, finding it on the floor in the corner of his room. You carefully sat him down and he quickly climbed in his nest, nose shoved deep into the toy as he trembled.

“Here Omega.” You laid the blanket at the edge of the nest, making sure not to enter without the others permission. He let out a whimper and sat up slowly to grab the blanket. He held it close to his chest and smiled, still trembling like a leaf. “I-I love them, Alpha.” He chirped again which only made you smile. “I’m glad...I wanted to court you before your heat, but I was really late.”

Hearing that made his eyes water before he crawled to you, sitting up to wrap his arms around you and hug you tight, scenting you completely in his thick and heavy scent. You only grinned and pecked his neck which made him gasp. “You smell like the Ocean Tama. I love it.”

His omega purred before he moved to pull you a bit. “Alpha...Stay with me?” he mumbled softly as he tried to get you to crawl in his nest. You knew what he was implying and you only smiled, pulling away slightly. “You sure baby? I haven’t even taken you on a date.” He instantly nodded with no shame at all. “Please Alpha. I want you to help me.” Your alpha chuffed which made you blush and Tamaki snort before hiding in your neck.

“Okay Omega. I’ll stay with you.” He purred loudly and held you tighter as you carried him to the door so you could shut and lock it properly. “Thank you Alpha...I love you.” He chirped out with pink cheeks. You only smiled as you carried him back to the nest and pecked his lips before resting him in his nest. “I love you too. Omega.” He chirped again happily before pulling you down with him.

He threw a leg over your stomach and snuggled into your scent gland, humming happily at how your scent was starting to become stronger in reaction to his. “Oh...I’m sorry in advance.” He whispered and moved to start kissing on you. “Why is that?” he blushed darker and moved to hold your hand. “I uh...might get needy.” You only grinned and pecked his lips once more. “It’s your heat. I’m right here to help you. Do whatever you need, alright Omega?” He purred once more at you calling him that before he sighed happily, melting into your arms. “Alright...I’m going to take a nap...Y-You should too.” You only pulled him closer before nodding. “Okay baby, rest now. Goodnight.”

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ginjithewanderer · 3 years

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It’s me, back again with another essay for Tetora’s birthday, except this time I want to really look into his character and what makes him the hardworking boy Ryuseitai wouldn’t be the same without. I used a lot of stories as reference, so I put together the banners from ! events/gachas he’s in in chronological story order here, mostly for my own use (though like the wiki disclaimer says, some of it can be shaky). At the time of writing, there aren’t enough !! stories to warrant a whole timeline, nor have the ones he’s in been fully translated, but I tried to mention the parts I’ve read (either translated or in-game with my limited understanding of Japanese).

Tetora is first introduced in chapter 8 of the Enstars! main story, as a first year at the very beginning of the school year. From what we see of him in those appearances, it’s easy to dismiss him as an excitable boy with too much energy for his own good. While that hotheadedness is part of his character, there’s so much more to him than that and I feel like he’s really not given enough credit from the fandom as a whole for it. Tetora is a character who’s shown a lot of depth over the course of the Ensemble Stars story and that’s what I want to show through this.

We don’t really know much about Tetora’s childhood or family based on the currently released stories, but with the little bits of information we do have, it’s possible to piece things together to get a vague idea of what his home life is like. Tetora doesn’t come from a very rich family, and we know from multiple stories that his parents go to work early and/or work long hours as a result. Combined with the facts that he’s an only child and that he regularly gets his lunches from the school cafeteria and other meals from a konbini because his parents don’t have the time to make proper bentos/meals, it’s reasonable to conclude that he spends a lot of time alone at home.

It’s probably also because of that that he looks up to Kuro and Niki so much. In Niki’s third idol story, Tetora says that watching Niki’s show made even bland food taste delicious, but also that it saved him. While he didn’t elaborate aside from saying his parents were having a tough time with work and !! hasn’t provided any more lore yet, I interpreted that as him seeing Niki as a companion of sorts, since he was alone so much. He does also call Niki “Aniki” on instinct, and says that he feels closer to him thanks to their ways of speaking being similar (they both attach “ssu” to the ends of sentences, for example). As for Kuro, it’s mentioned in Motor Show that Tetora only got into karate because he admired Kuro, and the way he acts around Kuro in the ! main story says all it needs to on that front.

… but knowing more about that part of the main story says even more. The main story takes place after the first years have gotten into the units they applied to, and Tetora had just been rejected from Akatsuki, instead having to settle for Ryuseitai. At the time, he was pretty upset about the whole ordeal, especially since he had wanted to get into Akatsuki so badly. In fact, he spent pretty much the whole time between the start of the year and Supernova frustrated by it, only coming to terms with being in Ryuseitai by the end of the latter event. Because of that, his attitude in the main story is the first time we see him doing something he has a habit of doing — trying to put up a positive front, no matter how he’s really feeling.

Instead of wallowing in the negative emotions he felt after what happened with Akatsuki, Tetora tried to make something else work out in his favor instead: the Ryuuousen. The reason he was so excited about it, and so concerned about everything going as planned (and started panicking when Kuro showed up late), is because he was almost desperate to succeed at something after his failure with the unit he had his heart set on. In the end, though, that ended up going wrong too. The student council interrupted the match before it ended, even though he didn’t want to accept defeat, and that didn’t do his confidence any favors.

Of course, his confidence in himself wasn't really that high in the first place. Tetora has been shown throughout the Ensemble Stars story as someone who’s deeply dissatisfied with himself and takes every opportunity to belittle himself, whether it’s out loud or in his thoughts. He calls himself worthless, weak, hollow, and even goes as far as to say he hates himself in Orihime and Hikoboshi. He also tends to blame himself for anything that goes wrong when he’s around. Despite how he grows and changes himself over his time at Yumenosaki, these insecurities of his seem to stay as strong as ever. Even as a second year who got to lead Ryuseitai N and is captain of the karate club, he continues to feel like he isn’t good enough.

He’s equally quick to compare himself to other people, saying how they’re better than him in different ways. He’s open about how jealous he is of some people’s looks and sometimes other traits they have. He also uses people like Kuro or Chiaki as a standard to measure himself against, saying he can’t do things the way they can because he’s still inexperienced. With his insecurities, though, comes the way he recognizes his shortcomings. He knows what his weaknesses are and what mistakes he’s made, and he’s constantly trying to improve them — even if he doesn’t feel like he’s improved enough — to reach his ideal of becoming a “man among men”.

That goal of his is reinforced throughout the story, and he’s determined to reach it one day no matter what happens. Even when things go wrong, he tells himself that he’ll get there eventually, as long as he keeps working hard at it. He does get upset at his failures for a while and is prone to pessimism when they occur (which he acknowledges), but he always picks himself up in the end. His idea of a “man among men” isn’t really solid, though, and it really just comes down to what traits he admires in others. That includes traits like strength (both physical and emotional), kindness, honesty, and level-headedness, but also skills that are typically considered feminine, like cooking and sewing.

Part of that also comes from the fact that his concept of a man among men comes from the people he looks up to: his desire to learn to cook comes from his admiration of Niki, and his respect for things like sewing from Kuro. In fact, he even got into martial arts in the first place because he looked up to Kuro. In the same way, it was after the Beasts story that he decided he didn’t have to get rid of the parts of himself he considered “girly” or weak, and instead could convert them to strengths like those he saw in Arashi. Because he sees others as so much better than himself, he tends to admire a lot of people like this, and always tries to see the best in the people he does — even if they themselves think he shouldn’t.

It’s that devoted nature of his that manifests as determination when it comes to his goals. Whether it’s a person or an aim, Tetora gives everything his all, and it’s why he’s able to bounce back when things go wrong. He's willing to take on any number of challenges to reach his goals, and early in the ! year (like in Hero Show) even told himself it'd be pathetic to give up after minor setbacks. Similarly, his determination to have something work out in his favor is why he set up the Ryuuousen in the main story, as mentioned earlier. This persevering nature and the hard work he puts into things because of it are where his Ryuseitai introduction comes from - black flames are the mark of effort.

… Which he also thinks is his only merit, as he's stated more than once. Despite his other qualms with himself, he’s aware of his hardworking spirit and considers it his biggest strength. Tetora is someone who believes that he can achieve his goals as long as he works hard towards them, and that gives rise to his desire to be seen as responsible and independent (like by showing his seniors that he can handle things on his own). He’s even expressed how he likes when Chiaki doesn’t interfere with Ryuseitai’s activities after entrusting things to him, so that he can show some responsibility instead of being babied and having things taken care of for him.

In the same way, he got pretty upset in The Four Beasts of Fistfighting when Kuro arranged the Ryuuousen without talking to him about it, and when the former said he’d pat Tetora on the head if he won against him. Tetora hates being treated like a kid, or as someone who can’t take care of themselves. This is reiterated in several stories, too, including Beasts, where he says how he doesn’t like when Arashi refers to him using -chan, since it feels like she’s treating him like a kid. This ties in with him wanting to be seen as more mature — a man among men.

Continuing on that point, it's also why he puts up a strong front, even when he's not doing so great (Motor Show is a great example, but he's been doing this since the ! main story). He doesn't like giving up on things or appearing weak, and especially not if it means he'll be seen as someone who can't do things without outside help. Even if he's tired or upset about something, he tries to keep smiling and keep up his energetic character around others so that they won't worry about him. That applies even more when he's in charge of something, since he has a strong sense of responsibility and wants to be a capable leader.

He can put too much energy into trying to be a good leader, though, which ends up exhausting him in the !! timeline (for example, his second idol story, where he says he spent hours just thinking about how to reply to a member of Ryuseitai N in a way that didn't sound too dry). Even before then, though, he was always trying to do his best for the people around him, including things like staying calm before lives where the other two first years were nervous to try and help them relax. While he may have started off a little clumsy and tended to rush into things without thinking, by the end of the ! summer, he had already become a lot more reliable.

He also just really enjoys helping people out, saying in School Fes that he always wants to help when he sees a friend in trouble. He's always quick to offer anyone assistance, even with small tasks like moving things from one place to another. This has led other characters to say that he really is hero-like, as befitting of his status as a member of Ryuseitai. It also ties in with how empathetic he is towards others. He’s protective of his friends and has said many times (like in Sweet Halloween) that he gets upset when his friends are, and often tries to help them out or cheer them up when that happens.

There’s also the reason Ryuseitai N ended up with too many members — he didn’t want anyone to feel the way he did after his rejection from Akatsuki, and ended up making the entrance test for Ryuseitai too easy as a result. Even if it did cause the unit to struggle financially, it shows how much he took what happened to heart and how he doesn’t want people to go through anything bad, even if he had to face it himself. Similarly, he tries to take other people’s feelings and situations into account at all times — such as the time he argued with Midori in Climax but tried to be understanding of the fact that Midori was only in the idol course by accident — and doesn’t want to push his own opinions or ideals onto others either.

Tetora is a really honest and straightforward person, and doesn’t think people should hide things from each other either. This shows in the advice he gave to the Aoi twins and Tomoya in Christmas Live and Sweet Halloween respectively, though he says in the former story that he didn’t think he should be lecturing them as an outsider. More than that, though, it becomes obvious when he’s putting up a cheerful front, since a lot of the time other characters end up seeing through it. In Motor Show, it fails entirely after he accidentally let out that he was stressed in front of Chiaki, and ended up having to tell him everything.

Because of that, though, he’s also very trusting of people, and doesn’t always notice when someone doesn’t have the best intentions (à la Beasts). By the !! timeline, however, he’s gotten better with that. A clear example is his consistent distrust of Mayoi, even if the latter does give him reason to be suspicious. Then, of course, there’s Rinne, who’s the first person Tetora has openly said he dislikes. By the time of Sweets Box in autumn, he’s still annoyed by Rinne’s actions in the main story and says Rinne “pisses him off.” Despite that, he does still admit that Rinne can be open-minded when it comes to some things, which further shows his own willingness to understand other people’s situations.

With all of that said, it’s clear that Tetora is someone who does his absolute best, both for himself and others. He has a lot of energy and doesn’t like sitting around for too long, but that energy always goes to good use, whether it’s training himself or helping people out. Despite his deep-rooted insecurities about himself, he’s always striving to do better. That (along with everything else) is why I love him so much, and I hope this helps you learn a little more about him (unless there’s nothing new in here for you). There’s a lot more I would’ve liked to talk about but it’s already time to post this and I wanna finish reading some !! stories before I get into my opinions on his time as Ryuseitai’s leader (though I have a lot of thoughts on that already), but I’m really glad Tetora exists and is such a well-written character.

#this is 2373 words and 2+3+7+3 adds up to 15 which is the date of his birthday #i need help #but it's okay i love him #4th time celebrating his birthday woooooo #this is. probably incoherent bc i didn't proofread it lol #but hey as long as it's here #kinda wanted to go into his relationships w ryst/his yearmates/arashi/kuro but that's something for another day #happy birthday my sunshine #you deserved to lead ryuseitai </3 #and currently... you deserve a good and proper break #tetora nagumo birthday 2021 #tetora nagumo #ensemble stars #text #an rambles

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nyerus · 4 years

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His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of XianLe -- Xie Lian

I wanted to do a little meta for Xie Lian to celebrate his birthday, about why he’s an incredible and unique character! One of my absolute faves. Happy Birthday Lianlian! ヽ(o´∀`)ﾉ♪♬

(Spoiler Warning!!!) (Also: massive length warning--get snacks!)

Xie Lian and The Hero’s Journey

One of the most interesting things about Xie Lian is that his personal arc starts near the end. Meaning that he is already nearly fully-realized by the time we meet him in book 1. He has only a few steps left in his classical Hero’s Journey, since TGCF starts in media res. A lot of his growth has been completed--which we witness more first-hand in books 2 and 4--so by the time we meet Xie Lian, he is already endured the most painful of his trials. It leaves him with the traits readers first pick up on: calm, confident, humble, and kind.

The main steps he has left to complete in his journey are the quintessential “atonement with the Father” and his “return home.” These stages of the Hero’s Journey are actually played somewhat straight in TGCF, and the former stage is actually the main plot of the novel. The stages are not meant to be literal, but metaphorical tools for literary analysis, as most books we read employ them in one way or another. TGCF does so as well, just out of order. So Xie Lian’s confrontation with Jun Wu (atonement), then getting his happy ending with Hua Cheng (return home) are the respective stages we see play out in the “present” narrative.

(However, he does have a “call to action stage” nestled within the present-time plotline. One can almost think of this as one Hero’s Journey nestled inside another.)

Xie Lian and The Heaven’s Will

The Heavens shook spectacularly when Xie Lian ascended. Each ascension, the Heavens greeted him with grandeur, even on what he considered his “fluke” of a second. And on his third ascension, the Heavens announced his return in a way that no one had ever seen before--by astonishing all its residents; bringing down the gilded palaces of other gods, and having the ancient clock sound off so fervently that it broke free of its hinges.

There is a lot of symbolism in this alone.

While Xie Lian’s narration (and the reactions of the other heavenly officials, including Ling Wen) paints his third ascension as a mix of comedic and tragic, we can interpret this scene differently. Xie Lian is the only one to have ascended thrice. He is the only one for whom the Heavens shook so powerfully. It isn’t because he’s a disgraced laughing stock--it’s because the Heaven know his true character, and his true strength.

(As an aside--see this post of mine about Heaven as an entity, separate from the Heavenly Capital and gods therein.)

It isn’t a big stretch to conclude that the Heavens show Xie Lian a particular amount of favoritism that it doesn’t to anyone else. One of the explanations for this could be that Xie Lian is the closest thing to the physical representation of the Heaven’s Will™.

