#there is a Specific type of yearning when it comes to gay people falling in love w their best friend n both of them do it so flawlessly

[ice-sculptures]

finn & noah play best friends harboring secret crushes SO well

#we all already knew this ofc but that gifset i just reblogged just reminded me once again how incredible they are in scenes together #there is a Specific type of yearning when it comes to gay people falling in love w their best friend n both of them do it so flawlessly #byler #stranger things #rae.txt

[fleursbending]

hello! i saw that u write for avatar and i was wondering if u could write something about kiri x f!na'vi!reader please, maybe the 'reader fell first but she fell harder' type?

𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭. |Kiri Sully

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : in which you catch feelings for kiri first. but she falls far harder than she initially realised once catching them too. or in other words, they are both whipped and gay!

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : kiri x fem!metkayina reader

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 : this one for the gays !! anyways yay my first post for kiri, and i'm slowly making my way through the requests. thank you for all the luv and support. feedback and reblogs are much appreciated!🫶🏻 i suggest listening to this specific song whilst reading as it is loosely based around it! special shoutout to @eywaskiss for her help with this, ily <3!!! i am down to make a part 2 for this if ppl want it.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : floofy fluff, smidge of angst, yearning, reader is so clumsy and flustered i luv her, tsireya being ur wingwoman, whipped & silly kiri! bold = na'vi words. time works differently here, ignore how fast it actually is in atwow. not proofread oops i'm too tired.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 3.4k words !

𝐘/𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 first time she caught sight of Kiri. She and Tsireya were looking for seashells when they heard the horn going off. Swimming back to the shore, she saw Ikrans landing on the sand.

While she wasn't terrified, she was certainly confused. Ikrans do not come here. Omaticaya and Metkayina do not cross each others paths.

People of the forest hopped off their Ikrans, and you saw a girl who looked your age stand close to what you assumed was her mother.

While Tsireya was being ogled by one of the young forest boys, you couldn't draw your eyes away from her.

A foreign feeling entangled itself in the pit of your belly as you watched Ronal point out what she deemed to be "flaws" in the girl.

You didn't even know her name but the urge to already protector scratched at your being.

Y/n could only hope there'd be an encounter where she'd be able to learn more about the mysterious forest girl.

Little did she know that moment would come sooner than she would have thought.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

You observed Kiri with a tilt of your head as she glided through the water and the reefs as if it was second nature to her.

While the boys were battling with their own egos and learning how to ride Ilu's. Y/n and Tsireya decided that Tuk and Kiri could explore the water some more.

They'd done a few lessons at this point, their breathing improving. But Kiri was a true mystery to you. There was something otherworldly about her that you could not pinpoint.

It frustrated you to no end, the ocean had accepted her the moment she made contact with it. She had no issues with breathing, and now apparently even riding an Ilu!

Y/n's mouth gaped as she watched the Ilu nuzzle his head against Kiri's. In a blink of an eye, she'd made tsaheylu with the Ilu and started to ride him towards you.

Tsireya on her own Ilu turned to give Kiri and Tuk an encouraging smile. Y/n called for her Ilu, following them.

As they breezed through the ocean, all admiring the beauty surrounding them. But Y/n had already seen this more than her few fingers could count, so instead of admiring the scenery around her. Her eyes could not seem to stray away from Kiri's figure.

It seems she was enamored with the girl from the Omaticaya clan As she caught up to them all, Kiri looked at her - giving her a grin that could battle the beauty of the sea life surrounding them.

In just a mere moment, she felt like a floundering fish needing to surface for air. These are abundant feelings that have never occupied her life before.

Sure, she always knew she had a preference for girls rather than boys. But there hadn't been a situation handed to her where she had to confront such taboo concepts.

Y/n could only nod her head in acknowledgment, too fearful to smile back in fear that she'd somehow slip off her Ilu if Kiri paid any more attention to her than necessary.

She was truly and utterly, doomed. Y/n wish she could cease to exist at this moment as Kiri steered her Ilu closer to hers in a teasing manner.

Y/n while bashful, repeated her actions - their Ilu's almost brushing.

The current of the waves somehow made the line of seashells intricately wrapped in her hair that was once laying on her forehead. Now tugged down to block her vision.

Kiri's hand slapped against her mouth, morphing her giggles to try not to choke on water. Leaning sideways, she lifted the shells, smoothing down your hair.

Now it was your turn to try not to choke on water, again.

If Y/n was keeping her resolve before, she definitely was failing at it now.

She signed, "Thank you". It was one of the only new phrases that they had been teaching the Sully daughter which she was able to pick up on quite quickly.

Oh Eywa, this was ridiculous. Why did Tsireya have to drag her into all this?

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

Tsireya motioned to you guys, as you hopped on rocks toward the destination she was leading you towards.

It was time for you, Roxto, and Tsireya to teach the Sullys some of the ways of the Metkayina clan again. They thought it would be best to get breathing out of the way first.

"Come on!" She beckoned you guys over to a particularly larger one compared to the rest. Giving you a sly smirk she made sure to take the second to last available spot so you had no choice but to sit next to Kiri.

Your dear friend may have heard your extensive rant after the events that occurred when you were riding on your Ilu's yesterday. While Y/n did not outright confess her very apparent crush on the girl, Tsireya did not have to be dense to realise this.

Y/n seemed to just have figured this out as she hesitantly made her way over to the empty space.

"Skxwang", Y/n muttered under her breath as she sat down on the smooth surface of the rock.

Kiri looked at you with wide eyes, thinking that the word had been directed at her.

You fumbled with your words as you shyly tucked your stray strands of hair behind your ears, a nervous tick of yours.

"No, no! Uhm- that wasn't targeted at you it was, I-", You tried to form a proper sentence but seemed to fail to do so.

Kiri registered this and covered her mouth as she giggled, nodding her head in understanding as she took pity on your obviously flustered state.

It strangely felt like deja vu.

Your quiet laughter followed, seeing how dumb you had just sounded.

Although you couldn't help but admire how melodious her laughter was. The effect it had on you felt groundbreaking.

At least this time you weren't underwater with shells blocking your view. This time you were able to really appreciate all of her.

Swiftly, you were hyperaware of how close you had gravitated to each other. Knees touching, shoulders brushing. Oh.

It felt all too consuming, but you were pulled away from the moment once Tsireya cleared her throat.

"Let's get this lesson started, shall we?" She spoke lightly, but there was a hint of playfulness ebbed into it.

Y/n nodded and looked down at her lap, fiddling with her anklet. She blushed (again, dammit), feeling the scorching gaze of Kiri burning an inevitable hole into her soul.

Great mother, this forest girl was going to be the death of her.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

Time seemed to escape you as eclipse welcomed itself as day turned to night. It was the following day, you hadn't had the chance to follow Tsireya and the Sully's in their daily endeavors as per usual.

Having to catch up on your own chores and help hunt for dinner, you were able to join Ronal and Tsireya to collect some clams.

As Y/n made her way through the maze of intricate woven pathways to the Chief and Tsahiks mauri. The girl was startled at the figures of Kiri and Tuk who were making their way in to said Mauri she was about to enter herself.

Mumbling profanities to herself in Na'vi, she wiped down her palms that were already starting to gather sweat on her upper thighs. Taking in a deep breath, she waltzed into the Mauri only to stumble into the said girl she was hoping not to make contact with.

Kiri whipped around at the sudden contact only to lightly laugh as she once again, beamed at you.

"Y/n, where have you been all day?" Tuk whined at you as she hugged you, wrapping herself around your leg.

You patted her head, cooing at her cuteness before responding to her.

"I had my own chores to do, Tuk. But I'm here now!"

Ronal walked in, holding the bags that would aid you all in being able to carry more clams.

"Let's go, girls." She commandeered you all out of the mauri and towards the seemingly never-ending ocean.

As you all dove into the ocean, the bioluminescent reef life drew you in like a tether. Your connection to the ocean was magnetic, instantaneous. Always there and within your reach.

She could only hope that the Sully's would soon feel the same way, especially now that this was their home.

Y/n came to a stop as Tsireya grasped onto the fish that was akin to wings.

She let Tuk turn around before letting it attach to the little girl.

Tsireya signed to them, "This will help you breathe underwater."

Kiri looked to you astounded, you nodded back in reassurance. You knew how she protective she was of her siblings, especially harmless Tuk.

As Y/n swam her way over to where Ronal was beginning to pluck away at clams, you took out your knife - beginning to follow her motions.

Sudden movement beside you caught your attention. Y/n turned her head to see Ronal moving towards a light. Curiosity ate at her, what was that?

She peered around the coral she was removing clams from and saw Tsireya staying close to Tuks side. But where was Kiri?

She followed after Ronal, halting as she gawked at the sight laid out before her.

Kiri was crouching down, maneuvering in sync with the school of fish adjacent to her.

Ronal did not know what to make of this, but due to her overwhelming deep connection to Eywa as well. She knew that this was some sort of sign.

The Sully's must stay.

If Y/n heard her Tsahik thoughts she'd eagerly agree. But her reasons differed from that of spirituality. Instead hers was from that familiar fondness bubbling deep in her chest.

She glowed as if she were the moon itself.

In sheer awe, Y/n could only desire for a possible way to capture this moment for as long as her brain demanded of it. Although she had a feeling this was a moment of significance that would resonate with her for a long time.

A tap on her shoulder broke her from her personal reveries.

"Let her be, we must continue." Ronal signed.

"Yes, Tsahik." Y/n signed back.

Swimming back, she briefly to have one final gaze at Kiri.

It was as if she was looking through rose tinted lenses, this definitely seemed more than a crush now.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

Kiri was no fool, Y/n was a clumsy one - that's for sure.

But she was more than well aware of the effect she had on the Metkayina girl.

At first, she did not know what to make of it. At that moment, she could only wish for once that she was as dense as Lo'ak. But alas, that was not the case this time.

Every time you made her heart feel like it had soared all the way back to the forest, she would block it out. Kiri felt as if she had bigger fish to fry, lives at stake.

They weren't in the clear yet, and she was essentially made out to be a demon to the entire clan.

So while she thought you fumbling around her was endearing, Kiri could not let it enter the forefront of her mind.

The attempts at doing so failed though.

You were everywhere.

If it wasn't at lessons, it was with her siblings. If it wasn't with her siblings, it was in the ocean. You were always there, and it was all at once.

Days blended into weeks, and weeks became months.

You'd never acted on your feelings, continuing to be oblivious to the fact that the other party had begun to return them.

It hit her like a tidal wave one afternoon.

It had been a few days after her brothers had gotten into a beating to protect her. While she found it funny initially, it now dawned on her.

Was that truly how everyone thought of her? Did Y/n see her in that way?

Her feet dipped in the water as she sat to the side of one of the many walkways that weaved around the Metkayina village.

Kiri watched in the distance as Tuk threw fish in the air, happily cheering as her Ilu jumped up to eat it. Neteyam laughed at her and squeezed the youngest Sully's shoulders.

Her ears perked up, tilting at the side where the sound of footsteps drew closer to her.

Y/n sat down beside her, letting her legs also dangle as her toes dipped into the ocean.

There was a very obvious space between them, Y/n didn't want to be overbearing. She had not been there when the fight broke out, but she was more than self-aware of the aftermath.

While it looked like Ao'nung was becoming buddies with the sons of the renowned Toruk Makto. She could only wonder how Kiri must have felt.

They'd become a lot closer in the last few weeks. Y/n could only hope that due to that, it didn't look too odd that she looked out for her.

"Ao'nung and his friends can be a pain, I'm sorry." She treaded lightly with her wording, unsure of how to approach the conversation.

But Y/n couldn't settle, especially having witnessed Kiri become far more reserved in the past few days.

Kiri finally turned to glance at her.

Y/n watched as her mouth opened and closed a few times. It reminded her of the fish that swam beneath their feet.

In spite of that, she waited.

She'd wait for however long it took for her to find the proper words. To convey the train of thoughts that were spiraling in that pretty head of hers.

Finally, she caught them. "I just wish I wasn't like...this." Kiri trailed off, envy riddled in her tone.

Kiri looked down at her hands.

Y/n looked around before scooting closer.

Her hand reached out, hovering over Kiri's for a second. She grasped it in her own.

"This version of you is what makes you who you are. My clan has not granted Uturu to anyone not of Metkayina before. They simply fear the unknown." Y/n explained as she let the feeling of the ripples of the water hitting her legs consume her.

Kiri was going to respond, yet you continued.

"Yes, my people are acting on said fear irrationally. For that, I am deeply sorry. But, in due time - they will grow to accept you all. Just like, uhm, I have." You squeezed her hand before letting it rest on her lap once again.

Kiri had to hold herself back from complaining about it, she already missed your touch. Once again, she had to jump through hurdles to find her words.

All she could muster out was her usual smile (that she had yet to realise was only reserved for you). And a "Thank you, Thank you so much."

Your hand reached out again, yearning for Kiri's hand but instead, you placed it on her shoulder.

Eclipse was nearing, you must go.

Y/n did not utter another word as she stood up. She turned, making her way back home.

Kiri's legs were only partially in the water. Even so, she felt like she was six feet under.

The ardent flames blazed beneath her heart. Abruptly, you now existed in the forefront of her mind. Shit.

Your eyes, your teal body, your hair. Everything that consisted of you, and only you. It sunk into every crevice of her soul, making itself snug and at home there.

The way you smelled, like the ocean yet also the flora that surrounded the village. How you held yourself differently amongst your friends compared to the elders of the community.

The way you took Tuk under your wing, how the moment she landed her Ikran in an unknown place. You treated her like anything but the harsh words she thought she was.

Just like that, you had become her entire world.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

You and Tsireya giggled together as you continued to weave fishing nets that would be used for tomorrow's hunt.

As you reached for more rope, a shadow cast over you both - hindering the sun from entering your family's Mauri.

Both of you frantically looked up, your shoulders sinking down as you only saw Kiri standing there.

"Oh, Kiri! I didn't know you were joining us." Tsireya commented her elbow nudging into your side. You wanted to smack the girl.

Kiri's eyes darted around your mauri, her behaviour suddenly mirroring yours. "Uhm! No, I actually wasn't. Actually, can I borrow Y/n for a moment?"

Y/n's eyes widened, finger-pointing at herself in question.

"Yes, you." Kiri sighed.

Tsireya nudged you again, forcing you to stand up.

"Be my guest!" She mused, giving you a wink as Kiri turned around.

Your hands made a choking motion, making Tsireya only howl in laughter.

Rolling her eyes, Y/n made her way out of her Mauri.

Kiri nervously twiddled her thumbs, "Follow me."

Before you could ask her where you both were even going, she had already started walking away.

Y/n stumbled, following after her.

It was silent, nearing the eclipse. Kiri brought you over to a part of the village that was usually uninhabited at this part of the evening.

You began to feel nervous as folded your arms over your chest, feet kicking at the sand under you.

"Sooo..." You said to try to break the silence. Her stomach was churning, and her appetite for tonight's meal has vanished in an instant.

Kiri looked out into the crystal-clear ocean, before peering at you.

"I-I. I like you! I know, I shouldn't. But you're absolutely maddening, do you know that? You're so clumsy, it's stupid that it's so adorable. You weren't supposed to have this impact on me! I just wanted to learn the people's way!" Kiri confessed, words spewing out of her like a waterfall.

Y/n could only survey her, mouth agape. Kiri was restless as she paced around.

"You always say something, why aren't you saying something?!" Kiri demanded, still not being able to settle.

Y/n fumbled, trying to appease the poor girl. "Well, I- I didn't know you were into girls."

"Infuriating!" Kiri threw her hands up in the air.

The immensely shocked girl cleared her throat. Tucking strands of her behind her ear, she took determined steps towards Kiri.

Her hands fell onto her shoulders, effortlessly making her halt all movements.

