#this is fully an entire year old now but i didn't like it initially so i didn't post it

[portraitofariel]

Controversial Post

Carmy used Claire.

An opinion I have yet to come across in the discourse regarding the dreaded Carmy/Claire pairing is the following--Carmy was fully content never calling/making Claire his girlfriend. Because he never had to do anything to get her to like him. She provided pussy, car rides, an ear to bounce ideas off of, no resistance or intellect, and no effort he had to put in.

Allow me to elaborate.

From their first interaction at the market to the moment in the walk-in, Claire has been a nuisance in his life. She consistently disregarded his boundaries in the following ways:

Ignoring the fact that he struggled to remember her name; there's also no mention of her last name to this day.

Misreading their initial conversation at said market and not reading his body language for what it was: a lack of interest in her. If a woman has to ask a man for his number and he doesn't ask for hers, he isn't interested in pursuing things further. Argue amongst yourselves about that.

Numbergate. In the real world, this would be extremely concerning. Skirting around someone's clear sign they don't like you by giving you a fake number is a huge red flag. It screams desperation and a lack of self-respect. Who chases a man that purposely obstructs their advances then goes to his good friend to extract information? Shame on Fak as well for giving out Carm's private information to a woman he hasn't mentioned in five years. wtf Fak.

When she does call him, she badgers him to get a clear answer as to why he gave her a fake number, instead of taking the hint when she realized it was fake. Once again not taking his hesitance while dictating the numbers to her as a sign he doesn't want her.

"Speaking of dead brothers, do you wanna go to a party?" wtf even was this. By Claire's own admission, she and Carmy never talked in their youth. She essentially hung around his family but never interacted with him so why is she so obsessed with him? I will never understand this. Her tasteless attempt at breaking the ice regarding Mikey's death is so heavy-handed and odd.

Freezergate. Even before she found out he was stuck in the walk-in, what was Claire's urgency to get to back-of-house? Why would she think it would ever be appropriate to just walk back there? Sugar's husband, Pete, has never done that in the show so what makes Claire think she's special enough to do so? I always wonder what might have happened had Sydney been back there when Claire crossed that boundary.

Now the juicy part. Unpacking Carmy's disinterest.

Ever notice that Carmy only ever asked her surface-level questions about her life? He never asked about her interests outside of work, her family, her passions, her last name, or anything else. The entire relationship is on Carmy's terms/timeline. Nothing we've seen on-screen indicates he's been to her apartment or hung out with her friends (aside from that one juvenile ass party in 2x05). Every time they have sex, it's at his place. The overwhelming majority of their conversations center around his needs/grievances about the restaurant. He never buys her flowers or gifts (cooking dinner one single time doesn't count), never has deep conversations with her about her, nor did he call her his girlfriend until Sydney, of all people, pressured him to do so. The subsequent conversation with Fak, "is Claire my girlfriend? What's a girlfriend?" is bullshit. Carmen has been around couples his whole life. He knows what a girlfriend is. He knows what a wife is. He's a 30+ year old man who surely had romantic interests before and after Claire. He just didn't want her to be his girlfriend until he felt immense pressure from his circle to make her that.

How do I know this? In 24 hours, Carmy went from "I love her a lot" (and this is only after Fak straight up asks him if he loves her) to "I like her". In the course of one day, he went from love to like. That says it all. Not to mention this is after the mother of all panic attacks where his hidden feelings for Syd bubble to the surface. A lot of people forget that Carmy is a man and because of this, he does what men tend to do. Whether he was conscious of it or not, he took advantage of a desperate girl like Claire because she threw herself at him with abandon. She willingly put herself in a position to be used by a man she barely knew, then cried to Richie when things didn't go her way. Their 'relationship' went the way it was always going to go because I'd argue she was never truly his girlfriend. Claire was a stopgap between the restaurant and Carmy running away from his problems.

#charged and sexy #platonic and messy #carmy x sydney #chefs kiss #sydcarmy #carmy berzatto #carmy the bear #syd adamu #syd x carmy #the bear #wet hot and sweet #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #the bear fx #the bear hulu #you with the watercolor eyes #you with the dark curls #anti claire bear #i said what i said #i said what needed to be said

[strangemaleswaps]

Strange Beach Body Swap 2

"Are you ready for this?"

"I sure hope so, I'm a little nervous to be honest."

"It's ok. I'll be there for you…just like 20 feet away or so."

I threw on a pair of khaki shorts, my sandals, and headed out the door. Luckily I lived in a condo right next to the beach so I didn't have to walk very far. It was nearly noon - the time we planned to meet up.

2 years ago, I was a college sophomore stuck in a fraternity with asshole frat brothers. That was until I met this weird old man at the beach. He swapped our bodies and I was thrust into his fat beach bod. It wasn't the worst thing ever, though. He was working on pumping his nipples and with how sensitive they were, I discovered what a nipple orgasm felt like. It was crazy good! Since then I continued what he started, and had been pumping my nipples every day. They're huge now! I go for that nipple orgasm all the time. I love it!

But I was still a fat old man for the next 2 years so that did a number on my self esteem at first. I had a whole six pack abs before, along with a perfect body, so nothing I did could compare to that. But I made a few changes that were more my style. I got my ear pierced and grew a goatee. Afterall, old guys really only look good with facial hair. I was balding too so I decided to shave my head entirely, as well as razor it so I could be fully bald.

The one thing I didn't account for was how fat this guy was. He was already pretty chubby when I initially swapped, but I was happy to be free of my strict diet plan. I know I wouldn't look as good as I did before no matter how much I exercised or ate right, so I just stuck with how I was. It wasn't until a month or so that I realized he must've been working out prior to the swap because I noticed an increased weight gain. I still didn't care though, and just let myself go. I went from borderline obese to full on obese. My man tits ended up hanging out a little more and my gut drooped a little lower. My overall body was wider and soon enough I found myself waddling instead of walking.

But none of that mattered in the end because a couple of months after the swap, I met Chase. I decided to go to the bar one day, after finally gaining the confidence to do so. He approached and complimented me on my looks, which surprised me. I guess he had a thing for big guys. We talked a bit and I fell in love with him soon after that. When I told him who I actually was, he believed me right away. I guess with how quirky he is, he's the type that knows everything isn't what it seems.

Since the old man took over my life, I took over his. He was retired and didn't have much going for him, except this sweet condo right next to the beach. It had a king size bed, where Chase and I fucked for the first time. I'm gonna miss this place actually; it was nice. The old man called me a few days ago, scheduling the time for the swap back at noon today. I don't know how he did it originally so I asked Chase to spy on us from a short distance away to see what actually happens - and to make sure he doesn't bail!

We walked outside the condo and hugged one last time, his skinny frame being smothered by my flabby rolls.

"Good luck Ty! I love you!"

"Love you too!"

We split off and I stood around waiting for somebody that looked like me to appear. He said he would wear the same swimsuit he wore 2 years ago - the blue one. I couldn't wait to see how it all went. He thought he could do a better job at standing up to my fraternity brothers and giving me a better reputation so I hope he kept his word! It'll definitely be a weird feeling, returning back to my old life. But he would've graduated for me by now, so at least I don't have to see those idiot frat brothers anymore. And I had Chase of course! He said he would love me no matter what I looked like.

I was looking in the direction of the ocean when I spotted someone wearing the swimsuit I was looking for. I waddled closer to him, and realized that it was my old body. Something was different though - he gained weight! Alot of weight to be exact. My abs were completely gone! Sure he was far from obese, but his belly stuck out and the pecs I once had were soft and fleshy. It looked like he kept my basic appearance the same though, with the exception of a little chin beard. It was weird though, I recognized him for sure, but I didn't really feel like he used to be me. It'd been such a long time that I no longer associated his body with my identity.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself! How have you been?"

"I suppose it wasn't that bad. That nipple orgasm is something else."

"I can see that. You've been pumping them, haven't you?"

"Yep."

"Good. Good."

"So how did you gain weight that fast? The fraternity would've kicked you out with the slightest bit of fat, but you must've ditched them only a few months ago." His face dropped.

"Well…"

"Well?" No..don't tell me…

"I uh kinda got kicked out…2 years ago."

"What? What the fuck did you do?"

"I tried to be assertive and well, I guess I was more like aggressive. Got into a fight and they kicked me out. Geez, young people are so sensitive now!" I was in disbelief. He didn't improve my life at all, he ruined it!

"Did you…at least graduate?" Please say yes; oh my god.

"Er..no. I kinda just dropped out after that. College is hard!"

"What have you been doing the past 2 years then?!"

"Just getting by really - working, sleeping, jacking off. What I was really doing before. Well, actually I lost my job a few weeks ago."

I can't believe this. What am I going to do once I go back? I'm a college dropout, unemployed, and I can't even use my fit body to do modeling or anything! I didn't want him to know how upset I was in fear he wouldn't swap us back, so I swallowed my anger and changed the subject.

"Well, I guess we better swap then. How did you do it last time?"

"Simple spell. Just lay down and close your eyes." I slowly lowered myself and plopped down on my ass, all my rolls jiggling with the impact. I then lied down for a minute. When I opened my eyes, I was looking at the same fleshy mountain I was used to. What gives? I got up and found the old man talking with Chase.

"That's my boyfriend and you need to swap him back!"

"Boyfriend huh? How the hell did he score with that gross body? I hadn't gotten anyone looking like this!" They noticed me as I waddled up to them.

"Ty, he doesn't want to do it."

"What do you mean?! Swap me back! We had a deal!"

