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#someone who doesn't put their feelings last
orphiclovers · 2 days
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Actually I'm not done talking about yoohankim's awful digital footprint pre-scenarios. Kim Dokja gets a lot of flack for being chronically online and cringe and that's fair enough but let's just acknowledge that neither Yoo Joonghyuk or Han Sooyoung are ANY better.
For Han Sooyoung it's obvious. Despite having her own sucessful webnovel, presumably with fans who support her, she gets obsessed with her one hater who thinks she is a plagiarist, finds the "original" novel where this guy was the only commenter on every chapter, and instead of reading her own comments she spends her time reading HIS and imagining he's saying that about her writing. She does this for years. DERANGED BEHAVIOUR. Pre-scenarios Han Sooyoung has no excuse to be acting this crazy. Sent to internet jail for being weird online.
1863rd Han Sooyoung. Automatically get a pass to act unhinged bc after going through the apocalypse that's just expected and also the only person she talks to for 13 years is Kim Dokja and a creepy old man who calls her god, BUT. That being said she's a perfectly average and healthy internet user! Spends literally every waking moment writing a shitty webnovel so hard pieces of her soul chip away and infuse in it, sure, but she doesn't bother anyone, just does her own thing, posts the chapters and occasionally chats with her one commenter. The most normal one here. Somehow.
Kim Dokja. Big fan of a webnovel and can get intense about it sometimes, starts fights online defending his fave character, recommends the same novel so much he gets banned from forums, whatever. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE IS WHAT IM SAYING. This is nothing too crazy, only about the level of an average fandom superfan. Uses his real name online which is certainly a choice but some people do that in real life too. Giving him a pass, I was also a cringey emo teen on the internet once. (and im still cringe and emo)
Yoo Joonghyuk as seen in Yoo Mia side story. Absolutely glued to his phone. He checks it while eating breakfast, while in the car being driven to work, while literally walking down the street so that Yoo Mia has to tell him to put it away and hold her hand! He is basically addicted to reading hate comments about himself. In his narration he mentions that there are only a few regulars in the forums he lurks in and that he recognizes all their usernames, accidentally revealing that he's in too deep and officially lost in the sauce. Even his manager tells him he should stop reading the comments because they clearly upset him, but he justifies it to himself by thinking quote, "If someone has a grudge against him, he just needs to be prepared to face that hatred. Then everything is under his control."  That last line especially is such a cope, and reveals that this behavior is another one of his desperate attempts to feel in control of his life, and as pathetic as that is and as much as I feel sympathy this is being weird online and I'm sending him to Internet jail.
Bonus round: Secretive Plotter. Need I say anything. Absolutely glued to his phone AGAIN, no it doesn't make it better that sometimes it's his kkomas instead of him. Canonically has a bound book of every single comment Kim Dokja ever left on WOS, printed out, which is more freak mode than even Han Sooyoung went. Straight to jail.
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mandarinmoons · 3 days
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so basically, it’s Spencer and reader’s 3 month anniversary, and so reader made them matching bracelets or some sort of matching gift. he’s so appreciative of the gift and vows to wear it all the time and he goes into work with it. Derek or Emily playfully teases him about it because it’s his first real relationship and he’s basically got heart eyes for u and is wearing the gift. but ofc they’re just happy to see Reid content in a relationship and it’s out of love for him that they joke
Your tongue poked out of your mouth in concentration as you carefully thread the beads. A blue bead after a purple one and a pink and green one after the next few, the color choices didn’t exactly match but you didn’t mind, you were doing it based on how you felt and who you were feeling towards.
It was yours and Spencer’s three month anniversary coming up and you hadn’t been this happy in a while, if ever. You thought that little tokens like matching bracelets between couples were adorable and adopted to try and make some of your own. You took inspiration from all the crazy & colorful socks Spencer has in his wardrobe and wanted to see if you could make something akin, while also adding a few details that aligned with you.
Once the bracelets were done, you put one on yourself and wrapped the other one in gift wrapping, albeit it being done poorly it didn’t matter as it was the inside that counts.
You’ll never forget the joy in Spencer’s eyes when he unraveled the mess of colorful beads from the crinkly paper. He held it up and admired each bead carefully and tried to figure out exactly why each color had been chosen.
“Don’t think about the concept too much now, I made it by feeling not logic.”
Spencer grinned as you chuckled and enveloped you in a hug, his lips pressing a kiss into your hair, “That does seem to be the way you do things.”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it, would you like to do the honors?”
“Of course.”
Pulling back you took the bracelet from Spencer’s hand and slowly put it on his wrist.
“It fits perfectly.”
“It does, doesn't it? A starter wedding ring if you might.”
Spencer knew that you were just joking, but God knows how long he could hold it out until he actually was on one knee in front of you.
Walking into work, Spencer’s eyes darted back to the bracelet he was wearing every time it came into his peripheral vision. His lips curled up into a smile and his thumb brushed over the beads as he was reminded once again how much he loved you.
Spencer was brought out of thoughts by hearing chuckling.
“You got some new jewelry, pretty boy?”
Derek patted Spencer on his back and grabbed his wrist to look at the bracelet more closely.
“That must’ve taken a long time to make.”
“Ask Y/N, they made it.”
“Did they now?”
Spencer freed his hand from Derek’s grasp and nodded as he massaged the area Derek had a tight hold on.
“Now that’s adorable. I wish I had someone to do arts and crafts with.”
Spencer excused himself and went over to his desk to start with his work, and to try to hide the fact that he could feel his cheeks turning scarlet red. Morgan always had a way of tearing down his confidence, even if he meant it in a playful “brother” like way, it still got to Spencer at times and he didn’t always know if the things Morgan said were supposed to be taken in a good or bad way.
As the day went on, Spencer’s focus was turned to his work but he occasionally heard snickers coming ahead. He saw his teammates discussing something while glancing his way and he knew that the topic of the bracelet was in question.
Spencer was a very private person and the topic of you had come up only a few weeks ago and it had been a complete accident. The team were out in a nearby bakery, ordering some treats when Spencer ordered an extra one to bring you later. When asked about the extra donut, Spencer blushed and stuttered out that it was for you, and that’s how the team learned about the special person who had made Spencer the happiest he’d been since his last relationship.
Spencer felt his eyes drooping and saw it as a sign that his body needed some coffee. Quickly rising to his feet, he tried to maneuver his way past everyone so as to not become a topic of ridicule again. Derek called out to him, but Spencer walked ahead until he was in the kitchen and turned the coffee maker on.