"I'm the infuriating one? I swear to god you're Eywa in disguise. I thought this whole time, that this was all one-sided! I stayed silent, and I yearned for you from afar. Yes, I'm clumsy, and I'm bad with my words most of the time!" Y/n heaved for a breath, before continuing.,

"Yet, I still like you. And I always will, because I've become accustomed to you. I see into you. Kiri, please. Look at me." She grasped her chin, turning it so they could look into each other's eyes.

"You see into me?" Kiri questioned, leaning her forehead against yours.

Lips hovering over the other, you gushed in response.

"Of course I do."

Her hand nestled into your hair, pushing you further in. Breathing and taking each other in, your lips met in a searing kiss.

You separated from each other once you both had to catch your breath.

"Don't those lessons come in handy?" Kiri inquired, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Shut up." Y/n muttered as she smacked Kiri's arm that had wrapped around her waist.

The lovesick girl could only laugh in retaliation, urging you into a warm hug.

You were both fools, but you acted in such a way just to please the other.

Thank Eywa you are both into girls.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

BONUS :

Tsireya let out a silent cheer as she high-fived Lo'ak.

"I knew it!" She mused whilst leaning into the young boy.

Lo'ak could only groan in disgust at the blossoming couple before him.

"I was the only one supposed to be in a relationship right now!" He whined.

Tsireya rolled her eyes, smacking him on the back of his head.

Skxwangs.

𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 ━━━ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

⤷ feedback and reblogs are always much appreciated ! feel free to ask through my inbox if you would like to join my taglist. ♡

#junie's library 📚✧.* #kiri x y/n #kiri x reader #kiri sully x reader #kiri sully #tsireya x reader #atwow #atwow x reader #atwow spoilers #avatar 2 #avatar imagine #avatar the way of water #avatar x reader #avatar fanfiction #avatar: the way of water #james cameron avatar

[the-astropaws]

Sorry to bother you, but I had a few questions about your DNI:

1.) What exactly is a perisex person? (I have tried to look it up myself, but all it did confused me and didn't give a straight answer.)

2.) What are you referring to when it comes to this:

"Use those copy paste fonts in posts /names/ templates/ layouts/ rentrys/ etc."

as well as what exactly is wrong with copy paste fonts that you're referring to (this wasn't meant to come off as rude. Just a genuine question.)

3.) What counts as "Obsess over or constantly talk about yaoi/yuri.."? For example: Would someone talking about a ship they like constantly, that happens to be MLM or WLW, be considered such? Or someone making a post yearning about being in love with someone of the same sex/gender- as well as expressing it through different fandoms/forms of media? It just happens to be labeled as "yaoi" or "yuri" kind of thing.

1.) Perisex means not intersex.

2.) The fonts part mean the ones people use instead of plain text when typing, so the ones in a message not the ones on an image. They're very abliest towards sr user's. And inaccessible to multiple people who dont even need a sr.

3.) mlm/wlw as their own terms is not the same as yaoi and yuri. Yaoi and Yuri is fetish porn/nsfw of queer Asians. (normally gay asian men and lesbian asian women but bi and other labels fall into the genre plot). Both often have non con, abuse that's excused or "fixed" easily, and other toxic relationship issues. So no, people being normal about mlm or wlw ships or rambling about things they like isn't part of that dni unless it falls into those specific genres. Especially when not asian. I hope that all made sense I haven't fronted in awhile for words to word right - Pyn

#a curious angel

[vicariousanti]

things i can't relate to that aligns w gay love stereotypes

- immense amount of yearning

personally, i just don't desire romantic love that extremely to the point where i'm laying in my bed at night constantly yearning for a love that may or may not exist. as long as i read some form of romantic media and i have some romance with my close friends, i'm content enough to not yearn (doesn't mean i don't ever desire a romantic partnership though) i also prefer to do romantic experiences irl and not just within my head. like, the main time i'm even able to yearn is if i'm currently experiencing a romantic connection with someone and it makes me daydream about them. and i will find a way to make the daydream happen bc i hate living in my head

- falling in love w straight people

maybe i'm lucky or idk but i've never really found myself heavily desiring someone that was straight? there's just.. not much that attractive to me about straight people. i think maybe there was this one girl i was attracted to and even later on, she turned out to be gay. i really want to know what makes people fall for straight people. bc straight people are usually SO PAINFULLY straight to me. i'm not talking just clothes or whatever. it's the mannerisms, it's the belief systems and values, it's how they think or ways they approach life. queerness is so... so specific and i look at those specifics and that's what makes me attracted to a person. or maybe i just haven't met a straight person that would intrigue me enough for me to be attracted to them, who knows

- the lesbian urge to mesh

i love to be my own individual and vice versa and frankly i would get very annoyed or feel pretty weird if it felt like i couldn't have my own individuality or life to myself. same goes for my partner. like why does love have to equal enmeshment. i don't want to suffocate! there can be distance with love too (to be fair, i have felt this way with people but it was due to them being avoidant in some way and triggering me to be anxious. which led to the illusion that i wanted to enmesh with them, but i didn't)

- uhauling

when it comes to friends or community? yes. i'm down. if i really love a (long-term) friend, and they live somewhere i desire to live as well, i will most definitely pack my bags and pick up a flight. romantically however? hell no. there is no way in hell that i would date someone and move in with them like two months later. i don't understand what's the rush? plus i very much enjoy having my own space and the ability to isolate. so unless it's a two bedroom it's def a no fa me

- phantom ex, aka, 'the one that got away'

this just may be due to the fact that i haven't experienced a healthy intimate romantic partnership, but i just can't really relate. i've had romantic experiences with people where it felt really intense, where at a certain point, i envisioned a future. and even then i get over them kinda quickly... like i'll always be attracted and love them from a distance. but i'm fine with moving on and just finding other people and experiences, albeit they're hard to find. that could change with a first love, but i also simply just don't think i'm the type to heavily ponder and cling onto the past romantically wise. i be excited to venture out into the new tbh

- "i fell in love with my best friend and i haven't told them and it's been two years"

even if i wanted to relate, i couldn't. i try my best to hide my feelings when i like people, and it might work for a good minute...? until you see me hyperventilating and steam is blowing out of my ears and my eyes are teary and my cheeks are red and i'm nervous looking into your eyes and i keep giggling and laughing and i don't know what to do except randomly on a friday night, i'll just scream that i like you. kudos to people that can keep that shit hidden for a while though, must be nice. but i also don't think i would anyway. i wouldn't suffer in silence for that long. i would just want to hurry up and know if i have a chance or not and i simply would be too impatient to wait for that long. like yes, slow burn, but not torturous burn

- unrequited love

often times i try to be very careful with my feelings because i get terrified of liking people and not knowing how they feel back. so in terms of LOVE? i don't think that would ever happen. i simply wouldn't even allow myself to open those gates and take that plunge into falling in love with someone without knowing if they'd even reciprocate. and i don't glorify or romanticize it either. it's either you like me, or you don't. and if you don't, i'll be sad and move on. i am a masochist but that's a different type of masochism i refuse to succumb to. and why would i cling so heavily onto the possibility of it happening with one person when i know i'll probably end up meeting someone else in like a year or two anyway that will more than likely reciprocate my feelings

[layercake]

Why Naoto is Heavily Trans Coded, and How The Discussion Surrounding Him Needs to Change

Hello, I’ve never written or posted anything like this before LOL so this is a bit daunting. But this subject is something that’s been bothering me for a long time, and I wanted to get it out somewhere. So let’s talk about how Naoto Shirogane is heavily trans coded, and how the fandom has a problematic culture surrounding the issue that really needs to change.

Tw // discussion of misogyny , transphobia , and mentions of harassment

Initial Shadow Confrontation 

Since the discussion is most often about what’s “canon” and what’s not, let’s first take a look at what the game actually does give us about Naoto’s character. During the confrontation with Naoto’s shadow, we learn that Naoto idolized detectives as a kid, and wanted to be one himself when he was older.

However, this posed a problem for him in multiple ways. One, he was (is) still a child, and the people in his field don’t take him seriously because of it. He tries desperately to escape this fact, to try and act as mature as possible, but ultimately he can’t change how others will perceive him at his age.

This is what the shadow confrontation focuses on most heavily. But then it switches to discussing the other part of the issue-- the fact that Naoto’s ideal image of a detective is a man, and he “isn’t.” 

At the end, Yukiko says “You must know already that what you yearn for isn’t to become an adult or to become a boy,” and Naoto accepts it. This is what most people point to when saying that Naoto can’t be trans, because he agrees that it wasn’t what he wished for. So, easy, right? If you take this as him telling the truth, then it looks like an open and shut case-- he isn’t trans. But Naoto’s actions don’t really fit what he says here. 

The issue starts with these next lines (below) in particular. To me, Naoto’s tone in the first line is regretful, and doesn’t strike me as a sentiment someone who is cisgender would necessarily hold. Why would he want to “change into a man?” To fit his ideal image of a detective? As he says here, yes.

(Real quick before I continue, it’s not clear in the dialogue screenshot but it’s important to note that Naoto does say “yes” to Yukiko’s question about him not liking being a girl. He nods his head)

The narrative that the game tries to go with after this is that the “ideal image” Naoto wanted to live up to, including the male aspect of it, was unattainable and formed primarily because he felt that was the only way he could be a detective. 

But, is this really that much of a problem? We all look up to certain types of people, people that we want to be like-- and for many, this can factor into gender identity as well. If Naoto really just wanted to be a cool, male detective, that doesn’t at all negate that being trans would be a part of that for him. 

Naoto’s other words and actions, as well as the framing of this scene as a whole, make the scenario feel a lot less believable to me for multiple reasons. Naoto never initiates the conversation that him wanting to be a boy is incorrect-- Yukiko does. Naoto isn’t even the one to trigger his shadow-- Kanji does that. Naoto had a lot less agency in a lot of these decisions than the other characters did with their shadows. 

Naoto’s Continued Actions

The fragility of the narrative Atlus put together for Naoto continues to grow throughout the rest of the game, due to the way he behaves after the initial shadow confrontation.

For starters, it’s implied that Naoto is not his birth name, something that i think a lot of people either miss or forget about-- and yet he continues to go by it throughout the course of the game. We never find out his deadname and he never expresses a desire to share it with anybody.

The day after the “reveal,” Naoto doesn’t change anything about his appearance, mannerisms, or how he presents himself. He honestly seems uncomfortable with the fact that everyone has found out, in a way that felt much like being outed to the whole school, as opposed to finally being seen and accepted for who you “really” are.

I understand that such a drastic shift in people’s perception of you would be overwhelming to anybody, no matter if you were cis or not. But if Atlus really wanted to hone in on the idea that Naoto was happy about this change, they could’ve at least made him…. Well, happy about it. Even if it was just a small smile, just a tiny indication of relief even despite how hard it will be to adjust, it would’ve made it at least a little more believable that this is what he really wanted.

But that’s not the case. Instead, he’s uncomfortable, he still binds, he still wears the school’s male uniform, and he still goes by Naoto. The only time any of this actually changes is if you as the protagonist push him to, which… is a whole other mess.

The fact that Naoto has even gotten to this point, though, speaks more volumes to me than anything else. Passing is not easy. Coming out is not easy. Naoto would have had to go through difficult lengths in order to get not only his school, but the country and media to see him as a man.  He’s a well-known "detective prince".. someone was bound to look up his records and find out about it. That's a huge risk to take.

In addition to this, he binds. He goes by masculine pronouns and a masculine name. He very audibly changes his voice to be more masculine. I don’t know how to tell you this, but this is just…. not something cis people do? At least not comfortably. 

In fact, doing all of this would have been incredibly uncomfortable for Naoto if he was cis. As someone who experiences dysphoria, looking like and being seen as a gender you are not can be really, really painful. If transitioning was something he really didn’t want, why would he put himself through all of that? Was it really to escape misogyny? Me asking this isn’t minimizing the issue at all, because I understand that it’s incredibly serious and hard for countless women. But I would generally think someone’s first reaction to facing misogyny isn’t to… completely change their identity and present as a different gender.

On top of being probably the hardest option of escaping misogyny available to him, and one of the most uncomfortable, presenting as a man doesn’t necessarily get rid of any prejudices Naoto may face. In fact, I would argue that it’s considerably more dangerous. Especially in a rural town like Inaba, where people seem to not really understand or approve of being LGBT. Naoto is smart, he would have thought of all of this. So why?

Inherent Transphobia of Naoto’s Arc 

There is something to be said about how much misogyny is present in Japan’s workforce, especially in fields like Naoto’s, and the importance there is in discussing that. The base idea behind his struggles and message isn’t inherently a bad one, but the way the game went about it was problematic because it put down transgender identities in the process.

The first time I watched Naoto’s shadow confrontation, it was really distressing to me. The game continuously repeats the idea that you can’t “cross the barrier of the sexes,” that Naoto “can never really be a man,” and  that “you can change your name, but you can never change who you “really” are.” I hope I don’t need to explain why this is a problem.

Naoto’s wish to be a man, regardless of what was driving it, is depicted as something temporary and childish. Something that Naoto “didn’t really want,”  something that was just an excuse to run away from the misogyny he was facing. Even if it was unintentional, this message is incredibly harmful to transgender people.

It would have been a better and much more coherent message about misogyny if the writers had steered clear of trans themes entirely. In fact, I think they did so well with Sae’s character in Persona 5-- she’s in the same field of work, facing very similar struggles, but she doesn’t react in the same way as Naoto at all. 

Kanji and Homophobia 

It’s even worse that Naoto’s “reveal,” on top of being problematic by itself, is used as a method to bury Kanji’s exploration of his own sexuality. The problems with Kanji’s own shadow are bad enough to warrant their own long rant, but the reveal that Naoto was “really a girl” this whole time allows the story to completely wave off his gayness for good.

This isn’t something unique to this game-- the trope of “two boys fall in love, but one of them turns out to be a girl so it’s fine” has been used numerous times in other media to explore the topic half-assedly. It plays with the “exoticness” or “drama” of a gay romance, but backs off at the end in order to uphold societal norms and prevent backlash. 

This doesn’t really give any kind of good commentary on gay relationships, nor does it depict them in a positive or helpful manner. It isn’t something that these games should be getting kudos for doing. 

Misogyny?

I think there’s also something to be said about how poignantly bad Atlus is at really tackling the problem of misogyny. It tries, especially with characters like Ann and Sae, and in certain aspects it can succeed. But then they have scenes like the pageant and Every Beach Scene Ever, where the women are forced to wear swimsuits or revealing clothing against their will, or their bodies are talked about without their consent. There is consistently a character in each persona game who is forced to do the whole misogynistic dipshit gimmick that’s supposed to be funny-- Junpei, Yosuke, Teddie, Morgana, Ryuji-- and while this is obviously not a Persona specific problem by a longshot, it’s still indicative of how unsuccessful these games often are in delivering the message that society’s systemic misogyny is an issue.

This is something I think about a lot when people try and argue that Naoto’s story can’t be about him being trans because it’s “an important message about misogyny.” Atlus often doesn’t deliver on such stories already, and they certainly didn’t with Naoto. As soon as Naoto returns to “living as a woman” he’s subjected to the same misogyny that the other girls are. His chest is commented on, he’s forced to be in the beauty pageant, he’s made uncomfortable in the bath scenes-- really, all Atlus did after the reveal was make the problem worse for him. 

On top of this, his story never actually meaningfully tackles the problem of misogyny in the detective force. It’s not a major part of his social link or the general plot of the game-- honestly, it’s barely even touched on at all after the initial confrontation. Thus, the idea that “Naoto can’t be trans because it erases a story about misogyny” is just plain untrue. There never was a coherent one in the first place.

Problems Within the Fandom

Despite all of this, there is such an intense backlash from the majority of the fandom if anybody dares to bring up these issues with Naoto’s story. Naoto being trans is generally seen as something ridiculous and stupid, or something to insult and mock people for.

