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#and it is not only okay but required that they have personality flaws
cassolotl · 1 year
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Results of the nonbinary name survey
Hi folks, just thought I'd throw together a quick report about nonbinary names based on the recent survey.
The survey ran from 4th until 13th May, and there were 5,179 usable responses. For this one I won't share the full spreadsheet of all responses, as it contains potentially identifying information. Having said that, you can find a spreadsheet of the information I can share with you here. Every name entered only once has been redacted.
Most popular names
Let's kick it off with the main reason I did this survey, finding the nonbinaryest name:
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Alex was #1, with 1.6%, which is 1 in 62 nonbinary people.
Here's the full top 10:
Alex - 1.6% (83)
Jay - 1.2% (64)
Sam - 0.9% (49)
Charlie - 0.7% (36)
Max - 0.7% (36)
Ash - 0.6% (33)
Robin - 0.6% (33)
Rowan - 0.6% (31)
Kit - 0.6% (30)
Eli - 0.6% (29)
Name length
I'm familiar with the stereotype that nonbinary people choose names by taking 3 letters from a bag of Scrabble tiles, or that nonbinary people take letters off their given names until it's one ungenderable syllable, and I would like to take this opportunity to add that these are both excellent ways to create new names. :D
This graph takes a rolling median name length from the whole list, and it shows that generally speaking the most popular names tended to be shorter:
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The average name length was 5.1 characters long.
This seems to support the stereotypes, but I feel it's worth mentioning that we can't know for sure whether it actually does, because for all we know, binary people's names might show these kinds of patterns too.
Number of names per person
Participants could enter as many names as they wanted, in a list separated by commas. That made it pretty easy to count them, and it turned out like this:
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That's fairly straightforward, most people have only one name.
Problems with survey design
Overall I definitely feel that the survey had some flaws. I knew in advance that there would be some people who have more than one name that they like more or less equally, but for some reason the first question I came up with assumed that you have one name that you like most and then required a single answer from a list stating how that name happened to you - leading the respondent to a different section based on that answer.
What if you've got two or more names that you like equally, and one was given to you by your parents when you were born that you use for work, one is a nickname based on that name that evolved between you and your family and friends as you were growing up, and one is a name you chose yourself and your closest friends call you that? That's pretty much an impossible question, isn't it?
And there were several other questions in the survey that took that approach, making the data from those questions basically useless.
I didn't think it would cause problems for so many people, but it did, and I have learned my lesson there.
However, there was a question asking you to list all your names, and that's what I used to make the ranked list. I don't see how people with more than one name that they prefer completely equally (i.e. those people who would be thrown out of the survey by an impossible required first question) would prefer different names from people with one name only, so I think the ranked list is probably approximately okay, and same for the number of names per person graph and the average name length.
Implications
I haven't decided yet, but I definitely think there's scope for doing this survey annually - but separately from the identity/titles/pronouns survey, for anonymity reasons. It could be fun to track popular nonbinary names over time, similar to the popular name lists for babies that are usually split by boys'/girls' names. It might be a bit meaningless unless I collect country data as well though, which is why the list currently reads very....... American..........
Now that I've learned a lot from a big and not-so-well-designed survey run on my personal account, I'd feel more comfortable designing something a bit more fit for purpose, and running it from the @gendercensus accounts to hopefully get more participants.
~ Fin ~
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Venus in the houses (p1) -> and how you convince others your a beautiful person until your not Venus is beautiful, and entrancing but she is also greedy and vain; believes she deserves what she wants. venus gets hurt if she doesnt get it, then finds someone else who will help her get it.... Venus in the First - Charming people, love to get attention and adoration from others and know how to get it through their beauty and flattery, but they expect twice the flattery from you because usually they are more charming than you, plus they know they a prize. but they are quick to be resentful when others take them for granted. beautiful people who break easily at slights > makes others fall even harder for their fragility Venus in the Second - strong values, good at self affirming themselves, and their pride/self respect swoons others. but if you question their 'code' they will literally ignore you, because they are very prideful with what they value. its what got them so far, and its usually what stole your heart in the first place. plus they valued you, and you questioned them, now they are questioning their values.... get it? you fucked everything up by making them question themselves Venus in the Third - confident players, that know how to make you sit down and listen to their every word. good with their words, until you point out a flaw, then its game over for you. so if you dont play their games they will find someone else to play with. but they know how to emulate their voice well too, can talk to you like your mother or like your duaghter... whataver your into they just want to play with your brain Venus in the Fourth - know exaclty how to make you comfortable, very sweet and mothering, but if you ask for too much, you will receive zero comfort, or maybe just one less thing. but they love to mother you, but if you dont respect your momma (them) they will either try harder to make you a mommas boy once again (they'll blame it on your mum first) or will withdraw completely and adopt a better son Venus in the fifth - love to entertain and be the centre of attention for the sake of applause. if you fall for them just know they like more than one set of eyes on them, but they only have eyes for one... so if you csn handle jealousy that will go a long way for them, because they will not stop shining for you or for anyone. its what they like okay.. you know what you signed up for so put up or shut up. plus thats what got you interested in the first place, their flair for the dramatix Venus in the sixth - love to be of service, help you with your life, be a mentor, and watch you grow as their little pet. but if you cross the line and take a shit on the carpet, they will not clean up your shit, becsuse now the role play is over and you crossed the line. and you thought they would help you because they helped you with everything else. TF IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU TOOK A SHIT ON DA CARPET?! DISOWNED Venus in the seventh - will do anything to please you. whatever it is you want they will become it and be the perfect partner for you. they dont have many requirements because they want you to stay so badly, but if you dont give them the basic necessities that they require. they will give you the coldest shoulder till you apologize. then love bomb you all over again. then expect you to have changed, when realistically you haven't, you had only apologized. then the cycle repeats itself for eternity.
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wutheringskies · 9 months
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Wangxian is that dynamic: Rant Post
I personally think Wangxian is one of the most complete, compelling and near-perfect dynamics to ever be written. Like, think about it. All of our favourite pairings generally include one T (Thinking-type) and one F (Feeling-type), or both Feeling types as they are easier to relate to.
But then you have Wangxian - an ISTJ and an ENTP. Such... annoying personality types.
You have Lan Wangji, who's going to fight your procrastination for you. The guy who's stability personified and Mr. He Is Indeed Better, and then you have Wei Wuxian, who's going to argue his mouth off than take a hint; a little too aware of just how great he is and constantly onto the search for new angles of discovery.
Generally, these sort of personalities are put into the background while an INFP (or whatever) find love. These are the cliche best friends. But never the main leads.
But look at Wangxian!
Look at them being so smart together, sharing the same values. Look at Lan Wangji showing his anger by frosty, cutting words (just a few) or worse... utter disregard for you. The guy's going to glare at you with such frosty chill or go out of his way to ignore you. You're not going to get to him, and it's going to PISS you off.
Then there's Wei Wuxian and it's like...are you getting to him? Or, is he getting to you?? If you argue with him too much about his alleged failure and arrogance and quirks, he's gonna tap into them, and make you feel unstable. He's going to wield his flaws like a blade at you. You're going to just want to avoid him and the snark that filters in through his sunny disposition.
And... look at Wangxian taking the "scientific way" to sex.
"What am I supposed to do?" / I cannot believe I'm asking Lan Zhan for sex advice.
"Relax." / To the point answers only.
Also in the Extra, when discussing their CNC kink they go all the way into the story of how they're going to scene:
"So I'll do this and you resist and then I'll do this."
"Sounds difficult."
"Okay, let's switch positions."
Like... perfection??? Like go, find yourself a partner who's equally as weird as you and have your happy ever after with them: accomplished.
Not just that but the aftermath of the bichen incense burner:
"I have never been treated like this before."
"Mn." (fond smile)
"I'll chop you if you do that again."
"Mn."
Like... how easy is it to communicate ? Without any fears, without any remnant feelings, without guilt - how easily they understand each other.
And not Wei Wuxian showing his love by gifting Lan Wangji a numerous weird things, and constantly talking about exactly what he loves about Lan Wangji. Not Lan Wangji doing every sort of act of service for Wei Wuxian (and Wei Wuxian allowing it), and being calm but not quiet with his words.
"It is as it is" - loving Wei Wuxian is a fact for Lan Wangji, backed up by his actions.
They never go out of their way to think of certain events differently. Perhaps, that's what takes them so much time and 2 life times to get together. Because, hell, it's obvious to us. But you're telling me Lan Wangji wouldn't stand up for anyone who's in the right and framed incorrectly? He totally would. Lan Zhan is just that nice. Similarly, Wei Wuxian is also just that nice.
He took a brand for Mianmian. He couldn't remember her for a minute afterwards. He saved Su She. Twice. He has no idea who Su She is. So, yes. He did a lot of things for Lan Wangji but what is he supposed to be?
I love how their relationship is built upon a pact of no apologies and no thanks. Loving each other isn't a duty, a responsibility or a debt. It is just natural. There's nothing to be repaid. There's only things to discover together.
You don't need to thank me because thanking means you recognize my effort as helping you, but you are not required to - as it is the nature of things. I will help you. You will help me. We will never measure who helps each other more. You don't need to apologize for your actions, because I trust that you will not do wrong unto me. Never by intention.