A moment later, Derek walked into the kitchen and stood next to Spencer and watched him pour the coffee into his cup.
“Have you got something on your mind?”
“What?”
“You’ve been ignoring us all day, what’s up?”
“I just haven’t felt like talking.”
“That’s not the Doctor Reid that I know.”
Spencer shrugged and Derek chuckled as he realized what could’ve been the reason why Spencer was so quiet.
“You know I didn’t mean any harm.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I think it’s awesome, you know? I’m glad you found someone to be with, we all are. I’m sorry if it came off in a mean way, but I’m proud of you, I really am.”
The frown that had been present on Spencer’s face for the entire morning had now been replaced with a shy smile. Hearing someone be happy for him meant a lot, and it meant even more that it was coming from Derek Morgan.
“I’m still going to tell Y/N what you said.”
“Oh c’mon now, you know they won’t let me live it down ‘til the end of times.”
“That’s the whole point.”
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flor4zul · 1 day
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ok, this is hopefully the last i'll be talking about this, i'm too tired to make another call-out response doc, but as you can see here and here, @/somnimouse not only misgenders me all the way through, while defending her TME bestie's use of tranny in her game, prioritizing a fictional character over a living breathing transfem...
the "abuse" Somni refers to here are my past quarrels with other devs back in a time i really didn't know much better? I also never had power over these other devs, and the quarrels were mostly me asserting boundaries and what not. I clearly remember Somni in fact siding with someone way older than me who publicly belittled me.
personal arguments online are not abuse, especially when i indeed had others put me in my rightful place for my misbehavior.
it's very easy to frame someone you don't like as an abuser when you don't know what the hell abuse even entails. and not only that, your nonblack TME ass doesn't know what transmisogyny/noir is, which is what is very much being perpetuated here.
do not support the work of Z @/zelda-assassin , nor Remi @/plumrou, nor Somni, for these individuals are foul and would rather protect their fragile feelings over the safety of real life transfems. i said once and will say again, i am not your OC, and fiction impacts reality.
REBLÕG.
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darkstarofchaos · 3 days
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Spoilers for EarthSpark S2 below the cut.
The problem with Starscream isn't that he was evil. I have to lead with that because apparently if you complain about how he was handled, people are just going to assume you wanted him to be redeemed. I am not a Starscream redemptionist, nor am I a fan of "redemptions" where an evil character becomes a Good Guy. One of the biggest issues I have with Megatron redemptions is that he never actually has to address what he did to his own side, he just fucks off to join the other side/goes his own way. Suffice to say, I was not hoping for EarthSpark to "redeem" Starscream (unless it was in the more personal sense of trying to do better by his own people).
The problem with Starscream is not that he was evil. The problem is that, to make him the specific brand of evil the Powers That Be wanted, they had to completely ignore his previous characterization.
I honestly did not have a problem with most of his (admittedly few) scenes. His motivation for being Evil was disappointingly shallow, but him being grumpy-but-accepting of the new Terrans fit with his S1 characterization. The bit where Skywarp complains when he doesn't do anything to punish "Spitfire's" disrespect could easily have been spun as him trying to be a better leader after his talk with Hashtag. I liked that he isn't stingy with praise when someone accomplishes something. Even the painfully underdeveloped motivation could have been expanded into him trying to do what he thought was best for his faction. All the building blocks for a villainous-but-sympathetic Starscream were right there.
Which is why watching everything fall apart in the last 20 minutes felt like character assassination.
You cannot convince me that the Starscream who knew Hashtag for an hour and was ready to risk his life for her is the same Starscream who murdered two children without blinking. You cannot convince me that the Starscream who criticized Megatron's violent leadership would consider it a compliment when he's called more cruel than Megatron. I don't care what previous Starscreams were like, this one had an established characterization that does not work with what we see later. Not unless working with the Autobots briefly completely disillusioned him to the possibility of a lasting peace.
Also, love how the time skip allows them to just avoid any sort of fallout from having the people you were working with go back to trying to kill you. Love how there was no deeper reason to the war restarting than "they're Decepticons". Heaven forbid we get any sort of conflict with the two sides trying and failing to work together, and the falling out being a shared responsibility and not just "the Cons were actually still evil, lol". Can't have anyone grappling with how things went wrong and wishing they'd done something differently to maintain the peace. Megatron yells at Starscream to end the war like the Autobots played no part in it continuing. Which is obviously the intent, but it just feels like such a lazy copout to keep the Good Guys morally pure.
The Decepticons were being hunted down and locked up. They had no reason to think well of the Autobots or the humans, which means that if the Autobots wanted peace, it was their responsibility to reach out and prove that things could be different. Yes, the Decepticons would need to put in effort too, but they were not the ones - at least not the only ones - who needed to prove that they meant well. If the two sides worked together for a while and the Decepticons still unanimously rejected the possibility of ending the war, the Autobots share the blame for that decision.
I have plenty of other issues with how S2 is going so far (why was Nightshade the only Terran who got completely relegated to side character?), but I'll save my rant about the Chaos Terrans for later. It'll be huge, trust me.
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all i absolutely know is that if you have a child with levi, he will always make sure you and your kid are his main priority, always and forever. it doesn't matter if you two aren't dating anymore, he will make sure to always check on you and the toddler, even if he's seeing someone else.
casual sex was never really his thing, but he's been so stressed lately he gave it a shot. levi was making out with a random woman from the survey corps, just to ease the tension of the last mission. he lets his phone in late night mode, with no sounds. no sounds, except for YOUR number.
his phone rings. “yeah? y/n? is everything okay?” — he asks.
“hey, hm... he still has a fever, i don't know what else to do.” — your voice is clearly broken, you're about to cry.
“levi...?” — the woman asked.
“sorry, are you with someone else? i didn't-” — you say.
“shut up, i'm coming over. is the brat still breathing? did you bathe him with warm water?” — levi asks through the phone, wearing some pants and sliding a shirt on.
“yeah, i checked his temperature and gave him the baby proteins. but he refuses to breastfeed. i'm worried.” — your voice breaks down.
“i'll be there in ten.” — he turns off the phone.
levi grabs his keys and opens the door, “hey? what about me? are you leaving us for that woman?” — the girl asks.