I understand that there's always going to be people who say provocative stuff like this, no matter what anyone does, and that it’s not something exclusive to this particular fandom or character. But the problem is that this rhetoric isn't just from them anymore--the consensus among so much of the fandom seems to be either that Naoto absolutely cannot be trans, or that speaking about it at all is "annoying discourse" and taboo. Even from fans that are LGBT or allies themselves. 

This in and of itself is such a telling thing to me. if you find yourself getting angry about the subject, really ask yourself why. Is it such a problem for people to reclaim a transphobic story? Is it such a problem for a character to be trans in the first place?  There is room for discussion and nuance regarding this situation, but we have to make it for ourselves. We can accept that Atlus’s base game will never actually give us a coherent story about either misogyny nor being transgender with Naoto’s story. But petty arguments and insults thrown at people who bring up this topic isn’t any of that-- it’s just poorly masked transphobia. 

So at the end of the day, no, Naoto being is trans is not “canon.” Of course Naoto would not actually be allowed to be trans, he is a main character in a game series where the only explicitly LGBT characters have been consistently buried, stereotyped, or demonized with only a few rare exceptions.

Yes, you’re allowed to headcanon whatever you want about him. I can’t stop you from wanting a story about misogyny, or from seeing Naoto’s gender as something more fluid than I do. But you can’t ignore the fact that his story, as written in canon, is laden with transphobia despite its intentions. It’s not a ridiculous or harmful thing for trans people to want to reclaim that.

There are still a lot more issues with how Naoto is treated in the game-- especially in his romance route-- but that’s a whole other can of worms I’m not ready to unpack today lol

Hopefully all of this made sense though, and feel free to bring up anything else I may have missed or point out any issues you might have with it :-) Thanks for reading!

#persona 4 #naoto shirogane #p4 #persona #naoto #trans naoto #meta #long post #discourse #misogyny #transphobia #god?? god!! help me #this is literally such a mess lol But #sorry for lack of pictures in the second half also

[bthump]

I wanted to touch on the whole gutsca thing with someone (I know zero people in this fandom so you're my lucky pick!). Am I alone in feeling like their first time together came out of no where? My meta with Guts is that he was not at all comfortable with sex at that time of his life (this instance being his first time [outside of the rape he experienced as a child]). His choice of words too, "here I go", translated to me like someone only doing what they felt was expected of them rather than something he was yearning for. He clearly wasn't even ready given how rough he was and how he regressed and attacked her. This moment seemed very forced and almost rang to me like Kentaro's declaration of "no homo though". I would be curious to know how Kentaro felt about homosexuality (bisexuality, etc) and if he ever addressed the ever blatant gay tension and romantic-non-platonic-love blossoming between Guts and Griffith pre-eclipse. I do get the sense that this may be a case of severe queer baiting or perhaps a PSA against gay love altogether ("falling for a man will literally destroy you and send you and everyone you love to hell" type of message); but I'm a very jaded person so I hope to be proven wrong. Sigh, my point being Gutsca seems pretty dang forced and empty of true development. I buy them more as besties than anything romantic. Especially since both he and Casca are actually in love with Griffith (what a fucking triangle!). Does anyone in fandom have any opinions on the sad possibility of this whole beautiful and ultimately tragic love between Griffith and Guts actually being a fucked up anti-gay PSA? Are there any interviews with Kentaro shooting this theory down so I can stop being sad and bitter about it? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for sending this, I'm definitely down to talk about it! I hope you connect with more people in the fandom but don’t worry about sending random asks even if you do lol.

Anyway you’re definitely not alone. I have a lot of thoughts on Guts and Casca's hook up, and they're all pretty much "it feels really forced and not particularly romantic but I think you can argue that that's deliberate" lol. For instance I discuss in a lot of detail here how various aspects of the scene indicate that Guts and Casca having sex is shown to be a case of both of them rebounding from Griffith and sort of giving to each other what they were unable or failed to give to him.

And I talk a lot about how Judeau essentially orchestrates it all and what that suggests about Guts and Casca's relationship here.

And lol sorry for all the links but also this post is about how their relationship feels one-sided to an extent and is used to illuminate a lot of Guts' flaws, using Judeau as a comparison point.

Oh shit and also one more lol, here's a comparison between the sex scene and Griffith's with Charlotte that suggests that both start as ways for the dudes to repress their feelings.

(Don't feel obligated to read all those posts if you don't want, you should get the gist of what I'm saying w/ those descriptions.)

But yeah basically I do think that Guts and Casca getting together felt forced and awkward. At best it might be intended to be seen that way, as two friends hooking up awkwardly in an emotionally intense moment but probably doomed to failure because neither of them are ready for a relationship with the other, or particularly interested in one deep down, once they finished "licking wounds." At worst it’s just bad writing lol. But again like I think there are good arguments for the former.

I also totally agree that their relationship has a strong vibe of doing what's expected. Like for real, at least to me both Guts and Casca read so easily as gay and repressed lol. Casca talks about her feelings for Griffith in terms of “he was a boy she was a girl can I make it any more obvious”

and I can’t help but see it as Casca like, wow I have strong feelings towards Griffith, he’s a man and I’m a woman, so clearly these feelings must be romantic, there’s no other option. Then when she has sex with Guts she keeps contextualizing it essentially as repayment for Guts saving her, like she owes him. “I too want a wound I can say you gave me.” “Not just being given to... maybe I can give something as well.” Which just doesn’t make her desire for him look all that genuine lol.

And then you have Guts. The way he tells Casca that from the start only her touch was okay with him after he has sex with her, referencing the scene when he wakes up with her on top of him and starts to panic before realizing she’s a woman, is soooo suggestive of repression to me. Like, first off because it’s incorrect, he was also okay with Griffith going in for a face-grab after winning a duel Guts had been projecting his rape trauma all over, which seems like a pretty conspicuous omission. And secondly because the reason he was okay with Casca’s touch specifically is solely because she’s a woman, not because she’s special or because they have a magic romantic connection - it’s because she’s not a man. To me that just screams that Guts was open to sex with Casca because she’s the only woman he knows, and he’s afraid of the idea of physical intimacy with men, regardless of what he might actually want deep down.

So yeah that’s basically how I feel about Guts and Casca’s relationship, strong agree with you.

When it comes to Miura’s intent, I can tell you that Miura was asked about the subtext in an interview once, back in 2000, and he responded with something along the lines of ‘two men can have passionate feelings for each other without it being romantic.’ The interview is here, but this is a paraphrase the translator mentioned in the comments.

Other than that I’ve never seen him address it directly, but on the flipside he has cited several textually gay stories as inspiration (off the top of my head: Kaze to Ki no Uta, Devilman, Guin Saga, mangaka Moto Hagio in general), and he has straightforwardly said that the (magical intersex) central character of his other work, Duranki, was intended to have romances with both male and female love interests. Also people tell me there are strong griffguts vibes with the main, presumably canon or intended-to-be-canon ship there. So there’s that lol.

As for the no homo aspect and the potential homophobia in the griffguts subtext... I can’t deny I’ve also considered the idea that it’s a deliberate anti-gay PSA (though I haven’t seen anyone else address the idea as far as I remember, and I’ve only briefly mentioned it offhandedly). Like, Guts and Griffith’s relationship turns bad because they’re both too invested in each other, maybe the barely-subtextual desire is meant to look like a sinister twisting of pure platonic feelings that ruins everything, if Griffith hadn’t loved him the Eclipse never would have happened, etc.

But honestly I don’t think that reading holds up compared to a much more positive reading of their feelings, in which it’s their failure to understand them and act on them, thanks largely to formative childhood trauma and self-hatred, that leads to tragedy.

I don’t know what Miura intended, and there certainly are aspects of the story that are homophobic regardless of his intent, even if my best-faith reading is entirely correct, like the only textual gay attraction being pedophiles and over the top heretic orgies lol, or yk, Guts and Griffith both assaulting the same woman while looking at/thinking about the other in a very sexually charged way.

But the reading of their relationship where it’s positive and good for both of them, even including sexual desire, and only gets fucked up because they both incorrectly think their feelings are unrequited is legitimately so weirdly strong, much stronger than a reading where the sexual nature of their feelings is what fucks everything up, so I’m pretty happy just rolling with that take.

And as much as Casca can be seen and may very well be intended as a no homo, it’s also very easy for me to read her relationships with both as less of a hopeful opportunity for positive heterosexual romance and more of a “here’s how repressing your feelings thru attempts at heterosexuality fucks you up” PSA lol. Griffith and Charlotte too, for that matter. It’s definitely a stretch to think that’s intended, but whether it’s intended or not it’s an easy sell for me and I’m fine with not really worrying too much about possible authorial intent there.

Finally, I also want to link this post that goes pretty thoroughly into why I interpret griffguts as very positive rather than as a cautionary tale or predatory gay lust etc

And also have this shorter post about Femto on the same subject too, why not

Oh and maybe this thing where I split hairs about Guts’ lust for Griffith and desire for revenge to make a point that the homoeroticism isn’t necessarily being equated with violence by the narrative lol

#ask #a #b #anonymous #theme: repression #theme: homoeroticism #interviews #ship: griffguts #ship: gtsca #theme: homophobia #theme: heteronormativity

[imnotoverlyobsessive]

Mabel’s All-in-One Guide to Being a Shooting Star: How to Avoid Being Caught and Other Tips You Should Know

Chapter One: Just for the Summer

Shoutout to my betas/brainstorming buddies @edward-or-ford and @pacific-ship!

You’re never gonna love me, so what’s the use? What’s the point in playing a game you’re gonna lose? What’s the point in saying you love me like a friend? What’s the point in saying it’s never gonna end? - Marina and the Diamonds, Lies

Mabel was in a rut. Her boyfriend- no, it was ex-boyfriend by that point, huh? He’d dumped her, after all. Her ex-boyfriend was a dick. And Mabel didn’t jump to these types of conclusions lightly, either. When Mabel was of the opinion that someone was a dick, they weren’t just a dick, they were a Dick™ with a capital D.

Such was the case with Andrew Craddock (or AC, as she’d taken to calling him a few times; as it turns out, he was not as cool as his initials implied). Andrew was a Dick™. Like yeah, they’d been dating for, like, a month, month and a half maybe. And sure, maybe lots of nineteen-year-old college freshmen are willing to jump into bed with anything that moved, which was perfectly fine, but while Mabel was okay with holding hands and making out and maybe even the occasional butt grab, she was not okay with her boyfriend trying to grope her during a movie when she’d said she wasn’t ready for that sort of thing yet.

So she didn’t wanna sleep with him right off. Big whoop. She reiterated this to him, of course. And then! And then the absolute butthole had pointed to Clueless (the movie they’d been watching, cause it’s a mother-flippin’ classic, aight?) and said, “ya hear that, Mabel? You’re just a virgin who can’t drive!” and then the dude straight up stormed out of her dorm. Like. What? Seriously, who even does that?

Also, Mabel could absolutely drive. She had her license and everything. It was just Mabel really liked looking at the UC Santa Cruz campus (go Slugs, woooo) while riding her bike, and cars were expensive anyway, plus she didn’t really need one. She lived on campus, so a bike ride to and from class or the library or the cafe or whatever, it was all nice. It was fun. And economical. And better for the environment. It was a win-win-win situation!

And yeah, okay, fine, she was a virgin, but several of her friends were still virgins, so it wasn’t like… this big huge deal, it really wasn’t.

At least, that’s what Mabel had thought.

Until Andrew decided he wanted to be a Dick™.

And then, after all that, she’d gotten an email from her Painting 101 professor that her final was… acceptable, but if she wanted to make it into 102, she needed to have a little something extra. So Mabel had to scrounge up an extra credit project at the last minute before the grades were in for the summer.

She’d passed, thankfully, and her professor had approved her for 102, but even so…

Mabel had perhaps taken part in too many clubs (UC Santa Cruz’s LBGTQ+ club, two separate environmental clubs, an animal advocacy club, and a club that made crafts for kids in hospitals), She loved them all, she really did, but five clubs was a lot, and it was tiring. She probably wouldn’t go back to all of them when she returned in the fall, but she was still very much on the fence about which clubs specifically she should stay in.

Dipper was… Dipper was Dipper. He’d never been anything but. He’d come out as gay their senior year of high school. That was fine with Mabel. She didn’t mind it. Really, she didn’t. Sure, she mighta kinda sorta had teensy little feelings for him that were maybe slightly a bit on the not-so-platonic side of things, but just a bit, okay?

When Andrew had asked her out, she’d said yes, because, well. Get under someone to get over someone, right? That’s what one of her friends had said. And no hate on her friend, ‘cause her friend was the bomb dot com, but like. Her friend was one of those aforementioned college freshmen who was totally cool about jumping into bed with anything that moved, which was fine for some people, but, well…

Kissing Andrew felt weird. It felt wrong. He didn’t make her knees tremble, and he didn’t make her sigh blissfully. She’d hated being alone with him, because he’d always, always make a move on her, like, it was ridiculous how consistent he was about that, and whenever he kissed her, she’d just…

Well, there was no way around it, was there? She wished he was Dipper. Whenever Andrew kissed her, she spent every second thinking about Dipper, her twin bro, her best bud. Absolutely the worst possible person for her to fall in love with, but Mabel had never been one to play by the rules, and that didn’t appear to be any different in matters of the heart, either.

‘Cause falling in love with one’s twin brother who just so happened to be of the homosexual persuasion broke pretty much every rule in the rule book. If there was a rule book. Which there wasn’t. But maybe it would be better if there were, because then, like, she’d feel better about the set social norms and where she was in relation to them. Not that she thought she was in the green with her not-at-all platonic feelings for her bro bro, of course. She knew that. She knew it was kookoo bananas, okay? She knew.

But she couldn’t help it. He was everything to her, and pretending she’d felt something she didn’t for Andrew had felt all wrong, like she’d been going against everything her heart and soul yearned for. Which was probably because she was going against everything her heart and soul yearned for. But it wasn’t exactly like she had a choice. It was either go against everything she wanted or do nothing, and Mabel had never been particularly good at doing nothing.

Sometimes, a bit of moping becomes necessary. Sometimes, you just need to listen to sad music and cry for a while to process your emotions.

And so, Mabel found herself walking around Gravity Falls, which, in retrospect, was maaaaaaybe not the best place for her to visit in an effort to forget about her very romantic love for her gay twin brother, with whom she had had more adventures in Gravity Falls than she could count. Staring out at the lake, Mabel wondered if her feelings for Dipper began there, in that small town surrounded by trees and teeming with mystery.

Thinking she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her, she whipped her head around, only to find nothing. No one. She was alone, it would seem. She’d always been alone, ever since she and Dipper had gone off to college separately. She’d stayed in California. He’d gone off to some tech college or other on the east coast, and was having better luck with guys than she was.

Dipper had a boyfriend. He loved his boyfriend. He’d told her so just a few nights prior. Mabel had fought to keep her voice even, pretended to hear her roommate calling her from the living room, and promptly hung up. Her roommates weren’t even home.

Mabel had sobbed into her pillow until her eyelids were raw.

Candy and Grenda weren’t in town. They were coming home for the summer at some point, but not yet. Mabel had just needed to get out. She loved Santa Cruz, but she needed to get out.

Just for the summer. Just for awhile. Just to purge herself of her feelings for Dipper so she could finally, finally move on.

But first, she needed to cry. She needed a place to cry. So she got on her bike and, with one last look at the setting sun reflecting off the still water of the lake, Mabel rode off in the direction of the Shack.

———————————————————————

The sky was a bit darker by the time she got to the Shack, resting her bike against the porch and walking off into the trees, fallen leaves and grass crunching beneath her sneakers. It wasn’t terribly dark outside, since it was only, like, six-ish, but the trees shielded some of the sunlight, and Mabel was grateful she’d thought to shove a flashlight in her backpack before she left. She doubted she’d need it, but hey. The night was young.

She trudged through the forest, stepping over fallen branches before finding a clearing that felt… familiar. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it felt as if she’d been there before. It was as good a place as any, she supposed.