"Sorry, I have something else in mind now." He put his hands on Chase and a white light began pulsating from his hands. Chase didn't respond and looked like he was in a trance. Don't tell me he's trying to swap their bodies?!

"Hey get off of him!" I tried pulling his hands off, but it was as if they were glued to Chase's shoulders.

"Don't even try!" I may have ruined my chances with your body but I can start all over with his!"

"Oh no you don't!" It seemed impossible to pull his hands off, but I kept trying anyway. Suddenly the white light flashed everywhere and his hands were forced off of Chase, as well as mine. When I opened my eyes, I looked down and once again, saw the same saggy belly I'd woken up to for the past 2 years.

"Well, nothing happened…"

"Speak for yourself!" Chase spoke excitedly. He was looking at his hands and rubbing his flat stomach. Shit. That wasn't him. Chase, now in my original body, and the old man, now in Chase's body, looked at each other.

"So that's what I really look like to everyone else. Wow."

"Well I best be going then!" The old man started walking away until I grabbed him and pulled him into a neck hold.

"Not this time! You're going to swap us back for real."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" I released my grip.

"The spell only works twice. First for a regular swap, and then second for a swap back. It doesn't account for interruptions from a third."

"No way…I…"

"Ty. It's ok." Chase put his hand on my shoulder. "I like you like this. And I think I'll be fine. I'm as flabby as you…almost!" He slapped his belly and shook it up and down, admiring the jiggles. I guess the weight gain is turning him on.

"Yeah. I guess it's fine." He kissed me on the cheek.

"Take care you guys." It was weird seeing Chase's original body walk away from me but I know the real Chase was right here with me, safe and sound. I wonder what it would be like to have sex with your old body…

#strangemaleswaps #body swap #male body swap #male tf #weight gain #strangebeachbodswap

[project-sekai-facts]

have you seen that theory about vbs not being the original owners of their sekai, and if so what are your thoughts about it?

i stared at this post for a few minutes wondering if you were talking about a post that was written by me and then i checked twitter and a post about RADder being the original owners popped up on my fyp so i'm assuming that's what you're talking about (also i realised that my post is. still in my drafts).

i go full pepe silvia under the cut. uh. sorry.

yeah anyway i do agree with that theory. kinda. The Street SEKAI is mentioned multiple times in the initial cards to have been around for a while, though this could be referring to the fact that SEKAI take time to grow before they manifest fully to the owners (think about School and Wonderland SEKAI, which probably took years to reveal themselves). But it could also imply that someone else contributed to the SEKAI before VBS. I actually talk about the theory briefly in that first linked post, so we'll continue from there.

so I don't think it was RADder. And yeah basically my only reason is that they're too old. MEIKO was released in 2006, considering the only date mentioned in the game is (Autumn) 2021, this is after An was born, when RADder was already pretty successful. Also we don't know enough about SEKAI physics to confirm this, but Miku seems to be more important than MEIKO so maybe space-time wasn't broken until 2007, and RADder is probably even more successful at that point because of the CDs they recorded when An was a baby.

the SEKAI just doesn't work in the time frame. What we know is that the Street SEKAI was formed by dreams and aspiration. Which is kinda the case for most SEKAI but Street SEKAI was more specifically formed by the passion its creators have for these dreams. and while RADder had big dreams to be top musicians in the world and was passionate about that, they were like realistically never gonna achieve that, but also they were at a point where they were doing very well and were very successful and on their way there. they didn't really need the help from Miku as much as VBS needs it.

Now the way Nagi talks about some things in Light Up the Fire definitely could be read a certain way, especially when she talks about passing on RADder's dream to the kids in the audience at RW, but I still don't think RADder being the original owners entirely works. Honestly the easiest point to argue for that claim is that the Street SEKAI has a very strong attachment to RAD WEEKEND, which on the one hand could be part of the fact that Taiga very clearly never moved past it and never fully processed the death of his sister, but it makes a lot more sense to be a trait tied to the people who aspire to surpass it. also MEIKO outright says that's why the attachment to RW is there in her initial 2*.

However,

I don't think it's entirely out of the question for some of the other side characters to have an influence over the Street SEKAI. As I've mentioned, the SEKAI has a strong attachment to RW, and all of them have the same goal of surpassing the event. Also the 4 older VSingers in the SEKAI (MEIKO, KAITO, Luka, Miku) all takes traits from the members of RADder. Which makes a lot of sense for the main mentor figures in the SEKAI to be based on the people that the kids look up to.

There is an argument to be made though that they gave up on their dreams to easily. In LUTF, Taiga decides to crush all their dreams and Tatsuya (+ his group), Arata and Kotaro all leave, like, they just give up while (an admittedly very shaken) VBS sticks with their dream.

Tatsuya and EVER leave because all this time they'd been just carrying on until they eventually saw victory, but after taking a beating from Taiga, they realised that there's some things that you won't be able to overcome and give up.

Arata leaves because even though he has skill, Taiga was able to get through to his weakness - Souma. Taiga realises that Arata has experienced a similar loss and grief to he did, and although Arata is trying to carry Souma's dream on his behalf, Taiga knows from experience that Arata is just clinging on to Souma's dream as a way of coping with his loss, rather than actually trying to uphold it (basically he calls him selfish). Arata isn't able to argue back, feels a lot of guilt over that, and leaves.

Kotaro is like. particularly interesting and also most eligible for Miku therapy. He's genuinely really scared and overwhelmed by Taiga's challenge, and gives a poor performance when he has to stand up to him, and straight up gets called shit and weak by Taiga and the audience. Dead serious. Afterwards he literally has a breakdown, calls himself an idiot for not being able to sing and then goes on about how he's shit at everything and apologises because should've given up ages ago because all he's ever done is drag everyone else down before literally running away and DAMN do I hope he gets development on that in the Toya event.

all things considered i'd honestly say that all of them to some degree could've contributed to the formation of the SEKAI, Souma included (honestly he seems the most passionate about it even though he was forced to give up). all of them were passionate about it but then there's always the fact that they all gave up really easily, although they were reluctant. that said, toya did the same thing in the main story so...

Although,

There's still an argument that the Street SEKAI was just formed by the four of VBS, and Kohane was just the final piece of the puzzle that made it reveal itself. Three passionate people who are wholeheartedly devoted to their dream and one ordinary girl who wants to do something that she can dedicate herself to and feel passionate about. inverse MMJ if you will. fate is probably canon in project sekai also like i've mentioned this a few times before so that could play a part in all this.

but come to think of it, the sekai doesn't even reveal itself to Akito and Toya until really late in the main story. supposedly they still heavily influenced it but that's a bit... odd? don't you think? like the only other times that happens is N25 and WxS, wherein the SEKAI was made by only one person and let the others in later, but this was a SEKAI that was supposedly made by all 4 of them. so if you think about it hard enough, could the street sekai maybe do that again?

Also,

Nagi is very important to the VBS story and lore despite the fact that she was very obviously written in much later in development. Going back to the fate thing, at RW she states that since RADder is over and she's over, she now has a new dream, that being that she wants the next generation to be inspired by what they achieved and carry on their legacy. While when she says that, she's talking about An and Akito in the audience at RW, it's stated multiple times that the "next generation" includes all of VBS, and all the side characters. so yeah, the fate thing. I doubt the game will ever do anything about it since they're side characters, but I think it can be argued that they contributed to the SEKAI a bit.

i wrote this in so many increments and in the wrong order and now it lacks any cohesion whatsoever and i have no idea what i'm even saying at this point and i think i sort of proved it and disproved it simultaneously but like. yeah. it's an alright theory. i have some thoughts on it.

#project sekai spoilers #theory #mod talks #asks #part of this may or may not be copypasted from an essay i wrote on another blog so if any part of it seems familiar shhhh no it doesn't

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Something Something Phangirl Meets Discworld

Back when I was an undergrad, I had procrastinated a couple of first-year core classes (required stuff that has jack shit to do with your major but is supposed to make you a "well-rounded student" for everyone who wasn't educated in the US) to the point where we were at the beginning of year four, we took a couple over the summer, but now we're staring down having to take Art Appreciation for an entire final term and I did not WANT to. So instead I took a two-week intensive "Wintermester" art appreciation course in a classroom whose carpets squished in Fairbanks, Alaska in December. The fact that it didn't become a horror movie is a miracle. BUT. YOU GUYS. This class introduced me to The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, and thanks to how awesome that was, I finally went out and got the one Witches novel I hadn't bothered with at that point. Let's talk Maskerade.

Maskerade might be the Discworld book with which I've had the most dynamic relationship because I am currently what I would consider a "fallen" or "lapsed" theatre kid. However, when I picked up Maskerade for the first time, I was a "desperately trying to hold on to theatre with both hands and both feet despite ongoing and worsening health issues and a school theatre that has nearly succeeded in killing me three separate times but I don't want to let go" theatre kid. So on first read, I loved Agnes, I loved Nanny and Granny, Greebo is never not a standout, and I was fully over here like, "YES, THEATRE IS THE MIRACLE OF A THOUSAND THINGS FAILING TO GO WRONG!" I wasn't a huge fan of how Christine was characterized, and frankly I found the art/business dichotomy irksome.

I was barely 22 and an idiot. I have since grown some.