“there's no us, get out of my bed, get dressed and leave.” — levi closed the door.
you're cooing with the little one who's been sneezing and whining. you've been humming a sweet melody to him, kissing his hands and caressing him when you hear the door opening. you and levi have the key of each other's places in case the baby needs both of you.
“hey, how's the little brat?” — levi's gaze softened as he walked towards you both.
“i calmed him down a little but the fever is not gone.” — you sniff.
levi extended his arms gently and grabbed the baby, holding him close to his chest.
“you've been pestering mom, hm? she's gonna get tired.” — levi cooed gently, rocking the crying baby.
levi started shushing the baby, his lips on his head as he rocked him gently. after two hours, it was 4 am and you guys finally gave him the baby proteins and medicines, and his temperature was slowly going back to normal. the baby was now falling asleep peacefully in levi's embrace.
“sorry for calling you so out of the blue.” — you whisper.
“don't apologize.” — levi chuckled.
“weren't you with someone else?” — you ask.
“yeah, but i don't give a damn about anything else when you guys need me.” — levi states.
you stare up at him, but his eyes are on the sleeping baby.
“i know what you're thinking. you didn't bother me, you never will. you are the mother of my child, i will always put you and him first, no matter what. you guys are my priority since the day you told me you were pregnant and will always be.” — levi whispered.
you feel your eyes start getting watery. you sigh.
“it's been so... lonely. i have him but at the same time i don't have anyone. and i called you in the middle of the night because i didn't know what to do with my own son. i-” — your tears roll down.
levi slowly opens one of his arms to pull you into his chest, and kisses your forehead.
“he's also mine. we're both wrapped around him forever, right? you can and shall always count on me. i will always come for you. even if we're not together, we are a family, okay? we always will be. you're an amazing mother. i see what you're doing, how hard you're trying and giving all of you. if anything, i owe you an apology for getting you pregnant.” — levi whispers, holding you close.
“thanks for never leaving me.” — you cry against his chest.
“i could never.”
“but what about that girl? i didn't mean to-”
“fuck her. i don't care. as long as i'm with you guys, i don't need anyone else. we might not be together anymore, y/n, but you will always be the woman of my life.” — levi kisses your forehead.
“you know i love you, right?” — you whisper.
“i love you more.” — he whispers.
the baby slowly shifts, his little hands wrapping around a strand of your hair and levi's shirt, as he squeaked while sleeping.
you smile and look down at the baby, then look up back at levi, who smiles at both of you.
“but i love the little one even more, much more.” — levi chuckles.
“he's my everything.” — you smile.
you guys spent a few more minutes cuddling as levi finally places the baby in his crib. you suggest for him to stay over. the next morning the baby is so much better, you guys play with him, take care of him and spend the day together, the day that turned into a week that turned into a month and suddenly, you're carrying levi's second child.
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Jessica didn't threaten Gwen - y'all are just mean.
I don't know how to tell y'all this but Jessica did not threaten Gwen. Ever.
She said 'If Miguel finds out I let you come-'
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As in 'if Miguel finds out (on his own) that I let you come (here) (it won't look good for either of us)'
And then GWEN reacts as if Jessica threatened to rat her out, even if Jess never did that.
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Her saying 'finds out' instead of 'if I tell him' implies that Jess never planned on ratting to Miguel. She was afraid he'd find out some other way - which he did.
Like, yes - Jessica is exasperated here. But not because Gwen saw Miles, she's pissed because The Spot has now escaped.
But she never threatened to rat Gwen out, she never tipped of Miguel about anything. Miguel only found out once the hole opened in Mumbattan.
Even at the end of ATSV, Jessica doesn't rat Gwen out - when she sees Gwen using Hobies portals.
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Jessica is the only one that sees Gwen leaving on the rooftop. And because Hobie's portals look different, she knows it's someone close to him. But Hobie doesn't know where Miles lives - Gwen does.
So in this shot, she knows whoever is up there is 1) close to Hobie and 2) knows where Miles lives. That can only be two people - Peter, or Gwen. And Hobie is way closer to Gwen.
Jessica has all the info to know that Gwen is now universe jumping with technology she got from Hobie. That's HUGE information, considering Miguel has no idea that other people can universe jump without his assistance.
Jess still doesn't rat Gwen out.
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Jessica isn't perfect considering she was beating the absolute dogshit outta Miles for no reason - but I think people REALLY mischaracterize her relationship with Gwen.
Jessica never threatened Gwen. She never told Miguel anything.
Jessica was the one who let Gwen come to 1610 - hence the 'If Miguel finds out I let you come-'
And when things went south, she still gave Gwen a chance to try and clean up her own mess, by sending her to Mumbattan.
I see a lot of Jess slander and idk man - I just don't get the hate for her.
Jessica did FAR more trying to help out Gwen than Peter did for Gwen or Miles. While Peter physically restrains Miles (ITSV) and gets him caught (ATSV) -
Jessica talks Miguel into accepting Gwen, gives her the mission to 1610, and gives her multiple chances to clean up her mess. All while keeping the info from Miguel until the last possible second.
Was she wrong for kicking Miles in the chest. Yeah. That's unarguable. 😐
Is she a shit mentor? I don't think so!
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I've been meaning to write a longer post about this but it's 2am and I just needed to yell this!!!
I feel like a year out, it's really easy to misremember what exactly was said despite remembering the overall gist of it - but I think small things like these matter in dialogue.
We're meant to react like Gwen - the kneejerk reaction of 'Don't tell Miguel!'.
But Gwen saying that was a reflection of her own fears, NOT a response to a threat given by Jess. Jess never intended on getting Gwen sent home.
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Put some respeckt on Jess' name alright 😤😤 She ain't perfect but some of the beef y'all got with her is unfounded frfr
Anyway if you read this far ily here's Hobie
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BYE.
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chaifootsteps · 3 days
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The funny thing about stolas is that he really is the most real depiction of NPD I’ve seen in a while. Unintentionally very well written. This show like few others ever do, explores the fact that people with NPD can be so socially inept and incapable of change they can ruin their own life and never fully understand why it happened. A stereotype is that NPD patients are always evil abusers but sometimes like with covert narcissism, it’s complicated. Stolas ticks every last box in the covert category.
