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#feel free to interpret him seeing whoever you want to though
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Good Company | Bucky Barnes
✦ pairing — Bucky Barnes x female!Plus Size Reader
✦ word count — 2.8k
✦ request — For the Christmas fics thing can I ask for something with Bucky Barnes? The reader is completely tired of her grandmother telling her that she should lose weight to get a boyfriend/fiancé right in front of the whole family at every Christmas dinner. The reader is talking about it with two of her coworkers/friends until Bucky interrupts her and tells her he can go with her as her boyfriend
✦ warnings — light angst, mentions of fatphobia, mentions of food and beverages (alcohol included), fake dating, fluff, kissing.
✦ author's note — changed this one a little bit just so I could leave some stuff up for interpretation or else I would have gone overboard.
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You weren't feeling as festive as everybody in the building. Your work environment was good, you got along with your coworkers just fine for the most part, and the pay wasn't bad at all.
Your family, though... there was room for improvement there. A big room. Maybe an open plan apartment's worth of improvement.
It had come to the point that you weren't sure you wanted to see them for the holidays. Your grandmother always had something to say about you — your career, your friends, your weight, your relationship status.
She wanted you to be just like her and your aunts, to 'make sacrifices for a greater life' as she so eloquently put it. You were supposed to hate yourself, to change everything about you to please her.
Her excuse always boiled down to your loneliness in the romantic department. You couldn't tell her about hook-ups and fizzled-out flings so you would often nod along and take her absurd comments.
You wouldn't handle them that well this year. It was a tough one for everybody, but she would only use it as an excuse to urge you to find a partner before life got worse.
Reaching your car in the parking area, you made sure it was intact before unlocking it. You were checking the backseat when someone called your name.
You half-expected to be told you were needed for an emergency, but as you searched for whoever had called for your attention, you found Bucky.
"Oh, hi, Bucky."
He gave you a small smile, greeting you back. "Going home?"
"Yeah. I hope traffic isn't too bad."
"You free for dinner or coffee?"
"Right now?"
"Uh-huh."
"Sure. "
He led you to a small bistro, one of those hole-in-the-wall establishments he always seemed to find. Bucky gave you recommendations from time to time, and that was the extent of your dynamic outside of work.
You ordered drinks first and talked about silly things while you decided what to order for dinner. Once the order was placed and you had a few sips in you, Bucky turned more serious.
First, he cleared his throat. Seemingly not comfortable enough yet, he sighed. "I heard your conversation with Nat and Sharon..."
You hadn't even seen him at lunchtime and somehow he had managed to hear your rant about family expectations. Which meant he heard you at the edge of crying over your overly honest grandma.
You looked down at your half-empty glass. "It's... a lot, yeah."
"I'm available for the holidays." He pulled a napkin and started rolling it up into a log. "I can go with you, say I'm your boyfriend. Or fiance if you want, I know a jeweler who could lend us a ring."
"I couldn't ask that from you. It's supposed to be a jolly time."
"I'm offering."
"A tempting offer," you admitted. You didn't want to sound desperate, although he certainly knew you were. "What would be in it for you? How would I repay you?"
"Not being alone on Christmas is enough already. "
He started to fold the napkin into a tiny square, focused on making it look perfect.
"Well, I'm sure my family will be happy to keep you company. So will I."
He looked up at you, then nodded. "Tell me about them?"
So you spent dinner telling him about your parents and grandparents for the most part, small details of your siblings and nephews. You didn't want to overwhelm him too much.
You also spent days worrying it would end in catastrophe. What would your family think of you if things were to fall apart?
Bucky didn't back down when you warned him about the questions he would have to endure, or when you reminded him he would have to be affectionate to you.
He helped you wrap gifts and asked your opinion on the clothes he planned to wear. He was also curious if your family knew he was coming.
They did. You told your mom a day after your dinner with Bucky, on your daily morning phone call. She was thrilled, albeit mad that you hid your relationship status for so long.
You just hoped your grandmother would be as thrilled – maybe less offended that you kept a man hidden from her scrutiny.
He laughed when you told him she probably would try to get him for herself and grabbed your hand to tug you closer. "Can't do. I'm already taken, didn't you know?"
"Oh, really? Are they a better prospect than my grandma and her handmade blankets?"
"Hey, you never said something about handmade blankets. I might have to reconsider."
You hit him on the shoulder without even realizing you were doing it.
He didn't complain. Instead, he pulled you into him and said, "Your grandma will have to settle for having me as a grandson."
You were sure she would be glad to.
Bucky was easy to like. You weren't worried that anybody would have anything negative to say about him, not even your overprotective brother.
Looking up at him, you felt your face warm up as you realized he had been staring already. "Do you want me to drive tomorrow?"
"No, no. You just gotta guide me and look pretty."
You tried hard not to think about it, about his flirting and compliments. It came easy to him, it wasn't a big deal.
Well, it shouldn't have been.
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You sat on the passenger seat, letting a Christmas playlist do the heavy lifting as you did your best not to bombard Bucky with suggestions as to what to say.
He wasn't stupid, and you had found he listened to what everybody said and internalized the useful parts. He didn't need you to treat him like a distracted child.
You just needed everything to be perfect and to survive Christmas dinner without crying for once in your adult life.
As if knowing you were torn between your anxiety and the catchy song playing, Bucky reached over and rested his hand on your knee.
"I'll be the best boyfriend, doll, don't worry."
You didn't doubt it. "I've never lied to them like this."
There was a first for everything. You were just glad you weren't doing it on your own.
Bucky helped you carry the gifts while you carried the cake you got from a bakery Sharon recommended.
Your mom opened the door in all her glory, with her hair done and a glittery black sweater underneath her red apron. Her eyes lit up when she saw you and Bucky, potentially more because he was real than because she missed you, and ushered you both inside.
Most family members were there already for your grand entrance, expectant, a tad impatient to see the man they would get to judge together.
Your brother and dad tore their eyes away from the football highlights on the TV at the same time, examining Bucky from head to toe.
Bucky introduced himself as such, just Bucky, but your brother insisted on calling him James which earned him a pointed look from your mom.
"I've heard so much about you," your mom said cheerfully. An attempt to dissipate whichever tension your brother could have arisen.
Bucky laughed charmingly, sharing a complicit look with you. People around you surely saw it as a gesture between lovers. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, ma'am."
He won her over with that, much like he did with your aunts and sister. Your brother would sneak weary glances from time to time and even looked offended when your dad laughed at something Bucky said.
But you agreed with your dad. Bucky was just so easily likable, serious on the exterior yet the funniest person you had met —a charming man who happened to be easy on the eyes.
Your grandmother, though, she almost fell in love with him. She grabbed your hand, giving it a strong squeeze. "See? I told you you'd be happier once you found a man."
You tried to smile at her.
"I'm the happiest," Bucky interjected. "Your granddaughter changed my life."
Your grandmother cooed, relishing just how right she had been. You were sure she was thinking you got lucky that you didn't even have to lose weight to find him.
If she thought so, she didn't say it. In fact, there wasn't a single comment regarding your weight the entire night. The fact that Bucky had his arm around your waist must have helped.
You saw another side of your grandmother, the fun one.
All you needed to be in harmony with your family had been to show up on somebody's arm.
It helped that Bucky was open to answering questions and patient with the kids who insisted he had to play with them because he was new.
Your brother was the only cautious one. He wasn't impolite, but his questions were as piercing as his eyes and his words too cold to come from your favorite person in the world.
He had never been anything but warm, much to some of the other men's disappointment. Raised mostly by your mom, you both were taught to be welcoming, to choose kindness even when it was the toughest thing to do.
But your kind brother didn't appear when it came to Bucky. You feared he knew you so well that your ruse had been discovered.
You followed your brother to the patio where you found him checking his phone. His fiancé was on a family trip, he probably missed them.
"You could be a little nicer," you said casually.
Your brother let out a huff, putting his phone away. "He looks like the type."
"The type?"
"Like the ones I had to beat up for breaking your heart in high school."
You tried not to think about those people and their cruel jokes. Their bets, their mocking tones. You had enough with the things your grandmother still said, the never-heard-before heartlessness she would throw your way the moment you showed up on your own again.
"This isn't high school."
"I'm looking out for you."
"Why don't you just say you think he's out of my league?"
"Because that's not it." He sounded offended, ever the protector. To make matters worse, he wisely said, "You didn't have to get a boyfriend if you weren't ready."
You frowned, trying to read his face in an attempt to find what he was getting at. Bucky wasn't the first person you had introduced your family to as a partner.
"If anything," he said, standing tall and lifting his shoulders in a shrug, "you're out of his league — who dates a coworker?"
"Me."
Your brother shook his head in disapproval, as he often did when you were younger. His semblance softened immediately. "You know what I mean."
"I don't."
He twisted his mouth, then tilted his head as he pointed —to him— the obvious, "He's more into you than you're into him."
"I wish you wouldn't say it like it's a bad thing."
"It is when you're so stiff around him."
Maybe you let your nerves get the best out of you. "I don't want to give Mom and Dad the wrong impression. Or grandma... you know how they are."
"Just... be careful. And call me if you need me; for anything."
You kissed his cheek in assurance and went back inside. Only then, you realized just how cold it was outside — you were only wearing a sweater.
You sat close to Bucky, resting your head on his bicep as your mom continued telling him about her upcoming retirement.
He wrapped his arm around you, bringing you closer. His comforting warmth seeped into you, pressed to his chest. He rubbed his hand along your arm, feeling just how cold you were.
You hoped he wouldn't want to move any time soon.
If he wanted to, he concealed it well. Bucky was hesitant to part from you when dinner was served, and even more after when your niece asked you to do her hair.
Eventually, you had to leave. It wasn't ludicrously late, but the drive was an hour long and you didn't have it in you to send Bucky home on his own while you stayed there for the night — inviting him to stay was out of the question.
He promised to visit soon, joking that he would bring you with him as a plus one. Your grandmother laughed so loudly that it scared you. It made you sad. You got your family's hopes up, and for what? A peaceful dinner that would only serve as a bitter reminder?
It was over so quickly and the aftermath would haunt you until you found someone else to lie. Or to actually date.
There was a chance you ruined it for yourself. Who would your grandmother approve of after having met Bucky?
You didn't know if you would approve of anybody else after that either. It didn’t snow this year. As though even the weather thought you had been wrong for lying to your family on Christmas from all days.
Bucky nudged you. "You good?"
"Yeah," you answered quickly
"You sure?"
"It was a long day."
"You didn't have a good time?"
"I woke up at five in the morning," you clarified. Not a lie, but you were used to that kind of schedule. "I'm surprised you still have so much energy."
"Having good company helped."
You hated that he said that.
It would have been so nice to agree, to enjoy how happy your grandmother had been, and your mom's laugh, and your sweet brother's worry...
Not hearing vitriolic comments about your body and lifestyle was lovely. You would still hear it soon, but at least your Christmas hadn't been ruined by your family but by yourself.
Sadness washed over you as your apartment came into view. You didn't know exactly why, he was still your friend, you would see him at work and have a secret just for the two of you which meant you were closer friends now.
You shouldn't have been glad to have him as a friend, to have a person willing to lie to multiple people just so you would have a good Christmas.
"Thank you. For everything." You didn't know how else to say goodbye. You would see him in a couple of days at work.
Ever the polite one, he smiled and said, "It was my pleasure."
You climbed out of the car and told him to drive safely. Bucky only nodded. Waving at him in goodbye, you smiled softly. Then, you stepped into the first front step.
"Hey,” he called for you from the car.
You turned around. “Yeah?"
He rolled the window up and killed the engine. Swiftly, Bucky got out of the car and approached you. "I liked it."
"You can come next year if you want." And if he wasn't busy. Or in a relationship.
"I didn't— I mean, yes, I would like that, but I liked the whole thing.”
Your heartbeat quickened. You lifted your eyebrows, not able to ask what he meant by that.
But you didn’t need to, Bucky was willing to openly say it, "You know, the handholding. And having you all over me especially.”
You froze on the spot, watching him get even closer. You were still on the first step, meeting his gaze by mistake.
He huffed to himself and added, "I always thought you were pretty, but having you this close... God, how did I ever go about my life without this? How can I go back to that?"
"Buck..."
"Look—"
"You wanna come in? Have some hot cocoa or a glass of wine?"
He let out a relieved laugh. “Yeah. It’s fucking freezing out here.”
It was and while you thought you looked pretty in your cozy sweater and your light coat, you really should have layered up. Bucky hung his jacket in the coat closet as though he had done so hundreds of times.
“Wine or hot cocoa?” you asked once he was comfortable in the living room.
“Wine.”
You pulled a pair of glasses out of the cupboard and set them on the counter.
Bucky stopped you from reaching for the bottle. “Wait.”
You turned around to face him. “Changed your mind?”
At the same time, he asked, “Can I kiss you first?”
You pressed your lips to his as an answer. He quickly kissed you back, cupping your cheek in one hand while the other one found the space between your hip and waist.
He caressed your cheek, making you sigh into the kiss which he took as an opportunity to deepen it. You grabbed his face, accepting the pace he chose to kiss you with.
The hold on your body became stronger as Bucky tried to pull you closer for which he lost his step, making you laugh and pull away in worry that he would hit his hip against the kitchen table.
He shook his head, assuring you he was fine.
Your hands ended up on his shoulders while he grabbed you by the waist with both hands.
"Merry Christmas," he said against your lips before kissing you again.
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Your "Genshin man love languages" is making me all fuzzy and warm inside and I'm kicking my feet in the air and and giggling and trying to act normal I swear-
If you feel like doing more, would you mind doing it for Zhongli as well? And whoever else you feel like throwing into the mix? Thanks for making my day better, hope you have a good one yourself!!!
AAAHHH!!!! It makes me SO happy to hear you enjoyed it!!! Literally nothing makes me feel as good as hearing my work made your day better. I’ll cry ♡
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Genshin Men and Their Love Languages Part 2!
If you haven’t seen part one with Diluc, Kaeya, Ayato, and Thoma, go ahead and take a look! Read and see what your sweetheart partners do to make you feel loved ♡
Zhongli, Xiao, Wanderer x gn!reader II romance, fluff!!
