#we are both fans and sometimes discuss the series

[lucica-stuff]

how I found out that Henry Cavill will be leaving The Witcher: my Chem Teacher told me

#we are both fans and sometimes discuss the series #he asked me during a lesson what I thought about it #I was so shocked I couldn't even respond #I think I went through the 5 stages of grief #i mean #Liam Hemsworth?! #for real #nothing against him #i just don’t see it #henry cavill #noooooooooo #the witcher #geralt #jaskier #the witcher season 4

[madnessandentropy]

Catra's Abuse of Adora Has No Excuse

I know this is an old series. I know a lot of people don't believe in talking negatively about shows that have already ended and that it doesn't matter anymore.

But it matters to me.

Because spop has framed the abuse victim in this story as the idiot and the one in the wrong, the one who should've just stayed with her abuser and never "left" her, while the abuser gets off scott free and likely continues her actions.

Victim blaming very and real and prevalent, forgiving or defending abusers in real life is very real and prevalent.

This is an important thing to call out and discuss because what you put in your creations affects reality.

Spop IS a kids show, and kids often accept what they're exposed to as the norm or as something to copy. You can't just sweep it under the rug, saying it's just a show.

So that's why I want to talk about Catra and why all the trauma in the world does not sxcuse abusing your partner, or at the very least should not frame your partner as the one in the wrong for wanting to leave you.

Okay.

Catra is a character adored and worshipped by the fandom and defended with cult-like ferocity and obsession (death threats, gaslighting, doxxing, bullying, etc).

Many of her actions are actively ignored and excused by the fans and writiers, especially the main thing about Catra:

Her blatant abuse of Adora

I can hear the cries of outrage now

"You're just homophobic! Of course you criticise the queer couple! You just hate Catra! Catra is a victim of a abuse! They're in a war! Catra said sorry! But Catra loves Adora! You don't know what abuse is!"

And then they write an essay about Catra's sad backstory

In response to this I would like to quote one of my favourite B99 characters Jake Peralta:

Or in this case:

"Cool backstory, still abuse"

I really like Catra.

She's a cool character and an excellent villain. She has a very interesting and complicated psyche, a result of growing up in the Horde. A toxic, abusive environment that gave her attachment issues and likely ptsd and other problems. She lashes out because of her trauma, she is aggressive and rude so that she isn't vulnerable, to avoid being hurt.

There are many reasons for her actions, but it does not excuse them even if the narrative does.

Expecially her actions towards Adora, the person's she supposed to have loved all this time.

As I've said in another post, most abuse in media isn't very subtle because people still don't really take subtle abuse that seriously and often blame the victims. (Which is a whole other kettle of fish)

Not subtle abuse in media often consists of the following:

•Screaming or yelling at your partner, tearing apart their self esteem or threatening them

•Gaslighting/guiltripping them*

•Hitting them or physically assaulting them in any way

•Trying to kill them

•The victim is immensely afraid of/distressed by their abuser

*Note for this: it can depend on the depiction because its either abusive and in your face or romantic and just trying to help you depending on the story and writer

It astounds me to see Catra has done every single one of this things to Adora, and both the fandom and the writers excuse it or say "it isn't abuse, actually"

I'm gonna go through each bullet point and discuss how Catra does these things, mention excuses fans make up for it and point out their errors

Let's go

•Screaming and yelling at your partner, tearing apart their self esteem and threatening them

Catra is not someone who screams her throat raw, but she does yell when she lashes out and does so often at Adora.

She's constantly insulting her intelligence, making her doubt herself, telling her nothing she does matters, calling her weak and demeaning her.

She rips into her and treats her like trash beneath her heel when they were in the fake reality.

Again, we often see Adora repeating a similar rhetoric, believing what Catra and SW say fully or sometimes starting to believe it.

DURING her confession, Catra calla Adora an idiot. While Adora is basically dying, in this crucial moment for both of them, she resorts to insulting her intelligence.

"But her feelings were so obvious and Adora didn't notice!"

Let me tell you, spop has a massive tell don't show problem. This defence could've easily been true IF the writers bothered with evem something small like Catra hesitating to harm Adora or treating her with more care when fighting than with her other enemies, or at the very least treating her kindly.

They have done none of that. Instead they had other characters (E.g Horde Prime) talk about how much she cares for Adora and how strong her emotions are for her.

Literally the only way anyone could've known Catra loved Adora is through these characters giving exposition.

Adora is not an idiot for not realising Catra loved her, because Catra's actions do not show love or even an ounce of basic respect.

Making Adora doubt her intelligence and abilities is not love. Mocking Adora the way she does is not love. Torturing Adora is not love.

