#I think this also stems from the fact that we simply know very little about Elizabeth as an individual (ie: her hobbies/interests) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sepublic · 5 months

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People -and this did include myself at one point- really don't want to engage with the fact that Belos is modeled after white supremacy by trying to bury this under the lens of "Oh he's actually a lonely weirdo like Luz!!!" when Belos' superiority complex is the most important part of him and it's where all analyses inevitably must stem from. I think the problem is that people are too attached to their speculative fanon version of Belos and instead of letting go of that to rebuild their understanding of him from the ground up (since he's a mysterious character who is only gradually revealed bit by bit), they keep clinging to this sympathetic tragic villain as the core behind their interpretation of him.

Everything about Belos makes so much more sense when you explore him as someone akin to a lot of right-wing 4channers; A lonely young boy who was radicalized because white supremacy promised to rescue him from his isolation, and after buying into it wholesale, he very much chose to cling onto the need to be superior to the "NPCs" even when someone close to him actually unlearns and deconstructs for him why this is harmful. He sees firsthand how someone just like him is happier for leaving this mindset, and then kills them to eliminate that contradiction threatening his world belief; At which point it’s inaccurate to infantilize him as just a lonely and misguided kid, because he’s no longer a kid and he made a very cognizant and informed choice to double down and commit actual violence.

And everyone knows that by this point, such people are not actually being sincere; They’re not secretly misguided, you can’t simply attribute their harm to not knowing better because this is what their religion says or whatever. These people know they’re committing harm, but rather than help on “lesser” people’s terms, they ‘help’ the way THEY see fit, in the way that strokes their ego. That’s what separates Philip from someone like Gwen, who humbled herself to focus on what Eda was saying she really needed. So the Titan’s summarization of Belos as someone who only cares about being the hero in his own delusion, and fears what he can’t control is… hardly an oversimplification, it really gets to the core of Belos as a character, and the narrative he embodies. It captures the difference between wanting to help and having a savior complex, and is what ends up delineating the two at the crucial crossroads.

And I find it a little concerning to joke about how this type of character is “just a silly guy” when people exactly like him are on the rise and committing very real violence right now. It’s also why I don’t buy the justification behind a lot of salt about how villains need to be humanized in order to show kids how THEY can become villains, because the show is fairly outright about how Belos rationalizes atrocities under the guise of the ‘greater good’ and refuses to self-reflect, and it’s not as if we don’t have Luz learning to understand characters like Amity or Lilith, the Collector and even Kikimora (whom she DID relate to personally, yet Kiki still doubled down with or without Belos), while still having the show emphasize that they need to get their act together and can’t just depend on people to save them.

There’s also the very obvious theme of Luz realizing she doesn’t owe her oppressor anything, especially not when he won’t ever meet her or anyone else on their terms, but idk some people just seem to hate Luz for having boundaries I guess, even though she already put in the effort to be kind and understanding to Belos and she got hurt for it. Hell the Collector made that effort after being inspired by Luz, and Luz was murdered protecting them from that mistake!!! There are some very obvious stories and lessons being told here with the actual protagonists being the heart of those narratives, but the problem I’ve noticed is that a lot of the people complaining on Belos’ behalf are those who hyperfixated almost exclusively on the Wittebane aspect of the lore, going over it with a fine tooth comb and microscope to extrapolate an entire fanon from the littlest of details… only to just ignore the actual show and narrative and themes happening on-screen.

And that leads to many not understanding various narrative decisions because they weren’t really paying attention to the actual point they’re in service to, and then they blame the writers for their own chosen ignorance, and how the story wasn’t about their part specifically so everything else doesn’t count and the whole show is wasted potential, really. The way so many of said fans immediately turned on Luz after the finale and tried to drag her down to Belos’ level by acting like she wasn’t any better for also wanting things and 'demonizing enemies', claiming Luz had unaddressed ‘flaws’ while Belos deserved more sympathy, and framing Belos as a ‘better’ character who ‘worked harder’ while claiming Luz was retconned into an arrogant chosen one who never grew, is actually baffling.

A lot of them are just upset that Belos didn’t play the role in Luz’s arc that they wanted him to play, so they’ve opted to dismiss Luz’s overall storyline as badly written and even a reflection of Dana's 'Catholic complex' (which is a tasteless jab to make) because they neglected the nuance behind every other aspect of Luz that wasn’t directly tied to Belos, that didn’t set her up as the one person who understands him or whatever because that’s more important to them than addressing the sheer trauma and pain that Belos willingly inflicted upon Luz. Because god forbid this brown girl be angry against her white abuser, huh? God forbid the white guy be used to set up the brown main character, rather than the other way around right????? It’s really just a jealous complaint about the show’s choice of priorities and celebration, hidden under the false guise of ever caring about Luz’s arc for Luz’s sake.

And that’s how you get insincere arguments about how Belos should’ve been able to survive, that’s how you get AUs that undermine the lessons of canon to egregiously relegate Luz to being Belos’ sidekick, or even present her as an obstacle to him getting his much-needed redemption, as if that last part hinges on all of Belos’ victims getting over their pain to help him, because obviously he needs it more than they do! Because we gotta spare Belos’ feelings by giving him friends instead of consequences!!! Unbelievable. He is not Amity, not Lilith, and definitely not Hunter, and the people who forgave them had actual reason to do so. And even Lilith had to move in with her mother so she could be given reparations by someone who actually owed it to her, rather than her younger sister and two kids.

And there’s definitely a major difference between Lilith and Gwen’s dynamic and Philip and Caleb’s, especially since Caleb was also a child when he moved into Gravesfield. Even if you think Belos' bigotry was radicalized due to 'grief' over losing his brother to witches, that's just entitlement and control because it's not as if Caleb can't have more than one positive relationship in his life; Philip is no better than people who blame minorities for some incident in their life and use that as justification to become white supremacists, and there's nothing sympathetic or 'tragic' about that.

But the point is that Caleb ultimately wasn’t THAT important to Belos because he’d always be secondary to witch-hunting, Belos clearly chose his white supremacy over his brother, and any ‘takebacks’ that come in the form of the Grimwalkers are insincere given Belos does nothing to actually repent or regret his violence committed on the people of the isles; It’d have been one thing if he DID try to undo his mistake by choosing differently, by cloning Caleb and giving up witch hunting, but he still doesn’t (Note that Belos does not hallucinate the ghosts of the witches he killed; He still feels no remorse over them, because his fear of being wrong comes from a selfish place). And unlike Luz, Belos can’t have it both ways because one option explicitly calls for the extermination of the other; It’s the Paradox of Tolerance that Luz struggled with, except contrary to what Belos claims, humanity’s existence does not require the eradication of others.

Because yes there IS a meaningful moral distinction between Luz and Belos -don’t forget they’re not just parallels but explicit opposites- that occurs even before you get into the genocide, not that you should neglect that other part either because it’s incredibly important, being the starting point for this entire rant. Society already has a bias towards devil’s advocating bigotry as some big misunderstanding, and prioritizing the angst of white dudes who commit it over the victims of color; Can we avoid applying that to fiction?!??!? I literally saw someone complain that the show didn’t portray Belos’ grief from murdering Luz, and that Luz’s “glory moment” took away from a Wittebane backstory!!! At this point, people are just being racist.

#the owl house #emperor belos #philip wittebane #luz noceda #caleb wittebane #vent #rant

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cyle · 11 months

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hello!! i hope you don’t mind me asking, but i’ve seen a lot of very rude and hateful posts about how users should reblog things instead of liking, with a lot of debate surrounding whether or not reblogs are “better” for the tumblr algorithm and sharing content than likes or whether or not likes also help push posts in the algorithm. is there a definitive answer for this?? or is there at least an answer to how exactly likes function, if they do anything for a post and it’s circulation or if it’s just a fun little button to let someone know you liked a post??

there is a definitive answer to this, i feel like i've answered it a dozen times or reblogged posts with commentary to help dispel this myth.

likes absolutely help, even more than reblogs in some cases. the argument that "reblogs are better than likes" rests on a few assumptions, but one of them is that every one of your followers will see your reblog. that's simply untrue: most people using tumblr do not catch up with every post on their dashboard. they look at some of them, and maybe come back the next day to a whole new set of posts in their feed.

this is why "Best Stuff First" / "the algorithm" was created: to optimize what those first-seen posts are. the way we "rank" those posts via the algorithm (not just for the dashboard, but for "For You", for recommendations, etc) uses a number of signals. the loudest ones are reblogs and likes! i don't have the exact weights, but i'm fairly certain a like is more or equal weight as a reblog.

i think a lot of this misconception stems from the fact that we've never made "what do likes do" clear in the tumblr interface until recently. the only way you'd ever see "what a like does" is via the notes view or via your own Likes list -- so it makes sense people won't know that their likes were used for so much more.

but now we have "Based on your likes" and "Liked by..." recommendations on tumblr, so you can directly see the result of people using likes. but it's actually always worked that way! we just didn't make it clear.

so please, spread the word that liking a post is valid, it's a perfectly fine function of tumblr, and it does help surface content across the platform. reblogs are still super important -- but they're not "the right and only way to use tumblr" or the only way content spreads around the platform.

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 2 months

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What are your opinions on more „popular“ salt takes about Adrien and Mari, like the typical „Adrichat is an ass for for flirting with LB after she rejects him“ and „Maribug us a horrible stalker“?