Notes: Xiao’s is really long but I just couldn’t help it!! I need the Xiao stans to rise up cause I don’t know anyone else who likes him :(
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No one in Liyue Harbor is new to the sight of the refined and composed Zhongli walking arm in arm with his pretty little lover—he totes you along everywhere, the koi pools, the various shops in the square, the boat docks. You two take multiple daily walks together; one in the morning, one (or two) in the afternoon, and one at night. This routine of yours was Zhongli’s idea—“My dear, every moment I spend with you is a blessing.” he said, taking one of your hands and bringing it up to his lips to place a soft, purposeful kiss to your knuckles, “If you’d allow it, it would be the most gracious gift for you to join me on a few strolls throughout the day. So that I may be selfish and have more of you.”. This, of course, exemplifies his love language of quality time. You’d think Zhongli, who has lived though so many moments, experienced so much time, would no longer see the value in the seconds of a ticking clock. He’s had thousands of years to experience anything he wanted, a mere ten minute walk is a speck of dust in the utter expanse of his lifetime. But a ten minute walk by your side? He would give absolutely anything to experience it; mora, hours of labor, his right hand, anything. And he has the privilege of it every day for free. All because you’re gracious enough to bless him with your love—he feels like the luckiest man to ever traverse the plain. Every moment with you is truly precious to him; every word uttered from your mouth, every touch to his arm or shoulder or face, even every sip you take from the tea he brewed for you—just watching you enjoy the treat during your teatime fulfills him like nothing else ever has. Your existence may be one one-millionth of his lifetime, but every second you exist in the world is a second Zhongli desperately holds to his heart. You brighten his entire life, you are a glimmer of starlight in miles upon miles of the dark volume of the sky. He will treasure you for absolutely every moment he gets to.
Xiao is, respectfully, an idiot when it comes to expressing affection. He’s new to physical touch, so he rarely reaches for you, uncomfortable with the new feeling and worried about hurting you or drawing your anger somehow. The most you’ll get out of him, on a good day, is maybe sitting between his legs during a cold night. And I mean cold. You’d better be shivering. You might even be able to coerce him to wrap his arms around you if you really play up how cold you are. He also isn’t sure exactly what gifts humans like—he’ll regularly bring you qingxins because you expressed your favor for him, but other than that, he’s pretty lost. Like a bird, any shiny or colorful thing he finds while he makes his rounds around Liyue, he’ll bring back for you. You have a collection of various colored feathers, buttons, even some crystals! He’s also just horrible at expressing his feelings though words. He’s not used to feeling these things for another person, so how the hell is he supposed to convey their meaning when he can’t even interpret it? And he really doesn’t have a lot of time for dates and dinners when he’s busy protecting Liyue most of his days and nights. Of course, he’ll set aside some time for you—he can’t ever stay away from you for long, and if you call his name he’ll be at your side in a second, but it’s not really the surefire way for him to assert how he feels about you. That leaves only one more love language, one he is actually proficient at, rather than just trying his best. Acts of service. He has spent his entire life in service to Liyue, and now that you’ve entered his life and become something just as precious to him, he’ll do absolutely anything and everything for you. Especially when it comes to your protection. He personally escorts you anywhere you need to go; to work (though he doesn’t understand why you must put yourself through labor?), to the market (though the crowds make him nervous, it panics him much more so to think of you bearing a sea of potential predators alone), on your walks through the beautiful groves and mountains of Liyue, anywhere you’d otherwise be alone. If he can’t be with you during these times, he entrusts you to Morax and only Morax. Though he hates asking the archon he serves (or used to serve…) such a favor, he’ll do it in a heartbeat if it ensures your safety. You don’t mind it either, Zhongli is a wonderful companion. If there’s anything you need, Xiao does not hesitate to fetch it for you. You need to go to the market for eggs? No need, without you even asking he’s brought back at least twenty from the roof of Wangshu in. You need Cor Lapis but have trouble mining it yourself? Consider it done. And don’t even get me started on if you need assistance in a fight—you’ve never even seen an enemy because no matter where you go, Xiao was already a mile ahead of you, taking out any camp or gang of unsavory characters.
Not only does he ensure you’re safety while you’re outside in broad daylight, but he watches over you every night while you sleep without fail—he never wants to leave your side when you’re in such a vulnerable position. If you play your cards right, you can even get him to cuddle with you, despite his reservations about how being under the covers will delay the time it takes for him to grab his weapon, should danger find its way into the room. “Isn’t it more prudent for your arms to be around me, that way your body is shielding me from any outside threat?” you say, such a cute pleading look on your face. He can’t argue with that one, so you get your way—having substantial cuddle time with your lover. In this way, acts of service enables physical touch! Oh how he’s such a fool for you. And, though he’ll never admit it…he loves the way holding you feels. You’re warm—like his own personal sun, and you smell so wonderful—he unconsciously buries his face in your hair or your neck, just to get a little bit more of your sweet scent. And…you’re so soft; he loves the way his hands feel pressed against your torso or gently rubbing up and down your arm. You hands too…they’re so soft and delicate, he finds himself holding and massaging them after you’ve long fallen asleep. There is no limit when it comes to what Xiao will do to keep you safe and happy, you come first to anything—you have his heart, and with it, you have him. Absolutely all of him.
Wanderer, like Xiao, has absolutely no experience in the romance department, let alone the intimate relationship department at all. His friend group consists of exclusively Nahida and the Aranara. And Nahida can read his thoughts (if he lets her). So there’s not a lot of expressing his affection for others that goes on in his life. Now you’re his…lover? His…confidant? His…absolute only person he will ever give his heart to and it’s a miracle you even got it but now that you have it he has no idea what to do but he loves you so deeply that it makes his soul ache? Yeah that’s about right. He tries to express how he feels through words, but they come out wrong, and he usually masks them with a taunting remark. He tries to be physically affectionate, but he’s so terrified of rejection, he can only bring himself to hover-hand your shoulder at most. The physical affection responsibility falls to you and you alone. So it’s up to you to give him hugs and kisses and all of the relationshipy things! He acts like he doesn’t love it, but the redness of his cheeks betrays him. His favorite is when you get really excited about something, and you suddenly grab him and mash his cheek against yours in a hug around the shoulders—bouncing and planting a kiss on his face. He goes completely silent and complacent, red in the face as he softly reaches to hug around your waist and hold you as you squeal and celebrate. He feels weird doing acts of service for you; it’s not that he doesn’t want to. If you ask him, he’ll do anything for you in a heartbeat (though he may complain). But he’s scared to do something without you explicitly telling him to—worried he’ll mess up and draw your anger or resentment. He won’t admit it, but he does enjoy your company, though he’s nervous to ask it of you. Anytime you spend by his side is a remedy for his lonely soul—engaging in idle conversation or walking the forest together, he’ll take absolutely all of it, though he may lie and say you bug him. Though if you try to leave, he’ll physically get in your way with a “but now that you’ve already spoiled my afternoon, you might as well stay.”. The love language he is most comfortable expressing, the one that leaves the least amount of fear in his chest at the notion of being rejected, is surprisingly, gift-giving! Any little trinket that makes him think of you is collected in a heartbeat. He’ll pick flowers, fruits, even leaves if it might be even be remotely enjoyable to you. He knows you love Zaytun peaches, so nearly every time you two go on a date or otherwise meet up, he’s brought you a crateful of them. He always has to help you carry them to your house, which is a sneaky way to get to spend more time with you! He always excuses it away with “I just picked too many for myself while I was out.” Sure. Remind me, didn’t you say you loathed anything sweet? Oh, you don’t? Right. When he finds himself in the marketplace, any hair pin, bracelet, necklace or fabric he thinks will look pretty on you, he’ll purchase with a pout on his face and a bashful look away from the cashier. He just can’t resist the desire to see you wearing something so beautiful…something that frames your natural beauty…something that came from him. When you do wear something he gave you, he can barely stand to look at you for more than a few moments, nervous you’ll hear his artificial heart thundering in his chest. Though, when you’re distracted, he can’t help but stare at you with the most puppy-eyed, loving gaze…you really are so lovely. Wearing something he picked for you makes him feel like your his—like you’re pridefully adorning a mark that tells the world you belong to him. You make him finally feel secure that someone loves him…that someone is proud to be with him and feels grateful for him. You’re a grounding force in the complicated labyrinth that has been his life. You represent new hope for him…hope for stability and love that lasts.
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The weird romantic choices in Naruto: Sasusaku
Warning: this is mostly an anti-sasusaku analysis.
There are 2 important things that I must to mention before starting.
I won't pretend to understand Japanese culture. I was born and raised in a Latin culture, which probably has a completely opposite view of romance (we are loud, we kind of take pride in PDA, and we wear our hearts in our sleeves). So, it's more than possible that I'm making a misinterpretation of what Kishi wanted to say. Nevertheless, Naruto reached an international public, so I won't feel bad about making an interpretation of it either.
I'm not an anti-shipper or pro-shipper, this is just an analysis, please feel free to ship whoever you want (yes, even sasusaku if that makes you happy (just note that probably this post won't make you happy)).
One of the things that really put me off are the ships stablished on chapter 700 of the manga (Naruto is not the only manga that does this and I mostly dislike it as a resource). The reason for it is that it leaves no space for the reader's imagination. I mean, do we need to know that Chouji married that woman from the Hidden Cloud that I don't even care enough to google her name?
Really...?
Is it important to the story? Thematically? Or like in a dramatic character arc way?
Romantic pairings are important, well, in romantic stories, but in shounen are more of an afterthought. And that's fine. Shounen are about other things like: bravery, self-fulfillment, friendship, growing up, dreams...
So I say let people imagine their favorite pairings, there's no need to make it canon.
But if you're going to make it canon, it should be coherent within the story, again: thematically, in-character, ideally foreshadowed, and symbolically.
Now, the relationship of Sakura and Sasuke is quite interesting. Sakura is obsessed with Sasuke.
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It's definitely what she WANTS as a character. The big question is: Is this what she NEEDS? And here's where a lot of the critique on her character falls. Because character development is when they realize that what they want is not what they need, and therefore they change their path into getting what they need. If this condition is not meet, the character flops or ends up feeling like a puppet of the author.
In contrast, Sasuke wants... well, isn't that complex? If I were to oversimplify it, he wants justice. What he needs? Besides a hug, I would dare to say allies, people that support him so that he doesn't go on alone on his quest.
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(Ironically, you can interpret these panels as Sasuke admitting to have feelings for Sakura, 'cause he doesn't denies it, he only states that there are no reasons for it, hence it's not something to be valued (but it's kind of a stretch))
So character A is infatuated with a character B who doesn't value their relationship because he sees bonds as an obstacle to his goals, he has lost too many people already and he doesn't want to lose more.
Is this important to the story? Does Sasuke gets stronger because of Sakura's love? And vice versa? Is Sasuke saved because of Sakura?
Nope.
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It's Naruto who saves Sasuke by the power of "friendship" (as a regular shounen even though there's nothing regular in the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke).
Therefore, Sakura's love is not important to the story. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great as a character flaw, but to me it had to change at some point. Evolve. Grow. Whether to save Sasuke or to just move on, because that's, imo, the big issue with this ship: the unhealthy message.
So let's get to the message.
From Sakuras POV it's: "it's okay to be obsessed with a guy who's not-that-into you because he'll come around." This is something I would never say to another human being. Again it could be the Latin blood in me, but romance should bring fireworks. If a person doesn't SHOW that you are their sun and moon, it's not worth it.
I know it's a cornball thing, but love is passion. Obsession. Someone you can't live without. I say fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy, and who'll love you the same way back. How do you you find 'em? Well, you forget your head and you listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Because the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived. - Meet Joe Black
I love this quote and I love this movie.
But anyway, it is possible to write Sakura into that character who would not give up her love for Sasuke in a healthier way (I still believe that building your life around a person is dangerous for your mental health, but it's a bit better if it is reciprocated), just put on some of Sasuke's point of view. Let the reader see that he cares about her, that he's nice to her (and probably only to her). That there is something that connect them both on a special way. Yeah, he would give that up and become an idiot when he leaves, but it's there and you can build on that later.
Metaphors are dangerous. A single metaphor can give birth to love. - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
On Sasuke's side, the message is more like "you should really be with this person who has chased you", "you must love back a person that loves you". Which is again bad advise. People should be free to choose who to love. Always. It shouldn't be an obligation.
Sasuke never asked Sakura for her love and dedication (at least from what's inside the manga). She gave it freely. And he rejected it freely. On various occasions. A "why did he changed his mind?" was needed. How do we go from this:
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To a marriage and a kid? How does this man who is so traumatized by all that he has been through even capable of having a family?
Do I have to talk about the poke...? *Sighs* This one here is a great analysis about the poke. To sum it up, it's not a romantic gesture, it's more of a "kindly leave me alone" gesture with an emphasis on "kindly". People get caught out in the idea that its Itachi's gesture, and Sasuke loves Itachi, therefore Sasuke using this gesture with Sakura means Sasuke loves Sakura. That's a fallacy.
Is it in-character?
For Sakura the answer is kind of yes. But for Sasuke? Not really. He's a goal-driven person with deep, deep, emotional trauma. I don't believe it's even possible for him to develop a romantic relationship. And I might have bought it by flexing hard on my imagination, if Kishi would just STOP writing things like this:
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Was it necessary to establish Sasuke as an absent father and husband? And yet I see this as ooc, considering that Sasuke doesn't want bonds because he's afraid to lose them. In the hypothetical case that he were to accept making bonds, he wouldn't leave, he would cherish them (because he would still be afraid to lose them). Like, he's too traumatized to stay in Konoha, but not to marry Sakura? It's just contradictory in the wrong way.
So, symbolically, this romance is all over the place as an unhealthy relationship for Sakura, for Sasuke, and for whoever reads this and thinks it's a good role model. It could be used as a critic, but, let's face it, it's not painted that way.
To sum up a bit:
Thematically this ship has nothing to do with Naruto's story (friendship, dreams, etc).
It's somehow in-character for Sakura, but not so much for Sasuke.
It is foreshadowed, but not built on. More of Sasuke's viewpoint was needed.
And symbolically (the message) is unhealthy.
My conclusion is that is a fan-service that fails to stay truth to the story and the characters, and that keeps building on the fan-service through Boruto ugh...
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a bit of a vent, sorry if it doesn't make any sense.
I've been dating my boyfriend for about a year now.
when I first learned that he had a crush on me, I didn't think much of it. I thought I had fallen in love with him just because. I'd selected one guy in the entire school, the guy that I knew wasn't a complete asshole and already had feelings for me.