And, let's talk about how they gravitate towards each other ?? Lan Wangji sitting in Gusu thinking about Wei Wuxian and his lotus seeds and stems theory. Wei Wuxian sitting in Lotus Pier thinking of Lan Wangji. Analyzing every word the other has said, thinking back to all that they have done for each other, lingering not on the pain they have caused each other but the happiness, and you know, that they'll be able to talk about the pain, through the pain, because they are people rooted in the present.
I imagine just how insane it would be for Wei Wuxian, the no golden core until the age of 9 to head disciple to one of the strongest cores to the reason why Yunmeng Jiang win every night hunt event at Discussion Conferences, to lock swords with Lan Wangji and feel, "Ah, this is an equal. This is a new puzzle to be solved. This is a cabbage to be pricked (canon)."
And for Lan Wangji, who's equated insolence and disobedience with poor performance to suddenly come upon someone who appears larger than life, raking up answers and top spots in tests, and duelling as an equal yet never adhering to the rules, finding loopholes and shaking up Lan Wangji's whole dimension.
Another thing I really love is how Lan Wangji isn't, like, his uncle. Or his brother. He isn't his uncle in the ways that he allows himself to break rules when they don't align with the rules he considers superior - his moral calling. His hanguang-jun-ness. He absolutely loves rules; he does; and he loves his stability but he's not afraid to embrace change if it is required.
And, Lan Zhan just isn't his brother. He doesn't like you? Trust, you're gonna know. He thinks you're stupid? It's going to be translated across. He's not going to appease you, or make his presence or his wishes lesser to comfort you. He is his own person (which is so similar to how Wei Wuxian is; like poor boy was punished all the time for being himself, at Lotus Pier by Madam Yu, and yet he never downplayed his talents. He never bowed down.)
And I think it's obvious just how well Lan Wangji knows how worthless words can be if they're not followed with actions. Similarly for Wei Wuxian, he speaks a lot. But he does do what he speak. Protect Jiang Cheng? He will. Fight for Lotus Pier? He will. Protect the Wens? He will absolutely.
Thus, you see, as a couple they will never have to face those sorts of arguments where someone seriously states how they feel about A event but behaves differently when they can do something about it. As a couple they will never have to worry about the other not being themselves. Compromising is one thing - pretense is another. Wei Wuxian compromises and doesn't try to break rules. Understands that he's going to insult Lan Wangji's position by acting out. Lan Wangji compromises and breaks some rules for him. They both compromise and take care of each other's needs and habits to cohabitate together successfully, and at the same time, there's no pretense. No lying. No manipulation. No "I'm fine when I'm not."
Think of them going to night hunts together, with Wei Wuxian's easy brilliance and Lan Wangji's easy dependency. Like that guy, is strong and capable enough to protect Wei Ying. He knows that. Wei Ying knows that. The cultivation world knows that.
Think of how both of them are such healthy adults and loving to children. Lan Wangji isn't a cold dad and Wei Wuxian isn't an irresponsible one. They're both so very capable.
So, my point is - Wangxian is perfect. I will die on this ship.
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sepublic · 1 year
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Anyhow there’s something indescribably sad to the Collector trying to reach out to Belos, of all people, and give him some compassion. Not just for what follows right afterwards, but also...
Part of their arc really is the age-old realization of how life isn’t perfect. Not just with existence and permanence of death, but also in that loss of innocence when you want to believe that you can save and befriend everyone. That nobody is too far gone, that everybody can be happy together!
The Collector has known Philip for centuries; He’s one of his longest relationships, and for Philip, the Collector IS his longest interaction, by a long shot. The Collector has been privy to so many of Philip’s secrets, by proxy of being a source for arcane knowledge, so they know all about the Grimwalkers and his human identity.
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They’ve picked up on Philip’s loneliness, his insecurities; Even asking Philip about his anxieties over returning home. They weren’t wrong about any of these things! For centuries, the Collector reassured himself that the two of them were friends, and I wonder if a recognition in their similarities helped fuel this conception for the kid. Made them feel less lonely.
In the end, I kind of get the idea that the Collector cared for Philip, despite it all; Or at least was inspired enough by Luz to give her idea a shot, because if it worked on them, why not Philip? Who is just like them, because Belos thrives on making these comparisons between himself and others to manipulate them! And sure he was mean and a liar, but the Collector misunderstood King to be that, and was wrong! If they just needed help, then Philip...?
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And that gets me back to the Collector’s scared and disappointed question, one he’s repeated all his life; What did he do wrong? What did he do wrong, for Belos to not reciprocate, to lash out? They don’t want to hold malice, they just want to get along... It ties back to this idea of kids and even adults kind of seeing themselves as the heroes of their story, there’s a responsibility for them to save others. And if they don’t accept help, then it’s the fault of the person who reached out for not trying hard enough.
It’s the devastating heartbreak that came to Hunter, to any kid who’s had an older, conservative relative who refused to change their mind. Refused to listen, despite all of the compassion in the world. And the grief that some people won’t get better, won’t get happier. And in the end, as Luz recognizes, you just have to admit that it’s up to those people to do so. It’s only your responsibility to a certain degree.
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That’s part of Luz letting go of her Hero complex, whereas Belos never gives up on being a Savior, in trying to convert people like Caleb at any cost. Luz reiterates to the Collector that they didn’t do anything wrong, and King’s dad reminds her as well; Luz forgives herself for not being able to do enough, both for being a child who shouldn’t bear the weight of the world on her shoulders, and also for just being a single, flawed person. It isn’t her fault, there isn’t something secretly wrong about Luz for failing to save Belos. You can only give so much support. And after everything he’s done...
Well. There’s nothing wrong about Luz hating Belos, wanting him to die when he pleads for mercy, feebly tries to appeal to “peace” as if he’s ever considered that, spat and killed at every attempt for it by Caleb, his Grimwalkers, the Collector, his followers, Luz; Every kind person he’s met in the isles.
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As King’s dad reminds her, fighting the bad guy doesn’t necessarily make you equally evil, because sometimes you HAVE to fight, in self-defense, because those people won’t quit. It’s not required for victims to forgive, nor should they try to appeal to ‘moral sensibilities’ by being palatable in how they retaliate against an oppressor. Anger IS okay and justified, and you shouldn’t feel guilty and be expected to always take the moral high ground.
For a kid like the Collector or even Luz, it’s a heartbreaking epiphany; Not everyone can be happy, no matter how hard you try. As King’s dad notes, you CAN’T control everyone and everything. But eventually, they learn to let go of those toxic people and that obsession; Accept and make the most of that, and find relief in this lesson. The show never admonishes compassion, even if it won’t always be enough; Look at Gus, whose arc involves realizing that while people may take his compassion for granted and even manipulate it, it’s not foolish and eventually there will be those who reciprocate. Kindness does pay off in the long run!
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neouime · 3 months
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Love Wins All: An Analysis
Here are my notes for the music video. I have more to say, but it's already two in the morning where I live, and I have been sitting here admiring and contemplating IU's artistry since four hours ago. My butt hurts. I will come here later once I let my thoughts marinate.
There's a cube object chasing after them. - The cube is obviously the antagonist of the story. I have no idea why they chose a cube rather than any other creature or shape. Maybe because the design is simple? I think a cube is a smart choice. It looks like human technology, something man-made. The cube may be an invention that was once intended for the benefit of humankind but ended up becoming an instrument for control. The shape of the cube with its equal sides can represent a system that demands conformity.
IU is mute/deaf (she uses sign language), and Taehyung is blind in one eye. - There is one reading by a Korean UAENA about how they represent people with disabilities. There is one cube targeting IU and Taehyung. No other people are shown, but by the end of the music video, we can see several floating cubes outside the building. We can deduce how the cubes may be specifically searching for individuals like them who are marginalized and in hiding.
There is a scene where IU performs on stage, and black figures point their fingers at her. - IU explicitly declared that the song is dedicated to her loved ones, including her fans. We can interpret the black figures as representing people who spread unnecessary hate (혐오) against artists like IU. (Regardless of context, pointing your fingers in Korean culture is considered rude. It is associated with assigning blame or picking out flaws.)
Both the cube and the people in black are forces that persecute and discriminate, respectively. - This reading stems from the fact that IU is a well-known personality in real life and that her character in the story has disabilities.
While there is a male and female lead, the story and the song are not exclusively romantic. LWA is a fan song. Taehyung represents UAENAs. 
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While IU sings on stage, he gives her flowers and looks at her adoringly. - They are able to spend moments both happy and sad by each other's side. At the end of the story, Taehyung stands in front of IU to defend her from the cube and destroy it, while IU comforts him and covers his eyes as they're killed.
The camera and the pile of clothes are details prompting an intertextual reading. - This will be familiar to ARMY, but the pile of clothes is an installation by Christian Boltanski. This does not require further explanation since we can infer what it symbolizes from the story's outcome. On the other hand, the camera is something that is more important to the plot than it seems. It captures only the beautiful and healthy appearance of IU and Taehyung. The Korean UAENA I mentioned earlier said that the camera shows an existence where people with disabilities can live happily. 