Well, I'd be lying if I said that I have no idea where they're coming from. There are definitely times when I'll watch an episode and wonder what in the world the writers are trying to do, especially when it comes to Adrien's behavior as it's played a lot more straight than Marinette's. While I don't like her behavior at times, it's almost always treated as a joke, not a dramatic character beat whereas I cannot say the same for Adrien.

But these are characters in a TV show, not real people and we need to keep that in mind when judging them. It's why my go-to thought is "what is wrong with the writing staff" and not "Adrien is an incel." Because Adrien is very clearly not supposed to be an incel. Unless the writers are plotting something truly asinine, the Love Square is our end game couple. We are supposed to view Adrien as a charming and funny romantic lead. When he falls short of that role, it's not Adrien "showing his true colors." He's a fictional character. He has no true colors. If his actions and words are ever unbecoming for a romantic lead, it's because the writers are failing to write Adrien the way they want us to see him.

They consistently do this to all of the characters. Alya's supposed to be an awesome friend and a smart journalist (I think), but she can't see through Lila's BS. Marinette's parents are supposed to be loving and supportive, but they randomly believed that their daughter stole from their bakery to make a dress and didn't even try to let her explain herself. Nino is supposed to be the Chosen of Protection, but he didn't care to protect his best friend and just happily sent Gabriel on a rampage without a second thought.

Give me a character and I can point to a bunch of episodes that justify every salty take this fandom has because they're not pulling this stuff from thin air. They're picking and choosing the worst writing in the show and venting about it, which is frankly understandable. Like I get why there are so many Alya salt fics. Her writing in the Lila episodes is infuriating and I do find those fics a little cathartic at times. But it's really, really obvious that she's not supposed to be a terrible friend. She's a victim of the writers drawing the Lila plot line out for far too long and making Lila's lies far too obvious.

Similarly, a lot of the issues with Adrien and Marinette stem from the fact that you simply can't draw a romance plot out for five seasons without causing issues unless you make the romance a background plot. But they didn't do that. The love square is front and center for most episodes, but since it can't actually resolve, the writers keep adding drama that makes our leads feel horribly unhealthy.

On the Marinette side, her not being able to talk to Adrien was fine as an initial issue, but we are five seasons into this show. Over 100 episodes! You reach a point where it stops being cute and starts being concerning. It's also not helped by the fact that Marinette's crush is written like a celebrity crush and not a crush on someone she actually knows. Daily exposure to Adrien should mellow her out. Especially since he's supposed to be her friend! But if the writers let Marinette talk to Adrien, then they'd grow closer and might feel like they had to get together, so they couldn't let that. Thus Marinette being a disaster for four seasons and the terrible shoehorned plot to try and justify it in season five.

On the Adrien side, they let Chat Noir confess too soon. Prior to that, the Ladynoir relationship was a playful one where it was feasible that Ladybug just viewed her kitty as a massive flirt. This was especially true since he flirts with everyone. But once she knew that he was serious? The playfulness vanished and Chat Noir started coming across as entitled and pushy. It didn't help that they had him ignoring her preferences ("Don't call me Bugaboo") and getting them in trouble by not taking his job seriously (his flirting getting them hit in Oblivio).

In summary, the love square should have been resolved much sooner or been relegated to a b plot that got far less attention. I also would have reversed the square since it makes for a far more interesting story that you can organically draw out longer, but that's just me. I don't have any issue with people ignoring the canon problems and just writing Adrien and Marinette as the cute couple that they were obviously intended to be. I also enjoy fics that treat Adrien's pushiness as a character flaw that can be resolved because that's what canon should have done. His issues aren't the mark of a terrible person. They're the understandable flaws of a teenager who is in love for the first time and doesn't know how to express himself. If a show would actually address this kind of common tween/teen issue, then a lot of kids would get an incredibly valuable lesson that would help them when they grow up and fall in love. If you're ever watching Miraculous with a kid, I strongly encourage you to approach Adrien's character from that perspective. Talk about why his actions are understandable, but ultimately wrong and more likely to push someone away than win their heart just like we see with Ladybug.

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical #ml fandom salt #ml fandom critical #adrien deserves better #marinette deserves better #alya deserves better #This is what I mean when I say that I'm a character sugar blog and a writing salt blog #The issue is not the character concepts or the general story ideas #The issues all come from the execution #It's also why I am happy when shows only get a few seasons #I truly think we would have gotten a better story if Miraculous only had three seasons to work with

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genshin-scenarios · 1 year

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Adopt a Wanderer: Sick Day [Part 4]

Summary: Kuni feels a little downcast when reminded about going back to his world, however any thoughts about that are quickly washed away when you get a fever (reader is sick, but it’s nothing too serious! He gets worried, though.)

Note: This is meant to be a found-family series with Scaramouche, who you address as Kuni in this AU! Mostly meant to be interpreted as platonic.

Part 3 <-

-> Part 5

Perhaps it was because of the weather, but you noticed that Kuni finds himself lost in his thoughts quite often these days.

What you don’t know, of course (seeing as you aren’t a mind reader), is that his concerns stem from something that’s never stopped looming over the both of you; his return home. Not only is Kuni pouring his worries over the ifs and whens, but the mere idea of going back to Teyvat - waking up and not being able to find or speak to you anymore - carves a crater in his chest that is hard to ignore.

He’s happy here now, but the mystery of how he arrived remains unsolved, and neither of you know when his last day might be.

It could be tomorrow or in another year. Or he could just be overthinking and letting anxious and depressed thoughts take over, but that doesn't change the fact that this uncertainty is both a blessing and a curse in its own right.

All this becomes irrelevant once you get sick, though. It's not that bad of a fever, but you're still fighting off a headache and a horribly sluggish feeling in your limbs, so naturally Kuni ends up panicking on your behalf because of how worried he was about you.

Since this is the first time he's seen you staying in bed because of sickness, it's understandable that Kuni is alarmed. But in the back of your hazy mind you register that it's also kind of endearing how he fusses over you - not sure of how fragile human bodies are compared to his.

Ah… right. He can't get sick, can he? It's no wonder he's acting as if you could collapse any minute. You appreciate the water refills he's been giving you (courtesy of a pharmacist's advice when he rushed to get you supplies at their shop) and the easy-to-stomach foods, but it's hard not to feel bad when Kuni is treating you so carefully. Sure, you didn't ask to get sick, but this is practically monopolizing all his time!

In an attempt to return to a bit of normalcy, you trudge your way to the living room and wrap yourself up to be stationed there. Kuni is understandably confused at seeing you cocooned in a different spot, but his eyes light up when you explain you'd like to watch something with him.

"That means you're feeling better, right?" He smiles, joining you on the sofa. Before he turns on the TV, he gives you a worried look. "Your head's not going to hurt from the screen's brightness? Or should I lower the sound?"

Just what kind of articles has he been reading? Or did you look that miserable a few days before? "Nope, it's fine!" You assure him. "I got all the way here without getting dizzy, so let's just hang out like we normally do. And… I wanted to say sorry for the trouble. I didn't think I'd get this sick all of a sudden."

"Actually, taking care of you has been a good distraction." Kuni admits. "It gives me something to do, and because I want you to recover, I get to put my energy towards something useful." Not to mention, it's stopped me from brooding about going back to Teyvat.

So long as he’s still here, Kuni has decided he'll simply make the most of the present. There's nothing either of you can do to control what happens later on, and the arrival of your fever knocks him back to his senses about what's important to him.

You've looked out for him, after all. Even taught him to do the little tasks that add up to human routine (back at Shakkei Pavillion, he never had the need or awareness for things like brushing his hair or dusting the room). How could he not treasure your presence? You've become like family to him, or at the very least someone that he hopes to stay connected to.

(Nevermind the people that tease him about following you around like a puppy. They were just impressioned by his early days, is all.)

“...Besides, I think I should also apologize for panicking the other day.” Kuni glances away sheepishly. “I forgot for a second that people can get sick, since I’m not…”

“You’re human to me,” The words slip out before you can catch them. “I mean, everything that you’ve done from the first day you arrived might be considered more humane than some actual mortals.” You joke. “So for what it’s worth, I think you’re just alive as anyone else. Just missing some parts is all.”

His eyes widen, and for a moment you scramble for more reasons to try and smoothen the conversation, only to stop when Kuni lets out a laugh. “Sorry, it’s just–” He gives you a smile, equal parts soft and inexplicably mesmerizing. “I’m starting to think that it’s a good thing I’m a little bit different. That way, I can take care of you whenever you need me.” Kuni raises his pinky finger between you. “Promise to get better as soon as you can?”

You hook your own pinkie with his in agreement. “Promise. And when that happens, I’ll drag you out for a weekend trip outside the city!”

Kuni has always shown an interest in sightseeing, so you thought it’d be nice to have a change of pace and explore somewhere new. With however long you still have together, you’d like to amaze him at least one more time.

>> Part 5

#kunikuzushi genshin #genshin impact scaramouche x reader #genshin balladeer #kunikuzushi x reader #scaraomuche x reader #wanderer genshin #wanderer x reader #balladeer x reader #genshin x reader #genshin reader insert #genshin writing #traveler wishes #genshin imagines

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dazais-guardian-angel · 21 days

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I'm finding it difficult to reconcile the fact that what I've always wanted and envisioned for Nikolai and his relationship with Fyodor based on fanworks and the very very little canon information we've had to go off of so far, will very likely be very different from what we actually get.