I thought that was normal. I have a friend that moves on from guy to guy every 2 weeks. I'd only ever been stuck in a long term relationship with my ex gf for 4-5 years, but I'd thought I had just lost feelings. right? because no one gets super red in the face when someone else confesses, right?
I thought it was the same with my boyfriend. I actually wasn't even going to confess at all, not until a friend said something in front of the both of us. I didn't think anything of it at all. I was just red and flustered, right?
I thought that I just wasn't used to being in a romantic relationship. my ex hadn't given me that in this amount.
hugs were revolting, the words meant nothing, I would have rather died then kiss him. I thought I was just too embarrassed to do that though.
Every romantic interaction had me crawling out my skin in disgust. I had to keep denying things from him, and I felt guilty for it, but I hated that feeling.
originally I put aromantics in a box. with everything that went around in the community, I thought ace was more along the lines of the aromantic spectrum, whether that was because of misinformation or just terrible interpretation, i never saw an aro person talk about how loveless they were online. I knew that sex was bad. I was under the age of 18. still am. I still don't want sex because of that. I appeal to it, but I don't want to have it. a friend called me ace because of that. I don't know if that's true.
I put aro in a box. I labeled the box as "sex crazy". it was horrible. i was horrible. I sealed the box up and hid it from others. then I found more and more posts about it on tumblr. I stopped thinking that only aroace and ace were ok. realizing aro was GOOD made me want to understand it. right the wrong. I unsealed the box.
inside of it was so much. I was so wrong. I thought it was funny it resonated so much. and then i started thinking. then I stopped.
I'm in a relationship with a boyfriend that sees me as his entire world. I couldn't possibly run off with whoever I was.
I came out as aroflux to him. I was still denying my real feelings. he was ok with it. but it's still bad. I still feel sick if he even asks. I can't look at him when I say "I love you too". he deserves so much. I couldn't hurt him, right?
my friends that had been there in secret with me during my emotional journey had told me it was ripping me apart. a close friend said it was killing me. they were begging me to break up with him.
so I am.
after months of procrastination, I think im going to cut off this relationship, in hopes that it can turn into friendship again. I'm scared it won't. I'm scared he'll still see me as a figure of attraction.
this Thursday. I swear I'm gonna do it. I'm going to set us both free. God I hope so.
good luck! please don’t destroy your identity for the sake of anyone’s happiness, i hope this went/goes well
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darkbluekies · 1 year
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Dr Kry with a male darling who ended up in the hospital because of an attempt (feel free to ignore if it’s triggering, just want some fluff <3)
Hold my heart
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Doctor!yandere OC x male!reader
Summary: Dr Kry is meeting a new patient and learns about the night he's had. Dr Kry decides to take him under his wing and protect him forever.
Warnings: mentions of: blood, cutting, self-harm, depression, self blame, interpretation of suicideI've tried to not be too heavy on the dark themes and tried to make it a bit comforting, I don't know how that worked out though
[I want to say that if anyone who's reading this somehow relates to it, everything will be better eventually. Please reach out to someone trustworthy. You're deserving of so much.]
It's late at night. Usually, Dr Kry would be home sleeping by now, but he's been called in for an emergency. A young man who's tried to harm himself is currently sitting in his office.
Dr Kry hurries through the halls to reach his office. He's holding papers containing the young man's information in his hands. 
You look up as the doctor enters. You take a quick scan over him. He looks like everything you want to be. Healthy, strong … satisfied with life. Maybe if you were like him you wouldn't have tried …
"Y/N, hello", the man smiles softly and holds out his hand. "I'm Dr Kry."
"Hi", you almost whisper, taking his large hand in yours.
The shake is firm, making you feel even smaller.
"How are you feeling?" Dr Kry wonders.
"I don't know", you answer quietly. 
"Your family is worried about you, you know."
"Yeah …"
Dr Kry looks at you from head to toe. You don’t look any different from the young men he usually meet. Everyone who comes in here usually have the same look in their eyes.
"Will you let me see your arms?" he asks carefully.
You don't answer. Dr Kry notices how you start to pull your limbs closer to your body and avoid eye contact and decides to back off. 
"You're safe in here, Y/N", the doctor says gently. "The ER nurses were stressful, I understand. I'm not. I'm patient and I will wait until you're ready."
You feel a bit at ease. The nurses were ripping your bloody arms left to right to examine and care for. They put them on display for everyone to see. You've never felt so embarrassed and vulnerable. All of your insecurities and pain were put on a show and tell for whoever wanted to see. You could have been naked and you wouldn’t have felt as exposed as you did. 
Your arms are now covered in stale bandage that you are hiding underneath the purple hoodie. You can still see a trace of the nights deeds on your hands, but you ignore it. 
You two sit there in silence for what feels like hours. Most likely it's only been thirty minutes. Dr Kry sits by his desk, doing some paperwork while you play with your fingers and the hem of your hoodie. 
"What do you like to do, Y/N?" he asks without looking away from the papers.
"Not much", you answer quietly.
"What did you used to like?"
"Drawing, maybe."
"Drawing? What did you draw?"
You shrug, still avoiding eye contact.
"I'd love to see your drawings someday", Dr Kry smiles and meets your eyes.
Normally, blue eyes can be intense, but these are somehow warm despite their cold color.
You yawn.
"Are you tired?" the doctor asks and glances at the smartwatch on his wrist. "Well, the clock’s already two am. Why don't you come with me to a hospital room? You can stay there for the night and we can talk a bit more tomorrow."
You find yourself nodding. Dr Kry stands up and holds out his hand to you. You blink in surprise. 
“I can lead you”, Dr Kry says. “You don’t have to take my hand if you don’t want to.”
Weirdly enough, you take his hand. His last grip on it had made you feel a bit at ease, as if the storming world around you could be controlled by his hands. Dr Kry gives you a soft and gentle smile as he takes you through the corridor. He can feel his heart swell and his body shiver at the touch of you. 
“I like your hoodie”, Dr Kry says, trying to spark up a conversation to learn more about you. “Is that a band you like on the front?”
“Yeah …”, you mumble. “It’s their logo.”
You feel worse about your hoodie getting soaked in blood than your arms taking the initial hit. 
“Do you like music?” the doctor continues and opens the elevator door. 
You nod. Dr Kry sighs and takes another look at you. He has dealt with these kinds of situations before, but he’s never felt this … bad.
He takes you to a hospital room a few floors up. While you stand against the wall, he fixes the bed for you. 
“I’ll be with you all night”, Dr Kry promises. “To make sure that you don’t do anything else to yourself.”
You meet his eyes again. He looks so genuine that it aches in your heart. He’ll stay up to watch you? He’ll protect you from the bad thoughts in your head? He’ll sacifice sleep just for you? Your eyes fill with tears as your legs lose their strenght. Falling down into a sitting position with your back against the wall and hiding your eyes into the pals of your hands. Dr Kry hurries over and squats down in front of you, holding his large hands on your shoulders. 
“How are you feeling?” he asks. “What happened?”
“N-Nothing”, you sob. “Just- … thank you, doctor.”
Dr Kry relaxes and smiles slightly. He lets his hand run through your hair in an attempt to comfort your fragile being. 
“Of course, Y/N”, he says quietly, comfortingly. “I’ll be here for you.”
“Do you blame me?” you sob and look up to meet his blue eyes.
He doesn’t need to ask about what he should blame you for, he knows. 
“Of course I don’t”, Dr Kry says with a soft smile. “I can tell that you’re a good boy. I don’t think you’re a bad person. How can I blame a good heart?”
“B-But … my arms-”
“Your arms are going to heal. And so will both your heart and your mind. It just takes time, okay?”
You nod and sob again. Dr Kry leans forward and embraces you in a protective hug. Your entire body is shaking in his hold and wettening his white lab coat, but he doesn’t care. You feel so right in his arms. He thinks it’s such a shame that you have to be tortured by the demons who have settled in your mind. 
“I shouldn’t feel like this”, you sob against his shoulder. “I-I don’t have anything to be upset about! T-There are others who have it worse … who have a reason to … to be sad.”
“That doesn’t make your pain any less invalid”, Dr Kry promises you. “You ended up here. That’s enough evidence for me to know that you need help.”
“I just did it to … to get someone’s attention. I-I’m not sick … I’m just … a bad person. I’m just bothering everyone, aren’t I? Such an attention seeker …”
“You’re not. If you would have done all of this for attention, then you’re not well.” Dr Kry pulls back to look at your tearstained face. “You are allowed to feel sad, Y/N. You’re allowed to be mad, to be upset, to be depressed. It doesn’t matter how great your life is otherwise, you’re still allowed to feel this.”
You nod and hug him tighter. Finally someone understands. Finally someone is on your side. 
Dr Kry pulls you up on your now unsteady legs and leads you over to the bed. He tucks you in and sits down on his rolling stool. He pulls out a napkin and starts to wipe your tears gently. 
“You should try to get some sleep”, Dr Kry says. “When morning comes, you and I will eat breakfast together and then talk a bit, okay?”
“Okay”, you whisper and sniffle. 
“Good boy. Just sleep now. I will sit here and watch over you to make sure that nothing is happening. If you need anything, just tell me.”
“Can you … can you hold my hand?”
Dr Kry moves over to the bed and holds your hand in his. You close your eyes with one last tear running down your cheek. Dr Kry reaches out and wipes it with a full heart. He looks back at the door, thinking about locking it. You’re a soul he needs to save … but to do that, he needs to keep you here with him. 
“Don’t worry, Y/N”, he whispers when he’s sure that you can’t hear him. “You’ll never hurt again.”
He’ll protect you. 
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New to ATEEZ, but I’ve decided to try an astrological chart reading anyway. Happy to announce that Hongjoong and his chart are wonderfully complicated.
✦ Disclaimer
I do not know him personally, no harm intended, others may interpret differently. I’ve been studying astrology for six years, and I take this seriously and try my best. Feel free to ask any questions you have!
✦ Note
I will not be discussing parents, family, or earlier life to preserve some privacy. This is not a full chart reading, just some highlights I found to be fascinating. He should contact me, I have questions I want answered. 
✦ Overview
Before everything else, so many placements and aspects in his chart scream the need to consistently transform his sense of self—Sun in Scorpio in 9H, Midheaven in Scorpio, Uranus in Aquarius in 1H, Neptune conjunct Ascendant, Mercury conjunct Pluto, Mars in Virgo in 8H. Whoever he was a year ago is not necessarily who he is today. He loves to see how he has improved himself over time because he is obsessed with bettering himself. There’s a battle of dark and light, black and white, trying to remain open-minded while sticking to his instinctual duality. 
Another large portion of his chart is concerned with distrust of authority and the craving of freedom. Sun in 9H, Uranus in 1H, Saturn in Aries—he wants control. It’s a sore spot. But he’s also really good at getting these authority figures to like him? That Venus, man…
This is very much an artist’s chart, and I can’t see him doing anything not involved with creativity. Sun conjunct Venus, Venus conjunct MC, Venus quintile Neptune, Saturn square Neptune, Moon in 5H, Uranus in 1H—all of these are creative and artistic. He needs to put his whole heart into what he loves or he’ll be miserable. Creativity is his emotional outlet.
He’s an intense person. He sort of won the jackpot when it comes to a lot of placements great for idols and creatives in general. 
✦ Neptune conjunct Ascendant in Capricorn (First House)
Ironically, he is whoever you want him to be. Idols and celebrities in general with Neptune aspecting the Ascendant do very well in the limelight because they’re able to adapt themselves to whoever is around them at any given time. One great way to look at it is that Neptune rules over mirrors, so his identity reflects like a mirror whoever he needs to be at that time. Wonderful for actors and idols. Another idol with this aspect is Soyeon from (G)I-DLE, except she’s a Virgo Sun.
His sense of self is fluid. He’s able to read the room and act accordingly without thinking much about it, or perhaps even overthinking it and worrying about it. He’s aware of others’ emotions and “vibes” if you will. Not that he’s necessarily good at handling them (Gemini Moon, Capricorn Neptune), but if someone is upset, he knows it. 
He’s sensitive and emotional…but this is in Capricorn, the great suppressor of everything. Keep that shit on lockdown. All the mutable signs… He is running from that! We’ll get to that in a bit. He’s INFP, right? He doesn’t feel in a “your emotions are my emotions” way (um, Seonghwa Cancer Moon in 12H), his way is very…difficult to quantify, almost sideways or backwards to others. Makes sense to him, though!
Capricorn Neptune quintile Scorpio Midheaven
About a year ago, I went on a deep dive into quintiles and discovered their usefulness—specifically in that they describe an innate talent for something. This is something inherently within the person that they don’t necessarily notice about themself except through thorough introspection. It forms connections and has a deeply human quality to it. It is, at its most basic form, pure joy and creativity, like Leo. With Neptune ruling over everything from deception to transcendence to lack of boundaries to enchantment… Oh, yeah, she’s a mystical planet, but it’s not all terrifying. The way I would interpret it is that he is innately talented in projecting a certain persona to maintain his outward image. Inside could be turmoil, outside looks fine and dandy, or vice versa. Like I said, he is who you want him to be in that moment. Unlike someone with Sun in 12H, he does have a firm sense of his identity. But it is always in flux. Does this make sense? 
✦ Uranus in Aquarius (First House)
Now here is where we start seeing the cravings of freedom and a continuation of the constant shifting of the self. Uranus is the drastic revolutionary of the planets, changing at the drop of a hat, and having it in 1H makes for an eccentric person who doesn’t want to conform to others’ or society’s expectations. Again, contradictions because all that Capricorn Ascendant wants to do is conform. He will do whatever the fuck he wants. He’s not chill about it. Just let him do his thing. He’ll figure out a way to do it anyway because he’s so fucking stubborn.
Having this, along with his Sun conjunct MC, is a great quality for a leader. He would not do well if someone else was in charge of this group.
Trying to figure out the best way to describe this placement, and I guess you could say… He feels like there is no one like him… 
Scorpio Sun square Aquarius Uranus
A lot like Uranus in 1H, an overall strange and unique personality and not afraid to do his own thing. The square makes this somewhat difficult because it’s a challenging aspect after all, so it becomes that desire to rebel/desire to conform once again, fluctuating between the two at odd moments. Touchy—not physically but temperamental and anxious. I guess you could associate this aspect with that of the mad genius trope, determined that they are right with their innovations too grand for current society. He doesn’t like to be compared to others. Extremely willful and stubborn. He’s lucky he has a lot of mutable signs, otherwise he would be more overbearing and wouldn’t “go with the flow” as easily. That being said, he will still resist and find his own way to do things if he really doesn’t want to do them. 