The camera shuts down by the end of the music video. - Nothing is recorded, and the memories are lost. But then, how does "love win all?" Okay, we'll look at the lyrics. "찬찬히 너를 두 눈에 담아 한 번 더 편안히 웃어주렴 (With my eyes, I memorize you thoroughly. Let's laugh in peace once more.)
Artists like IU come and go. - For every single and album she releases, IU writes an introduction. For LWA, she sums up the story as a promise to "fade away together splendidly." Also, the lyrics "필연에게서 도망쳐 Run on" appear, which both mean to run away from (도망쳐, to escape) and to run towards the "inevitable." (Korean is not my first language so pardon me if I'm wrong, but I think there's a mistake with the translation provided in the music video. There, the lyrics say "run away from necessity, run on." They use the word necessity, but she's referring to an event that is certain to occur.)
Memories [of their music and their moments with fans] are all lost to history; what matters is to live in the moment. (You don't need a camera to prove that you existed and lived your life.) This aligns with her values as an artist. In her interviews, IU says her goal is to perform (creation rather than chart success).
You may say that the story is tragic because they both die in the end, but they were at peace since they were together. "일부러 나란히 길 잃은 우리 두 사람" (The two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose). **Edit: IU Team StarCandy on Twitter translated the phrase 길 잃은 우리 as "[we] who took the road less travelled."
I love the lines "너와 슬퍼지고 싶어 My lover" (I want to be sad with you) and "부서지도록 나를 꼭 안아" (Crush me, wrap me tightly in your arms). It illustrates the relationship between IU as an artist and her fans. The song is a declaration of her intention to cherish the good and bad with us. She does not mind even if the pressure of our love sometimes feels intense. She believes love has the power to break you down, but instead, it builds you up. 
Additionally, the line "나와 함께 겁 없이," which is translated as "Will you courageously set with me?" actually more literally translates to "together with me, without fear." There is trust between IU and her lover. In other words, they may not know where the journey leads them, but they consciously choose to walk to it together.
A few more details from the music video that I loved are as follows. I like that the food (the macaron) is connected to memory and joy. It's the end of the world, but they haven't lost their imagination, hope, and ability to delight in each other's presence. In a way, food is crucial to survival in terms of sustenance and because it brings simple pleasure.
After taking a bite, they are transported to a less dreary setting. Their clothes are the same, but they're no longer tattered. Of course, things aren't perfect because while things are more clean, the people themselves remain evil. IU and Taehyung maintain their cheerful disposition even as the black figures appear and surround them.
IU and Taehyung choose to be happy. They dress up and dance around the room despite the reality that everything is still in ruins. (The photo booth is lit in bright, warm colors, while the room outside is cold and blue. Another piece of evidence for this interpretation is that while they're blissfully taking pictures, the strips come out showing Taehyung's milky eyes.)
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I also like the alternative explanation for why IU is deaf, and Taehyung is partially blind. - IU performs happily in front of the crowd of black figures. It may mean that she either cannot hear or will not listen to their words of hate. As for Taehyung, he is partially blind to IU's faults. IU (the idol/artist) is the one leading them as they run while Taehyung (their fan) follows, their hands clasped in each other.
Moreover, neither of them speaks throughout the story. Whether IU is deaf or she signs to avoid making noise and risk their capture, I think it's beautiful that they can communicate through gestures. The relationship between fan and artist goes beyond the need for words (which is ironic, too, since we become fans of IU's music before the artist herself. Through her lyrics, we learn of her personality and how she sees the world).
I LOVE their acting. It's almost scarily good how IU can convey her love through her gaze. The smallest details too!! Her softly tapping Taehyung's shoulder to calm him while he tightly grips her hand as they face death? Chills.
Okay, I'm back. I just want to add this:
I said that the song is not exclusively romantic. However, the element of romance is indeed important to the plot. It elevates the story by depicting people (including those with disabilities) finding love even in the middle of hardship. - Their hardship is not the disability itself but rather the prejudices in the world that limit the possibilities they can enjoy.
IU and Taehyung know that the "end" is "inevitable" (she uses both words in her lyrics), and they know that they can only steal these short moments of happiness, but they still try to "look for the opposite of loneliness" (오랜 외로움 그 반대말을 찾아서).
Trivia: IU says that whenever she's stuck with writing a song, she uses the suggestion of a peer (Kim Eana) to look up the meaning of a word in the dictionary. Thus, giving birth to the idea love = opposite of feeling/being alone.
Love as an act of resistance - Viewing a brighter world through the camera, IU wearing the veil, and the pair teasing the black figures (IU sings on the stage despite their jeering and they run around the room) are acts of resistance. They may have a poor imagination (가난한 상상력), wherein they still desire to become "normal" and without their disabilities, but it is also thanks to their imagination that they are able to endure.
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Note: The translations are mine. It's always difficult to think of how to word sentences that fully preserve the sentiment of the source, especially since they're song lyrics.
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deadpoolsoci3ty · 2 months
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so you're the a (alastor x reader) ch 2
summary: “Good head on your shoulders, don’t give anyone information you don’t need to.” He was proud of me, I could hear it in his voice, and that made me feel good. I was willing to do just about anything for him to talk to me like that again.
word count: 1093
warnings: still none!
masterlist
Chapter Two: see you soon
I didn’t grow the courage to tune back into Alastor’s station for a couple days, he was charming in a way that frightened me. I knew that if I let him get under my skin, there would be no going back. It’s not that I’m not smart, just a deeply flawed person with religious trauma. I have a sick desire to ask him what hell is like, like when you go no contact with someone and you still check their instagram. I wanted to know how bad it was because what if I ended up there one day? I felt like I should be prepared, even though my rational brain would have said it is going to drive you insane for your whole life, but still there was a good chance I was going to ask him about it.
Today my professor was out of town so no class for me, and my roommate is out of the apartment. So, I decided I would try to talk to Alastor again. In the back of my mind I was nervous that he was busy and I would never be brave enough to try again. I grabbed the radio from the shelf and sat it once again on the coffee table in front of the couch before I sat down. Taking a deep breath and attempting to calm my nerves before speaking to him. I turned the dial to his station and heard the familiar static from the last time. “Sweetheart!~” I heard his chirpy voice call from the radio. “It had been so long I was beginning to worry you weren't coming back to me!” Coming back to him? I hated that I liked the sound of that, cheeks becoming warmer and warmer by the second.
“Just needed some time to think.” I said not fully knowing what I meant by that, but I didn’t want him to know I was intimidated by him, but I am also sure he already knew this.
“What would you need to think about darling, I’ve only asked for you to read to me and I’ll answer any question you have!” I was scared he was already seeing through my facade. I want to hold myself back from telling him, because I know I shouldn’t. My brain is screaming at me to not tell him there are things I want from him, that I probably would make a deal with him if he caught me on the right day. As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I am sure Alastor would use that against me.
“Well of course, but I’m still getting involved with a demon, that requires some pondering!” I was trying to be as enthusiastic as he was.
“Oh! Seems I have forgotten myself, I could imagine it's a scary idea!” His words made me feel a lot more comfortable with the idea of continuing these conversations, they made him seem reasonable.
“But I’m here now! And ready to ask and answer some questions!” I wasn’t lying, I was excited to ask him questions and pick his brain.
“I’ll let the lady go first!” I was glad he seemed just as excited as I was.
“Ever the gentleman I see…” I replied cheekily.
“For you, dear, of course!”
“Okay so, first question, when were you alive?” All I knew about him so far was that he is dead, lived in New Orleans, and his name is Alastor.
“Turn of the century, love, had the pleasure of witnessing the stock market crash of 1929,” he let out a happy sigh, “those were the days!”
“My grandma was born in the early thirties!” I wanted so badly to have something in common with him.
“Don't tell me that, darling.” His tone was more serious, and I was worried I had offended him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” I realized I sounded more coy than I wanted.
“No, no, dear, you didn’t offend me, just don’t want you comparing me to your grandparents. That’s not exactly how I want you to think about me.” What exactly did he mean, how exactly did he want me to think about him? I was definitely going to daydream about that later. The fascination with this demon, and if he was going to keep flirting with me, it was going to get a lot worse. “Now…I do believe it’s my turn to ask you a question.”
“Go ahead be my guest, I'm an open book!”
“How old are you, dear?” seems like a simple question for a demon to ask. Maybe he’s playing the long game.
“Just turned twenty-two, ab-” I find myself about to give him more information about myself than he asked for, and I think he caught me cutting myself off abruptly.
“Good head on your shoulders, don’t give anyone information you don’t need to.” He was proud of me, I could hear it in his voice, and that made me feel good. I was willing to do just about anything for him to talk to me like that again.
“Thank you,” I said with heated cheeks, “okay, my next question: what did you do when you were alive?” I had assumed it had something to do with the radio, but I wanted to know more.
“I had the pleasure to host a local radio show! Was one of the joys of my life.” He seemed to be reminiscing on his past. “It seems it’s my turn once again. What are you studying in college?”
“The plan is to eventually have a doctorate in English literature.” I heard him let out a gleeful sigh.