Mabel took off her backpack, leaned against a tree trunk, and slid down to sit on the leaves. She unzipped the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out her wallet (Hello Kitty with a whole bunch of lace and rhinestones expertly glued on by yours truly). Opening it, she stared at the picture she had of her and Dipper, grinning in front of the Mystery Shack on their thirteenth birthday.

It had been better then. Simpler. Everything was simpler before she fell in love with him.

If Mabel closed her eyes, she became fifteen again. Young and stupid and so, so naïve. It was like everything had changed overnight. One day, she looked at Dipper, and her feelings were completely platonic, as far as she was aware. The next, they were anything but.

She’d nearly broken down when they were sixteen. She was sitting with him on the roof of their house on a Saturday night, looking out at the lights of the city. They blocked out most of the stars, but the moon was still bright.

She made a joke, and when he laughed, she looked over at him, and he was just… he was beautiful. There was no other word for it. He was just beautiful. There wasn’t much light, but what light there was illuminated his face as he smiled at her. In that moment, she’d almost lost it. She’d almost told him how she felt. Almost kissed him. She’d been inching closer to him, and it was entirely subconscious. But then, their mom had called for them, and they’d gone back inside.

Two years later, he came out as gay. And Mabel was so, so relieved that she’d never ruined their relationship by telling him she loved him in a way she never should’ve loved him.

But she did, and there was no helping it. She’d fought against it, but in the end, she probably couldn’t have prevented it or avoided it. There was nothing she could’ve done.

Mabel was convinced that she’d been destined to fall in love with Dipper. And maybe, in another life, he could’ve loved her, too. But not this one. Never this one.

She didn’t realize she’d been crying until a tear plopped onto the picture of her and Dipper. Right on Dipper’s stupid thirteen-year-old face, too. She would’ve laughed if she hadn’t been so upset.

“Mabel?” a voice said, not far from where she sat. “Is that you?”

Swiping away her tears as quickly as she could, she looked up.

“Jeff?” It had never occurred to Mabel she’d see any of the gnomes again.

He approached her. His beard was longer, she noticed. “Been awhile,” he observed.

“Seven years,” she agreed with a small nod. “How, uh… how’ve you been?”

He shrugged. “Been better, been worse. I’m not the leader of the gnomes anymore. Haven’t seen ‘em in a long time.”

“Oh, I’m… sorry to hear that,” she said, not feeling sorry in the slightest. Maybe if she seemed disinterested, he’d leave her alone and she could get back to her very important business, which was, of course, crying her eyes out and staring miserably at Dipper’s picture.

“Ah, well. Such is life.” There was silence for a moment, and he spoke again, his tone much snappier than it had been before. “I said, ‘such is life’.”

There was a little “oh!” from the trees behind her, and then a rustling, and then something was put over her head, and she screamed.

The last thing she saw before the cloth fell over her eyes was Jeff’s smirking face.

#gravity falls #gravity falls fanfiction #gf fanfiction #pinecest #dipper gleeful #reverse falls #reverse dipper #fanfiction #fanfic #Mabel’s all-in-one guide to being a shooting star #my writing

[dragonheadskilax]

Gonna annotate about Leon’s entire character to y’all because he’s so so good, and every time I see someone say he’s a bad character for crushing on a man who doesn’t like him back i’m >:(

An archer born in a Zofian town. His manner of speech and conduct are unmistakably similar to a young lady's. He grew up care-free thanks to his parents and their laid-back environment. He was often teased for his effeminately good looks, and he always responded with a test of skill--which he would win, improving his reflexes. He joined the army to search for someone he could devote his heart to. When Valbar decided to accompany Celica, he naturally tagged along, and provided much assistance during the journey. He has a frank personality, saying what's on his mind; he's also the type of person who wears his heart on his sleeve. After the war, he became a merchant and it's said he lived a free and happy life.

The area of Zofia do follow Mila who is known as the goddess of love so considering how Leon is sappy and having the title “True of Heart”, Leon would totally be into lovecore aesthetic.

He may act feminine, use female gendered words in other languages, and would call himself a maiden, but as far as everything else he’s crude and mean and doesn’t hold back on filtering himself even if he’s talking to a kid.

Leon left home when he was young, so considering how this game series does have a thing of making 15 year old kiddies soldiers I’m guessing he left home at around that age.

To ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’ means to be honest and openly show your feelings or emotions. He’s painfully honest and drop hints he’s not straight.

"...Blerg. I don't like sea travel, and it sure doesn't like me. I'm nauseous, I'm sunburned, and I'm wind-beaten. I look like death's damp leftovers. But YOU look fresh as a daisy, Priestess! What's your secret? ...What? Nothing? NOTHING?! But you look like a dew-dappled angel! Augh, that's so annoying... Well, youth is great and all, but don't expect it to last."

There’s that painful honesty.

He sure does focus on his looks. He’s 24, smh Leon don’t think that you’re not gonna last past 30.

"Great. We finally get off that infernal boat, and now it’s the desert. Are you doing this on purpose, Priestess? Is it personal? *sigh* I want to get out of here before I dry up like a mummy. If I turn hideous and Valbar abandons me, it’s your fault. …What did you say? …Valbar isn’t the sort to judge people by their appearance? You think I don’t realize that? I know him FAR better than you! Gods, it really throws me when you’re so rational and correct…"

Still trying hard to get noticed by Valbar.

I like how he’s saying this particular line to a 17 year old, like chill, dude. Be nice.

"When I was a kid, there was this guy that I was head over heels for. He’s the reason I enlisted, actually. Just so I could stay close to him. He died in the first battle we fought. I cried so hard, I thought my eyes were going to float clean out of my skull. Valbar saved me from that. Every time he saw me, he’d take the time to say something. Cheer me up. What can you do with a man like that but fall in love? You’re thinking I’m a tramp, aren’t you? Well, I’m not. It’s hardly my fault that the world is full of wonderful, lovable people. Such a thing really motivates one to get out there and save it."

He made a big decision to leave home and enlist to follow a guy.. Now that he fell in love with Valbar he’s doing anything to follow him, too. I guess what’s different is it had been an unrequited love, even when it was suggested that Valbar knew about it it remained as a crush. Leon loves him at a distance so then he wouldn’t get badly hurt as he once had.

Him saying he’s not a “tramp” is a bit of info I like because people tend to wanna characterize effeminate gay characters as being touchy and wanting to peek at lotsa guys (which isn’t bad but there’s more than one type of guy), but not Leon, he’s more of a yearning for a soul mate kinda guy. He’s not big on lots of physical touch unless he really likes ya. "Hey, hey, now. No more of that." “I'm a friendly fellow, but not the touchy-feely type. All right?"

talking to Valbar “Heh heh. But it's fine. Emotions come in many forms, and as you say, there's no point in hanging on. I'm still glad I have these feelings, and nothing will change that.”

A crush is totally different than being in a relationship so like... I don’t like it when people say he’s a bad character for it. It totally happens to like someone but they don’t swing that way. In Leon’s case he keeps the crush because it feels safer and sappy to have it. Even if he tries his darnest to let Valbar get the hint he Loves loves him, when nothing happens he just accepts that.

talking to Valbar “Just realizing I've been a fool for feeling sorry for myself. Compared to what you've gone through, my worries are nothing.”

Despite the ol’ “keeping his heart on his sleeve” thing Leon has a knack of keeping negative feelings to himself. Probably the type who wouldn’t admit it because it doesn’t feel as big of a deal compared to other’s. This guy needs a hug so bad.

Kamui: “Oh, you're a laugh riot. But anyway, what do you think makes a good man?”

Leon: “Hmm. That's not easily summed up in a few words, but... for starters, he should be kind, strong and mature... while maintaining a boyish innocence. He also needs to listen, but be ready to tell the hard truths when necessary.”

Kamui: “Oh, come on. No one's that perfect.”

Some people take their conversations as being odd or random information or just to express again on how Leon’s gay but I wanna turn more attention on Kamui’s motive for asking in the first place. For someone who tries to not make people take him as gay, and explicitly so in the manga, he sure do wanna know what Leon’s type is if he’s got his eyes on Valbar.

Kamui is kinda right that no one could be perfect but Leon had been describing Valbar, when like,, they’re not even in a relationship… Leon honey… don’t hurt yourself like this. This leads to their next conversation;

Kamui: It's about… what you said before. So what would you do if Valbar ended up being.. the opposite of your ideal?

Leon: Well, that's an absurd question. But in the interest of humoring you and passing the time... Well, I suppose I'd set off looking for a man who met my perfect ideal. A journey like that might actually be kind of... fun.

Kamui: I think that's the first time you and I have agreed on anything.

Kamui could probably tell that Valbar isn’t ever going to return the kind of love Leon wants, and tries to learn what Leon’s thoughts are about that. Because even if he says he doesn’t care much about anything he seems to care about Leon. On the battlefield given his specific quotes for Leon and in these conversations. Kamui tells how his luck went south ever since joining in this journey and he’s only sticking around for the money, but that job he was paid for was done a long time ago at his recruitment quest. So he seems to hang around anyway for his sense of completion on things it seems.

The word ‘journey’ is like music to Kamui’s ears considering his history. It would be a fun writing idea actually of them traveling across Valm picking guys to speed date, well, like in the manga lmaooo but wider ranged.

This would be the first time Leon speaks nicely to Kamui instead of being standoffish and harsh. Kamui sounded really relieved for that. Then when Leon says he doesn’t like him that way Kamui instantly tries to back track lol

"Hello, Kiran! I've prepared some tea. Would you care to join me? I must admit, I was anxious when you first summoned me here. Ugh, don't laugh—it's rude! I may not look worried, but I have my fair share of concern, same as anyone else. Anyway, you've proven yourself more than capable, so I suppose I don't mind sticking around. To be honest, I am eager to return home... But that can wait, I think... Care for another cup?"

He says this when level 40 in FEH. So by this point he’s well acquainted with the player. Him admitted that negative feeling is once again that thing he has of keeping feels in to not seem it’s a big issue. And him wanting to go back home…. boohoo..

(If Valbar lives) Welcomed into the One Kingdom's Brotherhood of Knights, Leon remained at Valbar's side until an injury ended his fighting career. He then took up work as a merchant in the city market, where he lived free, happy, and dauntlessly true to himself to the last.

He better keep that good happy ending 👊

(If Valbar dies) Dealt a grievous blow by Valbar's death, Leon disappeared for a time before returning to join the One Kingdom's Brotherhood of Knights. There, he fought with the strength of a hundred men, and later served as an instructor to new recruits, contributing greatly to the order.

It’s messed up to think of Leon losing someone he loves again….. He should not go through all that again… Where did he disappear to.. Did he turn himself from twink to a bear to take the place of what would’ve been Valbar’s job if he lived (since Valbar ending would’ve been him becoming the instructor)

#dragon talk

[chiyohsrifle]

Got tagged by the marvelous @hvnnigram and I can't wait to bare my soul to you guys. this is a long one, so let's go!!

Rules: Tag people you want to get to know better 🖤

Your name and then what you would've named yourself: My full name is Montserrat (I'm Mexican, in case you couldn't tell. Well Mexican-American but anywho) but I typically go by Montse. Mainly cuz people struggle to pronounce my full name hehe but I also just think it's less of a mouthful. Idk, I honestly really love my name and don't think I'd change it given the chance. Maybe something shorter just cuz paperwork can be a bitch. I like Rene but otherwise, I'm pretty attached to my name lol.

Astrological sign (sun/moon/rising if you know them): I'm a sun Pisces, a moon Aries, and a rising Virgo, I believe :)) All in all, I'm an emotional, empathetic bitch

When did you join Tumblr and why?: Was going through my emails yesterday and I've been here for a year?? apparently. So yea, I joined Aug./Nov. of 2019 and I'm almost certain it was cuz I wanted to see more Good Omens fanart lol. But I got more active this year cuz quarantine do be forcing me to have some wack coping mechanisms. Also BBC Merlin had me reeling and I needed somewhere to scream.

Top 5 fandoms: Hannibal (obviously), BBC Merlin, Killing Eve, Good Omens, and The Umbrella Academy 😊

Top 5 favorite films: (oh Lord, the cinema buff in me is Panicking rn) God, there's so many I love but I'll try to give varietyTM. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Parasite (2019), The Wind Rises (2013), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014).

Go to song when you wanna Feel something: if we're talking like emotionally charged, TALK ME DOWN by Troye Sivan always sends me reeling. Endorphins wise, Ahora Te Puedes Marchar by Luis Miguel always makes me wanna jump and move around. And La Vie Boheme from RENT, just pure serotonin

What's your religion or faith, if you have one?: I was raised with a heavy Catholic background but I'm agnostic, I believe is the term. Basically, I don't think there's not a God or higher power(s). I just don't align with anything specifically. But I do believe there's something running things, whether that be spirits, the stars, gods, etc. I can't say.

A song that makes you feel seen: Not to be a theatre kid on main but, Breathe from In The Heights. That song and whole musical hold such a special place in my heart, esp with Nina's character cuz I'm Nina. Every part of that song just Gets Me and i ugh, can't articulate it but yea, that song be me.

If you could pick a career: A writer or painter. Anything creative/artsy really cuz crafting is just so calming to me.

Do you have a type?: ngl, I'm kinda the 'falls in love with their best friend' stereotype but beyond that, not really. I kinda just see attractive people and mentally short circuit

What does your soul/heart yearn for?: Not to sound like a character from Hannibal, but to be understood. To be cared for and feel supported. To allow myself to rest and be comforted/loved. Just to feel safe ig. Whoop, that got personal, anywho

If you had to describe yourself in 5 words to someone who doesn’t know you: intelligent, caring, awkward, Very Queer, and chaotic

Favorite subject in school: English and History!! I think they're absolutely fascinating and I'm gay so obviously I connect way too much with literature

Where does your soul feel most at home at?: Close to someone that I love, in comfortable silence. Or any situation where I have wind blowing in my face, it's super comforting and idk why

Top 5 fictional characters: Rowena from SPN, Bella Crawford, Beverly Katz, Eve Polastri, and Jack Crawford

Top 3 moments in a show that made you ugly cry:

1. The ending of Your Lie In April. Idk if any of yall have experienced that, but let me know if you have cuz shared trauma. I was crying so hard, I couldn't breathe. Dry heaving and everything, it was Not Pretty

2. Like literally all of One Day At Time. I know, it's cheesy but that show means a lot to me and I get so emotional watching it cuz I connect to the characters so much. Anything with Elena makes me sob cuz like she's me but also my baby, ya know

3. Um Queer Eye in general but specifically the episode with the gay pastor. That hit close to home on so many levels and boy, was I sobbing the entire time.

(Before y'all ask, honorable mention to Mizumono, TWOTL, and the ending of BBC Merlin cuz I may have been too tired to cry, but trust me, I was emotionally wrecked after all three)

The earth, the sun, the moon, or the stars: Ooh, I'm gonna have to go with the stars but I love that lesbian space rock too

Favorite kind of weather: Thunderstorms, rain, cloudy, grey weather. Fall, I love the fall, give me autumn pleASE

Top 3 characters to kin you with: Guinevere Pendragon from BBC Merlin, Vanya Hargreeves from TUA, and Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal

Favorite medium of art: I love all art very much but I guess drawing and film especially

Introvert/Extrovert/Ambivert: Gonna say ambivert cuz I can be shy but buckle up, cuz the second I'm comfortable around you, it's absolute chaos. You will learn too much about me and that's okay 😌

Favorite literary quote: If poetry counts, it's something like "And if the devil was to ever see you, he'd kiss your eyes and repent". Idk who wrote it but it's an Arabic love poem. Actual book quote tho, "But I'm tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these little ways." from Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda cuz damn me too.