Scorpio Venus square Aquarius Uranus
He runs hot and cold with people, very either/or, and I would say that someone else in the group who acts a lot like this would be Seonghwa(!), who has Venus in Aquarius in 8H. One day he’s your best friend, then he won’t talk to you for three weeks, then he’ll come back and act like nothing has changed. Values his freedom in his relationships with others. He’s very attached to those he considers himself close with (Scorpio Venus, Descendant in Cancer), but he still needs his space to do his own thing. Deeply afraid of rejection and will appear aloof or unreachable emotionally because of this. Unconventionality, beauty in the diverse, unique sense of style.
✦ Jupiter Rx in Pisces (Second House)
Once again with the eccentricities… Jupiter is domicile in Pisces, meaning it operates best there, but the retrograde gives it an introspective twist. Everything has value to him. Truly just seeking deeper meaning than what lies on this mortal plane. He would be so fun to have a philosophical conversation with because he would take it so seriously and yet be very silly about it. Very inspirational, likes to give and receive what he considers worthy, such as love. Bit backwards in showing his affections, but it’s important to him. 
Virgo Mars opposite Pisces Jupiter Rx
One of my books describes this as a Holy Crusader, fighting for a belief or against one; I personally describe Mars-Jupiter contacts as obsessive overachievers. Completely enamored with whatever he deems is his for the time. There is a need to go out and do everything, to continue to heap on to his pile of tasks, consistently adding more and more, and if there’s nothing or no one stopping him, he won’t stop. 
The Virgo-Pisces opposition is incredibly fascinating because this adds an innately sacrificial component to him, the serviceable and boundary-setting Virgo combined with the compassion and boundary-dissolving of Pisces ends up creating the perfectionistic martyr of sorts. If it’s not perfect, it’s not seeing the light of day.
Side note: Lots of Mars-Jupiter hard aspect energy in ATEEZ. We have some fighters here. Calm down. Hongjoong has Virgo Mars opposite Pisces Jupiter, Yeosang has Libra Mars opposite Aries Jupiter, San has Scorpio Mars opposite Taurus Jupiter, Wooyoung has Capricorn Mars square Aries Jupiter, Jongho has Virgo Mars square Gemini Jupiter. 
Seonghwa has Mars conjunct Saturn in Aries, Mingi has Scorpio Mars opposite Taurus Saturn, Yunho has the same aspect as Mingi but as a very weak opposition (10° orb). Saturn the constrictor is sort of the contrast to Jupiter the exacerbator. 
It’s fascinating to see these dynamics at play. They’re all extremely hard workers, and their charts show that. 
✦ Saturn Rx in Aries (Third House)
This is his chart ruler, the most important planet in his chart besides Sun and Moon. Saturn is called the greater malefic because of its rulership over authority and control, and when placed in the third house of communication, it can manifest as someone who is afraid to communicate or rather lacks the capabilities to communicate effectively. The fact that it’s in Aries (in fall), and 29° (itchy and unstable), and retrograde… Sorry to this man. He’s not a small talker. And he says the wrong thing at the wrong time and has to live with the mortifying concept of being known. Really dry and direct sense of humor. He is just…awkward. 😭 That’s okay! His Sagittarius Mercury both emphasizes and contradicts this. He’ll say a lot of things, but not necessarily say what he truly feels unless he’s poked and prodded enough. 
Aries Saturn Rx square Capricorn Neptune
This aspect is really good for fighting (square) to create the ideal (Neptune) into reality (Saturn). It also deals with guilt and fears, especially the fear of losing control. A materialist with karmic guilt that he absolves by creating and dissipating it to the collective. For instance, a writer or musician. 
✦ Moon in Gemini (Fifth House)
Long story short, Gemini is a mutable air sign, and a lot of astrologers can interpret air sign Moons as unemotional. WRONG. He is a very passionate and emotional and thoughtful person; he processes his emotions differently and likes to put them into words and rationalize them. Meanwhile, Saturn in 3H that affects his ability to communicate effectively exists. Moon sextile Saturn, which impacts this further. Do you see the vision here? I do think he tries his best, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way he wants it to, and he has to figure out a different way of doing things. 
If there’s one thing mutable signs love to do, it is avoid. He has five mutable planets in his chart (Gemini Moon, Sagittarius Mercury, Virgo Mars, Pisces Jupiter, Sagittarius Pluto), which is half of the planets, so you can see why avoiding can be a major issue here. Luckily he’s a Capricorn Ascendant, reliable and steady, and he has enough passion and drive to keep him going due to his Mars placement and the massive amount of Scorpio influence. 
Gemini Moons are everywhere at once…petty and playful and curious. You know the drink dispensers at fast food places and there’s that one person who will hit every flavor to get a chaotic blend of every drink that tastes the absolute worst because Hi-C and Coca-Cola were not meant to be mixed together? Ask him a weird fact he’s learned recently, I’m sure he’ll have at least five on hand. Great at mimicking others, if not literally mimicking then through trying to become others, like idolizing an older sibling. Shoutout to Yunho and San, the other two Gemini Moons in ATEEZ. Seonghwa, Yeosang, Mingi, and Wooyoung are all Cancer Moons. Jongho is either Pisces or Aries, likely the latter. 
Gemini Moon square Virgo Mars, square Pisces Jupiter Rx + Mars-Jupiter opposition
This is what astrologers call a T-square (because it looks like a T, two squares connected by an opposition), fueled by activity and acting before thinking. The planets locked in this (Moon, Mars, Jupiter) are also extremely active. Mars is drive, aggression, action, impulse, the need to do rather than sit idle. This is a very volatile aspect, very quick to respond to any sort of perceived attack and sensitive to conflict. Moon and Mars are in signs ruled by Mercury, there’s so much rationalizing going on here, so he’s likely overthinking every little aspect. “Act first, think later” planets in “think fast” signs. Jupiter is aspected to these two as well, so it’s exacerbated. Ah… Overwhelmed… The apex planet is the Gemini Moon in 5H—turn to creativity to let those deep-seated feelings loose. 
Moon square Mars indicates lots of coming and going in his home life, nothing’s ever really stable—ironic considering all that IC in Taurus wants is stability. Moon square Jupiter can be extreme, emotionally fighting on behalf of his beliefs. Defensive over those he cares about. He can make fun of his friends, but you as an outsider can’t. 
Gemini Moon sextile Aries Saturn Rx
Security and long-term goals (Moon and Saturn) meet in active and short-term signs (Aries and Gemini). Dependable, reliable, direct, loyal. This is a fairly serious aspect, but the Aries and Gemini make it more playful and full of banter. He will keep his promises…the Sagittarius Mercury might make them a bit later than you anticipated, though. I think that this aspect calms down a fair amount of the Moon-Jupiter aspect, makes him more chill.
His Moon is important in his chart, really brings together who he is. He has planets in Houses 1, 5, and 9—associated with the fire signs of Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, these bring passion and spirit to everything he does. His sense of self (1H) influences his creativity (5H) which in turn influences other people through his visions (9H). Fantastic for an entertainer. 
✦ Mars in Virgo (Eighth House)
This placement is part of why his stage presence is like that. You know what I mean.
Eighth house, as well as its associates Scorpio and Pluto, tends to scare or intimidate people because it rules over everything from death, rebirth, and surgery to taxes, legacies, inheritances, and anything hidden or taboo. At its core, 8H rules over base instincts, the primal drive within us all. Whatever is buried will eventually surface, sometimes in explosive or drastic ways if not channeled into constructive outlets. This house also symbolizes “that which is shared”—the opposite of 2H, which is what you alone possess. It’s the give and the take, the you and I merging to become we. 7H is initial one on one interactions, and 8H adds depth to these relationships.
Unfortunately, the fact that Mars is in Virgo exacerbates his nitpicky and perfectionistic tendencies, and he’s hypercritical of others (and himself!) if they don’t meet his unachievable standards. “You need to do it this specific way.” And he will do it over and over and over again until it’s right. If he can’t figure it out one way, he will approach it from another way and see if that works instead because he won’t give up and he won’t give anything less than his best. 
His desire is to control and to destroy to create something new. In the overview, I mentioned the need to transform himself, but it’s likely he pushes these ideals of transformation onto others as well—”I can be better than I am now, and you could be better than you are now. Let’s do it together.” Mastery over the self. 
Sun, Venus, Midheaven conjunction
✦ Sun in Scorpio (Ninth House)
The best way to describe any Sun placement in this house is that “life is best viewed as a journey”—it’s about the experience rather than the end result. People with this placement are also the wise counsel and advice givers, however they never follow their own advice. Always seeking, always striving, always attempting to be something more. And this is in Scorpio, the transformer and regenerator. Scorpio gets a bad rep for reasons associated in the Mars section (Scorpio-Pluto-8H connection); he’s simply not afraid to seek out his own vision of the truth, whatever that may be. Intense, loyal, deep. 
✦ Venus in Scorpio (Ninth House)
Love is something all-encompassing… He has strong morals and ideals and a good sense of judgment. Especially since his 9H starts in Libra! This placement appreciates the diversity of life and all the adventure it can bring, including the parts others would love to bury. He keeps the peace—until it needs to be reformed. 
Once someone breaks through the billion walls he has in place to protect himself, he will keep you. Unless you betray him, which is the ultimate offense. Scorpio Venus people find it so difficult to trust others, and when betrayed, you are done for.
He can get along with anyone as long as you let him be his authentic self. If you try to change him against his will, he’ll lock up and shut you out, but you have to accept whatever changes he goes through. 
Some other idols with Scorpio Venus placements are SHINee’s Minho (unknown house with Sagittarius Sun) and Stray Kids’ Bang Chan (sixth house with Libra Sun). All very devoted people. 
✦ Sun-Venus conjunction
Sun and Venus together creates a person who wants to love and be loved, somewhat materialistic, concerned with their relationships to others, concerned with value and worth. “Am I good enough? I must be good enough.” I think this is where his light/dark battle really struggles because he has so much raw intensity inside of him, but this conjunction makes it difficult for him to confront anything too harsh, and he would rather not show himself in an unpleasant light. 
✦ Midheaven conjunction
If the IC is where you come from, the MC or Midheaven is where you are going. It’s often used to interpret someone’s career path as well as how they are perceived by the outer community. Having Sun and Venus altogether here in Scorpio is deeply ambitious and persistent, and he wants to be known for something, for being himself (Sun) or for being fashionable in some regard (Venus). This is indicative of great success in life and receiving massive amounts of love. Sun conjunct MC is indicative of a leader in his field while Venus conjunct MC is indicative of the peacemaker, public popularity, the charmer over the voice of authority. However, this is Scorpio. It’s obsession and power. He will fight to get what he wants. It’s not a steady road or an easy road, but one he’s willing to face. 
✦ Mercury conjunct Pluto in Sagittarius (Tenth House)
To put it simply, words are power. No one can keep a secret from him because this, along with his Mars in 8H, make him able to dredge up any secrets. Good luck hiding fan spaces from him. He likely sees everything. Very persistent.
He’s extremely motivated and driven to achieve his goals, career-oriented, intellect (Mercury) and instinct (Pluto) aligned in higher meaning (Sagittarius) and social status (10H). I honestly don’t know if he’s ever talked about when he decided to become an idol? Once he decided his career path, it’s likely he went all in and used his practical skills to achieve his dreams. (Though with Pluto here, he could end up switching his vocation someday, complete reversal.) His career needs meaning. He likes to be seen as intelligent and reliable. And he is! He is just also doing fifty million things at once. 
✦ Words of advice to him
You are not who you were yesterday, and that’s okay. It’s also okay to let others in and ask for help because you have North Node in 7H—super easy to fall back on emotional distance and selfish behaviors when what you need to excel in life is tapping into your qualities of living life to the fullest surrounded by those whose company you enjoy most. It’s okay to doubt and to destroy and to resurrect something from the ashes. And it’s okay to be yourself because no matter who you are, love will find you.
Thank you for reading if you’ve made it this far! I will say it was hilarious to read his chart because I have an incredibly similar chart to him… I’m talking all planets in the same signs except Sun and Jupiter. Anyway. Hope you enjoyed. :) 
Cross-posted on Twitter.
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Just saw an ask about Nancy’s lack of social behaviors that inspired some thoughts. I didn't want to intrude on them with my disagreements. They make a couple of reasonable points, but I believe they're missing some aspects of Nancy’s personality to interpret them. Obviously, some of this comes down to personal interpretation, but this is my understanding of Nancy Wheeler.
Addressing their points: Canonically, Nancy isn't a social person. She didn't reach out to Robin at all in the year after Starcourt Mall. The only people we see her regularly hanging out with, after Barb's death, is whoever her current boyfriend is. These are all facts. I personally feel her questioning Robin's presence in season 3 was less a 'I have absolutely zero idea who you are' reaction, and more of a 'why the heck is this new person helping us fight a monster and making comments, since when?' type reaction. This is up for interpretation though, so I won't argue that point.
However, Nancy’s lack of social life is not an indicator of a lack of desire for friendship. Nancy struggles with opening up to people. She finds emotional vulnerability and genuine connection both difficult and terrifying. We see this aversion present itself in her relationship with Mike, as well as signs of it presenting in her dysfunctional family. 
Barb was her only real friend in the beginning of the show. We see her change herself, to try to conform to Steve's group, but even then she is very distant from everyone but Steve and Barb. She relied on previous bonds in a social situation, and made no attempts to create new ones. Granted, Tommy and Carol weren’t people she cared to be friends with. However, this seems to be a pattern of behavior, as indicated by her social situations throughout the show. Another example is the party in season two, when she got drunk and only actually talked to Steve.
Nancy stays inside a social comfort zone. She is not outgoing without a purpose. She’s good at listening, but she doesn’t talk to people without an external reason, such as a story. What some people may forget, is that once Nancy is comfortable with someone, many of those barriers go away. She actually stays quite close to people she likes and feels comfortable with, especially in a distressing situation. She made Barb come to the party for this exact reason. 