This isn’t to say that Xie Lian is perfect. He isn’t, by any means. But he doesn’t have to be. Further thinking of the Heavens along the classic Taoist principles that TGCF draws from, the point is that Xie Lian tries. He works hard with what he has, embraces his fate and destiny, and makes the best of it as much as he can. Xie Lian himself doesn’t set out to be perfect. That is not his goal. His goal is to be a good person who is able to help people. He is morally upright, sincere, and humble. He seeks to maintain balance. These are treasured qualities.

Ultimately, he is human. He makes grievous mistakes, he makes bad decisions, and so on. But at the end of the day, Xie Lian lacks no conviction about his ideology. Even though he endured hell, and very nearly succumbed to darkness, there was always a part of him that held onto that notion that people were worth saving. Even at his worst, he still hesitated before causing harm. And when the man with the bamboo hat helped him--just a single gesture--it was enough for Xie Lian to rediscover that part of himself. His beliefs were re-affirmed, and he found the strength he needed to carry them.

The Heavens did not penalize Xie Lian for needing help. In fact, they rewarded him with ascension itself. When Xie Lian accepted his grief, he began to overcome it. He refused to fall into total despair--and while the actual nature of his second ascension are ambiguous, it’s probable that this is why he ascended. Not because he fought against Bai Wuxiang (because he wasn’t even the one to “win” that battle physically), but because he stood against him in the first place. Xie Lian’s grief, subsequent resolve, and decision to ultimately oppose everything Bai Wuxiang represented--THAT was his Heavenly Tribulation. And he passed with flying colors (much to Jun Wu’s intense fury).

[CONTINUED UNDER CUT DUE TO LENGTH.]

What it fundamentally comes down to, is that Xie Lian chooses to be compassionate. He does so even and especially in the face of adversity. Choosing to be kind when it is the hardest path of all is the mark of true courage and strength. It can’t be said it enough: Xie Lian very consciously makes the choice to do good even when it is hard for him. Even when he doesn’t want to. Because being a good and moral person doesn’t mean that you never have negative thoughts, and for sure Xie Lian gets frustrated and upse. It doesn’t mean you never make mistakes or never hurt people, because Xie Lian has done all those things before as well. After all, he is human, god or not. Things are not black-and-white, and never will be. But staying true to one’s ideals is what matters.

When Xie Lian made the decision to help Yong’An during the drought, for example, he knew it may be futile. He knew that he was breaking rules, going against what everyone else was saying. But he knew in his heart that it was the morally responsible thing to do. He is not the type of person to sit by quietly when there are people in need. He cannot see injustice and despair, and turn a blind eye to it. It also isn’t necessary (or even possible) for him to help literally everyone--as he learns the hard way. But doing what he can, where he can--that’s more than enough for Heaven to favor him. Because that’s the sign of someone who is genuinely compassionate and just.

So it’s no wonder that the Heavens favored him more than others. With a pure heart and strong sense of justice, while still being humble and patient--that’s all the Heavens need.

It’s even ironic that Xie Lian spoke out against the very “Heavens” themselves in book 2, at the height of his pride. But he was actually speaking out against the institution of heaven, and the overly-conservative beliefs that the gods (Heavenly Officials) held. Xie Lian has an extremely non-traditional view of looking at things.

His ideas go against the grain of what has been held true to the people of the world for centuries, but are actually in line with many modern philosophies--that one should not give much importance to idol worship, and instead focus on doing good deeds. That gods, being immortal ascended humans, should display the same humility and temperance; that they not hold themselves in higher regard or expect others to be subservient or fearful. This could very much be in line with what the Heaven’s will actually may be. Why the Heavens favor him so--because Xie Lian understands, in every sense, that gods are only human.

Xie Lian’s Character Growth

“I WON’T CHANGE! EVEN IF IT’S PAINFUL, I WON’T CHANGE. EVEN IF I DIE, I WON’T CHANGE. I WILL NEVER CHANGE!” (ch.239)

That’s the big thing about Xie Lian. It’s what sets him apart from many other characters. From the beginning to the end of his journey, his motivations and beliefs do not change. Only the nature of his motivations, and the basis of his beliefs change. That is to say, he believed that helping others was the right thing to do when he was 17 years old. 800 years later, he still feels this way. It’s just that he approaches the concept differently.

As a teenager, he was naive and coming from a place of high privilege. He was unable to understand the true plights of the common man, and his concepts of helping them--while still noble and morally just--were often somewhat patronizing. His heart was in the right place, but he was simply too young and too sheltered. He also fundamentally overestimated his own capability to help others, while underestimating the negative forces at play that would actively work against him. But 800 years later, Xie Lian has gone through hell and back. He knows better than anyone what it means to struggle, to suffer, to hope, to persevere. He still wants to help the common man, but now it comes from a place of understanding and humility. (The tragedy is, if he were allowed to grow up “normally,” he very much may have grown out of his naiveté and youthful arrogance anyway, after gaining more worldly experience. He was robbed of that chance.)

So Xie Lian chooses to be optimistic about life in general. He knows that he will get hurt by doing this. That people will take advantage of him. He knows, and yet, he continues to hold true to his principles. He neither asks nor expects people to thank him for it, or even understand him (as many people simply don’t). He does it because what other people think or even deserve is not his concern. It comes down to what he believes. That’s just the type of character he is--which is to say: fantastic.

TLDR; Xie Lian Best Boi!!!

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven offical's blessing #hob #meta #tgcf meta #Sorry had to repost this!#there was an error in the last one's format...#nyerus.txt #its a bit early for lianlian's bday but idk if i'll be able to post tomorrow so here we are #please DM if you see mistakes in this lol

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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 4 years

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Star Wars and the Space Opera

In 1941, a writer by the name of Wilson Tucker coined the term: ‘Space Opera’, used to describe what he called the “hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn”. This derogatory term followed in the footsteps of words like ‘Soap Opera’, a familiar term used even today, and ‘Horse Opera’ a less-used word referring to a cheap western.

However, in the years following this initial term creation, the words ‘Space Opera’ soon became associated with a different connotation.

Today, well, we’d probably call it ‘Soft Science Fiction’.

The term ‘Space Opera’ as we know it now refers to a story set in an unfamiliar galaxy, full of space faring civilizations with access to wonderful technology that isn’t terribly important to the story. Space Operas are epics, action/adventure stories spanning solar systems and galaxies, full of political intrigue, romance, huge space battles, sprawling empires and planets, and larger-than-life heroes and villains playing out the age-old good vs. evil conflict.

The total opposite of hard science fiction, Space Operas are concerned with characters and stories, rather than how the warp-drive works. In the years since its original examples in the days of Buck Rogers, the term has lost nearly all of its negative connotations. No longer looked down on, many writers and moviemakers have come to embrace the Space Opera. Science fiction author Brian Aldiss even wrote a poem describing the steps that every self-respecting Space Opera must take in order to be an example of it’s subgenre:

The world must be in peril.

There must be a quest,

And a man or woman to meet the mighty hour.

That man or woman must confront aliens and exotic creatures.

Space must flow past the ports like wine from a pitcher.

Blood must rain down the palace steps,

And ships launch out into the louring dark.

There must be a woman or man fairer than the skies,

And a villain darker than a Black Hole.

And all must come right in the end.

There have been plenty of Space Operas in recent media history, ranging from the Dune novels to television shows like Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek. However, easily the best known and most recognizable example of a Space Opera ever created is obvious: George Lucas’s science fiction epic from 1977: Star Wars.

Star Wars was more than a film. Like Star Trek, it was a cultural phenomenon, sweeping the world immediately and paving the way for stories like it to find success in the future, as stories either inspired by it or intending to cash in on it were created in the years following. While hailed as the start of a renaissance of Science Fiction in film, it was more accurately the start of the Space Opera in modern popular culture. While set in space, the film states its scale firmly from its opening words: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Star Wars wasn’t concerned with telling a story about science or logic. It was a story about heroic rebels rising up and fighting back against an evil empire. It was about big H heroes, Cool Starships, and Saving the World. Star Wars was the shift in connotations for the Space Opera. It was Star Wars’s thouroughly ‘space fantasy’ nature that changed the term ‘Space Opera’ from an insult to simply a genre.

As such a game-changer, it bears some discussion.

Star Wars was the template used in countless science-fiction films after it, whether outright copied by films like Starchaser: The Legend Of Orin or spoofed in films like Spaceballs, creating a series of characters, scenarios, locations, and technology that has inspired multiple stories since it’s release over forty years ago.

The fact that Star Wars has become such a codifier of Space Operas makes a lot of sense, considering that it almost follows Aldiss’s poem to the letter. While it does put an entertaining, fresh spin on a lot of fantasy and science fiction conventions, it doesn’t stray from those conventions. In fact, it embraces them.

Hence our discussion.

Today, we’re going to be analyzing the 1977 film Star Wars in the context of the Space Opera, using Brian Aldiss’s poetic criteria above to analyze how George Lucas, whether knowingly or not, managed to create the perfect Space Opera, starting with, of course, point number one:

The world must be in peril.

To start, let’s look at the opening crawl. Spoilers below!

It is a period of civil war. Rebel

spaceships, striking from a hidden

base, have won their first victory

against the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed

to steal secret plans to the Empire’s

ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an

armored space station with enough

power to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents,

Princess Leia races home aboard her

starship, custodian of the stolen plans

that can save her people and restore

freedom to the galaxy….

The story of Star Wars begins in an era of galactic unrest. The evil Galactic Empire rules with an iron, tyrannical fist over the planets under it, squashing attempts at resistance, but stubbornly, the Rebellion fights on. However, even their attempts are hopeless in the face of this new weapon: the Death Star.

The stakes for the story are established immediately. By introducing the idea of a weapon powerful enough to destroy a planet, the audience, themselves only confined to one planet, immediately understand the threat that this weapon holds. Billions of people extinguished in one shot, and the people with the only hope to stop them are on the run, in danger.

It looks grim for the galaxy.

At the beginning of Star Wars, it’s the End of the World as We Know It, and it’s not just an idle threat. The Death Star is fully operational, and we see its effects as it destroys the homeworld of Princess Leia, Alderaan. Billions of people are destroyed instantly, and the weapon won’t stop there.

The galaxy is definitely in peril, and in order to prevent its destruction, the heroes must obliterate the weapon first, which, of course, answers our next line:

There must be a quest.

The quest is twofold. The immediate quest is a small-scale one, a quest as old as fairy tales: rescue the Princess.

After Princess Leia is captured by the Empire, she sends the plans for the Death Star, and a message pleading for help, in a droid, R2-D2, trying to get them to an old Jedi Master, (The Mentor and Wizard of the story) Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unfortunately, the droid (along with fellow robot, C-3PO) end up in the hands of farmboy Luke Skywalker. Luke, recognizing the name, takes them to the Jedi, and ends up whisked away, determined to rescue Leia. As he finds out more and more, the second part of the quest, the larger one, becomes clear: Destroy the Death Star.

In order to prevent the destruction of the Rebellion, Luke must go on a journey, traveling through interesting places, all while learning the secrets of the Jedi: a power known as the Force. Throughout this journey, he learns and grows, becoming better equipped to complete his quest along the way. As Luke passes through criminal-infested cantinas, the Death Star itself, and the Rebel base on Yavin 4, he gains new understanding and perspective, all while focusing on his main goal: Rescue the Princess.

This version of The Quest storyline falls under the ‘Overcoming the Monster’ quest, a single-minded one focused on the end goal of the story. Rather than focusing on a series of smaller quests that tie into the large one, the story of Star Wars revolves around the final act, with the characters pushing to Rescue the Princess and destroy the Death Star. It’s concise, simple, but solid enough to work, propelled forward by the characters in the narrative.

The Quest directly overlaps with the famous Hero’s Journey narrative, seen in countless stories on the page and screen. The combination thereof gives us a story where the focus is on the Hero’s growth and development as Luke finds his destiny, reacting to events pushing him forward, all while striving towards the end goal of the story. It’s a very compelling narrative, traditionally done as a fantasy story, which naturally makes it perfect for the standard Space Opera story.

Which brings us to our next point:

And a man or woman to meet the mighty hour.

Of course, the man of the hour in Star Wars is farmboy Luke Skywalker, whisked up seemingly by accident into this world of Jedi, Evil Empires and Rebellions. As with most Space Opera/Epic heroes, he isn’t terribly complex. There are no moral struggles for Luke Skywalker, he knows what he has to do, and with determination, he strives for it.

In many ways, Luke Skywalker is the quintessential Hero archetype. When we first meet him, (stage 1 of the Hero’s Journey), he is living on a desert farm that he desperately wants to get away from. He craves adventure, excitement, and information about the father he never knew, constantly badgering his aunt and uncle for a chance to leave the planet Tatooine.

Luke is a big H hero, good and pure, bent on achieving his goal. He’s an archetype, as old as stories themselves: the Ideal Hero, determined to finish the quest, stop the villain, and rescue the princess. He’s new to the galaxy at large, serving also as the audience surrogate as the other characters explain and teach him about the more mysterious elements of the galaxy, but he proves a quick learner, also able to (clumsily at first) wield the powerful Force to assist him in his quest. He even inherits the lightsaber (the science fiction equivalent of a sword) of his father, further adding to his Knight in Shining Armor role in the story.

Despite his good qualities, Luke isn’t perfect. He’s inexperienced, and naive. He’s a good shot with a blaster, and a better pilot, but he has problems with patience and anger, and has to be reigned in by other members of the cast. He also doesn’t always get along with everyone else on his team, as evidenced by his arguments with reluctant partner and Lancer Han Solo.

Oddly enough, Luke’s motivation to start this journey is mixed. While it would seem like he must want to Jump at the Call, when initially offered the chance for this adventure, Luke turns it down, citing his aunt and uncle as reasons not to go. Unfortunately, the Empire, in search of the droid in Luke’s possession, burn down his homestead, killing his aunt and uncle in the process. With nothing left of his home and family, Luke embarks on the adventure he seems to have always wanted, being pushed into the role of unexpected Hero.

While initially starting the story in a role akin to The Load, it doesn’t take long for Luke to go through some Character Development to rise to his full potential. When dragged into the belly of the beast, trapped within the Death Star where Princess Leia is being held, it is Luke who assembles a plan, convincing the pilot who brought them, Han, and his copilot, Chewbacca, to assist him in rescuing Leia and escaping the Death Star. Later on, it is Luke who exploits the Fatal Flaw of the Death Star design, destroying the weapon and saving the galaxy (for now).

Throughout his Hero’s Journey, Luke inevitably fulfills the next part of our criteria:

That man or woman must confront aliens and exotic creatures.

While most of the characters are examples of Human Aliens, not all of the beings in this galaxy are. Good Space Operas tend to have interesting aliens to populate the planets the characters travel to, further spicing up the environment.

For Star Wars, one need look no further than the cantina sequence in Mos Eisley. The scene is filled with odd looking creatures, some of which even assault Luke. Earlier on, there are the Jawas, a species of scavengers who are responsible for C-3PO and R2-D2 ending up in the hands of Luke in the first place. But both of these examples are minor in comparison with the token alien of the team: Chewbacca.

Chewbacca is Han Solo’s copilot, and a Wookiee. Large, furry, and unintelligible, Chewbacca’s contribution is invaluable, being the decoy prisoner, and the Big Guy of the team. The Bruiser with a Soft Center Mr. Fixit, Chewbacca is presented as more than an alien, but a character who happens to be a different species as the rest of the cast. He serves as a constant reminder of the ‘otherness’ of the galaxy, a constantly present ‘exotic’ creature to drive home the Space Opera atmosphere. As the co-pilot and mechanic, it is also part of Chewbacca’s job to keep the iconic Millennium Falcon running, and fly her when Han is needed in the gun turrets.

Speaking of the ships:

Space must flow past the ports like wine from a pitcher.

The galaxy is a big place. In order to move the plot forward, the characters need to get around, fast. Unfortunately, space is so large that characters would likely die of old age before reaching anywhere interesting, so a faster method must be developed.

