#these three are called the primary trio
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I drew these three as the admirals for some reason
#shit i made with my hanz#one piece#epithet erased#epithet erased ben#epithet erased carcrash#epithet erased flamethrower#ee ben#ee car crash#ee flamethrower#borsalino#kuzan#sakazuki#wtf have i done#these three are called the primary trio#primary trio
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The Witch of November
Summary: Jake and Bradley’s second deployment has you discovering a lot of things about yourself, including just how much the two men mean to you. Or When The Three Of You Realized What You Were.
Part of my Poly Hangster Universe.
Read Part One - In Search Of Obliteration
Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Jake “Seresin” Hangman x Female Reader [Hangster x Female Reader Polyamorous Relationship]
Warning: Angst, Mental Health Struggles, Nightmares, Lack of Appetite, Insomnia, Nail Biting, Stress-Induced Weight Loss, Anxiety, Unhealthy Coping Strategies, Difficult Discussions of Feelings, Rating – T.
Credit: Paramount Pictures
Word Count: 5120
The oldies playlist filled the quiet emptiness of the primary bedroom as you worked on folding the last of Bradley’s shirts into the storage tote. It was a poor replacement for the usual sounds of life that filled Jake and Bradley’s home, conversation, laughter, activity, but the songs from the 60s and 70s brought a continuity in their absence.
You smiled softly as you pulled another of his father’s tropical button-up shirts from the drawer, taking extra care as you folded the sleeves down the back, barely registering the song change to Gordon Lightfoot’s The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
It was difficult to fathom the next four months without them. They’d had two weeks’ notice – fourteen days to prepare you for the face that they were being deployed for sixteen weeks at sea. It was not their first deployment since your meeting at the liquor store. Not long after that dream-like night you had spent with them, followed by the sun-drenched afternoon spent with their squad in the sundress they had ordered via Postmates, their colleagues too polite to pry at their flimsy introduction of you as a ‘new neighbour’, they had left for ten days.
At the time you’d had no more than a superficial understanding of their profession. Of the peril in which they put themselves on a daily basis – even more so during missions. A few emails had been exchanged between the three of you then but before you even really had a chance to miss them, they had shown up with your apartment bearing take out. The outcome had been four orgasms and a noise complaint.
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
This time, however, everything was different. Nearly six-months into your relationship – well, for starters you felt confident calling it that. Perhaps the three of you could have done a better job defining things, but they had given you a key to their house, and you had a toothbrush that lived in the cup with theirs in the ensuite bathroom. Spending most weekends, and the occasional weeknight there, you had successfully avoided another noise complaint and fallen into a very natural rhythm with them.
So, when their orders had arrived, it had been a rather rude awakening. An intrusion in the happy idyll your trio had built, but not altogether unexpected. You’d done a remarkable job convincing Jake, Bradley, and even yourself that you would be all right; that they had no reason to worry about you. And when they decided to once again use a property management company and put their home up for short term rental in their absence? You’d also convinced them to save some money and let you take that on for them.
After all, you had a key and the time, it would be no issue for you to finish packing their things away into the garage and then stop in to clean between rentals.
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
‘Twas the witch of November come stealing
You snapped the lid shut on the tote, grabbing your phone and tucking it into your pocket, letting the song continue to play as you carried the last load down the stairs and into the garage. Sliding the box into place, your eyes scanned over the stacks of totes and racks of garment bags – two lives tidily packed away, on hold.
The words of the song, now slightly muffled by the fabric of your pants yet still audible, began to register in your brain and you pulled your phone from your pocket to hear them better. Unbidden, the images sung by the folk singer of a horrific storm began to flood your mind. A helpless ship filled with mortal men dwarfed by the fury of nature.
Two men, who meant a great deal more to you than you had the nerve to put into words as they wolfed down their breakfast that morning, in a vast ocean. How easily they could not return – swept aside by a cruel wave, attacked by a wrathful nation, or eliminated by something so utterly mundane as human error. How easily you could be putting their things away for the very last time.
The unwelcome thoughts tore through your consciousness and had you stumbling back into the door frame that connected the garage to the rest of the house, gasping for breath as tears blurred your vision. The sheer cruelty of your mind, parading the worst possible outcomes through your brain in vivid detail, had you pressing a hand to the centre of your chest, trying to calm your racing heart. You felt sick and acutely alone in a house that was suddenly much too spacious, listening to a song that was far too gloomy.
“Good god, get a grip girl.” You snarled tearfully at yourself before barking a laugh that even you would have to admit rang hollow against the concrete floor.
Shaking your head viciously to clear the morbid thoughts of peril at sea from your head, as though it were an etch-a-sketch needing to be reset, you turned your rush of desperate energy toward skipping the last of the song. Inhaling deeply through your nose as the much more upbeat Surfin’ USA by the Beach Boys took over.
“Better…It’s just day one…. You’ve got this…” You wiped at a few rogue tears that had stolen down your cheeks before doing one last check that everything was stored properly, locking up the garage and heading back into the house to finish cleaning.
One hour – and many deliberate song choices – later, you finished mopping your way out of the house, turning off the lights as you went. Setting up a door code for the guests set the arrive the next day, you headed home near ten, finding it surprisingly easily to fall asleep.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck saying
“Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya”
At seven PM a main hatchway caved in, he said
“Fellas, it's been good to know ya”
The problem reared its head once more in the inky blackness of the night, rain and saltwater lashing your face, stinging your eyes. You could hear Jake and Bradley screaming for you, their voices carried on the wind from opposite directions, impossible to pinpoint no matter how you twisted your body this way and that.
Something unseen collided forcefully with your body, plunging you into a dark, icy sea. You clawed futilely through the water, unable to discern up from down, left from right, as your lungs began to burn with the need for breath.
You thrashed yourself awake from your nightmare, fumbling with the switch on your bedside lamp, desperate for light to dispel the murk of the freezing water, movements still filled with the frenetic energy of a drowning victim. At last, the incandescent bulb clicked on, flooding the room with warm light, reminding you that you were in your bed…. safe….
But Jake and Bradley…. heaven only knew where they were. You hugged your knees to your chest and choked out a sob, feeling just as useless as you had in your dream. They could be screaming your name right now and there was absolutely nothing you could do to help them. In your weakened state, you were utterly defenseless against the onslaught of tears, so you simply turned your head to smother your ragged sobs into the plush of your pillow – not wanting to risk a noise complaint over this of all things.
The captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Terror and theoretical grief and something that you still stubbornly refused to name despite all evidence to its confirmation wrung every last tear from your body until your eyelids were swollen and heavy with irritation. Pulling your exhausted frame from the tangle of sheets and sodden pillows, you trudged to the bathroom to rinse your face, wincing at the person staring back at you in the mirror.
You had done such a good job of convincing Jake and Bradley, of convincing yourself, that you would be all right in their absence, that this sudden burden of anxiety and gut-wrenching fear felt like a betrayal to your own self. You were an adult. You understood what it meant to date a Navy man. Yet here you were, crying your eyes out about things you had absolutely no control over. Over things you were proud of your boys for doing.
So whatever selfish childishness had suddenly possessed you, it had to be quashed with brutal efficiency. It would be wildly unfair for either of them to even sense that you were struggling and the simplest solution to that was you just had to stop it right now. Despite the ruthless glare you were delivering yourself in the glass of the bathroom mirror, however, that traitorous body of yours had somehow found the wherewithal to produce fresh tears to send rolling down your hot cheeks.
“Fuck…” you croaked, sinking your face into your hands.
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours
Three weeks, two days, and five hours. Despite sending them an email every day, you did not hear from Jake or Bradley for three weeks, two days, and five hours after they left you at their house that morning. It was more than enough time for your nightmare to bloom into full grown neurosis.
Stern pep-talks in the mirror were a non-starter, so you began addressing the inevitable sleep issues with melatonin gummies. And when those produced nearly every side-effect on the bottle? Over-the-counter pain killers. The terror still managed to find you, however, even in your chemically enhanced sleep, and a set of dark circles took root beneath your eyes. Your make-up kit expanded, and your routine became longer to hide them.
You threw yourself into your job, desperately trying to fill every waking moment with activity, treading water above the yawning darkness of dread that lay just below the surface. Between overtime hours and managing Jake and Bradley’s house as a rental – cleaning between renters and being on call for any issues that may pop up – you had little time for socializing. Which suited you just fine, because you knew those who cared about you would see through your thinly veiled disguise of make-up and busyness and you were most certainly not ready for a real conversation about what was going on.
You were idly nipping at a hangnail on your index finger as you reviewed a client’s file when your phone buzzed with an email notification and you gasped audibly when their names popped up, making your co-worker shoot you an inquisitive glance.
“Sorry…” You whispered with a wince, scooping the phone off your desk and diving into your email app to read through their joint reply four times before finally exhaling in relief.
They were well. They were tired, but they were alive and missed you and appreciated your emails. You hugged your phone to your chest, not caring how dramatic it might look to your already suspicious colleague, a few tears of joy gathering along your lower lashes.
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
The relief that one email brought was short-lived, affording one, maybe two good nights of sleep before you were plunged back into your cycle of agony. Your stomach grew averse to, and disinterested in, all food save your favourite ice cream, and after throwing out your fourth meal-prepped lunch you surrendered to its demands and proceeded to subsist entirely upon cartons of that.
You lost weight. Everyone seemed eager to tell you how good you looked as a result of it, which only seemed to twist the knife that had taken up residence between your ribs a little tighter. The circles beneath your eyes grew darker and your make-up kit expanded yet again. With all that you were juggling, you somehow failed to notice that you had chewed your nails raw – a self-soothing technique thoroughly acknowledged by the scientific community, but an action you remained blind to.
There were more email replies, with the promise of some possible phone connectivity in the coming weeks, but you were entirely immune to joy now…feeling not unlike a hollowed-out shell of yourself, filled with the black and white static of a television station that lost its signal.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
You were fighting with the first corner of the fitted sheet on the primary bed, the bed the three of you usually shared, when your phone started ringing with an unknown number. Releasing the stubborn fabric, you let the elastic spring back into place, mattress frustratingly bare as you picked up.
“Hello?” You answered, expecting it to be the couple slated to arrive tomorrow afternoon.
“Pretty girl, holy shit it’s so good to hear your voice.” Rooster’s rasped statement hit you like a physical blow to the chest, and you stumbled to a seat on the bed.
“Bradley?” Your voice waivered pathetically and you cleared your throat painfully. “Hey! Hey, it’s so lovely to hear yours.” You continued in a much sunnier, confident tone, scouring the tears from your eyes roughly with the heel of your palm.
He sighed your name warmly, but you did not miss the exhaustion that coloured his tone.
“Fuck, I am so sorry it’s taken this long to be able to call, I swear to god I’ve never been on communications blackout this long before. Everything ok?”