Some of your favorite books: Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell, When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, All The Bright Places by Jennifer Lee, Autoboygraphy, and Copper Sun

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?: Europe or New York. No real specifics for Europe, defiently leaning more towards Western Europe and the Mediterranean cuz they just seem so pretty. And NY cuz I want a studio apartment hehe and also I adore NY. I went a couple years back and just fell in love. Although live is a loose term cuz I've always thought of moving around a lot. I like traveling and settling down isn't really convenient for that so these are kinda just ideals lol

If you could live in any time in history, when would it be?: Oh, defiently 60s/70s. Also, anytime matriarch societies were common cuz I wanna see what that looked like

If you could play any instrument masterfully, it would be: the acoustic guitar and piano. Maybe violin, but those two for sure

If you have one, which god or goddess do you feel more connected to?: I've always really vibed with Athena so her. But also Diyonuses cuz man's is the ideal.

And finally, your favorite recent selfie in your camera role:

(Excuse the eye bags and look in general, I was sleepy when I took it)

Whoo, that's all folks. I'm just gonna say that any of my followers/mutuals who want to do this, feel free to say I tagged you. Thanks for tag, once again, babe!!

#thanks for the tag! #luv u babe #mwah <3 #get to know me #about me

[bittersweethue]

The best of the best yet (well for me anyways). Seventeen AU recommendations.

Notes

Of course all of this has smut. I won’t be me if this did not have smut. 

The titles also contain the links. Idk why I felt the need to say that. 

CHEOLSOO ( Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups / Hong Jisoo | Joshua)

Call me an amenity

By: brightlight

Summary:

Seungcheol typically doesn't form relationships when he's travelling on business. (But then again, most people aren't Joshua Hong.)

Feels: 

Wow. This just. WOW. 

I’ve never read a cheolsoo fic this good and raw and emotionally straining. Pining. Of course there’s pining. Their emotions will consume you and leave you sobbing. 

This is just a long distance ‘relationship’  esque fic basically. That will make you sad and yearn for the same thing too. (Pinagtagpo pero di tidahana sht)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891772

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JICHEOL (Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups / Lee Jihoon | Woozi )

Busan 112 

By: Hakovftw

Summary: 

Jihoon’s been at Busan Police station for three years, and he still gets mistaken as a kid dressing up for Halloween. 

It’s so fucking unfair. 

Jihoon’s not jealous. He’s just angry that the meritocracy is failing him. 

And what makes this worse, what makes this harder to bear, is that Seungcheol is hot as hell ans looks fucking amazing in his police uniform.

It’s his only saving grace, Jihoon thinks. 

Feels: 

Absolutely love it. There is so much pining and slow burn and pINING I COULD YEET MYSELF OFF A CLIFF. 

I always love AUs wherein the author doesn’t rush the pining process? It makes everything flow and feel real. The slow burn is absolutely amazing and WORTH IT. 

Link: (It’s not up anymore, but hoping that the author will put it up again in their other account, wtfkovah)

We were two before our time

By: wtfkovah

Summary:

Jihoon, an Omega, with little social standing, poor familial associations and hardly a tuppence to his name finds honest work as a teacher. His break with the norm results in a broken courtship, and the heartache and financial strain that follow send him south for the summer season, to teach Hansol, the youngest son of the Choi family.

Feels:

I am absolutely so so in love with this. A very very dear favorite? It’s a historical au and I have always loved those. And it being an ABO fic is just *chef’s kiss*. The way it was written is very historical-y too, the words and flow and all. 

The pining is spot on, and Ji is so damn relatable in all situations. Cheol’s wooing is so adorable. Everything is so steamy and full of want holy sh-

JUST READ IT, PLEASE PLEASE. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308842

=============================================================

JUNHAO (Wen Jun Hui | Jun / Xu Ming Hao | The8)

every chance I get (I'll turn you on)

By: xumyuho

Summary: 

Minghao is a kid with miserable talents at choice making and a lot of feelings. Wen Junhui is the hot graduate who he's sleeping with and has most of those feelings for.

Everything about his life is confusing, but at least the sex is great.

Feels: 

One of the first fics that I have read. Dunno why I had to mention that. 

The way it was written was so realistic, like you forget that you are actually reading. It’s like the words just fly off and you see everything so clearly with how it was written. 

The pining? Perfection. The feels? YES. Can’t say more because I might end up spoiling it. Fuck buddy pining perfection. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5359739

you must have been very far

By: jeosheo

Summary: 

Junhui isn’t nearly as drunk as his friends; unfortunately, they’re the ones selecting his punishment for having lost miserably at this party game.

“Kiss someone,” Seokmin slurrily suggests.

“Hook up with someone!” Jeonghan corrects.

“With Minghao!”

Feels: 

Nothing has beat this yet. NOTHING. My absolute favorite fic about Seventeen. 

The writing style confused me at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Jun basically does not know what he feels and just chalk’s up everything to awkwardness. This is a fic where someone pines after someone without knowing it. 

Idk why but it broke me. All I know is I read this at midnight and fell asleep crying. I was an emotional mess for days after it. 

(Ah maybe it’s because of how precious someone could be when they get what they deserve, even if they think they don’t deserve it.)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6880459

=============================================================

WONHUI (Jeon Wonwoo / Wen Jun Hui | Jun)

No Amount of Words (Mother Tongue)

By:  rapgodwoozi

Summary:

The last thing Junhui is expecting when he boards a train bound for Amsterdam is to fall in love.

Feels: 

This is what love feels like in the movies but also not like in the movies. Willing to risk it all, questioning yourself, thinking if you deserve to be happy. 

I really love how everything is emotionally straining. Main thought here is “so-this-is-what-it-feels-like-to-fall-in-love-slowly-but-also-all-at-once”.

Couldn’t read it all at once because of how consuming the emotions are. It’s that straining and the amount of uncertainty and flowery sappy sht will choke you. 

GyuHao is also an adorable side pairing here. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20018710

Sweet Devotion

By:  Swanny_Writer

Summary:

Wonwoo meets his soulmate at a party, but the omega disappears the following morning.

Junhui meets his soulmate at a party, but holding a huge secret, he can't let the alpha claim him.

(Or the one where WonHui meet at another masquerade ball. They also have a kid and eat lots of cakes)

Feels:

Soft Junhui. Cute Junhui. Baby Junhui with a babie. FLUFF JUNHUIII!

Idk wonu is so adorable here, so cute and so caring. A feel good fic + smut. 

But its more than the smut okay? Read it if you want to feel uwu. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22283092

=============================================================

GYUHAO ( Kim Mingyu / Xu Ming Hao | The8 )

Actually both fics belong into the same series entitled we, as fruitful youth and I only realized this after months, what in the heck. 

(may the sun kiss you) unconditional

By: xumyuho

Summary:  

Mingyu doesn't need to be right, he just wants to win. Or, more specifically, he just wants Minghao to say "I lose."

Feels: 

Forgot the title and all due to reading so many fics but I have always remembered the flower giving part. That made me cri in fluff. 

Another ‘so-this-is-what-love-feels-like’ + ‘finding-home-in-a-person’ kind of fic. That kind of uwu. 

Trying to learn so much about the other and loving them more and more throughout the process. This is so beautiful and real, imma cri. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9167740

Just need one night (slightly more if it's done right)

By:  xumyuho

Summary:

“I like it like this, even without the slow-dancing and flowers.”

“Good. I’m never doing slow-dancing or flowers.”

Feels:

Holy sht this is so awkward and real and it made me realize that all relationships are like this, awkward and weird yet still full of talking, and emotions and fuck ups and IDKKK I love how realistic everything was. 

It’s not the typical ‘he-is-the-moon-and-perfect-and-I-would-die-for-him-if-I-could’ type of story and that makes it so refreshing. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6448174

=============================================================

JEONGCHEOL ( Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups / Yoon Jeonghan) 

Gay Chicken

By:  twinklingpaopufruit 

Summary:

Jisoo explains to Seungcheol and Jeonghan the concept of gay chicken.

Feels:

Is this a novel??? It’s just that kind of fic. 

Jeongcheol want + uncertainty + fluff + smut goodness. This is so so good. 

You can actually imagine all this pining and amazingness happening because of how close to their own known characters Jeongcheol is here. Like all the details we know of them, how they think, how they move, how they feel and act, this fic is faithful to it. 

The kind of fic also where you realize that Jeongcheol is the king of ships, and how all of us want to either date them, or be them. THERE IS NO IN BETWEEN.  

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6675838

=============================================================

JOSHUA + Everyone 

Good Things (Are Supposed To) Come In Threes

By: SandyRoses

Summary:

In a world where being away from your mates for too long causes physical and emotional pain, Joshua doesn't think he has it easy. He can't remember the last time he, Jeonghan, and Seungcheol just sat and cuddled. It's beginning to hurt, and he doesn't know how much longer he can handle being alone. He doesn't want to be alone.

All he wants to do is be held and loved. Slowly, he begins to think he isn't worth loving.

His friends love him, and they just want to take care of him. Slowly, they start to do both in more ways than one.

Feels:

It’s basically  OT12 loving Joshuji. ABO. JeongCheol are irresponsible jerks to their mate and a shtshow ensues.  

Glorious. Very emotional and heartbreaking but it get’s better in the end I promise.

Could not read it all at once. It’s that draining and consuming. It will consume you to the point that you will feel all the feelings of Shua, all the self doubt and yearning for something that you think you don’t deserve. 

But Shua deserves all the damn love and happiness in the world. 

Read this is you want to feel empty right after and if you are okay with the warning. 

Warnings: Talks about rape (reliving a rape scene). Slight dubious consent. 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17302151

#seventeen fic recs #ao3 #the ultimates #i think im using blockquotes in a wrong way #im sorry #SEVENTEEN master fic rec list

[faunusrights]

OFFAL HUNT REMASTERED LIVEBLOG // CHAPTER 19

IN THIS EPISODE OF MURPHY IS SCREAMING, CONSTANTLY, TRAPPED IN THEIR PERFECT NIGHTMARE:

Glynda was saying: “I know we aren’t friends. I know we aren’t partners. I know you’re a criminal. But—I think I can trust you. I think I have to trust you, even if you’ve done awful things before.”

EVERYTHING GOES WRONG BUT LIKE SOMEHOW WORSE THAN EVER? LIKE A WHOLE NEW BRAND OF LOW. LIKE CINDER’S GOT A PICKAXE AND THE CENTRE OF THE PLANET CALLS FOR AID.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but dw offal hunt, like the rising of the sun, the arrival of winter, and the eventual downfall of capitalism, always returns. so lets go.

(i just quickly reread chapter 18 liveblog to remember what happened and Ah Yes I Remember Now. The Suppressed Memories)

The place was emptier without Glynda. Quieter.

/gunshot oh we’re in danger right out of the gate huh? we got some yearning right out here? right now? how quickly the turn do tables.

Cinder appraised her work, holding the beige coat up to the light and squinting.

man i forgot. i FORGET. how much i just love cinder in this fic. sometimes she kinda zones to the back of my mind where she sits waiting for me to start thinking about her again, but now i remember that this cinder is Peaque. look at her GO, minding her own BUSINESS. im proud of her. does she know i love her.

It didn’t take long to don her new, fire-proofed clothes.

in another world, in a more comical plot, she used asbestos. it didnt go well.

The subtle warmth of the Dust teased tension from Cinder’s stiff muscles, even as she marvelled at the strangeness of her own bedroom’s space. It seemed bigger now than it had the last two nights.

h

She chose not to dwell on it.

h

i choose to dwell on it! ME!!!! I CHOOSE TO DWELL ON IT. HEY CINDER WHAT THIS GAY SHIT. hello. ma’am. can we look deeper into this. i, for one, would like to, and i, for one, think its of value to think abt this. that said, small segue

Quietly, Cinder murmured, “I didn’t freak out.”

THE FACT SHE SAYS IT ALOUD LIKE EM AND MERC CAN HEEEEEEAR HEEEEEEEER i am. INFATUATED with this family. cant wait for the 100k spinoff thats basically an elongated beach episode where they go to like. alton towers. or butlins. six flags??? thats a thing in america right??? anyway. beach episode. call me. (wink wink nudge nudge push push shove shove)

 We had to stop back in because Merc left his favorite binder, and it was 2 in the morning, so it was easier to crash here for the night than mess with the ship’s autopilot.

them,,, THEM!!!! mercury is just a son and childe. thast it. he canot change this. i love these kids so much i am SHAKING THE MONITOR RN!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAA

Stuck here in one of the homes they’d shared, Cinder missed them terribly. Missed the sound of their voices and the easy comfort of their presence. Finding the time to contact them had been difficult, between managing Glynda and Hati both, but Glynda was gone, and she’d sent Hati onwards to Atlas. She remembered her call with Emerald, before arriving in Umbraroot; she knew it had not soothed her or her fears.

im sorry was this chapter targeted at me, specifically, as a human being on planet earth? GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS FAMILY!!!!!!!!! THIS WONKY OLD BANDAGED UP FAMILY UNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! i thrive every time they are mentioned on the page. it is a blessing. my succulents grow stronger each time they show up.

“No,” Cinder argued softly, “I had to. Mercury, you deserve to hear it from me as well. I am sorry. And I am promising you: I’ll come back.”

For a long, heart-wrenching moment, he was completely quiet. It was good that Cinder was alone in the apartment; laying herself bare like this would be unbearable with an audience.

GODDDDDDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

i am OBSESSED WITH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT THIS UNTIL I D I E. of all thing the remaster does better than og, this is just. SPEEDING AHEAD. this whole CONFLICT this whole MESS just makes everything so much RICHER its like when u splash some wine in yr fancy food or stick some cinnamon on yr favourite desserts u dont NEED TO but it adds that lil SOMETHING,,, that little KICK that just ties the flavour profile together and in this case ofgughugguhu it just GIVES SO MUCH. im making SNOW ANGELS in the WORDS on the PAGE.

“Mercury. If I could prove it to you, I would. But you have to—trust me. For just a while longer.”

“It’s getting harder,” he said. He didn’t sound like he was lying just to hurt her. That wasn’t spite. That was honest anger. And it made her feel like dirt.

im less picking these for specific instances of like, things i want to say, but more just because bits of this r rly just so /chef kiss. cinder has these.... endearingly (take that whichever way u like) human qualities in OG to rly make u realise she had ties to add to her #Doubt but the remaster is just AMPING it up and u FEEL IT and ive never been more SYMPATHETIC to a round-faced sinnamon bun of assholery and fire id DIE for cinder fall and this is a fact PUT IT ON MY GRAVESTONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Is there anything you need?” What was this? Cinder could barely focus on her words. It felt like... “Anything? At all?”

“We’re fine.”

“Mercury, wait please—” She was losing him. “I think—”

“Just hurry up.”

The line went dead.

this place is not a place of honor.................. no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here........................ nothing valued is here................ IM DYING

Cinder began to type out her response, and that was when the nausea really kicked in. 

[...] 

She recognized this now.

Glynda.

stress stress stress stress STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

There shouldn’t be anybody. Cinder had done everything in her power to cut Glynda from people who would interfere. To isolate her. Make it easier to bring her to Atlas, to the frozen north, to her mother and the machine…

Cinder’s esophagus quivered; furiously, she shut her eyes and thought of nothing.

god cinder don’t remind me that you’re an asshole and dipshit and also a moron im trying to be NICE and CARE ABT YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP REMINDING ME YOU’RE A PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

FOR FIVE MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The front door clicked open.

Cinder couldn’t have said how much time had passed, only that it had passed slowly. What she did know was that it was Glynda returning, the sensation of boils bursting wafting off her soul. It crawled over Cinder’s flesh. She curled in on herself.

There were mites under every nailbed. Salt in her weeping mouth.

offal hunt’s brilliant use of this horror aspect is something i have tried previously to emulate and here’s a fact, take it from me: that shit is HARD. offal hunt consistently able to whack those real nasty, really Disgusting vibes on the head EVERY TIME is a work of art. i mean, kc and diesel do not fuck around, and therefore i am NOT surprised, but it’s only when u try this shit yourself that you realise: this is hard! this is difficult! it’s a huge testament to how GOOD this fic is in every way. also this whole fucking body horror aspect is something i didnt know this fic needed, but it did, and here we are. 