The problem of slow space travel has long been ‘fixed’ in science fiction stories since the ‘60s, with Star Trek’s warp drive being a prime example. In Star Wars, a similar idea is used: that of the hyperdrive.

In order to get anywhere, the ships in Star Wars travel faster than light, enabling them to hop from location to location speedily, as well as engage in high-speed chases and dogfights. Indeed, it is due to this that the Death Star is such a threat. Being able to travel quickly, it could destroy multiple planets that much faster.

Using the hyperdrive, the Millennium Falcon is able to travel from Tatooine to the ruins of Alderaan, to Yavin 4 quickly, adding to the urgency and allowing the characters to keep moving. As useful an invention the hyperdrive is, though, there’s more to the use of speed in space than just travel.

Star Wars ends, not with a sword fight or shootout, but with a dogfight.

The battle of the Death Star is a tense action sequence making up the climax of the film, reliant entirely on the forces of the Empire (flying TIE fighters) versus the Rebels (flying X-Wings and Y-Wings). The fast pace and high stakes combine to make a tense ride, and an unforgettable ending. Neither the Death Star trench run, nor the escape from Tatooine would be possible without the Handwave to physics, but in a Space Opera, it doesn’t matter.

All of this talk about stakes leads us right into the next line:

Blood must rain down the palace steps,

Victory does not come without a price.

Throughout Star Wars, lives are lost. Owen and Beru, Luke’s Aunt and Uncle, are the first notable victims, although the death toll is surprisingly high. Princess Leia’s entire planet is wiped out with one blow. Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed, sacrificing himself to allow Luke and the others to escape the Death Star. And the final Death Star trench run ends with a victory for the Rebel Alliance, but only after all but three of their ships (and pilots) are killed. These deaths are not without purpose within the narrative, demonstrating the severity of the Empire’s threat, as well as serving as reminders that more peoples’ lives are at stake. These horrible events push our heroes on, forcing them to always consider the cost as friends are lost.

There may not be a palace, but there certainly is bloodshed.

And ships launch out into the louring dark.

Spaceships, like mentioned above, are absolutely essential to the quintessential Space Opera. They are beyond forms of transportation, they are characters in their own right. From the Empire’s menacing Star Destroyer to Han Solo’s beat up freighter, each ship has its own unique look and ‘personality’.

Star Wars coded it’s ships in a very specific way. The Empire’s ships are shiny and sharp. They are grim and foreboding, all greys and blacks, well-put-together and dangerous looking. From the tiny TIE fighters to the imposing Star Destroyers, the Empire’s fleet is both foreboding and numerous, a frightening force pitted against the small Rebel Alliance.

The Rebellion ships, on the other hand, look a bit different. From the Tantive IV vessel to the tiny X-Wings, the ships of the good guys look a little more worn down, a ragtag assembly of ships that are utilized to the best of the Rebel’s ability to fight the Empire. The X and Y-Wings are small but fast, evocative of our own fighter planes, bringing home the imagery of the space-dogfight.

But no ship says ‘personality’ like the Millennium Falcon.

The Millennium Falcon is, to quote Luke Skywalker, a ‘piece of junk’. She looks awkward, clumsy, cobbled together, and at times, she doesn’t seem to work all that well. The ship is easily recognizable, with a unique design, and she seems to have a personality of her own. A faithful ship, despite her flaws, the Millennium Falcon is fast, very fast, and maneuverable. It is her speed that makes Obi-Wan and Luke choose to hire Han and Chewbacca to pilot them, as the Falcon turns out to be quite a match for TIE fighters, and is able to outrun the Empire’s forces. It is Han and Chewbacca flying this trusty hunk of junk in for a last-minute rescue that enables Luke to destroy the Death Star, cementing the Millennium Falcon as a ‘Hero’ ship. In fact, it’s the Falcon’s speed that made a lot of the rescuing possible. Speaking of which:

There must be a woman or man fairer than the skies,

This one depends on how attractive you find Han Solo, but in the story proper, the ‘fairer than the skies’ part seems to land to Princess Leia, the Damsel in Distress who is the one giving the quest in the first place. However, Leia is a subversion of the typical Damsel and Quest Giver character, as being a leader in a Rebellion, she is no stranger to battle, and once rescued, takes charge, and gets in on the action. Leia is beautiful, and it is remarked upon by Luke, but her royal station and her position as a prisoner does not stop her from being a Royal Who Actually Does Something, and is quick to take up a weapon to help fight her way out of the Death Star. In the end, she is the beautiful Quest Giver, but Damsel in Distress? Only slightly.

But we can’t talk about heroes, quests and battles without talking about the other side.

And a villain darker than a Black Hole.

Every Epic story needs a villain, and the bigger, the better. The Dreaded Evil Overlord is a staple of the Space Opera genre, the very epitome of villainy. In the case of Star Wars, thankfully, the villain bases are covered.

Besides the overarching evil that is the Empire in general, there are specific villains in the story for our heroes to overcome. Grand Moff Tarkin, a cunning, proud military leader, is in charge of the Death Star. He orders the destruction of Alderaan, and is a cold-blooded killer, also willing to terminate the captive Princess Leia. He presses in on the Rebel Base with the Death Star, intending to wipe them out, and it is his pride and arrogance that keeps him from being concerned about his superweapon’s fatal flaw.

Despite how horrible Tarkin is, he is not our villain ‘darker than a Black Hole’. That would be, of course, Darth Vader.

Darth Vader has long been heralded as one of the greatest villains of all time, and with good reason. With an iconic, unique look (dressed head to foot in black armor, with a mask obscuring his face), Darth Vader, much like the rest of the Empire, is unquestionably evil, the epitome of darkness to contrast with Luke’s light. Despite the fact that Tarkin commands the Death Star, Darth Vader’s power is greater.

Like Obi-Wan, Darth Vader is also a Force user, but one who uses its power for evil. It is Darth Vader who tortures Leia for information (which she resists), and Darth Vader who strikes down Obi-Wan in the Death Star. He is a foreboding enemy, and his skill with the Force, the lightsaber, and as a pilot is a triple threat to the Rebels. He also plays a large part in the Death Star trench battle, picking off many Rebel pilots and nearly finishing Luke off as well. Only Han Solo’s last-minute entry into the battle stops him, sending Vader careening off into the galaxy, defeated, but not destroyed.

Unlike most variations of the villains of Space Operas, Vader does not stick close to his base. He ventures out, actively hunting down and destroying the Rebels. He commands his officers, but seems to answer to the Emperor himself, setting up the idea that he may not be the Evil Overlord he seems to be (revealed to be the case in later films). Darth Vader is incredibly dangerous, however, cunning and powerful, and it is telling that, at the end, he is not destroyed with the Death Star, but merely taken out of action for the time being, indicating that he will return.

But although Darth Vader isn’t entirely vanquished, the day is still won.

And all must come right in the end.

Although Luke’s family is gone, Leia’s planet destroyed, Obi-Wan dead, most of the Rebel Fleet destroyed, and Darth Vader still out there, there is still a Happy Ending. The Death Star has been demolished, proving that the Empire is not invincible, and Grand Moff Tarkin has gone with it. The Rebel Alliance survives to fight another day. Luke Skywalker has found his destiny and become a hero, pulling together his band to do so. Han Solo managed to find a selfless side, joining the fight as well. Leia has been rescued and can return to helping lead the Rebellion’s fight against the Empire for the future. There is a New Hope for the galaxy.

Star Wars, like most Space Operas, is an idealistic story. The villains are defeated, the heroes are triumphant. Good wins over evil. It’s a good ending, a happy ending, well-earned by our heroes.

The ending doesn’t feel saccharine, either. It is a hard-won victory, and many lives have been lost. It is an against-all-odds victory, one not without cost, but thanks to the courage and sacrifice of people who believe in freedom, the Rebellion has a fighting chance, and the Empire is that much closer to destruction. It’s a Happy Ending, and more importantly, it’s the right ending, perfectly matching the tone and characters of the rest of the film.

Star Wars is not about how the hyperdrive works, or the technology required to build the Death Star. It’s not about how humanity contends with it’s own creations, or how we live in a technologically advanced society. In fact, it’s not really about ‘humanity’ at all. It’s just about people.

Star Wars is a fantasy epic set against a backdrop of stars, set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. It’s about good vs. evil, about the defeat of tyranny. It’s about a heroic farm boy, a rogue smuggler, and a brave princess. It’s about heroes and villains, magic and battles. It’s a fairy tale.

All of the above comes together to make Star Wars the definitive Space Opera. Every point is perfect, every element in place, so much so that it seems paint-by-numbers. But it’s not.

Star Wars relies on tropes that are almost as old as stories themselves, but it all feels fresh and new. By developing interesting worlds, compelling characters, and a moving conflict, Star Wars managed to rise above the standard, taking the term ‘Space Opera’ and turning it into a defining subgenre, rather than an insult.

Star Wars single handedly changed a genre thanks to its earnest storytelling and characters, proving definitively that Tropes Are Not Bad, and that any story, no matter how ‘old’ it is, can still be made something fresh and beloved.

Don’t forget that the ask box is always open for anything from suggestions and discussion ideas to questions and conversations! Thank you guys so much for reading, and I hope to see you guys in the next article.

#Movies #Film #Science Fiction #Sci-Fi #Fantasy #Action #Adventure #Star Wars #Star Wars 1977 #70s #A New Hope #A New Hope 1977

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arhvste · 4 years

Text

IWAIZUMI HAIJIME - I GOT YOU

summary: after a hard day of uni, your doting boyfriend is there to support you - fluff

requested by anon <3

warnings - none

Your head was pounding and your feet were aching. You knew university wasn’t going to be an easy experience but you hadn’t thought it would drain you to the point of almost collapsing after most days.

Your fingers weakly gripping onto your bag as you arrived at the door of your shared apartment. Unlocking the door with nimble fingers, you jangled the keys losing patience with yourself and the irritating door. Finally hearing the click of the door unlock, you kicked the door open and dropped your bag on the spot.

You didn’t bother taking off your shoes as you threw yourself onto the couch allowing your limbs to relax from the weight of everything. Sighing into the throw pillows, you allowed yourself a few moments of rest and didn’t even try to stop the drooping of your heavy eyelids as you drifted off into a well deserved slumber.

Groaning, you turned around as your hands rubbed the sleep out of your arms. Your limbs relaxed from the aching from earlier and your head clearing up from the painful headache.

Opening your eyes fully you noticed you were no longer flailed recklessly on the couch. You were now in an oversized t-shirt and baggy sweats with your hair neatly plaited to keep the hair out of your face.

‘Haijime.’

Your boyfriend had been nothing but perfect ever since you had started dating. He was a kind and genuine man, always putting others before himself and even though he may show his care for others in an aggressive way (his best friend ‘Shittykawa’ would often whine about this), he still showed a deep care and concern for those close to him.

You smiled softly to yourself thinking about your boyfriend who was studying sports science in order to become an athletics trainer in the future. You were incredibly proud of him and made sure to make sure he knew. He appreciated your unconditional support for him and promised that he would do everything he could possibly do to support you towards your own goals no matter how big or small and he kept that promise.

Rolling out of your shared bed, you dipped your feet onto the hard cold flooring and padded your way to the small kitchen area where the smell of food cooking was emitting from.

Your boyfriend stood there, stirring a vegetable stir fry on the stove. He was so in his element he had yet to notice you and you took advantage of this.

He tensed up out of surprise when he felt arms around his waist and your head relaxing into his broad back.

“Hey baby.”

His deep voice stirred small butterflies to set off in your stomach. He spun around placing the wooden utensil down to the side and let his hands fall to the sides of your hips. Bending down he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead as your own hands made their way down his defined abs through his t-shirt and back to the front of his waist hugging him tightly.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

You whispered looking up at him as he smiled and pulled the hairband out of the plait he had skillfully braided and raking his fingers gently through your hair allowing the loose waves to fall to your shoulders.

“Of course my love, you couldn’t have been comfortable lying there. It's not good for your joints and muscles to fall asleep in uncomfortable positions. Hard day today?”

Relaxing into his touch as his fingers worked miracles in your hair immediately releasing all the tension in your head, you looked up at him and sighed.

“Yeah kind of. I guess I sometimes put too much pressure on myself but at the same time I feel like I’m constantly falling behind. I need to keep up but sometimes I feel like I just can’t”

Rambling to your handsome boyfriend, he patiently listened as he absorbed everything you were saying to him.

Tears pricked in the corners of your eyes as the frustration towards yourself had begun to build up again. Iwaizumi immediately noticed this and pulled you closer to his chest.

“Shhhhh, oh baby I’m here, I’m here. My pretty baby, shhh it’s okay let it out.”

You sobbed silently into his t-shirt dampening it but he didn’t care. He reached out behind him to the stove and turned the heat on the lowest option to stop the food from cooking so quickly so he could take his time with you.

“Come on love.”

He effortlessly lifted you up and your legs naturally wrapped around his strong torso as you rested your head on one of his broad shoulders. Iwaizumi carried you to your bedroom as he delicately set you down on the bed.

Looking down at you he felt upset seeing the state of distress you were in. Setting himself down next to you, he pulled you both into the sheets as you wrapped your arms around him as he brushed the hair out of your face.

“Oh babygirl I’m sorry, calm down you can talk to me about it. You know you’re always my first priority it makes me sad seeing you sad, let me help you.”

Gently wiping the tears from your face with his fingers, he kissed each side of your face as you calmed yourself down. You sighed and looked up at him as his eyes met yours. His holding nothing but pure love and concern for you, he offered a small smile as your own features relaxed.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I just feel like I’m not getting anywhere, it’s nothing that can’t be helped though I’m sure. I just needed to let that out I think.”

You weakly smiled at him as he twirled your hair in his fingers and weaved them between the strands, relaxing you even more. He knew this calmed you down. He was observant especially when it came to you.

“Don’t ever apologize to me over anything like this Y/N. You know I’m here for you and will do anything to help you. I love you and hate seeing you upset. You can always, always come to me and I promise I’ll help you in any way.”

You knew he was genuine. Even though he would never say it out loud, Iwaizumi would gladly give you the moon and all the stars if you asked. There wasn’t anything he could think of that he wouldn’t do for you. You had done so much for him whether you realised it or not, he was grateful for you coming into his life and he made sure to make you feel appreciated in any way he could.

Back in high school, the ex ace would constantly be compared to his best friend, the star of the school Oikawa Tooru. Some would even say Iwaizumi was a second best compared to his friend but he didn’t let it get to him much. He had grown so used to it by the time they reached their third and final year of school. That’s where you came and took his world by storm without even trying.

You and him were partnered up together in your biology class. Having never really spoken before, the two of you started a solid friendship during your classes together and both eventually found yourselves looking forward to biology. You never once mentioned Oikawa which at first Iwaizumi was surprised by. Almost every girl in Aoba Johsai was fawning over his charming best friend so why weren’t you?

The months passed and feelings began to develop between the two of you. Iwaizumi no longer felt like a substitute for Oikawa but rather he felt like the protagonist in his own story. You had subconsciously brought out a brighter side to him, made him feel a bigger sense of individuality and it was once he realised this, he knew he had to confess to you.

2 years later and your relationship was still going from strength to strength. Oikawa immediately approving of the two of you and taking an instant liking to you after seeing the effect you had on Iwaizumi. You both compliment each other well and in all honesty, the boy couldn’t see himself marrying anyone other than you. Sure there was a lot of time to fill before marriage, but he planned to keep you by his side for as long as possible and he ideally wanted that to be for the rest of his life.

Staring back into his softened gaze, you brought yourself up and kissed your boyfriend wrapping your arms loosely around his shoulder.

You pulled away coyly and gave him a shy smile.

“I know. Thank you. I mean it Haijime. I love you, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He chuckled softly as he stroked your flushed cheek.