The Upside Down dangers created the perfect situations to create deep bonds with Steve and Jonathan. They were forced into situations that lowered guards and allowed them to be genuine with each other. There’s a reason she ended up dating both of them, and essentially relying on them for connection over the years. It wasn’t just trauma bonding, but also that barrier free connection. 
Jonathan was the one to distance himself from Nancy in between season one and two. We see Nancy still reaching out at the beginning of season two. He had been placed in the comfortable zone, and as such, she was quite social with him, despite not dating yet. She ends up distanced from Steve because ex status took him out of that zone, alongside lack of communication in their relationship and the inability to be emotionally vulnerable with him. 
Then we go into post-season three territory. Nancy and Robin don’t talk after Starcourt. Why would they? The two saw each other in a dangerous situation, but they never actually connected. There was no bond, and I highly doubt that Robin took the initiative to attempt to develop one afterwards. Steve started dating Nancy because he put persistent effort into showing his interest. She’s not exactly the type to reach out first. Once within the trust and comfort zone, then yeah, she will initiate contact with a person, but she struggles before then. 
As for people outside of the Hawkins Gang, alongside her natural social aversion, there’s also the barrier of being unable to be completely honest with them. This is a major thing for Nancy, who likely values genuine friendships, and has little respect for superficial ones. This, alongside the trauma surrounding Barb, hinders her quite a lot.
After Jonathan moves away, Nancy is left relatively alone. She has working relationships with people in the newspaper, but not much beyond that. Perhaps there was the possibility of a friendship developing over time with Fred, but that was cut short. Even then, once again, the person she’s closest to got there because they were placed in a situation where she had an external reason to initiate contact.
Does that mean she doesn’t really care to make any more friends aside from Jonathan? Turn now to the famous line: "Does that make us friends? As in, officially?"  
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Look at that smile, and try to tell me that she isn't ecstatic to have Robin confirm their new relationship.
This girl desperately wants a friend. She just doesn’t know how to make one. Looking just at that scene, Nancy is visibly nervous. She doesn’t say anything until Robin drops the friend-word, and then she feels the need to confirm it with her. She wanted it so badly, and was so relieved when Robin revealed that she felt the same way. This wasn’t a little thing to her.
How do they even get to that point in season four? First, Robin puts herself in Nancy’s orbit, despite Nancy’s discomfort. People have a tendency to discount her ideas and not listen to her. She was an unknown variable in a stressful situation. However, the situation allowed them to really talk and the start of a connection was created. Robin had listened to her, and had validated her theory. 
Nancy was starting to like her.
What did she do next? Take advantage of the situation they were in, to sneakily attempt to grow closer. It wasn’t just the fact that Robin was competent and Nancy respected her after the library, but because she wanted to spend time with her. There were plenty of options within the group of competent people, yet Nancy repeatedly singled Robin out. Nancy was trying to become friends.
I say take advantage of it though, because it is a lot less stressful to initiate conversations with someone if you have an excuse. ('They were in a dangerous situation, it wasn't about wanting to be her friend, whaaatt.' Lies.) Suddenly a lot of the normal social pressure and anxiety around initiating contact is decreased. And look at what Nancy does in that scenario, she immediately reaches out. 
Give her a reason, or a purpose, and she can go up and talk to anyone about anything. Take that away, and she gets too stressed or anxious to be the first. 
Anyway, to sum up, Nancy sticks to people she’s comfortable with. Robin, and maybe Steve depending on how the romance is handled, have managed to maneuver themselves into her comfort zone by the end of season four. She has confirmed friendship with Robin, and as previously established, once Nancy likes you, she is social. She will reach out to you, and spend time with you. 
Outside of danger, she likely takes a while to trust people, so anyone who wants to join in the hangouts would need to be willing to put in some effort and be patient with her, but it isn't impossible. She wouldn’t avoid them, just stick close to comfort people.
She's not completely anti-social. Nancy is an introvert who struggles to trust, but once you have that trust, she is a reliable friend.
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holdinbacksecrets · 5 months
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seventeen: mercy
once again, i’m doing that thing where i don’t assign the blurbs. i enjoy leaving them wide open for interpretation, and idk… i feel like there’s a lot of story going on, and i want to let whoever chooses to read this piece have the freedom to let their minds take over instead of mine choosing for you. happy reading 🖤
comfort, angst, mentioning of parental death, food guilt
♡maybe it’s a little silly. your sister certainly believes it to be, but he’s still wrapped around your heart. and sometimes, you sprinkle reminders throughout your day with an excited kind of guilt that used to accompany you into every ice cream parlor. more sprinkles? good or bad? brownie bites? what would your mom say? you would always look back at her as a child, but that ability is no longer with you- no longer possible in your life as she bleeds from your memories and lingers in plain sight, quietly, through a feeling. a feeling… just like he does. maybe this is the way love will work for you: burn brightly, keep you comforted, and then falter, leaving you to create some kind of warmth on your own until you’ve gained the courage to reach out and tell the man you’re still in love with him
♡parked on a side street in the darkness of a november evening is where you are. his car smells like leather cleaner, cologne, and strawberry juice. your legs are on his lap. your back rests against the passenger door, and you look to him before glancing through the sky window, admiring the stars. you have to leave the city to see them more clearly, but this will always be enough when he’s beside you. there’s some kind of rush that runs through your veins, like a long-lasting wish has come true because the stars finally aligned for you. and now, you sit below them with a thank you in your eyes, hoping your head tilted back and your orbs set on the galaxy above you and far away will mean the sincerity makes it there
♡he knew what this would become. he saw you as a spark, ready to set a flame. you’re terrified to get burned and promised yourself whatever happens will be worth it. it has been, despite your sneaking around and swallowed truths when friends ask what on earth you get up to
♡the windows in your living room bask you in light and warmth. you lay down on the rug and close your eyes, knowing when clouds encounter the sun by the sudden chill, sudden darkness. you sit with your legs crossed and a plate in front of you every day for every meal he isn’t with you. you’ve pushed your dreams out these windows. you’ve let them slip into a current of wind, hoping the act would set yourself free, would make you happier to just be despite all the wanting you can’t outrun because his love isn’t enough to dim the sparkle you crave to be. the sparkle you used to have. the sparkle that’s still fucking easy to find if your audience is familiar. but he missed that time. my god, he still has no idea. the secret is kept, though, and you wish you could unravel it to him. my god, he’d support you. give it a try
♡he took away the fear. he sucked venom from your wound. he changed your life. he brought the peace down for you, from this unreachable place that you tossed it to, thinking it was meant to be hard to find, but he disagrees
♡you set the table. you never do, not when it’s only the two of you, but the holiday season is back and you bought cute dishes and table mats to bring a little chestnuts roasting on an open fire into your apartment. he doesn’t notice when he arrives. he doesn’t join you at the table. his hello is muffled by the missing view of his face as he walks to the bedroom to shower and get changed. he’s going out tonight. he thought he told you. you can still come if you want to
♡stolen serenity is what you used to call this, like you didn’t deserve to feel it and have it and squeeze it tight enough to disappear even though it never does
♡he kisses you in the park. he says he can’t hold it back, hold it in, keep it out of sight, not let it find your mind. there’s a weeping willow just beside you. leaves flutter in the wind, and you’d call it a majestic thing. you don’t realize to him that’s what you are
♡another birthday trickles by. for sixteen hours, you’re too aware of everything. aware of the people missing and the wishes that never came true. aware of the one person who hasn’t yet made it home to you, fully aware that all this frustration and awkwardness will leave as soon as he’s here. happy birthday sounds like heaven when he says it to you. he holds you, and you feel it. he kisses you, and you believe it. with the eight hours that are left, what will you do? of course, it’s all up to you
♡you have no idea how easy it is for him to love you. the time that’s been spent learning you, memorizing you without trying to, and my god does he love the view and the thoughts that settle in your eyes before leaving your lips. because you think everything through before you speak, unless he’s with you. unless your comfortable enough to be unguarded, trusting the sincerity will be felt, trusting the love is so loud and warm and radiating that any mistaken word won’t be sticky, won’t turn the day to a dreary blue
♡it’s impossible to imagine how it used to be. how you’d feel in the morning, waking up in familiar uncertainty. but this relationship stained your life in sweet, mundane luxury, and you’re working on being present, so why look to the past when the gray has become green? when the present is a never-ending october and a cup of tea that never cools, keeps refilling for you
♡he’s looking for something. for answers to unasked question. apparently, you’re intimidating. apparently, you’re quite interesting and laughably easy to love. your roommate can’t watch it any longer and tells you to give him something. unknowns surround you in a lavender haze. she tells you to pull a few out, but take the answers straight to him. he’ll love the gesture. and you, you had no idea that mystery loves you, not when you forget how to breathe when he kisses your forehead, when you feel his chest against your cheek. you thought everything is all over your face in his presence. you would’ve sworn every secret seeps, that you couldn’t be easier to read, but a look in your eyes and the softness of your skin still needs translating
♡time is a strange thing. it only takes a minute to change, but it takes ten to choose your outfit. it only takes five minutes to cook your eggs, but triple the time to eat them with a full mind. it only takes seconds to say i love you but minutes collected over months to say it out loud, despite the list you’ve written of all its silent showings and the way your own are entirely compatible with his
♡you’ve started to notice the bubbling desire existing in him. the way his face scrunches up for only a moment when he wants to touch you but can’t. the way his fingers curl as his hand forms a fist because he wants to hold yours but can’t. the tension on his skin when you brush against him innocently. the part in his lips and the lids covering dark eyes, but only for a moment. anyone else could miss the subtle cues. he’s started to talk about your favorite things—write about them on loose parchment as a way to say he loves you without mentioning the largest four letter word the world has ever known- will ever know
♡memories fill your room. in cute trinkets and museum postcards, the sweetest moments stay with you. the reminders have always been good for you. it probably started because of a movie scene when a beautiful protagonist discovered a memory box. old pictures with crinkled edges. necklaces with broken clasps. seashells and transparent rocks you imagined were incredibly smooth and definitely sparkled under the sun. years ago, you found your own memory box in an antique shop, three states away from your hometown. it was perfect then, and it’s still perfect now. you swear it keeps you together, keeps you going, keeps the brightness in your eyes and a warmth in your chest. there’s one person who’s starting to take it over these days, though. the small things he presents to you can’t end up anywhere else, and you daydream about years from now: afternoons drinking tea on your back porch with this handcrafted box on your lap. a fingertip tracing the grooves before two flick the lock and the softness, the love from your teens, twenties, maybe even your thirties, is all there. you wonder if a ring will be on a significant finger. if a cat named river will cover your feet. if his voice will fill your ear suddenly because hours have passed in an autumn flash and he’s home again. he’s coming outside to love you
♡it’s luxurious familiarity like egyptian cotton: ready to envelop you in obscene comfort, so plush and welcoming to your body, so understanding of the places you need to be supported without having to say anything. how incredibly lucky you are not to speak a single word and yet, your needs are crystal clear. you mold to the places his body is hard and strong. you take off the layers, the pieces of protection that can be left by the door once it’s closed, and you’re back inside the sweet escape, sinking in
♡he waits for you in wide open spaces, beneath a clear moon, in the crisp air. he twists the ring on his pointer finger and wonders if you’re wearing yours. the one you found in a quaint shop two years ago on your birthday, when he took you to another country. he woke up every morning you were away to the sight of you in front of the bay window, with your nose against the glass, with silent wishes of becoming a girl who lived there. he could feel the desire in your steps- in the energy that consumed you, wrapped around your bones for that memorable week. every day, he looks for it, since coming back home. he looks for the utter joy and a blissful smile that makes him love you more. you’ve always been fucking easy to adore. there’s a home in his hands, though. doesn’t he know? sure, that city, a continent away, left you walking on clouds, but it wouldn’t have been the same without him. maybe the parisian sky changed the lightbulb to illuminate the home’s patio brighter, but it didn’t alter the shelter behind the door. that was all him
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ok gen question, mod do you ship gangle and kaufmo? no hate if you do /gen but i lowkey am getting those vibes
again no hate (and if anyone does hate then stop bc the goose said anyone can ship whoever and this amazing mod doesn't need even more stressful s&>/ on their plate)
[mod here!!! and i am yelling into the abyss seeing this ask]
[either this was just a random ask or you also saw that some other people (the sun mod) ship kaufmo x gangle (they called it tragedy shipping)]
[i kinda see why you're getting those vibes? and honestly idk how to feel about the ship. i wouldn't say its the idea i'm going for, i just thought gangle and kaufmo would be an interesting friendship, but feel free to headcanon or draw or write about it, if you want]
[on a lighthearted note though it'd be funny to scare the rest of the fandom like "kaufmo didn't even show up in the pilot unabstracted why are you guys SHIPPING HIM-"] [TL;DR--i didn't really intend for it to come off as a ship but you can interpret the dynamic that way if you want]
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oxyfilmidentity-fa23 · 4 months
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Race in the Imaginary: Nowhere (1997) dir. Gregg Araki
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"L.A. is like... nowhere. Everybody who lives here is lost. " -The opening quote of Nowhere
"In general, these films worry that the most violent and degraded acts are possible to those who do not inhabit a home or homeland." -Helen Addison Smith, "E.T. Go Home: Indigeneity, Multiculturalism and ‘Homeland’ in Contemporary Science Fiction Cinema"
Gregg Araki describes his film Nowhere as "Beverly Hills 90210" on acid. Nowhere follows a number of uniquely-named, all somewhat inter-connected teenagers (Lucifer, Dingbat, Egg, Jujyfruit...) in Los Angeles over the course of one day as they engage in an aimless cocktail of drugs, sex, polyamory, BDSM, and parties. The world of the film is in constant flux between reality and fantasy (and it is very, very, very queer). Everything is extremely heightened: there are lengthy, gratuitous sex scenes, a seemingly unlimited access to space, an abundance of drugs, and vast, artistic bedrooms that real teens would only dream of.
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In my interpretation, the film's world is an external representation of the teens' imaginations and their feelings of an endless, indestructible youth. While this world is a step above reality for the viewer, it is real to the characters. However, this overindulgence is not without it's consequences. The first half of the film is a sort of queer, sex-positive utopia seemingly free of prejudice in which the teens can have sex with whoever they want, go wherever they want, and so on. This all seems to crumble in the second half of the film, as the teens' endless consumption unravels into overdose, sexual assault, suicide, violent fights, and broken hearts. Araki does not seem to be prudish or critical of this queer nomadic lifestyle, though. He seems to posit that this imaginative world is sadly incompatible with the "real world" of capitalist society at the turn of the century.