Telling Adora that she was a mistake and that "none if this would've happened if you didn't come through that portal" is not love.

Nothing she does to Adora is an act of love.

And also, not being very good at deciphering or recognising emotions that are "obvious" does not make you stupid, jfc

"Catra just says those things because she's angry, she doesn't mean them!"

It doesn't matter if she's angry and doesn't mean what she said. She says it. And there's never a scene were she regrets her words.

Her anger is a reason, not an excuse. That behaviour is not okay.

•Gaslighting/guiltripping them

Catra often likes to talk about Adora abandoned her, how Adora kept leaving her alone, and the show shifts to frame this as true and paints Adora in the wrong.

In Season 5 she's asks Adora "Please, just this once, stay?" After Catra herself being the one to run away, to make Adora feel guilty for the very much correct actions she took previously.

Adora refused to return to the Horde which was committing mass genocide and destroying everything in its path and painted as the bad guy for doing this.

Adora told Catra what they were doing. Begged Catra to come with her so they could start a new life. Throughout the series she is giving Catra chance after chance and trying her best to stay with her.

Every time, Catra has been doing the leaving.

Running away, abandoning Adora in the temple, vanishing in a blast or puff of smoke when it covers her.

She does the leaving, and she convinces Adora that it is in fact Adora leaving, and that she is bad person/friend for wanting nothing to do with the Horde.

The portal reality is the worst for me.

Adora is distressed and afraid, feeling like she's losing her mind and that something is wrong with her.

Catra, fully knowing the truth, gaslights her by saying she's crazy and just seeing things. And also is insults her intelligence yet again.

Making Adora doubt her own intelligence is also a form of manipulation and gaslighting.

Blaming Adora for everything that happened in the fake reality is gaslighting.

"But Adora DID leave Catra!"

Yeah. At the beginning after learning the Horde was committing mass genocide and after Catra tazed her twice. Refusing to go back. She was fully in the right. She apologised later and tried to get Catra to join her, so they could both continue being together. But Catra left her over and over again after that.

"The portal reality made Catra happy! It helped her cope with her trauma! She was having a mental breakdown!"

Hmm let me see isn't allowing your partner to continously be distressed and afraid and gaslighting them so you can be happy idk... selfish and abusive?

Yep she was having a break down. She was still in full control of her actions, and no trauma makes that okay in any way

•Hitting them or physically assaulting them in any way

Literally something Catra has done since they were children.

I can forgive the times they were small, because they don't know better and are abused children. But from episode one before Adora even left the Fright Zone Catra was pulling her around by the hair shoving her and over all being very aggressive.

After Adora leaves the Horde Catra: tazes her, tears at her skin with claws that can cut through metal, leaves her with scars, tortures her, kicks her and so much more.

Over and over again. Without a single sign of remorse.

"They were in a war!"

Yeah. Emphasis on the "they". Adora was in that war too. She was always worried for Catra, actively holding back, trying not to hurt too badly, treating her with respect.

Catra did none of that. She didn't even bother to show the slightest remorse or hesitate one second before clawing at her back and face.

Catra, in fact, is less violent with the sort of strangers that are Bow and Glimmer. She tackles Bow to the ground and hisses at him, that's it. Adora? Tearing at her skin, kicking her in the back, grabbing her by the face, torturing her, etc

War is not an excuse

"Catra's backstory! It's how they were raised! She's a victim of abuse copying her abuser because she doesn't know any better! She's lashing out!"

Cool backstory, still abuse.

Okay. She's lashing out. Doesn't excuse it. She is still actively harming Adora, and if she really can't control herself or see the wrong in it like some people claim, then that only supports the fact she is NOT good for Adora.

•Trying to kill them

The portal.

Catra knew what was going to happen.

She knew what she was going to cause.

She looked Adora dead in the eyes and pulled the switch anyways.

She didn't care as long as Adora lost. She is willing to let Adora die in order to win.

"But Catra wanted to die too!"

Okay. That doesn't matter. That doesn't justify anything. Being suicidal does not justify attempted murder.

"But (any excuse)!"

I honest to god do not care.

Just like Adora said:

"I didn't make you pull the switch. You made your choice. Now live with it!"

There is NO conceivable way for Catra knowingly doing what she did just so Adora didn't win to be okay.

She tried to kill the woman she supposedly loved.

That is not excusable.

That is not love.

And what's worse is after Adora begins to accept that Catra will not change and that trying to be peaceful will not work. Being together again is a dream. And the show rips that away.

•The victim is immensely afraid of/distressed by their abuser

Adora is absolutely terrified of Catra, or at the very least a bit afraid of her.

Every time Catra grabs Adora by the face or pins her down, Adora's eyes are wide with fear or at the very least immense discomfort.