“Of course baby. You know I’m always here for you all you have to do is let me be.”

Pulling you back in for a deep kiss, Iwaizumi’s fingers tangled themselves in your hair as your hands dropped down exploring his muscled chest.

Catching your breaths, you smiled at the boy so brightly and genuinely, his heart felt so full when he looked at you. You really had him wrapped around his finger and you didn’t even know it.

“Come on let's go eat and then we can watch whatever you want. Tomorrow I don’t have any classes so I’ll help you on areas you feel like you need catching up on.”

“You’re my hero Hajime.”

You whispered smiling as he laughed slightly. Lifting himself off the bed, he grabbed your hand to pull you to the edge where he picked you up bridal style and carried you back into the kitchen where the delicious smell of food was still stewing from.

“I love you Y/N and don’t you ever forget that.”

#x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi fanfic #fanfic #oneshot #iwaizumi x reader

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makeste · 4 years

Note

There's been a lot of talk about Mina's optimistic line about how they'll all be fine and back to class is a death flag, but if anything I think it's a desth flag for U.A. They'll be fine, but they won't be back to class as normal, because there won't BE a class to attend(RIP Shinsou)

seems like everyone in the fandom is talking about death flags and kids dying and society falling to pieces these days lol. fwiw, as I’m sure most people have seen by now, Viz’s translation showed that Mina was actually talking about Midnight, so if this really is a “famous last words” situation, it would apply to her rather than the kids.

but it seems like the speculation hasn’t really died down despite that! so since the whole “kids dying” thing keeps coming up, I’m gonna go ahead and weigh in on it again here and say that I don’t think it’s going to happen. so far I’ve mostly been trying to keep my reasoning short and sweet and leaving it at “it would be too dark”, but in truth, the real reason why I don’t see it happening is because I don’t think it would serve any purpose.

here’s the thing about character deaths: assuming that the writing is any good (which I would argue that it is, in BnHA’s case, although you are free to disagree!), they should always serve a purpose. and in most cases, that’s going to mean one of four things:

it serves as a way to write the character out of the story for whatever reason (for instance if the character is getting in the way of letting a plot be resolved, or if the actor is leaving, which of course doesn’t apply to BnHA but is a huge factor in a lot of other media). an example here would be Twice, who was written out of the story because his quirk would have prevented the heroes from having any chance at all of winning.

it sets the stakes and takes away the audience’s sense of security by establishing that No One Is Safe, and that People Can And Will Die. this is important in that it builds suspense and makes the audience more invested than they might otherwise be, because they can’t be 100% certain that their fave is going to make it out alive. a good example of this would be the recent massacre at Jakku, which showed in no uncertain terms how powerful Tomura has become, and also demonstrated that Horikoshi has no qualms whatsoever about killing off any number of pro hero characters in this arc.

it completes that character’s arc and serves as a fitting (if depressing) end to their story. this is probably the most controversial as far as “reasons for killing someone off” go, because it’s so easy to fuck up, and because someone will almost always argue that there were other, better ways for a character’s story to end. most “redemption” deaths fall under this category, as do the “character makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect their loved one” deaths. if Endeavor ends up dying there’s a good chance it will fall under this category. so far though, BnHA has been pretty light on these types of deaths, which tbh suits me just fine. ideally this sort of death is supposed to provide some sort of closure, but in practice it doesn’t always work out that way.

lastly, the death furthers the story in some way. it galvanizes another character into action, or serves as a motivation for them. or maybe the death shifts the political landscape of the story and sets new plots into motion. most tragic backstory deaths fall under this category; for example, pretty much the entire Shimura family (r.i.p.). this is another potentially controversial area though on account of there being many other ways to move the plot forward without resorting to killing someone off. not to mention that “fridging” deaths also fall under this category -- deaths where one character is used as a plot device to move another character’s development forward. Nana, unfortunately, is an example of this, but that’s another rant for another day.

anyway, so these are the four biggest reasons to kill off a character in a story. there are others as well, including simply adding some more tragedy and emotion to the story, but IMO that doesn’t really apply to this particular genre. BnHA isn’t a tragedy, nor is it the kind of bleak, grimdark narrative where killing off characters more frequently would make sense. this isn’t the kind of series where gratuitous character deaths are necessary to add shock value or realism. making the shift into that kind of writing this late in the game wouldn’t make much sense, and IMO would do a lot more harm than good.

so as far as I’m concerned, this means that if Horikoshi is going to kill someone off in this arc, that death needs to come under one of these four categories. oh, and something I forgot to mention before -- it should be necessary, as well. in other words, it accomplishes one of these four things, and is the only way that said thing can be accomplished. those are basically my criteria for a “good” character death.

and as far as I can see, none of the kids’ deaths would currently fall into that “necessary” category, or meet any of those other four criteria. none of the kids are so powerful that they need to be written out of the story (and even if they were, there are other ways to do that with AFO and the quirk-be-gone bullets now in play). they don’t need to be killed off in order to raise the stakes; clearly, fandom is already very convinced on that front already, or people wouldn’t constantly be freaking out over death flags and such in the first place. and none of the kids is anywhere near the completion of their respective story arcs. maybe if one or more of them had been featured more often recently, and there was some actual buildup, like we saw with Mirio right before he lost his quirk, or with Nighteye before he was killed. but we haven’t seen anything like that recently for any of the kids, with the possible exception of Bakugou (hence why I’m still pretty certain that he’s currently heading towards what Aizawa would call a “death”, with quotation marks, i.e. the loss of his quirk).

so that just leaves us with “their death would further the narrative in some way”, which is probably the most open to interpretation of the four. but for the life of me I just can’t think of any way that the death of a kid would advance the plot in a way that couldn’t be achieved by other means. want society to freak out about children being involved in a war? just injure a bunch of them, or have one of them lose their quirk on live TV with the world watching. want to traumatize the other child soldier characters for some reason? kill off one of the teachers, then. or, again, take away one of their friends’ quirks, and have them feel some misplaced guilt over not being able to stop it. this was the winning formula for the Basement arc, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here as well.

tbh a lot of this does depend on what exactly Horikoshi’s goals for this arc are, which still aren’t 100% clear even this late in the game. I’m not sure right now what he’s planning for the aftermath of this thing. will it be like Kamino and Fukuoka, where society is shaken up but still rallying behind the heroes and giving them their support? or are we instead building up towards a scenario where society’s faith in heroes finally crumbles and people are left totally demoralized in the wake of yet another brutal attack, and the total decimation of the Billboard Top 10? the latter outcome is seeming more and more likely to me, but an awful lot of it depends on how the next few chapters play out.

my best guess is that we end up with a scenario where the heroes succeed in staving off total disaster, but at a heavy cost. a lot of the pros are either dead or out of commission, Tomura and the League are still at large, and everyone is basically just sitting around trying to process what just happened and figure out what to do next while they wait for the other shoe to drop. word gets out that the kids were pretty much the only reason the battle didn’t end in even greater disaster, and as a result they get swept up in the ensuing political drama. the HPSC tries to parade them around as the next big thing; humanity’s hope for the future. but meanwhile a growing faction of the general public is furious at the government getting children involved in a war, and start arguing that the hero program should be shut down and U.A. should close its doors. and in the midst of all this, the kids try to lick their wounds and deal with the aftermath, and enter their second year very much unsure of what the future will hold.

anyway, so this all got very long-winded and out of hand as usual, but to sum up, I don’t think any of the kids is going to die here, and I think there will still be a year two of U.A., but that it’s going to feel very different from the U.A. we’ve known up to this point. if the threat of Tomura is still looming over everyone’s heads I very much doubt the kids will be able to focus much on their studies. but it may also be a case of them trying to cling to what little semblance of normalcy they have left. the teachers might decide to press on simply because it’s the only thing they can do. basically I’m anticipating something very similar to the aftermath of Kamino, but with the tension ramped up to 11, and with the adults fighting a losing battle to keep the kids from getting caught up in the middle of it all.

in other words, I don't think it’s an actual death-death we need to worry about here. rather, it’s going to be a much slower and much more subtle death by a thousand cuts. but it’ll be the kind of angst the characters can still work under; the kind that, rather than suffocating them, instead makes them grit their teeth and find a way to push forward. so yeah! anyways though, now that I’ve said all this, watch as Horikoshi goes and fucking decapitates Aoyama next week or some shit. lol maybe I should knock on wood just in case.

#bnha 279 #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha meta #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks #anon asks #long post

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myroleplayacademia · 3 years

Text

Accepted! Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Character name: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Why do you want to play them?:

I feel like Tetsutetsu is an extremely charming character, one you'd really love. He's this very friendly guy who finds a way to interact with anyone and once you befriend him he'll just be extra loyal to you. I love the idea of him being very protective of his friends to the point where he'd fight shitty people for them. Also, the way he does anything to gain experience as a hero, it just shows how devoted he is.

I guess I relate with him to some extent and that's why I just, can vibe with him so easily. He's a very appealing character and I personally wish to have some of his personality traits.

As well, so many friendships can be formed between him and other characters. He's that supportive friend who always pumps you and motivates you. He's also extremely fun to be around.

What is their quirk?: Steel

What powers and limitations do they have:

His skin steel can be used for both defense and offense. It's strong enough to withstand attacks and very capable of landing forceful hits, therefore making him be both a spear and a shield. As well, his skin can resist very high temperatures though it can get to the point where the steel starts melting.

The thing which makes the biggest difference in his quirk is how much iron he's had in the morning. High iron diets are a must for him. His quirk just won't work as usual (or not at all) if he doesn't have enough since it mostly consumes the iron he has in his body. Using his quirk for too long also causes him to go iron fatigue.

Describe the character’s personality:

Tetsutetsu is a confident, stubborn, and extremely straightforward individual. He's also very hot-headed and possesses an outspoken personality which he doesn't mind showing in both personal and hero life. He comes off as being extremely lively and vocal about his intentions without any shame or hesitation. His mind is usually one-tracked as he inevitably goes for the simplest paths but that doesn't mean he's unwilling to listen to other's plans. He treats missions very seriously and will cooperate with anyone, even if he despises them but hey, no sense in involving personal feelings when saving people.

Tetustetsu is the kind of person who dislikes being underestimated or disregarded in battles and he does all his best to prove enemies (or haters) wrong. He uses all his motivation and energy when trying to accomplish anything. He also takes his lifestyle quite seriously and maintains programs but not to an exaggerated level to the point he's being too hard on strict on himself. He makes sure to take good care of himself and others.

The one thing he can't stand is assholes treating his friends badly. May it even be a small swear thrown randomly and that'll instantly set him off, only his friends can calm him down. Tetsutetsu is a very soft person but only around people he likes, he can be really friendly and laid-back, he's kind and empathetic, one of his favorite things is to make people laugh and just feel good in general.

He places others above him, they come first then him. He takes failure very seriously but utilizes it as fuel to better himself.

Preferred relationships (friendships, rivalries, ships, etc):

Class B is his family. He sees them as his second family and he'd do anything to protect all of them (Vlad king included). He sees Vlad as his second father.

He respects some of the A guys too but the one he respects the most is Kirishima, his coolest bro.

Tetsutetsu is a very open person, if you vibe enough with him then cool!! You've got yourself a real nice friend. About the relationships, he's pan and has no preference for his partners.

Please list your goal(s) for the character (This can be a long term plan for the character’s progression or an aspect of the character you’d like to explore!): I really want to explore more friendships with him. I believe he's able to form many relationships with people you'd last see him interacting with. He's able to do anything he has in mind so for now, his only goals are to better himself to be an ideal hero, one little him would idolize for saving people without fail.

For your character:

What do you think about UA University’s Villain Rehabilitation Program:

“I mean, some dudes are willin’ to change when bein’ offered a second chance yanno. I’m not sayin’ we should overlook the shit they’ve done but you don’t really know if they just wanna stay bad and shit forever. I can’t put myself in their place but I’m willin’ to help anyone who needs savin’ if it makes sense.”

“A friend is going through a difficult time, how do you comfort them?“

"Man come on, shit's gonna be alright I promise. You're not alone in this and never will, don't think that you're all alone or shit. I mean, I don't plan on leaving any time soon." he spoke softly despite the foul-mouthed words. One of his gentle hands reached for his friend, carefully wrapping around their shoulder. His fingertips tenderly caressed the soft fabric, gently. He didn't wish to put any physical pressure; it was just enough one of his beloved friends was going through a time this terrible. In the end, he was there for them.

Ultimately, the last thing he could do was attempt to cheer them up at least.

The corners of his mouth curled into a dazzling smile. "You're under a lot of pressure right now, okay? Come on, let's go do something which calms you down. You shouldn't stay and do nothing over being stressed." the young man proposed, his voice keeping as calm as before yet the genuine warmth in it grew stronger. He could never let any of his dear friends stay sad longer than necessary.

“You just received a thoughtful gift from a close friend. What is it and how do you react?”

His flashing eyes darted towards the small object with intense excitement. His jaw dropped as he came to gently grip it and ultimately open it. The genuine smile on Tetsutetsu's face enlarged as soon as he accurately observed what was inside the carefully sealed box. It was a fuzzy cat statue, so small that he could clench his fist and no one would be able to tell he's holding something as adorable as that.

Gosh how much he loves cats. He always found it difficult to explain his whole feelings over cats, but he'd always end up summing them to "I fucking love them."Of course, his friends would regularly get to experience this sentimental side of him. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it, not entirely at least, but he always preferred displaying this part of himself around the people he mostly feels comfortable with.

His chin trembled slightly, almost not noticeably. "Did you really think of me when ya saw this cute little guy? For real?" His luminous eyes shined with extreme content, it kind of made him emotional. He shortly bobbed his head and spread his arms. " Come here, right now, thank you so fucking much I will protect you with all I can oh and you better expect little gifts too from now on. " he gestured for them to come into his arms and claim their well-deserved hug.

#application #accepted #mha tetsutetsu #tetsutetsu #tetsutetsu tetsutetsu #mha rp #mha rp tetsutetsu #tetsutetsu rp #anime rp #group rp #discord rp

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liliesoftherain · 4 years

Note

That Obsessed fic was so cute! Could I ask for 20 from the list with Izuku? owo

A/N: Okay so this was so CUTE, and I turned it into something not cute- Don’t be mad, the fluff is coming. But I decided to split this into two parts because it turned out longer than I thought. So fear not, I should get the second part out soon, I need to touch it up but have this for now(: I’m going on a short vacation and I don’t know if I’ll be able to post but I for sure as heck will try! Thank you again for asking this, I hope once you read the whole thing it was something you wanted

Title: Bittersweet Findings, in that Order.

Pairing: Izuku Midoriya x Reader

20. “Wait a minute… Are you jealous?”

Izuku Midoriya!: Part 1

Izuku wasn’t sure why he stayed, why he was here at all in the first place. He was studying for an upcoming test in the common room when Denki appeared out of nowhere, not giving him time to think as he was dragged by the blonde to the fourth floor. He was confused, trying to figure out just what was going on when a groan of annoyance stopped his questioning.

“Why the hell did you drag Deku here, are you stupid?” Bakugou seethed as soon as he laid eyes on the boy in question.

“Well, we all know he likes (l/n)-”

“W-what!?” Izuku blushed, cutting off Denki who just winked.

“Well it’s true, you make it pretty obvious.”

Ignoring the stuttering and red face, Sero threw his arm around Izuku’s shoulder.

“You better appreciate the opportunity.”

“No one but you two dumbasses appreciate this!” Katsuki rolled his eyes.

“You’re coming with us though?” Denki pointed out, a cheeky smirk on his face.

“To watch raccoon eyes kick your asses when she figures out what the hell you’re doing.”

“What are we doing?” Izuku questioned, his nerves building as all eyes were on him.