“Ahh, good. Someone else who enjoys the finer things in life! Well, dear, it seems we’re reaching the end of our session, what have you chosen for our first read?” I start buzzing with joy, because I get to read him my favorite book.
“I’ve got Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte,” I jump off my couch over to my bookshelf and grab one of my many copies. I opened the book and read the first chapter to him. I was hoping he wasn’t thinking too much about the book I chose. Does my favorite book say something about me? Is he analyzing every word I’m saying? I push through these thoughts and finish the chapter.
“It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to you tonight, doll. I do hope we can speak again soon.”
“Goodbye, Alastor,” he tsked in response.
“See you soon, darling.”
It felt like the conversation was over as soon as it began. I was already missing his voice. Avoiding a deal with him was going to be so much harder than I thought.
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writers-potion · 2 months
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Writing the "Mean Girl" Character
How do we write the "mean girl" without making her another shallow copy of the brainless, pink-clad, cheerleader we see in high teen dramas?
Of course, there's nothing wrong with such a character if you want them to be funny/light in the first place.
However, I can hear myself slowly losing my last two brain cells when I keep reading about such papercut characters for more than an hour - reading clearly requires more effort than watching a class B movie, so I always appreciate when authors put more effort to make the characters dynamic.
No "Mean for the Sake of Being Mean
The classic way to avoid this is to give them a sad backstory. They used to be overweight/ugly and were bullied, or their parents don't care about them enough, or they are too insecure. Obviously these plot points are quiet stale now, but the basic principle still stands - if your charcter is mean, she needs A REASON.
I love reading about a mean character's backstory then feeling, "actually, I would have felt like doing that, too."
Whatever their motivations may be, remember that bullies pick on the weak, not the successful/powerful. While the Mean Girl might feel jealous/inferior towards the protagonist, I hardly think that should be the sole reason why they picked their victim. There must be a flaw in your protagonist that happened to be something that the Mean Girl knows how to exploit, which makes them a target above others.
Give Them A Twist
There are two ways that I can think of: (1) A seemingly nice character is in fact a mean girlie, or (2) A mean character turns out to be kind and well-intended.
Personally, I love Mean Girls who are intelligent/ know what they are doing. They are purposely manipulative:"are you okay?" as if the victim has something wrong with them or providing "constructive" criticism. Or kindly inviting them to a party that she knows they wouldn't fit in.
The conflict deepens when everyone else likes the Mean Girl due to her manipulative nature, making the protagonist doubt themselves.
A Purpose beyond Providing Conflict
Think about what the mean girl aims to gain from bullying your protagonist.
Is she continuously trying to prove herself "superior" so that she can feel better inside? Is she an academic rival who just needs to be the first in everything, even is that means reverting to questionable behavior?
Overly ambitious/perfectionist characters can come off as mean when they feel like others fail to live up to their standards (which only they know about, and are usually up in the sky)
Give Them A Proper Redemption
If you plan on giving her a redemption arc, make sure that she has earned it! The worst thing you can do is make it sound like you approve of the horrible things she has done.
this transition doesn’t mean the character does a complete 180 and is suddenly all smiles and good favors. They can fall back on their old ways of thinking, but is trying to make an effort to step out of their old clothes.
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If you like my blog, buy me a coffee! ☕
Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!
References:
https://writingquestionsanswered.tumblr.com/post/668302340882857984/how-would-you-write-a-mean-girl-character-without
https://www.writingforums.org/threads/how-to-write-the-mean-girl-character.160729/
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tuliptic · 1 year
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How To Overcome Your Fears
Thank you to @bichou-angel​ for suggesting this PAC idea. Know that I love it a lot.
Piles go from left to right, up to down. Memos and notes used here are by me, everything is literally by me. And I do not consent my work being used by third parties in other websites as well.
Now. Breathe in with me, and then breathe out. Picked your pile? Let’s scroll down to see what are the messages for you.
Disclaimer: This is solely for my entertainment purposes. Take only whatever you feel like it. If it doesn’t resonate, it’s okay to just drop it.
Decks used: Linestrider Tarot Deck, Luna Cat Tarot Deck (Major Arcana), Flower Petals Oracle Deck, Sweet Dreams Oracle Deck, Starcodes Astro Oracle Deck, self made lyrics deck.
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Pile 1:
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How to overcome your fears? By letting go of what no longer serves you and by embracing your inner child. See, you’re prolly the type of person who loves to take things up upon yourself because you don’t trust others, or you are not comfortable with letting others to do tasks that will affect you (something like group assignment isn’t your forte cuz you tend to do 90% of the scope). It’s not easy to let go, but you have to accept your own flaws as well as the flaws of others. After that, you’ll need to learn to reconstruct the thoughts in your head where flaws are failures. Cuz you see them as something that doesn’t align with you, but sometimes (or most of the time), others may see your method as authoritarian and whatever you do doesn’t align with them. Acceptance is difficult, but it’s necessary, and that’s one of your biggest challenges to overcome. Be here at the present with willing hands and heart.
You may have a lot of nurturing to do, starting with yourself. However, instead of the feminine energy of nurturing, there's more of a… Divine sense to it. Along with some judgement that you really couldn’t help. Lemme give an example. 
You came across this PAC. Though your heart tells you to believe it, your brain couldn’t help but to be critical and just tries to deny some random people on the internet telling you that these are your fears and how you can overcome them. Someone online who doesn’t know you personally? Telling you your fears? Overcoming it just by “embracing your inner child”? Hello?
Yeah this kind of divine sense and judgement is what I’m talking about. It is not easy to let go of what you’ve been taught, which is good. But sometimes, you’re called to listen to your heart, only then you’ll be able to obtain a different sense of mental clarity, something that will be able to help you in the near future.
That aside, going back to the nurturing part. You’re called to nurture your inner child and to try again the things you’ve used to enjoy. For example, if you’ve used to enjoy drawing and arts, try going back into it again. If you’ve used to playing a musical instrument or composing music, try going back into it again. If you’ve enjoyed doing algebra equations and all, try going back into it again. It never hurts to do things you’ve enjoyed. Reconnect with your inner child through fun and play, nurture them, help them, heal them. Your life has been filled with a lot of confrontations, so try soothing them a little with some fun.
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Pile 2:
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Walking away from the past is what you need to do. There’s still so many fears in you because you’re still staying in the place that caused you the most hurt. You couldn’t control the things that have happened, so the better option towards it is to leave. But of course, to leave requires a lot of strength and courage, and it’s gonna be worse if you don't have proper financial assistance to leave. Either ways, you’ll find the courage and the opportunity to get out. There’s The Sun in this pile, but instead of seeing things will turn bright, I’m seeing it as a chance to get out. Toxic situations won’t turn nice cuz it’s already fermented and bad there for so freaking long. 
I’m also seeing fears of disappointing others in this pile? Which is why y’all tend to take up a lot of responsibilities and burn yourself out in the process. You have this innate uhh… Expression in you. It’s like deep inside you, you want to shine, you want the eyes of people to be on you. That’s why you took up a lot of tasks, even tasks that should be other people’s responsibility. You want to be liked. Thing is, you need to accept that your inner peace is more important than the visibility and fame you want to gain. Some people can have both, but are you one of them? If you’re not, you need to weigh which is more important, or you need to find a point of balance between these two. Sometimes, a quiet time for yourself, with yourself would be good for some introspection, where you welcome some comfort into your life, allow your guides to show up and send you any messages.
Treat yourself with care, give yourself the kindness that you'd want to receive. Letting go of self-criticism is your main task for now and know that your guides have been trying to send you so many powerful messages. Let yourself be free from your past. Know that your past doesn’t define you and you have a whole lot of abundance waiting for you in the future. It’s difficult to see it right now, it’s difficult to believe in it too. But know that it’s real. You’ve gone through so much, and it only makes sense when the Universe wants to reward you for all you’ve been through.
Take a deep breath, and let it all out. Do it a couple of times. Pat yourself on the shoulder for me. You’ve done well and you’ll continue to do your best of the day every single day. Expect a new you coming out bit by bit. Have some tea and welcome them.
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Pile 3:
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To all who picked this pile, I feel you a lot, because this is the pile I’ve picked and if it sounds personal, it’s mainly because I prolly subconsciously wrote it for myself.
There’s a lack of balance here, lack of control in this pile. This pile fears not having things in their control and tends to flail around when things happen because. They are not used to going with the flow. There’s this saying in Chinese that goes 船到桥头自然直 , which means things will naturally resolve itself when it’s here. However, my dear pile 3 are probably over-thinkers who can’t accept things to flow on their own. With this, the fear will make you lose your foothold and you’ll feel a lot of disappointments and upsets and a bunch of other not so nice feelings. I wouldn’t call them negative feelings cuz they’re all here for a reason.
You’re also prolly the type who feels caught up in the past, thinking of what you’ve done or said and how you could have fixed the problem if you said a certain thing. Once again, this is peak overthinking energy. You’re called to let those thoughts go, as they’re holding only you back. They’re not disturbing others but you only. Let the past go as it is over, and let your true self, a more experienced you, to step forward. Life’s a constant learning process, so don’t hold yourself too hard, let yourself learn, allow yourself to learn. Once you’ve accepted the fact that we’re all learning, then maybe your fears can lessen a bit. Remember, tomorrow is always a day of new hope.