In Roll With It, Adora is incredibly distressed and works herself into a complete state because nobody is considering what Catra will do.

"But Adora just wants to see Catra! She's thinking about her obsessively like this, it's a sign of her feelings!"

Adora knows what Catra is capable of. She knows what will happen to them if they aren't prepared. Planning out every possible option because of what could happen is not a sign of her feelings. It's a sign that she knows Catra will show no mercy, and she does not want the mission to fail or her friends to get hurt.

While Catra isn't directly present here, this is all because of her actions. Actions that have a reason, but not an excuse.

It is not healthy or romantic for your love interest to be afraid of you.

Moving on

At the end of the portal incident, Adora stared at Catra with cold eyes that clearly said "You've crossed a line"

It is here that many critics agrees that it's a bit late for Catra to have a redemption, because this truly was above anything else she had ever done.

This was where they could have had Adora move on from Catra and begin unlearning all the negative things Catra and others have embedded in her psyche.

If they did manage to do Catra's redemption right, whether during S5 or before it, I think it would've been best for the two of them to separate. It's made clear with how being away from the Horde and Adora made Catra happier when she was in the Crimson Waste.

I don't think either of then should've been in romantic relationships at all. Horde soldiers don't even know what proper food is, they've never heard of basic things like parties and the like.

I think it would've been better for them to slowly heal in their own time, Adora being happy with her newfound friends and learning the ways of Etheria and Catra staying in the Crimson Waste or somewhere else.

Romance should've been something to come to them when they've both matured and healed, and with different people.

Spop had the perfect opportunity to show that even if an abuser has trauma it is still abuse and it is not selfish to walk away.

It doesn't how sorry they are, it doesn't matter how much they claimed to have changed.

You are not obligated to be with them.

You are not obligated to be their punching bag just so they can be happy.

But spop didn't take that opportunity.

Instead this behaviour is excused or romanticised.

And the fact that the creator says this is based off his own relationship makes me deeply concerned.

......................................

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed and that this wasn't too much of a mess! If you disagree with me, feel free to give your reasons and I will happily discuss with you. If you're just going to call me a homophobe and throw a fit and start fights, you can screw off

Tagging: @spop-romanticizes-abuse

#spop critisism #spop critical #anti spop #anti catradora

[thydungeongal]

(On anon for controversial take)

I think that "not engage with media made by bigots" is not really a political demand that's possible to maintain.

There are undeniably media that are built on hate and to spread hate, like Turner's Diary or works on Esoteric Hitlerism. And there are media that while didn't mean it are absolutely gross and harmful, like South Park.

But a lot of works contain some elements that are... insensitive. I am not saying that we shouldn't talk about that, we absolutely have to, and we have to make sure that creators are aware of it, but "never engage with anything problematic" is absolutely not doable. It will just turn into utilizing progressive language to win internet debates, same as pro/anti fracture.

And like, humans are very diverse, and it means not only that there are a lot of groups of people but that people in the same groups may have different opinions. Of course finding one marginalised person who is chill with some shit is just manipulation (I heard about some black celebrity who straight up says that racism is not real, so you could prove whatever this way), and it's equally manipulative to find one who is offended by something (saw a couple of Greeks who are offended by non-Greeks using art and culture from Classical Antiquity, Greeks are not POC or anything but ethnic minority and I couldn't from the top of my head remember anything clearly absurd). But like sometimes there is a pretty prominent split. Some time ago there was a series of posts about how for some disabled people magical cure of character's disability feels like erasure and for some as wish fulfillment. I saw both East Asians who are fans of ATLA specifically for its handling of East Asian cultures and those who consider it racist garbage.

I think the jump from "don't support media made by active bigots" to "you are not allowed to engage with any media if it has any even slightly problematic things" is an interpretation of your own making and not one made by the post you are reacting to. I personally am a big fan of problematic media, but when I see an author funneling money into a transphobic cause it's actually very easy for me to say "oh dang I won't engage with that media in any way."

Like, yes, there is of course nuance here. I'm not a fan of moral purity tests on media. But I think people are capable of seeing that an author is actively doing harm by supporting horrible causes and making the decision to disengage from their work due to not wanting to support any kind of ecosystem for the discussion of that media.

There's no hard and fast rules here, but I feel a lot of people fall on rationalizations that are actually really infantilizing when trying to explain why they simply can't disengage from media.

#thydungeongal answers

[linderosse]

Hi! I love your art and your Wisdom AU. I have a question about it. Are you still keeping Legend and Fable siblings after Jojo said they weren’t related in the Q and A, or are you sticking with Linked Universe canon?

Thank you!!! Glad you like it!