“Oh poor innocent Midoriya.” Hanta snickered, bringing Izuku down with the arm that was still around him to give his head a noogie.

“We are going to do what men were made to do.” Kaminari finished, laughing as Sero finally the flustered kid go.

“Men don’t spy on girls like this..” Kirishima crossed his arms with a pointed stare.

“We aren’t ‘spying’ no dude, we’re just trying to, yanno, get to know them better! Girls like to share secretes during this kind of thing you know?”

Izuku was still confused, but he knew that whatever spying plan they had was no good as he was now being pulled towards the girls side of the floor. He watched as Kirishima sighed and how Bakugou grunted in pure agitation, yet followed nonetheless.

They made it right outside Ashido’s door, and while he’s been on the side before years before when they showcased their rooms, it made him anxious to know he wasn’t where he was supposed to be at this time of night. The laughter coming from behind the door was indication enough that there was more than just one girl, but besides Ashido and you, he had no clue who else could be in there.

Denki and Hanta were quick to crouch right by the door, being as quiet as they could be while they leaned in close to hear everything. Bakugou, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else, leaned against the wall to the right of the door. Kirishima was squatting down on the wall opposite from the door, looking uneasy but listening anyways. Izuku was unsure of what he should do, so he stood like Bakugou on the left side of the door. His hands were fidgeting as he leaned his shoulder along the wall instead of his back, ear close to the door.

You girls were none the wiser, laughing as Jiro made Kaminari’s idiot face perfectly.

“YOU DO IT SO WELL!” Mina cackled, arms crossed over her stomach from laughing so hard, almost falling off her bed in the process.

“I would think so, based on how much she likes him.” Momo teased from her spot on the floor, the beanbag she sat upon squeaked as she moved to poke Kyoka’s cheek as she did.

“Ugh don’t remind me of.” She swatted Momo’s hand away, folding her arms over her chest with a blush.

“C’mon you guys would be super cute together, I think it’s adorable.” You smiled, swinging your legs in the air as you laid on your stomach next to Mina.

“Adorable, is that what you wanna call it? He’s an idiot, but I guess I am too for liking him.”

“You guys can be idiots together! You guys compliment each other so well.” Mina pointed out.

“I agree, you guys never have a dull moment together, and I think that can be one important aspect in a relationship. Even in comfortable silence, you are not bored.”

“OH! You know what Momo, that makes me think; what are must-haves in a significant other huh? Like, ideal types?”

“Ideal types?”

“Yeah like Kyoka’s ideal type would be considered a dumb blonde.” You teased, looking at said girl as she just pointed at you with finger guns.

“What can I say? Shockingly dumb blonde’s are hot, sorry.”

“If we are sharing types, or ideals in the sense, I suppose I can confess that I find-”

“Todoroki hot, we know!” You laughed while cutting Momo off, her face burning at the mention.

“ ‘Todoroki-kun, your form was excellent during practice today, your body-stance-looked great.’ “ Jiro spoke in a high pitched voice, badly imitating your friends voice.

“ ‘Todoroki-kun! I was hoping we could study together, you’re so handsome-I mean, smart.’ “ You followed suit, a sassy look on your face.

“ ‘TODOROKI-KUN YOU LOOK LIKE A SNACK-”

“Mina!” Momo threw a pillow, hitting her square in the face.

“We’re teasing, we’re sorry if we embarrassed you.” You apologized, but the amused smile on your face was anything but sorry.

She huffed at the laughter that rang out through the room, but smiled shyly nonetheless.

“I was actually going to say tattoos..”

“Woah you’re a tat girl?” Ashido’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Yes I know, it’s weird isn’t it? But they’re so, so captivating! The detail, the aggressiveness of it, it’s so dangerous.”

“Mm into bad boys huh? Todoroki doesn’t really fit that category.”

“He may be soft overall but he has his moments Mina, think about it,” Jiro said thoughtfully, “he may not be picking fights and having screaming matches like another bad boy we know, but he has the underlying traits.”

“Such as?”

“He’s passionate, and mysterious.”

“Exactly! He’s unpredictable,” You added, “he’s got that ‘I don’t care’ attitude, and that screams rebel bad boy.”

“Are we talking about the same guy here? The sweetie who literally apologized to a plant the other day because he walked into it? That Todoroki? Him, a bad boy?” Mina snorted in amusement.

“Yes.” You three replied in sync.

“If you can’t have a good bad-boy what’s the point? Some qualities in a bad boy are alright I suppose, but if it was just 100% rotten attitude than why bother?” You questioned.

“Oh?”

“What qualities do you find attractive then (y/n)?”

“I mean, I guess one of the bigger ones is someone who is assertive.”

“Assertive?” Jiro hummed, sitting up from her position on the ground to look at you.

“Yeah, I think it’s really appealing when someone knows what they want and won’t let anything get in their way. Someone who has a goal and doesn’t back down no matter what. Strong and willing to overcome anything, do whatever it takes.” You bite your lip, thinking of your freckled crush. He knows what kind of hero he wanted to be, and despite everything, he persevered.

“A man who takes what he pleases.”

“Dominate.”

“Exactly.” You sighed in longing, while Izuku may have not been the most dominant person you have ever met, you have seen the way he has grown since your first year into someone amazing. He was determined to reach his goal, and dominate in the sense of battle. When people needed to be helped he stepped up to the plate.

“Like Bakugou-kun?”

“Exac-wait, what?”

You were pulled from your thoughts at the mention of your friend, staring at Momo in shock as she suggested it.

“Yea I gotta agree, that does sound a whole lot like Bakugou, he’s always talking about how he’s going to be the best.” Kyoka chimed in.

“Yea but, Bakugou doesn’t really have that good boy aura, just the bad.”

“That’s not true, he won’t admit it but he’s a giant softy! Isn’t that right (y/n), you know first hand.” Mina remarked.

“I do?”

“Uh duh, him and I are good friends sure, but you two are closer than that.”

“I mean-”

You were cut off by the girls throwing their observations into the air, ignoring your stutters and blushing cheeks at the thought.

“She grins every time she gets to be his partner during training, it’s cute to see her so excited.”

“Yes indeed, she is always complimenting his skills.”

“Bakugou practically never yells at her, he seems really mellow,”

“She’s always rooting for him too!”

“Mina you do the same thing! He literally treats me just like you.” You whined, having enough.

You didn’t like Bakugou, you guys were just friends. Somehow able to form a bond back in your first year, and that’s how it’s been ever since. Sure, you two were close, but it was honestly nothing more than a brother/sister relationship. You found him attractive yea, and he did have his sweeter moments, but overall you didn’t feel anything romantic towards him.

“He’s softer for you girl. Awh look, she’s blushing!” Mina squealed as she pointed out your cheeks, which in turn grew darker, “You like Bakugou don’t you?”

The room went silent waiting for your answer. Your words came out jumbled, tongue feeling tied at the stares and devious grins.

“J-just because Bakugou is confident doesn’t mean I like him for it!”

“So you’re saying you like him for other things?”

“Minaaaaa.” You groaned, hiding your face in your hands.

Laughs filled the room until they died out, your embarrassment coming off in waves.

“Okay okay look.. I’ll tell you, I like-”

A hand quickly went over your mouth and you let out a startled gasp, which was muffled by the palm.

Kyoka put a finger to hips lips, signaling at you to be quiet, her extended lobe pointing to the door. Everyone quickly understood what she was saying, and strained to hear anything. Mina, deciding to take matters into her own hands, grinned evil while slapping the mattress for a sound effect, then cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at the door.

“Kya, (y/n)-chan if you liked me all you had to do was say it, not attack me so lewdly! We aren’t wearing clothes, your bare skin is making me blush!~”

Your mouth dropped open, what the hell was she doing? All you did was sit up from your original position, and you didn’t do anything! Plus, everyone here was fully clothed, what was she doing giving whoever was out there some twisted idea?

A thump and some hushed whispers were heard on the outside and Jiro quickly went to the door and flung it open, a glare on her face as two idiots crashed into the room.

Denki and Hanta froze as they looked up and saw nothing of what they thought was going on, you and Mina were both sitting on the bed, fully clothed and not touching.

“What the hell do you idiots think you’re doing? I expected this from these two, but you guys too?”

You looked up to try to see who else was there.

Kirishima looked guilty, immediately apologizing before bending down to pick up the two who had still been on the floor the entire time.You looked to Kirishima’s right and you felt your breath catch in your throat as green stared straight back at you.

Izuku couldn’t help the hurt that crept up into his heart, squeezing it painfully as if trying to make it burst. It really did feel like his heart was broken, your eyes stared straight into his soul and chilled him to the very core. He felt too vulnerable under your gaze, yet he couldn’t pull away from it. He couldn’t pull away and now he was sure you knew how he felt, how terrible it was to hear the girls gush about your crush.

He was fine when him and the other guys first started to listen in, nervous and a bit bored by hearing talk of Todoroki, but fine. He had stayed and listened to more, and that was his downfall, he just had to stay didn’t he. How he wished he could have just left before it got worse, before you started describing someone who wasn’t him in the slightest. You were too good for him anyways, who was he to think he had a chance with someone like you? His lungs ached, reminding him that he needed to breathe. But he couldn’t, his mind wasn’t working, blank on everything except for you and him-

Your eyes moved away from his all on your own, and he saw how your body tensed as your saw him. Izuku ripped his eyes away from your form to look at Katsuki as well, and saw that he too was staring straight at you. If his heart wasn’t broken before, it was shattered now at the sight of your intense gazes on one another.

The staring was interrupted by the slam of the door, the lock following. That was all it took for Izuku’s body to jump start, muscles contracting as if he were thrown into an icy river.

His quick intake of breath must have been louder than he thought, since it drew the attention of the boys as he backed up to leave. The looks of pity thrown his way were becoming too much, knowing everyone here knew why he was this upset, and couldn’t help but look at the one person he didn’t want to see.

The look in Katsuki’s eyes caught him by surprise, he was so used to being on the receiving end of heated glares. Izuku couldn’t remember a time where he had looked at him with anything but, and now here he was, doing just that. Was it a look of pity as well? No, there’s no way Katsuki Bakugou would at him in pity, he didn’t care enough to do so. Was it regret? Ha, that wasn’t right either, there was a higher chance of Bakugou begging than him being regretful.

Izuku couldn’t place what emotion was in the blonde’s eyes, but didn’t want to stay to decipher it. It was different and he didn’t like it, it just wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way Katsuki was supposed to look at him-just quit looking at him dammit!

Izuku turned and walked off, hurrying back to the common room to collect his forgotten items before rushing to his room. He made it without any more problems, but as soon as the door closed that’s where they started. A mix of sensations passed through his body all at once. The feeling of adrenaline kicking in causing his breathing to quicken, yet it was also as if molasses filled the room, causing his limbs to drag as he walked towards his bed. He fell onto it without another thought, the few moments outside Ashido’s door weighing down on him heavier than he thought was possible. His mind was now racing with images, the opposite of earlier, as every moment he shared with you flashed through his head. Every hangout, every spar, every smile, every look, every touch-

You just seemed so interested, or he had thought you were. Was it real, or did he really make everything up? Izuku truly questioned if he had made it all up in his head, if his hopes were forcing him to see what he wanted and not the truth. He hated to think about it, but you and Katsuki were really close, you were always with him and his friend group. More so than with Izuku and his own friends. Could he blame you? Of course not, you both had amazing quirks. You were both strong and fearless, complementing each other very well. You would be a power couple no doubt, too perfect..

It was just as you said, you wanted someone assertive. Someone who was strong and confident, and Izuku knew he was none of those things. He knew he was weak, timid, uncertain.

Everything you didn’t want. What you wanted wasn’t him, you wanted Katsuki.

Izuku didn’t even realize he was crying until a shuddering breath entered through his lips, a small whimper taking its place as he tried to exhale. His body was jerking in quieted sobs, tears trailing down his face as he looked up at the ceiling. The cries were getting louder in his ears, and he tried to muffle the noise as best as he could by placing the back of his hand over his mouth, biting on the scarred flesh.

He was pathetic.

He was certain you didn’t want someone like him.

This crybaby.

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saint-jimmys · 3 years

Text

Stolen Glances

Day 8 of @14daysdalovers

Word Count: 1,300

Pairing: F!Cousland x Nathaniel

Summary: After a lengthy ceremony at Vigil's Keep, Minerva and Nathaniel reveal their true feelings.

Notes: Omg I have fallen so behind on these D: I’ve had a lot to do recently so I’m trying my best! I have Day 5 almost done, BUT I was super eager to write this one so it’s out first lol

Available on AO3!

Tonight, Minerva would officially become the Arlessa of Amaranthine. Befitting tradition, there would be an official ceremony beginning with her vassals’ oath pledging, followed by a formal dinner and social gathering. With everything that had come up in the past month since she’d arrived, however, Minerva postponed this for as long as she could. Amaranthine had far more pressing matters to attend to with the darkspawn and the people of the arling that she felt that one night of ceremony could wait. Though as recent events had temporarily settled down, she knew that this had to happen soon, lest she never hear the end of it from her personal advisors.

Minerva now stood at the closed doors leading to the main hall, eyes closed as she took on an almost meditative state to attempt to ease her nerves. She reminded herself that this was a much smaller affair than the Landsmeet of months before. If she could handle the eyes of all of Ferelden’s most important nobility on her, she knew she could handle this.

When Minerva felt ready, she opened her eyes and had the guards open the doors.

“...Warden Commander of Ferelden, and now Arlessa of Amaranthine, Minerva Cousland!”

The tail end of the announcement came from Varel, the seneschal, as she entered the main hall. All of the nobles from her domain were already there and had their attention on her as she walked past them.

Minerva was not dressed in her standard warden uniform, as she had to during most occasions in recent days. Instead, she wore a formal olive green dress with a golden trim, fitted at the body and loose in its long skirt. The sleeves were also fitted about three-fourths of the way down before billowing out at the ends. Her brown hair was half-pinned up with the rest falling in waving locks that ran past her shoulders. Minerva intended to make a statement in this way. The color of her dress meant to pay homage to her family’s heraldry, as it closely resembled the shade of the crest’s laurel wreath, and the formality of it meant to show that she took her noble role seriously, just as she did her warden duties. Judging by the expressions she caught, she felt she had succeeded.

Of everyone in the room, however, her dark eyes settled on one person’s briefly. Nathaniel stood away from sight of most of the nobility, but he stood out to her. Perhaps because deep down, Minerva sought him. His expression was stern and he met her gaze head on. She was pleasantly surprised for she hadn’t expected him to come. Was this a silent show of his support? It might just be wishful thinking. Although they had steadily reconciled in the past month and perhaps even reignited feelings long thought gone, there was still an uncertainty to their interactions. Nothing was spoken of this yet or had been set in stone, leaving room for doubt.

Regardless, these small moments which indicated some mutual flicker of something made her stomach flutter. This lasted for a few seconds before she cleared her mind and prepared for the evening ahead.

***

The oaths of fealty went by smoothly, and the dinner and celebration afterwards went on just as well. She made it her goal to listen to most of her vassals’ grievances, knowing it was only a matter of time before she had to address them in some way or form. Yet despite her best attempts to focus, she often found herself distracted by the one gaze she felt on her throughout the night. And whenever she could, Minerva would steal glances in his direction as well.

What could he be thinking, she wondered, as she returned to her conversation with Lord Eddelbrek. Minerva smiled and nodded as she listened to him express his surprise at her having remembered him from her youth. It went on this way as she chatted with various others until the end of their gathering. All the nobility had either left of their own accord or were politely called away by Varel, leaving her and the seneschal to speak.

“Tonight was a great success,” Varel said, smiling, “I must admit, however, that there are some characters we must pay special attention to...namely Bann Esmerelle, but I am certain that can come with time.”