“Just great, well…I miss you both so much, but the rentals are running smoothly and work’s going fine, and the weather never changes here so I don’t have any complaints.” You were sure to smile, just like they taught you at work, so the happy tone would carry through the phone line. “You guys doing all right?”
“We are, you perfect woman, we are. Jake’s right here, falling asleep against the wall. Let me pass him the phone.”
There was some muffled scrambling against the receiver before Jake drawled your name, sounding even more exhausted than Bradley.
“Hey Jake, how’re you doing? You showing them all who’s the best?” You forced a grin, hoping to give him extra encouragement by stroking his ego.
“You know it, pretty girl. Me ‘n Rooster here are kicking all their asses…You promise to be extra desperate for us when we get home?”
You mustered a giggle for him, extremely thankful it was only a phone call so you could keep your expressions to yourself.
“You know it, Hungman…”
“Jesus Christ, I miss you…”
“Three weeks, Jake…” Not that you were counting, or anything.
“I can barely keep my eyes open pretty girl, I’m so sorry, I can’t wait to see you.”
“It’s ok Jake, please go get some rest, ok? I’ll see you soon.”
He murmured his goodbyes before Rooster came back on the line.
“Hey pretty girl, I’m not much longer for this world either.”
“I really appreciate you two taking the time to call me. I’ll see you both in three weeks.”
“Three weeks…” He sighed heavily. “I’ll try and email you our docking time and text you when we’re in the car ok?”
You had offered, initially, to drive them. To drop them off and pick them up, but the process for obtaining a pass was a lengthy one and though, none of you admitted it out loud, would have involved defining your relationship on paper. And so, they had departed in Jake’s pick-up truck, which was still waiting for them on base.
“Do what you can, have a good sleep, Bradley.”
“Night, pretty girl.”
You both stayed on the line a moment, listening to one another breathe, before he finally disconnected the call and you dissolved into tears as you sank onto the rug beside the bed.
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
With the final rental checked out, you had a week to put their house back together before Jake and Bradley returned home. You had been careful to write down where things had come from so that you could return them to their rightful place. You took to sleeping at their home so that when the inevitable nightmares or overthinking arrived, three am companions you had grown so very accustomed to over the past four months, you could simply roll out of bed and continue unpacking for them.
True to his word, Bradley managed to email you, letting you know they would be returning that Sunday morning. By Saturday noon, the house was in order, and you made a trip to the grocery store to stock their fridge so they could take it easy their first few days back. You made a special trip to their favourite bakery for some treats, as well, and when you ran out of things to do you went out and walked the beach. Your body was a sharp contrast of fatigue and nervous energy, everything inside you was screaming out for rest but your mind would simply not allow it to.
Your melatonin gummies only afforded you three hours of sleep that night, leaving you pacing about the house like a zombie until the last of it cleared your system. You showered and put on your makeup, carefully ensuring the dark circles were covered. You put on one of their favourite dresses, hoping they wouldn’t notice that it was a little looser on you than before. Or perhaps, like everyone else, they would applaud your new figure.
Setting up the coffee, you held-off starting the brew cycle, waiting for the text to arrive from Bradley that they were on their way home from the base, wanting it to be as fresh as possible. You nearly jumped out of your skin as your phone vibrated with the notification, sliding off your seat at the island and pressing start button before doing one last circuit of the house, unable to sit down.
You were just setting out their favourite mugs on the stone countertop when you heard the engine of Jake’s truck pull into the driveway, rushing to open the front door. Bradley was halfway up the walk when you yanked it open, covering the last of the distance in two long strides before bending his knees to hoist you up into a bone-crushing hug. You squealed as in his excitement, or perhaps his misjudgement of your weight, you shot up higher than expected. Jake laughing brightly as he jogged over, wrapping his arms around both of you tightly as Bradley set your feet back on the concrete walkway.
Nestling your face between their bodies, you inhaled deeply, fingers curling into the fabric of their clothing as you savoured the fact that they were present, they were real, they were alive. Jake shifted back and hooked a finger beneath your chin, coaxing your face up. You smiled at him tremulously, blinking back tears as he leaned in to press his lips to yours firmly. Sighing deeply into the kiss, your fingers sought Bradley’s curls, sinking your fingers into his hair affectionately as he patiently waited his turn, his hands running along your sides, massaging your hip, your butt.
Gasping against Jake’s lips as Rooster’s hand gave a particularly greedy squeeze, you pulled back to press your lips to his, a shiver rolling through your entire body at the feel of his facial hair against your upper lip.
“You wore our favourite dress, pretty girl…” You heard Jake murmur against your shoulder, his fingers toying with the hem. “Mmmm we should get you inside before the neighbours get jealous.”
Reluctantly, you allowed them to pull back and gather their things from the truck, leading them inside.
“That coffee smells amazing…” Jake sighed, setting his bag down at the foot of the stairs.
“Let me grab you a cup.” You nodded and quickly moved into the kitchen, filling Jake’s mug and setting it down to reach for Bradley’s.
In your haste to be of service to them, you had misjudged the edge of the counter, the coffee cup wobbling precipitously before tumbling over to smash on the tile, splashing hot liquid and broken ceramic in all directions.
“Fuck!” The curse flew from your lips, and you quickly set the coffee pot back onto the element before bending down to pick up the sharp shards with your bare hands, thoroughly irritated with the mess you had made of the freshly cleaned floor. Not to mention the fact that you had just destroyed Jake’s favourite mug. “Shit, shit, shit…” You hissed, collecting pieces of crockery in your palm, sniffling in a stubborn attempt to hold back your tears.
A pair of arms wrapped around your waist and hauled you back against a strong, broad chest.
“Careful pretty girl, you’re going to hurt yourself…” Bradley’s gravelly voice filled your ears, and you opened your mouth to protest that you were just fine when an ugly sob tore from your throat.
You slapped your free hand over your mouth, mortified, biting down hard on the inside of your cheek in an attempt to stop any more of those from escaping. You felt Bradley tense behind you and saw one half of the look he shared with Jake reflected on the blonde’s face through the stubborn stream of tears in your eyes.
“Ok pretty girl, it’s ok, just a mug all right?” He drawled, carefully taking the broken shards from your hand and setting them on the counter.
“Why don’t you go upstairs with Jake while I take care of this, and we’ll have coffee in bed hmmm?” Rooster soothed and you managed a nod, not really meeting Jake’s eyes, but you could see the furrow of concern on his brow as he pulled you close, tucking you against his side. He led you up the stairs, hand on the small of your back, and into the ensuite bathroom.
“Let’s get you cleaned up hmmm?”
You sniffled and blinked at his words, glancing at the mirror and wincing at the state of your makeup. You grabbed your toiletries bag, opening it up to find your remover wipes, but before you had a chance to get started, he had set you on the counter between the double sinks, your back pressed against the mirror. One broad hand came to rest on your knee, his thumb rubbing warm, soothing circles on your skin as he pulled out the bottle of melatonin first. Then the painkillers. Followed by the eye drops to help with your dry eyes from the constant crying. These items he lined up on the counter one at a time, his face unreadable.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
At last Jake produced the make-up removing wipes and turned to you with a gentle, patient expression as he carefully removed the layers of makeup you had become accustomed to painting on every morning to hide the ravages of the nighttime hours on your face. By the time he had cleaned it all off, your eyelids fluttered open to see Bradley leaning in the doorway quietly watching you.
You had spent more time unclothed with the pair of them than anyone in your life and yet you had never felt so naked in their presence before. You tried to avoid their eyes, to focus on your hands in your lap, but Jake caught your chin with his thumb and forefinger, raising your gaze once more to meet his. There was unconcealed concern there, now, and you watched his adam’s apple bob with a pronounced swallow.
“What’s going on, pretty girl…” He tacked your name onto the end of his question, adding a level of seriousness to the moment that had you squirming slightly and Bradley walking over to lean against the countertop beside you.
It was your turn to swallow painfully, groping for words to express just what the hell was going on, before you let out a huff.
“I’m ruining it…” You slumped back against the mirror in defeat, earning a raised eyebrow from each man. “You’re finally home for the first time in months and I’m ruining it…god I have no idea what I’m doing…” You scrubbed a hand down your tired face, dark circles beneath your eyes laid bare by Jake’s handiwork, and began to gnaw on your thumbnail thoughtfully.
There was another look shared between the pair of them, but this time you could see the concern shared in their gazes. There was an element of knowing something held in that look. Something they weren’t saying aloud. It irked you, made you even more annoyed with yourself for being so broken that you couldn’t even welcome them home properly.
“I’m supposed to be having amazing reunion sex with you both right now to make up for the fact that you’ve been gone, and I can’t stop crying…” you wiped at your face angrily before Jake caught your hand in his, lacing your fingers together and squeezing gently.
“You think we would ignore the fact that you’re not ok just because we want you, pretty girl?” He gently kissed away a fresh tear as it stole down your cheek.
Your eyes flitted over towards Bradley as he brushed away another tear on your opposite cheek with the backs of his fingers, treating you with more kindness than you had shown yourself in weeks.
“Please…what’s going on…” He rasped, voice roughened further by emotion, his brow furrowed.
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed ‘til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
You glanced between the pair of them, filled with trepidation, but quite honestly holding back these words had not served you in the least, so perhaps releasing them might at the very least provide some relief.
“My dumb ass has gone and fallen in love with two men with one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and I have no idea what I’m doing…” You exhaled in surrender, eyeing their faces intently to see how they might react as a hurricane of butterflies erupted in your stomach.
There was silence for a moment, and your worried that you had been too cryptic or too forward, until a flicker of hope dawned as smiles began to tug at their lips. You gasped as they both leaned forward at the same time, aiming for the opposite corners of your lips. It was awkward and claustrophobic and yet it felt so incredibly right to share a kiss between the three of you simultaneously. Sliding your arms around their necks, you held them close as they clung to you so tightly you felt as though they might have a decent chance of fusing your broken pieces back together.
“I love you, too.” Bradley whispered against your cheek, making you shiver in delight as Jake murmured your name adoringly.
“Love you both.” He grinned, not to be outdone.
“I’m really…sorry that I’m such a mess, please don’t…blame yourselves I…”
Bradley shook his head firmly.
“But we are to blame. At the very least, partially. We left you alone for the first time by yourself with nothing…pretty girl, will you ever forgive us?”
“Of course I forgive you!” You said quickly, kissing him firmly and wiping at a few of his tears that had slipped from the corners of his eyes.
“You were far too convincing, I promise to be a lot more skeptical in the future.” Jake teased but shook his head, assuming a more serious expression. “You’re our partner and we’re going to do a much better job of this going forward, ok?”