While I understand the appeal of Fyodor taking over Nikolai's body via his blood ability, and the inherent, romantic, ironic tragedy of that — for Nikolai, the person who yearned for freedom, to meet an end by having his soul eternally trapped in the body of the person he loved the most, while Fyodor lives on in his body, never truly knowing how much he was adored by him — I would just hate the idea of that happening now? It just feels far, far too soon for Nikolai to be dead, for his character to no longer have a role or a purpose; his mind and behavior is so utterly fascinating in all its bizarre contradictions, there's so much more to explore and discover with him, he's one of BSD's most complex characters, or at least he's set up to be, and I really hope Asagiri wouldn't throw him away this soon without doing anything more with him.

I never really thought that Nikolai would be the one to end Fyodor for good, way down the line (that can only ever be Dazai's job, to me, since he's his foil), but I always imagined he'd at least have some kind of role in attempting to kill him, since that's his ultimate wish. I imagined that it would be ugly, frenzied, unhinged, desperate, Nikolai finally being forced to acknowledge the horrible truth that's always been buried within his subconscious but he's never wanted to accept: that going against all human reason and killing someone he cares so deeply for will not, in fact, simply make those feelings go away, and will instead make them unable to ignore in his despair. The realization that he'll always be chained to human emotions, to love, no matter how much he thinks he can be free of them. And then, the ensuing breakdown from that. Yes, it's extremely fanficky lmao, but that kind of drama makes sense to me for him and them. It's interesting.

There was also the angst angle of Fyodor being immortal, and Nikolai's agenda perhaps stemming from wanting to save him from that, and being able to finally free him from it in the same way he himself wants to be freed. Killing being the ultimate expression of love, not too dissimilar to Mushitarou killing Yokomizo, both putting on an act of being hateful/vengeful/hostile towards the other in order to cope with the fact that deep down they can't bear the thought of them being gone.

But then we got Fyodor's "death" here, and Nikolai's reaction to it was so unbelievably underwhelming and calm that it made me question everything I thought I knew about Asagiri's writing skills him, and what the story is going for with him. And combined with this revelation now that Fyodor is (unsurprisingly!) immortal, but specifically in the way that he can be killed but supposedly resurrects endlessly (which I really like in of itself, don't get me wrong)... it makes me question what exactly Nikolai knows, or will know, and it somewhat destroys the potential angst we could get with them in the end, or at least drastically changes it.

If Nikolai already knows Fyodor can't be killed, that means we'll never get a moment where he tries to kill him and then has to face the fact that he did the deed and it didn't make him feel freed, and he instantly regrets it. It also means we'd never get a moment where he tries to kill him and then discovers he can't truly die, and the ensuing insanity that would occur from that. It also makes me even question the legitimacy of his reaction to Fyodor's "death" here... was it so damn apathetic and lukewarm because he already knows it wasn't permanent? I mean, I'd like an explanation for it feeling so ooc, it would make me feel better about that, but I can't deny that it would be disappointing to have yet another part of this arc that was just an act and not genuine feelings....

Now, that isn't to say that it's impossible to do anything interesting with Nikolai already knowing the truth. He could be wishing to try to attain free will through the illogical pursuit of an impossible task: in this case, killing Fyodor. There's a beautiful, tragic paradox in him wishing to attempt something to gain his freedom that he and we know is impossible, especially if subconsciously he takes solace in the fact that he'd be able to kill Fyodor without actually losing him for good. If Nikolai doesn't already know, assuming he's not dead he's likely going to find out the truth soon when he next sees Fyodor alive and kicking — I can't imagine a way he wouldn't find out. In that case, we wouldn't get the aforementioned scenario where he tries to kill him and discovers it's futile, which is the most juicy to me I won't lie, but I am still fascinated by the idea of how Nikolai will respond just seeing him suddenly alive again and having to process this after having just mourned him. It's interesting to imagine how he might respond to and treat Fyodor after at last knowing how it truly felt to lose him, and realizing how much he didn't want that, and then suddenly having him back. It might cause him to finally understand that his desire for freedom is unobtainable, and cause him to spiral, and fundamentally change their relationship going forward. An eventual tragic end for him such as Fyodor taking over his body would not feel out of place to me in that case, perhaps, but still not until we've had more time to see Nikolai reflect and see his possible change in perspectives.

I don't know, I'm just rambling at this point lmao. I know very well that so much of my expectations and desires for Nikolai and Fyolai are built up from fan content over the years just because there's been nothing else to work with, and that it's unfair to judge what Asagiri decides to do with him/them based on preconceived notions. Whatever he does could still be interesting in the end, even if it's not what I initially wanted or expected, and being open to being surprised is always a good thing. At the end of the day we still know barely anything about Nikolai, so it's not completely fair for me to judge something as ooc for a character we still know so little about.

But... it's because we know so little about him and have gotten so little of him, that at the very least, I'm gonna be really upset if he does die here from being possessed by Fyodor like people are worrying about. I really don't think he will, because I'm pretty confident the helicopter pilot is the one Fyodor swapped with/resurrected in the body of as per soup's theory, and again I'm not saying it wouldn't be fitting eventually... but I really don't want it to happen now. :/ I just think Nikolai still has so much potential as a character and so much more we need to see of him before his likely inevitable and tragic demise (however it happens), so whatever Asagiri decides to do with him I just really, really hope we don't lose him so prematurely; it would honestly be such a tremendous waste imo.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd 114 #is this meta? i don't know #more like just incoherent rambling lmao #i just don't want Nikolai to die man....... I really don't #i get that people are hyped up on the juicy tragedy of it all but plssssssss it's too soon for him to go #we need so much more of the enigmatic clown...... he's too interesting to lose just yet!!!#i'm sad at probably losing the outcomes i always hoped for him and fyolai but right now i just want More Of Him #he can't die so soon when he's barely even had pagetime #it COULD be fascinating to see Fyodor's reaction to taking over his body but....... i don't think he'd /have/ any right now #they need more time together before one of them dies #i always thought/hoped Fyodor would die first and Nikolai would be left alone to angst lmao but ugh........#now it's really feeling like it'll be the opposite #which again doesn't HAVE to be a bad thing depending on how Asagiri executes it........ I just think this is way too soon for it to happen #i'm gonna be so mad if Nikolai just dies offscreen without us ever hearing from him again because Fyodor possessed his body #poetically cruel and tragic? yes. but also so anticlimactic at this moment in time #never getting to hear from him again.........#ugh i blame all the Fyolai fan creators; they've raised the bar too high 😭😭😭#idk maybe i'm just talking out of my ass though. i probably am. i just feel conflicted about all this and need to see where it goes

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sunricecake · 2 years

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How do you think chrissy would be as a girlfriend? in your honest thoughts?(:

💭 chrissy as your girlfriend

a/n : we are going to pretend jason doesn't exist bcs there is no room for men in my universe. also i had some issues with the chrissy fic i was supposed to post last week which stemmed from me proofreading it so much to the point it began to look like random words thrown in a doc n now idk if i wanna post it anymore but hopefully i get over the itch to delete the whole thing. enjoy (｡’︶’｡) ♡

ok first of all, she is gonna be the sweetest, most supportive gf ever!! you'll basically have your very own, personal cheerleader :'D she always manages to lift your spirits, oftentimes without even trying and by just being her cheerful self

she's the type to get hooked in your own interests as she tries to learn more about them and tries it for herself. plus it gives her an excuse to spend more time with you and opens a lot of opportunities for more dates.

speaking of, shopping dates are a must!! crhissy absolutely adores going around the mall with your fingers interlocked, arms swinging and her ponytail swishing around with every bob of her head.

i peg chrissy's love language to be physical touch, so aside from the casual hand holding and linking of arms, there'd definitely be a lot of stolen kisses behind closed curtains that leaves the both of you a giggling, flustered mess.

in the fitting room while you're trying on silly outfits. the locker room when everybody has gone out. underneath the bleachers in between practice. atop the ferris wheel while fireworks go off in the distance. on your rooftop where her eyes twinkle brighter than the stars.

chrissy's just very affectionate, sweet girl's got so much love in her!!! and she'll take every chance to shower you with it. the fact that she can't do it in public shatters her heart, but with you, she thinks it's all worth it :))

when it comes to disagreements, i don't think she'd do well with fights. she can't stand the thought of ever hurting you in any way, much more losing you. she'd never yell at you, in fact she's actually quite the crier. tears well up in her eyes before she can even raise her voice at you </3

you'd usually be the first to apologize and talk things out with her, simply because the sight of her being down and unlike her bubbly self is something you can't handle.

anniversaries are very important to her!! chrissy notes down all your milestones in a little diary (which she protects with her whole life because she knows how forgetful she can be) so she can prepare something special beforehand.

doesn't matter if it's your first week or second month together, she cherishes every moment with you and thinks it's all worth celebrating :D

matching. things. her gifts often consist of sets that the both of you can have — rings, bracelets, pins, any thing. it just makes her all fuzzy and warm inside and she is an absolute sucker for them.

as for receiving, she loves teddy bears!! especially the really big ones because they're not only fluffier and warmer, but also make up for the space in her bed when you're not there

it goes without saying that you would be the luckiest person in the world to have chrissy :((

#stranger things x reader #stranger things scenario #chrissy cunningham #chrissy cunningham x reader #chrissy x reader #chrissy fluff #stranger things headcanon

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theflyindutchwoman · 8 months

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How do you think the writers will take Chenford moving forward? I know exploring long-term UC for Lucy and how that will impact Chenford's relationship is a possibility, but what do you think about other things like proposal, marriage and kids? Especially kids, since that is something Tim and Lucy have talked about numerous times.