“I’ll keep tabs on her,” she replied, giving him a pleasant smile, “Thank you, Varel. You’ve been a great help this evening.”

“It is my pleasure.” He glanced over at the one person who had not yet left, gave him a nod and then another nod of departure to Minerva. “Commander.”

Varel strode off, leaving her alone with Nathaniel. When the doors to the main hall closed shut behind Varel, Nathaniel turned to her.

“I’ve never seen half of those people as happy as you’ve made them tonight. You’ve left them positively radiant,” he commented, taking a few steps towards her.

“Is that a bad thing?” she questioned curiously as she took a few steps of her own.

“No,” he said, confidently, “In my opinion, this is a good start to getting Amaranthine to where it needs to be. People need to feel enthusiasm again. They need to feel like they’re heard. And I’m not ignorant, even I can see that this place has fallen decrepit in the time I’ve been gone.”

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, that is certain. I just hope I am up to the task.”

Nathaniel scoffed, “Hah. You’re the Hero of Ferelden, I’m certain that you are.”

“So they say,” she said, a small smile on her lips. “I have to admit, I am surprised you came.”

“I found myself...interested in what our new Arlessa had to say.”

“And what did you think?”

He remained quiet for some time as if mulling over his response. Finally he said, “I thought that you are all the things my father was not. And that the role of Arlessa suits you.”

His tone was genuine. Any and all bitterness that had prevailed in him from the start had ebbed away with time and perhaps had culminated to this moment. Her eyes widened momentarily in surprise, but before she could recompose herself, Nathaniel further closed the space between them. He reached for her hand, thoughtfully.

“There was a time when I thought you would’ve made the ideal Arlessa. Do you remember? It seems like it happened almost a lifetime ago, yet the Maker still brought you back here. I look at you now and…” he trailed off and frowned slightly. Almost hesitatingly, he pulled his hand away. “You’ve done well.”

Abruptly, Nathaniel began to walk away from her, but she wasn’t about to let him go. Not this time. Before he could get anywhere, Minerva stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

“Nathaniel, wait.”

He turned back to look at her with a pained expression.

“What is this? Between us?” she asked, getting close to him again. “I want to know. I need to know.”

Minerva had a sense of what might be, but she did not want to fall for a delusion. If there was nothing to be had between them, she’d rather hear it now than later.

Nathaniel looked into her eyes for some time before breathing out a sigh. “...I never stopped loving you, Minerva.”

She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until he spoke; her heart pounding in her chest as the implication of what he’d just said dawned on her. Minerva attempted to speak herself, but was hushed when Nathaniel pressed his lips against hers in a kiss.

In truth, there was really nothing she could say. Her own “I love you” was woven into the way she eagerly returned his kiss and embrace.

#dragon age #female cousland #nathaniel howe #dragon age awakening #14dalovers #fcousland x nathaniel

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mist-chance · 4 years

Text

Dabi Theory, Pre-Chapter 264

Ok, here’s my unlikely Dabi theory: everything that Dabi has done so far, from recruiting Hawks up until now, has been him planning and manipulating people and events for a showdown with Endeavor.

Yes, I’m aware this is a stretch. I’m probably reading too much into everything, because Dabi is my favorite BnHA character. I tend to read BnHA in a way that favors Dabi’s motivations and, most likely, makes him seem more competent and intelligent than Horikoshi intends for him to be, as one tends to do with a favorite character. But this kind of speculation is what’s fun about being part of a fandom and having a favorite character, or favorite characters. :)

Since his first appearance, Dabi hasn’t appeared to be completely dedicated to the LOV. He told Shigaraki his desire for joining the League was to “uphold Stain’s ideals.” Stain’s creed was to tear down the false Heroes in order to pave the way for a revamp in Heroics (how Heroes serve society). The League under AFO’s leadership was also geared towards reforming Hero society, but by destroying Heroics altogether; Shigaraki’s goal seems to be destroying All Might, because for him, All Might is the symbol of Heroism (and Shigaraki also just seems to have a vendetta against him).

Dabi never shared how he planned to go about upholding Stain’s ideals, but his behavior when confronting Endeavor in the aftermath of the High-End fight (calling Endeavor by name and telling him to try not to die) suggests that Endeavor will be involved. Regardless of whether or not Dabi is Todoroki Touya, it’s undeniable that he holds a personal grudge, a vendetta even, against Endeavor. It could be because Endeavor’s an abusive asshole of a father/husband (from the Dabi-is-Touya POV); or it could be because Endeavor, a self-entitled asshole with a powerful, controllable fire Quirk was made the Number 2-and-promoted-to-Number 1 Hero, while Dabi, whose powerful fire Quirk is unsuited for his body and eats away at him, is considered trash, and it’s fucked up that the society would let that happen (from the Dabi-is-NOT-Touya POV). It’s likely the only part of Stain’s creed that Dabi is interested in, is the “tearing down fake Heroes” bit, with his main target being Endeavor.

So, how would Dabi get access to Endeavor? By targeting the Hero closest to him.

Now, Dabi could target the Todoroki family to get to Endeavor. But if he’s actually Touya, he would be reluctant to make (hopefully against making) the rest of his family targets; if Dabi isn’t Touya and is truly following Stain’s creed, he wouldn’t want to involve “innocents” in his vendetta. So the next best target would be someone who works close to Endeavor.

Dabi probably got on the Hero Commission’s radar when he was “recruiting” for the League, and burning low-level criminals to death in back alleys. Dabi walked around without a disguise and flashed his Quirk without hesitation, presumably for that entire block of time. There’s no way he was trying not to attract attention. He might’ve been wandering around under the guise of recruiting, but it’s more likely Dabi was trying to get a reaction from the Heroes, either against himself as an individual threat, or against the LOV. The HC’s response was to send their best operative - Hawks - into play, to infiltrate the League.

Bam. Heroes hooked and paying attention.

Of course, Dabi couldn’t have known that Hawks would end up close to Endeavor. Prior to the High-End fight, Dabi was just testing Hawks to gauge how sympathetic he is to the LOV. But then Hawks brought Endeavor along to fight High-End. Endeavor, the Hero notorious for being a giant, flaming asshole who reluctantly, at best, works with other high ranking Heroes. (Hawks himself didn’t find out how much Endeavor’s perspective about teamwork had changed, until after High-End.)

And even better? It took both Endeavor and Hawks, the two highest ranking Heroes, to defeat High-End. An accomplishment they barely managed to do.

The High-End fight revealed two things. First, that Endeavor listens, however grudgingly, to Hawks. And second, that Endeavor can, and will need to, rely on Hawks to take down extremely powerful opponents. Dabi wasn’t prepared to confront Endeavor after High-End fight (especially since Miruko showed up), but he learned a lot from it, and his talk with Hawks.

But with the League as it was prior to the merge into the PLF, Dabi couldn’t manipulate things for a real showdown with Endeavor. The LOV had to focus on survival without AFO’s resources and influence. Since Dabi isn’t enough of a threat on his own and he knows it - as in, if he’s seen in public, the first response wouldn’t be to call in the Number 1 Hero to “deal” with him - he has to stay associated with the League. He wouldn’t be able to stay in contact with Hawks either, because the only reason Hawks stays in contact with him is for an in with the League. Dabi suspects Hawks is a spy, and a spy will only jump through the ridiculous hoops you put up for him if he thinks you’ll get him to where he wants to be. As long as Dabi is part of the League, he at least has Hawks’ attention.

Then the PLF is created, and Dabi has all the resources he needs to manipulate Hawks, and by default, the Heroes. He knows he’s on a time limit, because Shigaraki is undergoing some kind of power-up with Ujiko; and once Shigaraki is ready, he’ll go after All Might. And All Might is still important enough to get protection from other high ranking Heroes. It wouldn’t be surprising for All Might to get one or several high ranking Heroes as bodyguards, when he gets targeted by Shigaraki. And even if Endeavor doesn’t guard All Might (though it would be entertaining to see), his attention would be on Shigaraki, the “greater threat.”

So Dabi brings Hawks to the PLF base. Then he makes Hawks feel nervous, makes him feel pressured enough to call in the other Heroes, by sending Twice his way. Twice, who is a reminder of how dangerous the LOV, now the PLF, is.

Of course, it’s not explicitly stated that Dabi does this, which is one reason this theory is a stretch. (It’s probably a place where I’m speculating too much, but bear with me.)

In Chapter 258, Twice needs help understanding Destro’s/the PLF’s propaganda, so he can better lead his group. He “happens” upon Hawks and asks for his help, because as he explains it, Dabi (and Compress, I think) didn’t care about stuff like that. Since Hawks helps him out and seems sincere about his dedication to the PLF, Twice thinks Hawks is a good guy, and gives him a breakdown of the PLF’s operations and chain of command. Twice freely gives Hawks all of the information he needs to make the decision that Shigaraki and the PLF have nearly amassed too much power and influence; that Shigaraki and the PLF need to be stopped now, or the Heroes will miss their chance to stop them before they really wreak havoc on society. As a result, Hawks finally calls in backup, and the Heroes gather for a full frontal assault on the PLF and Ujiko.

It’s a fifty-fifty chance that Twice really did just see Hawks and asked for his help, or if someone else (Dabi) told him to do so. Twice is an unpredictable character; he did, after all, try to recruit Overhaul. Though Twice has a powerful Quirk, he’s rather weak-willed and easily influenced by other people (I’m not trying to bash Twice; that’s just how he comes across to me). With everything the League has gone through so far, he might’ve been reluctant to seek help outside the former League members without being told to do so; he also might’ve just wanted to meet the guy his pal Dabi recruited, and asked for help.

Either way would work in Dabi’s favor, but in any case, this initial encounter appears staged. It’s more likely that Twice was told to speak with Hawks. At first I thought it might be another one of Dabi’s tests for Hawks, to see if he was truly turning against the Heroes; that Twice is acting as the bait to trigger Hawks into blowing his cover. And maybe that is all this is, but let’s continue with the theory that this is all leading to a Dabi vs. Endeavor showdown.

Dabi seems to be acting in his own self interest, because if he was really dedicated to the LOV, now part of the PLF, he would’ve warned the PLF’s main intel guy, Mr. Skeptic, about Twice’s bad habit of trusting people and sharing sensitive info with them. But in Chapter 263, Skeptic and everyone in the base is surprised by the attack. Dabi is the only person who doesn’t seem surprised. It seems more like he expected this attack to happen.

Dabi’s been waiting for Hawks to blow his cover, so it’s not surprising he’d hunt down Hawks while the Heroes are attacking the PLF base. Whether or not Dabi sent Twice to Hawks, he knows that Hawks’ main priority will be to neutralize Twice and prevent Twice from using his Quirk.

Dabi knows when he finds Twice, he’ll find Hawks. Once Dabi finds Hawks, he’ll either fight him to the point where Hawks feels the need to call in back up, or he’ll manage to beat Hawks in a fight (ending with Hawks either heavily wounded, or Dabi holding him hostage) and have Endeavor target him instead.

I’m not sure how Twice would react during the Hawks vs. Dabi showdown. Hawks wouldn’t be able to fight Dabi and keep his feathers on Twice at the same time; Dabi’s Quirk is too destructive for Hawks to have his feathers divided between two targets. So Hawks might try to turn Twice to the Hero-side, but given Twice’s loyalty to Toga and the other League members, I find this option unlikely. Besides, I think the sense of betrayal would be too fresh on Twice’s mind for him to let Hawks “turn” him. Hawks might try to knock out Twice, so he’ll be able to focus only on Dabi. But Twice is also rather good at slipping out of tight spots; it wouldn’t be surprising if he managed to slip free of Hawks’ feathers, and teamed up with Dabi.

This is all just speculation, but it would be interesting and cool if Dabi really turns out to be this cold-blooded and manipulative. I can’t wait to see where the next chapter goes. :)

#BnHA #MHA #Dabi #Dabi Theory #Chapter 263 #Pre-Chapter 264 #Speculations #Predictions #Pre-Chapter 264 Speculations #Endeavor #Hawks #Twice #this theory is kind of out there #not sure if it's in the realm of BnHA canon #or even in the same universe #but let me dream ok?

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bbq-hawks-wings · 5 years

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So I took a personality test to day and got the result of an Architect (INTJ) and for some reason Hawks just came to mind so I wondered, based on the Myers-Briggs classification what personality would he have? Also just out of curiosity, and you don't have to answer, but what would yours be? (I took the quiz on the website 16personalities)

Fantastic question, anon! Last I took the test a few years ago I was an INFP (The Mediator) myself which I think still largely applies. It can be easy to mistype yourself, let alone someone else, so I’m going to use evidence from the manga as much as possible and go through the individual traits one by one to see what I can find. I considered taking the test myself in character, but realized especially with how long the test is it could be easy to either overthink it or hyper-fixate on consciously or unconsciously preconceived traits, so I decided an evidence-based approach would be more accurate.

An important thing to know about Meyers-Briggs personality types is that they’re not all-encompassing, exclusive, or immutable. Some people have a tendency to make ill-informed preconceptions about people or treat it like a horoscope. This is the wrong way to apply a Meyers-Briggs personality type. They are insights to the instinctual way people are likely to act and perform and are only a tool to aid in things like working in a team, putting them on a path to personal success, and exercising emotional intelligence when interacting with them. Many people may still display a different “type” in different settings so I’ll be as cognizant of that as possible as I go through.

So with that, let’s get started!

Extroverted [E] or Introverted [I]?

This is a fantastic example of how preconceived notions can completely mess up a characterization of someone as well as someone displaying a different type from what they might naturally display. Hawks is great with people, can work a crowd, and is a people-pleaser through and through. To many others, he would be a dead ringer for an extroverted. However:

In his own ideal world, Hawks has time to himself, to spend alone at home, doing whatever he wants freely. If he was an extrovert this dream might be a little more geared towards still being a top hero, but he’s said in so many words he wishes he was a little further down the ladder.

At this point I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up that a false dichotomy of introvert/extrovert has developed over the years. Humans require interaction with other humans to stay healthy and they also require alone time. Too much or too little of either will give them problems over time. It’s a tad frustrating to me that this personality test requires an either/or answer since I thoroughly believe that Hawks enjoys human company and would naturally seek it out in his ideal scenario, just in greater moderation than he does now (which would make him more of an ambivert); but given the fact that at this point in time he seeks more opportunities for solitude, I’m going to answer that he lands, somewhat surprisingly in the Introverted category.

Observant [S] or Intuitive [N]?

This one is also tricky at first, but a deeper dive into their definitions gives us a pretty solid answer, I think. According to the website:

“These traits describe what people are more likely to do with the information gathered from the world around them. Intuitive personality types rely on imagining the past and future potential of what they see. Those with the Observant style are more interested in observable facts and more straightforward outcomes. They prefer to avoid layering too much interpretation on what they see.“

So does Hawks take a complicated, theoretical approach to information he’s exposed to, or does he call it like he sees it? Does he act in the here and now, or is he more bigger picture?

While he’s actively working toward a definitive goal, he has a tendency to only focus on the information in front of him as it happens. Dabi’s going to release a super powered Nomu? Better get the best hero around to fight it. Need to infiltrate the League of Villains? Just hammer away at getting Dabi to trust him and open the door for him.

He tends to look at the road in front of him to figure out if he should go left or right, but doesn’t always seem to realize he could be being taken for a ride. In his section of the new character book, his relationship with Dabi is described as “they are using each other” (note the present continuous tense) meaning that Dabi is stringing along the number two hero for his own purposes, but Hawks seems to have no idea of it. Just his altercation with Dabi at the warehouse after High End is proof he’s too trusting of the information he’s given at face value.

He may have contingencies (such as holding onto the one feather), but they do not span very far and wide into the future depending on any way things go. It’s always, “If plan A doesn’t work, go to plan B” and never a step or two ahead of that or a consideration of other possible outcomes. Did he have a plan in case High End actually killed Endeavor? Based on his reaction, I don’t think he really thought that was a possibility even though in the end it almost happened and left him with a permanent scar.