You gave him a watery smile and hauled him in for a firm kiss of agreement. They ushered you into your pajamas and the three of you curled up in bed, Bradley and Jake enjoying their coffee and baked goods with you sandwiched tightly between them as they regaled you with stories of their travels. Warm, safe, and contented, you found your eyelids drooping heavily. Jake’s hand rubbing soothing circles on your back and Bradley’s fingers tracing the features of your face were not making it any easier to stay awake.
“Sleep…” One or both of them whispered, and you made a soft noise of protest but were otherwise helpless against the rising tide of exhaustion.
You awoke to a bedroom painted in the hues of sunset, snuggled tightly into Bradley’s chest, the scent of pizza filling the air.
“That smells good…” You sighed drowsily.
“You hungry, pretty girl?” Jake drawled, the bed dipping and jostling as he walked closer on his knees, carrying pizza boxes over as you slowly sat up, nodding as a jaw-cracking yawn took over your body. “Good, let’s get some meat back on your bones.”
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
With The Three of Us Masterlist
#hangster x reader#top gun angst#reader x rooster x hangman#hangman x reader#rooster x reader#hangman x rooster#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader#jake hangman seresin x reader#top gun imagine#top gun maverick fanfiction
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I saw a post on Reddit talking about how they disliked the show because it dumbed down Flynn Rider. I don’t think he was dumbed down but more carefree as he wasn’t being chased anymore but I recently watched the movie and he was more serious and less “himbo”. Do you think the show could have been improved with Keeping Flynn more in tune with the movie characterization?
You come into my inbox and call him Flynn instead of Eugene?!
I jest. Sort of.
(Dang this is the second ask I've gotten about this Reddit post this week!)
But anyway, yes, he's more serious in the movie, but he's also the constant slapstick comic relief. He gets inf sword fights with a horse. He runs straight into a jutting rock on the solar plexus. He's tossed around like a ragdoll in the Snuggly Duckling. He's forced to sing.
Also, you must remember that the movie takes place over the course of three very stressful days. Three very stressful days during half of which he's still pretending to be Flynn Rider, who needs to be taken seriously.
Also, he's still learning who Eugene Fitzherbert even is. He spent more than half his life being Flynn Rider, and he's not in touch with his real self anymore. Honestly, the audience doesn't know the real Eugene when he's not under stress and not in the process of falling in love.
He is definitely made to be the primary comic relief of the main trio, because Punz is the Main Character and Cassandra is the vry srs character. But he's also the primary comic relief in the movie.
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January Monthly Roundup
BATFAMILY
Three’s a Crowd (But I’m Here if You Are) by JUBE514
(Bernard Dowd/Tim Drake/Conner Kent) 20k, Identity Reveal, Fluff
Bernard pops the top off his water bottle, a roll of his wrist at the perfect angle and it comes right off, and pops the faucet in Tim’s very nice kitchen to cold. Tim presses a kiss to the back of Bernard’s neck before Tim moves to the fridge to get his own water.
Bernard used to not drink as much water, but Tim drinks enough water for three people a day so Bernard naturally has followed- and now Bernard has no acne so he’s sort of mad about it actually. “The main character has two hands.” Bernard chimes easy and teasing. “Polygamy is the awnser here babe.”
Tim peaks over the door of the fridge. “Oh? Is this you telling me something?”
—
Tim Drake, Bernard Dowd, and Kon-El have two hands each. They use them to hold onto each other.
My Evil Twin From Another Universe by FabulaRasa
(Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne) 22k
An interdimensional anomaly strands another version of Hal in this universe, and two Hal Jordans in one universe is several Hal Jordans too many.
this week in heroblr by UnidentifiedFroggy
(multi) 22k, WIP, Social Media,
okay im sorry y'all did SUPERBOY just say he's a tumblrina???
#SUPERBOY AS IN KON EL AS IN SUPERMANS CLONE #DIED IN THE CRISIS SUPERBOY #holy shit #superblr #heroblr
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a viewpoint into tumblr as it might exist within my own exceedingly self-indulgent form of the dc universe, told through epistolary fashion in batfamily social media fic tradition. features heroes getting cancelled, takes of middling veracity, plenty of queerness both on heroblr and in the hero community, my self-indulgent ships, and something vaguely resembling plot and lore told obliquely through tumblr drama and outsider pov interpretations of superheroes
The Big Boss by Crowlows19
(gen) 4k, POV Outsider
The story of Bruce Wayne and his family as told by his insane Wayne Enterprises calendar and the poor assistant that had to manage it all.
Batman for Dummies by Havendance
(gen) 38k, No Man’s Land, Helena Bertinelli-centric
In the aftermath of the quake that shook Gotham, Helena Bertinelli takes on the mantle of the Bat. (It isn’t like Batman’s using it.) If she’d known the cowl came with a certain moralizing little bird following her around — well, she probably still would’ve done it, but it would’ve been nice to know in advance.
(Or: Tim and Helena team up 2: electric boogaloo. Now with more bats!)
Older Sibling Duty by Icestorm238
(gen) 2k, Batfam
Names are important. The Bats tend to bypass their real names, however, in favour of increasingly dumb nicknames.
The older sibling trio of Dick, Jason, and Cass are the primary instigators of this. After all, it is their duty.
AITAH For Tricking My Brother Into Drugging My Other Brother? by TaxiCabToSlowtown
(gen) 1k, Social Media, Am I the Asshole?
Okay, look, I know how that sounds, but hear me out. My (M, 19, "Fred") little brother (17, I’ll call him “Percy”) has problems. These problems stem a lot from the fact that his parents abandoned him for long periods of time as a kid and he didn’t have a proper upbringing. I should mention that Percy’s parents then are not the same as our parent(s) now. We’re both adopted, and I’m messed up too, I’ll admit it. Our Father (45, I’ll call him “Arthur”) had sort of turned his house into a home for kids with really traumatic families.
Welcome to the Family by ViiA01
(Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne) 67k, WIP, Batfam
Bruce’s children want to meet the man that their father deemed worthy of a smile. So they do, in the only way they know how. By breaking into people's houses and lurking in dark places.
Bruce just wants his children to stop stalking Earth’s Green Lantern, if only because they're ruining his plans.
And Hal?
Well, Hal is convinced that Bruce has concocted a plot to get around his ‘no killing’ rule, by having his children stalk him until his heart gives out from the stress.
A Series of Unfortunately Timed Coming Out's by Queerbutstillhere
(multi), 7k, Coming Out
The batfamily had this gift.
This wonderful skill.
They are such talented, brilliant, capable individuals.
But they are absolutely horrendous at wisely timing coming out to their family members.
These are their stories
.
Aka: "I love you all but could we stop coming out to each other during the middle of battles?"
Call to a Lonely Earth by Drag0nst0rm
(gen), 7k, Angst, AU-17776 Fusion
There are no children left in Gotham.
Not until the multiverse spits one out right in front of Batman, at least.
buy the ticket, take the ride by Anonymous
(gen), 13k, Vegas
Tim had always figured that if he ever woke up in Vegas sans-memory, it would be when he was older than fourteen. But there were some things he couldn’t control, and apparently whatever had happened last night that he didn’t remember was one of them.
CROSSOVER
Keystone by Kalinjdra
(gen), 26k, WIP, HPxDC
Harry Potter double-checked his lists before sending off the letter to an unknown cousin. He hoped for maybe some money at least, he didn't expect to get a scary bodyguard brother instead.
Jason Todd has never stopped searching for his real parents so when Tim offers solid information in exchange of taking care of some kid, he really doesn't have anything else to do but take it.
No one really could have foretold what followed.
#batfam fic rec#Batman#fanfiction#batlantern#Tim Drake#Jason Todd#conner kent#kon-el#batfamily#damian wayne#harry potter fic rec#monthly roundup#complete#fic rec#wip
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Already touched on this scene regarding the differences to the brothers, so I'm not going to repeat myself too much here, but I am thinking about the like... Purpose of this scene from a narrative/characterization standpoint in line with that. Because like, think about it... This scene would hit so different, as a debate, if we didn't know how far along Claudia and co. were in their quest to free Aaravos; then we could lean one way or another operating with the exact same information the characters have.
But we the audience Know that Aaravos isn't out, which is the primary reason Callum gives regarding incentive to get the Nova Blade. Nor is this the first time that Callum has a perspective we know isn't necessarily, well, necessary because we know more than the characters do. So we're already inclined to be more on Ezran's side because we know his line of thinking - that Aaravos isn't out and it's worth trying to just stop his release - is worth following.
It is likewise worth noting though, that Callum thinks the Novablade plan is good whether Aaravos is out or not. While he brings up that Claudia and Viren might've already released the Startouch elf, when Callum initially proposes the plan (shown above) he says, "Then we wait for Aaravos to get out." Even though if Aaravos gets out, that would kind of put him in the best possible place to possess Callum again, given how it operated last time. Even though if Aaravos gets out, he'll be even more powerful and likely to do real harm and even harder to defeat.
All of which to say this scene has approximately three purposes
To reinforce the differences between the brothers and possible seeds of conflict for the future, in both Ezran's pacifism (possibly to set up contrast with his latter choices) as well as Callum's more pragmatic side
To reinforce, by giving Rayla the deciding vote and having her side with Ezran, that Callum's morality and inclinations is different than both his brother and his partner
And on that note, characterization wise, to start highlighting what Callum is willing to do and that he's always had this streak in him (cue both he and Viren watching dark magic corrupted enemies die by their own hand at the Storm Spire while Ezran and Harrow feel somewhat conflicted about it, at least) / can often be more solution oriented ("How does this solve anything?" from 1x02) and willing to take the path he perceives as easier/more efficient
Sarai: You said you want to make a difference, to build a better world. But that's going to take decades of hard work. There's no monster you can slay to solve all of your problems. There's no shortcut.
Some other interesting notes:
Shows the different in the trio's dynamic regarding decision making, since previously it had normally been Callum and Rayla having the final call with Ezran going along with it (2x03, 3x08). Now, the brothers discuss first with each other, highlighting that they've spent the last two years without her and that Ezran has become more assertive, but that they still fully include her in the decision and have it be one they made as a group, signifying their heightened unity upon reunion and healing, and the way they all trust/look to each other.
It also demonstrates growth from Rayla, as last time she thought there was a potential threat to the world, she went the more violent route in wanting to track Viren down (alone) and kill him. But now that she's come back and reintegrated herself into the group, she's taking the more level headed, preventative route in some ways.