There’s a childhood card present and it can talk about reconnecting to your childhood, to your inner child. Your inner child is like a divine whisper in your heart and you’re called to listen to it. I saw the word mirror and I think there’s some mirroring of activities (your inner child is mirroring something you do, or you’re mimicking something your inner child is doing), or there may be some reflection going on. Your dreams may be significant as well so maybe pay certain attention to certain themes that have been going on.
You’re called to take action now. Whatever that you’ve been wanting to do, now is the best time. Remember that you’re the co-creator of your life and destiny. A bunch of messages may come, there may be a bunch of things to do. But ultimately, you’re the one who needs to select which message to listen to, which items you should act on. If something’s too much for you to handle and you’re starting to feel anxious, try asking help and working with someone else to get things done?
Once again, remember, you’re no longer the you from the past days. You’re a new you facing a new challenge. Be kind to yourself. You’re facing so many things and it’s alright to let yourself be swept away at times. Remember to get up at the end of things or whenever you wanna fight it. I have faith in you.
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Pile 4:
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First of all, it’s time to evolve. Know that you may be an ugly duckling for now but it’s time for you to transform into the beautiful swan that you’re meant to be.
Next up. I’m not quite sure what the fears of this pile are, but I see that you tend to distract yourself with new projects so that instead of spending your time worrying about things, you can redirect the energy and focus on something new that you’ve wanted to do. You’re very conscious of your own fears and those who picked this pile have a clear and concise plan on how to manoeuvre around them, letting go of things that should be thrown aside. 
However, being aware of your fears doesn’t guarantee overcoming them. Sometimes you’re just moving away from it, ignoring it until one day it prolly gobbles you up. No fault in it cuz you’ll pick yourself up again and find ways to counter it during then. Still, have you thought of countering it when you’re feeling fine right now? Or you’re just confused and have no idea where to start? We’ll see what insights the cards have to offer you.
You’re called to stop taking up so many things and slowly let go of tasks that are burdening you, that are hurting you. There’s this Ten of Swords in reverse here, which tells me the pain they did is more damaging than wearing you down. You’ll need to utilise your thinking skills and let certain things and thoughts go. 
Another thing the cards are telling you is to make strong emotional connections with the important people in your life. It’s time for you to reconnect with your old friends and to maybe go for a cup of tea? Comfort of good company always helps in easing and healing past hurts that have been there. I have a feeling that these people are also here to help you to bring certain messages that you need to hear, bring forth certain changes so that you can transition into a new you.
There’s some strength in you that you need to unlock, so maybe it’s time for you to explore certain heritages of yours, and maybe you can get certain information or updates from there. You may even unlock a new skill from it, and it may even help you to be more at peace with yourself.
For some reason, reading also is significant. Pay attention to the words that appear around you and digest those messages. Maybe lyrics. Who knows, certain part of the lyrics may awaken something new in you, or allow you to cry out the tears that you’ve been holding in for so long that you never knew of. Letting them go only gives you space to focus on nicer things in life that can help you cope or deal with your fears.
Pile 4, your pile is one of the most difficult piles I’ve felt and I really hope all the best for you. I don’t know if my words are making sense right now cuz there’s clarity and confusion at the same time. Just drop me an ask or rb or comment if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer you.
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Thank you for reading until the end. Working on yourself, especially fears and past are not easy, and I’m proud of you that you’ve decided to work on yourself. Remember, it’s all baby steps.
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I've made a simpler, more popular post about this before, but I feel like a lot of the time, people who "never saw any signs" of their friend/family member/co-worker/etc being a system did see signs, they just mistook them as something else – usually, as something being wrong. Because for the majority of singlets, someone's personality changing is often associated with that person going through tough times, or something major happening in their life, or just them being under stress of some sort, so they ask if that person is okay. But for systems (for whom personality changes are normal), this question can come off as odd or as coming out of the blue, since there's nothing wrong or major going on in their life. Sometimes, it can even come across as rude, like an insult to one's personality and self being "wrong" just because it's different.
This is part of why I think discussions and ideas about the "covertness" and "overtness" of systems are often flawed, especially on the medical side of things; most systems are considered covert, but it's also very common for systems to have experiences (even before awareness of their system) like what I described above, where they're not being "covert" at all – those involved just didn't know what they were looking at. I'd even say this especially goes for when it's the system's own awareness of their plurality, as systems often have and notice many signs prior to their "official discovery" of their own system – such as voice hearing (internal communication, in system terms), feeling as though they are talking to someone else when supposedly thinking or talking to only themself, and even tracking their own "mood changes" or "phases" (headmates and switching) – they just cannot put the right name to it due to lack of awareness of plurality, not a lack of self-awareness (as one might think when they hear most systems are covert). When a lot of the "covertness" of a system can easily come from unaware and uneducated (as in, with little to no knowledge of systems, as most are) people simply misinterpreting overt symptoms, the dichotomy of covert and overt requires reexamination.
Or at least, that's the conclusion I draw. Idk. Maybe I've been misinterpreting what covert/overt mean for this one, but I still think neuronormativity plays a part in how "noticeable" a system is considered, which does make talking about it with simple terms like these a little complicated.
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theerurishipper · 1 month
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I think the Batman's sidekicks equal child soldiers comes from them being called soldiers. Bat books seem to embrace the 'war on crime' narrative more as they are more gritty. On top of this Batman is emotionally incompetent meaning he treats his kids more like soldiers than children sometimes.
It's also quantity of sidekicks. Like, Barry had Wally. He didn't have any other kid sidekicks at the same time. Batman has a solid army and it often feels like one. They often feel more militarized than other 'fams'. Also, he is too controlling and doesn't treat this solid army of children well. So obviously when a character mistreats everyone around them, people are more likely to see the flaws. A kid cheerfully fighting aside their adult mentor isn't going to get called a child soldier but a kid written with a more gritty undertone is (especially because of the war on crime stuff).
He also had the whole 'good soldier' memorial which says he kinda viewed Jason, a dead 15 year old he adopted, as a soldier. Even though they were portrayed as a father son relationship so this immediately damages the perception of his relationships with his other children.
Also, the Under the Red Hood Movie is an entry level media for Bat fandom. It starred Mr Ackles of Supernatural fame. There is a huge child soldier narrative in the treatment of Sam and Dean by their father so Supernatural fans are more likely to see these themes. So Ackles fans watching the movie and then getting into the Batfam stuff will obviously latch onto this.
Also, this is not the only incident in superhero fandom where certain characters are singled out as child soldiers for other characters. This narrative is also present in some parts of the X-Men fandom, especially regarding the relationship of Professor X and Cyclops. As it is another incident of an adult character 'rescuing' a child in need and (I can't think of a better word) indoctrinating them to their cause.
I think another thing is the fact the Bats do not have powers. So narrative of 'with great power, comes great responsibility' only actually applies to Batman himself with his obscene wealth. So the classic narrative of you have power so you have to help people with them doesn't apply here. Most of the kids he recruits could have relatively normal lives. Jason, whose fans propagate this take heavily, did not ask to be Robin. Batman gave it to him. I also feel that Starlin was trying to have an arc about why having a child sidekick was bad in the Jason's Robin run so Jason's fans are more likely to be critical of the child sidekick thing. It basically goes 'maybe I should not have had this child fight crime' (while Jason is still alive) to 'it's Jason's own fault he got himself killed' which looks really bad.
So it just feels like a lot of factors give more and more people these kind of takes in a way that doesn't apply to other characters. Wonder Woman mostly fights alongside adults. The Flash is also adult heavy (Barry, Jay, Max as in adults that started as adults). Shazamily is all near is age (argument for Wizard perhaps). Lanterns, adults. Arrow family are usually a bit older than the bats and get less attention. Ect.
For me the thing is that... this is fiction. Not a one-to-one direct reflection of reality. In real life, we would frown upon vigilantism as a concept, but enjoying characters like Batman and Superman requires some suspension of disbelief. The same idea should be applied to the idea of sidekicks in general, something that would be very wrong in reality, but is acceptable within the fictional world of DC. Admittedly Batman is usually more grounded than the other books, but it still is within the fictional world of DC, where having child sidekicks in okay. Where letting children fight crime is not inherently wrong, and what defines whether it's good or bad is the intent of the person training/raising them (Bruce or Barry or Oliver as opposed to David Cain or Slade Wilson). We need to view it through that lens, otherwise it's kinda just bad faith criticism.
Another thing to consider is that Batman is an emotionally withdrawn character. It's pretty clear that he did not consider Jason a simple soldier for the cause, or his death wouldn't have ruined him the way it did. And honestly, for every Jason is a soldier case in the Batcave (something he got yelled at for btw), there is a Bruce giving Damian a heartfelt speech about how his kids aren't soldiers. For every moment Bruce treats his kids like soldiers, there is a moment where he openly admits to how much he loves them. I suppose after a point of time it's all up to interpretations, especially since the latter are far and few between, but canon has been pretty clear that Bruce loves his children above all else, and that he doesn't see them as soldiers. That's actually been a plot point a few times, so I think it shouldn't be a question that he sees them as sons and daughter and not soldiers. After all, the whole reason he does what he does for them is so that they don't turn out like him. Him coming off as seeing them like soldiers is not because it's the truth of what he thinks, it's because he can't express himself.