This, to me, puts him safely in the Observant category.

Thinking [T] or Feeling [F]?

Hey, this one is actually easy! Hawks is incredibly intelligent, but he is far from rational. A good litmus test for this is to see how someone reacts to failure. A thinking individual will view an undesirable outcome as useful data for the future and possibly just a result of things beyond their control, but a feeling person will view the same as proof of inadequacy that needs to be remedied through personal improvement.

He consistently reacts to situations emotionally first. Even when Tokoyami really proved himself during his internship, it was an emotional response that changed his attitude towards training him and the next generation.

Even Endeavor describes him as,

Hawks has always been emotionally expressive, responsive, and driven. In his interactions with others, he displays a huge amount of emotional intelligence - you can see it in the way he ever so slightly adjusts his interactions with others based on the response to him and the outcome he’s looking for. He pauses for just a second to get a cool selfie perfect for a girl’s social media timeline, he’s polite and considerate carrying a little old lady’s bags up the stairs for her, and he appeals to a little boy’s sense of style and flair when asked to sign his bag. The way he and others feel at any given moment is almost paramount to him.

This is a trait I don’t see changing in his character over time unlike some of the others. He’s clearly a Feeling type.

Judging [J] or Prospective [P]?

This one I also think is easy to figure out. Basically, does he prefer a set, methodical schedule or is he a more spontaneous, spur of the moment person?

Yeah, this is Hawks we’re talking about. He’s shockingly adaptable and almost seems to fall into routine for the sake of others instead of his own sanity. Most of his decisions are made on the fly, and he’s known to improvise.

He’s more than capable of planning ahead, but prefers to operate as the wind blows which makes him a solid Prospective type.

Assertive [-A] or Turbulent [-T]?

For funsies, I just want to pop in and check in on this last trait since it’s here. Basically, all it asks is his confidence level and response to stress. I’ve more or less answered this earlier, but when encountering a situation potentially way over his head, he may outwardly display confidence and roll with the punches (his _S_P traits at work) but when it comes to results, especially failure, perfection and personal excellence are all that matter. I feel very confident classifying him as a Turbulent personality.

Final Results

So with that we get a final Meyers-Briggs personality type of ISFP-T which according to 16 Personalities is the Adventurer type personality.

“Adventurer personalities are true artists, but not necessarily in the typical sense where they’re out painting happy little trees. Often enough though, they are perfectly capable of this. Rather, it’s that they use aesthetics, design and even their choices and actions to push the limits of social convention. Adventurers enjoy upsetting traditional expectations with experiments in beauty and behavior – chances are, they’ve expressed more than once the phrase “Don’t box me in!” Adventurers live in a colorful, sensual world, inspired by connections with people and ideas. These personalities take joy in reinterpreting these connections, reinventing and experimenting with both themselves and new perspectives. No other type explores and experiments in this way more. This creates a sense of spontaneity, making Adventurers seem unpredictable, even to their close friends and loved ones. Despite all this, Adventurers are definitely Introverts, surprising their friends further when they step out of the spotlight to be by themselves to recharge. Just because they are alone though, doesn’t mean people with the Adventurer personality type sit idle – they take this time for introspection, assessing their principles. Rather than dwelling on the past or the future, Adventurers think about who they are. They return from their cloister, transformed.Adventurers live to find ways to push their passions. Riskier behaviors like gambling and extreme sports are more common with this personality type than with others. Fortunately their attunement to the moment and their environment allows them to do better than most. Adventurers also enjoy connecting with others, and have a certain irresistible charm.”

It feels like a pretty accurate assessment of his personality, so I think I did a good job. This was a lot of fun, and I feel like I’ve even gotten to know him a little better! Thanks for sending in the question, anon, I really enjoyed it!

And if you’re curious about Meyers-Briggs personality types or want to take the assessment yourself, go check out 16personalities[.]com!

#hawks #bnha hawks #mha hawks #hawks mha #hawks bnha #keigo takami #takami keigo #let's talk hawks #bnha analysis #mha analysis #she speaks

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arkus-rhapsode · 4 years

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What do you consider the IDEAL comic crossover for My Hero, DC or Marvel?

Oh boy, an excuse to talk about comics! Strap in this answer may surprise you.

Since superheroes in the traditional sense are more of a western creation and the comic industry is dominated by Marvel and DC, its only natural when a manga series all about superheroes that resemble that traditional western idea you’d think about them crossing over.

However, there’s a lot of distinct differences between MHA’s universe and the big 2 mainstream comic universes. These differences make it harder for me to see them actually being able to mesh.

Obvious ones being space aliens and magic exist. Heroes with just gadgets are more common. And very key to the marvel universe, you can be a mutant and discriminated against even though there’s a bunch of other heroes with freaky powers that just weren’t born with them and somehow they get a pass (That’s a discussion for another day).

But what I always go to as what makes MHA extremely different and not at all compatible with comics like Superman or Wonder Woman or Wolverine is very simple, weakness.

Quirks in MHA suffer a variety of weaknesses. A big point in the story is growing your skill to work around that weakness. Now that’s not to say heroes in Western Comics don’t have weaknesses. Superman can be stopped by Kryptonite, Green Lantern can be stopped by the color yellow, ans Martian Manhunter can be stopped by fire. All well and good, but most of those limits are super specific malefactors that aren’t products of limitation the way quirks are.

The pinnacle of MHA’s hero society at this moment is Endeavor, a guy who can make a bunch of flames, but use too many and he burns himself out. That’s their PEAK. Now hop over to Marvel and Human Torch can literally go on forever.

This is due to both industries taking a different approach to action. In MHA you can make chapters on just the fight. The back and forth and struggle. And a battle of skill is really engaging.

But in comics, fights aren’t really about the battles. Its more, strike a dynamic pose while caption boxes use that to tell a story. The action can look cool and have stakes, but its more a story than it is a battle of skill. Now there are times this isn’t always the case.

The Dan Jurgens’s Teen Titans and Kyle/Yost New X-Men both used an emphasis on skill in battle as a way to show these young heroes were up and coming and had to grow into protectors and fighters. And long comic books like Superman vs The Amazing Spider-man used it’s extra page space to infuse it with more intricate action. However, these are exceptions, and not the rule. This is likely due to Manga be produced in a week and comics being produced in a month yet having roughly the same amount of pages.

Another thing is role. MHA is one story told by one guy and will have its definitive end. When they beat a villain, that’s a big moment because its likely the end of that villain. But in western comics, they have no true end. You beat that villain, they can come back, maybe acting differently depending on the writer.

It’s due to their limitations, the characters of MHA just wouldn’t work in the worlds of Marvel or DC, they are too fragile. Too different. The characters of MHA would be upstaged in terms of feats. It’s such a difference in base function that it really removes the interest in seeing them crossover. Thus making it not IDEAL for me.

I actually think characters from the Justice League or Avengers would cross over better with heroes from One Punch Man. There, S-Class heroes are ridiculously strong. The roof on their power limit is almost unachievable to any of heroes in MHA and people like the fast as super tech of Child Emperor, Super Martial Artist Bang, Tornado of Terror Tatsumaki would actually integrate into the same weight class as God of Thunder Thor, Super Science Iron Man, and super regenerative Wolverine.

But this isn’t OPM, it’s about MHA, and after I gave that big dressing down of how they just wouldn’t really fit in the over powered worlds of Marvel/DC. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a universe I think MHA would fit in with.

The universe is Marvel’s New Universe.

For those who don’t know what the New Universe, the basic gist of it is this. In honor of Marvel’s 25th Anniversary, a distinctively separate universe from the main Marvel continuity, was launched with a unique mission statement and goal. This would be a superhero world grounded in realism.There would be no hidden races, gods, mythological beings, magic, or supertechnology (in fairness, this rule was broken by one Character called Justice, who was an exiled Alien Warrior, but 7 out of the 8 titles sticking to the rules isn’t too bad).

Superhuman characters and powers would be limited and thus more subdued in their activities, yet their actions would have more realistic consequences. Superhumans began to appear thanks to a phenomenon called the White Light Event, which gave 2 out of ever 1 million humans super powers. Those who gained powers were referenced to as Paranormals.

Now this project was certainly ambitious for Marvel, and as you can guess from how little relevance it has nowadays, it didn’t do so hot. Unfortunately, New Universe just couldn’t afford the A-list Talent it wanted and the line crashed and burned. Becoming more of a foot note in Marvel Comics history and sometimes explored or had elements taken from it by the mainstream marvel.

A shame as, New Universe would actually mesh with MHA, unlike mainstream marvel, super humans are just starting out, there is none of that baggage of “mutants bad, but people who got their powers from radiation good.” No, if you had powers, you were a target by a glowingly concerned public.

There is no magic or magic metal like vibranium that can be relied on by normal humans to gain powers.

As stated previously, it was almost all earth bound. Heroes in this world had to have powers all from the same place. This white light that made genetic anomalies that gave people powers.

And what about those powers? Well lets take a look at one the super hero “teams” of the New Universe DP7. A title all about a group of 7 paranormals.

Well their powers included members like:

Friction- acquired the power to make herself, anything she touched, and any other object she thought about within a limited range friction-free enough to make the object or person slide effortlessly. Over time, Beck learned to make her power object-specific or to increase friction to stick things together.

Scuzz- who produces a corrosive substance from his skin, which he himself is immune to. He can increase his skin's production of the chemical, to the point of burning through a steel plate in 10 seconds, but cannot stop it, turning anything he wears into a tattered ruin within days and affecting objects such as bedsheets and furniture that he comes into regular contact with. He learns to form his chemical-laden saliva with his skin secretion into "gobs" or "spitballs" that he can throw.

Twilight- whose body produces "fatigue-poison inducing bioluminescence" that can paralyze and render unconscious individuals that are exposed to it. Twilight's power requires her to remain covered over her entire body at all times

Blur- whose body vibrates so fast that he cannot stand still. He requires vast amounts of food for his accelerated metabolism and can move at superhuman speed.

As you can see, these superhumans are more in line in terms of power with how Horikoshi writes powers. And I think that means you’d be able to crossover without one of the heroes being upstaged.

However, why I think this is ideal is just the fact that the New Universe is a world at the cusp of super humans appearing. We know in MHA that when that happened with quirks, it didn’t go smoothly. So I think it be amazing to see the characters of MHA who’s society reflects a possible conclusion for the society of the new universe.

Look, I know there’s tons of fanfiction and fan works that pair MHA with Marvel or DC and there’s nothing wrong with that. That is your creativity, and you are free to explore it in anyway you want. Never has this post been my intent to tell you that you can’t have an MHA/DC crossover or what have you. This is simply what I’d consider the most ideal crossover.

And I think that with these factors of realistic world, powers with limitations, and the blossoming of a super human society. That’s why I’d say the New Universe is the best one MHA could have a western comic crossover with.

#my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia #bnha #manga #comics #marvel #marvel comics #dc #new universe

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whoreforfanfiction · 5 years

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Favorite Disney Movie (MM Preferences)

my favorite Disney movie would have to be the Aristocats. honestly so adorable and i loved the soundtrack.

Yoosung

- HERCULES

- nothing has ever come to mind faster

- it has heroes and powers and monsters just like LOLOL

- plus, he sees himself in the story

- he and Hercules both are hard-working but start off from less than ideal circumstances

- Hercules was weak

- and Yoosung was just a poor college student not knowing what to do with his life

- and then they both blossomed into wonderful young men

- Hercules saved lives and Yoosung saved pets

- always tears up slightly when “Go The Distance” plays

- just really hits home for him

- sees Hercules’ struggles as his struggles with losing the Rika he knew

Zen

- Beauty and the Beast

- he’s a sucker for love stories first of all

- also, it arguably has one of the BEST soundtracks ever

- he’ll sing the tale as old as time song when you two dance in the living room

- you buy him a Miss Potts and Chip cup set one year for his birthday

- THIS MOTHER FUCKER CRIESSSS

- it’s always a staple for movie night

- he loves the story, the music, the visuals, and literally everything about it

Jaehee

- Princess and the Frog

- (CAN THEY PLZ MAKE A LIVE ACTION OF THIS)

- like Yoosung, she likes it because she sees herself in Tiana

- both working really hard towards goals

- she likes it mainly because she loves Tiana’s characterization

- plus, she’s always wanted to go to New Orleans because she likes the vibe it gives off

- this chica never really gets into music unless it’s Zen’s musicals

- but she can’t help but BOP to this soundtrack

- she loves the jazz instruments used

- you both lowkey have huge crushes on Tiana

Jumin

- can my computer stop correcting jumin to jasmine plz

- wasn’t ever really into movies

- to finally educate him on the beauty of the movies, you two had a binge-watching fest

- you were surprised to find out his favorite movie out of the lot was

- the Incredibles

- liked it so much he discussed buying a car that looks like an exact replica of Mr. Incredible’s with you

- you weren’t sure exactly why he liked it so much

- you asked him about it one day and his answer was

- superpowers are cool

- Dash appealed to his sense of humor

- and he liked the family unity that he never got to have in his childhood

- he said all of that made for an enjoyable movie for him to watch

Saeyoung

- sorry this is so long, i’m a cheese for saeyoung

- lies and says it’s ariel so he can put on a wig and dress up like a mermaid for you

- you find it sexy and funny, but you want to know his real favorite

- you can’t ask him without him saying

- “it’s the female me!! she defends the justice under the sea and on land. she’s super me!”

- but, you stalk and find out it’s Peter Pan

- because it was the only movie saved to his computer and he had 5 copies of it hidden within his desk

- you confront him about it and he gets all gushy

- he likes it because one the dude can fly to a different, more fun place which is awesome

- two, it’s what he wished he coulda done with his brother

- he admitted he used to stare out the window to see if peter would come and save them

- one night when you were having a bad dream, he turned over and held you close and said

- “I’m Peter and you’re Wendy. Together we will fly to Neverland and be happy and young forever. Neverland also doubles as the space station since it isn’t of this world, so we can get married.” he would coo with a faint smile on his lips

- the story makes him feel safe so you two watch it whenever he gets sad

- finding nemo/ finding dory

- he thinks it’s the perfect mixture of sad and happy

- with adventure mixed in

- he looks like an excited kid every time he watches it

- he used to really like it as a child as well

- and still every single time you go to a pet store, he looks at the fish in the tank and says “Look, M/C, it’s Dory” at every Blue Tang fish

- you find it adorable

Saeran

- hey just fyi i write saeran from his personality at the end of his route. i don’t do the unknown version of him so spoiler, he’s an adorable softie

- really adores Big Hero 6

- he thinks Baymax is the purest thing he has ever seen and instantly gets hooked the second he sees him

- saeyoung tries to replicate his own baymax and it actually worked

- gave it to you and saeran as an anniversary present and awww his heart melts

- he likes the action and the technology and overall just thinks it’s super cool

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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 3 years

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The Goonies: Genre and Themes

As with every film, The Goonies is a hodgepodge of elements borrowed from different genres: a series of intertwined different sets of expectations that the audience is to expect payoff on.

Usually, a movie gains an audience by appealing to fans of its genre, or genres, since, as I mentioned, most films contain more than one. Typically, by appealing to these fans with a combination of appropriate star power, the name of a good director, and a use of genre brings in an audience, who is familiar with these elements, knows what to expect, and wants to see more of it. Genre is best used as a series of audience expectations that a filmmaker has to fulfill, rather than a series of tropes that have to be checked off in interesting ways to make a good action film, or western, or horror.

The reason for this is simple: one, if you want an audience, don’t confuse them, don’t bore them, and don’t disappoint them, and that means meeting their expectations, or subtly adjusting them along the way.

So…what were the expectations for The Goonies?