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Now for the sci-fi. Unbeknownst to every character except Dark, the day on which this film takes place is sort of Judgement Day; the last "normal" day before aliens come to take over the planet.
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Dark is the main character of the film, and offers some narration through diary entries and videos he takes of himself and his friends. He is played by James Duvall, a multiracial actor. Dark becomes increasingly unhappier as his girlfriend Mel spends more and more time with her girlfriend Lucifer, who he hates. He grows weary of their indulgence sexually-open arrangement, simply wanting to fall in love and be committed to one person that will anchor him in a world he feels lost in. As he gets more disconnected from Mel, he finds himself infatuated with Mongomery, a boy who goes to school with the teens but who Dark knows little about.
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At the same time as Dark's discontent with his lifestyle grows and he finds himself falling in love with Montgomery, he sees a bunch of giant alien creatures roaming around the city, abducting people. Dark is the only character able to see these aliens, which seems to be no coincidence alongside the fact that he is the only character verbalizing any anxiety about the future and the teens' lifestyle. In one diary entry, he says: "I feel like I’m sinking deeper and deeper into quicksand, watching everyone around me die a slow, agonizing death. It’s like we all know, way down in our souls, that our generation is gonna witness the end of everything. You can see it in our eyes."
In the final scene of the film, Dark returns home after an empty night of partying and a fight with Mel. Montgomery appears at his window and tells Dark that he was abducted and tested on by the aliens. The two boys lie together on Dark's bed and confess their love, promising to never leave each other. Just when it seems like Dark has found what he has been longing for, Montgomery goes into a violent coughing fit and explodes, leaving a bug-like alien in his place that crawls out of Dark's room, and the movie ends.
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While the aliens in Nowhere are not necessarily representative of a racialized Other according Addison Smith's analysis of Sci-Fi films, the impending doom of an alien invasion and Dark's isolating anxiety is quite in line with Addison-Smith's reading of home and homeland. Araki's identity as Japanese-American director and Duvall's as a multiracial American actor are factors in this reading of the film. Since this film is thus told from a mixed/multiracial perspective, the its anxiety is not surrounding the (white/Western) fear of "losing" a home to outsiders, but the fear of not belonging to any one home in the first place.
Addison-Smith writes:
"For many people in self-avowedly multicultural nations such as the United States, their status as migrants, be it forced or economic, recent or later generational, means that 'home’ has become a complex, multiple and sometimes fraught notion. That such multiple belongings to place is not confined to recent migrants can most immediately be seen in the labelling of many ethnic groups through the joining of two place names (African—AmericanJapanese-American)" (28).
Araki uses Los Angeles as an unstable home in this film (note the opening quote at the top of this post). He plays upon the notions of transplants to the city, and the stereotypes that the city and its inhabitants are vain and superficial. The characters move throughout the city at will, with no connection to any particular space. Actual homes are places of confinement and depression (both the suicides in the film occur in character's bedrooms).
I read that Dark's ability to see the aliens is a representation of his sense of displacement and anxiety for the future. When Montgomery enters his room and the two share an extremely intimate, tender moment, his room finally begins to feel like home, rather than its previous role as a space for his lonesome brooding and masturbation. But when Montgomery explodes as is replaced by an alien, Dark's vision of home and someone to share it with also figuratively blows up in his face; home feels impossible.
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Finally, Montgomery's objectification by Dark's infatuation and his identity as a white queer man seem to be an inversion of both romance and Sci-Fi tropes. Montgomery seems to occupy both the role of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" in Dark's desire to be saved by him, and the racialized alien Other in his mysteriousness and his constant affiliation with the aliens. Addison-Smith writes, "An alien is easy to identify, and particular judgements about them are thus easily drawn from their appearance alone, so rooting their ‘racial nature' in their biology" (27). Montgomery definitely stands out in this world. He has different colored eyes, is always dressed in white, appears to Dark miraculously by a sign that reads "God help me," and, unlike very other character, is quiet and keeps to himself. He is alien and even an angelic figure to Dark, a unique representation against Addison-Smith's notions of the racialized alien as either invader or teacher.
The entire movie Nowhere is on Youtube! I think it's really great, but there's a ton of trigger warnings (sexual assault, drug abuse, suicide, eating disorders, physical assault, gore). The quality is also very bad. Proceed with caution.
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almost-a-class-act · 2 months
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From your prompt list: 24, things you said with your body, with Roy Cobb and whoever else you want?
The prompt is: Things we said… with our bodies and not our voices
I have never gotten a suggestive Roy Cobb prompt before. My weird-looking baby. <3 Thanks!
NSFW-adjacent but not explicit.
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David can’t avoid Roy anymore after he sees the tears in his eyes, even though he knows there’s no fixing it.
They don’t fit together easily, the two of them, not ever, and when David tracks him down, alone – of course he’s alone, a livewire of pain that no one is allowed to touch – Roy doesn’t tell him to fuck off but he doesn’t give David any quarter, either.
David knows better than to say anything. He reaches for him instead, because they were always better at that part.
“Don’t touch me,” Roy hisses, bright and brittle, and David stops the movement halfway but it must seem like he’s not going to, because Roy grabs his wrist so hard that it’s painful.
When he kisses David, it’s misaligned, teeth on skin at first, and his grip on David’s wrist loosens as he crowds him backward and traps it against the wall instead. David pushes at Roy’s chest with his free hand just enough to get the space to tilt his head and fit their mouths together properly, and the kiss that follows is suffocating and desperate.
I’m sorry, David thinks. His mouth is a bruise and he should be better at talking than he is, for a fucking writer. I’m so sorry.
“Where the fuck were you?” Roy asks against his skin, like a blossom of pain more than a sound.
David tugs at the waistband of his pants, frantic. “Roy, I – let me. Let me.”
Don would have known what to say. Don has always known what to say.
The night stays spectacularly dark and David can't see his face while he's got his hand on him or after. Roy doesn't say another word, but when it's over - David's not even sure if it felt good or if Roy's body just reacted, just needed to feel something that didn't hurt - he pushes his forehead against David's in the last gentle way he will ever touch him. When Roy steps out of his space, the shape of him joins the night so immediately that David has to stop himself from reaching out.
Roy is probably not going to forgive him, but in the weeks after, in the emerging spring, sometimes he lets David borrow a cigarette, or brings him a coffee if he’s getting one for himself.
It’s not the same as it was, but David can’t imagine that anything will be again.
“You could have said you were sorry,” Roy says suddenly, one day, on the cusp of going home.
I did, David thinks. Roy, I did.
It’s not his fault their interpreter is gone.
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back in with the angst requests !! I hope you have fun with these lol <)
how would the rogues react to their friend's (mc) life breaking before their eyes? it's basically a traumatic/peak point before the fall experience and the rogues can only watch them. aftermath included though and feel free to interpret how the mc acts on after the incident!
two-face, scarecrow, riddler, etc. (whoever you'd like to add that might see fit)
Guess who imma throw in...✨️because I can✨️ and oh hey Dalton, fancy seeing you here 😏 Also DISCLAIMER: Dark themes!
How do you keep going?
It all happened so quickly and then it was like time stopped. All that was left was the loneliness, the pain, the life they wanted. Gone. The Rogues had dealt with their own hardships but what do they do when it's their friends life that's fallen apart.
The Riddler: He was the last thing you had and he was being taken away to Arkham. "Come to me! Come here! (Y/N), Come here!" He tugged against the GCPD officers, watching as you fell apart. You were on your knees in the pouring rain. You couldn't talk or stand. You could only stare and feel your heart break into tiny pieces. "(Y/N)! Unhand me you dull-headed mouth breathers! (Y/N), Come to me!" Batman approached crouching to your level. He said something to you. You didn't reply. "You stay away from them, Dark Knight!" He bellowed.
Scarecrow: He was knelt down and looked at you in surprise. He was taken aback by how much you just stopped. Lying on the ground, in the rain, you said nothing. He knew you were crying. Even if he couldn't see your tears. He moved to hover over you, his face inches from yours. "Come with me." He said quietly. "We're going to straighten all this out." It was all he said. His aim at the very least was to get you out of the rain.
Two-Face: It took time to sink in. You seemed fine about everything until the world suddenly stopped spinning and it was all you could think about. You slid down the wall in disbelief. How did you get here? What happened? Two-Face was in front of you in seconds. The two switching faster and faster with worry. They had been waiting for this moment yet it didn't make them any more prepared when the time came around. "Look at us, baby, look at us." He took your face in his hands. "You're gonna be okay. I can fix it."
Black Mask: Everything in your life had become collateral damage. Now that your family were gone...you had nothing left. Only Roman. "You have to make it okay!" You cried hysterically. "You have to make it okay!" He looked at everyone in the room like a solution was right behind them. "I can fix it. I can make it go away. I'm Roman fucking Sionis!" He said the words like those alone would fix it. He pulled you close as you sobbed. "Don't cry, baby. I'll make it go away." He didn't know how yet, but we would.
Penguin: He was there the moment your life crumbled around you and all that was left was you. Oswald forced you to look at him, cupping your face in his hands. "It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna take care of you alright? You gotta trust me." He didn't let you out of his sight for even a second. The moment you nodded that you did trust him. He completely took over, wasting no time at all. He didn't tell you what he was doing. By the end of the night, you had somewhere to stay and a giant wad of cash that he insisted you take.
Ragdoll: Adrenaline consumed you as you jumped into action, ready to scramble for the pieces left. It was sheer denial but anything was better than the reality around you. Before you knew it, Peter arms and legs coiled around you squeezing tightly. Just because he's flexible didn't mean he didn't still weigh like a fully grown man. You fell to the floor, unable to move your arms and your legs were trapped underneath his weight as well as your own. "Stop." He said lowly. "I'll help you. I can help you through this but you need to stop." You let out broken sobs. His arms squeezed you again, this time as an embrace as he rested his head on your shoulder. He'd stay there until you were ready. Until you knew you weren't alone.
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nyx-lyris · 1 year
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Cobra Kai (VERY LONG POST)
so... y’all are probably going to hate me for this post, but i’m tired of feeling like i have to stay silent or risk being bullied off social media just for my beliefs, so i’m just going to say it and endure the potential onslaught. 
i have always had a bit of a problem with the way this fandom appears to view the show in general, and daniel in particular - especially relating to his relationships with the other characters (as well as other similar relationships among the younger characters). this is not to say i have a problem with people fantasizing and joking about the characters and their relationships - everybody is of course free to ship whoever they want, and it is certainly not my place to tell anyone what to (or not to) ship or fantasize about. anyway, i digress.
this fandom appears to view daniel as a female-coded character and see his story - as well as the entire karate kid/cobra kai franchise in general - as commentary on toxic masculinity. many also see the story as having a great many queer themes. as you may (or may not) have guessed, i do not entirely agree with these assessments of the story. i would like to preface the rest of my argument by saying that this is merely my interpretation of the movies/show and the above-mentioned issues, and i am not taking into account the creator’s or the actor’s comments on the story as i have not looked into much relating to that. 
first, daniel as a female-coded character. 
i have never seen daniel as a female-coded character. he is small and lean, making him appear weak to those around him - like he’s the runt of the bunch, if you will. he is underestimated because of this and because his style of karate is defense-oriented, as opposed to the more aggressive style of cobra kai. to an outside observer with no knowledge of the history of karate and its origins this appears rather strange, as most people associate fighting with aggression. 
the only time i ever see him as anywhere near “female-coded” is in cobra kai season five during his scenes with terry silver. they have an abuser-victim relationship and many people have understandably linked this to toxic sexual male-female situations. 
aside from that, i believe daniel is simply a different sort of masculine than say johnny lawrence or mike barnes. both of those men, as well as john kreese, are traditionally masculine - aggressive, dominant, blunt, and unafraid of getting their hands dirty, literally or figuratively. 
daniel is much softer - not submissive, just more reserved and gentler than his counterparts. he is still very masculine - he is still a fighter, very much a knight in shining armor type of character, and he can put his foot down when he needs to. he simply prefers to use more peaceful methods to defuse and deal with situations whenever possible. his gentleness does not make him more feminine - in fact, truly masculine men know how to do both. true masculinity puts a brave face to the world and to those they love, and acts as a pillar for others to lean on. masculinity can be aggressive and blunt, but it can also be softer, as is the case with daniel larusso. 
now to my next point: daniel larusso’s story being commentary on toxic masculinity. 
this is where you guys are going to hate my guts. 
i do not believe that daniel’s story is commentary on toxic masculinity because i do not believe that toxic masculinity exists. now, before you rip me to shreds, let me explain. i dislike the term toxic masculinity very much because it is extremely difficult to define - and from my observations many people simply associate traditional masculinity with toxic masculinity, implying that there is something inherently toxic about men who are more aggressive, dominant, etc. 
i believe that toxicity exists. anyone can be toxic, though there are differences in the ways in which men and women are toxic due of course to inherent behavioral differences in the two sexes. men are typically very dominant and aggressive with their toxicity, while women are much slyer and more backhanded, typically becoming passive-aggressive with their attacks. traditional masculinity by itself is not a predeterminer for toxicity and to imply such is blatantly sexist. 
case in point: johnny lawrence is a traditionally masculine man - however, he is not toxic. neither are any of his old friends. they have all made mistakes in their lives and the mantra of “no mercy” definitely made things harder for them as they got older. however, it was not the aggression and the toughness that they learned from cobra kai that was toxic - it was the no mercy aspect of the training, the idea that mercy is for the weak, the lack of nobility. 
we see this in how johnny teaches cobra kai verses how john kreese teaches cobra kai. johnny actually emphasizes fair play, while still reinforcing traditionally masculine traits such as aggression and dominance. kreese on the other hand teaches them to be merciless and without nobility, acting as if there is no difference between showing mercy and backing out of a fight out of cowardice. kreese, too, is a traditionally masculine man, but it is not these aspects that make him toxic - it is his ruthless and manipulative tactics that make him toxic. he is traditionally masculine and as such these traits show themselves as he is acting toxic, but they are not what makes him toxic. 