#tdp meta#tdp#dragons liveblogs#5x05#mini meta#analysis series#analysis#this isn't as coherent as i wanted it to be bc i'm Sleepy but here enjoy#the dragon prince#also final screencap please be foreshadowing do it for me#tdp broyals#the english major strikes again#bc that's the tag for structure
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One thing that bothers me about jujutsu is that the author doesn't know how to develop some characters. 1 Shoko Ieri is an interesting character but I find her apathetic without a cold and superficial personality. 2 itadori yuji doesn't seem to be a protagonist he seems more like a tool than the protagonist of the work. 3 nobara had no development dry and emotionless death. and many other characters. There were only 2 characters that really had development, which was gojo and geto, for me, they were the only ones that had it. Why do you think the author did this, is it because he didn't want to develop the characters that's why he killed many important characters? I would appreciate it if you respond.
Tell me you got into jjk for satosugu without telling me you got into jjk for satosugu.
I... I don't even know where to start with this, to be honest. I will agree to the point that Gege has a problem with underutilizing and underdeveloping some of his characters, especially the women, but I think that's all I can agree with here.
1. Shoko is a great character. She has a more monotone personality, especially compared to others within the series, but I wouldn't call her cold or superficial by any means. She has friends that she cares about and a fun relationship with Utahime, but I'm not gonna find fault in her not being as enthusiastic as other characters, esp when she's continuously lost loved ones as the series has progressed.
2. It seems to me that you read the panels where Yuuuji called himself a cog and took that as the end all be all of his character. I actually find Yuuji incredibly loveable and complex for a protagonist, especially as an MC. He's a breath of fresh air, and his mentality toward the trope of "save everyone" is refreshing and realistic. He knows he can't, but he tries to save the people he can. He cares deeply about people, especially his friends. He's new to Jujutsu, but what he lacks in initial knowledge he makes up for by meshing almost seemlessly with everyone he's paired up with. He's not the smartest character, but he learns quickly and has some good ingenuity when it comes to fights. He has a positive, outgoing personality that's balanced out by moments of intense emotional and mental upheaval. Yuuji has grown and changed a lot as the story has progressed and he will continue to.
That being said, every character is a tool of the story, and given that we're brought into the wold of Jujutsu through him and are going through the story with him (same as with other characters) I don't see how him, a character within the story, being a tool used for storytelling is the negative point you think it is. Every character is a tool of the story. It's no fault of the character that you just don't find him as effective or useful as others do.
3. This point honestly makes me think you're trolling, I'm not gonna lie. Nobara had insane amounts of development during her time within the story. To name a few: She learns the value of relying on her teammates and prioritizing her life on her first mission with Yuuji. She makes the mistake of not bringing enough nails (her primary weapon) on her second mission and brings a surplus to every mission afterward. She shows a spectacular amount of foward thinking when it comes to fighting that we see demonstrated both in the Goodwill and Shibuya arcs. She's willing to sacrifice her health for the sake of winning a fight. She's one of the few characters (and one of three students) to land a black flash and touch the core of cursed energy. She's also one of the very, very few characters that can innately damage the soul.
Nobara has great growth throughout her time in the story, and she has the potential to do better if (when, imo) she returns to it. But let's move on to the other point of her dearh being "dry and emotionless" because I simply don't understand how you came away with that opinion. She's one of the main trio, she gave Yuuji hope when he was close to breaking and dealt lasting damage to Mahito in Shibuya, she has a touching backstory and relationship with her childhood best friend, and even still, has an impact on Yuuji and his approach toward letting new people into his life. Yuuji wasn't afraid of letting Higurum into his life and somehow replacing Nanami, he was afraid of letting Hana in and emotionally replacing Nobara. She's the first person that he asks about when he meets back up with Megumi post-Shibuya.
I think your opinion toward Nobara stems from the fact that you just don't connect with her the way others do, but just because you don't notice or care about her impact in the story (much less the impact her death had on Yuuji, who you don't even consider a protagonist) doesn't mean that she's not a well-written, interesting, and enjoyable character.
Gojo and Geto are good characters. Their dynamic is interesting, and their combined and individual stories are emotionally impactful. Even their techniques are cool, in my opinion. But, they're not the only characters that you can say that for. In fact, I wouldn't even put either of them in my personal top five. If you do, that's you, but it's a little wild to say that they're the only ones with good development in the story because that simply isn't true.
Lastly, like I said at the beginning of this answer, I do think that Gege has an issue with how he handles some characters. Does that include all, or even most of them? No, I think he's doing fine. Are their some big ones that he could've written better? Absolutely, but I challenge you to find any series where the author uses every one of their characters as best as they possibly could. Everyone is going to have a favorite character that they want to see shine, just because they don't, that doesn't always make it the author's fault.
I don't think fumbling this aspect of the story is intentional, and I'd even argue thats it's fitting in some cases. We're not going to get the full story of everyone we're introduced to, especially ones outside the main cast. Sometimes a character is simply there to move the plot along or introduce/reintroduce an aspect of the story, and that's fine. I think that people often forget that the story is ongoing and has time to touch on things that they feel have been overlooked. I also think that a lot of people don't want to consider that Gege has a plan for the story that we aren't privy to, nor are we going to like everything that he does.
As for why he kills a lot of important characters? Most likely to reinforce the idea that the world in which the story takes place isn't fair. No one has plot armor. It'd be a boring story if they did, and it would rob us of a lot of emotional investment because the tension wouldn't be nearly as high if we weren't worried for the safety of the characters that we love. If you're not invested in certain characters, maybe you won't feel that way, but that isn't a universal experience.
At the end of the day, I'd say Jujutsu Kaisen is a good story with a lot of really good characters (some of my favorite characters ever, even) but not everyone will agree with that statement. If a significant portion of the story or characters just aren't doing it for you, you might fall into the latter, and it seems that way if Gojo and Geto are the only highlights you've found to be worth investing your interest in.
(Since you sent me two of the exact same ask, consider this a part one. See ya in a minute.)
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aftershocks
[lockwood & co, Lucy/George/Lockwood, hurt/comfort. ch 3/3, 7.5k]
At Jacobs, they call it the hangover. Classes didn’t teach about it so they had to make their own language. Obviously kids with the Touch as their primary get it the worst, but the rest of them aren’t immune. One particularly rough case, one too many moments of overexertion, and you’d be taking some of the ghost back home with you.
(or: Three times the trio takes care of their own.)
chapter three of aftershocks is up!! thus concludes the adventure i hope you had a good time :3 endless thanks as always to @grasslandgirl who i would literally not write anything without. she has SUCH a banger in the works im so excited for yall to read !!
read aftershocks here!
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(@shatteredwastes)
Gaster had to admit that the area Papyrus chose was nice.
He wondered if Papyrus actually put some level of thought into it, or if it was simply random choice based on the proximity to a forest.
It was calm and quiet, distant enough from the nearby village that there was only an occasional holler on the wind when the inhabitants got a bit too wound up. It happened sometimes, being off on your own.
The ground was mostly flat save for the occasional knot of a long gone tree, or miscellaneous rocks that had lodged themselves into the dirt. It was unclear how fertile the land was, but they could always try to plant a garden. A few discrete trees provided shade during the most brutal time of day, before clumping together to make the outskirts of the forest.
Ebott was nearby enough to be an ominous shadow on the horizon, but far enough that it was unlikely any of the inner inhabitants would bother them, save for the visits from Gaster's children.
He wondered if the basic markings Papyrus had set for the foundation would be large enough for Lily...
The village too was nice; and diverse. It had originally startled Gaster to see humans among the inhabitants... but it was fine; certainly no one would cause trouble. After all, the village had a relaxed and carefree atmosphere; they must have integrated in well.
Rabbit monsters seemed common, which Gaster found odd; he thought the vast majority of them resided in Snowdin. Canines and Felines seemed common as well, along with the occasional reptile or monster that defied easy comparison. Winged monsters, on the other hand, seemed less common. Gaster supposed they tended to prefer heights.
Children, even, ran about; particularly a trio of small rabbits carrying on, chasing each other around, adults simply shaking their heads at the nonsense.
The center of the village was marked by a massive fountain, what was likely the most elaborate construct in the area. The base had to be over fifty feet in diameter, with a second level nearly three-quarters as large, and the top an intricate flower (or something, Gaster genuinely didn't know what it was meant to be) blasting the water upwards. He would guess it to reach twenty feet at its peek.
It was unclear what sort of powerful magic powered the fountain, but the water was perfectly clear, and the villagers seemed to use it as both a communal bath and drinking hole.
With the fountain as the literal and metaphorical center of the place, everything else seemed to be structured around it, creating circular paths of buildings and houses. Of course, given the popularity of the fountain, businesses and merchants flocked to the area, causing the surrounding area to double as the primary shopping center.
Gaster wondered if there was some sort of enchantment that preventing the spray of the water from getting on everything.
Although there was some organization centered around that centerpiece, no two buildings were exactly the same, each one tailored to the individual monster's needs. Some were taller, some were shorter; some tucked underground. Some were constructed of stone, others of wood; even some other strange materials or construct.
Unlike the strange, awe-inspiring architecture of the mountain itself, most of the buildings here were simple, constructed as the needs came. They weren't amazing, but they were functional; cozy and homely.
It had everything that was needed for a simple and comfortable life; plenty of options for food; friendly inhabitants that seemed to look out for each other.
Gaster thought he could call it home.
He wondered if Lily would feel the same.
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Long-Tailed Manakins: The Ultimate Wingmen
Long-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis) are members of the manakin family Pipridae, a group of 54 passerine species. The manakins are often assocaited with other birds of paradise, due to their bright coloration and unique mating rituals. They are found only along the western coast of Central America, from Oaxaca, Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica, typically in tropical montane, moist, and dry forests.
C. linearis is larger than other manakins, about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 18 g (0.63 oz). Males have a black body with a bright blue back and a red cap, long pointed tail feathers, and orange feet. Females and immature birds are olive green, to better blend in with the canopy and avoid potential predators. The long-tailed manakin shares a close resemblance with four other manakin species, though their ranges don’t overlap.
Long-tailed manakins begin life in clutches of one or two eggs, which is carefully tended by their mother. Incubation lasts about three weeks, and hatchlings take another two weeks to leave the nest. Individuals take between three to five years to reach sexual maturity. Males spend most of this time, and the following adult years, practicing their courtship routine. Eventually they form a duet or trio with other, usually older, male long-tailed manakins, and perform from March through September. If they manage to inherit a position leading one of these groups and a female chooses them, the lucky guy mates with her once before going right back to his routine. These birds can live up to twelve years in the wild.
The mating ritual of C. linearis is noted for both its complexity and its unusual social foundation. Males in groups of two or three find a relatively horizontal branch in an open clearing and begin calling to attract a female. Once a female is in the vicinity-- or even if there’s not-- the group begins to perform. One by one they jump into the air, hover, then touch back down. In one variation of this dance, individuals land in the same spot and bounce quickly off again, while in the second variation they quickly rotate along the branch; all this is done while chirping in a loud, almost mechanical fashion. Once this sequence is concluded, the two ‘wingmen’ leave and the leader of the group performs a solo version of the same routine. If successful, only he is allowed to mate. Long-tailed manakin males can take up to eight years to perfect this routine, and most stay in the same groups throughout. One only inherits the alpha role when the current alpha dies or is no longer fit to mate.