At first, it might seem easiest to say that it’s an adventure film.

Which, it is.

The story for The Goonies follows a group of kids avoiding dangerous criminals while searching for buried treasure, encountering booby traps, raging waterfalls, and skeletons galore. It very much strikes in atmosphere and surroundings an Indiana Jones-style feeling of adventure, bringing to mind the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, while the Indiana Jones films, while possessing a slight comedic slant in several scenes, including action ones, the stakes in those films are typically much higher than the Goondocks, and as a result, it overall takes itself more seriously.

The Goonies is not a film spent with the audience at the edge of their seat, biting their nails in terror that one of the kids is going to be killed, or even seriously hurt. At no point does the audience believe that Chunk’s hand is actually going to be subjected to the blender, nor do they think that Data’s fall will kill him, or that the floor collapsing from under Mouth is going to lead to his untimely, unceremonious demise. The stakes are there, certainly, and the characters clearly believe they are in danger (rightfully), but the audience never has a heart-in-throat moment of: this is it for them.

Which is odd, because our villains are armed with guns, and the floor does collapse, and our heroes are in danger. They believe it, to the point where Brand pulls Mikey out of the cave, away from the loot, because their lives are more important than the treasure. The group bursts into hysterics when they think Data has fallen to his death, and Brand and Mouth don’t exactly handle seeing a skeleton, a reminder of their own mortality, trapped under one of One-Eyed Willy’s booby traps. Characters are held at gunpoint, swordpoint, are pushed off of planks, and are nearly crushed by falling rocks, and while, for the sake of the story, they are terrified for their own lives, the audience never really feels the danger.

We feel the danger for their sakes, certainly, but in the end, the audience is actually more concerned with whether or not Mikey and Co. are going to get the treasure to save the Goondocks than whether or not they’ll survive, because we know that already. We know, based on the tone and style of the film, that they have to make it, and be alright in the end. The stakes of the goal are high to the characters and the audience: the money for the Goondocks, but the stakes for the story aren’t quite as severe, seemingly.

Part of that is due to, like I said, the tone, which I’ll get to in a minute. But the other portion to assisting the audience’s suspension of disbelief has to do with the themes of the film.

See, themes aren’t only for in-depth films that contemplate the meaning of life. Themes are present in every film we watch, whether it’s a theme of anti-authoritarianism (Escape from New York, They Live), success through perseverance (Rocky), or as simple as love (Casablanca) or good vs. evil (Star Wars). Even if it’s not intentional, every movie carries with it the inherited worldview of its creators and what matters to them, especially as it concerns this particular story. The same is true for The Goonies.

At the center of The Goonies is, of course, a basic struggle of good vs. evil, albeit in far less ‘epic’ terms: a group of kids trying to save their homes versus murderous criminals, and worse, businessmen trying to uproot their homes and separate them, leading to the real major theme of the movie: friendship.

The Goonies don’t want to leave Astoria because they’re so terribly fond of their own driveways. It’s because they’re fond of each other. As much as they squabble and tease each other and argue, they are friends, and they don’t want to be separated. In fact, their friendship and love for their home is so strong that, even when their lives are endangered, they stick together, even where there are opportunities to turn back.

But as important as the friendship between the Goonies is, it’s not the only friendship in the film that’s key to the story.

Chunk’s bonding with Sloth not only saves their lives, but also provides a happy ending for Sloth, too. By the end of the film, Sloth is practically a Goonie himself, and the rest of the group embraces him without a second thought. The group functions almost like a large family: they don’t always get along, (in fact, they often don’t) but in the end, what matters is that they care about each other, enough to face some pretty intense stuff.

Which is another good point.

While friendship and good vs. evil factor easily into a good adventure movie, what’s interesting to note is that while Indiana Jones or any other average adventure hero has to go with it: tons of courage, and usually some competency to go along. The Goonies unfortunately only have the former, which makes sense. The average age of the lot of them is thirteen.

Bravery isn’t exactly uncommon to see in adventure films: nobody wants to watch a cowardly hero in a straight adventure film. But for the average hero, they have skills that help along the way, strength, speed, wits, intelligence, a specialized set of abilities. The Goonies, on the other hand?

They’re kids. The oldest among them are still high-schoolers. Their skills are limited: Data’s inventions, Mikey’s leadership and optimism, Mouth’s ability to translate Spanish, and Chunk’s timing all come in handy throughout the film, but it never changes the fact that they’re kids against three adults who won’t think twice about killing children. This changes their ‘courage’ somewhat into either some insane levels of idealism, or determination at the cost (sometimes) of common sense. Mikey has to be convinced to escape from the collapsing cave instead of going back to get the treasure.

So what does that tell us?

It tells us that their goal means something to them, that they care immensely about it, and that it’s worth the danger. Are they scared? Of course. But in that friendship, in that goal to defeat the evil of the Fratellis and the rich families about to bulldoze their houses, they find the courage to keep moving, to reach that goal.

In the end, the Goonies never beat the Fratellis. They get away, sure, but it’s Sloth and the police who have far more to do with the actual ‘defeat of’ the main villains of the film. After the Goonies escape, the prize of the movie seems to be their lives, with the Fratellis being left behind with the treasure. You could argue this means that the Goonies aren’t very brave, seeing as they never had a final ‘battle’, or climax with the Fratellis, but it’s important to remember that the Fratellis aren’t really the antagonist of the Goonies. They’re antagonists, for sure, but they aren’t the person who is causing the problem in the first place, kicking off the adventure. That would be Mr. Perkins, the guy trying to get them out of the Goondocks. As a result, while the Fratellis are apprehended by third-party law enforcement, the Goonies get to ‘defeat’ Mr. Perkins themselves, by having enough money to save their homes.

Is it ‘final battle’ level of epic climax? No. But again, they’re thirteen years old, and with that in mind, then staying one step ahead of hardened criminals, escaping, and saving their home anyway (all against adults more competent and powerful than they are) is plenty brave enough for me.

Both villains in this story have one thing in common: Greed. Greed has always been a pretty common theme in stories, and that extends to moviemaking too: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Wall Street, and Citizen Kane are films held in high regard that revolve around greed, and what it does to people. Other films like It’s a Wonderful Life take an even firmer, more obvious stance, pitting its protagonist against a cruel, greedy antagonist with no redeeming qualities. In short, we as audience members have a pretty good idea of what greediness looks like, and we know that we don’t like it. The Fratellis and Mr. Perkins are entirely motivated by money: Mr. Perkins can only think of the benefits to himself for tearing down the Goondocks, whereas the Fratellis, counterfeiters and thieves, are simply after the treasure for their own personal gain.

Now, of course, the Goonies are after it too, but you’ll notice something very important here.

Sure, the Goonies want the treasure. That’s the whole point. But the thing that prevents this from being an act of greed is obvious: ‘intent’. Mikey’s protests about wanting to go back and get the loot is not because Mikey was struck by sudden gold-fever or Dragon Sickness, it’s because he wants, more than anything, to save their home. It’s what they all want, in fact. They’re doing this for a good cause: for each other, not just themselves, to meet a need. None of the kids ever mention getting rich from this. They all have the same goal, and there are never any of the typical fights about how the treasure gets split, or what they’ll do with their share.

These themes all overlap very neatly into the film itself, though it seems a little odd to cut them up and lay them out like this, but there is one thing that ties it all together, albeit, probably without meaning to. I’ve mentioned the ages of the kids a few times: ranging from about thirteen to around sixteen or seventeen. There have been plenty of movies about kids, for kids, and about kids for adults, but The Goonies manages to straddle a line and become a movie about kids, for everyone.

Youth is a huge part of this movie. Adults do not find treasure maps and decide to go on an adventure in order to save their homes because the insane, idealistic, wide-eyed streak has already been burned out of them by life. They already know the rules of the world, and know that that’s not how that works. As such, the fact is, there’s no ‘Goonie’ storyline if the characters aren’t children. Kids are infinitely more emotionally attached to their homes at that age, and will do anything to stay together. Kids haven’t been told yet by the world that their hopes and dreams are unrealistic. They still believe they can do great things, like save the Goondocks.

Even throughout the rest of the film, you can’t replace these characters with adults. They cry, they scream, they panic, they fight and argue with each other, and they all remain friends, unquestionably, and the adventure molds around them, allowing them to continue to be children as the story progresses. The danger is real, but it never feels too big for them, or too small for everyone else.

So, what does that mean for genre?

None of this detracts from the fact that The Goonies is very much an adventure film. Early on, the expectations are set up for the audience: the opening car chase and the discovery of the map in Mikey’s attic immediately set up the idea that there is going to be an exciting, dangerous story ahead, full of unexpected, unusual circumstances. That’s exactly what we get.

While the audience may never feel outright danger for the characters’ lives, like I said, they do worry for the Goonies’ end goal, and there is certainly plenty of excitement along the way. That is, in fact, the emotion most felt by the audience throughout the film. The movie is a roller-coaster full of superficial danger without any real stakes, and plenty of heart-in-throat moments. The trek through the tunnels, Chunk’s run-ins with the Fratellis, meeting Sloth, finding the pirate ship: are all dips and climbs throughout the amusement park ride that is The Goonies. The audience is constantly on the edge of their seat, and almost every story beat is active payoff of that adventurous expectation.

But there’s more to this movie than just the thrills.

Part of the difficulty of developing an adventure film for kids is that you either have to put children in danger, or you run the risk of feeling too safe. Kid adventure movies of the ‘80s like E.T. the Extra Terrestrial utilized an even balance, but as I mentioned, there’s no real fear for the Goonies’ lives. This is for a rather specific reason:

The Goonies went for the laughs with the thrills.

Data falling through the cave floor? Terrifying. Data falling through the cave floor and being saved by his invention while the rest of the Goonies go into hysterics? Hilarious.

The Goonies going after the treasure? Exciting.

The Goonies letting the air out of Brand’s tires so he has to steal a little kid’s bicycle to go after them? A comedy highlight.

The Goonies being cornered by the Fratellis and forced to give up the treasure? Legitimately upsetting in the moment.

Mama Fratelli forcing Mouth to spit out the gobs of gold and pearls that he’s stashed in his mouth? Genuinely funny.

The movie is constantly playing that balance. No exciting moment is without it’s humorous side. The kids are in danger, but they’re also always reacting in humorous ways, like Mikey making a half-hearted joke when Andy’s trying to play the bone organ while the floor collapses. A lot of what people remember about this movie are the laughs, with good reason: there’s a ton of them.

The Goonies has no shortage of funny moments and humorous lines, again, some of the most quoted lines of the film happen to be the ones that made people laugh. But as I’ve said before: there’s a lot more to being a comedy than just being funny.

Comedy is a very broad umbrella, one of the genres most easily mixed with others to create a blend: such as, what would seem to be a comedy-adventure story. Comedies typically rely on either absurd, exaggerated, or humorous characters, or an absurd, exaggerated, humorous plot, such as in films like Coming to America or Ghostbusters.

So, how does The Goonies fit? The plot is exaggerated, for sure, but not exactly in an inherently humorous way.

There’s a very easy way to tell exactly what genre it is, between adventure and comedy, and I’ll show you right now:

Typically, a really good way to tell a film’s genre is to take a good look at the characters, especially the main protagonist, and the story beats. These elements best illustrate exactly what kind of story you have, and in the case of The Goonies, it’s fairly easy.

Like I said, the story for The Goonies is clearly exaggerated beyond the realm of belief. Kids don’t find treasure maps in their attics that lead them to pirate ships. However, the story isn’t played as ‘funny’, nearly ever. The skeletons and booby traps are played completely straight, with very little to laugh at. Indeed, in another movie, these booby traps may have actually hurt or killed a character.

In The Goonies however, while the plotline is a very straightforward ‘kids Indiana Jones’ adventure story, the characters are considerably more…colorful.

And funny.

Mikey’s mispronunciations and his bickering brother relationship with Brand, Andy’s hysteria, Data’s plucky mildly ‘nutty professor’ vibe, Chunk’s over-the-top reaction to his misadventures, Mouth’s…mouth, and Stef’s complete and total irritation with everyone around her lead to some hilarious interactions, and some genuinely funny characters in their own right. Everyone is quirky, and not just to give them more character, it’s also to get them to be funnier. They aren’t alone in this, either.

The Fratellis, although still remaining chief antagonists, are not without their own comedic slants as well. Their own bickering amongst themselves and the over-the-top levels of abuse that get doled out equally manage to keep them intimidating for the kids, but funny for the audience, enough that there’s never a point where they reach true ‘villain’ status.

With that combination in mind, the film actually manages to hit the comedy-adventure balance pretty evenly. The situation remains threatening, but the thing that actually prevents the audience from worrying are the characters themselves and how they are portrayed: as indestructible characters in a cartoon. They’re likeable enough to keep the audience invested, but humorous enough to keep the audience from fearing for them. It’s the ideal combination, and it works, with just a dash of something more:

Heart.

The Goonies is remembered for its humor and its adventure, but it’s also remembered for its heart. Brand hugging Mikey as they briefly connect over the fear and sadness of losing their home, Mikey’s inspiring speeches, ‘Goonies Never Say Die!’, Mouth’s passionate outburst about his dream, his wish, Sloth’s friendship with Chunk, even the ending, with Brand and Mikey’s dad proudly proclaiming that there will be no signing, with the kids watching the pirate ship sail into the sunset…it fills the audience with at least a little bit of warmth.

In the end, we care about the Goonies because the movie makes us care about them. They make us like them, and so we feel for their adventures. There’s a real, legitimate sense of family throughout it, down to the aggressive fighting to the make-up hugs that follow.

The Goonies is often considered a ‘family’ movie, something that may surprise viewers after hearing some of the language used by the kids, the corpses, and the fact that the kids are in legitimate danger at times, but in a way, it’s not very surprising that this is considered a family film.

The tempering of the action with the comedy certainly helps, but the real kicker to make sure that it’s considered a ‘family’ film is its focus: family. Friendship. The people you care about. Banding together against all odds.

Yes, the plot appeals to kids, and so do the characters, for obvious reasons: the characters are kids, with child-like goals. Adults typically don’t react so strongly to learning that they have to move, at least, not to the point of going treasure-hunting to prevent it. However, while kids can grasp what the Goonies are about, adults can too.

Adults remember what it’s like to be kids, to have those hopes and fears and dreams, and can get into it just as well. Family movies aren’t movies for kids, necessarily, but they are movies for families, that can be enjoyed by everyone, because everyone can relate to the story and characters. This means that family movies tend to be pretty basic, uncomplicated, full of what could be derogatorily called ‘false excitement’, with characters that are fairly static and simple, but with gripping emotional themes that everyone can get behind.

In the case of The Goonies?

It fits the bill every step of the way.

In the end, The Goonies is an adventure film, one that promises it’s audience excitement and pays off every minute, and a comedy film that promises laughs, and again, delivers, and in being both of those things, it’s also a family film, with both of those things, and lots of heart to go with it, to offer in spades to an entire family.

The result?

The Goonies is an exciting, charming, funny adventure film about kids who are charming, funny, and adventurous, leading to a perfect, consistent tonal blend that manages to stay with the movie from start to finish, creating a roller coaster, amusement-park ride of a film that has been loved, with good reason, by people of all ages since it was first released, entertaining families passing it down through generations for over thirty years, and will continue to entertain families for years to come, as long as kids continue to be kids, and adults can remember what being a kid is like.

Don’t forget to leave a comment, like, or some other form of love if you enjoyed this analysis, and please, follow for more articles like this! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next article.

#80s #1985 #Film #Movies #The Goonies #The Goonies 1985 #Adventure #Comedy #Family #PG #Sean Astin #Josh Brolin #Jeff Cohen #Corey Feldman #Kerri Green #Martha Plimpton #Ke Huy Quan #Richard Donner

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