Thickly: “Things were going okay. If you hadn’t gotten nasty, I might have smoothed things over. I could have fixed things with my son.”

with my son

with my son

with my son

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I CANT TAKE IT EVERY TIME ITS TOO MUCH FOR TO BEAR I CANNOT HANDLE IT I CANNOT STAND IT ITS LIKE BEING SHOT JUST DIRECTLY IN MY DICK

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

im like sweating rn

Glynda said, “I’m scared.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to tell you.”

I SAID IM SWEATING

Glynda asked, “Are you lying to me?”

And Cinder said, “What?”

“About me. About Witches. About Ozpin—” Cinder’s guts went sour. “—About anything. I need to know if I can trust you.”

I SAID I! AM! S W E A T I N G

“I know you’ve lied to people. Hurt people.”

Adrenaline and the image of her kids’ faces behind her eyes made a potent, sick cocktail. “—Not. Now.”

so lets like double back to when i said hey was this chapter written to target me specifically and as it turns out, yes. yes it was. yes it was and as MUCH AS I AM LIVING FOR THIS MOMENT THIS SWEET BUILDUP THE EXPLOSION AND THE CRATER IT ALL LEAVES BEHIND

I

AM

so this next bit is like. i cant really quote one section but as i was saying in Vague DMs, this whole bit feels like wading through mud. usually if you say something consumes energy to Read it’s in a Bad Way when yr bored but this is more like. you Feel cinder all over everything feels so sluggish and it’s like dragging your own corpse around as you try and leave and you’re TIRED and your LEGS HURT and you’re kinda thinking god what if i just fell face down for just a moment of my LIFE.

The putrid weight of Glynda’s soul filled the room until there was no space left for her.

it’s like being trapped in a sauna, like getting stuck in a humid waiting room. where do you GO. what do you DO. god this whole section is fantastic and offal hunt NEVER fails to fucking nail the Vibes but reading it is HARD. i literally keep having to stop and breathe like ive been holding my breath. jesus h christ.

a small intermission for a mood:

“Get fucked.”

back to regularly scheduled hell

Out of the bedroom. Down the hall. The walls were sweating with heat. She tasted smoke. 

i love that i just said how i feel like im trapped in a sauna and it turns out: thats because me and cinder both, baybee!!!! hahahaha help

Glynda’s soul chewed her to the marrow. “Move, Glynda.” 

cinder being hunted at the start of this fic: teehee! im running away! now im gonna getcha! heehee! arent i clever :) cinder being hunted now: this uh. this blows, actually,

Cinder’s pulse roared in her ears. Her hands twitched. She smelled Ochre Brown’s round face melting off. His wide smile shattered with each of his teeth, going black and popping like corn.

this chapter is probably my favourite so far for this blending of so many elements. i cant even begin to like. THINK STRAIGHT about how all of this is tying together. the lore. the THEMATICS. like i said this character rly is just Rich with what og lacked and oh is it RICH. im gonna read this chapter in future and see so much that i know ive already missed. holy shit.

“Ms. Fall,” she said. “The White Fang requires your presence immediately.”

NOT NOW

Cinder stood there looking at it for a moment. Her thoughts were slow. Copper-tinged. Something small and indulgent whispered to her through the blood-fog.

It was obvious enough what would happen if she got into this car. The driver would take her to a secluded place, where she would be ambushed by a squadron of battle-hungry White Fang grunts.

They’d try to take her down. And she was a killer, wasn’t she? Ochre Brown wailed in her ears with every thump of her runaway heart. Her hands itched for action; her teeth, for blood.

She’d burn them black.

never mind! you are already dead,

She thought about Glynda. About her saying that if there was trouble with the Fang, she wanted to come. That she would fight for Cinder.

She thought of Glynda’s question: What aren’t you telling me about Ochre Brown?

Yeah, fuck that.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A MOMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! MORE MOMENTOUSLY: WHAT A CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is EASILY my favourite chapter so far. EASILY. everything about this was peak offal. the relationships. the dynamics. the dialogue. the vibes. the Grossness. the fighting. the EVERYTHING. this is some other level and its BITCHIN. PEAK. that said im now very tired. im going to have a cup of tea and Consider Things for a few hours. brb.

#liveblog #rwby #offal hunt

[augujerdeer]

Can you share some random facts about yourselves? :3

Huh, sure! So I thought maybe everyone can type out their own thing besides us writing for them, so it’ll be fun! If it takes a while to answer now you know why - Peter

Peter

I’m a big fan of iron man I GUESS but that might be obvious??

I can’t help but call people Miss or Mister and it just feels super wrong not to unless they tell me they really don’t want me doing that (so I kind of slip up at front...)

I actually have a Benjamin in my name- I don’t know if that’s different from my source?

I like doodling! Even if it’s not great

Apparently, an IRL friend told us that they know it’s me at front because my voice is more boyish and I move my hands a lot when I’m discussing something Im really into! (math or science!)

Post-endgame :^(

In charge of the math n science parts of school!!!!!

Kris

Described as “talks like a surfer dude sometimes”

I NEVER stop talking like- I’m sure every1 calls me annying GSGGSDHDJJ. Like if ur gnna b my friend get rdy 4 me 2 y’all a LOT.....,,,

Ab- abandonment issues lol

I’m so gay (bi) im yeARNiNg

When the sys needs 2 b physclly active or social my “job” is 2 come out- but I’m not forced 2 ! I just get laaazeeey

In charge of the art classes n PE UWU

I’m also sometimes called plan B but I don’t like being that HSGSHE (see Sal)

I like learning ASL!! Except I don’t live in America SO I’m also trying 2 study FSL (Filipino sign language) n it seems so FUN N FAST AAAA

I wanted 2 study ASL bc som1 suggested 2 me that mayb I cld learn sign language bc b4, I used 2 h8 talking, n I was super shy n very NONVERBAL like, a lot

Chara

They have a very strict aura, described by friends- it’s a dark presence or aura, especially because of their posture and how they talk (which is exactly how they type!)

We’re not sure why, but because of how they formally talk, they start slipping into a sort of formal-British-accent while speaking sometimes even if they don’t have one inspace

Gatekeeper n protector! Butvthey cna exhaust themselves sm that fun factvthey collapse or fall face first in2 the floor n pass out inspace

They have a few negative fronting triggers but 1 of them is rlly sad n INSTANT like, we do not have a choice, but e can’t stop it, if that trigger appears, Chara w/o fail comes out :^( (luckily it’s never happened often but we r worried abt ppl pulling pranks n doing this bc it’s a common prank 2 do)

Sal

He has a hard time walking outsoace unless he focuses rlly hard or wear heels

Which also means when he front his vision is slightly impaired?? He is missing an eye so I g the body dissociates enough 2 ALMOST simul8 that???? He has crashed in 2 so many poles or stopped walking bc he think hes gnna crash in2 smth but turns out it’s rlly far away

He age slides from 15-22! He’s not canon dIvergent— I think none on us r actlly

In charge of art classes part 2

Some of us call Sal Plan B bc if he whole main circle is not ok, he’s the person in the main circle who takes up “temporary host” (so if me n Chara or peter aren’t arnd - Kris)

Is rlly self conscious abt his face even when in the body but he’s working on it!! He’d rather not eat in public bc is wld mean removing the face mask he will wear 2 school

We cosplayed as him 4 Halloween 2 school n he was out all day n had fun :^)

Crowley

He has a flat inspace but we’re not allwd 2 c it?? We don’t kno where itbis but we WNNA find it

He’s POST good omens so he has memories of stuff that happened after the show ended (the brain likes writing edgy fanfics :^( ) (it’s a sensitive subject for him but when he talks abt it he tries 2 and chill when he’s not)

Adopted peter n he hates admitting it but he’s 1 of peters dads now n even calls peter son by acc

When he fronts he used 2 gave a strong accent that the body makes t and like a RLLY bad copy of an English acc Jbshsbsnbssbjssh butbhes gotten better!!

Toriel

Her fronting trigger turns it 2 b caring 4 ppl outside! She c’s every1 as younger than her so she aitomaticlly adopts them

She’s mid-Undertale! She’s NOT my canonmate (I’m kris Deltarune) she’s litrlly Chara’s canonmate but from an earlier period (Chara is post post post post infinity Undertale genocide on a loop)

Spinel

She actlly RLLY does have 2-3 forms (happy Spinel, and angry Spinel- when she’s in the middles she’s in angry form but like not yelling sgafgssg) her happy Spinel form/mode is her w the heart hair from the pat n her angry form is her in the ending w the crying mascara n stuff

She’s post-movie so she has vague memories of being in home world w the diamonds

Jamie

is sometimes just her furry inspace,,,, is uslly her fursona inspace,,,,

Jade

Apparently she’s from 2014??????????????????????

She has a past life n her bro actlly came a month after she “came back from dormancy”

It’s rlly weird n even she dsnt understand

Toby

Rlly strong English accent when fronting :^( has never done it more than once but inspace his accent is very baby and very strong

Aco

We dk y but he considers himself a protector 2 where he even comes out when he thinks we r in specific types of danger :^(

He’s nonverbal in front but talkative inside!!! He has a face plush which is a webkinz!

#fictives #headspace #headmates #about us #spinel #su #steven universe #mcu #chara #undertale #kris #deltarune #crowley #good omens #ask #anon #peter #journaling #toriel #aco #toby #jamie

[gimmeanaplease-blog]

From Glass Slippers to the Glass Ceiling: 15 Ways Disney has Improved in the Face of our Cultural Shift

Disney has had a long and complicated history with being outdated. Sexism and racism plague the older movies. However, in the past decade it’s been clear that with the shift of public views Disney has been making a run to catch up with the times.

1. Disney’s First African American Princess

Disney’s shift into the new culture all began with their first African American princess. Tiana began as a hard working woman who simply wanted to achieve her dream of owning her own restaurant in New Orleans. With an upbeat attitude and more than a few bumps in the road she meets her prince, falls in love, and defeats the evil witch doctor.

Tiana remains, however, as hardworking as she started out when pursuing her dream. Even when she marries Prince Naveen she doesn’t use her newfound privilege to get her restaurant. Rather she uses the money she’d earned from years working as a waitress in a cafe as well as the allies she’s met along her journey to buy the abandoned building which she envisions as her future restaurant. With her new husband she renovates the place and opens the door to her new life.

2. Breaking Their Own Rules

Merida was Disney’s next great leap into Disney breaking their mold of the standard princess. Merida was messy, ungraceful, and she hated having to act “like a princess”. She’d much rather stuff her face with food, sport her unruly natural hair, and go shooting archery in the woods. Throughout the movie she participates in activities that her mother initially deems unfit for a princess.

In the ultimate act of defiance of the movie, Merida takes off her headwear containing her hair, rips her dress for mobility, and shoots three arrows into their marks in a competition men were engaging in to become her fiance. She obliterates her competition and shows that her hand in marriage isn’t to be won.

3. A Strong Independent Woman

In the past Disney has had heroines that don’t need a man to save them. From Belle to Mulan we saw princesses who saved the day all on their own. Yet time after time we saw they always ended up with their man in the end. Along comes Brave, a story of a young Scottish princess to be betrothed by her family. Merida, however, loathes the concept and in her own act of rebellion she deems that she will be competing for her own hand.

Through a convoluted plot involving bears and family drama at its finest, Merida finds herself at the epicenter of having to repair her broken relationship with her mother. The central conflict isn’t her engagement to a man she just met, it was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back. Even at the end of the movie when we’re expecting the stereotypical happily ever after, Merida remains single. “There are no intimate evenings, sparkling jewelry, dazzling gowns (Merida, in fact, hates her formalwear), sweet gestures or smart give-and-take dialogue that foreshadow a final, emotional kiss. The suitors are simply buffoons, not fit to brush Merida’s flowing red hair, much less match up with her archery skills” (Zakarin, 2012). To add onto the quote from The Hollywood Reporter, Brave didn’t even star any men that weren’t Merida’s family. She was the first true Disney princess to end up without a man at the end of her movie.

4. Prince Smarming

During the climax of Disney’s biggest hit in years we’re expecting a Prince Charming saves the day moment. Anna is about to succumb to a frozen heart so a collective breath holds as Prince Hans leans in to deliver True Love’s Kiss in order to reverse the curse. Then through a head spinning twist, we find out that Hans had been our villain all along.

In Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist she details the trials of “Prince Charming”, “The man in most fairy tales, Prince Charming in all his iterations, really isn’t that interesting. In most fairy tales, he is blandly attractive and rarely seems to demonstrate much personality, taste, or intelligence. We’re supposed to believe this is totally fine because he is Prince Charming. His charm is supposedly enough” (Gay, 2014). The writers of frozen use this subconscious ideal of what audiences expect of Prince Charming to disguise his true intentions. In reality Hans wants the kingdom and is willing to kill both princesses in order to achieve a spot on the throne.

5. Maleficent and the Me Too Movement

Maleficent is a movie that came out in 2014 depicting the villain of the same name’s side of the famous story Sleeping Beauty. Starring Angelina Jolie, Maleficent is a tragic hero of sorts as when she was young, she fell for her best friend - and future king - Stefan. Stephan’s father, however, had sent his son off to kill Maleficent as she is the queen of the faeries and keeping him from conquering the land. To prove he’s killed Maleficent, Stephan must deliver her wings to his father. Unable to bring himself to kill her, Stephan gives her a sleeping potion while they are together and cuts off her wings in her sleep.

Sound familiar? That is because this scene is meant to depict a rape scene. Writer Linda Woolverton talked openly about the scene with the press, “I had done some research, and the biggest surprise is that she’s a fairy, not a witch. I’ve always wanted to do a dark fairy story. Then I watched that scene where she curses the baby, and I’m thinking “well if she’s a fairy, where are her wings?” Suddenly it was “boom. Lightbulb. Oh! It’s the wings!” Then I worked backward from there to create the Stefan relationship” (Krischer, 2014). The portrayal of the scene is vastly important to culture as only 3 years later, the Me Too movement brought to light the ever present normalization of sexual harassment and assault that women face every year. The fact that an action is so prevalent in society that it has an allusion in a Disney movie is both heartbreaking and incredibly telling.

6. Queer Eye for the Bad Guy

Disney has had a long history of queer coding their villains. The most basic definition of queer coding is using giving characteristics, behaviors, and actions to their characters so that the audience may read them as gay. Often these are stereotypes such as the Lefou's flamboyance, Hades’ sass, or Ursula’s likeness to a drag queen. Now Disney attempted through their movie to depict a gay character in it’s live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. However it seems their belief of depicting a gay character is turning Lefou’s flamboyance from a 7/10 to a 12/10. There was even a brief scene of him dancing with a man but if you blink you could miss it. Rani Barker describes how this act is harmful to the LGBT+ community, “The problem, as queer people, is this continues to treat our stories, our yearnings, and our experiences as unspeakable. Something to be whispered, scrutinized and doubted. Keeps it closeted right in front of our faces” (Barker, 2016). It feels like a spit in the face for the first “gay character” in Disney to be such an obvious trove of stereotypes.

All is not lost for Disney’s representation in the LGBT+ community though. Andi Mack, a television show on the Disney Channel features a character that has openly admitted that he is gay and actually approached an arc where he had to come out to his friends. He is not a throwaway character either, he is one of the main characters on the show. Hopefully this character on the small screen will pave the way for proper representation on the big one.

7. Zootopia’s Depiction of Race Relations

Zootopia on the surface appears to be the classic Disney talking animal movie on the surface but underneath the detailed animation and so many puns is an actually complicated statement on race relations. The animals of Zootopia are divided into two types, “predator” and “prey”. As the plot develops Judy, a rabbit cop, and Nick, a civilian fox, discover that there are a series of attacks developing where predators are suddenly “going savage”. As Judy took the lead in the case, she must be the one to talk at the press conference despite them still not knowing the true cause. Chaos ensued as an all out battle broke out between predators and prey.