Because they spend so much time practicing, performing, or chosing a mate, long-tailed manakins only forage for about an hour a day. During this time they eat lots of fruit, along with the occasional insect. Adults are typically left alone by predators, but eggs and young are often preyed upon by snakes, oppossums, monkeys, and lizards.
Conservation status: Long-tailed manakins have a relatively large range and stable population, so the IUCN has rated them Least Concern. Their primary threat is habitat loss; though they are pretty birds, they are difficult to rear in captivity and are not popular pets.
If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!
Photos
Alejandra Echeverri
Emily Duval
Kenneth Reyes via eBird
youtube
#long-tailed manakin#Passeriformes#Pipridae#manakins#birds of paradise#perching birds#birds#tropical forests#tropical rainforests#mountains#central america#western central america#biology#zoology#animal facts
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On September 5th 1750, the poet Robert Fergusson was born in the Canongate in Edinburgh.
He may have only lived for 24 years, the last of which was traumatic, but those short years not only inspired Scotland’s best-known bard Robert Burns and the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, it also paved the way for better treatment of people with mental health conditions thanks to the work of Doctor Andrew Duncan.
Robert Fergusson was born of Aberdeenshire parents in Cap-and-Feather Close, in Edinburgh’s Old Town, on 5 September, 1750. The street has since disappeared, having been demolished during Fergusson’s lifetime to make way for the North Bridge, many of you will have walked over where Cap-and-Feather Close, it is said to have been where the junction at the Tron Church is, the road that now takes you over North Bridge towards Princes Street.
After primary education in Edinburgh, Fergusson entered the city’s High School in 1758, attaining a bursary to attend the Grammar School in Dundee in 1762. Two years later, he enrolled in St. Andrews University. As a student, Fergusson became infamous for his pranks, having once come close to expulsion. Despite this riotous reputation, the poet’s education stayed with him, he moved back to Edinburgh to support his mother, after the death of his father.
He got a job as a copyist for the Commissary Office main concern was, of course, poetry, and on 7 February, 1771 he anonymously published the first of a trio of pastorals in Ruddiman’s Weekly Magazine. Originally he wrote in English but by 1772 he had started to use the Scottish dialect in the standard Habbie verse form - a form which would later be copied and made famous by Robert Burns, indeed this style is now called the Burns stanza, perhaps it should be The Fergusson Stanza?
Fergusson’s own muse was Allan Ramsay and, like the be-turbaned Ramsey, followed a bit of a bohemian lifestyle in Edinburgh, which was then at the height of an intellectual and cultural tumult as the nerve centre of the Scottish Enlightenment. He wrote a total of fifty poems in Scottish English and thirty-three in the Scots language, but it is for his remarkable exploits in the latter genre that he should be acknowledged and acclaimed. His poetic subject matter paints vivid accounts of the life and characters of ‘Auld Reekie’ and drunken encounters with the notorious Edinburgh City Guard of Captain Porteous, the ‘Black Banditti’ of ‘The Daft Days’.
Fergusson began to suffer from depression in 1773, biographers have described his condition as ‘religious melancholia’, but regardless of whether or not that was the case, he gave up his job, stopped writing, withdrew completely from his riotous social life, and spent his time reading the Bible. He had heard about an Irish poet, John Cunningham, who had died in an asylum in Newcastle. That inspired ‘Poem to the Memory of John Cunningham’, and Fergusson became terribly afraid that the same thing was going to happen to him. Tragically, his dark prediction came true. In August, 1774, Fergusson fell down a flight of stairs and received a bad head injury, after which he was deemed ‘insensible’. His friend, the good doctor Andrew Duncan, had no choice but to admit him to Darien House “hospital”, Bedlam.
Doctor Andrew Duncan, the name might be familiar to those from Edinburgh, on finding Fergusson before being admitted to the “hospital” described him as being in a “state of furious insanity” he saw no choice but to have Fergusson taken to the city’s Bedlam madhouse. Conditions at the Bedlam, which was attached to the Edinburgh Charity Workhouse behind modern-day Teviot Place, were notoriously awful. Patients were treated as inmates, locked in cold stone-flagged cells, with only straw for bedding. The young poet was only there for a matter of weeks when he suddenly died. He had only just turned 24.
Fergusson was buried in an unmarked plot in The Canongate Kirkyard. On visiting Edinburgh in 1787, Burns paid for a headstone over his long-neglected grave, commemorating Fergusson as ‘Scotia’s Poet. I have taken many friends to visit Fergusson’s last resting place over the years, mainly down to my late mother’s love of Burns, but also because I love showing people around my hometown.
The first picture shows the statue of Robert Fergusson outside the Canongate Church, with my very own Saltire attached to it, if passing go pay your respects to the man, who inspired Rabbie Burns, who, under different circumstances might have been lauded as our National Bard, if you like a wee whisky perhaps raise a glass tonight on what might have been “Fergusson’s Night”
The pics are my own, I drop into Canongate Kirkyard almost every time I am in the area.
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Happy STS! :D What are the dynamics like between your main cast of characters?
Happy ST...M, Cilly💜
Ok. I was meaning to delve into it for a while, so thank you for the excuse. There are a couple more characters popping up in later books, but the main recurring cast looks something like this:
Description with additional details below the cut:
In the middle we have the main trio: Ianim, Gullin, Lissan. I labelled it as 'OT3 QPR', although their relationship evolves the most throughout the trilogy. Ianim and Gullin start of as close friends and exes through circumstances (difference in rank making a romantic/sexual relationship forbidden, and Ianim being too anxious to want the risk). Lissan meets them at the beginning of Gifts of Fate, and the three of them become very close friends, though I haven't yet decided where they end up, other than still inseparable. Currently thinking that Lissan and Gullin romantically court Ianim, while their own relationship is more like friends with benefits?
Marta is Lissan's younger sister, and they are on very good terms. Lineas is their father. Their mother isn't in the picture (divorced, left them some 14 years ago).
Anthea is Ianim's older sister, and their relationship is very strained. She's the source of most of his anxieties and unintentionally makes him feel not good enough, while in truth is trying to give him space and as much freedom as their roles allow. She's the First Prince, he's the Prince Successor. The White Dragon is their grandfather, and Ianim's primary parental figure. He's also the legendary prince and the oldest person alive in the setting (about... oh, 3 millennia old?).
Anthea and Erya are coworkers (the Chief Strategist and the Army's spymaster respectively), and meet weekly for a game of chess. Their relationship is explored in The Prince's Shadow.
Varré... Their role is a bit more complicated. Their vocation is to find street urchins Gifted by Fate and give them means of improving their lives. They found Erya over a century earlier and pretty much... housetrained the feisty little ferret. Now she's such an integral member of their family that she calls their mother 'Ma'. Gullin was found less than half a century ago, and thanks to their mentorship became known as the resident prodigy, the youngest Brigadier in history. That makes Gullin and Erya sort of... distant relatives in this (quite literally) found family?
Erya is the Captain General of Intelligence and Internal Security Corps, Varré her second, Gullin and Catnip Brigadiers serving under their command.
Gullin, Catnip, Artio, and Nikols are a bunch of drinking buddies who meet almost daily for a drink in a pub in the evening.
One thing that didn't fit on the graph was how far back Nikols, Ianim, and Gullin go. Ianim and Gullin shared a room at the military academy as cadets, while Nikols was an officer cadet. There's a tradition that an officer cadet takes care of a fresher, to show them around and offer them advice when they may not want to go to their instructors or administrative staff. The officer cadet in this role is referred to as 'stork'. Nikols was Ianim's stork, so of course he dragged the Princeling to a pub repeatedly, until Ianim loosened up. Gullin's stork wasn't very outgoing, so he tagged along with them.
Characters not listed on the picture include Mikkel and Claren, two brothers who are tutors and honour guards of Anthea and Ianim, respectively, and Renna of the Sixth Tree, who's a thorn in the First Prince's side.
I'm going to add Days of Dusk taglist, in hopes that this will clarify some of the vignettes I posted (please message me to +/-): @acertainmoshke @another-white-void @cee-grice @cljordan-imperium @elshells @goldxdarknesss @poetinprose @sparrow-orion-writes @tisiphonewolfe
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Fiore Folklore and Spirituality: Part 1- Legendary Beasts
Ok so before I can explain the thing with eevees, I need to start with the legendary beasts. I'm not an anthropologist, historian, or folklorist, so this is based on what I remember from school, and picked up living in Fiore all my life.
So in Fiore, like in nearby(ish) Johto, the primary pokemon worshiped have been the legendary beasts: Raikou, Entei and Suicune. And "worshiped" is definitely the correct word. There is a massive and elaborate temple dedicated to these three pokemon. It's somewhat defunct now, but the belief has far from died out.
Some people still outright worship these three pokemon in a way similar to deities. While the temple is no longer in regular use, people have at-home shrines, often featuring an item representing each pokemon (e.g. a candle, a cup of water, and a piece of metal; or volcanic rock, pearl, and fulgurite).
Some accept them as simply rare and powerful pokemon. Not holy, but worthy of respect/reverence.
And of course, there are people who don't believe in legendaries at all.
Even for people who don't literally believe in the legendary beasts, it's baked into the culture. A lot of swearing and oaths are based on Entei, Raikou and Suicune. As is common in many regions (e.g. Galar and Kanto) the triad of fire-water-electricity is a common motif: in fairy tales, in character trios in fiction, in counting rhymes and simple games. There is a weather phenomenon of loud winds that people call "Suicune's howling". Ball lightning (which is yet to have one distinct cause/scientific explanation) is traditionally attributed to Raikou.
Folklorically, the three beasts are associated with disasters, their origin legend being that they were pokemon resurrected by Ho-oh after a brass tower was hit by lightning, caught fire, and was put out by rain. In Fiore (and I'm sure elsewhere) Entei is associated with volcanic eruptions primarily, but has gained an association with wildfires as well. Raikou is naturally linked to thunder/lightning, and Suicune with flooding, rainstorms, and windstorms.
While "disasters" has a certainly negative connotation, that's not the attitude I've observed from believers. Much as the legendary beasts themselves were reborn from disaster, there's often a narrative or motif about life emerging from these wild natural phenomena.
I could be projecting, but it's something I see as very much fitting the ranger ethos, and it makes me wonder if worship of the legendary beasts culturally is part of what helped the Ranger Union get such a strong foothold here. A good ranger knows that wildfires are good for the health of the forest, that lightning helps make fertile soil (it's part of the nitrogen cycle!), that the floodplain is an important part of the ecosystem of a river. Whether at the spiritual or literal level, the goal is always to understand and live in balance with this phenomena.