On subsequent reads in and beyond graduate school, I can see the love behind the pointed critiques, and I had run into the odd Christine or two, so I was far more willing to sympathize with Agnes--the single point of sensibility and practicality in a flamboyantly dramatical cats system that is often toxic. And while I liked the Nanny, Granny, and Enrico Basilica subplot on initial reads, now it is perhaps my entirely favorite part of the book. Adding the managed chaos that is the Witches to a theatre is amazing, and we get some really fantastic insights into how Nanny and Granny can leverage witchcraft beyond Lancre. It has a different flavor in Ankh Morpork, and what that ends up meaning for Walter Plinge is literally the difference between life and death.

The loving parodic use of theatrical tropes and traditions is honestly delightful throughout. I realize that saying, "Hey, so Sir Terry Pratchett was kind of amazing" on the internet is the oldest of old news, but honestly it bears repeating because Discworld is incredible.

Nanny Ogg's cookbook manages to be both hilarious and a scathing indictment of how poorly authors are paid--something that honestly just keeps gettting MORE relevant. I also love the low-key Producers-eqsue mixed with Shakespearean twinning aspects of having Nanny be the writer and Granny the accountant foiling off of Salzella and Bucket. Like, had their positions been reversed, the Ankh Morpork Opera House would have been flush with cash practically overnight and the cookbook would have ended up scammed. It's a really lovely, subtle little peice of foiling that 1000% was not required to make this book great, but I love that it's there.

So theatre kid phangirl me wasn't the biggest fan of this book, but grown-ass adult me with a little more life on her claims this as one of her top five all-time favorite Discworld books. I'm going to leave it here and realtively spoiler-free for those of you who might be on the fence about picking up the book. I highly recommend that you do, but I also recommend watching The Phantom of the Opera (either the Royal Albert Hall one or an actual stage production; don't START with the movie) before reading Maskerade, just to fully get the levels of allusion, parody, and homage.

#terry pratchett #sir terry pratchett #discworld #maskerade #the witches #granny weatherwax #nanny ogg #agnes nitt #phantom of the opera #absurdist fantasy #books & libraries #books and reading #books and novels #books #book recommendations

[fleetsonourgecentral]

A request: Ebony celebrates Fleetway Super birthday along with the freedom Fighthers celebrathing Sonic's birthday (so Super and Sonic share a birthday celebration :D) but Scourge IS jealous because he doesn't get any gifts