He’s not outright a villain but is infuriatingly self centred, and destructive. One example is all of his “I” “me” “my” statements in every situation. Fizz is in danger ‘this will be fun (for me!) I love words!” While it was a good gesture to help Asmodeus, he makes things about himself again. And this made Ozzie mad. And in the latest argument he clearly forced himself to try and empathise with someone but gave up right away when it wasn’t going well and went back to the same I/me/my statements. “I have my answer so you needn’t say any more” “I didn’t know you thought so low of me” and to Stella “I want you out..out of my life” “via you have been the one good thing in my life” Even in a desperate situation where someone he undoubtedly loves, but who he hurt with his lies, is leaving him, he physically can’t stop making it about himself because of this disordered way of thinking. And in a way, that is sad.
It really is a disorder and not just villainy because the person with NPD has grandiosity and callousness, that combination prevents them from seeing a problem in their own behaviour until really pushed. (Who does that sound like) So without help, they end up alone and confused/bewildered by why that is. That reaction of blatant frustration from every single character who speaks with him - via, blitz, Asmodeus, (I don’t feel right including stella but that dinner table scene implies she’s angry he ignores her) is so accurate too.
I mean, I’m by no means a Stella fan but after that confrontation in LooLoo land and him screaming his divorce declaration in the circus, he seemed to think they could just ignore everything despite the ongoing affair, and eat dinner together as a family like nothing is wrong in harvest moon. So at that point I understood her being pissed.
They try force everyone into their version of reality, but it’s exhausting and someone incapable of empathy or change without help (seriously why are all these deeply mentally suffering characters not have a therapy arc - Bojack had several. Many failed. But he had several, because he was messy and had to keep trying.) Viv thinks Stolas is Herb, an innocent victim of homophobia, but he’s actually Joseph Sugarman, dangerously callous and terrifying but soft spoken, mixed with Bojack. Sugarman is a brilliant villain imo.
This is an extremely good point. It's a damn shame it's unintentional, because if it weren't, Stolas would at the very least be in the running for one of the best depictions of NPD ever put to fiction.
NPD isn't Magical Evil Abuser disease -- like you said, it's a legitimate disorder, and it's horribly damaging to the person who has it. People with NPD can both feel and crave love the way Stolas loves Via, but healthy relationships require give and take, and giving doesn't come easily to them. Even when Via's leaving him, the highest praise he can give her is that she's been the only good thing in his life.
It's extremely sad, tragic even. If only Viv understood why.
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saeist · 20 hours
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a/n: another ua student!touya ft. hawks and mirko as his classmates!! + basing this "long eyelashes" debacle from the fact his eyelids are a little thicker than todoroki's + it's canon that he has long lower eyelashes since it's prominent when he was young lol
"i'm jealous"
you casually drop a bomb on touya, who was currently in the kitchen eating piping hot udon.
touya's eyes widens, ultimately choking on his food. like you just didn't witness him knocking on death's door, you casually slid to the seat next to him, watching him just choke there
"being jealous is one thing, but not helping your poor boyfriend who's choking? that's a little overkill don't you think?!" touya exclaims, after regaining his own composure
instead of answering, you shrug, staring at the now pouting boy beside you
"i'm not a mind reader you know?" touya points out, catching your gaze. it's making him a little uncomfortable being put on the spot like this. last time he checked, he didn't even look at another girls direction! so what could have made you jealous?
"..."
the way you were just staring at him in silence is making him uneasy. it's almost like you were making him admit to something he didn't even do
touya racks his brain for any close encounter he had with any female today during class. maybe he accidentally brushed hands with a classmate earlier today, maybe he bumped shoulders with a third year student back at lunch rush, maybe he made eye contact with another girl for a split second on accident when he was scanning the hallways for you
his mind ends up dating back at lunch where you two were having lunch with your two other friends being keigo and rumi
wait a second.. could it be rumi?
"is it rumi? but i thought you two were best friends so you were cool with us messing around with chicken little back there at the cafeteria? if it is rumi then i'll try not to interact with her that much if it makes you jealous, i'm sorry, doll. forgive me" touya rambles, suddenly getting on his knees and bowing down to (almost) kiss your feet
your eyebrows shot up at the mention of your best friend
"what are you rambling about? of course not! i'm not jealous over her, dummy" you finally break your silence. "i'm talking about your eyelashes"
touya's eyes widened once again. he slowly rises from your feet to shoot you a dirty look. did you really just make him kneel and kiss your feet over the thought of you being jealous over someone else when you were just jealous of his eyelashes all along?
"run that by me one more time?" touya puts his hands on his hips
you let out a fit of giggles watching his now irritated face.
"i'm jealous of your long eyelashes, touya" you grin, standing up to reach his face, cupping his cheeks as you run your thumb against his eyes
touya's eyes flutters shut, letting you touch his face this up close and personal. he won't admit it out loud but it tickles when your thumbs run through his long lower lashes
but the way his face scrunches says otherwise
"it tickles, doesn't it?" you giggle
"no? who said that?" touya denies, turning his head away to hide the impending blush that's rapidly spreading across his cheek
you can feel the cuteness aggression rushing in. you turn his head to force him to look at you. you squeeze his cheeks as you lean in until..
"if you're gonna suck faces could you guys at least do it in the privacy of your dorm rooms? ever heard of that?" keigo casually walks in with rumi on tow
"yuck" rumi gags, skipping past the two of you to get a carrot from the fridge
"i suggest you two get the fuck out of here unless you want roasted chicken and rabbit for dinner" touya growls, (softly) prying your hands off his face as he glares at his two best friends who were now running away while laughing
"so, doll.. where were we?" touya smiles softly, acting like he didn't just threaten his friends just a second ago
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pochaccopipi · 2 days
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Thoughts on Kuya, autonomy, and his refusal to be "captured"
(spoilers under the cut)
This SSR story is sooo good because it really fleshes out Kuya's all-encompassing hatred of being owned? Not just in a literal sense, but in an obligations/expectations kind of way too. He repeatedly states over the course of the game that he shouldn't be forced into a box, can't be defined by human morals, and has so many wildly different facets of himself that they're basically autonomous copies running around in alternate timelines.
He insists that Elysium allows visitors the right to choose if/how they participate. He seems to hate injustices that trample one's freedom (unless he's the one perpetuating said injustice— in which he considers his actions Wise And Necessary™️). He loathes being claimed as a prize. He also clearly hates being pandered to, especially when his suitors have ulterior motives and expect him to stay by their side forever. He hates when humans assume what he likes, and commit crimes against nature in order to please him. He spent centuries at Huey's side (literally indentured to him in a life-or-death contract), and even spent time in service to the lord of the yokai himself, who forced kuya back into his fox state when he was found during a suicide attempt. He was literally voided of essence to the point that he had to relive his most vulnerable years again. He experienced a loss of power and autonomy that probably felt like a betrayal. Granted it was a punishment intended to teach him humility, but it probably just traumatized him instead.