I did say there are plenty of other reasons to criticize Bruce as a character, one of them being the fact that he behaves abusively to his kids. But that's not a symptom of them being child soldiers. My post mostly stemmed from me seeing a lot of criticism of Batman "throwing kids into tights and a cape instead of getting them therapy," and it's like, nooooo. He very explicitly did not do that. They chose the life. Most of them would have done it whether or not Bruce was there. The kids being crimefighters isn't the problem.
If the cheerful thing is what differentiates them from others, the Robins have had that with Batman. Dick and Bruce actually had great fun as Batman and Robin, for instance, before things went sour. Jason may have been given Robin by Bruce, but he also loved being Robin and said it gave him magic. The inherent idea of kids fighting crime is not the issue in a fictional world. Robin in itself is something of a child empowerment kind of thing, a genre staple, at least in the beginning. We don't go around calling every child protagonist a child soldier, do we? It would be an inherently unethical thing in real life, but this is fiction. We have to have some amount of suspension of disbelief when it comes to that, just like we do for the idea of vigilantism itself. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a story.
My take on it is this: there are no child soldiers in DC (when it comes to the sidekicks). Because it's fiction. Within the conventions of the genre, it's well and good for Bruce or anyone to let kids fight crime. Bruce being an abuser is a different conversation entirely, one that should not be derailed with accusations of him raising child soldiers. Those are not a thing in DC, and we would all be happier if we accepted that. My post was specifically about that, that Bruce letting kids fight crime is not inherently a bad thing within the context on the world they operate in. I made the OG post because I saw a lot of criticism towards Bruce for the very act of letting kids fight crime, not because of how he treats them but because he apparently indoctrinated and manipulated them into his war on crime, just criticism for the very act of him letting them do so.
I've also seen talk about how awful it is for Bruce to continue to let kids be Robins after one died, and I just have to say, do you not want Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain and Damian Wayne and Duke Thomas and every other kid hero in the Batfam to exist? Because if Batman were to do the right thing, they shouldn't exist. But, again, this is fiction. It's a story about superheroes. As per the rules of the story, Batman needs a Robin. Someone was going to be created to fill the void, and it was Tim Drake.
And if we go down that route, what does this say about Conner Kent and Bart Allen and Cassie Sandsmark and the other heroes like them? Because if Bruce is in the wrong for letting kids fight after Jason died, so are the other heroes who allow kids to keep fighting after one sidekick died on the job. Was Clark Kent raising a child soldier when he allowed Jon to fight crime? And it's also funny to me cause again, Tim Drake practically forced Bruce to take him on as Robin, with the explicit blessing of former Robin Dick Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth. Everyone else was already in the life, and Bruce just helped them out. They would have done it regardless of him. So, to frame it in a manner as though he forced them into it, or he didn't care that Jason died and that it could happen to them too is wrong.
Perhaps it's because Batman is the most popular DC hero, perhaps it's because he's had the most sidekicks, perhaps it's because one of them died, but it's still not a correct argument. Again, there are very legitimate criticisms to be made of Bruce, ones I can agree with wholeheartedly, but this is not one of them. He is toxic and controlling and abusive to his kids, but they are not child soldiers. It is that very specific thing that I am objecting to. And that's what I think a lot of replies to my post misunderstand, because they're conflating Bruce being abusive with Bruce raising child soldiers, and I while I agree with their general point, I disagree with the framing and the inferences made from it. And then there are the people who inspired me to make the post, who are just wrong.
So, I do agree with a lot of the criticisms of Bruce and a lot of your points! I can see where the idea comes from considering how Bruce treats his kids, but I don't think the correct takeaway is that they are child soldiers specifically. Victims of abuse from Bruce? Sure. Not child soldiers. I hope this makes sense.
Thank you for your ask!
Just... gonna leave this here...
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austinsastrology8991 · 10 months
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> How to Turn your Mars On < Why Mars ain't working for you and why you getting Gecked around> Lost yo tail ya fkn lizard <
Mars is Fighting > and i notice some people could use adjustments in their kung fu jitsu
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1 > Never surrender. If you surrender, you just told the other person you don't believe in what you are doing or saying. this then makes them believe you are someone easy to fight. If you want to be seen as someone who knows the art of fighting. You only fight when you are prepared to fight. 2 > Everything and Anything is a weapon. Do not let people guilt trip you, do not let people call you out. If you want to call someone out its easy as fuck to do because everyone has a few flaws and that are stapled on their faces. So if someone insults you. You can very easily insult them back. Its easy to make fun of others, and if someone makes fun of you. Its their turn 👹 3 > Everyone chooses their fights very carefully because they are insecure of not coming off strong with this in mind. If someone is willing to fight you, you must at least be aware that they fully believe they will win. If they didn't believe it, they wouldnt try it. Now let me point out that this philosophy. Is some bitch shit. You are all setting the difficulty of your game boys to easy, because you only show others your teeth when it suits you. Sometimes you will be forced to fight in situations where you cannot win. And since you've been practising life on 'easy' you are an easy kill. 4 > Fight someone good at fighting. I notice everyone likes to kill the easy kill, but everyone usually shuts the fuck up when someone notorious walks in the room. And this is all a miserable display of ego isn't it. 5 > You can never tell who is and who isn't good at fighting. Many people keep to themselves and some people are very loud and obnoxious, and they are thought to be intimidating, but I shit you not if you step on them a little bit, they will react very quickly. and far too often there is a reason the quiet one is quiet. They may be afraid of fighting. But question why they are afraid of fighting? If someone is afraid. You must realize there is a reason to be afraid. And if they show you what they saw (its not too hard to mimic) you will realize the quiet one. is always. the darkest. Quiet is displayed in many ways, quiet. is not revealing. Those who reveal. Are revealing because they are not afraid. Quiet is unrevealing. Quiet is afraid. And with a simple change in mindset the quiet one knows how to truly inspire fear. Which today seems to be the only way to fight. Have you seen anyone knocking each other out? Jail is a pretty effective incentive to stop each other from entering physical altercations. Oh and the worst part about this set up? Jail is full of physical displays of dominance. But we are afraid of doing so irl. LOL so we are all fucked if we go to jail I suppose ;p 6 > What is the price of winning? Winning requires you to be humble. No one cares for an arrogant winner. When you win it far too often feels bitter sweet because everyone else is caught up in giving you bullshit flattery, and the other half is so bitter they are biting their tongues. Do not regret losing, its honestly burden relieving. Winning should not be taken for granted nor congratulated because you stole someones happyness "Hey its okay buddy :D" type shit will piss anyone off lmao. 7 > Modern warfare is disgusting. We are mental abusers but not physical abusers. most of us restrain ourselves. We just unleash our rage through our minds because thats what society demands (some use emotions but that is a whole nother topic initself). And well with this in mind. The winner is usually the one who gave the other person the biggest reality check. And its sad. who won really? no one ever does. we just sharpened each others insult sword. kinda sad reality right :/ hey at least no one died. but we are killing their souls :D good job everybody now cmon lets insult each other like internet trolls :D
8 > Do you even know what you want? What do you even want to gain. Is the other person going to change their mind. are you looking for an apology? really assess what you want when you fight or pursue something. because far too often I notice people are pretty goalless and have not much reason to fight. So they just fight when someone steps on their little toes. Like someone pointing out the flaws in something personal always gets defensive. But ask yourself why you being defensive? Like they are probably right. We all have our reasons to live, but that comes with flaws that are stigmatized by each of our own little society's ways of conforming. Usually you are triggered by a wound, as you know how it feels to be cut their, the scar reopens. And your afraid of feeling fear. But if you show someone your not afraid of something that once scared you. Well you learned the art of war my fren 9 > Mars requires fearlessness. If we still fought each other today. with swords and shit. Would you withhold your strike? Or would you strike their weak points? Ofc this is a matter of life and death so you will kill them. But most of you dont realize their is an energy here. And the more you surrender to others whims. The more you gave others victory over you. And this causes a stifling energy of insecurity, and lack of strength / belief. So if you want to fight for something. You fight to the death. Unless you dont bvelieve in it. Then you should not be fighting. Everyone must fight for something. Nothing is more enthralling then fighting and finding something worth fighting for.
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bellysoupset · 10 days
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Hi Soup! Hoping you can spill your secrets about how you write your characters fighting with each other and making it both realistic and still loving? I'm always so scared about writing arguments even though I know they are a natural and healthy part of a relationship. For some reason I hate admitting my characters have flaws, but I know it makes them less interesting to always be so nice to each other. You have such a knack for balancing their personalities and the reasons they get upset with each other and then their apologies later.
Hi Lis!! Its so nice answering your asks off anon 😝
Alright so I've been thinking on how to better answer this, since I was literally writing a conflict when you sent it.