Adfjdasfjds Scourge being jealous for petty reasons my beloved

~~~

"This doesn't seem fair," Scourge grumbled, folding his arms and glaring at his surroundings like he could set the decorations alight with his eyes alone. Unfortunately, getting zapped by the Master Emerald didn't seem to grant him those powers, but hey, it was always worth double checking.

"Life isn't fair," Sonic said, smug smirk fully plastered on his face as he lounged on his throne for the day. The throne in question was nothing more than an old armchair fished out of the dump, and was covered in rips and clearly falling apart, but it was clean (thanks to Tekno's efforts) and it was the nicest chair the Freedom Fighters owned, so they made do.

Scourge was surprised they were putting in the effort at all. Sonic's ego was so big it was a wonder his head didn't swell and become too heavy for his body to carry; there was really no need to stroke his ego by giving him a throne.

For some reason, though, the Freedom Fighters, despite usually being extremely enthusiastic about keeping Sonic's ego in check, had decided today was an exception. It was his birthday, after all.

"How did you even get all this?" Scourge said. Thankfully, none of the cheesy "happy birthday" banners had been strung up on the wall - those were dumped on Ebony's doorstep - but in their place were custom-made banners proudly congratulating the Hero of Mobius on another year of victory over Robotnik. Over the top and unnecessary, considering the victory in question was mostly just his continued survival, and thus his continued ability to be a future pain in the ass.

Not that Robotnik didn't have it coming, but still.

"We made them!" Tails chirped from where he was stringing up another banner, this one declaring today as Sonic Day. "Tekno designed most of the banner so it would look cool enough that Sonic won't complain, and then Amy and I helped decide what they should say, and then we all painted them together!"

"And you didn't invite me?"

"We both know you would've told us all to fuck off if we asked you to help," Amy said, although the teasing smile on her face showed her comment was light-hearted instead of irritated. Gross.

"These aren't new, anyway," Tekno said. "We made these before you arrived, so you couldn't have helped. Unless you found a way to time travel. If you find an easy way to time travel, let me know?"

"Sure, whatever."

And now that Scourge was looking, the banners did seem a little worn. Small rips on the edges, colors dulled, the paper crinkled; obviously reused over the years. He nudged one of the banners crumpled on the floor with his foot, then picked it up to inspect it, holding it with his thumb and forefinger. Sonic's painted winking face greeted him, and Scourge sneered at it. On the back of the banner, he could see a cluster of signatures. Some he recognised - Tails and Amy - while some he'd never heard of - who in the world was Shortfuse? - and some... well, some were just initials, none of which he recognised. He certainly didn't remember any friends of Sonic's who went by J.L.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to help?" Amy said, lightly elbowing him as she passed, snatching the banner from his hands.

"What's it look like? I'm gonna stand here."

"No you're not. Help Tekno bring the gifts in."

"I'm not participating in this. You do shit like this then wonder why he's an arrogant dickhead."

"Is it arrogance if it's justified?" Sonic said.

"Justify my foot up your ass," Scourge said, just as Tekno dragged him away.

The pile of presents was bigger than it had any right to be. The Freedom Fighters didn't have much money - apparently fighting for the safety of the entire fucking planet doesn't pay well, or at all, which is bullshit and all the more reason for Scourge to find the whole thing stupid - so none of them could really afford to go all-out with the presents, but the bulk of the pile came from local civilians who had caught wind of the celebration and wanted to express their gratitude. Over the past week during their travels, civilians would stop them, shyly handing over presents and telling them they were for Sonic's birthday, a token of their appreciation for constantly saving their asses, because they couldn't be bothered to do it themselves.

No one said that last bit out loud, but Scourge always made sure to mentally add it.

Why they couldn't express their gratitude with some fucking cash, he did not know.

"Grab the presents by the table?" Tekno said, scooping presents into her arms. For what it was worth, although the pile was bigger than one would expect, at least most of the presents were small.

Groaning with all the contempt he could muster, Scourge shuffled over to the table and started tucking presents under his arms.

"Did you drop off everything at Ebony's?" Tekno said. Her voice was low, hidden by the rustle of the presents, only loud enough for Scourge to hear. Not that he thought Sonic could hear them when they were out here, but better safe than sorry.

"Whaddya take me for? Of course I did," Scourge said, voice equally low, although that was more for Tekno's peace of mind than his own. She'd shush him if she thought he was being too loud, but she was also really bad at shushing people quietly, and ended up attracting attention with her shushes more often than not. It was really counterproductive. Scourge didn't know why Sonic had let it slide for this long.

"Just making sure."

Scourge grunted, but he did give the rest of the presents an obligatory once-over, just to be sure there weren't any that shouldn't be there.

Super's birthday fell on the same day as Sonic's. It was why all the cheesy banners had been dumped on Ebony instead of in the trash where they belonged. The Freedom Fighters - okay, mostly Tekno - thought it was a good idea to send a few presents over from all of them, as a gesture of goodwill and minor bribery to please not turn evil and try to kill them all again. It was a plan Sonic had been conveniently left out of; even with their less strained relationship (although that really wasn't saying much) it was blatantly obvious he still wasn't fond of Super. He wouldn't stop them from giving him birthday presents, or wanting to wish him a happy birthday, but he would wrinkle his nose and mutter a comment under his breath, which was apparently a problem, although Scourge hadn't figured out why.

Ebony had asked if they wanted to stop by, even tentatively offered a joint birthday celebration if that would make things easier, but she was swiftly turned down. Presents were a safe bet, the Freedom Fighters had agreed, because they could be dropped off at any time, and Sonic would never have to know, and they could wish Super a happy birthday without ever leaving Sonic's side on the actual day. And they could send Scourge to be their little delivery boy so none of them would have to do it; despite the olive branch, Tails and Amy were still wary of Super. Apparently Scourge and (somehow) Tekno were the only ones who weren't little bitches about him.

Well, Sonic wasn't a little bitch exactly, but he wasn't as cool and casual about Super as he wanted to be. So he didn't count.

"I'm just saying," Scourge said, hefting as many presents into his arms as he could, "if you're going to make the decorations look like a 'congrats on kicking ass without dying' celebration, we should all be getting presents."

"It's not your birthday, though."

"I'm his boyfriend, though. Shouldn't I get, like, a solidarity present?"

"No, because it isn't your birthday."

Scourge bit back a comment about how if Super got to have a birthday just because he was another Sonic, then logically, so should he. Because, well, it wasn't his birthday, even though all the celebration really made it feel like it should be. He thought birthdays for Sonics were the same across all dimensions - he was pretty sure he shared a birthday with Prime, eugh - but apparently not.

With another exaggerated groan, he shuffled back into the living room with the presents towering high above him, because second trips were for chumps, and dumped them at Sonic's feet. His own gift wasn't in there, but only because he'd already given it to Sonic this morning. The moment he woke up, in fact. Scourge wasn't about to be beaten by anyone in anything, including being the first person to give Sonic a gift.

Not that it was anything special. Scourge wasn't exactly rolling in money either, and Sonic was a pain in the ass to shop for. Humiliation had nipped at his heels when he handed the gift over, ready to burn him, but Sonic seemed to really like it - underneath the obligatory layer of snark - so it was fine.

Probably.

He eyed the pile of presents again, and tried not to gnaw on his lip.

Some of the civilians who gave them presents looked... well, not well-off, but comfortable. Not rich, not even close to rich, but able to at least afford something nice for the Hero of Mobius. More than Scourge could afford.

More than any of the Freedom Fighters could afford, though, and Sonic didn't really give a shit about his fans outside of the inherent bragging rights that come with having fans in the first place. None of those civilians knew what Sonic liked. The Freedom Fighters did. Scourge did.

He doubted any civilian signatures were on the back of the banner he picked up.

A party thrown by civilians probably wouldn't look like this at all. That would be far more elaborate, with more people pitching in to help, even more vomit-worthy banners and decorations hung from every wall and banister, singing the praises of Sonic the Hedgehog. Over the top, and licking his ass, and making a huge deal out of him. Exactly the kind of celebration Sonic would like; he always loved it when people lavished him with praise for his efforts in saving the world, the arrogant bastard.

Sonic didn't have any of that, this year. Oh, sure, the party would stroke his ego, but it wasn't lavish. Compared to what he could have, it was almost humble.

But. He didn't look upset by it. Didn't even feign annoyance that it wasn't as big as it could be.

Scourge couldn't remember any of his own birthdays looking like this growing up. No friends surrounding him, bickering as they hung birthday banners or fetched presents or argued over the cake. No shitty birthday chair fished out of the dump. No lavish party to sing his praises. His birthdays weren't humble like this one, but they weren't extravagant, either.

They were... cold. Empty. There was no soul in the presents, no warmth in the candle of the cake. No signatures on the back of a hand-made birthday banner.

Scourge swallowed down the ugly feeling in his stomach.

Whatever. He didn't need any of that shit. He was Scourge the fucking Hedgehog, he knew exactly how great he was. Who needed a giant party? Not him. He wasn't that fragile.

"Scowl any harder and your face will get stuck."

Scourge flipped Sonic off without even looking. "Eat shit, birthday boy."

"Are you sulking because Pixel Brain jumped on you this morning when he came to wish me a happy birthday?"

"He crushed my fucking ribs," Scourge complained, glad for something to focus on. The interruption had been rude, and Tails was fortunate they were already awake; had he done that shit while Scourge was still asleep, he would've gotten an ass full of quills.

"Right. And you're definitely not sulking because you wanted to cuddle."

"I don't cuddle."

"Bullshit you don't."

"I don't. You have no proof."

"Then you're gonna start."

Before Scourge could say a word of protest, Sonic grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him onto his lap.

"Fuck off and let me go," Scourge snapped, shifting to get comfortable.

"It's my birthday," Sonic said, smirking his stupid, smug, victorious grin. "That means you have to do what I say."

"I'm not doing shit, you can't tell me what to do, birthday or not," Scourge said, leaning further into Sonic when he wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer.

"You'll get the chair when it's your birthday, if it's any consolation."

"Fuck the chair! What about my presents?"

"We'll see."

"Asshole," Scourge grumbled, biting Sonic lightly on the shoulder to emphasize his point, but he only got an amused chuckle in return.

"You're getting off when the cake gets here," Sonic said.

Huffing, Scourge snuggled further into Sonic. They'd see about that.

#sonic the hedgehog #scourge the hedgehog #fleetway sonic #stc sonic #fleet!sonourge #asks #fanfic #tekno the canary #HIIIIIIIIII I AM. SO FUCKING SORRY. I DID NOT MEAN FOR THIS TO TAKE THIS LONG #'i love writing' i say as i proceed to not write for months #chronically lazy..... but at least it isn't a 'well over a year' wait like some of my other fics....... #me: haha scourge being jealous for petty reasons! #scourge: thinks about how his birthdays have never had the love and care put into them as sonic's #me: oh for fucks sake #author write a fic that doesn't end up dabbling in the internal angst of these boys challenge: failed #i simply cannot control myself #sorry this didn't really have super and ebony in it #couldn't think of a way to include them that didn't involve a joint celebration/party. and i. can't imagine sonic would be happy about THAT #hope you enjoyed anyway!!! #and again i am soooooooo sorry this took so long

[lumilasi]

In relation to the snow witch/cat lesbian duo, here are the said witch's dads. The first one, Marcus is AGES OLD character I've had for a decade that I still love a lot, and I actually didn't change his design from the old one almost at all? I simply drew him better now, thanks to having my drawing skills improve at least somewhat in the past decade.