(This may also explain what happened on the Saian ship with Huey, when he was discovered in his true yokai form— something went wrong with corrupted essence, they couldnt teleport back to Klein as usual, and he burned the ship down when someone spotted him looking "beastly". It hit too close to home for him.)
Prior to meeting Eiden, he'd run out of things to enjoy in life, and turned to torturing small forest animals just to get some dopamine flowing again. He's a sadistic contrarian piece of shit but it makes sense that he feels rage against immortality/life itself, and probably approved of Huey because they shared an interest in exploring new horizons (not to mention the massive power boost he got in return).
So in this SSR r5 when he pauses in relief/shock after eiden tells him he cant force kuya to stay by his side forever, it all kind of clicked into place for me? Everything about kuyas character screams Do Not Attempt To Capture Me. He literally exploded a roomful of men who tied him down in Rusted Nation. He made a group of gamblers claw their own eyes out for daring to look at him with sexual intent. He even destroys offerings from other yokai who put him on a pedestal. He hates being expected to do anything for anyone for any reason, because those expectations often come with gross connotations or lasting debts, and have been repeatedly imposed upon him without his consent in the past.
His biggest fear might literally be losing control again.
(Of course he's a big hypocrite and does everything he hates to other people? And sometimes doesn't even realize he's doing it? Like in Astral Duo when he asks Quincy if he's done "something unforgivable" to Eiden, as if Kuya himself doesn't do unforgivable things on a daily basis).
Idk. He's just fascinating to me and I love how he seems to be driven by a pathological need to escape. He's not unaware of his weaknesses, as evidenced by him flinching when Eiden reaches behind his blind spot. He seems to be terrified of capture in every sense of the word, and does everything possible to overcome that.
Like a cornered animal :)
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epiphainie · 3 days
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i think a very tasty flavor of bucktommy angst would be a situation where there's a big emergency, maybe their apartment building is on fire or the hotel they're staying in is about to explode and it needs to be evacuated immediately. the two of them - immediately in lifesaver mode - quickly get everyone off the premises and barely make it out alive themselves.
then they realize someone is missing (an elderly neighbor who got stuck? a child they met during vacation whom buck bonded with?) and buck being buck wants to run back in and save them but the chances of him making it in and back again is extremely extremely slim and tommy sees this. so he doesn't let him.
like he physically holds buck back as buck tries to move in and buck immediately starts trying to fight him off and tommy does not let him go and they both begin screaming and shouting in each other's faces. it only lasts mere seconds, though, because during their struggle, the building actually goes boom. a loud bang, then the silence of the aftermath sets in.
this, of course, puts a strain on their relationship.
no, worse. this ruins their relationship.
because for months after this - months - they live in this perpetual feeling of grief and malaise and it turns their world upside its own head.
they're talking but not really. nothing more than mumbles of "how was your shift?" and "can you pass me the salt?"
they're touching but not really, a handjob here and there then lights off and their backs to each other.
they're tiptoeing around each other; they never ever tiptoe around each other.
it all is so foreign to them, so alien.
buck, of course, is wracked with guilt. how could he not be? he was right there when someone in danger needed his help, and he couldn't. he was right. there. he feels upset, no, he feels tormented. he's so angry with himself because it's his fault, isn't it, for missing the child the first time? children get stuck in the most unexpected places, after all, so why did he not check the room again? why did he not do a head count?
anger with himself, however, is familiar. guilt? he's experienced plenty of that too. no, the worst is the bitterness he feels. he feels oh so bitter, with resentment set deep in his chest, because how could tommy not let him do his job? how could tommy - who's always been respectful of buck's wishes and who knows just how desperately that child needed saving - dare hold him back and take this choice from him?
tommy, of course, does not regret it. he tells himself that every day because how could he regret keeping buck safe? it wasn't even a choice of buck's life over a kid's, tommy knows this, because there was no choice, not really. there was no way for buck to get the kid and get back to tommy safe and sound. he'd die, within seconds, in his reckless impossible attempt, and tommy knows this, and he. does. not. regret. it.
but it starts to fall on his own deaf ears as days pass and he sees his evan become even more withdrawn, torturing himself over someone who couldn't be saved. and the distance between them becomes wider, the cold snap even more sharper, and they're walking on eggshells around each other as it feels like one wrong move could bring everything down.
turns out, they need to break the eggshells to finally crack the ice. they realize this on a random, particularly cold night. neither can stand it anymore and at one point that icy pressure turns into screams of "why did you have to stop me?!" "you couldn't have helped him!" "you should have still let me do my job!" "it wasn't your job! and i wasn't gonna let you get yourself killed on our damn honeymoon!"
again, a loud bang. then the silence sets in.
then, for the first time in months, they find themselves actually in each other's space, reaching for the other. their chests rise and fall against each other as their arms find a hold on the other's back, shoulders, neck in desperation and they actually cry and talk and apologize and cry some more. it gets better.
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yannaryartside · 1 day
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THE NEW 'MENU" IS GONNA BE HELL FOR SYD
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I have been reading Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line –by Michael Gibney because I wanted to understand more about Sydney's future responsibilities. I know next to nothing about the cooking industry, and this show particularly doesn't want to waste time explaining the context to the untrained eye (which is fair, we are here for the drama).
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Man, this book was so awesome. It is literally like experiencing a The Bear episode in book format. It takes you through the whole routine, explaining who does what, the expectations, skillsets, and the emotional burden of each position. The protagonist is, of course, the sous chef, and what I have read made me feel scared for Sydney next season. So, every fact I display here is because the book presented it as the expected.
THE BEAR'S CASE
Now, a clarification: As I understand, the CDC supervises the whole kitchen, which is Syd's official title. But Carmy will technically still act as CDC since most executives don't move a finger; they are supposed to be there only to ensure rules and quality standards are followed.
The CDC is the person in the kitchen that everyone answers "yes chef/Oui chef too. The one that calls the orders and keeps everyone in line. The one who has the final say about what goes out of the kitchen. Under them, there is the sous, making sure all the operations are in order.
So you will technically have two CDCs; just one of them will have the final say, and you will have Tina as the sous. But that puts Sydney in a position to act both as CDC and a Sous, so I am using the book to guide what we may expect her to endure. This as a report made last minute with only two sources (pretty good, but still only two). Now, lets begin.