Not very subtle huh? Charles Pulliam-Moore describes how this scene in particular applies to our society today, “As much as the scene is grounded in the world of Zootopia, it's shot through with elements of many of the real-world police-run press conferences that have followed in the wake of the dozens of high-profile shooting of black people in recent years. Though Judy admits that the ZPD doesn't know the specific details of the case, reporters focus on the few problematic soundbites she feeds them while taking in visuals of rabid, muzzled animals that the police have detained” (Pulliam-Moore, 2016). Both in the movie and in real life it’s media that digs into certain words and forces a fear fueled narrative to cause prejudice in people’s day to day life. Though Zootopia doesn’t quite rise to the ranks in favor of a child’s story happily ever after, it was bold of Disney to try to scale that height in the first place.

8. Realistic Bodies for Women (Finally!)

The proportions for female bodies in Disney has been a rough ride for decades. Since the release of the first princess movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Disney has long regulated the eurocentric ideals of beauty with large eyes, full lips, and a ridiculously tiny waist. Momentarily it seemed like we’d seen a shift via Nani Pelekai in the 2002 movie Lilo and Stitch. Nani defied the Disney standards of beauty with a large nose, a darker skin tone, and even a more realistic stomach. Yet as the next princess movies rolled around, they resorted right back to their usual bullshit.

The tide shifted yet again in 2016 with the release of another Hawaiian based film, Moana. Unlike Lilo and Stitch, Moana was a titular film for the company as it was it’s next big “princess movie” after their big hit Frozen. Moana was the soon to be chief of her tribe and she sported everything the princesses of the past hadn’t. Moana had wild hair, a darker complexion, realistic muscle tone for the activities she participated in (climbing and sailing), and much more realistic proportions. Moana brings forth a body type that much more girls see when they look in the mirror than those looking at Ariel or Jasmine.

9. The Importance of Female Solidarity in Feminism

Yet another climax of a film yields an entirely different result. This time the movie we focus in on is Moana. She and the demigod Maui have traveled across the ocean to return the Heart of Te Fiti. They are stopped by a lava monster Te Kā. When all seems lost Moana discovers that not only is Te Fiti missing but Te Kā is not who she appears to be at all.

It is Moana who realizes that Te Fiti and Te Kā are one in the same. Valentina Boré remarks on the importance of solidarity in feminism perfectly reflects Moana’s thoughts as she returns her heart “If we don’t try to understand what our other fellow feminists have gone through, how can we really make a change for anyone at all” (Boré, 2015). She makes the connection that Te Fiti had her heart stolen from her by Maui and thus lost herself. Through Moana’s kindness and comfort for another woman, she is able to save her island.

10. Real Portrayals of Diverse Cultures

Moana and Coco are two of the most recent additions to Disney’s animated movies. Both contain great amounts of respect towards the given culture shown. It is clear that a great amount of research went into both of these films, including featuring songs in the native languages. In Moana the song “We Know the Way” features a large portion in the Tokelauan language while a lot of the songs featured in Coco are Spanish.

Coco, especially is a feat to be admired. Director Lee Unkrich early expressed concern of rejection as he, himself, is not hispanic or even latino. However, to combat this Unkrich and producers opened the film to Latino cultural consultants for criticism and the ability to toss around ideas to better improve the film. This was met with initial outrage by the company since, for the longest time, production was meant to be kept under tight wraps. Producer Darla K. Anderson commented in an interview, “We don’t normally open up the doors to let people in to see our early screenings. But we really wanted their voice and their notes and to make sure we got all the details correct” (Ugwu, 2017). To go against traditions in order to assure that they got the movie correct shows true care and love for their story and what it will mean for other people.

11. The Voices of Coco are All Latinx

Coco was a movie unlike any before it. The Pixar film depicted a Mexican story of a young boy Miguel getting trapped in the land of the dead when he tried to connect with his estranged ancestor who shared his love for music. Coco was based around the holiday Dia de los Muertos and surrounded an entirely Mexican family.

What sets Coco apart from other films of Disney’s past is it’s determination to have an entirely latinx cast. Everyone from the lead Miguel to the featured character of Frida Kahlo to unnamed correction officers are played by latinx actors. Even Princess and the Frog, who had a mostly colored set of characters as well didn’t mimic this action.

12. What Makes a Princess?

Disney, like many other industries, has poked fun at itself more than once. This typically involves a playfully jab at character’s affinity to burst into song. Tangled and Moana alike have teased the song filled musicals but none have been so ruthless to Disney’s archetype of a princess as Wreck It Ralph 2.

Vanellope stumbles upon a trailer full of all the princesses we are familiar with, claiming that she is a princess as well. Naturally, they have to question her. In detailing the scene writers describe, “As the princess encounter evolved, the writers played off the fact that not only do Disney princesses often get kidnapped, but that they are forever gazing into “important waters.” (In their attention to detail, one princess fan at the studio noted to Ribon that Mulan does not look into a puddle, but rather a horse trough. Robin’s enthusiastic response: “Even better!”) The scene also skewers the reliance on a lumbering hunk to solve a damsel’s thorny problem” (Cavna, 2018). While Disney is only making these jokes in jest of their past and how each of the princesses have something in common, it’s nice to see that they’re acknowledging Disney’s untold rules of what makes you a princess. It takes Vanellope affirming that people say her problems were all solved because of a man for the princesses to accept her as so. Ironically, this is the one point that connects all of the princesses together. 

13. Stories About Mental Health

Outside of physical representation Disney has created a rich environment for representation for mental health as well. Inside Out was a movie that told the story of physical manifestations of a girl’s emotions having to deal with making her happy after a cross country move takes her away from familiar surroundings and friends. Throughout the movie it shows clear depictions of Riley, the girl who houses the emotions, experiencing what many people can recognize as depression.

The standout of them all seems to be a Disney creation that isn’t even a full length film. Before every movie Disney airs a Pixar short. This separate story can hold just as much emotion as a full length movie but sometimes the message can be missed completely based on racism alone. Before Incredibles 2, a short called Bao aired. Bao featured an Asian Woman who became the mother of a dumpling that came to life. However, as the dumpling grew older he became more dismissive of the mother while she became more desperate to hold onto her dumpling child. At the climax as the dumpling tries to leave she eats him. Now, any person with half a mind can recognize this as a metaphor for empty nest syndrome. This is a feeling of loneliness and depression that a parent may feel when their child leaves the home. It is revealed at the end that she was reflecting on her relationship with her human son after all. Given, she did not actually eat her son but more than likely got into a nasty fight to push him away.

Yet, some people simply didn’t get it. Rather than recognizing the story as a mother and son fighting and coming together once more; people saw a dumpling and a woman with Asian features and completely shut down. The thing is, they could’ve told this story with any race of mother and son and food of their given area. “Our cultural signifiers might be different, but basic human emotions are an experience that spans all of us as humans on this planet” (Jitchotvisut, 2018). Any mother who cares for their child would experience empty nest syndrome but the creators of Bao chose to make this character Asian and they didn’t need a reason to do so either.

14. Putting a Woman in Charge

After John Lasseter was asked to step down amid accusations of misconduct a new head of Disney Animation was needed and there was only one man for the job, a woman. By the end of 2018, Jennifer Lee would become the new Head of Disney Animation. Only joining in 2011, Lee quickly gained wins under her belt such as being a co-director for Frozen, being a co-writer for Wreck It Ralph, and being a key component to Zooptopia.

Lee marks a change from Disney’s initial brand of vapid misogyny and truly shows how the brand has taken a turn for the better. In response to her promotion she replies, “My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices, and work together to tell original stories. The great films of Disney Animation — the films I loved as a kid and my daughter has grown up loving — are magical, timeless, and full of heart, and it is our goal to create films that carry on and grow this 95-year legacy for future generations” (Berger, 2018). We should be able to look forwards to seeing these new groundbreaking stories with a woman at the lead of the studio.

15. Using Their Other Brands to Reinforce this New Image

Along the years the empire that is Disney has bought out many other companies. The cultural shift has created a wave that rippled these industries as well. Star Wars and Marvel alike have seen a move towards the society Disney began reflecting in 2009.

Star Wars revived after 10 years of remaining dormant with an all new story with a female at its center. Not only that but 3 of the other new heroes are all people of color: Finn played by John Boyega is an African American man, Poe Dameron played by Oscar Issac is Guatemalan, and Rose Tico is played by Kelly Marie Tran is a Vietnamese woman.

Marvel’s shift took more time but isn’t any less prevalent. Perhaps the most apparent is the bold move to have an almost entirely African American cast for the 2018 film, Black Panther. With a world of research on the culture backing the project the film broke records and earned Marvel it’s first Oscar.

Disney backing these projects reflect it’s turning tide and the world is more than supportive.

Sources

[tastethegrace]

Analyzing “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”

I don’t often post things as they’re having their cultural moment.  However, this song by Lil Nas X, a rap/hip hop/pop artist, who is famous for his song “Old Town Road” a few years ago, has caused quite the stir.  On one side of the fence is the LGBTQ+ community, who touts this song as an anthem to the artist’s sexual identity.  On the other are the Christians, many of whom have posted warnings on social media, urging fellow believers to “wake up,” guard their children, and many calling down the name of Jesus against the Satanic imagery associated with it.  The music video for this song sees the artist depicted as Eve in the garden of Eden, being seduced by the serpent.  He is then on trial, then descends into hell, where he himself seduces the Devil.  The artist has also partnered with street wear brand MSCHF to produced what many are calling “Satan shoes.”  These shoes apparently have contain one drop of human blood in the soul, have a black and red color scheme with pentagrams painted on the soul and attached to the laces.  

So first off, the reason I’m writing this post is to critique the Christian reaction to this song and its associated media.  It’s important to understand this right off the bat, as I will not be analyzing this song on its artistic merits.  Instead, I will attempt to analyze the artist’s intent behind the imagery and symbolism he chooses to use.  

If there’s one thing that I have grown to understand, it’s that the American Church has a fundamental misunderstanding of how believers are to interact with culture.  We have been stuck in the same culture war for decades, with this idea that we must enforce our beliefs on others, affect change through politics and protests, and fear all that is antithetical to the Christian belief system.  This latter point is the most significant, and one that many of my Christian friends may dispute.  

Let me explain here.  In the age of social media, everyone judges and reacts quickly, posting their affirmations and protests for everyone to see without putting much thought into what they’re actually critiquing.  Sadly, the American Church, most of the time, has followed suit.  Rather than choosing a different way to interact with the world on social media, it has become a leading reactionary voice -- a more intense version of what already exists in the mainstream.  It has so become the case that the world looks on and mocks.

As a younger Christian, I went with the flow, just as everyone else did.  But as a I grew up, and especially in college, I learned the importance of questioning, of slowing down, of considering the ins and outs, the truths and lies present in our everyday world.  I believe this process gives insight into the presence of God in our everyday lives, presenting us with his truth and beauty, present even in the darkest of places.  It also gives us the ability to, like Jesus, call something what it actually is, diminishing its power, and responding to it with the importance/weight it deserves.

Now understanding this context and the process by which I will move forward, let’s talk about this song.  First of all, the lyrics explicitly discuss the artist’s encounters with one specific person, a male in this context.  There’s a couple of levels to this song.  The first, that many in the LGBTQ+ community point out, is that he says that his partner “lives in the dark,” while he himself “cannot pretend.”  This refers to the fact that his partner is a closeted gay man, while Lil Nas is out.  As for the rest of the lyrics here, Lil Nas discusses his attachment to this man and the sexual experiences he has and wants to have with him.  He mentions the use of drugs to illustrate a hellish environment.  On a deeper level, evidenced even more clearly in the music video, Lil Nas is using this situation as a metaphor to reach out to his former, closeted self.  

In the interest of digging for the truth, I would go one step further here.  While it is obvious that the artist wishes to affirm his former self and encourage a lifestyle that is honest, at the very least, he also confesses what he wants very clearly.  All of the explicit imagery here is true to his experience.  So what does he want?  He wants deep connection, intimate experiences, and he’s ultimately willing to go to “hell” to get it, even if his partner won’t come out.  

Why is it important to understand this?  Am I trying to affirm how Lil Nas gets what he wants?  No, but that’s also not the point.  Understanding the artist’s questions are just as important as understanding his answers; in my opinion, even more so.  In order to make any sort of true judgment of merit or integrity, either subjective or objective, it’s important to understand fully how the artist is coming to his conclusions.  

Moving on to the music video, I’m going to use an analysis posted by reddit user margarita_atwood, as she discusses much of I what I found myself.

Everyone is going to have an opinion on this video, whether that opinion is heavily in favor or disfavor...Later, I’ll talk about why the negative opinions about this video don’t really matter and actually play right into LNX’s plans.

Lil Nas as every character: Through the miracle of CGI, LNX plays every single character. Some people might interpret this as LNX making love to himself in some scenes, but I think it has more to do with the Jungian concept of the Shadow Self (explained some in this video). There’s definitely some interesting psychology behind LNX playing all the parts. He’s talking to himself, seducing himself, running from himself. And I don’t think it would have had the same impact if the main characters were played by anyone else. He’s definitely being a little narcissistic, which he winks at with his own face on a Narcissus flower (daffodil) that I’ll get to next...He also says in the intro: “Welcome to Montero”, which is both this fantasy land he is creating for us in the video, and introducing us to his real self, saying welcome to the real me.

Scene 1- Garden of Eden: In the first scene. We’ve got the temptation of Adam by the snake/Satan in the Garden of Eden story mixed with Greek classical architecture motifs (sans Eve, as LNX raps “If Eve ain’t in your garden/ You know that you can/ Call me when you want”). In the reaction video I mentioned earlier, LNX talks about how growing up gay in a black church (or any church for that matter) made him repress and feel ashamed about his budding sexuality as a young adult. So while the lyrics are explicit, all of the themes in the video are very pointed allegories about how he’s dealt with his sexuality. He runs away from his tempting snake-self, meanwhile running past a Lion King-esque Mufasa cloud featuring his fate/destiny, and Narcissus flowers AKA daffodils (in the Greek myth, daffodils grew where Narcissus drowned after staring at his own reflection for too long), only to be caught by his temptation in a scene that gives me a ton of Labyrinth vibes. After his literal fall with possible Paradise Lost references to this perceived “sin,” we nearly see his alien-snake-self fellate his Adam-self. Finally, we close in on a shot of Greek writing on a tree. Some people smarter than I were able to find out that this is an excerpt from Plato’s Symposium which reads: “So in the beginning when they were cut in two, they yearned for each other’s half.” Symposium is basically a bunch of Greek philosophers telling metaphorical campfire stories about love (let’s ignore once again problematic themes of statutory rape in some of this). The excerpt in the video in particular is a part where one of Plato’s students Aristophanes gives an account of the origin of soulmates. Originally people were joined as two people to make one whole person. In this story, there were male/male, female/female, and female/male pairings and the gods became jealous and split them in two. The Montero excerpt is explaining this splitting of soul mates where they’re doomed to long for their other halves to become whole for eternity. Lots of allegories there regarding LNX trying to seduce a possibly gay man who is still in the closet.

Scene 2- The gladiator’s Colosseum: LNX then is taken as a prisoner in chains to a Greek colosseum, also full of LNX judges in Marie Antoinette wigs and faceless LNX mob spectators. I believe his character in this scene is supposed to be a Ulysses-type as his pink, fur shawl he’s wearing has a ram’s head broach...the blue LNX jury sentences him to...jail, and he gets literally stoned to death... Ulysses-LNX presumably dies and his soul is being lifted up to the heavens. An angel awaits him above, with a lot of Creation of Adam motifs (which was also hinted at on LNX’s IG). But just before he reaches his guardian angel.... a stripper pole rises up from the earth...and he rides that b**** all the way to the seventh inner circle of h*** in some thigh-high boots, tricking all the way down.