Lethas is an amalgamation of an entire family of old dragonic deity characters squished together. I'll draw his dragon form sometime later.

...The font I'm using is kinda not matching for the fantasy vibe, but I really didn't feel like doing graphic design so to speak rn lmao

Fun Facts below:

Marcus is a Romanian noble in heritage, though local villagers rarely see him, and think of their count as bit of a weird hermit. Pleasant and polite enough, but odd.

Marcus doesn't have human staff, he uses his powerful ice magic to create icy entities that act as servants.

Marcus' Patron Deity is Jack Frost

Irina was abandoned at his doorstep as a toddler, and he was initially hesitant in taking her in, but saw potential in her already strong magic, and was admittedly kind of lonely living there alone

He and Lethas are in a mostly platonic, non-sexual relationship, but they do come off like an old married couple that bicker constantly, and clearly have a very strong emotional bond between one another.

Marcus is gay (and basically anyone who meets him can tell he's not straight, there's no way lol) and Lethas basically has no sexual/romantic drive whatsoever given the way his kind are born. (So he's Aro-ace if you apply human labels)

They started out as rivals, but overtime kind of become each other's only company (up until Irina showed up)

Lethas was actually frozen as a statue in dragon form in front of the Vasile castle for almost fifty years, and was released accidentally by Irina when she was 8.

She thought he was going to eat her dad, only to see the two start bickering and head inside for tea, as if him being frozen by Marcus for five whole decades wasn't unusual. (It was an accident, Marcus actually thought he'd accidentally killed Lethas and was relieved to find out that wasn't the case, even if he doesn't show it openly)

Lethas is a soul dragon, a being born from the lost souls of dead warriors perished in wars. All his weapons are formed from soul fire.

Lethas was born sometime around the age of the roman empire, though can't remember exactly when. Marcus is couple hundred years old, but he did spend about half of it on ice literally, hence he actually appears younger than he should. (Long story, he met Lethas because the dragon released him from ice accidentally)

Lethas breathes fire like average dragons, though his soul fire is immensely powerful and can't be put out in any other way, except essentially powerful exorcism magic or a soul eater's devouring of it.

Lethas immediately took into his role as the more strict and responsible dad, the first thing he did when waking up was to pick Irina up in his dragonic form and place her gently on the balcony of her room, patting her head, before turning around to bitch at Marcus.

The swirly pattern on Lethas' cloak doesn't just glow in soul form, but they move and swirl around too.

Split hair and coloring with Lethas symbolizes the duality of life in all its forms; life and death, sky and earth, fire and water, war and peace, etc. or that's what Lethas likes to claim anyway. Marcus suspects he just thinks it looks cool.

Marcus' coat turns into hues of blue and white when he fully activates his powers. The snowflake/star design on it is actually the center of the Warlock sect symbol for this world's Arcane Council (body that governs primary magic users, I.E beings whose main thing is magic, rather than the magic being result of being some sort of mythical being)

Technically, you're not supposed to remove parts of the symbol if you wish to utilize it, but Marcus didn't like the hostile looking spiky eyes surrounding the central star pattern, so he didn't include them + made the colors more to his taste.

#artists on tumblr #oc illustration #oc reference #dragon #warlock #lumi's art scribbles #lumi's chaotic creations #Night city parlor #The mage and the mobster #Marcus Vasile #Soul Dragon Lethas #my oc #old oc revamp

[rising-volteccers]

i'm not sure if you got it bc i sent it during class, but i would like to hear about the horizons swap au with leon!! full permission to gush btw :)

HI thank you for indulging me ahhsjdd. I didn't see a previous message so it probably got eaten.

SO the working idea is that Horizons and SwSh characters are swapped. Not all of them because SwSh cast is bigger and I have favorites.

I'll be honest in that I haven't fully fleshed out the SwSh cast side, so have only Leon for now.

Leon is the leader of the Blazing Brave Birds. Hailing from Postwick, at a young age he became more interested in traveling around to see what laid beyond his hometown than participating in the Gym Challenge. It wasn't hard to accidentally discover new places given his tendency to get hopelessly lost, and he often made the most out of his time there. To say that he pretty much (accidentally) explored almost the entirety of Galar wasn't a stretch. Eventually he set his sights on seeing the entire world, and through connections he's made over the years, he'd become the proud owner of a souped up blimp that would carry him through skies beyond his home region.

He's accompanied at least by Hop, Gloria, Marnie, Sonia, Raihan, Kabu, Milo and Nessa. The Explorers is led by Rose, where Bede comes after Gloria for the pendant she has.

Alright so for the Horizons cast:

Friede is the undefeatable Champion of Galar. He's been Champ since he was 15 years old and has been holding onto the position for nearly half his life now. His fans have split opinions on who his ace is: either Gigantamax Charizard or Pikachu. He's cheerful, friendly, super helpful but has the tendency to forget things. Like he'd arrive at a spot and forget why he was supposed to be there in the first place. He's got a Rotom Phone that sets constant reminders for important business or else he'd forget to attend.

Professor Lucca is the regional professor. She and Roy's grandfather helped Friede a lot during his teenage years before he became Champion so he agreed to help give starters to Liko and Roy when they reached the age to become Pokemon Trainers. Liko picked Sobble as her starter while Roy chose Scorbunny. Initially Friede didn't consider endorsing them for the Gym challenge but changed his mind once he saw their potential. These kids were rough around the edges but he can tell that with time and polish, they could shine.

Liko and Roy are neighbors in Postwick! Initially Liko didn't really thought about participating in the Gym Challenge but Roy went on and on about wanting to become Champion himself some day. After Liko received her starter, that sent her down on the path of discovering what kind of Trainer she actually wanted to be. Roy and Liko would end up becoming rivals that helped each other become stronger.

The Chairman of the Galar League is Gibeon, president of Macro Cosmos. He saw potential in Friede, choosing to endorse him. He's a rather mysterious guy. Gibeon himself doesn't make much public appearances. The times he did were in holographic form and even then, his true look remained a mystery to the general public. Still, thanks to his generous contribution to various aspects of Galar--such as making the Galar League famous by introducing Dynamax phenomenon into the Gym battles--he's got positive ratings with the people.

Most of Friede's interactions with Gibeon is through Spinel, his secretary. Deep down, Friede never got along with Spinel. The guy was polite and affable but at times, he felt like that wasn't his true self. Something about him rubbed Friede the wrong way but he kept those thoughts to himself. He worked with Spinel when needed, accepting whatever task given.

Currently, Gibeon is sponsoring Amethio for the Gym Challenge. Amethio highly respects Gibeon, that much was easily seen with the near reverent way he addresses the man during the few times Friede came across him. Friede could tell that Amethio doesn't particularly like him for one reason or another. Whenever they crossed paths, Amethio would say that he'd be the one to beat Friede and take the Champion position. Friede simply encourages him to do so, much to Amethio's annoyance. The Pokemon that Gibeon gifted Amethio is a Honedge that's now an Aegislash.

Orla is Friede's childhood friend. They started their respective Gym challenge around the same time (Orla getting endorsed by the current Motostoke Gym Leader). While Friede was the one who ultimately won and became Champion, Orla was always close behind him. Friede appreciated the challenge that she gave him, pushing him to always do his best for his greatest rival. Currently she's the Motostoke's Steel-type Gym Leader with her ace being her Metagross.

Ludlow is Friede's actual grandfather and the Dragon-type Gym Leader in Hammerlocke. He's part of the reason that inspired Friede to actually take on the Gym Challenge in the first place. He and Opal were some of the longest running Gym Leaders in the Major League. Despite their differing specialization, Ludlow and Opal are really good friends. They often share a cup of tea together and reminisce about the good old days, also discussing about the potential of future Galar Trainers. His ace is a Drampa.

Mollie is the Normal-type Gym Leader in Turffield. Being the first Gym Leader that budding Gym challengers take on, she's quick to show them that Normal-types are not to be underestimated. She looks a little cool and serious when battling but outside of it, she's kind and gentle, even offering to help heal the Pokemon of her challengers. Her ace is Blissey.

Murdock is the Rock-type Gym Leader in Spikemuth. Seeing as its the only leg in the Gym Challenge without a stadium or power spot, he works hard to improve the town's image even if he gains a reputation for being a rough, scary looking guy. He's a pillar in the community, someone who Spikemuth would rally behind. Whenever challengers actually get to beat him, he'd hold celebrations with them and the town where he'd cook something up for everyone to enjoy. Win or lose, it's always an occasion. His ace is Midday Form Lycanroc.

Dot is Murdock's niece that lives with her mom (Murdock's little sister). She's a single mother after Dot's dad left the family so Murdock stepped up to take care of Dot throughout the years. She became reclusive, not having many friends until she chanced upon making friends with Liko via their shared love for a streamer that they watch. Dot was encouraged to take the step of taking on the Gym Challenge too despite not being a battler. Dot wears a mask when out in public since she finds it easier to pretend that she's someone else when she wears it. Her starter is an Impidimp that Murdock gifted her (he also endorsed her for the Gym challenge).

#Pokemon #Pokemon Horizons #Pokemon Sword and Shield #Professor Friede #Champion Leon #Roleswap au #My posts #Only gonna tag the two most relevant characters because they're my loves

[asoulwithadream]

Analysing some parts of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" because they're pirating suspiciously pirately....

I have way too much free time........

Is it him or is it me?

This refers to Blackbeard/Ed: where Ed is unsure, mainly because of his own thoughts and Izzy's influence, what he's supposed to be. Perhaps he was sure around the time of the Act of Grace, but Stede leaving has very dramatically twisted his perception on Stede's supposed feelings for him. Perhaps Stede's pursuit of him makes him confused on what Stede's after, if he's in love with his superficial personality, like the majority of those around him, or loves him for who he really is.

Don't make me waste my time Don't make me lose my mind, baby

Again, more of what I think is connected to the wedding scene: Ed seeing Stede everywhere. Is this after he gets the message in the bottle? We know Frenchie can't read, so maybe Jim read it for him, or someone else from his crew. (Of course, I don't know if Stede's "I love everything about you" is actually the letter, and am debating on whether or not it's said directly to Ed.)

Baby, baby, baby Can't you stay with me tonight? Oh baby, baby, baby Don't my kisses please you right?

This part is so reminiscent of the end of the Act of Grace— he wants to know why Stede didn't stay with him afterwards, why he didn't go with him off to China that night, and was it because of his straightforwardness and his kiss, which Ed knows that he himself initiated? I think he tells himself that he knows why, that it was because of himself as Ed, being vulnerable, not Blackbeard. ("Is it him, or is it me?") But deep down, he's completely unaware, and it sparks an ever-lasting worry.

You were so hard to find The beautiful ones, they hurt you every time

Ed spent his life searching for something meaningful- he's been a pirate for so incredibly long, ever since he was a boy on Hornigold's ship. And now that finally he's found someone that's piqued his interest, that makes him soften and appreciate the calmer things in life, that actually inspires him to almost fully retire from piracy and do what he personally finds pleasant, after all these years, it crumbles with a single dawn. The beautiful ones: something which can be used to accurately describe Stede. Not only is he the ideal beauty standard during the beginning of the Georgian era, essentially a ye olde model, but Ed finds him incredibly beautiful in both looks, personality, interests, and his unique take on the world and one doing things which Ed would usually overlook or think of differently. That's why he fell in love. But he was hurt, badly.