A very inexperienced staff: The author created a fictional restaurant based on his experiences, merging people he has met over the years to give you an idea of the most common in the industry. But it made something very clear to me: the staff of the bear, especially the line cooks, do not possess the training to operate at the level that Carmy is requesting. They better send them to culinary school before officially opening. I don't know why (I actually blame Carmy for this), but they haven't prioritized hiring certified staff since the beginning. They should have never had an opening day without knowing their staff and, if they were as green as Syd described them, sent their asses to culinary school right away. The fact they only bothered to send Tina and Ebra is baffling. And even when training is essential, experience is what can make the difference in unprecedented scenarios, and everything that Carmy is asking is pretty unprecedented by definition.
With the menu changing every day, Sydney's job as a cook herself and as the captain of many cooks is going to be darm near impossible.
Actually, in the book, there were two sous chefs, one for opening and one for closing. Even if you delegate the administrative task normally reserved for the morning sous chef to someone like Natalie (managing schedules and callouts, checking deliveries, and inspecting the state of the food before opening), it would still leave a lot of things on Sydney's plate. I am gonna be quoting this article:
"Few are the kitchens I’ve worked or sta’aged in where the Sous Chef wasn’t doing all the work that the general public thinks the Chef is doing.  And don’t get me wrong, such is the natural progression of things and not without good reason.  But more often than not, while the Chef is the General, with his/her name on the line, the Sous Chef is the lieutenant, seeing to it that the work gets done in the trenches".
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During service, the chef (CDC) plates the dishes in the pass, but before that, the sous has to check the food the line cook brings; they need to be aware of how the executive chef likes a particular dish, the consistency, temperature, and other culinary details. Again, Carmy will act as CDC here and Syd as sous. Even though I didn't see them do this in f&f, it will likely be necessary for the future. Carmy changing the recipes constantly is gonna make it virtually impossible for Sydney to keep up, with their particular preparation, and since they are gonna be the final portal after the food gets to be presented to the client, it could cause a lot of friction between them.
Not only that, the sous chef normally leads the preparation of the specials (since in most restaurants, the ordinary menu has been established, only the specials can change every day) For both sous chefs in the book, leading prep consumed most of their time before opening, since, again, the executive has already trained them in how he prefers certain parts of the recipe. Again, in the Bear's circumstances, this will probably also be Sydney's job.
Replacing staff. The book even includes a scenario when a line cook fails, and the sous has to cover that station. Sydney is kind of destined to experience this, too, considering how unreliable their staff could be. If that happens, Carmy will be alone at the pass, checking every element before plating, which will obviously cause a delay.
Tina is the sous, and it will be interesting to see how she manages that; she definitely doesn't have the experience, and these expectations are definitely no industry standard. It hurts me that Sydney may suggest hiring another sous to work next to her or another cook who actually has experience operating in the industry to level up her workload. That is where I think Luca's role will be next season, if he goes to work for them. He probably has the skill set to do it. There is no point in having two people manage desserts.
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Evidently, with a menu changing every day, it also means that Carmy has to make Syd come early every day to explain this recipe to her and make sure she can lead the rest of the kitchen in making them. Most of their dynamic is gonna rely on how much Syd can actually fulfill Carmy's expectations; she came here to work for him, running away from psycho chefs, and yet Carmy's expectations are going to be the most reckless the industry has ever seen.
The closing sous has to prepare everything for the next day long after the executive and the other sous are gone, revising the mistakes that were made, and preventing the ones they could make tomorrow.
Regardless of the title and responsibilities that may go on Sydney for being the only other experienced chef in the kitchen, we are talking about a 15-hour day. And I know it can be expected in this industry, but the layout for having two sous made plenty of sense. I don't know if Carmy will take part of the workload. I hope that is the case.
But yeah, the line "so you can push me, and I can push you" is taking a new connotation in my mind. What Carmy is creating doesn't make any logistical sense, with an untrained/inexperienced staff and with a sous chef that he trusts and cares about, but he is basically asking to perform to a level that defeats reason.
It is not even the level that made him "the bear" in his years as the best CDC in the world. Because even if Carmy's past executive was abusive and cruel, their expectations had to obey certain logistic logic that Carmy was completely abandoning. Carmy is not gonna be abusive, but all of this is a whole orchestra he is creating for self-punishment because even he won't be able to keep up with it, he may push everyone away because there is nobody who can. All of this is his version of self-harming. And Sydney and everyone he loves will witness, it until he asks for help.
Edit: I had to make a correction, explaining Carmy's and Syd's will technically both do the job of CDCs. Again, please do let me know more about that or feel free to correct me.
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peachhcs · 1 day
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Does Will tell any of the guys he's realised his mistake??
Or even just that he slept with someone??
i like to think will calls grace first. she gives the best advice when it comes to any of this and then he calls gabe and ryan to talk to them.
"what's up, will?" grace asked as soon as she answered the phone.
"i hooked up with someone," will said immediately which caught grace off guard.
"what?"
"there was this halloween party last night..i think i was a little drunk and i hooked up with this girl," the boy explained, chewing on the bottom of his lip.
"okay. did something happen?" the older girl grew concerned.
"only that i did it because i thought i'd be able to get over samy and i didn't. i only thought about her the entire time," the hockey player's head fell into his hands as he sat on the end of his bed.
"oh. i see," the older blonde was at a bit of a loss with what to say.
"i think i fucked up, grace. i think i really, really fucked up," will frowned deeply as all the feelings he's tried pushing away for months began resurfacing.
"will..you didn't..fuck up. did you make a bad choice on rash thoughts? yeah. you didn't completely fuck up though," grace tried reassuring her brother even though she couldn't quite back his decisions.
"i should've talked to her more. i don't..i don't know what i was thinking. i thought i was letting her go for the better, but anytime i see her anywhere i wish i could call her and everything was how it used to be," now will was crying.
"it's not too late to talk. reach out to her. tell her you wanna talk or something."
"i can't. she blocked me on everything so even if i wanted to talk to her, i physically can't," the younger boy frowned deeply.
"do you want me to mention something?" grace offered softly.
"no, that's gonna make me look stupid. she doesn't wanna talk to me and i don't blame her," a long sigh fell from will's lips.
"look, we all do stupid shit when we're 18. she definitely does wanna talk to you. you guys were best friends once upon a time. that kind of bond doesn't disappear that easily. is there any time soon you'll be out near michigan or something?"