I think my tips to writing arguments/conflict are these:
Start small: anything can be a source of conflict, if you're inflexible enough. You don't need to give your characters these huge flaws, you can literally write fights out of one character thinking taking the main avenue is the best way to avoid traffic, while the other think they should do a shortcut and then when they get stuck they're both frustrated. None of these things make them evil or bad, it just gives them different perspectives and that's more than enough to start a conflict.
Everyone has flaws and everyone has bad behavior. Even your most precious OC. Being very harsh: Luke is too much, Jonah is selfish, Wendy is vain, Bella is proud, Leo is possessive, Vince is spineless, Max is judgmental. These don't make them terrible people, in fact, most of these traits have their own happy flip side.
Luke is too much, so he loves with his whole heart and with absolute no sense of consequence. Luke is the type of guy who brings everyone together and that people want to impress and be liked by, but this also the type of person who's highly susceptible to criticism (in his case, his father's), who takes reckless decisions, who is scared of being alone and who clings to people too tightly.
I often think a character's flaw and biggest quality can be quite similar. Vince avoids conflicts and that's what makes him this huge, likable teddy bear, but also why he's the type of person who omits information (cough, the whole deal with moving to Doveport), who'll avoid making up his mind for as long as possible and hurt those around him because of it.
So I do recommend looking into your OCs and thinking what makes them tick. Is Rory stubborn? Proud? He did go fishing into the deep sea and didn't want to own up to it to his friends, what does that say to you about him? Which situations would cause his worst side to jump out? And how would those around him react to that?
It's okay if not all characters are understanding to your character's flaws.
Jonah gets tired of Luke's intense personality easily. He's too secure in himself to want to be liked by Luke, like most people tend to, and he's too sullen of a person to tolerate his high energy. This doesn't mean he hates Luke, but it does mean that if Lucas' starts to lean into the worst of his personality, the first to lash out at him will always be Jonah.
Noa and Rory have been together for years, but how long did it take for them to get used to each other? Did they learn to avoid fights or did they compromise in certain aspects and keep fighting in others?
Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your fights clean. Unless you want to have a huge argument that will take you time to navigate and have your OCs changing their behaviors and personality, avoid fighting below the belt. If Nora brought up Rory's dead sibling in a fight, this would be below the belt. It's the type of hit you can't come back from, that requires not only an apology, but a change in behavior.
When Leo tells Jonah to not use his mental health against him, it's the type of fight that's drawing an invisible line and one that if I had Jonah repeatedly crossing, I'd be making his character toxic. That would be totally OKAY, by the way, if I meant to do that! Writing toxic characters is fun! But its not the story I'm telling, so I don't have Jon doing that, I have his character changing.
Uhhhh this is already so so long, so I'll quit the rambling. But I just wanted to say, don't be scared to make certain parts of your characters ugly and annoying and gross, we all are these things, and having someone who loves us despite our flaws and maybe even because of our flaws is much deeper than pretending to be perfect.
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virtualfungus · 1 month
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was thinking about franmaya in bed last night and im so insane about them!!!!!!!!!
its mostly about the parallels (obsessed with them).
even before they really start to get to know each other (possibly just after the first trilogy), they feel that connection of a grim legacy they have to bear, and one they won't give up on either, with maya becoming the master of kurain and franziska still being a prosecutor.
then obviously, i think theres this forbidden (as in, pearl vehemently being against it at first) but enticing element in falling in love with the girl that prosecuted you. but thats also bc franziska is genuinely trying to become a better person. yes, she will keep saying shit like "this is the von karma's way", but over time, she wants to change what even is the von karma's way (*aggressively points to her dialogues with sebastian*)
they both really admire each others strength. speaking of which, i think franziska is one of the only person who really sees that strength in maya, bc its easy to think shes just quirky and dumb but my girl went through so much shit and yet she still smiles. ofc, not all of her smiles are genuine, but a lot are. franziska doesnt understand it at first, but comes to find her strength, her resilience, beautiful and especially inspiring; turns out being strong is not all about being tough and not showing emotions.
it may sound silly, but franziska realizes its okay to just be human and flawed (or what she perceives as flaws). bc of course franziska is deeply flawed, but either shes revering her flaws as a result of her upbringing or trying to suppress to the point of harm.
mayas like "its okay to show your emotions and be vulnerable". but, eheh... that means maya has to put her own advice into practice, which isnt easy, but is liberating.
they can both be unashamedly themselves without being judged. because before being the master of a technique that could otherwise very much disappear and that requires thorough training and being an international prosecutor taking down smuggling rings, theyre young women who had so much taken from them, including their childhood. they can be silly, they can be themselves without being their occupation first.
maya rants about the steel samurai all the time. franziska initially finds this show childish, but maya really sells it and just reading way too deeply into it, but hey, shes just so passionante and franziska loves when shes like that. on the other hand, franziska will read a shitty book and tear it apart and maya lives for the absolute violence.
of course its not always perfect. at some point, their relationship becomes long distance. on top of that, theyre not always the best at communicating their feelings clearly, especially in the beginning. franziska can get upset easily and always want to have the last word, so they can argue for a while. overtime they do learn how to communicate better and yeah.
would their relationship last forever to the point of getting married and adopt? honestly, probably not. but their relationship is deeply meaningful, and theyll forever hold the other in high regards.
there are so many other things i thought about and worded so well in my head yesterday but i forgor and now idk how to properly explain it.
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breannasfluff · 4 months
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ur wing bois au has single-handedly inspired me to attempt to write my own fanfics sooo.... any advice for a first time writer? ive only ever written essays so i feel a lil out of my depth when writing people
Ahhh that's so exciting!!! Thank you! And yes, do it!!!
First Time Writing....
The first thing you write isn't going to be good. Nor is the second. Or the third or the fourth...etc. That's okay! Writing, like art, can have some innate talent, but it's also learned. It takes practice. As you learn to recognize flaws you can work on fixing them. Just don't expect to produce a masterpiece the first time you sit down to write!
When you read, try to look at it critically and identify WHAT you like about it. This is usually better done with published fiction, but you can do it on fanfiction too! Is it pacing? Character interactions? Dialogue, etc. Doing this will help you learn what to improve in your writing.
If you're writing for the first time, don't bite off more than you can chew! That epic 20 chapter story in your brain? Put it off to the side for now. Try writing a oneshot. Or even just a scene. Pick one moment you love and do just that, without context.
So often I see beginning writers with great ideas get bogged down in the mire of setup and backstory and get burnt out. Drabbles are great for just doing little starter bites of writing.
Honestly...starting small is probably the most important thing on this list? If it's not great, that's okay because you didn't invest three months into it, ya know? Prompt events or drabbles based on a story can be nice intros.
You've likely seen some of the WB ones others have done. Personally, I appreciate when people ask the first time they want to write something, but it's certainly not a requirement and likely varies from creator to creator!
It doesn't have to be perfect to post it. Tagging correctly on tumblr and AO3 will help with exposure, but honestly sometimes it's a real toss up XD Improvement and sticking with it usually help, even if that's not the fun answer.
I'll add links to two other ask that were along the similar vein as this, although they may or may not be helpful.
Writing Quality
Writing Schedule/tips
Good luck and I hope to see you in the fanfic world!
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August MC of the Month: Jensen Valentine
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Please welcome our sixth MC of the month! Each month, we will highlight one MC or OC that is currently on our Meet My MC / OC List. The MC / OC is selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!
This month's MC of the month is...
@mydemonsdrivealimo's Jensen Valentine
In your words, tell us what you like most about your MC. 
What I like most about Jensen is his resilience. He has never been dealt the perfect cards, or even good ones, at that, but that didn’t stop him from striving for great things. He hasn’t always been like that; some setbacks were worse than others, and he considered giving up, but he knew he couldn’t let himself do that. His intrinsic motivation to amount to something has usually been enough, but it’s also his interactions with other people that have helped him along. Some of them were good, sure, but, in all honesty, it’s usually the bad ones that kept him going. 
A good example would be one of his med school professors, who publicly called Jensen out as the perfect example of what not to be like, citing how a man having painted nails shouldn’t be allowed in society, much less is it professional when going into the medical field. Jensen has never been one to sit quietly (no matter how many times it’s gotten him into trouble), and he wasn’t going to start. He pressed that professor, asking him what his evidence was, why he thought like that, and if he had any other reasons besides being a bigot who couldn’t handle seeing people different than himself. Not only that, but he also didn’t transfer from the class for the rest of the semester, making sure that the professor was as uncomfortable sharing flawed ideas as everyone else was hearing them.
The thought that there were still medical professionals out in the world who shared the same ideas the professor didn’t sit well with Jensen. No way could he let that slide when it came to patients and people seeking help, which was just another boost for him to keep going and try to make the changes he wanted to see. Even though he has been knocked down, it’s never made him hide his personality or beliefs.
Do you feel your MC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?