Paint a perfect picture Bring to life a vision in one's mind The beautiful ones Always smash the picture Always, every time

Of course, now we're on the topic of the infamous lighthouse painting, the only visible part of Stede that survives on the ship (except from the auxiliary wardrobe?). The perfect picture encompasses their relationship from Ed's perspective; Stede is a lighthouse, and if you get too close, you "crack up on the rocks." This vision is brought alight with Stede, but it's a senseless and fake reality, at least for Ed after the Act of Grace episode. He's now learnt not to trust these vulnerable moments, smash them, just as this dream was smashed for him.

If I told you baby That I was in love with you Oh baby, baby, baby If we got married Would that be cool?

The mention of marriage in this song, especially after the entire scene with the interrupted boat-marriage, Ed's decoration of the wedding cake toppers, and his very dreary and tired "objection", just points incredibly obviously to some form of matetolage in the season. It's so obvious, plus the fact that a form of gay pirate wedding is historically available for Stede and Ed is too good of a chance to pass on; if they don't do it now, they will do it sometime in another season or in the future. Nevertheless, Ed still loves Stede, and that's the bottom line.

You make me so confused The beautiful ones You'll always seem to lose

Of course, referring back to the previous mention of the beautiful one, this can relate to Stede again, and Ed's confusion on his supposed betrayal, however now, it has the added description of the beautiful one being lost to him, which strengthens his nihilistic thoughts regarding stable and loving mutual relationships (I've already kind of discussed this, so I'll keep it short.)

I may not know where I'm going, babe I said, I may not know what I need One thing, one thing's for certain baby I know what I want, yeah And if it please you baby Please you, baby I'm begging down on my knees I want you

Now, where I thought that the song began in Ed's perspective, I think it starts to revert to Stede's gradually, especially this part. There are other bits of the song which can be interpreted through Stede's eyes, however this is the one that stands out to me the most as something distinctly Stede-esque. His ineptitude to piracy and sailing are represented in the first line, however it is paralleled with his wish to get to Ed. After his realisation with Mary that he is indeed in love with Ed, and everything about him ("breathing the same air"), he knows exactly what his mission is, and he will do anything, no matter the limits of his understanding, to get to it. He'll beg, he'll weep, he'll do anything at all, to make both the world and Ed himself understand what exactly it is he wants.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd teaser #the beautiful ones #prince #song analysis #stede bonnet #edward teach #blackbeard #i think i may be slightly sick to the head #i've been listening to this song on repeat..... #help

[system-reset]

actually let me tell this story in an actual post because I need people to know about it because nobody we know irl remembers this happening...

when were pretty young, somewhere around 7-9, there was several months during which none of the kids in our neighborhood were allowed outside without parental supervision. this meant we were walked or driven to and from school, we had our parents watching at the park (yes, even the one that was actually in the little cul-de-sac), etc.

why? because someone's kid had been abducted.

now, of course, the majority of the kids there were about 5-11 years old at the time so many of us didn't fully understand what any of this meant, but all of us had some keen awareness that this was Bad™. keep in mind, in elementary school it'd been drilled into our heads that being kidnapped was not only extremely likely if you were a kid outside by yourself, but also very very bad and you should do anything you can to avoid it. so even if we were all bored and wanted desperately to go out and play, a lot of us wouldn't.

but that's not the end of it. I wouldn't tell this story if it was. for a bit more context for this next bit: slightly before the time we couldn't go out, we got really into spooky stories on YouTube. you know, the shitty 5 minute horror animations from 2012.

so, you may have noticed that lately we've been very anti-ice cream truck. this is actually not new for us. fear of ice cream trucks had been building in us for months before this kid was abducted, and while I now suspect ice cream trucks had absolutely nothing to do with his disappearance, at the time this was a very probable thing to us.

for a long time, the music the ice cream truck played didn't sit right with us for whatever reason. this was, initially, entirely unrelated to our interest in horror. it was also the first auditory hallucination we had on the regular. we'd hear ice cream trucks while out with friends in seasons where they don't even come around, we'd hear them at night, we'd hear them when we weren't in a place where an ice cream truck could be. we were little, though, and had shitty legal guardians. so mostly the response to this was "oh you just have a vivid imagination"

this was distressing for us and it still is honestly.

anyway, at some point either shortly before or shortly after this kid went missing, we'd seen some stupid horror story about an ice cream truck that came around at night and the children would somehow all go out to it but none of the parents ever noticed or whatever idfk. and so in our small, undiagnosed adhd and myriad other mental health issues brain, some connection was made between the kidnapping and ice cream trucks. for a long time we wouldn't go rushing out the door to the ice cream truck, we'd instead go up to our room and hide and hope our friends were doing the same.

so yea that's why we hate ice cream trucks. hope this helps.

#tia.meow #ben.glitch

[bcgsideblog]

Just heard someone say that the scene where Gloria tells her parents about all her problems was "forced and unrealistic" because "there was literally no reason for her to tell them the truth" which is just ludicrous actually.

The scene where Gloria's parents find out she's "a disappointment" is honestly incredible in large part because she didn't have to tell them the truth. I mean, Gloria won, right? She lied to her parents, they were satisfied, they were proud of her for once in her life, she got everything she said she wanted when they first came to visit.

Except, these people have hurt her immensely throughout her entire life. They always compared her to others, always implied she wasn't good enough, always withheld basic affection and approval. She had her first panic attack at five years old and if we're being real, the borderline abusive parenting absolutely had something to do with it. And now, present day, her life...wasn't the best. She'd lived in poverty for three years, working herself senseless just to scrape by, and then she lost it all anyways. Issues that were fed into (if not altogether caused) by her mental health issues and her complete lack of support system (before being taken in by the greens) something that was categorically her parents fault.

And she recounts all this to them like it's a triumph. Because in a way, it IS a triumph. Her parents refused, even when she berated them for everything they'd done, to see how much they hurt her. "It all worked out" they said, because if she was happy or successful, it was because of them, because they were good parents after all who'd set her up for an amazing life by pushing her. Which..in the face of that, Gloria's financial struggles ARE a victory! Evidence, undeniable proof, that they hurt her.

In the face of her parents who put her through so much actively denying that they'd done anything wrong, it's in no way forced or unrealistic for Gloria to seek for her trauma to be validated, even at the cost of the approval she'd only just managed to pull them them. (and of course, it's just as natural for her to break down again as soon as the initial high of that validation wore off and she was hit fully with the reality of how awful her life has been)

That scene was just. REALLY GOOD, actually, and definitely not forced or unrealistic at all. In fact, that was a pretty real trauma response to have in a situation like that...

#big city greens #bcg #gloria sato

[tuiyla]

Don't you find it strange that Santana was so openly handsy with Brittany in s1 but then spent the next two seasons freaking about people suspecting that she was gay? I am to this day very confused by some of their moments, such as caressing arms or legs in front of everybody. No actual couple in the entire show ever acted that way i don't think (some of them did make out during glee club but those moments were part or actual scenes, they weren't just background moments). I'm a Brittana sap and I love their very handsy moments but I just don't get how some of them exist in the first place lol

I thought this was ~only~ a week old ask but turns out it's been two weeks, apologies. Hope you're reading this. In return for your patience, I'm really gonna dive in lol.

I don't find it strange, actually, I think it works out very well in-universe. There are two main reasons why but they intersect. First, PDA between two girls has an entirely social perception and limit than between two men or people of different genders, regardless of their actual relationship status. I think culture is shifting ever so slowly and it's a complex issue, to say the least, but basically Sapphic love is both extremely fetishized and dismissed to a ridiculous degree. We'll get back to the fetishization part with my second reason, but the dismissal has become a meme over the years. It's not unheard of with gay men either that their relationship is dismissed as "brotherly" by those who'd rather pretend queer people don't actually exist, but it's even more true with Sapphic relationships.

It takes a lot for Sapphic relationship to be taken seriously, or at least it can take a lot. Weddings have bene referred to as friendship ceremonies. Gals being pals. Because the limit of what's branded acceptable in a non-romantic/sexual relationship between women is higher than for others, things that'd be considered PDA for actual couples flies with female friends. Some of my friends in high school touched each other in ways and were affectionate enough that, had one of them been a guy, they would have been told off by a teacher. Had they been guys, they would have immediately been labelled gay (but more like a slur version). But girls are allowed to be affectionate in friendships because of the gender norms we have. Brittana didn’t do anything I didn’t also see at my own high school tbh. Well apart from after they actually got together of course lol.

It's a double-edged sword, though. On the one hand, girls can be touchy-feely and no bats an eye, and it's a shame society doesn't allow men to express the same affection within friendships without assuming there must be something more there. But it also comes with a dismissal of when that relationship between two women turns romantic, because Sapphic sexuality is fetishized to the extreme but Sapphic love is brushed off. Girls being affectionate or even making out is treated as hot but not as anything serious. They couldn't possibly actually love each other, right? Not like that.

So reason number one, their affection was just considered to be gals being pals I think. Especially two feminine cheerleaders both known for getting around with guys, people didn't initially bat an eye. That's just Brittany and Santana being Brittany and Santana. From the pinkies to the hugs and everything else, I don't think anyone really stopped to think twice about how they behaved. I get that, with the hindsight that they were in love and also that it's 2022 now and times are changing, it seems now that surely, someone must have been suspicious juts going off on their physical affection. But as someone who was in high school in 2009, I think it's plausible that people didn't consider it to be anything strange.

But then we have reason number 2, that Brittana fully played into the other extreme in this equation, namely the fetishization. As we find out in 1x14, Brittana regularly go on dates with guys together or otherwise play into the male gazey idea of “oh, two hot cheerleaders!” Even taking it as far as two hot cheerleaders making out in front of guys, and who knows exactly what else. In this way, they really neutralized any potential rumours, at least for a while there in season 1. By playing into the idea that they’re only doing this for the pleasure of straight guys, they doubled down on the idea that their friendship is otherwise just that. I certainly don’t think any of the jocks stopped for a second to consider that Brittana’s relationship should be taken more seriously than some fooling around for the boys’ sake. It’s disappointing to see that stereotype be perpetuated but what can ya do.

So by season 1B, Brittana are widely known to be a) best friends who are very casually handsy with each other and b) girls who make out in front of guys and play into the fetishization. They exploit their own exploitation in this sense. I actually just recently wrote a small-ish section on this exact topic in season 1 for my latest Santanalysis; it’s not the main thing I discuss but part of it, and I think one day we should dive even deeper into this aspect of Santana and her relationship with Brittany. Because as I alluded to in my Brettiago post (iirc), the whole reason why Santana was bold enough to explore her sexuality with Brittany in the first place is because of this societal double standard. Because I believe she knew, even if subconsciously, that people would dismiss the idea that she has genuine feelings for Britt, that she could be gay. It’s just gals being pals and them being physical with each other for the sake of men.