"i don't know. days off are random sometimes and unpredictable," will shrugged even though grace couldn't see him.
"maybe talk to gabe and ryan. they could make something happen. i know they're rooting for you two as much as i am to get back together or at least talk," will knew his older sister had a point. he should talk to gabe and ryan, but then they'd just tell him i told you so and harp on him.
"i don't know. i'll see. i should let you go," will mumbled.
"i'm always here to talk, will. it's gonna work out, i promise," the hockey player really wanted to believe his sister's words and he hoped to god it was true.
"wow, look who's calling first," ryan grinned through the screen when the call connected. will rolled his eyes a bit, but smiled when he saw his friends on his computer screen.
"you look like shit," gabe commented upon seeing will's red eyes and puffy cheeks.
"fuck off," the blonde mumbled.
"i'm kidding. it's good to see you. you had a hella game the other night," the dark-haired boy cheered.
"dude, you put those older guys to shame. like you were flying," ryan laughed making will laugh as well.
"thanks, it was pretty cool taking some of the veterans down. they're gonna be after me now."
"yeah, no shit. i think everyone now knows why you decided to sign on so early," gabe grinned.
their compliments had will flushing with pride. he's been working hard to prove himself these last few games and he was glad it was all finally paying off.
"by the way, halloween was so legendary this year. we went to like four different parties," ryan chuckled.
"i bet it's crazy in california," gabe wondered as the topic shifted.
"yeah, it is pretty crazy out here. so crazy i even hooked up with someone.." will began which had gabe and ryan's eyebrows raising.
"wait, you hooked up with someone? who?"
"uh..i don't really know her name, but i think..i think i regret it. i thought it would like..help me realize breaking up with samy was the right choice, but it didn't. i just thought about her the entire time.." will felt almost ashamed admitting this to his friends.
"oh."
"you're gonna tell me i told you so, but i know i fucked up now. i..i shouldn't have broken up with samy. i thought it would be better for both of us, but i just really miss her and i wish i could talk to her or something," the blonde frowned.
"you're saying this now? six months after the fact?" gabe raised his eyebrows.
"oh come on, give me a break. i was stupid, i know. i finally realize that now. i don't know what to do," upon seeing their friend's face, gabe and ryan saw how torn up will was about everything. they knew he really regretted everything that happened.
"i just don't get why you didn't talk to her more about this before you even decided to break up? you know she would've talked with you about whatever you were worried about," ryan said.
"it was a bad decision during very rash thoughts. i was overwhelmed and a mess back in may. i got scared and pushed her away like i do to everything. you guys don't need to tell me how much i fucked up. i know already," will huffed.
the three fell silent for a moment. will pulled a hand through his hair while gabe and ryan spoke with their eyes.
"a few of us are going to michigan over winter break to samy's lake house. if you can find some free time, you should come out. i think samy would like to see you. you two can finally talk maybe," gabe finally said.
"i'll think about it," will nodded. could he actually fly out to michigan and see samy after not speaking to her or seeing her for eight months though? the idea sent will's head spinning and not in a good way.
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sugoi-and-spice · 1 day
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Y'all there's no freaking way the mystery character in 425 is Tenko. I don't think it's any character we've met before. (And it sure as hell isn't Deku's dad, god that theory is so dumb). The identity of this new character in fact is basically told to us in Todoroki's line earlier in the chapter.
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This is most likely a new character entirely, a Tenko parallel who is on the cusp of becoming a villain and that needs someone to reach out to him the way nobody ever did for Tenko. Someone that's going to put Deku's new resolve and mission to the test. It's Horikoshi's way of saying that just because the heroes defeated Shigaraki and All for One, that doesn't mean that they're victorious - they've only gone back to square one.
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But square one and the status quo is not a win for these heroes. They need to better their world and build towards a bright future that will prevent the creation of villains like the League. And I think the appearance of one last villain in this story is a great way to show that.
Deku and friends had to use the old hero ways to defeat the League, yes. But now they get to decide what the new image of a hero looks like. And maybe they can even get rid of the idea of villains altogether.
So, no. Even as a die-hard Shigaraki simp, I am not putting my bets on the "Tenko is revived" horse. And honestly? I don't even think I want this character to be Shigaraki or Tenko or whatever version of him people think it will be. I think that would actually invalidate his death earlier even more. Because if nothing else, Deku did save that crying child within him. He did heal Shigaraki's heart and get him to let go of his hatred. But look at this guy:
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This man is in fucking DISTRESS. He has none of the acceptance or calm or even will to fight that Shigaraki had - during his death or otherwise. I think if this was the Tenko that was resurrected, someone so clearly disturbed and in pain, then it would make the one save Deku did make in that fight completely meaningless.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I don't technically hate the way Shigaraki went out. I'm glad that in the end, he died as himself rather than turncoating to join the heroes. I'm glad he's not going to be rotting in prison for the rest of his life. And I'm glad his legacy is clearly going to live on in this world through Deku, even if he doesn't personally.
This issue that I have with Shigaraki's death is the pacing of it. That's all.
I'm still not giving up hope that Shigaraki comes back as a vestige/force ghost though. That for me feels like the only way to bring him back that wouldn't totally undermine the climax of the story.
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polaris-stuff · 2 days
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Hey Noffy again.
You know ... I had planned on writing out a post today. Of why my view on this whole situation is so different. Maybe put it finally all into words.(And I still might make it) Talking through here has been...easing on the nerves of ever making a post about tsams. That I always hesitated on for various reasons but
This episode on Tsmas. (Montys plan to bring old.moon back)My thoughts on the celestial family hasnt changed.
But personally even as someone who was/is defending the celestial family.
I HATE the idea of killing new moon to bring the old moon back. Just because he is spiralling and hurting. Lashing out at his family and wanting to kill ruin/Bloodmoon. Doesn't mean Moon doesn't love and care for his family.
I don't think Monty talked to sun about this. AT ALL I don't think sun would want this either (I hope so at least i really really hope so) considering he ran off during the last discussion after firmly stating he didn't wanna do any of the things they were suggesting. I am holding out some hope.
I am not making my judgement on old moons feelings yet. Guy ain't got the full context. Just what Monty told him (wich was heavily skewed imo) and whatever flashes he gets when active. But based on the context he got. New moon hurts his family of course he wants to do something.