Scene 3- Twerking on the devil: And now we get to the biggest scandal. LNX said to those of you who think gays deserve to go to hell, watch me go to hell and give Satan a lap dance....he’s one-upping the shock factor in each part. Think it’s scandalous to go down on myself? Just wait. There’s some trolling of Illuminati/Satanist conspiracy rumors in the motifs. Honestly, the purpose of this scene is that he knew religious types would try and metaphorically crucify him over the lyrics. So he said let me beat you to it. He’s trolling the religious hater that I’m sure made his life growing up a proverbial hell already. And hey, the more times they stream and react to the song out of anger, the more money he makes from their anger. And then he goes and pulls a mafia hit, killing Satan after seducing him, and taking his horns of braids and becoming the fallen angel...

While perhaps not stated the most eloquently, and obviously from a more approving light, the OP gives us some insight into the symbolism used in this video.  On first glance, the believer might gag at how biblical imagery is used and twisted here.  However, I would encourage that believer to be patient and consider for a moment a few things.

1. If we let our gut reaction to this imagery become our public reaction, we prove the artist’s perspective of believers correct in the eyes of the world.  

2. If we consider the symbols and imagery used, it is obvious that this piece was intricately planned by Lil Nas to suggest his conclusions through the subversion of cultural norms.  This is not a new technique by any means, and it is important to acknowledge this.

3. Remember that Lil Nas was raised in the church.  His use of biblical imagery is intentional here.  If you detect a hint of bitterness in the twists he uses, that’s because there is, and not without reason.

See, I think that if Jesus looked at this video and gave us his reaction, it would not be a warning to us to guard our hearts.  That’s common sense.  I think it would be sadness that Lil Nas has not experienced the true intimacy and connection that he so desires in a healthy context, but also that he would be so bitter as to use the imagery as a “F*** You!” to the church.  Granted, this is all speculative, but when I look at Jesus in the gospels, I never see Jesus trying to separate or isolate his disciples from sinners.  He sees right to the heart of why sinners sin, and urges his disciples by example and speech to have compassion.  It is the the Pharisees and teachers of the law who he preaches against, urging his disciples to guard their hearts against them.  

Finally, there’s the even bigger deal being made in Christian circles of the “Satan shoes.”  Let me set the record straight here.  This company put out “Jesus shoes” a couple of years ago that claimed to have holy water in its soles.  This was a stunt by the artist for the very purpose of causing controversy.  It was done out of anger.  The imagery only has power if we let it be something other than what it is.

I have seen so many people decrying the use of this imagery as an act of devil worship.  That’s not what this is.  Is Lil Nas believing a lie?  Most certainly, as all humans do every day.  But this should not be shocking.  We must look behind the symbols to what they’re really pointing to.

In conclusion, I felt that it was important to share my feelings on this, as the social media chatter is a prime example of how the American Church has lost its way.  However, on a more personal note, I have a lot of history and connection that helps me to deeply understand what’s happening in this song.  That drive for connection, that willingness to put myself in horrible places to find it, the feeling of dirtiness and the running away from it...and especially the now often used intimate metaphor “call me by your name,” referring to the book/move of that title...I’ve been there.  I even embraced it for a time.  So more than most, I am more inclined to have compassion on those who are in that place, even if they don’t see the fruitlessness of it.  The Lord has been good to me.  He was with me in that place, just as he is with me now.  It is important for all who call themselves Christians to remember that before we judge, we must seek empathy and compassion, fullness of understanding, and most of all, the heart and mind of Jesus himself.

#culture #review

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi! Do you know any fics like LeeBlack's "When a Born Wolf Howls" series where Stiles has contacts with the not-so-legal side of BH or where he knows how to pick locks, hot wire a car or stuff like that? Not a criminal or mafia AU, more like canon Stiles with a little extra. Thanks :)

So, I went with morally ambigous!Stiles. - Anastasia

A Sliver of Sunlight by LeeBlack

(17/17 I 37,331 I Mature I Steter)

The last thing that Stiles expected to see after coming into his room was Peter Hale, back from the dead and apparently sane. Well, relatively sane, all things considered.

And with everything that had happened in Beacon Hills recently, was it really so impossible to believe that, without the Alpha power trip, Peter was the sort of person who couldn’t be trusted but was too interesting to be ignored?

***

Law and Disorderly Conduct by Delightful_I_Am

(1/1 I 2,514 I Teen I Sterek)

“Are you sure this is legal?”

Stiles looked up at Scott in disbelief, a diamond pick between his teeth and his torsion wrench still wedged tight in the lock in front of him. He flicked his eyes back and forth from Scott to the lock a few times before raising an eyebrow at his friend.

“Scotty, bud, pal, my dude. I am literally in the middle of breaking into a lawyer’s office as we speak. In what universe is that not illegal?”

Science, Bitches! by eeyore9990

(1/1 I 2,688 I Explicit I Sterek)

Stiles is aware that it’s wrong. He’s a rational, intellectual person who really does understand that some things are right and some are… not. He just can’t really be bothered to care.

OR

How to get a werewolf boyfriend in three easy steps.

Take a bite out of life by Nival_Vixen

(1/1 I 3,274 I Mature I Sterek)

Stiles gets infected by vampire blood. According to a really old Russian text, he could become a blood-sucking monster like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, an incubus-like blood-sucker who needs blood and sex to survive, or he could literally drain people’s souls.

The hour of truth is approaching, as is the full moon. As such, Derek’s the only one available to be stuck on Stiles-sitting duty, and is the only one there when Stiles finds out exactly what new piece he’s becoming on the chessboard.

For Us by day

(1/1 I 7,328 I Explicit I Sterek)

“Parole.” Stiles nods, standing up and stretching once again, revealing a naked and tattooed strip of skin above his belt. “I lied and I haven’t been traveling. I’ve actually been in lock up for five years on charges of attempted manslaughter, harboring a fugitive, and a few other broken laws.”

Scott laughs loudly before he catches onto the tense atmosphere in the room. “You can’t be serious.”

“Well, shit, Scott. I can’t undo the past, so I guess I am.” Stiles shrugs. “Listen to my heartbeat, young werewolves, you will find that I do not misguide you. Officer Hale here took it upon himself to become my new parole officer. How sweet is he?”

–

Stiles falls off the grid for 8 years. When Derek finally meets him again, it’s as a detective and main suspect in a murder investigation.

The War is Won (Surrender, Love) by Ceris_Malfoy

(1/1 I 8,122 I Teen I Stiles/Deucalion I Girl!Stiles)

It is in the dark of the night, when her brain won’t shut off and she is pacing, relentless with the need to do something, that she realizes that saying no was probably a very, very good thing. She is dangerous enough without adding ‘werewolf’ into that category.

It doesn’t stop her from thinking about it though, nor from dreaming.

This Could Be So Dirty That it Just Ain’t Right by taylorpotato

(1/1 I 10,380 I Explicit I Steter)

Ever since Stiles presented as an Omega, he hasn’t been feeling the same urges as his peers. When he’s around an Alpha that’s not Scott (who is pretty much his brother at this point), his first reaction is to shrink away, not try to press closer. Until he meets Peter Hale. Who acts like the most annoying, entitled kind of Alpha on the planet. Except he’s not one. He’s an Omega. Of course, Stiles would turn out to be every type of gay possible.

The Dragon’s Wolf by DenaCeleste

(1/1 I 14,767 I Explicit I Steter)

Stiles is a vengeful dragon, and Peter is his mate. Stiles just has to convince Peter of that while they deal with the attempted murder of the Hale pack.

—

“Where–what the hell are you?!” His mate didn’t back away, instead he held his ground with claws bared, and his eyes flared a bright yellow. “Where is my pack?”

Stiles snuffed at him and tucked his tail around his hindclaws. Wolf. Well, that explained the odd smelling humans. He leaned forward, just a bit, and flicked his tongue out at the man, who lashed out with his sharp-tipped fingers. Pleased with his headstrong mate, he trilled again before shifting to his bipedal form with a suddenness that made the other man jerk back into a defensive stance.

“I’m a dragon, just in case the wings and scales didn’t give it away. I’d breathe fire too, but I think that would be just a bit insensitive, all things considered.” Stiles quirked a brow. “What is your name, wolf?”

“Peter Hale. Where is my family?” He darted at Stiles and grasped his throat.

it feels better biting down by Aminias (SeeingRed)

(6/15 I 17,026 I Mature I Steter)

Sometimes we forget that not every villain is a coupon waiting to be redeemed. Good thing Peter has always been a smart shopper.

Hey There, Stranger by annie_reckson

(6/7 I 23,062 I Explicit I Sciles)

Scott’s been going to a specific spot on the beach for a few years now and now that he’s on summer break from college, he’s looking forward to spending most of his summer months there.

He’s not sure whether he should be excited or terrified when he gets much more than he could have ever expected.

ce qu'elle a dit by dogearedpage

(14/? I 44,281 I Explicit I Steter I Girl!Stiles)

“The last thing Stiles thought she wanted to hear was Derek Hale telling her she smelled ‘weird’. Except, a few moments later, he outclassed himself and turned Stiles’ entire world on its head by telling her something even worse.

"She didn’t smell 'weird’. She smelled pregnant.”

—

Sometimes Peter looks at Stiles like he yearns to sink his fangs into her all over again. She thinks he’ll devour her if she isn’t careful.

Stiles is rarely careful.

#teen wolf #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #morally dubious stiles #steter #peter hale #anon

[arctic-urpo]

Cyrus and Ceri pls??

Absolutely, thank you for asking nonnie!!!!!

For Cyrus:

Full Name: ★CYRUS POFFINGTON★ - THE STAR PRINCE (His real name is a secret (bc his background is a secret to the other players) so this is the name he goes by and everyone knows him)

Gender and Sexuality: A guy, and a 100000% homosexual.

Pronouns: He/him

Ethnicity/Species: He’s an aasimar (in DnD aasimars are like, humans with celestial blood so kind of like half-angels)

Birthplace and Birthdate: Birthplace is a ★Secret ★ and while idk how timelines work in DnD universe, I’ve put him down as Sagittarius so somewhere around November-December

Guilty Pleasures: Gods, lots. He likes cheating money out of people in card games, he likes to flirt with people who are in love with him just for fun, he befriends people for their pets… 

Phobias: He doesn’t really have any specific ones left. He used to not like heights, but for his magic shows he wanted to do tricks relating to high places so he just practiced the tricks until his fear went away, for examples. Anything he’s afraid of he’ll just, get rid of as soon as possible in not-so-good ways out of impatience

What They Would Be Famous For: He’s already a famous magician so!! That lol

What They Would Get Arrested For: Gods, swindling people probably. I mean, he only swindles from people he deems ~bad~ (like from abusive and actually morally corrupt people to people who are just “Super Mean :(((” or he just disagrees with their moral standards) but that kind of vigilante justice doesn’t really go according to law lol

OC You Ship Them With: We haven’t yet started the game so I can’t say if there’ll be someone, haha~ But for now, no one! 

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Gods, as said the game has yet to start but I feel like one player’s character Vivi is already a candidate, because she’s the bodyguard for another character Selena, and Cyrus tends to play around with her a lot (play around in like the, pick her up and spin around to make her dizzy kind of way) and Vivi Does Not Approve

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: He’s not that into fiction! But I think he’d generally love stories about animals 

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Doesn’t really have one~

Talents and/or Powers: Uhm he’s a Bard, so even now on first level he has the magical power of actually hurting others by insulting them :’’’D But yeah he’s a mage so there’s that, but he’s also skilled in playing the violin, flute and lute, and also he’s skilled in magic tricks! Some of his magic tricks do include actual magic and some are more our world kind of magic tricks.

But really, the magic shows are more about the show and glamour, and entertaining people. Which he is great at. 

Why Someone Might Love Them: He’s a charming young man, who can be really sweet and make you laugh and smile any day of your life. There’s not a boring day with him, really

Why Someone Might Hate Them: He’s… super annoying, selfish and makes assumptions and judges people without really even knowing them. He’s also a perfectionist about his shows so gods if something goes wrong he’s going to be so upset and whine abt it

How They Change: Well, that remains to be seen! Only thing I know that will change in his life is that he’ll get a puppy after our first mission bc the GM promised me he’d give me enough money and an opportunity to get the lil darling~ It’s gonna be a Toy Pomeranian and his name will be★ FLUFFY POFFINGTON★ - THE STAR KNIGHT

Why You Love Them: He’s, so dramatic and fun, I feel like I’ll have a blast playing with him because he’s so lively and energetic! He’s also really pretty and I would die from being gay if I actually met him, lol

For Ceri!

Full Name: Ceri Davies

Gender and Sexuality: Male, and a gay demisexual!

Pronouns: He/him!

Ethnicity/Species: Idk, some kind of human bean

Birthplace and Birthdate: He’s also from the Mystery Country that most my OCs live in, and he was born September 6th

Guilty Pleasures: Idk if this counts as guilty pleasure but he tends to annoy people on purpose, just to see if they get upset with him if he’s difficult or uncooperative and when they do he’ll cry and turn it around to say they’re bad for getting angry at him. He keeps doing this even though he hates doing it. He also has a lot of shitty coping mechanisms

Phobias: Being abandoned, being hated, never being loved, being alone….. You get the picture

What They Would Be Famous For: He’s not really the type to be famous…. unless for like, bad reasons. Like the answer of the next question…

What They Would Get Arrested For: Murder of a lover. Like, no question abt it.

OC You Ship Them With: Salal!

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: He doesn’t really have anyone close enough for this other than Salal… I guess his family goes for this though, especially his shitty older siblings

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Romance

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Like, you know the trope where character A is about to like, get married to character B and then A’s old sweetheart C comes back into their life and they fall for them again and end up dumping B for C? Yeah, Ceri hates that. And any other kind of cheating/breaking up tropes.

Talents and/or Powers: He’s an extremely little-better-than-mediocre in many things, like web design. Although he was very studious and hard-working, and did get straight A’s when he was in elementary to high school, and then got into university when his mental health finally plummeted from the abuse at home. Now he lives in sort of a daze, and many of his skills and knowledge has kind of… deteriorated bc he stopped. 

He still managed to graduate well enough and get a job with the skills he had already acquired, but there’s little hope for him to get actually better and ahead without like… getting actual professional help for his mental health…

//EDIT: ALSO I GUESS HE’S SOMEWHAT CAPABLE OF BLACK MAGIC like geez that fact might be relevant somewhat to his character arc

Why Someone Might Love Them: Uh, that’s a good question. He’s hardworking and, when he’s actually stable he’s witty and funny, and I think he’s the type to have a really cute laugh. All in all, he is a sweet person underneath, who just got treated like shit by the world

Why Someone Might Hate Them: I mean, he’s like, Problematic ™ so it’s easy to see why. If someone even tries to befriend him, he either turns them down until they give up or he’ll demand their absolute attention and care and when they of course wouldn’t be able to provide that he’d dump them out of his life. It’s all of course because of a mental illness, but, he is really abusive and has given up on trying to be better (he thinks that it’s “too late for him to be good”) so… 

How They Change: I think he’ll eventually realize that he can change and will seek help, and will at least to some degree start to interact with other humans again. 

Why You Love Them: I mean, of course the obvious “I love yanderes” part, I think what I love him about the most is the fact that he’s a bad person without a like, justification. There’s a reason why he’s like that, and he’s not completely a lost case or irredeemable but still, he’s not good. He yearns to be loved and cared for but he doesn’t know how to go about it and ends up summoning a demon in his desperation… Idk, I really love thinking about his personality and how he ended up being like this, and what goes on in his head. So ultimately, I love yanderes and have endless interest in that kind of thought processes orz

#urpo answers #anonymous #Cyrus Poffington #Ceri Davies #long post #THANK U for asking!!!! #honestly these two are both one of those ocs whose designs were like..... #me being completely self indulgent #they're the type of characters i enjoy in fiction and enjoy writing and developing s o #thank u for showing interest in them ;v; #my glamorous son and my problematic son