I’d also just like to note that what we see of them in the choir room should be treated slightly differently, because ultimately the Glee Club was supposed to be this safe space and the choir room where they’re even more liberal with how they interact. Put aside that the choir room became their place, as they grew more comfortable in Glee and became genuinely attached, not just serving as Sue’s spies, I think even Santana was more relaxed with how she approached things. Brittany was relaxed to begin with, but it’s only at times like the Sectionals sex bomb or the Rumours situation where we see Santana tense up. And that’s a whole other convo, and how Santana’s illusion of heterosexuality falls apart is for another say and for part two of the post I mentioned. Coming to a dashboard near you this May lol. I’m just mentioning all this because I think it’s important to note that they might also have bene even more handsy in the choir room because Glee was supposed to be a safe space where even if people found out they were more than friends, it’s a different scenario than the whole school knowing or suspecting something.

Which also brings me to a point I just have to bring up because I woke up and chose violence against Finn Hudson today. Glee was supposed to be a safe space, so even as the events of season 2 unfolded and most Glee Clubbers found out about or at least suspected Brittana*, that’s not what Santana was terrified of. The whole school already knows, Finn said to try and justify his appalling moment where he betrayed this implicit trust of the choir room’s safe space. But they didn’t. And even if the ridiculous plot of the Congress race and political ads didn’t exist, Finn still outed Santana to a homophobic school where no, most of them hadn’t already known. I guess Santana thought that after Finn had not one but two episodes dedicated to learning not to be a dick with homophobic tendencies, he might have learned to be an ally. Or at least not someone who’d out a lesbian as a cruel attempt at a comeback.

*I think the show could have done a better job of establishing with at least a few key people how they found out about Brittana. That would have been an interesting element but season 3 proved they didn’t care about that. Finn knew and he chose to be a giant asshat with that info.

Anyway that was our anti Finn Hudson side tangent.

To close this off, I think Santana’s journey with her own sexuality and others perception of her is a fascinating and complex story. I think it’s more nuanced than “well if she didn’t want people to know she was gay she shouldn’t have acted gay.” To be clear I don’t think that’s what you’re saying  Anon, at all! But I have seen that ~excuse~ for The Outing, which, wow, I wonder how it feels to be heartless. I think what you’re saying is valid, their PDA is curious in light of their true feelings and Santana’s fear, but there are societal aspects to consider and how Brittana played into those. They only began to be clocked as different things piled up and, ultimately, as Finn pushed that final stone and it all came tumbling down. And now I’m sad about Santana’s worst fears coming true and really mad at Finn fucking Hudson. Ah well, jumping over to a different post to write about their season 1 dynamic should be fun, lol.

#this escalated but ah well #lots to consider #glee asks #anon #brittana asks #santanalysis #kinda gonna put it down as because i went off #brittanalysis #anti finn hudson #because he deserves it #brittana pda #any other tags needed i don't think so #santana asks #again kinda #the stroking legs in 2x01 audition was very fruity and makes me feel things #but i can see why they felt chill about doing that

[bexalex]

INTRO.

oops i'm already late but a quick intro while i have a chance!! hi everyone this is laur (@bejinyoung) again attempting a second muse because this dude spawned in my head a couple weeks ago and won't leave me alone!!!!

to be honest i haven't finished his bio yet so i'll put a quick tl;dr under the cut with the highlights and hopefully i can get some plots rockin' and rollin' with alex!

ps. this is a new blog so i'm stuck with the new post editor. please pray 4 me.

the history!

mom's a particularly cutthroat lawyer and dad is a former major league baseball player who was more or less babytrapped by mom while she was visiting her extended family in korea. due to conservative beliefs and values, he married her anyway and moved to canada with her to raise the baby (it's a girl!).

alex was also born in toronto, ontario (canada) and was more or less an accident. his mom really didn't want a second child, especially not one FOURTEEN years after her first, but due to conservative beliefs and values (there is a pattern here) she kept the baby (alex) anyway. that said, she was not a very affectionate mother. his dad, on the other hand, was fairly doting but not always present.

alex kinda grew up a little too independent. his sister didn't want much to do with him (what high schooler wants to deal with an infant anyway?), his dad was always busy, and his mom was distant at best, cold at worst.

side plot: alex at some point realized that he looked nothing like his father. and also not that much like his mother. while he's never dared to ask, he assumes he's the product of an affair. he can tell that there's no love left in his parents' marriage one way or the other, but they stay together due to conservative beliefs and values.

CW INJURY // like his dad, alex had a keen interest in baseball from a young age! he started out in little league and was quite the little talent. he continued to play until 8th grade; he made the junior varsity team (he passed the special test for underclassmen to play with high schoolers) but in an unfortunate accident in practice, he broke his femur. he's now fully healed, but whether it's physical or psychological his leg has never really felt the same. while he can walk and function normally in most of his daily life, it still aches with too much hard activity. the pain was bad enough that he had to give up his baseball career dreams.

while still initially recovering from said injury, alex was quite bored. he's always been competitive so he eventually fell into the wild world of video games. first person shooters in particular appealed to him. and he became quite good at them. this will be important later.

another side plot: his sister is married to @bexabbi's brother. alex was only invited to the wedding because people would ask questions if he wasn't.

somewhere halfway through high school, alex's dad decides he has had enough. he legally splits from his wife (she takes everything) but alex is old enough to tell the judge that he'd rather stay with his dad than his mom. his mother puts up a fight at first, if only just to spite her ex, but eventually she relents and dad gets sole custody. alex and dad move back to south korea a year later and alex finishes his schooling in seoul.

at some point, his prowess at fps games earns him a spot on an overwatch contenders team (the very same as @renxbe) as another dps. i actually don't know too much about games so bear with me here because i have no idea who he mained at the time, we will determine these details later. anyway, through a series of unfortunate events, alex's contract was not re-signed or extended and he ended up leaving overwatch entirely to join a valorant challengers team instead. he's still playing valorant professionally and streams on the side just for fun. his whole team is hoping to win the challengers league and become a franchised team in the Big international competitions <3

his stream content is a lot of valo (again i dont know much so can't tell u who he mains rn) but he also does some other variety content.

anyway these days he's a creative writing major (mostly to spite his mother, who would've dropped dead if any of her kids weren't doctors or lawyers, etc.) and has vague plans to write a novel if streaming fizzles out for him. he doesn't currently have any particular interest in music but i'm hoping to give him some connections to change that!!

a little bit of personality info too:

i kinda consider him the guy asking the question "aren't you tired of being nice? don't you want to go ape shitt" and he is currently tired of playing nice and is going a bit ape shitt

not completely impulsive but definitely doesn't overthink so many things. sexuality in particular. he's not defining himself by any one label and is currently in an experimental stage? he's figuring out what he likes and his preferences at a pretty laidback pace and just kinda enjoying the experience.

sarcastic piece of shit. not exactly loud, but annoying as hell when he does speak up. i don't really know how to describe this vibe but just know that despite having nothing to contribute to any conversation, he was very demanding for my attention and to be brought to life in wannabe. he still has nothing to contribute to the conversation.

he sometimes acts like he doesn't care too much about school but he's academically very intelligent. he pretends he's taking creative writing because it's easy but he's secretly very interested in storytelling in unique ways; he thinks it'd be fun to use what he's learning to create some sort of arg or maybe even write a script for a video game someday? he's not entirely sure yet, he's a bit too unfocused to really commit to any one project. maybe he'll just be a boring novelist someday!

i don't have any particular plots in mind Yet and this post is already so long omg so i might try to get some ideas up in a separate post later! but for now! if anything piques your interest please let me know, leave a like, whatever you're up for and i'm so excited to get to plotting with the boy!

#.ooc.

[themomsandthecity]

Like Adele, I Felt Like Having a Baby Was Considered "Career Suicide"

We are fortunate to live in a time when women can have it all . . . right? A good career and a loving family is attainable. Yet one of the biggest woman stars in the world has said that when she got pregnant during the height of her fame, she feared she had committed "career suicide." Despite maternity leave protections and heightened conversations around the importance of working moms, highly successful women still fear the impact starting a family will have on their future in the workplace. During her speech at The Hollywood Reporter's annual Women in Entertainment Gala in December, Adele spoke about becoming pregnant with her son, Angelo, during the "pandemonium" that followed her second album, "21," in 2011. She said, "To many, that would be - and it was - considered career suicide." Adele's accolades since then of course speak for themselves (hello, Las Vegas residency, awards galore, and record-breaking album sales), but her sentiment is not unique. I am a mom of one - my daughter is now 13 months old - and as I read Adele's words, I feel a strange sense of familiarity. The day I found out I was pregnant, I was at work. I was producing a photo shoot in London, managing a big, celebrity-led project that I had been working on for weeks on end to make sure everything went perfectly. I was in my element, working in a fast-paced role that I had spent my entire life working toward. Honestly, I was thrilled. And for the next 12 weeks, I was in that little bubble of secrecy where no one knew I was expecting and work continued as normal. POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Francis Eventually, I started to tell people, and that's when my mindset began to shift. After revealing our news, initial responses of "Oh, how lovely" would often be followed by: "What did your work say when you told them? How did work take it? How are you feeling about leaving work for a year?" Suddenly, my little baby bubble burst, and things became real. Instead of thinking about the fact that an era of motherhood was about to begin, I started thinking about how my career would end. What was my work going to say? What was a year of maternity leave going to do to my career? How was I going to stay relevant in a competitive industry with so many others willing to take over? I quickly began to panic. I started full-time employment back in my 20s, and I'd never for a moment taken time away from focusing on my career. I'd given everything to it, and now I was in a job I loved, yet here I was about to leave it for an entire year and risk it not being there in the same way when I returned. I would lie in bed at night worrying that people would forget me; that a younger, more excitable, not-about-to-get-pregnant-any-time-soon replacement would sweep in and take over and that I'd become uncool and irrelevant very quickly. I hated myself for thinking this. I was so excited to be a mom, so why didn't I feel more confident in myself? I remember telling my colleagues, and they were thrilled for me. If anything, they seemed unsurprised and unfazed by my news. But despite their support, I still felt like I couldn't take the year off I was entitled to. Less for financial reasons, and more for the sole reason that I needed to keep my foot in the door. I told them I'd probably return after nine months and that I would manage a large project for them while on maternity leave, hoping that by taking on work from home, I would stay relevant. And I did. Despite the fact that when my beautiful baby arrived I fully embraced that chaos that is motherhood, I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to dip into work. I planned the huge event during nap times and hosted it for three nights - the first three nights I had away from my baby - while breastfeeding, which meant a lot of pumping breastmilk in the toilet as I posted Instagram footage with my spare hand. It was that event, however, that made me stop and realize that having a baby… https://www.popsugar.com/family/adele-career-motherhood-balance-opinion-49332779?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[mia-talks-toons]