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Round 1, Bracket 1, Side A, Eight poll
Art of Juligawa by @ryukogo
Ichie Otonashi and Fumi Yumeoji [Ichifumi], Revue Starlight ReLIVE vs July and Igawa [Juligawa], A3! Act Addict Actors
Story of Ichifumi by @insertbrowsinghere
This goes back to, specifically, May 16th of 2022. I was trying to get into the Revue Starlight mobile game, since there was apparently a lot of my other favorite ship from the franchise, Junnana, in it. The problem was that I was having the problem I always have with new games of its nature, that being difficulty getting attached to the new characters. So, I decided to look through their descriptions on the loading screen during a big update. Two characters caught my eye, those characters being the character Michiru, and, more importantly, Ichie.
I posted that I think she was going to take over my brain (I was right) and a pal of mine mentioned that she and Fumi were a little gay together. I responded that I hadn't seen them together and was awaiting to see them, but I didn't expect to love them together. I just expected to know that they existed. I was so very wrong and as I am currently gazing at the exact moment I learned of them as a couple while looking for the exact moment I fell in love with them, I can only laugh at old me.
Suddenly they were hitting all my ship dynamics and Ichie became a primary reason as to why Fumi is even in the main cast. Surely, though, they wouldn't grow on me that much, I thought. They were silly together, but there was only so much depth there, right? Not anything that would soon rot my brain, anyways. Boom, Ichie reassuring Fumi that she beloved her and Fumi seeking out Ichie when the performance department was shut down. Boom, heavy emotional reliance between the two which transcended their usual dynamic. Boom, the ducking "Selfie-Master's Seminar" memoir. That last one ruined my life so much and by that point, I was in too deep.
I pathetically added them to my bio alongside my other three main ships, turning that trio into a life-ruining quartet. I began hunting for cards with stories centered around them but it couldn't get worse, I told myself. Then came Arcania Arcadia chapter 3/main story chapter 15. This ruined me, and it was all because of the fucking Ichifumi revue. There were other reasons attached, but that revue destroyed me.
The not at all serious reveal that Fumi had been supporting Ichie's streaming silently and secretly. Ichie calling out Fumi on her glamorization of the idea of beauty in death, since she saw it as an excuse. Ichie telling Fumi that she wanted to know more about her. Ichie's wish to see a stage that Fumi alone formed, in a franchise where this kind of thing is just sort of a love confession most of the time. Ichie letting Fumi win out of trust in her and Fumi doubting if she was truly the victor. All the impact this had on Fumi later. I was dying at this point, and then this game decided to beat my corpse down a little more by putting in the later scene where they reflected on their revue, Fumi tried to apologize, Ichie told her not to and they both resolved to move forward together.
Another stab was taken at my corpse with the scene in the final chapter where Ichie finally got to see a stage belonging to Fumi, and got to hold pride in it. I realized then I was in too deep. The characters I originally only expected to ship a little if at all had ruined my life. I could do nothing about it. I still can't and I am still in Ichifumi hell. Help.
Story of Juligawa:
When twitter bots were still active there was this bot called the Cursed Prompt Guy (@a3_promptbot) that randomly generated prompts and characters together. One fateful day, it generated this prompt .
[ CHARACTERS: Tenma Sumeragi, July // PROMPT: Butterfly kiss, Loyalty ]
Ss you may notice there is no slash, meaning it's just the two characters, no ship whatsoever. this is important.
See the thing here is that the character, Tenma Sumeragi, is the son of two world-famous actors. He was a child actor for TV before he decided to choose his own path and become a theater actor (since A3! is about theater boys), being a child actor means he had a manager, right? Enter: Igawa.
I was staring at the prompt, and for an entire moment, I just randomly thought 'now why would July swear loyalty to Tenma Sumeragi?'. This thought was immediately followed by '... hmmm (goes on Twitter/Discord servers) hey guys how old is july/igawa again', and then my friends, indulgently, answered me on both platforms - they were within the age range of each other as respectable adults
And then I just SAT THERE because at that very moment my brain EXPLODED like I was JIMMY NEUTRON because this ship did NOT make sense at all and YET, AND YET EVERYTHING MADE SENSE in my head suddenly for some reason.
See the first doddle I made of them with a caption
And my friends were like 'AYO HOLD ON HOLD ON RYU ARE YOU OKAY' and all I said was smth like 'sometimes things happen' and then about five hours later I published the first fic for them on Ao3. Apparently i wrote the fic at 8-ish PM on the same day I made the first doodle (at 6PM) then finished the fic around 11-ish PM.
And then my friend who is one of my ride-or-dies also published a fic around 12 midnight soon after me. I think the majority of the English-speaking fandom/western fandom who knows us thinks we're kinda crazy. It's okay we just like to indulge.
#round 1#bracket 1#side A#eight poll#tumblr polls#shipping polls#ichie otonashi#fumi yumeoji#ichifumi#revue starlight relive#july a3#igawa a3#juligawa#a3 act addict actors#how did I end up shipping this poll
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Clean House.
Synopsis: You and the Hantengu brothers (and the other superiors) go on a mission to get rid of unwanted people.
This is heavily inspired by the mission of MW 2019, with the same name of this story.
All five of them sat in the vans, prepping their weapons as they wait for the van to make sudden stop. They checked their magazines, their attachments, their primary and secondary weapons, all of them were prepped and ready to go.
They all felt the van make a soft stop as they heard the sound of the driver leaving the van. One of the brothers backhanded the other brother's vest as he asked him, "You ready for this, Aizetsu?" The man with ocean-blue eyes nodded as he responded, "Let's just get this job over with." He said as he pulled up his neck gaiter and put on the black tactical helmet that had night vision goggles.
"You gotta learn to lighten up little bro. We're getting paid to do shit like this." Karaku said as he put on his helmet as well, "At least live a little like this your last mission." He said, smacking his helmet, and physically prepping himself up.
"All of you, shut up and get ready." Sekido barked at all three of them as he had a firm grip on his rifle. The brothers and you followed suit as the backdoor of the van opened and showed a man wearing all black gesturing to get out. Karaku pats your leg as he says, "Let's go." And walks out.
Each of them got out of the van individually and crouched down to see that they were in an empty field, with a big house a couple of yards away. All of them heard some sort of transmission go through their radios as they heard a voice call them. "Disciple 2, do you copy?"
"This is Disciple 2-1, go ahead."
"This is Disciple 1-1 coming to inform you that we are at the rear of the building, I say again, we are at the rear of the building. What's your ETA?"
"We parked at a different location, which could take us about two mikes, three at most. How copy?"
"Copy that Disciple 2-1, we'll stand by until you arrive at your location, copy that?"
"Copy that." He lets go of the button on his radio as he says, "Disciple Two, on me." And puts on his NVGs. All of the others followed suit as they did a slight crouch walk, trying to make minimal noise as they walked to the house. The sound of crickets filled the noise of them walking on the fallen leaves that were being crushed.
Once they arrived, they noticed a few silhouettes that looked fully equipped, standing next to the house that they were about to enter. Luckily they were easy to identify them as friendly as through their NVGs, seeing their Infrared Retroreflective patches blinking. Sekido presses the button on his radio as he says, "Disciple 1-1."
"Disciple 2-1 , go ahead."
"We see you. Coming to your location now."
"Copy that, 2-1. Meet us at the door."
"Copy that." They all moved on his go as they walked up to Disciple One. It was a trio of three, but these guys were the best of the best. The first two were tall, while the other was at shoulder height from both of them. Sekido lifted his NODs up as he walked up to the trio as he bowed down and said, "Lieutenants."
"Sargent." The tall lieutenant uttered. "Do all of you remember the brief?"
"Yes sir, only shoot if they have a weapon, look for anything valuable or something to help us gather intel." Sekido said to him as he then overheard the sound of someone talking inside the building. The lieutenant nods as he says, "Good. Get to your position. 1-3, you take the door, I'll cover you. 1-2, you kill the power the moment I call you through the radio, and consolidate when you do, got it?"
"Roger that, cap." The man with rainbow-colored eyes said as he turns around and paces himself to the back of the room as the short one whispered, "Can't stand that cunt..." "That should be something you should keep to yourself, now get the door."
The short lieutenant huffs as he says, "Rog'." And started to pick the lock. "Me and 2-5 will take the windows. It looks like they were dumb enough to leave the window open for some air. 2-2, 2-4, you follow 1-1 and 1-3, got that?" He said, as he looked back at Karaku and Aizetsu. "You got it, boss." Karaku said in a sassy tone, "Mm." And Aizetsu hums as he gets into position.
"So, what should I do?" Urogi asked Sekido. "Watch 1-2's back. I'm sure you can do that, right?" Urogi shrugs his shoulder as he says, "I guess..." and starts to walk around the building. Sekido looks at you and says, "Let's go."
(Y/N) holstered their rifle as they reached for their back and grabbed the extendable ladder. They propped the ladder on their foot, and extended it up long enough for it to prop against the slightly open window. (Y/N) slowly climbed up the ladder enough for them to look into the interior of the house, and see that this was the kitchen. "Is it clear?" Sekido softly whispered to them as (Y/N) looks back at him and says, "Yeah, it's clear. Looks like its just the kitchen. Still, better safe than sorry." (Y/N) said as they took out a suppressed pistol out of their sidearm holster.
"1-3, coming up from the stairs to your right." (Y/N) looks to their right to see the lieutenant with pink eyelashes walking up the stairs along with the taller lieutenant, Aizetsu and Karaku behind him. (Y/N) climbed into the window, and they all made a sudden stop when they heard the sound of someone talking.
1-3 put his rifle down as he got behind the door, and waited for them to come through. The door opens as a woman wearing casual clothing went through. "...I'll get the kettle on." She said as she turned her head to see four individual wearing all black military equipment.
She froze in fear as she was about to scream, but then 1-3 put his hand on her mouth as he took her down to the floor and hushed her. He put the woman's hands together as he grabbed a pair of cable ties and wrapped them around the lady's wrists, detaining her. "Doors, move." 1-1 commanded as (Y/N) went to the door on the left, and Karaku went to the door on the right.
(Y/N) slowly peeked the door open as they saw a middle-aged man having a conversation with someone. (Y/N) pushes the door open as they say, " Hands up, now!" Through their peripherals, (Y/N) sees another man reaching for some sort of pistol that was lying down on the table. Before he could aim it at them, Karaku shot him in the head twice, making the man's body collapse and go limp.
Before the others could get a chance to grab their weapons, (Y/N) and Karaku shot the other two dead, leaving one body dead sitting down, and two on the ground lying in their blood. Karaku does a wolf whistle as he notes, "That was pretty smooth, if we're being honest." (Y/N) hums in agreement as they comment, "Too bad they didn't comply."