I have this thought that pregnancy storyline was always written mainly due to logistics instead of what the writers wanted in originally. This mainly stems from the fact that the few times they have pregnancy in the show were because the actresses that played Angela Lopez and Nyla Harper were pregnant themselves and thus pregnancy was written in the storyline, so it kinda makes me think Tim and Lucy having kids may not be something we will see in the series. What do you think?

Ooh speculation time… This might be an unpopular opinion, but I agree, I don't see Lucy and Tim having a baby in the near future, at least not if the writers have a say in it.

As you mentioned, these storylines have been written to accommodate the actresses' real life pregnancies (not sure for Angela's second baby). They didn't get to properly prepare in advance, hence the three unplanned pregnancies plotlines. And I think that's partially the reason why Tim and Lucy have been speaking about kids so much : the writers want to do with them what they didn't get to do with the other couples. We didn't see the conversation, the planning… None of that. They have this opportunity here. Even better, Lucy and Tim had both already their own arc about this topic : her with the fertility clinic and him with having his dream of being a father being dashed repeatedly. And it's something they've discussed together in the past, so it makes sense that they would bring it up from time to time. But I don't think that means they are planning babies just yet. Ideally, Lucy would first get settled in her career - same with Tim for that matter. Otherwise, it would simply be a repeat of Angela's struggles when she got pregnant just as she was becoming a detective. I also wonder whether they're going to reopen the fertility clinic arc or not… In the meantime, having them coach Little League or spend a day with their Make-A-Dream kid is actually a smart way to give us some insights on what kind of parents they could be, without having to introduce a child just quite yet. We may get to see them as parents one day, I'm not ruling it out completely, but it will depend on how many more seasons we get.

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the first order of business would be to resolve the undercover/promotion storyline for Lucy. The writers have been teasing this arc all season long, so it's time to move forward. I don't mean that Lucy necessarily has to take a final decision regarding undercover, just that she needs to get to the next stage of her career. Undercover aside, Tim already mentioned that their scheduling hours could present an issue once she makes detective, that they might spend less time together. So it would be interesting to delve a little into that, see how they make it work… which could, in turn, lead to a conversation about moving in together and/or buying a house. After all, that's the discussion that set the wheels in motion and brought Tim and Lucy together. So that could be a full-circle moment. And it could pave the way for the next step : proposal.

Now, I don't think we will see one next season : with S6 shortened, it might be tricky. I know it might also seem too soon, but these two are already serious and committed, they know what they want and they know the other very well. Besides, so far, all the main couples got engaged relatively fast : Wesley proposed to Angela after 6-9 months of dating, Nyla and James got married after a few months (though in all fairness, it was precipitated by the pregnancy) and Nolan was ready to ask Bailey after dating her for like 8 episodes?! There's clearly a pattern here. But again, with a shorter season and a wedding already planned, the writers might want to keep that for later… All in all, it will really depend on how short this season will be (we stand with WGA/SAG-AFTRA in this house) and whether they can get a renewal for s7.

#ask & ye shall receive #the rookie #chenford #lucy chen #tim bradford

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lttleghost · 2 years

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The Thematic Relevance of Jesse as an Egg

(no significance to this picture I just think he's pretty here)

This headcanon is one that I have become increasingly passionate about as I have rewatched Breaking Bad, the more I think about it the more I feel that this headcanon is the most supported version of Jesse being trans based on direct observations of canon. It is primarily based on parallels, and largely focuses on "what if Jesse realizes he's not a cis guy like he thought parallel to realizing he's not cut out to be the criminal he thought he was?" also I will be pointing out how Jesse's initial sense of self, or who he tries to be, is disconnected from who he actually is and how that also works very well as support for Jesse realizing he's trans during the story

in Breaking Bad there is a common pattern of characters being introduced in a way where their first impression is at least somewhat different from the character that we come to know. While I myself liked Jesse from the very start, I wasn't quite expecting just how much of a kind, empathetic and conflicted young adult he ended up showing himself as. Each character whose initial introduction contrasts who they end up being generally has some aspect of themselves believing the mask that they put up to others, but I think Jesse has a particularly strong disconnect between who he thinks he is, who he thinks he should be, and who he really is.

I think my most solid example of this has to do with Jesse's superhero characters-

furthermore when Jane leaves to check the door, you see Jesse looking at his drawings and he seems to be considering something, and I think it's likely that he is further considering the idea that he was in fact drawing himself

NEW UPDATED POST, PLEASE READ THIS ONE INSTEAD: https://lttleghost.tumblr.com/post/701123507095027712/i-wrote-this-analysis-awhile-back-and-wanted-to

I do believe that Jesse's superhero drawings were either 'sonas' of himself - whether or not he made the conscious decision to draw them that way. I think this because his response to Jane mentioning they all looked like him, and after initially denying it, was "like you've never wanted a superpower," which felt to me like an admission that he has wanted a superpower, and that his drawings might've been a manifestation of this

and I think it's interesting because currently Jesse is a criminal right? and while superheroes are as well, I feel most people would categorize them as a different type of criminal than Jesse is; but in any case he's got all of these drawings of what seems to be himself as a superhero, while in the present he is simply a criminal, and not the vigilante type that a superhero is. and considering he used the exact words "fight crime" when describing what his superhero characters do, it might show that inherently he wants to do something good

I think a large part of why Jesse ended up as a criminal is it was likely the only thing he thought he could successfully do for a decent living, since he has no support from his parents, or anyone outside of the drug trade. Not only that, but he's aggressively ADHD coded. the combination of having so little support, battling addiction, and having undiagnosed ADHD would make slogging through any job he seemed to have access to, or would be encouraged to do, a complete nightmare. So I feel like much of him falling into the drug trade was because it was something he could reasonably achieve and live off of, as well as it becoming something Jesse, an artist, has some enjoyment doing as he stated that "cooking is art." Another factor could be that there’s a sort of rebelliousness stemming from how normal society failed him. but I think that to deal with the more harsh aspects of that life, even before Walt re-entered his life and made everything increasingly worse, Jesse had to play into a specific role, a criminal, and convince himself that that was who he really was so that he could survive

I'm also curious as to when Jesse started making meth because he said he drew his superhero pictures four years ago, specifically phrasing it as "I was a kid when I drew these it was like... four years ago", and he's twenty four in that scene, meaning he would've been twenty when he drew them. I think it would've been even more interesting if he had just started making meth around that point and if his drawings were almost a subconscious vent about how he wishes he was sort of doing something different, something still rebellious in some way maybe but also something that directly helps others since Jesse's care and empathy surfaces time and time again throughout the show even when he tries to hide it, but that's more speculation on my part

so relating this all to gender: while in reality masculinity and being a man isn't intrinsically tied to criminality at all, Breaking Bad does tie them together in some ways, and though it is specifically toxic masculinity it's still reasonable to parallel Jesse not fitting in with the criminal world with him not being entirely a man, if he ends up having any connection to being one at all. Other than Jesse having dissonance in terms of his identity and how it becomes more and more apparent throughout the series that being the type of criminal that he is doesn't suit him well, looking back, even at the start of the show his attempts to act in this hyper-masculine way that is more or less the norm in the drug trade comes off as really fake for the most part. Even in episode one when he's talking to Krazy 8, who mentions that Emilio thinks that Jesse might've ratted him out, while Jesse responding with “that's bullshit” sounds genuine, when he goes to say "I should kick his (Emilio's) punk ass for even thinking that" I not only personally think his tone of voice sounds like fake bravado, I also believe that there is no way Jesse actually thinks that he can take on Emilio, considering Jesse has a body type that resembles a lil twig and I seriously doubt he has such little self awareness that he wouldn't consider that.

I also think Jesse's romantic relationships are telling in his separation from other characters in terms of toxic masculinity. While in episode two Jesse does throw the insult "great job at wearing the pants in the family" at Walt in regards to Skyler coming and confronting Jesse, when it comes to his actual actions in a relationship he doesn't show any need to be in control over his partner. In another area regarding relationships there is a scene having to do with Jesse and Jane that I think separates Jesse from the typical idea of toxic masculinity even more - when Jesse asks Jane why she didn't really introduce him to her dad, which evolves into discussing their relationship in which Jane suggests that they're just sleeping together where Jesse clearly was under the impression that they were dating, it places Jesse into a role that is stereotypically assigned to women or female characters in media, and I think that in the case of Breaking Bad, that can be seen as significant

and tying all of those things together forms a solid base for it being thematically relevant and fitting for Jesse to realize he's trans at some point as the story progresses. Jesse discovers his gender identity as he is learning and discovering other parts of his general identity as a whole. I don't have any true "proof" for this headcanon, as Jesse was not written to be lgbt+ and this headcanon is drawn from parallels that weren't intended, but those parallels can still be observed regardless and are relevant to Jesse's character arc as well as not bringing up any conflicts or questions with canon material that we are given