(S1E5) Battle For Dream Island: The Power Of A Community

Today I'm doing something a little different, and delving into the world of indie cartoons! Instead of being aired on a big channel like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, or even a streaming platform, Battle For Dream Island is a YouTube webseries! I’ve always had an admiration for people who find ways to do big projects like this without the support of a whole company behind them. The show was released way back in 2010, created by twin brothers Cary and Michael Huang when they were just 12 years old. It follows a cast of anthropomorphic objects competing against each other to win the titular “Dream Island”. Since its initial release, the show continued on for another 4 seasons, two of which are still going on RIGHT NOW, and they currently have an entire crew and production team to help make episodes!

While it’s an incredible success story, the reason I’m talking about BFDI isn’t because of the show itself, but the community it created. The show raked in tons of fans even when it was a small no-budget project, and it only grew as the show got bigger. Heck, I was a fan way back when the second season was coming out, back in 2013! Soon, other people got inspired by the show, and by the fact that it was made independently by two preteens, and made their own “Object Shows”, as the genre is called. Nowadays there are dozens of different shows in the category, such as Inanimate Insanity (the second object show to be created), ONE (A genre deconstruction of object shows), and Open Source Objects (a show in which every scene is animated by a different person, in their own style).

Even those who didn't go through the effort of making an entire show still made things inspired by the show. There are a lot of people (including me) who make fan art, original characters, write fanfiction and more! An especially interesting phenomenon is object “camps”, where someone will host a competition online, and other people in the object show community will join with their original characters as contestants. The host will set up a challenge, and each contestant will write their character completing said challenge. In fact, this is actually how I met my boyfriend! 

Which brings me to a personal point. The show and its community are important to me, personally. Like I said before, my boyfriend and I were both huge fans of BFDI, and we first interacted when he was hosting an object camp! He loved the way I wrote my character, and we bonded over the show. We became close friends, and a few years later, got even closer! On the non-romantic side of things, the object show community really inspired me to draw art consistently and create my own characters (even if they were just drawings of household objects with stick figure limbs), since I wanted to participate in all the fun I saw my community members having. I even tried to create my own object show (which I almost fully wrote out but never animated, but hey maybe I’ll revisit it someday)! Also, a group of my friends and I created our own little BFDI-inspired competition show multiverse called the Character Elimination Cinematic Universe. We all take characters from shows, movies, or games we enjoy and write them into our own big crossover stories, where they do fun challenges to win a prize! It’s a bit silly, but it’s a lot of fun too! Though I don’t watch Battle For Dream Island too much anymore, I cannot deny that it had a huge impact on me as a person, as it has for so many other people.

And that’s really all I have to say for this post! Honestly, I could ramble for way longer but I’m writing a blog post, not a 10-page essay! Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in my next post (also please give me cartoons to cover I’m running out of ideas lol)

#bfdi #bfb #osc #object shows #cartoon #animation #Youtube

[llycaons]

ep43 (3/3): you already know who tf it is!!!! single surviving female character of cql 2019!!!

I can't believe that's their hiding place. I mean, it worked, but it seems kind of flimsy

wwx being sleepy is another piece of evidence people like to point to and while I don't think they slept together I can't think of a good reason for him to be so sleep either. maybe he was just making talismans or talking or something

I wonder if it galls wwx a little that nobody will ever suspect lwj the way they suspect wwx. nah, he loves it. no envies

so this is kind of foolish of jgy no? if he knows that wwx is hiding here, and he accuses wwx of doing something he couldn't do from CR, then obviously lxc will know it was jgy and not wwx who is a liar. then again I suppose it's not like jgy has much of a choice. if lxc is on wwx's side, he's on wwx's side

OMINOUS???

yeah lxc is a little disturbed by the time jgy leaves. hmm was that a threat, jgy?

the hanshi is so well decorated wow gorgeous

I sincerely hope he didn't keep her harnessed and saddled this entire time

lwj so gentle with the rabbits and wwx shoving his fingers in and making 5-year-old noises. sir

I never liked the readings that wwx is oblivious but it's like, really? you have NO idea why you're not afraid? well, I suppose he's not the most introspective guy

he does envy lwj one thing, it seems...

this is such a charming aspect of lwj's character. small animals love him and he is gentle with children

this is so classic for wangxian. ugh. donkey trip >>>>

ohhhh wwx getting closer!

lwj letting slip 1 (one) piece of information about The Song in 20 years: I've said too much

now THIS is cute. wwx suggesting silly romantic names after they get together was a thing in the book that I liked a lot. it could function the same way here, but I like it more as a confession mechanism, at least initially. that seems to be more of its role

anyway YOU KNOW WHO'S HERE!!!! MISS LUO QINGYANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

aww baby mm is cute. actually I've never looked closely at mr. mm and he's kind of hot. good for her! I liked wq/mm in theory but I am fond of her normie husband

this might be a heavy-handed and clumsy plot point, but seeing wwx and lwj nod in approval of a five-year old is kind of funny

hiiii mianmian 😍

oh, you idiot

sheeeeee 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

in fairness he's only met her like once but this line is so funny. sir you threw yourself in front of a branding iron for her

personal highlights: where to start? this episode felt like a present just for me. I've been a little worried that my lack of interest in some of the recent episodes indicated I'm fully over it, but this one proved me wrong. it's powerful stuff, 43. and lbr some of the postres episodes ARE duds

lxc's description of jgy. he just sounds really great

the crickets around the jingshi

jgy's evil little over-the-shoulder jab at lwj. oohh that got me good

everything about the punishment scene 😍 peak romance

little lwj kneeling in the snow because he doesn't understand the only adult who ever gave him unconditional love is dead and he'll never see her again

'waiting for the one to open the door'

the entire domestic scene in the jingshi when lwj has his hair down and wwx is so reluctant to come inside and then talks through some things and then hears wuji and comes inside...the symbolism is so good

wwx suggesting he could name The Song

lxc's alarmed look after jgy's subtle threat

mm's hot husband

#cql re-rewatch

[quiveringdeer]

i have sent anon asks usually abt bertholdt and i am far too scared to actually interact w u so instead i am going to timidly ask if i can be 🪷 anon 😭😭 and send u this bertholdt ask im abt to send right now LOL sorry 🙁😭 my adhd has taken the best of me and my brain can’t go any further than “wow opposite attract 😃” in this fic im writing abt savior goddess oc x god of destruction bertholdt where OC is a titan shifter and her titan is praised to be the saving grace of her homeland while bertholdt’s infamous CT is known as the god of destruction; they are both used as tools for the gain of power, OC being seen as a savior and bertholdts titans main purpose is to destroy - including OC’s titan homeland. back when the warriors first receive their titans, one of their first missions is to attack OC’s homeland, which puts this border between OC and RBA + Marcel but especially bertholdt since they’re the closest which is evident throughout the whole story; they are no longer comrades/best friends, they are enemies - this is the first realization OC has at just 11 years old when she witnesses bertholdt, who has fully mastered the CT at just 11 years old, blowing up her homeland; one day, she’ll go to marley and do the same, for her homeland. anyways OC is sent to paradis bc Marley doesn’t want her homeland gaining any power with her titan and like I stated before, there is a clear border between OC + RBAM, they do not talk, they do not interact with each other, they only talk when it is necessary. OC is very determined to gain liberation and embraces her role as a god. Bertholdt is very passive and meek about his role as the god of destruction. Although OC is very determined about her role as the saving grace for her homeland, OC knows she is not fit for the role, even if she is full of determination and will and comparing this to Bertholdt, who knows he is fit for the role because someone has to get blood on their hands and he would rather it be him than anybody else. So OC may have more of a spine, Bertholdt has more of an understanding of what it is to be labeled a “god”. so essentially, the relationship between OC and Bertholdt is savior and destruction, bertholdt is bound to destroy the world around him and OC is bound to save this world. Bertholdt is the forest fire and OC is the seed thst grows out of it. They are interconnected, no matter how much they’ve grown apart, one cannot exist without the other. Bertholdt will always seek to be saved and OC will always save him. anyways my question is, since I really really like the way you write, how do I write or better the connection (both romantic and non-romantic) between OC and Bert? i want it to be deep and full of meaning and angst and toxicity but everything I write is very surface level :(

IM SORRY ITS SO LONG!!! I DIDNT EXPECT IT TO BE THIS LONG!! :O

😲 First off!

Please don't be intimidated by me!!! I am but a ridiculous being who spends entirely too much time fantasizing about fiction worlds and characters ☺️ But you can totally be 🪷 nonnie!

Also, I'm so honored you'd write me like this since I feel like I so rarely post legit writing here. It means so much that you think so highly of my works!

Okay, now for my commentary, which may not be the best cause it's late but I didn't wanna wait to respond cause I might forget

I really dig this idea! I'm seeing some similarities with ideas I've had clunkin around my head about other nations outside the continent and Paradis, having been blessed with the power of titans but maintaining and utilizing them in a less power hungry way than Eldia did. And thus keeping them under wraps throughout the wars and all that-outside keeping their communities safe.

I guess to begin I want to pose a couple questions that may turn this into a way bigger fic scope than you want it to be so feel free to ignore!:

with OC being from a different homeland (so not Marley) how does she grow up and initially befriend Bertie and the crew?

In the same vein, how does Marley possess the power to send her to Paradis? Is it as an exile?

Why does OC not feel fit for her role? She seems pretty damn fit for it to me with your description of her embracing the role to gain liberation for her people /and herself from exile?

I think it may be difficult to really build a more solid, deep connection between OC and Bertie if the rift happens so early on in their lives. Perhaps, they aren't aware that Marley is planning to use the others to destroy OCs homeland? Maybe initially they broker a deal to help train OC to better wield their titan in order to be a proper protector for their homeland. In reality Marley is wanting her beneath their thumb as another power seat in their own pocket. Her bonding with Bertholdt and the others just helps solidify this piece and so they have he accompany the crew on the Paradis mission to further prove her/her homelands allegiance to the Empire of Marley?

So then they have those extra years to grow closer and such and get to an age where romantic feelings could be sparked due to puberty and such. It could be more canon divergent from there, in that they return (maybe victorious over Paradis even) and Marley decides after that successful mission, that wiping out/conquering OC's homeland will put them into an even greater seat of power among the nations?

#🪷 nonnie #answered asks #please take my ideas with a grain of salt darling #i tend to complicate things beyond compare