traditionally masculine traits are not what makes any man toxic. this difference is key, and it is this difference that cobra kai is attempting to convey - that one can be traditionally masculine and not be a ruthless, manipulative asshole. put more simply, masculinity is not the problem or a contributor to the problem - toxicity and a lack of properly dealing with trauma is. 
how does this relate to daniel? well, many have naturally compared the methods of cobra kai to daniel’s miyagi-do methods, as well as the fact that he is generally smaller and apparently weaker than his opponents. this toxic-masculinity-narrative viewpoint partly stems from the idea that daniel is a female-coded character which, as i said earlier, he is not in most scenarios. 
and finally, my third point: the supposed queer themes in cobra kai. 
if you guys didn’t hate me for the last point, you’re definitely going to hate me for this one. 
there are no queer themes in cobra kai - at least none that i can see. i have seen many people attempt to take situations in both the movies and the show and interpret them as queer-coded but when i actually go back and watch the scenes, i don’t get the same message. i have come to the conclusion that many people are letting their own fascination with sexuality, gender, and identity overrule their rational mind when watching different elements of the franchise and simply see what they want to see between the characters. 
i would like to again emphasize that i am not in any way saying you can’t have fun with the characters and their relationships on the show or in the movies - obviously i have no authority over what you do (nor would i want to) and i think people should be able to ship whatever they want. hell, i have plenty of my own gay ships - i have no issue with that. i simply have an issue with people saying that those relationships are there on the show - or could be there - but the writers are simply too cowardly to let them become a reality. the truth is the writers aren’t putting them in there because that does not logically follow the story and is, despite popular belief, not in line with the characters’ personalities and previous actions. 
i will address the ships with daniel first - johnny, chozen, mike and terry silver, in particular. 
johnny, chozen, and mike all used to be daniel’s enemies. we haven’t seen as much of mike yet, but both johnny and chozen have done complete 180s with regard to daniel, now defending him instead of fighting against him. they are dedicated to him. they care about him. they have deep bonds and shared trauma, relationships that, though only recently rekindled, go back years. yes, this can be construed as johnny and chozen having closeted romantic feelings for daniel. 
but what this also looks like - and what the show has been trying to emphasize this entire time - is brotherhood. they went from being staunch enemies to being brothers, to being family. and family is loyal to each other, family cares about each other, family crosses oceans and takes beatings for each other. this is not exclusive to romantic relationships. 
now to daniel and terry. contrary to what i’ve seen some people mention in their posts, there was never any sexual tension between daniel and terry in the karate kid III. only die-hard simps of terry silver would ever say such a thing, and they are the only ones who can truly fantasize about them as a faithful and loving couple. personally, i believe people who ship them have some problems they probably need to sort out with a therapist, but what do i know. yes, i am shaming this ship - if you can ship it, i can criticize it. 
anyway, i digress. daniel and terry have an abuser-victim relationship. and, though there are references to terry as a sexual predator on the show, in the movies daniel was a barely an adult when terry came into his life, making their relationship mirror more that of a child abuse situation than an abusive romantic relationship. in the show, as i said, they have given their relationship a bit more of a sexual tinge, but it is still not the primary focus of their connection. the point is that terry is an abuser and daniel is the victim - and terry, like any abuser, is working his way back into daniel’s life, grabbing onto his mind, bashing in his heart, and not letting go. 
terry and daniel’s relationship in the show is honestly the closest thing i can find to queer-coding in the franchise - and honestly, it’s barely that. 
now i will move on to the kid’s relationships - particularly sam and tory, both as individuals and as a couple. 
samantha is a disney princess, and i mean that in the best way possible. she is loving and caring, but a feisty go-getter - she’s got a smile that could light up the room, but a fury that would make even the bravest of men tremble. she has also never shown any evidence in the show of being anything other than straight. 
tory is the posterchild for lesbian characters. she’s fierce, she’s tough, she’s a fighter, and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. she’s the archetypical warrior lesbian character - and of course sam is the perfect opposite to her, the archetypical little spot of sunshine to offset tory. except, tory is also straight - she outright rejected the one advance from a girl she got on the show and, though it’s a small moment, i believe it shows that she isn’t even remotely interested in that. (as a small aside, i am honestly grateful the show didn’t take the lesbian route with her. as i said she is the posterchild for that type of character, and they easily could have done that - but they didn’t. and i am so relieved because it is such an overused trope.) 
sam and tory’s relationship mirrors that of daniel’s relationship with his ex-rivals. tory has caused sam a great deal of trauma and pain, sam is aggressively opposed to tory being anywhere near her, but eventually tory redeems herself and comes to the right side (though we haven’t actually gotten an apology scene yet, as tory’s joining of the miyagi-fangs is still new) and sam begins to soften towards her. 
people like the enemies-to-lovers trope and i completely understand that - but there is no objective implication of this sort of chemistry between them on the show. this goes for both sam and tory, and the daniel x ex-rival ships listed earlier. 
to conclude...
this story is much more realistic and down to earth than most of what hollywood has been releasing up to this point - it’s not posturing and virtue signaling every five minutes; it’s not placing “diverse” characters in the plot for the sake of diversity alone; and it addresses issues that are relevant to all people no matter what boxes they may or may not check. it’s a show that tries to appeal generally to everyone - giving us characters that are defined by who they are rather than what they are; giving us a plot that makes sense and is (mostly) in keeping with its own rules and logic; and graciously not lecturing its audience about their supposed prejudices, rubbing things in our faces that at the end of the day do nothing for the story and simply make the audience feel like garbage. 
daniel is not female-coded but instead expresses masculinity differently than johnny does; the story is not a commentary on toxic masculinity because it can’t be a commentary on something that does not exist in the first place; and the queer themes people claim to see are more a result of certain audience members’ own fascination with the subject of sexuality, gender, and identity. 
this show is much better than a lot of people on tumblr will give it credit for and i find it very sad that most people on this site can’t look at anything without somehow applying identity politics to it and judging it based on how much the creators include or don’t include said identity politics in the media they are consuming. there is more to media than the superficiality of identity. not every piece of media needs to be filled with and catered to leftist ideology. 
put simply: entertainment is not required to be political. 
i rest my case. 
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sherifftillman · 2 years
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An Unambiguous Love [8/10]: The Set-Up
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1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10 ::
alternate AO3 link
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson x f!Reader
Genre: fluff
Summary: Your favourite customers really make it easier returning to the town you never went to school in. If only your friends at work would stop trying to play matchmaker between you.
Chapter 8 word count: 3401
A/N: Can you guys believe that by the end of the week this whole fic will be published? They grow up so fast :')
—[ meta ]—
Another Wednesday, another meeting of the Weekly Roundup. Now that it’s spring break, everyone who’s usually at school during the day can actually meet up at a decent time today. Nancy and Johnathan bring twice as many kids as usual, and Tiffany’s free to work enough to get a lunch break alongside Ralph. Sure, they only get 30 minutes before their lunch breaks are over, but at least the younger ones can be involved without it feeling inappropriate that they’re out for so long. And if everyone else thinks Robin’s plan could work, they really need those kids’ involvement.
Everyone’s in the strip mall's diner, squeezed around all the tables that they could possibly push together. Robin’s armed with the only resources she can get her hands on at the moment - crayons and the back of a colouring sheet. She draws lines to divide the page into six, and starts doodling to illustrate her plan: “Okay, so ever since we couldn’t join the three of them the other weekend, they’ve gotten closer than ever, so I’ve had an idea. What if… We set them up to hang out in less of a friendly way and more of an… Almost-date scenario? Spring it on them? So…” She starts drawing in the top left box. “Nancy and I will invite Y/N on a girls’ day out to the theatre, right? Then…” Another drawing in the next box, “Some of you kids get Steve out there -”
“Is that supposed to be Steve?” Dustin asks, laughter lacing his voice.
“Shut up, I’m not an artist,” Robin scoffs. “So, whoever thinks they can talk him into it, do that, then some of you others can talk Eddie into going,” she crudely draws a very simplistic interpretation of Eddie in the third box. “I’m thinking for these two,” she points at boxes 2 and 3, “perhaps you ask them to meet you there to take you to see Highlander or something, right, something R-rated that they’d be needed for.”
Mike groans, “Oh man, Will and I really wanted to see that.”
“Yeah, well, be patient a minute,” Robin holds her hand out before drawing in box four. “We’ll get there early, and Nancy, you work on the school paper with that guy who works in the theatre, right? Fred?” Nancy nods. “So you can give him a message, from all of us, saying how you, I dunno, suddenly got a major lead on a potential big scoop, and you saw the kids here too, and realised you needed their help urgently? We’ll work that out, but basically Fred will tell the three of them that we couldn’t make it. Hopefully, they’ll still go see the movie anyway, and then, Mike,” Robin glares at him, “we’ll all sneak in after, make sure they don’t see us, we try and get a vantage point so we can spy on them.” She draws rows of seats, along with several stick figures in different rows. “So if you guys wanna take one of the boys on, we’ll make sure you still get to see it, anyway.”
“What exactly are you gonna see? They’ll all just be watching the movie, right?” Lucas asks.
“Yeah, but if they think the other one is distracted by the movie, and they don’t think we’re around, they’ll have their guards down,” Nancy explains. “Between Robin and I, I think it’s safe to say we can spot any tells that Steve is into someone. I - I know, you do too, Dustin, but respectfully, you’re a little too obvious,” she looks at Dustin apologetically. 
“What about Munson, though?” Ralph asks. “It only sounds like you guys really befriended him recently, too.”
“Well…” Nancy laughs awkwardly. “I’m sort of hoping that since… How do I say this in the most polite way? It’s not as though Eddie’s social calendar is packed, so if he is… Interested, I’m hoping he won’t know how to be all that subtle about it when he thinks nobody else is looking.”
The kids laugh, and Robin shakes her head at them before drawing in the last box. “So yeah, we’ll watch, we’ll see what our findings are, and hopefully we’ll be one step closer to figuring this out.” She draws simple figures of Steve, you and Eddie, with arrows pointing between Steve and you, and you and Eddie, with hearts all around, making everyone laugh.
“I bet we’ve got the most chance of talking Steve into it,” Max looks to Lucas. “As much as I’d love to be there to plant seeds in Eddie’s brain, I think he’d probably rather take Mike and Will and make it some… D&D inspiration thing, and Steve would be more likely to assume he’d be chaperoning a date. Right?” She looks around, and the other kids nod in agreement, though Dustin looks reluctant.
“Anything we can do?” Tiffany asks excitedly.
Nancy and Robin look at each other and shake their heads, but Johnathan, stroking his chin, pipes up, “Maybe you guys could really convince Y/N that she has to see Highlander this weekend and not any other time. In case she just gives up and leaves, you know?”
“That’s a good point!” Nancy squeezes Johnathan’s arm. “See if you can recruit Cameron and… Whatever that other guy that’s there’s name is, get them to talk up the movie, too.”
Tiffany pulls a face. “I think my brother was hoping to see it anyway, so he’ll be positive about it, at least.”
"Oh god, you're related to that guy?! I'm so sorry," Robin reaches out to hold Tiffany's arm, and she giggles.
"So, we all agree on the plan, then?" Nancy asks, and everyone nods. "Excellent. Max and Lucas, you two can go with Robin and secure Steve before he inevitably goes over to the comic book store. And… Perfect, look who's right outside," she points through the window at what is obviously Eddie's black van parked in the lot. She looks to her brother, "You think you can go over and talk him into it real quick? Like, before Steve gets there?"
Mike rolls his eyes, "Of course I can, I led our part of the last plan up well enough, didn't I?"
She ruffles his hair, to his disgruntlement. Eleven laughs and does the same to him. Will grins and slowly moves his hand closer to Mike too, but Mike bats his away, to Will and El's further amusement.
“Actually…” Johnathan drums his fingers on the table. “Maybe Robin shouldn’t go back with them. If Steve knows that Robin knows he’s taking these two, and then suddenly everyone cancels, and Y/N lets slip that she was meant to meet Robin, too… I know Steve may not be the smartest, but between the three of them, they might figure out what’s up. Maybe we stagger it so that the kids go in first, ask at the same time, then Robin - ” Johnathan sighs, “but how are we gonna throw Y/N off the trail with Eddie if they’re both in there?”
“You’re real invested in this too, aren’t you?” Robin asks, amused.
“They’re good people, really,” Johnathan shrugs, “all of ’em. Whatever makes any of them happy.”
Will smiles widely at his brother’s compassion. Eleven suddenly sits up straight, and reaches out to hold Dustin’s arm. “I can ask… Questions. You can help me.”
Nancy nods, “Okay, not sure what that’s about, but I trust you two to be a distraction. Shall we file out now?”
—[ end meta ]—
“I should talk Cameron into getting you on the payroll here,” you muse as yet another newly-inspired future DM leaves the comic store, thanks to Eddie’s help.
He laughs with his tongue sticking out through his cheek as he walks over to you, “I don’t think anyone wants the Munson reputation officially tarnishing their store’s name, but nice try.”
“Oh please, like anyone here gives a shit about that,” you roll your eyes. 
Another ding of the doorbell distracts you, as you see Nancy’s brother, Johnathan's brother, Dustin and the girl called Eleven - but really named Jane - walk in. Mike and Will hurriedly back Eddie into the corner of the D&D section, so you turn to Dustin and Jane. “Hey, kids! Can I help you at all?”
“Wonder Woman,” Jane states plainly, before pointing over to the “new releases” aisle. “Not there.”
You pull a face, “Yeah, they got discontinued not long ago, sorry. But if you want more Wonder Woman, have you read Crisis on Infinite Earths yet?” Both she and Dustin shake their heads. “Surprised you haven’t, Henderson,” you narrow your eyes. 
“I didn’t want to read them all until they all come out, so I can tie everything together. I was gonna start this weekend,” he explains.
“There we go! Maybe Dustin could help explain the multiverse to you, then!” you suggest to Jane with a helpful smile.
She looks you dead in the eye. “No. You.” followed by, “...Please.”
“That’s… A lot for me to help explain to you, but I’ll try!” You take out a whiteboard to hopefully illustrate what you’re saying as well. “Okay, so there’s all these superheroes, they all make major changes to their own worlds, it’d be super conflicting if they all existed in the same universe. So there’s this guy, Krona, he’s a bad guy for the Green Lantern, he creates this machine to look at the beginning of time, but it shatters, and that creates the multiverse. All kinds of parallel universes are formed, including the Anti-Matter Universe, which leads to our main antagonist in this crossover. See, you’ve got the Monitor, who shows up in a lot of these franchises, who is designed to watch over all the multiverses, and make sure nothing accidentally crosses over, but he has an evil counterpart from the Anti-Matter Universe called the Anti-Monitor. With me so far?”