I also have my own ideas of the progression of Jesse discovering his identity as a trans person when he questions and represses his gender more and more. this will be told through the lens of my specific interpretation for Jesse, where he's a gender nonconforming transfem person (even before I started to consider that he could be trans I always found him to be "inexplicably feminine") who doesn't medically transition. I think he is a butch lesbian personally as while his connection to "manhood" is nothing but negative, he seems to have some expressions of masculinity that are fine with him, and approaching them as a transfem lesbian would cross into those few aspects of masculinity feeling comfortable again, but since I believe any identity where Jesse realizes he's trans during canon can equally be supported by this analysis, I feel some events could be altered to fit any identity that falls under that category

I don't think Jesse had many notable Gender (™) experiences other than just generally feeling a little out of place, though maybe he couldn't identify how he felt out of place since a lot of things could have contributed to it. Maybe he could've been interested in "girls’ stuff" as a lil kid but with his parents being the shitty type of people that just seem to want a "normal" child, I imagine they discouraged it. I can also see Jesse at some point when he's older screwing around with his friends and putting a dress on and saying something out loud along the lines of "haha I look like such a queer don't I" but internally thinking "I will die before I tell anyone how this is making me feel"

but in the show, up until he's in a relationship with Jane, I think he had fully convinced himself that he is a cis man, but after meeting Jane and starting to date her, I can see how she might have started to introduce him to more gender-related stuff. I do believe Jane is bi and maybe trans, I don't have any solid evidence for my hcs relating to Jane, except for maybe her approach to relationships feels very not straight, as does her fashion sense. If you want to interpret her as trans I think her gender identity could reasonably be within a wider range than Jesse, I personally think her appearance is what she prefers as far as presentation, but it doesn't put any limits on her identity, she could be transfem or gnc transmasc or transneutral, I think there's at least something reasonable to interpret her as any of those things.

In any case, I can picture Jesse mentioning to her something about how he sometimes wishes he wasn't a man, but that he doesn't want to change anything about himself physically or anything so he thinks he is stuck as one, and I can see Jane sort of trying to nudge him in the direction of "the only thing you need to not be a man is to feel like you aren't one" which in all honesty at first I don't think Jesse would be all that receptive of, he still is in deep with the drug trade and it… isn't particularly lgbt friendly and Jesse might subconsciously recognize some danger in realizing he's trans, even if he could opt out of telling people that he is. But as he and Jane continue to get close I think that around her specifically he gets more comfortable questioning and talking about his identity at least to a small extent

but when she dies I think Jesse just goes into total repression mode, more so than ever. as he falls into the persona of "the bad guy" he also dips back into that hyper-masculine behaviour that is so prominent in the drug trade, which also coincides with him seemingly acting more selfish for awhile during large sections of season three (at least until he meets Andrea) because he lost someone so important to him; and, whether or not we're including the headcanon that Jesse was starting to realize he was trans, Jane was still the only person Jesse ever seemed to fully open up to, or at least open up to more than he does with anyone else, so it makes sense that losing that would cause him to close up, even to himself

then after meeting Andrea and everything that follows, I imagine that Jesse drops the full on repression of his gender identity but also isn't trying to actively consider it because there is simply too much going on in his life that is way more of a priority. I sometimes think that maybe he might've told Mike, and while I think Mike himself wouldn't respond negatively from a personal end, I do think he'd probably tell Jesse to please not share that with anyone else, which would technically be good advice but would still likely be discouraging to Jesse

I'd say that Jesse eventually fully figures his gender out is once he is safe after all of the canon events of BrBa, and I like to think about how he'll find a lot of comfort and healing in no longer having to try to be a man, because now he knows he isn't one.

#breaking bad analysis #brba analysis #breaking bad #jesse pinkman #jesse breaking bad #jesse brba #brba #transgender #transgender jesse pinkman #im not used to writing long ass analysis posts like this sorry if anything is like off #this is my girlfriend don't touch him #meat.txt

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araneitela · 6 days

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Deception and manipulation. And quite frankly, why I disagree with fanon's vehement inclusion of both for Kafka's character. I've been sitting on this for quite a while now, and I one day want to write a much longer meta on it, but I wanted to "briefly" touch on it for the ones following me, so that you know what to expect, and well, what not to expect.

Nothing within canon inherently thus far to me, has shown Kafka to be dishonest, and it's actually one of the things that further drew me to her character as I continued into HSR, the fact that she isn't. But, I've been re-watching all of her scenes yet again today to see if I can budge myself on this, but I'm still firmly rooted in my belief that Kafka is not deceptive as people make her out to be, and if anything, I feel even stronger about this today than I did yesterday, despite actively trying to find things that would prove the opposite. All I can see, honestly, is that she actively tells the truth when on screen. This entire belief that she's anything akin to deceptive, manipulative, or dishonest is genuinely just an audience's perception that stems from the general, go-to assumption that someone who has been brandished a 'villain' bears every bad trait in existence. And the audience comes to hold that perception because it's what numerous characters on our screen seem to think (one of the earliest examples of this would be Himeko and March 7th, but primarily the latter). She has a bounty of 10.899 billion credits on her head, yes, so far that's the highest that we've seen, but we also know that the Stellaron Hunters have been closely involved with a lot of chaos that's occurred throughout the cosmos (and the other hunters do not possess the ability that she does). But we need to not interlace bad traits where they, in my opinion, don't belong.

Let me elaborate a little bit on my stance here so I don't go haywire in my tags. Also, please note that this touches on her character/dialogue and what we see within the story, her "games" such as the Jepella Rebellion touch on a different element of her character: boredom. That's for another day. Anyway, yes, I will also touch on her spirit whisper, because I know that's also a huge contender into this 'deception' theory.

The first scene that holds proper and deeper nuance that we're witness to, is when she speaks to the Trailblazer in the very beginning after awakening them. We see 'Listen:' at the very beginning, which we know is something she uses to signify the effects of her spirit whisper. Now if one were to simply take her spirit whisper, at its essence, as manipulative and that's that without taking intent and practice into account, then there's nothing I can say, but I will assume that's not the case here. Not anywhere in the lines that follow (and here are the choices), does Kafka insinuate any specific action for the Trailblazer to take, if anything, she insists on the existence of their own choice and will to 'reach the end of their story'. 'Listen' in this entire sequence is a call to attention, in the way that a person can wave their hand in front of your eyes or snap their fingers near you. The Trailblazer in this context is confused, they've just woken up and are unsure where they are, what's happening and perhaps, even who they are exactly. So the call to attention makes total and utter sense. Her spirit whisper isn't merely hypnosis, if you look at its capabilities, it can be used in various ways. Now outside of her SW, you hear the softer and more authentic tone of her voice (for those unaware of what I mean: here) when she speaks to them, and you actively see a change of expression depending on your answer to her that, quite frankly, is too genuine to me alongside the change of voice to take them in any other way than at direct face value. And lastly, she answers every question posed to her by the TB within the time constraints that they are under. Does she answer them elaborately? Not exactly, but there is quite literally, no need for it. She's not being dishonest, she's not being deceptive, she's actually being quite caring, if one dare use the word (and I do).

Second, the Astral Express visit. For starters, not once does she actively use her SW here in any capacity. She reacts to what Himeko says to her, and even entertains the 'accusations' and even gives away a bit of information that by all accounts is true, the Astral Express and Stellaron Hunters both pursue, in their own ways, the most dangerous objects of the universe. They are in some capacity, two sides of the same coin. From thereon out, she doesn't dwindle or waste any time (hers or theirs), she gets to the point of the Xianzhou Luofu, she says where it is, explains what happened, and what she knows will happen if the crew doesn't go there. She also discloses that she wants to retrieve Blade. Does she disclose the entire 'idea' of how they will end up clearing the Stellaron Hunters' reputation? No, but she has no idea on the reliability of any of them, and two (Himeko, and March 7th) seem 'hostile' towards her, and one (Welt) is hesitant at best; there is absolutely zero grounds for her to entrust them with the steps of their plan. Aside from that, the entire plan that we see unfold after that quite literally never endangers any of them, if anything, it only makes them look good, and guess who the Stellaron Hunters would owe a favor to after all of this? The Astral Express. Who would the Xianzhou owe a favor to? The Astral damned Express. The ones going on a limb here, despite having a 'script', is Kafka and the Stellaron Hunters as a whole. Point me at the genuine dishonesty or manipulation in this, and if you want to add a scoop to it, any ill-intent.

And then we get to the actual Luofu. Honestly, I need someone to tell me where she lies. Even before she ever gets captured, and they're chasing after her; right at the beginning, she literally says why the chase continues, and why she's not stopping yet: 'What a hassle, this place is too far for the diviner. See you up ahead.' Take her at face value, it's what she wants from you. Granted, she can profit if you don't (but at this point, I would beg to differ), but she's not trying to get you to believe any lie, if she was, she'd be telling one.

"Best future? Best for who? As if you'd consider anyone but yourself." — March 7th "If I said 'best for the universe', would you believe me? Best for me, naturally." — Kafka

And as much as one might want to try and rub my nose in "it" at this point, I'd like to ask what anyone is trying to rub my nose into. Again, is she not being pretty forthcoming? She's not saying more than she needs to, but that's not being deceptive. If someone doesn't ask for more information, then why should you give them... more information than necessary?

"I have no interest in the words of wanted criminals - especially those skilled in the art of manipulation." — Fu Xuan.

/shakes the bars of my cage. Yes, she uses spirit whisper, we know that she does. But again, this is an audience's perception of a 'villain' at its definition, rather than a judgement call made for one in specific. I understand Fu Xuan, of course, I do, but I'm not taking an 'in-game' stance, I'm sitting in the audience's seat and dissecting what I see.