"Yeah, but what else could you do at the end of the day? It's either us or them, and personally, I choose us." (Y/N) hums again as shortly after they both neutralized the three targets, 1-1 pressed the button on his radio as he says to 1-2, "1-2, we're inside. Kill the power."
"Ask, and ye shall receive, captain." And the lights immediately went out the moment 1-2 said that. "Whoa." Aizetsu softly educed as he then put his NODs down to his face. "Let's make this quick and easy. 2-4, you take the lead up the stairs while 2-5 and 2-1 cover you, got it? Once you know the floor is clear, give us a call." 1-3 commanded him, despite not being second in command, for that was 1-2's job, but he wasn't here at the moment so he took advantage while he still could.
"Got it." He said as he propped his rifle up, and slowly went up the stairs. (Y/N) and Sekido followed him as they were going up the stairs, hearing the sound of rumbling through the walls. (Y/N) and Sekido took cover on the left side of the door, while Aizetsu took the right. He looked at the doorknob, grabbed it, and slowly twisted it as he softly pushed the door, and then was met with the sonorous sound of a 9mm pistol shooting.
The bullets penetrated the door, and stuck to the wall, nearly grazing Aizetsu's forearm. He did a double-check to see that there was a door that led to the outside balcony so he frantically pointed at the door, and they both looked behind. Sekido opened the door and saw that there was enough room for both of them to walk through. Sekido leaned to the left to see through his NODs to see a man sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, aiming his pistol at the door.
Sekido aimed with his IR laser, and gave two quick shots to the man's head, his body sliding down to the right side of the floor, his blood oozing out through both holes of his head. "Hostile down." Aizetsu comes into the room and sees the dead body, but looks around to see if anyone else is there. "Floor secure?" (Y/N) asked him as he turned around and nodded as he radioed the others, "Floor secure."
"Rog', comin' to ya." 1-3 acknowledged as Urogi commented through the radio, "Sounds like y'all a having a party up there. Make sure to save some for the rest of us." (Y/N) chuckled as they pressed the button on the radio and responded, "Better hurry up, or else 2-1 will kill them all before we do." (Y/N) said as they looked at him, and he scoffed." The others came upstairs, with 1-1 coming up first with Urogi, and 1-2 behind him. "We got the next floor. 2-3, you're with me, 1-2, you do the same."
"Got it." Urogi acknowledged.
"Yes sir." And so did 1-2. They all began to walk up the stairs, not hearing a single sound being made as they were coming up. It almost felt eerie, only hearing the sound of their footsteps pressing on the stairs as they entered the 3rd floor. They were slowly walking through the hall when they heard the sound of someone shouting, "OUTSIDE THE DOOR!" and fired some sort of automatic rifle, hitting Urogi.
Not only did the bullets hit Urogi, but it made a big hole for a throwable object to go through. 1-2 grabbed a flashbang out of his pouch, pulled the pin out, and chucked it into the room as he turned his head back to avoid the blast. Once the flashbang went off, 1-2 kicked the door open, and gave the target three shots, one to the eye, one to the sternum, and one to the heart.
1-1 was quick to assist him as someone was hiding behind some couch, but luckily they were affected by the flashbang so he was quick to dispose of them. They both explored the room to confirm to see if there was anyone else, and 1-2 said, "Floor is clear of enemies."
Meanwhile, Urogi was seething in pain as he rocked himself left and right curled up into a ball on the ground. Luckily, the bullet went straight through him, but it still hurt like hell. Karaku and Sekido pulled him back as they posted him up against the wall and took off his gear. "Fuck man, the hell did he shoot me with, a FAL?"
"Either that, or something else that has a 7.62 caliber." 1-3 commented as he crouched down to him, and pulled his shirt up to check the wound. His eyebrow raised up at seeing the result of the bullet hitting him, it looked clean, in the loose sense as there was blood leaking out of him. "Take his shirt off, and apply pressure to both sides of the hole."
Aizetsu and (Y/N) watched Urogi getting fixed up, but they were got called by their superiors as 1-1 says, "He'll be fine. C'mon, 2-5, you take the lead this time."
"Right." (Y/N) softly spoke out as they propped their rifle up, and took the lead going up the stairs. As Aizetsu, 1-1, and 1-2 were following them, they all heard the sound of a baby crying in one of the rooms. (Y/N) felt their hearts beating out of their chest as they got closer and closer to the source of the noise. (Y/N) took their finger off the trigger as they grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.
"P-Please don't shoot!" Said the woman in distress with a bawling baby in her arms. (Y/N) let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't sort of trap as they then looked around to see if there was anyone else in here. (Y/N) looked back to see a door that could've been another room, so they slowly walked to it, meanwhile Aizetsu was trying to console the woman, and the infant.
It looked like nothing was in this room until they saw a muzzle flash under the bed, they aimed where the flash came from and fired at least six bullets at the source. They flipped the bed over to see a man lying down with bullet holes in his body. They checked the bathroom as they closed their eyes to control their heart rate and breathing as they patted themselves and said, "Floor secure."
They walked out of the room as they got behind 1-1 and started to go up to the final flight of stairs. He tried to open the door, but it was locked, so he looked at (Y/N), and gestured for them to open it. (Y/N) nods as they backed up a few inches, and kicked the door one, two, three times until they gave a powerful fourth kick, breaking the door open.
1-1, and (Y/N) trained their guns on the unarmed female as they pleaded, "Don't shoot. Don't shoot, please!" While they were frantically looking back. "Don't move!" (Y/N) barked at them, but she didn't comply. "They were going to kill me! They locked me in here!" And then she made a quick turn to grab something, but 1-1, and (Y/N) both lit her up.
The sound of their cartilages hitting the floor once they finished firing on the woman who slowly fell limp as they took off their NODs and looked around. (Y/N) grabbed some sort of remote as they puffed and said, "Fuck me, she was going for the detonator." 1-1 grabbed a laptop that had a tab open has he responded, "Well, it's a good thing we took her down before she could blow us up."
"Would you call this a job well done?"
"We'll celebrate once we gather the intel. Speaking of which..." he takes out a USB out of his pocket, and inserted it into the laptop as he opened the settings and ported the folder to the USB. He closed the laptop, and changed frequencies on his radio as he says, "Overlord, this is Disciple 1-1, how copy?"
"Copy 1-1, what's your situation?"
"We might have found positive intel, we have three captives and eight K.I.A. How copy?"
"Copy that, 1-1. Make sure you bring that intel here safely, and bring the captives back to base."
"Copy, 1-1 out." He grabs the laptop and goes back down the stairs as Urogi is quickly patched up, although he needs to be carried by his brothers. They all left the building as they went in opposite directions where they came from, whereas Disciple 1 was taking the captives to their van. (Y/N) retracted the ladder and stocked it back on their back as Disciple 2 walked back to their van.
(Y/N) opened both of the back doors as Sekido and Karaku placed Urogi on the van floor to let him rest. All of them, minus Urogi, sat down in the van as (Y/N) smacked the van, signaling the driver that they were ready to go. The sound of the van's engine became audible as the van made a U-turn, and started to drive.
Urogi sighs as he says, "Even though my ass got shot, I still had a fucking blast doing this." He laughs, but then winces in pain. "C'mon you guys, have a sense of humor. In a couple of weeks, I'll be back in the field as if nothing happened."
"Just shut up and get some rest." Sekido shut Urogi down as Urogi huffed as Karaku said, "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, you tanked that shit like a G, my guy. Never seen anyone tank a shot like that." Urogi softly laughed as (Y/N) commented, "Yeah. Maybe if you're lucky enough, you'll get a Purple Heart for this."
"One can dream, right?" Urogi said as he chuckled. He then yawns as he babbles on, "Man, I feel tired. Wake me up when we stop at our base, and see if I'm not dead by the time we get there." Sekido scoffs while Karaku says, "You got it, little bro." And (Y/N) nods in agreement as they all said nothing for the remainder of the ride.
#demon slayer#kimetsu no yaiba#demon slayer fanfic#demon slayer scenarios#aizetsu#urogi#karaku#sekido#hantengu clones#military au#akaza#kokushibo#douma
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Primary Color Characters Showdown
So I’m seeing all these duos and even rainbow group color brackets…what about one with three colors?
This bracket is very much inspired by brackets like @purpleandyellowshowdown @yellowandgreenbracket @purpleandredbattle @black-and-yellow-bracket @skittlesquadsquabble @purplebluebracket (+ so, so many more)
Couple of rules:
Only submit fictional characters
Although this poll is mainly meant for trios, I will accept single characters only IF they prominently display red, blue, and yellow in their design (single fully rainbow colored characters will not count)
You are allowed to submit multiple different trios/character, but don’t spam submit the same trio/character
Propaganda is allowed and encouraged- tag it under #PCCpropaganda (optionally, pls ping me in such post if you do make some!)
SUBMIT YOUR CHARACTER(S) HERE>
Open from March 9th to March 19th, closes at 8pm EST!
Other
I am running another color bracket called @secondarycolorcharacterbrackets if anyone is interested!
My name is Nicolas, pronouns they/he
This is my first time running one (technically two) of these bracket things so I hope this goes well!
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About Karen Page
so. i know this weird little argument should've ended long ago. but i'm in the process of rewatching the defenders saga and i'm actually in the middle of s2 of Daredevil....AND YES I WANNA WRITE A WHOLE TUMBLR POST ABOUT KAREN OK
but first, i wanted to give a little extra info or context or whatever i'm supposed to call it
here are the links to the posts relevant here
0 (me)
1 (me)
2 (me)
3 (nyxxhecate)
4 (nyxxhecate)
5 (nyxxhecate)
also the comments count too. look at whatever nyxxhecate commented on these posts
I unblocked nyxxhecate since i first blocked them, out of honest curiosity. right before i'm writing this actually.
I just wanted to see if they've commented anything else since then or if they made posts on their own about their opinions on Daredevil. Three of the links above are their posts, and idk if tumblr notifies for that but I still don't want to @ them.
I'm not interested in debating with them or starting another argument, and couldn't care less of they see this or not. I am not writing to this person like i was in my other posts, nor am i answering to their comments or whatever points they brought up in their reblogs.
there is ONE thing they said that rang with me though :
"knock your fucking self off that pedestal you're trying to put yourself in. Imagine the level of delusion one must have to think they're intelligent because, *checks notes* they typed in word salad to defend why they like two atrocious TV characters LMAO. You're on Tumblr not the fucking Congress, get a grip IJBOL"
I'm gonna be honest here - I DO enjoy typing word salad. I enjoy writing. I enjoy writing essays. I enjoy trying to use exact words to say what i want to say.