Jensen and I definitely share the same demeanor, especially around how people treat others. People making others feel small, for any reason and on any scale, is fucked up, and being an inactive bystander is never going to solve it. Especially knowing how American healthcare works, I knew I could never make Jensen someone who’s proud of how it currently runs and how it treats the patients. Though he is not the softest, or kindest, or sweetest, he would still do anything it takes to make some sort of change or impact, on a large scale or just one-on-one with a patient. I know I tend to come off in ways I don’t necessarily mean (it’s the rbf for the most part, lbr), and I wanted to reflect that in Jensen’s character, particularly in his day-to-day, as quiet and not-overly-optimistic characters are often synonymous with rude, brooding, or otherwise unapproachable, which is definitely not the case.
As for differences, Jensen is really like this cool, elevated, eloquent person, which is definitely Not me. I stumble through most things, and I hope I get spit out the other side more-or-less okay, whereas Jensen usually has a plan and, you know, thinks through things before he does them.
What is most important to your MC? What is their motivation in life?
What’s most important to Jensen is being able to use his position and the opportunities he’s been granted to help elevate other voices in the community and within certain issues he deems important. Being able to make more opportunities for other people, especially those who are or were in similar situations to himself when he was younger, is a big motivation for him. For most of his life, he was not in a place to be making any types of calls or really have anyone listen to him at all, and being granted such a high position within his career, and therefore his life, isn’t something he takes lightly. He has never been one to support how much power people with money or in high-ranking positions have because he knows what it's like to be on the bottom of that chain, and he knows he’s incredibly fortunate not to be in that position anymore, so he wants to able to use everything he’s been given to support others who need it or who are otherwise flushed out of “adult” conversations purely because they don’t fit the top 1%’s model.
What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes? 
Entitled people. Of course, he has some more petty ones, but if Anyone shows people disrespect for 1. No reason, or 2. A shitty reason, he’s going to have a problem with it, and he will be saying something to them about it. He has been the recipient of it many times growing up, and he knows it is never called for, nor does it have a good impact on anyone involved. Again, now that he is in a more respected position, rather than having his “turn” as the entitled one, he will continue to stand up for those who need it and speak out against the people who treat their power like a free pass to be a pos.
If your MC could change one thing - anything - what would it be? 
Jensen has big aspirations, and while he’d like it to be the entirety of society, social standards, government, systemic bigotry, healthcare, etc. etc, I think being able to positively impact one person’s day is enough for him. During med school was when he really started carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but after the first few years at Edenbrook, he realizes it’s an impossible goal that will only lead him to disappointment. He will help where he can, but it’s nothing compared to reassuring a patient or getting them a life-changing diagnosis, surgery, or something else. Not every case has a happy ending, but being able to take any amount of worry away from someone makes it all worth it for him. Changing someone’s view of something into a more healthy and accepting lens, whether it be their life as a whole or even just something affecting their day, is one of the most rewarding things for him.
What is your MC’s favorite quote or song? 
This was one of the hardest questions for me so I narrowed it down to a few options, and I think (one of) Jensen’s favorite song(s) would be Boring by The Brobecks. He most certainly would’ve seen it live while The Brobecks were still a thing, and though the lyrics are simple, it would’ve hit him at a very particular yet perfectly-timed place in his life. 
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC:
Being a fiction and original character writer at my core, I have poured pieces of myself into Jensen, and I have developed him during some of my worst and best moments (which, of course, changed the plot of his life). I went through many different phases and stories with him before ever joining the fandom, and years ago, when I first played Open Heart I never would’ve imagined it would end up on my hyperfixations list. I remember one night, at least two and a half years ago, I was up until 2 in the morning jotting down random backstories for him, running through the stages of his life in my head. I never looked at it again, never thought it would mean anything, and now here I am, at my one-year anniversary in the Open Heart fandom (August 2nd), with an almost completely different character that I love and think about every day.
The one thing that’s stayed the same though is how much he’s overcome. Though the struggles were very different in the beginning, his overall disposition has always been the same. He has been a loud activist for queer people and poc despite that it was never the most “convenient” for him, but he has also never been the sunshine character. Even through all the overhauls his character has been through, he has always been fighting for the same causes and has been using what he’s been given for good, which I wanted to share because it is arguably the most important part of his character. Even though he does not always have a smile on, doesn’t jump to be a part of every conversation, and doesn’t try to befriend everyone, he still cares just as much as anyone who does those things. It’s been fundamentally rooted in his character since day one, and it’s important to me that it gets seen.
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talesfromdvalin · 4 months
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XIAO'S OBSESSION
From toxic ideas to healthy. Translate or reblog is alright, but only if you remember, that I may ask you to delete if I would not alright with your blog. Thank you. The place I live most of all.
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It was hard. Seeing you cope without calling out by name the one person willing to give their life in exchange for your well-being.
It was hard. Seeing another person snuggled up against your back, an adult, probably cute if you looked through your eyes. To see you smile and turn around to give a thankful hug and tell them you've had great luck this time.
It was a hard thing to do. Not appearing to be around you. Xiao knew you didn't like it when he meddled in the proceedings out of unnecessary excitement and worry, simply because he couldn't trust the skills enough, the opponents. The need to shun was almost physically painful, so the adept made the important decision to observe from afar. To be there to back him up at the critical moment. Of course, you'd be extremely indignant if the situation that got out of control was resolved thanks to Xiao, but it was better that way than if you got injured.
But… the devil. That disgusting, humiliating feeling of fear, with liquid and bitchy jealousy painted on top of it. It can't be justified. Xiao wanted to be the best, the only desirable partner, and the fact that you needed breaks for 'yourself' was just a small correctable flaw.
But… the devil. How the hell did that bumbling prick dare to focus on damage instead of support! How dare he turn a blind eye to the fact that you got hit?! To the fact that you lost your balance and fell down, requiring precious seconds to recover that no one can give.
Xiao didn't even think about whether you called him by name or not - he acted on the call of the spear. You wouldn't have had time to remember or even pronounce the three letters required for an adept to fulfil his sense of urgency, so Xiao took it all in stride, colliding the jade kite with the dewy hunter's blade with a sharp flickering lunge.
''Xiao!'' - you shrieked, trying to get up, but the adept took the man in the other direction, only to have him not remember your existence. It all lasted less than ten seconds.
Blinded by rage, Xiao is Xiao, hearing a thousand voices, louder than your plea for help. He froze with his back turned, slammed his blade against the ground, and finally turned around.
A second of fear froze on your tongue, and your teeth chewed it into a question:
''Are you okay?''
Xiao's heart clenched. In a situation like this, where you were obviously supposed to be angry, pissed off like you had been so many times before, you were worried about his well-being.
"I don't deserve her.''
''Thank you for being here," your partner approached, wiping his dusty hands and catching his breath.
How badly Xiao wanted that to come off your mouth. Ignoring the question, the adept headed towards his opponent, stopping a few centimetres away. No, he doesn't know how to get 'bright' angry, he's a match for oppression, disrespect and pressure.
''Don't go near her again.''
''What?'' - you raised your eyebrows in bewilderment, ''It's my trusted friend, it's okay, what…''
''He saw you fall down and decided not to help," Xiao looked only forwards.
''Friend, easy,'' his opponent raised his hands in defeat, 'if you knew how often we make mistakes, refine them and get the result we want, a small fall didn't seem like such a tragedy.''
Xiao pressed his lips together in exasperation, remained silent for a moment. Then came to a second conclusion:
''Don't go near her again.''
''Xiao,'' you place your hand on his shoulder glumly, "you can't decide for me. Nor for him.''
''If he makes 'mistakes', then you've fallen more than once. With me, you'd never touch the ground. He doesn't deserve you," Xiao finally looked into your eyes.
And you realised it. He's going crazy again from loneliness, fear, fear of trusting. Xiao believes in the intimacy of your feelings, and that's why he's afraid of losing her more than anything else. You nodded to your partner, asking to be left alone with Xiao, and he obediently strode into the city.
You put both hands on Xiao's shoulders, stepping in front of him.
"Not again," the adept knew what kind of torture would begin in the next minute.
''Look me in the eyes," you say demandingly.
For the first couple of seconds, he hesitates and refuses, but soon gives up and makes eye contact. On the other side of his gaze shines the hope that you can imbue his body with love, and the expectation that you will.
''Xiao,' you sigh,'' that doesn't sound like trust.
''I can't," Xiao growled indignantly, "you're only human. You're easily broken, hit, hurt, killed. I can't help but think about it. One accident is tantamount to death.''
You're thinking. Is that the only reason? Sounds like the main reason, but, um.
Xiao trusts only his own hands, and he knows, knows very well, that no one can take care of you better than he can. Xiao would never let someone else's palms guard a treasure - who knows how pure they are? So you've thought of something else.
''Let's solve this problem. We're both uncomfortable that you can't exist in peace while I'm not around.''
''Not while you're not around, but while you're in danger…" he corrected very importantly and embarrassed, as if trying to also cover up obvious jealousy. Xiao really thought he'd done well.
''Good. Then you should see that I'm doing well myself. We'll pair up for a while and see if you feel better or if you want more. We'll build on that," you lifted one hand to the adept's cold cheek. ''need my own space, and you need a reason to have it. We can try this together.''
You're too good.
Xiao felt incredibly guilty just for not being so… wise. He nodded guiltily, agreeing to go anywhere as long as your hand is in his.
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