Jane says something under her breath about something being upside down, but Dustin takes over from her by saying, “Yeah, she gets it.”
“Right, so this guy, Pariah, he also tries to look back at the beginning of time, just like Krona did, and in doing so, the Anti-Monitor learns that Pariah’s Earth was destroyed by anti-matter. So the Anti-Monitor decides to travel through the multiverse to destroy all Earths that way, so that he can rule every reality. So the Monitor, the good guy, he starts recruiting heroes - and villains, even - from all universes to create these… Towers that should stabilise the multiverse and stop the Anti-Monitor. I won’t say any more than that, I’m not gonna spoil it,” you wave off. “But I think you’ll like it.”
“I… Think I will like it.” Jane smiles. “I will read them with Dustin.”
“You should come back and tell me what you think!” you beam. “We need more girls in here, honestly.” 
Jane lets out a small giggle. “I will tell Max as well. Max taught me about Wonder Woman.”
“She’s your redhead friend, right?” you ask, and Jane nods. “She’s in here a lot. I think she’s been buying the novels, too.”
“I will read them with Dustin,” Jane repeats. 
You hold your hands up. “Sure thing, you know best. But if you girls did wanna talk about it, I’m all ears,” you smile warmly, which is returned. “What about you, Henderson, anything new got your eye here?”
He pulls a face. “Not particularly. Nothing Steve hasn’t already bought for me, anyway. He’s, uh, real good like that, wouldn’t you say?”
You laugh, “Uh, yeah, he’s great! It’s… Sweet how he, and Eddie, and Robin, they all look out for you just as much as Nancy and Johnathan do, even without being related to any of you.”
“Yeah, but Steve does it the most, though,” Dustin insists. He looks as though he’s about to say more, when out of nowhere a whole rack completely falls down. 
“Oh god, how did that happen?!” you ask, jumping back. “Okay, let me just go and clean that - oh my god, and your nose is bleeding now, too!” You look at Jane, who has a trail of blood dripping down one nostril. “Let me go get you something from the first aid kit, here, try pinchi-”
You’re interrupted by Dustin, “It’s fine, she gets those all the time. Why don’t we help you clean up that mess?” He pulls a face at Jane as you walk past them, though you barely notice it.
As you start to pick everything up, Mike, Will and Eddie also come over to help, and over the commotion you barely hear the doorbell ring as Steve appears, signalling it’s time for your lunch break. He adds to the pile of people helping, which is starting to become more of a hindrance than a help. Your colleagues also mysteriously appear from the back room, telling you that they’ve got it covered and to get out for your break, already. You look over at Steve and Eddie, and motion for them to follow you out of the building.
[...]
Later that night, you’d had a phone call with Nancy inviting you to see Highlander at the movies on Saturday with Robin. You accepted, looking forward to a girls’ day out. You seemed to be quite in demand for the rest of that night, too, since Tiffany and Jesse were asking about your weekend plans the very next day. Tiffany seems really excited for you to see it. You assume it’s because she’s still a freshman, so she wouldn’t be able to go alone. You offer to take her along too, but she quickly declines, saying she has to work. So does Jesse, but he’s also very interested in talking about Highlander with you. Even Cameron chimes in at one point to simply tell you that you have to see it.
To your surprise, you’re not met with Nancy and Robin, but with Eddie and Steve, who both look even more excited than usual to see you, thanks to the added element of surprise. “Hey, what are you doing here?! I was just telling Stevie how weird it is we ended up here together!” Eddie grins.
“Hi! Oh my god! Yeah, I’m gonna be meeting Nance and Robin any second now, we’re going to watch -”
“Don’t you say Highlander!” Steve looks at you incredulously. “Literally, I’m waiting for Lucas and Max so they can go on… A cute little date, and then Eddie was talking about… What was it again?”
“Yeah, Will and Mike thought it sounded like something they’d wanna make a campaign out of, so I figured who better to take them than yours truly?” he gestures to himself with two hands, making you laugh.
“Sorry,” a bespectacled boy slightly younger than you pipes up from behind you. “Did I hear you say you’re waiting for Nancy? As in Wheeler?”
“Yeah, that’s me!” you reply, narrowing your eyes a little. “Why?”
“Nancy gave me a message to give you,” he begins, pushing his glasses up his nose. “She says she’s really sorry, but something came up all of a sudden, uh - apparently, school supplies have been going missing, and Robin saw the main suspect looking extra shifty, so she took Nancy to go find him. There were, like, four kids here too that followed them? Nancy said she was gonna use them as a sting operation-type deal. So, yeah. That’s my message.” He skulks back to behind his counter.
You groan, “Aw, I was so excited to hang out with the girls.”
Steve pretends to look offended. “You hear that, Eddie?” Eddie fully mimes being stabbed in the heart, stepping back until he collapses against a wall.
You laugh loudly. “Come on, guys, you know I like hanging out with you two the most. Why don’t we just… All go see it together? Since we’re all here, and wanting to go see it anyway.”
“I’m down,” Steve nods.
“Mike and Will might hate me for it, but maybe I can go watch it a second time with them,” Eddie smiles.
“Can I ask to be sat in the middle this time?” you ask quietly as you all line up to buy your tickets. “Last time I came to the movies, there was this creep who kept… Trying to do the yawn thing, you know? The -” you mime yawning and stretching your arm. “Except I’d never seen him before. And - I’d feel safer either being right at the end of the row, or with each of you on either side.”
“We can sit beside you, for sure,” Eddie nods, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.
“Yeah, and if any guy shoots you a look you don’t want, just point them out to us, alright?” Steve says in a warning tone, and you nod. He softens afterwards.
You certainly enjoy the movie, though you feel as though your colleagues may have overhyped it. You occasionally glance over to either Steve or Eddie to gauge their reactions too. Sometimes you’d catch their eye because they were also looking at you already, sometimes your gaze caused them to look over at you. Sometimes it’d be a quick glance away again, sometimes it’d just be a smile shared between you, sometimes a silent conversation checking in with each other. This happens with both boys at any moment, and it feels nice to know that they care just as much about you as you do about them.
Once the movie ends, the three of you decide to head to the food court within the same complex as the theatre. You’re surprised to see Nancy, Robin, Lucas, Max, Mike and Will all sat there together, too. Robin’s the first to notice, nudging Nancy who looks over at the three of you and flusters, hurriedly pulling something into her bag. “Oh, my gosh, hi, Y/N! I am… So sorry, did Fred give you my message?”
“Yeah, it’s fine, I still got to see it,” you wave her off. “Sucks that we didn’t get our girls’ day, though!”
“Oh, we’ll definitely make room for one of those soon,” Robin promises.
“Did you get your guy?” Eddie asks.
“Huh?” Robin cocks her head in confusion, then makes a sound of pain and bends to relieve her foot, as Nancy shuffles away from her. You hadn't even noticed her move any closer.
“No, as it turns out, it was a false lead, in the end. Some… Pranksters in the same class as the guy we were tailing, they must have caught on that we were looking into the whole missing supplies thing, and decided to slip us a fake tip-off,” Nancy sighs, shrugging her shoulders. “We’re just, uh, getting some lunch and then Robin and I are gonna take the kids to see the movie ourselves, as an apology to them for roping them in. That way, you two can still talk with Eddie about it afterwards like you wanted, right?” Nancy looks to her brother and Will, who nod back, first looking at her and then at all of you. Mike’s movements seem to be more… Enthusiastic than usual.
Cogs in your head start turning. Why would they all ask you to meet up, then conveniently leave for the length of the movie, just to reappear in the same building as you right after? But why would Nancy and Robin set you up… To meet somebody… At the movies? Were they trying to set you up on a date? And if so, who with? Had they been talking to your colleagues? Were they wrapped in this little matchmaking war, too? Why invite both of them? Is one of them in on this? 
You’re pulled out of your train of thought when Eddie nudges you as Steve calls your name yet again. “Everything good? You wanna get something to eat?”
“Um… Actually, I - I think I’m just going to… Go home. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.” At least you’re not lying.
Both Steve and Eddie’s faces fill with concern. “Is everything okay?” “Do you need a ride?”
You shake your head. “I should make it home myself, I’ll just keep the windows down to get some air. Thank you, though,” you hold both their arms briefly and look between them, before flashing a smile in Nancy and Robin’s direction, waving round to all of the kids and excusing yourself.
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tartar-sous · 9 months
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hi ! feel free not to answer if you don't want to, but what is the difference between tartali and zhongchi?
the difference is both in their dynamic and bed position.
the latter is easy to notice, whoever gets the d has half their names on the right side of the acronym.
but for the former, if you're a passerby or don't really mind any dynamics you wouldn't notice it, but if you've been fixed into one dynamic for a decade like i do, you just can tell even at first glance even if its not ship work. like a spidey-sense hhhh.
to see the difference first-hand, try looking for those tags on Pixiv, Lofter, or any eastern/asian websites and see how each characters are depicted. (Can't really show images myself because i'm avoiding landmines) :
TartaLi : タル鍾, 公钟
ZhongChi : 鍾タル, 离达
i might be biased here but you'll mostly see a more masculine and domineering side of Zhongli in ZhongChi community because he's a dragon, the Liyue's emperor, and "god of war", probably stoic and have a heart like stone, uhh CEO seme from webtoons vibe.
but you'll see more graceful, femme/androgynous depiction of Zhongli in TartaLi community, because TartaLi fans focus on little details like how Zhongli is a shapeshifter, was a thoughtful leader to his people despite not wanting dominion, he's half lin (female qilin) and rumored to be a woman at some point, how soft his CN voice is, how gods are usually androgynous because they ascend beyond gender, etc.
other than visuals, i think other aspect of the two thats not discussed as much is also the fanbases. the two far sides have complete opposite interpretation of each characters.
both sides also treat the characters differently, like how most ZhongChi would baby Childe and took pity on him, dare i say even genuinely see Zhongli as a cruel heartless person while TartaLi folks would clown Childe (affectionately) and are mostly avid Zhongli protectors lol.
of course, at the end of the day the two are polar opposites and if you don't have much preference, you don't need to pick a side. theres a middle ground that some on Twitter made called ZhongChiLi, which is coined as an english switch name for them. (quite rare)
though for us in particular, we're just very picky and have peculiar taste.
~🍵
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i liked your original post reminding people to be mindful of matt's blindness when writing fanfics for him, but your new one is quite odd, to be honest.
anyone who writes for him is free to interpret his character based on what stood out to them in the show, and how they use that interpretation to insert or conduct matt in their stories is very honestly up to them. there are famous and generally agreed-upon headcanons for matt because of popular fanfics in the dd fandom (which i'm also a big fan of), but ultimately they're just that: headcanons.
you may interpret matt as someone who would worship whoever he's dating, but many might not interpret his character as the same. i know you mean well, but i feel that being authoritative over how to write his character takes out the fun in writing fanfics for characters.
OMG HI!!! Thank you so much for responding!!!
Remember: this is my opinion. Not fact. I am not claiming my words to be fact, nor word I ever <3
Totally get where you're coming from; let me clarify my post.
So, there are fictional men like, Jess Mariana, Peter Parker (comic book, not live action) Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Clark Kent, that I feel like can be written overall in a pretty safe and vague way...they're the sweet guys of the fandom, and if you were to put the worst dialog on the planet by those characters but they were having picnic with so and so person, I honestly would read it and believe every action and movement.
If you were to write Though, when writing, Anakin Skywalker, Loki, Bruce Wayne, and Matthew Murdock/Daredevil... we enter this new world of layered writing that should be handled in a way that the reader (even if its for fun) gets the density of their personality, and tendencies.
I said, "Remember that Matthew Murdock is Daredevil, and Daredevil is not Matthew Murdock."
That, is what it means... and I don't feel like I have to defend it that much. His character is almost like moonknight in a way when you're writing two at once. Whichever you choose to focus more on, will reveal that personality for itself. Also, I've read some fan fics that do play this out very well. At night, and at all times at night; Daredevil is rougher with his love intrest, adn himself... vs the day where it's more puppy love.
"Sure he'd want to get a girlfriend, propose THEN have a kid. HOWEVER, throw in a wildcard of a women into the mix, and the order will have to change. Or, throw in if the oc hangs out with Matthew, she may go for the more traditional approach to a family. Vs, a character like Mercedes Castle (My OC. Check out Cherie on Wattpad!) who is more like Daredevil, but spends more time with Matt, then that changes the mix entirely because she's not traditional, but he is."
Again, this goes with handling with person you're oc is hanging around more often.... going back to the daredevil at night thing, I feel like choosing his choices for lets say the oc (at night) says, "I'm pregnant." right? Daredevil (imo) won't be as happy about that, but come the morning, Matthew Murdock plead his heart out to her and ask for "forgiveness" for being so rude.
"Matthew love interest, please remember that they become his god. He worships them, so he will bend the side of him he doesn't like to please her."
So, this can get see as authoritative towards his character. I get my wording was a lil off but, hear me out.
A lot of fan fics i've read MASTER this concept of "worshiping" the oc. But, I'm not saying whatever I say is fact, but in the show he does have a tendency to put xyz character in place of his own self (depending on how much he's 'into' them.) Sure, I get what you mean like, "you may interpret Matt as someone who would worship whoever he's dating, but many might not interpret his character as the same." saying that it takes away the 'fun' but hear me out. We want authenticity, and it feel better as the reader when you are given that raw dialog, and movements. my opinion: I love the worshiping idea, and it plays really well in a prompt when something happen to character B, and he has to give everything up to help them
Why am I writing this?:
Well because I really care about this character, and I hate to see such an intriguing person, get subjected to things that cross their moral standard.
we all have the capabilities to grow and accept others opinions!
and three, well, I just have been writing him for so long, that when I see a post like, "his eyes met my face" I'm like... girly. No. No he didn't because he's blind. And, when I see a pregnancy scare, and she's like, "He slipped his black mask away from his face and hugged me in excitement, saying 'I am so excited to start a family with you.'" I'm like... waitttttt hold up, and hear me out.
If you have a problem with this, please send in a request! Also, I'm open for requests about Matt, so enjoyyyy queens!
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