I just, where is she dishonest? She proceeds to talk to the Trailblazer at length, and goes as far as to admit that the Stellaron Hunters are not entirely innocent. Not once is it claimed that the SH are void of any blame, she takes it, here and during the Jepella Rebellion trailer (even if, yes, it is a mock trial and she's hypnotizing them, yes, I know, "the proof is in the pudding THERE, Sae!", I'm arguing nuance, not a case of 'Kafka is always honest). Guys, she comes clean entirely. I'm starting to go feral, I know, but I just don't understand. I don't get it. /semi-tugs at hair. We're almost at the end of her scenes, and I still don't see it.

I don't understand. I don't understand. And then in 1.2, Waterscale Gorge, she stops them all from fighting, has them stand down. And when Dan Heng asks her what she did, she answers it well enough. And guess who doesn't question it upon his arrival, witnessing it? The 'hotshot General' in question: Jing Yuan.

I understand 'interpretations', but I fail to see how the massive overwhelming part (if not bordering the entirety) of fanon has such a severe attachment to this concept of Kafka being inherently deceptive, or have her whole existence shrouded therein. I don't see where this is the case. We can even look at her trailer, a Dramatic Irony, and look when she speaks at the end to the last guard in question. Some could argue that she lies to him when she offers the flip of the coin, but she doesn't. She never once actually offers him a chance to live, she never once insinuates that if he guesses correctly, that he could live, that is an assumption that the audience makes, rather than it being a choice that she actively presents. 'As for the ending, want to take a guess?' One might try to argue deception with me here, but I'd like to simply fire back: where is her deception? It only exists if you hear something that she never says, that is not something that she puts in your head; that's a choice that you make. A choice, a choice, a choice. The entire thing that she preaches about since the dawn of time when we awoke as the Trailblazer. Where is she lying? It's easy to call someone else out on something that you, yourself, create in your mind. Now do I think an argument can be made, there? Sure, for I absolutely don't make the case for her to be exceptionally and thoroughly 'transparent', but it's all about nuance. It's about, quite honestly, looking at the imagery of a spider. Where is that little quote I came across a while back— ah yes, here:

“The spider's web: She finds an innocuous corner in which to spin her web. The longer the web takes, the more fabulous its construction. She has no need to chase. She sits quietly, her patience a consummate force; she waits for her prey to come to her on their own, and then she ensnares them, injects them with venom, rendering them unable to escape. Spiders – so needed and yet so misunderstood.” — Donna Lynn Hope

An innocuous corner that can be avoided, she doesn't scheme and try to lure you into a web that would mean your destruction; more often than not, you could see it rather well ahead of you, and the intrigue is that you would walk into it almost willingly. It's alluring, it's tempting to those of curious nature that seek to unravel and explain, it's intricate, it's beautiful, why wouldn't you want to draw yourself into it? But the spider at the center is not the one that coaxes you, even if she's the creator of that ever intricate web. And yet, when you get wrapped up into it, she is all encompassing, and most don't come out alive as we see. And your fate is cruel, just like— well, fate is cruel. But is she, like Kafka, manipulative? Or is she, while you may so strongly want to believe the opposite, much more honest than you wish she was? And is that why she is cruel? Is that not the cruelest?

#[ meta. ] the mara's tether is firmly in her grasp. she will not pull upon it before the designated time; nor shall she relinquish it.#[ i'm tired. i'm so tired. hi hello. i'm so mentally tired that i can't even tag ramble. ]#[ just-- have this. /have this/. i lay it on the table. ]#[ it's incoherent; it's a mess. but it's just. /sighs. ]#[ i blame aven. he told me to do it. entirely his fault. i take zero responsibility for any of this. ]

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templegate · 21 days

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i NEED to know your thoughts on nagito

Genuinely? I really like him. I joke that I hate him but he's one of my favorite characters.

During my playthrough I was basically making fun of him the entire time. But like... Affectionately.

As for any character analysis. I think he's so fascinating. I don't think i can properly wrap my head around him verbally. But i feel like I know what he'll do in a given situation.

He's devout to the concept of hope because of his life circumstances. And it's not like... A rouse. He genuinely believes all of the things he's saying. Which is why he's fun. He's obsessed with hope because he has no hope. He's an orphan with every kind of trauma, he's terminally ill, etc etc.

And yet his obsession is entirely self centered. It's all about him. How he can become a stepping stone for hope. How he can become the ultimate hope. He will actively derail relevant conversations to talk about hope and throw a few insults/compliments around. Also his own obsession with being the ultimate hope probably stemmed from learning about Makoto Naegi in chapter 4

I honestly get the vibe that he finds the investigations and class trials massively entertaining and gets a lot of joy out of figuring things out and watching it all play through.

People also simplify him down to horny hope guy in love with Hajime. Which is just... Kind of offensive to his character. Cause when he really started getting good was in Chapter 4. After he realized they were all remnants of despair, and in particular - his favorite little guy (hajime) was not only a talentless little nobody, but also technically the "ultimate hope" and had all the talents and kickstarted the despair apocalypse. I think if i were him I'd go a little crazy too.

And imagine that. Everyone you know is evil. Including you. Specifically for the ideology you hate. Nagito's decision to kill everyone and himself makes a lot more sense when you consider the fact that he's disgusted by them. His malice- is totally understandable given what he knows and his own personal morals.

He's such an asshole too (affectionate) and i think we need to look at that more. Like most of it before chapter 4 is unintentional. But we need to talk about it. He's such a dick.

His black and white world view on talent and worthiness is also so fascinating. He simply believes some people are better than others. There's no nuance. Which is funny considering his own situation would be nuanced. He got into Hope's Peak by luck and doesn't consider himself an ultimate. But still will take the chance to dunk of Hajime for being in the reserve course. Simply because he feels superior.

speaking of Hajime it's very funny how much Hajime dunks on his whole worldview. Yeah the talentless guy you've been Dunking on for two chapters? He's actually the ultimate hope, has all the talents, saved your ass from the simulation and being taken over by Junko, and hes still willing to associate you after you tried to kill yourself and take everyone with you. Like i cannot imagine how pissed i would be if i was Komaeda after he woke up from the Neo World Program. It's hilarious. It's so dramatic.

I haven't played UDG or watched DR3 yet so I can't get the full scope of his character. But i still think he's great.

That's not to mention things like my opinion on shipping, characters i want to lock in a room with him. (If you're curious, it's Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Natsumi Kuzuryu, and Yasuhiro Hagakure) Etc etc

So in conclusion i hate nagito komaeda

#nagito komaeda #danganronpa #ask #anonymous #i don't get asks very often this is so cool

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lnkedmyheart · 7 months

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Why do you think Dazai interacts differently with Chuuya and Oda? Like out of everyone they are the closest ones to him but while he treats Oda like someone he can look up to on the other hand he treats Chuuya completely different (still trusts him and is close) like he always hides his true feelings when it comes to Chuuya or masks it between silly words and jokes (though he aints fooling anyone)

And you often say Chuuya losing control if Dazai dies but what if Chuuya dies?? I wonder what would be Dazai's reaction?

People interact with different people differently. There is also the fact that Oda doesn't threaten or question Dazai's ideology in any real way. Oda exists and lets Dazai exist as he is, listens to his tales and sorry theories about how the world is a miserable place etc. Dazai has nothing to hide from. Dazai isn't forced to correct himself. Its a comfort zone for him. There is also a very solid emotional distance between them which is repeatedly highlighted in the dark era novel.

Chuuya on the other hand does not let Dazai get away with his miserable little speeches and his general callous bullshit. He will angrily knock sense into him when he thinks Dazai is starting to be too much of an asshole. And the problem is Dazai is affected by Chuuya's opinion of him. Chuuya forces Dazai to correct his behaviour. Dazai is safe with him yes, but he is also being pushed out of complacency.

The hate in skk's dynamic stemmed from those two forcing each other to confront their worst traits. And you can't really heal unless you admit you have a problem.

Also Dazai was directly responsible for Chuuya's survival during missions, not so much for Oda's and given his "everything worth having is lost" belief no wonder he isnt open about his friendship with Chuuya.

The stark contrast in Dazai's relationship with Oda and Chuuya is in the DA novel where Dazai tells Oda to run and hide and stay out of trouble in exact words and then immediately after informs Chuuya of an incoming threat through a coded message in the form of an insult.

Also, I dont say Chuuya will lose control if Dazai died. i simply brought up that in beast Chuuya did. We dont know if it will happen in canon but he has previously gone berserk about the Flags and activated corruption with the intent of dying during dhc.

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regrator-pantalone · 3 months

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(We love and respect Mod in this house. Mod is good mod)

(Your Pantalone and Dottore from dottore-official are adorbs together. It is so cute and sweet. I have my own ideas and headcanons for their characters BUT i love whats going on here! )

(I love Pantalone, he's my villian coded fave so he's the antagonist in all of my... yet to be written... stories and such BUT still love this man.)

(But those 2 are so cute together. We stan.)

((Ooc: Omg thank you!!! I'm so lucky you think so highly of me akbdkagka

Yes!!! They're so so so cute I- *smashes their faces together so they cut the crap and kiss already* The petnames THE PETNAMES *slams fist on desk* Ofc ofc! Diverse headcanons are so fun, your thoughts don't need to align with anyone else's ehehe!