The only reason I would be okay with old moon returning is if it DIDNT kill/destroy new moon.
Killing never solved anything in this show anyway.
(also not liking computer just listening to monty to shock moon. But that is a whole another can of worms)
So yeah. While I still be defending sun ( and to a lesser extend the families) desissions.
If Monty goes through with this. Without talking to any of them??? I be so pissed.
(also weird thing I seemed to notice. A lot of people in the YouTube comments seemed really excited for new moon to be gone and old moon to return. While here on Tumblr. The opposite seems to be the case. Either way. If I could have my cake they both be around in the long run. But that's a hopeful idea that likely won't happen. )
-Noffy
Hi, Noffy! Sorry if today's answer isn't that long, I'm a little tired😭
But yeah! I totally agree with you! Monty didn't talk about what he did to Moon with Sun today, Sun has no idea that Monty went to talk to Old Moon and I hope the computer notifies Sun what happened. Although, honestly, I'm starting to not expect anything because I'll be disappointed when it doesn't happen
I genuinely do NOT want Old Moon back. I know that Old Moon loved his family and he loved Sun even though he hurt him but... Killing New Moon now... Just because he is having psychosis episodes and in a bad mental state...? Keeping him locked in a cage, electrocuting him until he faints... It sounds like torture.
I don't want Monty or Foxy to fix anything that's happening tbh, this is the SUN and MOON show, not MGAFS, so keep the protagonists on their own show.
And yes! Please don't read the YT comments, they are full of toxicity and little kids XD
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rainybraindays · 3 days
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Saying this as someone who was bullied, and who is fat, but a corner of this fandoms unwillingness to give Cressida any sympathy while stanning Penelope is weird to me.
Cressida and Penelope are incredibly similar. Their mothers are both abusive women who look down on those around them. They both enjoy gossip, they both have a mean streak, and they're both in similar positions this season.
But for some reason Penelope is forgivable but Cressida isn't?
People often talk of Portias cruelty (though they often downplay it but thats a different post) and how its why Penelope does a lot of what she does, but its the same with Cressida.
As early as s1 we see Cressidas mother brushing her off, she says to violet "My Cressida may have the fortune, but Daphne has the face." And if I remember correctly Cressida is beside her as she says this. Her mother casually insults her, in public to a rather influential person, with no care for her daughters feelings. In s3 its even more blatant with how the moment Cressida voices how she's not interested in Debling her mother starts in on how shes 3 seasons in an unmarried, how shes on the road to spinsterdom. She says "you may find me cruel" and then guilts her with how her father is cutting their allowance to justify it. Cressida has no siblings so Araminta has made every other girl in the ton her competition to a far greater degree than other girls, because while they all seem to have friend groups, Cressida doesn't consistently have the same friends. How is she able to keep a friend when the one time one shows up to see her, shes told shes not to be seen with her anymore?
Eloise is the first true friend shes had in years, and its clear through their interactions that while Cressida can be cruel, its not all she is. The cruelty is a shield, much like Whistledown is for Penelope. The main difference is that while Cressidas cruelty is open and known, Penelope is hiding the worst parts of herself. Part of this is because while both Araminta and Portia are open in their cruelty to their daughters, the former is overbearing while the later is neglectful.
While Penelope has been left alone to try and find a husband, given up on before her presentation, Cressida is constantly thrown at everyman who seems to be looking for a wife. Theres no attempt to have her actually form a connection, which I'd argue is part of why her courtships never leave the early stages. She puts on an act for them, likely at her mothers insistence, much like Portia insists Penelope play dumb for Debling.
People also keep asking "why isn't Cressida considered a spinster?" When she very nearly is? She says it herself, her mother says it, this is her last year to really have a chance. The only reason she wouldn't become an actual spinster is because th Cowpers have connections the Featheringtons don't, and are not against marrying her off to the first old friend of her father's who is willing.
Cressida has done everything she can to draw attention to herself, her hair, her clothes, they scream "look at me!" She has put on mask after mask to try and be the woman whichever man she may be speaking to may want, and has failed everytime. She is one of, if not the last, of the girls in her debut year who has yet to get engaged, or even close to an engagement, and she is scared. Anything she does in part 2, I expect because at this point she has three (known) failed courtship attempts, and the threat of a man the age of her father as a husband hanging over her head.
Cressidas been a bully, thats true, but shes also being abused. If you can justify Penelope as Whistledown because shes bullied and shes abused, but can't even find sympathy for Cressida you should maybe think about why ones negatives are okay, but the others aren't.
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dark-elf-writes · 3 days
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Random idea for the Percy + Apollo + Annabeth sandwich-
Artemis knows her brother. Knows just how deeply he loves. How easy it is for his lovers and crushes to destroy his heart, both unintentionally via death and intentionally.
She also knows that Percy and Annabeth love deeply. They would be the last people to betray her twin. In fact, she does not doubt that they would brave Tartarus a second time if it means helping him.
And she knows they're strong. They both held up the sky after all, a pain she now knows all too well. And Annabeth, who doesn't have the mercy of being a child of the Big Three, held it for much longer than either of them. And Percy, Percy fought Kronos and won. Fought Giants and won. Looked all the Gods in the eyes and told them to essentially pay child support.
Those two are strong enough that the risk of them breaking Apollo's heart once more via their deaths is small.
But there's still a chance.
So she'll keep an eye out. She refuses to let her twin's heart obtain two more scars after all. She's the older twin for a reason.
Her brother thinks she doesn’t notice which would be insulting if it didn’t also give her a chance to watch the three of them together without him intentionally trying to hide from her. (Not that it would have worked, but it would have been more annoying to deal with.)
He thinks she is blind to the lovesick expression on his face, deaf to the songs he composes, unaware of the painstaking amount of effort he puts into every sunset now. He is wrong. Of course she knows. Of course she sees.
She wants to by angry about it. Wants to shake her brother who is opening himself up for it one but two mortals to shatter his already scarred heart, but his choice of mortal’s gives her pause.
She sees Percy smiling as he practices braids in Apollo’s hair. She hears Annabeth shriek with delight as Apollo pulled her into a dance with the surf breaking around their legs. She sees her brother more at peace than he has looked in centuries while he listens to the two of them bicker.
She sees the subtle golden glow, not nearly as bright as her brother’s but there for someone with eyes as sharp as hers, around them both — not true immortality, not yet, but a hint of what is to come — and feels herself relax.
Her brother would be safe with his two heroes.
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