English is my second language, technically, yes, but I have been speaking it for more then ten years, and i'm doing my best to improve because i'm hoping that i'll get to work in english some day. My accent isn't perfect but I'm confident in my spelling and writing and everything.
I've been raised in french, I've done primary, middle and high school in french, and my uni is also french-speaking. I write everything in french all of the time. But since i've taught myself to think in english first sometimes, and none of my irl friends or family like Daredevil or Breaking Bad or anything i like in general - I don't get many chances to argue irl.
So yes, I use Tumblr as an outlet to type as much as I want, even if that means talking to a wall, but at least i get to talk about (IN LENGTH) things i love - and open some kind of discussion (although i'm not blind, i know that rarely anyone replies or anything, but that will hopefully come in time)
---
Now that that's said - let's get to the actual main course :
Karen Page !
As I've said in the beginning i am in the middle of s2 of DD, just finished EP6 : Regrets Only to be precise. I've already got a few things to say.
but first : I'll only talk about her in S1 and S2 and Defenders - because believe it or not, as much as I love Daredevil I AM SORRY but I HAVE NOT YET WATCHED SEASON 3. i miraculously haven't been spoiled about much, all I know is that Matt wakes up in church after his "death", boxes there, there's some kind of detective that seems important and he fights with Fisk again in his black outfit. THAT'S ALL I KNOW AND LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.
So.
what do i, Onyx LastName, think of Karen's character.
On my first watch, I didn't like her at all.
Not because she was a "hypocrite"or whatever everyone else is spewing but because I had this huge crush on Matt and was jealous of her.
I'll admit, that's all that my judgement was based on. I thought I didn't like her chemistry with Matt, the way that it made the Nelson-Murdock-Page trio awkward, and how it left Foggy on the sidelines. I like him. I related to him. He was suffering of Sidekick syndrome, with Matt getting powers, getting to be the hero, getting all the ladies, etc etc. I spent my whole life and I'm still actually spending it feeling like I have Sidekick Syndrome myself. If you also feel like you got that you'll know what I mean.
"So Foggy has a special place in your heart. Boohoo. what does that have to do with anything?" You've read this far and you're JUST NOW running out of patience??
Since that initial watch, and after watching countless videos, reading countless fanfics, and honestly my taste just having changed - my perspective of Matt shifted, and so has my opinion on Karen.
I don't think i'm blinded by my attration to Matt anymore, even if he still holds a special place in my heart.
But unfortunately, I still have some issues with Karen's character.
I don't think I've ever really talked about it on here, except maybe with a friend or two in dms, but it's true that I don't really like her. Or how was she was written. This post is not structured or outlined, it's a stream of consciousness...so let's hope i get the answer to that by the end of it.
Now i'm nowhere near agreeing with ANY of what nyxxhecate said, but knowing I wanted to have a definitive opinion of her and make a post about it maybe, I've been looking at her closely during my rewatch - and there are some things I've missed.
So, first, to correct my previous post,
Why is Karen attracted to Matt in the first place?
I made my post about the Foggy and Karen thing before rewatching and refreshing my memory of the ACTUAL EVENTS. I just wrote that in passing after seeing a reaction of that "date" at Mrs. Cardenas.
Here is an updated take :
I think Karen fell for Matt when she first lied to him about keeping the Union Allied file.
You just lived through an intense traumatic experience. You find yourself with a bloody knife in your hand next to the lifeless body of someone you knew and found really nice. Someone tries to hang you in your prison cell at night to make it look like you killed yourself, and no one believes you.
until Nelson and Murdock come in. You're not sure about their intentions at first but they seem kind and most importantly they believe you and are willing to defend you. They're giving you a chance. Not good samaritans but literal guardian angels.
While Foggy is hesitant at first, Matt "I believe you Miss Page"s you right off the bat. (everything's a verb if you squint hard enough)
Matt invites you to his place and assures he'll protect you.
Matt opens up about his blindness and is willing to be vulnerable in front of you.
Matt gives up his silk-sheeted bed to make sure you're comfortable.
All of that when you're vulnerable and Matt is tall and handsome and has this charming smile and ugh. How not to fall for him ? I mean you're wearing his shirt and the beautiful pink lighting in his living room is making everything all romantic. Also if you've noticed the billboard outside his window is for "Xining Airways", company that uses CHERRY BLOSSOM imagery in their advertisement. COME ON.
But then you get to talking about the case again - I mean the reason you're here in the first place - and he asks you an important question.
Did you keep the file?
You lie and say you didn't, feeling your heart beating faster. You're not even sure that sounded convincing at all. And you see the cogs turning in his head, and even if he let you off the hook, you know deep down he didn't really believe it. May seem like me extrapolating here but it IS obvious that he doesn't believe her. But as long as he's not pushing further, that doesn't change much for Karen anyway.
I think that his expression reads that he's seeing right through her.
He believed her when no one else would the first time - but seemingly for no reason.
Matt just KNEW you didn't do it. He saw right through you. You almost feel like he knows what you're thinking.
And again, that kind of connection that you're feeling, in an especially emotionally vulnerable state - plants the seed for love. EASILY.
Any of their awkward flirting before they started dating i am willing to close an eye on.
AFTER THAT? that's just cruel to Foggy and unprofessional and weird in general. Why the HELL are you holding hands in front of whatever DA or cop you just talked to to walk in Frank's hospital room?
Why are you kissing in front of Foggy???
I can understand the thing at Josie's but when you're in the middle of dealing with an extremely important case and Elektra's driver shows up out of nowhere and you're abandoning your partner in a situation that you created and ugh. ew. It's all so weird.
I don't like Karen and Matt dating any more than I did on the first watch but I don't see it through jealousy-tinted glasses and more for what it actually is. misplaced.
Season 2 is the least favorite Daredevil season of anyone I've ever met or talked to and I completely agree that the structure is strange, even if I get what they wanted to do with juxtaposing
Daredevil/Elektra/Hand stuff
and
Matt/Karen/Punisher stuff.
This juxtaposition, while I kinda get the vision, just isn't working. The Hand is the worst plot I have ever seen in my life, and that applies to Defenders too, so that's one reason, but the fact that they tried to mix everything together at once just felt weird pacing wise - and they lost characterization on Matt, Foggy and Elektra's part. All three and their relationships with each other were written weird.
...
Let's get back on track.
Season 2, Karen spends her time investigating and defending Frank.
And that is what she's most criticized for : "protecting and defending frank's actions" and "condemning Matt's lying when she's lying herself."
Frank Castle is a difficult subject.
He is the subject of many debates, wether in the fandom or in the actual show. Is he a hero? Are his murders justifiable? Are Matt and Frank two sides of the same coin? What message is he sending to the audience? How should he be interpreted by his audience? Is Frank redeemable? Is he a glorification or a fetishization of everything that's wrong with the USA? and so on so forth bla bla bla
What matters HERE is what KAREN thinks of him.
Karen is a very determined and ambitious journalist, to say the least. She'd do anything to get to the truth. These qualities that seem very noble at first are also her main flaws. By putting the story first, she throws caution the wind and that very recklessness of hers is what kills Ben Urich, and what compels her to defend Frank so adamantly.
But there's a facet of her personality that I haven't seen being delved into or explained anywhere - her sometimes misplaced but very much there Savior complex, or White Knight syndrome.
She empathized and honestly liked Mrs. Cardenas (a cute old little guatemalan christian lady, who had no one). She wanted to help her. She felt that she was treated unfairly, that all the tenants were treated unfairly, and that was what prompted her to want to take down Fisk. Fisk was using, manipulating and stealing blind people who were already unfortunate. Fisk is lying to the public and hiding his true criminal activities. Savior Complex is activated, now Karen has to find a way to bring him down, even if that means putting her nose where it doesn't belong and provoking the death of Ben Urich.
Now let's look at the situation in S2.
She empathizes with Frank Castle (a man who's entire family got killed and now has no one). He has some kind of moral code that seems noble to her. She feels that he's being treated unfairly, that no one is taking his dead family into account, or what he's already done as a soldier. Frank is unapologetically admitting and sticking by his actions and his code. He doesn't want to hurt anyone that doesn't deserve, in his eyes, to die. Reyes is not upholding her side of the wit-pro deal (She used Grotto as bait, someone Karen already empathized with). Reyes was purposefully trying to get Frank the death penalty for her own gain (she had her eye on the mayor's office) and is hiding a shady past. Savior Complex is activated, now Karen has to find a way to prove that Frank's not all bad and to expose Reyes, even if that means putting her nose where it doesn't belong and overstepping boundaries when she's not a lawyer, and frankly doesn't deserve to get Ben's desk or his job.
When you finally pin down her behavioral pattern and why she acts how she acts, it's easier to understand.
So yes, I understand Karen. (In my opinion at least.)
What makes her who she is is that savior complex of hers, that MORAL code of her own. How she sees herself and what she thinks is her PURPOSE is how she justifies her mistakes, or the risks she takes, to herself. As means to an end.
She doesn't seem to doubt herself or question herself enough to see that her behavior, even if her goal is noble, is not always right.
Her believing that she acts as a savior to others is precisely what makes her a little self-centered.
And, because Matt has this problem too sometimes, she is an interesting character to compare to him.
But now, see, as i've spend a lot of time writing this, my own cogs are turning. I think I've identified what my problem is with Karen.
It's how she's framed. by the writers. by the show.
We see Matt's guilt but don't see hers.
We see his internal turmoil but not hers.
We see him doubt himself all the time and seek for answers in his faith or in people but not her.
If we got to see Karen doubt herself more, show more of her guilt over her killing Wesley, her causing the death of Urich, that would make for a much more likeable and relateable character.
When she argues with Matt or something, what she says makes it seems "hypocritical" of her not to hold herself to the same moral standards than she does others.
But I don't think seeing the flaws in others means you don't see your own. Again, if we had seen Karen questioning and doubting herself, and feeling guilty for what she's done (and not just crying or having ONE nightmare about it. Her trauma should have been more explored in general. from the beginning.) then we'd see that she is self-aware and recognizes her own mistakes and her continuing to feed into her savior complex is her way of finding closure. or trying to save herself from being completely consumed by her own guilt.
So yes. I don't like Karen, not because I don't like her, but be..cause...I wish... we'd seen more of her? or at least framed her differently?
I didn't think I'd reach that conclusion. I thought I'd actually find a real reason not to like HER.
But that's maïeutique for you i guess. or to put it differently, rubber-ducking, right? Isn't that programming lingo?
Also maybe i'm not completely over how Matt and Karen third-wheeled Foggy. or how Matt doesn't really fit with any of his on-screen love interests and how I wish they hadn't dated. but that's a story for another day.
Thank you for reading this far, if you're still here! Tell me your thoughts and opinions on Karen or my own way of explaining it :)
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