Ugh yes I love Pantalone mostly because he's so misunderstood. Ofc we haven't seen much of him in-game but the lore is heavily reliant on his character archetype from the Commedia Dell'arte. A lot of people are very quick to dismiss him as a capitalist when in reality he is the opposite.

He grew up in complete poverty, and he's worked so hard for the titlesand honour he has now. Maybe what he's done in the past to get to where he is is not all morally just, but he's stood up for himself and has achieved what one could consider "greatness," yet knowing this, he hasn't forgotten his origins.

Pantalone has a deep desire to obtain Mora, and to "control its flow." In that very same voiceline, he mentions that the flow of Mora shall cease by the commands of the Fatui. This can be interpreted as the longing to destroy Mora and the vices it brings to people.

Wealth is certainly one of the straightest pipelines to corruption, but there is a little light that shines within our lovely Regrator. He has not been corrupted in a capitalist matter, but has become unhealthily obsessed with the goal to control and destroy the very thing that controls most politicians or other people in positions of power. Royalty simply stems from the fact that one has money and is fortunate enough to be born into a very rich family.

Naturally, he does believe in economic prosperity, but he also acknowledges that Mora (and all money) do the world more bad than good. For this reason, he desires to control the economy and longs to be its end.

Woooooooooooow I am so sorry that is a very long rant *runs away to hide in a corner* Whoops.

Oh my Archons! You're considering writing stories! (Or maybe you just have the details in your head teehee) I am an avid writer omggggg so I won't lie to you that sounds SO. FANTASTIC. You'll have to rant to me about your plans sometime! (Only if you'd want to, of course :)

Yes indeed! We do stan, Dottolone supremacy over here~

I'll have you know that I adore these little asks I get from you, they make my day!!!

I hope you're doing well! ~ Mod))

#a financial plan? 💵#dearest doctor 🧪#ooc posts #genshin impact #genshin #genshin rp #pantalone #genshin pantalone #dottore #dottolone

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alastairstom · 1 year

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back again cause I'm curious as someone who's clued on to the finer details of neurodivergence do you think that james' character changed too weirdly between midnight heir and tlh? like I'm adamant these are just different sides of him brought out by different circumstances (and we see in cog and cot some aspects of the former) but he's always struck me as the 'high masking til he can't anymore then the insecurities about not being kind enough and not being fun enough kinda snap him into the opposite I-really-don't-care-anymore-about-being-responsible-for-everyone-and-everything mode' type and like I don't know if I'd catch that either if I didn't know people (myself included, sometimes) like that. what do you think?

So I have a lot of thoughts on this, and I've seen the posts floating around about how short-story James and TLH James are two different characters.

On a surface level, I'm inclined to agree that they look very different. And yet, on a deeper level, they're clearly the same person. You are correct.

Nothing But Shadows

In the case of NBS, I've always been inclined to believe that this is just James Younger.

It's here that I want to note that NBS James reads, and always has read, as autistic to me (in the same way that Matthew has read as bipolar since that story). He exhibits many autistic traits, including:

Awkwardness in social situations

A desire to avoid situations like this (he literally just wants to find a corner to read in most of the time)

His heavy-handed discomfort with Matthew that definitely stems in part from his extraversion

Difficulty expressing himself (both pre-NBS at Hatchards and during NBS in all of his encounters with the mundane students as well as Alastair + the mean boys)

Special interests in reading and storytelling

NBS James hasn't really grown into himself yet, and he's been consistently sheltered. He doesn't have a close friend group yet, and that develops in NBS. We see him even over the course of the story become bolder as he engages with Matthew (and Thomas and Kit, though I'm inclined to believe that most of his newfound boldness comes from the extravert that adopted him). By the end, he's still insecure and quiet, which is a natural product of what happened to him at school. But he's also a bit more open, at least with the other Thieves.

This could be James opening up, but I definitely do agree that there could be a component of masking here. As someone who masks, I generally eventually drop it when I spend enough time with someone and come to trust them. It seems likely that James would drop the masking after a while of coming to know Matthew. We'll never really know which of these options it is, I don't think. I believe it's both.

Cast Long Shadows & Notes on the Timeline

I want to talk about CLS too and TMH, but the timeline of the bracelet is murky. In NBS, there's a reference to him knowing Grace, loving Grace, and even wearing the bracelet (he touches it once). But in ChoG, the Days Past show him getting the bracelet in 1900.

@layla-carstairs posted earlier about how timelines in TLH make little sense if you think about them for a while, which is a general fact. Charles and Alastair's relationship has a murky beginning date, which I can unpack in a different post, and Thomas is canonically 18 for over a year. THAT BEING SAID, Cassie once said that what's in the books superseded the short stories (which is also why I think Charles and Alastair have been together since at least 1900, probably 1899).

So, I'm going to work under the assumption that James was given the bracelet in 1900.

The James of CLS is bolder, more mature than the James of NBS. Makes sense, considering he now has close friends and is just generally growing up! And yet, he also feels closed off and muted. I think this may simply be the bracelet's handiwork.

The Bracelet and Masking

Since we're talking about neurodivergence here, I think it's also interesting to consider the bracelet as an allegory/metaphor for neurodivergence. I highly doubt that this was Cassie's intention, but I have definitely thought of this in passing before.

Cordelia literally calls James' well-composed face The Mask. She talks about there being two different Jameses, and during the course of her discussing this, he is almost always wearing the bracelet. So, he definitely has some personal masking going on while wearing it as well as its effects of muting his character.

The Midnight Heir & TLH

I think of the bracelet as something of a neutralizer. I don't think it gets rid of James' personality. But I think that it mutes him. It takes his wilder traits and suppresses them, and makes them much calmer and less prominent. We see this in ChoG and ChoT; he's far more passionate and open in these books when the bracelet is removed. He feels more like the James of NBS would feel after growing into himself.

But, on another level, James in ChoT after removing the bracelet feels more neurodivergent. This is very likely because of the trauma of having a) coped with the bracelet, and b) knowing what happened to him (which was literally years-long emotional and sexual abuse. Thanks, Tatiana).

He definitely has some form of cPTSD, as most of the TLH characters do. People with cPTSD (like myself) often exhibit additional ambiguously-neurodivergent traits that are difficult to diagnose and pin down. (Alastair and Grace are amazing examples of this, because I fully believe that their neurodivergent-feeling comes exclusively from PTSD. I don't think this is the case for other characters like Matthew or Thomas or James. Alastair and Grace are special cases).

ANYWAY, re: James, this belief is bolstered for me by the fact that James does not want to be pitied and also feels that he's reliving the bracelet experience whenever he talks about it. He seems agitated in a similar way that he did in TMH; he shoots things again; he's more fiery, more hotheaded, more honest. He's got more Will in him than Jem, which is how he feels in TMH.

This is also the point where I note that James thought Grace had left him in TMH. I think he was still wearing the bracelet, but Grace's telling him it wasn't going to work would surely have short-circuited Bracelet James.

I think that, as time goes on, James is going to embrace these traits more. He's going to be who he really is rather than that muted version of James.

A Small Note on James and TLH

One of the hardest-to-stomach things about TLH is the fact that we do not truly know James. Even at the end of it, we have just met the truth of him. For the vast majority of the trilogy, we have only known this muted version of James that has hidden the brighter, more vibrant brushstrokes underneath him.

This is why I'm hesitant to call James boring. I don't find him an interesting character in TLH, but I also understand that we never meet him, not really.

It's interesting to note how James and Matthew's stories mirror each other a bit here; we're just now getting to know Matthew when he's not under the influence of alcohol. (I'm down to talk about this a bit more, btw - I've always strongly identified with Matthew. I call him myself in a different font, and I also periodically will call him my dark mirror. I probably have more insight into him than I do James because I get him, whether he's drunk of not. His actions always make sense to me even when I disagree with them, and I find him extremely interesting even when drunk. But I digress).

In any case, sorry for the ADHD, but I think that this is one of the hardest things to stomach about TLH. We don't know our main character. We've never seen how vibrant he is outside of ChoT, when he's in an unimaginably awful mental place. We will probably never get a feel for his "true" personality as an adult/adult-adjacent.

I think this is purposeful on Cassie's part, but I also don't necessarily agree that it was a good decision.

In any case, these are my thoughts, and I'm starting to ramble, so I'm closing this post. But thanks for the ask. <3

#tlh #the last hours #tsc deep dives #james herondale #asked and answered #chot #chain of thorns #matthew fairchild #grace blackthorn

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rosehipfield · 4 months

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I'm not sure one can conclude with certainty that Midori was the one to plant seeds for mistrust in Shin's mind when the only scene we've had of their dynamic in the past had Midori directly telling Shin not to be hard on himself. There's far more evidence pointing to Shin's mistrust of people stemming from how he was treated by others as a result of being so physically weak, and thus having his entire identity being invalidated, and that Midori was only able to get so close to him because he made a consistent effort for his mission. Compare a possible dialogue option during the Final Attraction where Shin mentions how his hands are described as those of "one who doesn't work"(despite him working at a convenience store that requires manual labor) to Midori telling Shin to "do his part" when he offers his support to meet him with his sibling, or how Shin consistently lies about his interests while displaying them proudly in Midori's house. And the reason that Shin's putting the relationship under so much scrutiny now probably has more to do with that same person he felt so comfortable with being a major player in the death game he's in. That doesn't paint the picture of someone who had his trust in people betrayed by the relationship itself, but rather the abrupt ending of the relationship.

Once again, my post is quite long

My reasons for thinking Midori is the one responsible for Shin's mistrust are mainly:

Words of AI Shin who said he felt restless in Midori's presence, unnerved when Midori looked at him;

The fact that real Shin did feel relief when Midori dissapeared;

Shin's behavior in death game. He took Sou's name and persona, and his Midori-like actions weren't most noble (using Kanna, indirectly killing Mishima and Joe etc). It wasn't something he wanted to do, he got rid of "Shin Tsukimi", the real him. And the newborn" Sou Hiyori" wasn't very pleasant person. He copied traits that would allow him to survive rather then traits of a person he truly considered a friend (not that it wasn't entirely true, his attitude toward Midori could be inconsistent, but I believe it wasn't the priority).

As to being treated poorly by others for being weak, I agree with you, it was likely factor to contribute to his worldview of "strong eat the weak". But in my opinion Midori also played part in it. I doubt Shin felt truly comfortable with person who made him sweat and took photos of him without permission. Yes, he did opened up, partly because he needed at least somebody to befriend him and didn't want that person to leave. As to why Shin displayed his interests, we can't say for sure it was his idea full of enthusiasm. It could simply come from Midori pressuring him into it, we have little proof of either. So, from my perspective this frienship wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, even if there were moments of support.

Finally, I treat comparisons that you have provided about lying about his interests as cause-effect relationships. Shin was hurt not only by abrupt dissapearance of Midori (though as I mentioned he was kind of glad), later he got to know that his friend was actually not from his school. What thoughts would that lead to, taking into consideration how he was afraid of said friend? It caused suspicion and while reflecting on everything they had, Shin could come to conclusion that Midori didn't only enjoy seing him scared, he befriended him for a reason and not only pure desire to help. All red flags became apparent, he was in something strange and 100% unhealthy. Maybe he was used, he, weak both physically and mentally, by strong all-knowing Midori. That could very well be the root for his cynicism. That's why he didn't want to open up easily anymore, that's why he lied about his interests. Because he did it earlier and it wasn't the right choice.

All in all, in my book Shin felt betrayed not only by abrupt ending, but by relationship itself. Once again, I agree to disagree

#your turn to die #shin tsukimi #midori yttd

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nonuggetshere · 1 year

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OKAY, WAYWARD ROYALS AU TIME

PV in this AU is named Flower, which is what I'm gonna use instead of the acronym. Gonna use a read more because Holy Shit there's a lot once again

So like I mentioned in this post, their relationship was rocky at first. Pale King and White Lady were crushed by guilt and regret, and not only did they not want to deal with these emotions, but they were also under the belief that their child didn't want them in their life after everything that happened. So, they became distant and while they made an effort to be pleasant and respectful to them, it was nothing more than that. It was awkward, and Flower's insistence on continuing to act emotionless and only giving them short responses with either a nod or a shake of their head just solidified their idea that they didn't want them as their parents. Meanwhile, Flower thought they were angry with them and didn't love them anymore, so they started to avoid them too whenever they could to deal with these feelings of abandonment on their own. Communication is not this family's strongest suit.

But they do have to work together to get home or even to raise geo for supplies and to pay the stag that so graciously offered his services. So, whenever they arrived at another civilization, kingdom or otherwise, they'd split up and try to get the odd jobs to raise money and buy supplies. White Lady would default to selling the flowers and plants she grew, while Flower got an odd job here and there usually where somebody needed some muscle to help. Meanwhile, Pale King dusted off his hunting skills and would make tools and leather from the things they didn't eat to sell (he eventually taught Flower how to hunt as well). They'd spend a few days at any given place before moving on again.

At some point, Pale King and White Lady decide to try and at least bridge the gap somewhat between them and save up for a gift for them. It's a little rose made of gold with a light blue ribbon tied to its stem. They thank them and put the rose in their pocket before simply walking away.

They of course cherish that gift and almost cry from it when they're alone, but they would rather die than cry in front of their parents at that point so they quickly evacuated themself from their presence. Meanwhile, the Pale King and White Lady think they didn't like their gift and Pale King especially proceeds to have a mini-crisis about it, like "Oh God, what if they think we think their love is something we could buy?! We're so stupid!". Once again, like 99% of their problems would be resolved if any of these assholes just talked to each other.

But regardless of what their parents think, they keep that rose close and cherish it more than anything.

Enter trouble, stage left.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Flower has a near-death experience courtesy of One Motherfucker.

His name is Norel Stillbreath (people in this AU have surnames simply because I love picking surnames, especially fantasy ones (PK's and his family's surname is Palelight, go figure.)), a grapeleaf skeletonizer moth (when I made him I didn't consider the fact that he's a moth that important but now I find it hilarious that the source of their problems always seem to be moths.)

He's been obsessed with gaining immortality for ages and has eventually set his sights on void after meeting an escaped vessel years ago. Since then he's been studying this substance and hunting down any vessels to experiment on, many of which ended up dead as the result. He's managed to worm out information from a few of them so he knows about the Baby Pit and has been keeping track on Flower for a bit now, whom he's very interested in thanks to their status of a God. He's an absolute scumbag who only thinks to further his own agenda and I think he's a pretty fun foil to PK, though that part was completely accidental (didn't meant to make him a foil, I just thought "hey you know what'd be fucked up?" and made him).

When he learns that they're away from Hallownest he pounces on that chance right away and begins tracing their steps, eventually setting a trap for them with the help of an ant queen and her army whom he managed to manipulate onto his side. When they arrived at her kingdom and Flower was alone, they cornered them. It took a lot of manpower because they were a god, after all, but eventually, they brought them down, even if it took a lot of casualties on their side.

They're bound in chains and dragged away. Norel plans on keeping them pacified by keeping them just on the brink of death, where they need to use SOUL to regenerate constantly and so can never get enough strength to break out of their chains and not enough SOUL to cast spells or focus. He clips their claws too short and muzzles them as well, before they're thrown in a small, cold cell.

Their parents realise something was wrong when they don't show back up to meet up with them. To keep a long, boring part short, they manage to track down where they were after a week and broke into Norel's hideout to break them out.

Facing his imminent demise at the hands of two very angry gods, Norel decided to twist the knife just a little bit. A last hurrah before he plunges into the waters below after he flew too close to the sun.

"Where is our child?!" "Oh, it's your child now, is it?"

He mocks them, calls Pale King a hypocrite and says he's even worse than he is. Sure, he might have killed and hurt the vessels, many of whom were children, but at least he wasn't their father, somebody who should have protected them from the very evil he embodied. He ends by throwing that golden rose to them, now covered in blood and void and the ribbon torn.

They're shocked, they didn't think their child kept it.

"The brat wouldn't let go of the damn thing. Like a petty child refusing to let go of their toy."

They're clearly distressed, so he pushes it further. He mentions how they wouldn't stop crying and screaming for the two of them, putting on a childish, mocking tone.

He actually managed to get away, injured but alive, just because I want Flower to be the one to kill him later on. They deserve to go apeshit💜 Pale King wanted to follow, but his queen pulled him back and said that finding their child was more important

Pale King and White Lady find them barely conscious in their cell and break them out, and are taken outside and patched up. Their father hands them back the rose and their face lights up just a little. They keep it closer to themself, then pass out shortly after.

They immediately head off to the nearest kingdom with healing springs and try to make them feel as comfortable as possible on the cart. The two of them proceed to break down over this entire situation. They wonder if what Norel said was true, if they really cried for them for help and called them mum and dad. At that moment they decide to be better parents to them (plus, seeing Norel was almost like looking in the mirror, and PK Did Not Liked That. It did slapped some (more) sense into him)

They finally arrive at the kingdom and they help Flower get to the springs. Pale King sits with them while White Lady goes to get some food for them. He lets them lay their head on his lap and they almost doze off, they're so exhausted from everything. Then their mum returns with some sweet buns and they let out that soft "mmrp?" cat start-up sound (killing both their parents on the spot). They just rest and eat, and afterwards, the two finally apologise for everything and promise them they're going to be better people and parents.

That's pretty much THAT scenario, will make more posts and answer any asks y'all would like to send later but I've been writing this for a long while know and I need a break fkfbfjf

Some side notes though!

Flower/PV didn't take this beating laying down, the entire time that they were in captivity they fought back and gave Norel and his followers quite a bit of wounds. They're strong and resilient, and that bitch if a moth didn't manage to break them.

Also, I didn't make Norel just to make Pale King look better by comparison, I don't vibe with these types of characterizations. I just love a fucked up man 💜 Also when I first made Norel, PK was admittedly way more of a scumbag before I decided to rewrite FaaF (and by extension Wayward Royals) to make it sadder for me, aka the whole "they shouldn't have been loved and they shouldn't have loved back, but they were and they did anyway" thing I mentioned in the FaaF post. I also have AUs where PK is a complete asshole, because I love all shades of grey for this morally grey little rat. Just mentioning it so that people don't get the wrong impression about Norel, he's like that because I love complete scumbags that are unapologetically evil, not because I wanna make that wet tissue of a man PK look better by comparison

#thylacines can talk #wayward royals au #WOW THIS TOOK A FUCKING WHILE HUH #I don't feel like proof reading this bitch so if you see types or weird autocorrections. That's why

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