Hm, I haven’t seen this Q&A! Can I get a link to it? :)

The reason some Zelda fans believe ALttP Link and Zelda are related is this:

Those are the dying words of Link’s uncle. Some English fans (Edit: choose to)(Edit: nowadays) believe the end of this sentence was supposed to be “sister,” since nothing else really fits (I’ve heard “soulmate” (Edit: or “destiny”) as an option, but it seems strange for Link’s uncle to be telling him who he’s supposed to end up with). Thus the headcanon of ALttP Link and Zelda being siblings.

The Japanese text is even more ambiguous, since it reads something along the lines of “You are the princess’s…” This means the line was probably meant to say something like “You are the princess’ only hope.” Unfortunately, this version doesn’t seem to work as well with the English translation, while the “sister” line still works with the Japanese text. The intention is different from the way some fans choose to interpret it. :)

To complicate matters further, the remake (2003) removed the line from that scene, although the line is still present elsewhere in the game— Blind the Bandit disguises himself as Link’s dying uncle and repeats the same lines, and he says the original phrase (Edit: ending with, “You are the princess’…”). The devs are definitely aware of the original line. (Edit: And they’ve fixed the translation, lol.)

So there’s the background info!

Now, on to the main part: regarding following LU canon. The truth is: I am already changing a few things from Linked Universe, the most important of which are these:

Legend and Fable are siblings

Tetra and Wind are not Phantom and Spirit

Shadow and the Four Swords manga are canon

Time and Wind (and other relevant characters) remember Hyrule Warriors

Why am I making these changes for my AU?

Discussed above!

I’m much more of a Spirit Tracks fan than Jojo seems to be :). And when considering the Zeldas, Phantom is markedly different from Tetra in both personality and skills. I’m sticking to LoZ canon over LU canon here. Phantom deserves to be her own character!

I’ve been a fan of the FSA manga for a decade and a half now, so it has long affected the way I see the Zelda series. I also love Shadow and Four’s history— it adds a unique twist to the classic Zelda formula. Shadow is therefore canon in Wielders of Wisdom and the parallel LU story, The Secrets We Keep. Expect Shadow’s backstory to play a role somewhere in the combined Wisdomverse :)

I’m new to the Hyrule Warriors fandom, but I love the connection it gives Warriors with Time and Wind— and other characters :). This is also going to be addressed in The Secrets We Keep. Check that out for more info!

Many of you who write/read fanfics for LU have seen these ideas before. Interpreting canon in different ways has always been an integral part of the Zelda fandom, because canon is itself can be contradictory. That’s one of the things that makes this fandom so fun <3.

And the most important thing is that these changes fit the story I want to tell better.

I’m going to do my best to stick to LU whenever possible, but I want to tell a fun, engaging story, and sometimes that will mean taking a different path: sometimes following LoZ canon more closely, sometimes interpreting things my own way :).

So, to answer your question: I will probably be keeping Legend and Fable as siblings. It’s a popular headcanon among fans. I believe the story I’m telling for Fable works better with other romantic interests for Legend. And I want to stress that he and Fable are just as fiercely loyal to each other.

That said, I definitely don’t mind if you believe differently! I don’t really emphasize romance anyways, and I’m not here to police the fandom. Please feel free to read the references to Legend calling Fable “sister” as friendship, or just ignore it, or whatever you wish! I don’t mind who you ship with who.

Only preference is: please don’t ship the Wielders with each other, since they’re canonically related by blood and spirit :). Other than that, anything goes as far as I’m concerned.

Anyways. This got really long, didn’t it?

I wanted to answer the question as thoroughly as I could. Please feel free to ask more questions, or stop by my quiet little art streams and ask me live if you want an immediate answer! I will always do my best to respond :)

You can find all previous responses under the tag: #lin responds !

#lin responds #wielders of wisdom #linked universe #the secrets we keep #lu wielders of wisdom #lu the secrets we keep #lu fable #lu legend #lu tetra #lu wind #lu spirit #lu phantom #lu wow

[604to647]

Safest with You (Ch. 10 - The Afterglow)

6.1K / Modern AU Retired Mob Enforcer!Din Djarin x fem!Reader

Summary: Din stays the weekend.

Warnings: 18+ Content (MDNI please). Smut with fluff, next day aftercare, kissing, bathing, oral (f receiving), boob slapping, unprotected PiV, slight daddy kink, slight degradation kink (discussed, Din is a respectful king), tons of pet names as usual (sweetheart, baby, pretty bird, babygirl, etc.)

A/N: This is actually a bonus chapter in that it was not in the original outline; I dunno - just really wanted to see what the day after their first time looked like 🥰 I felt a bit self conscious about the last chapter but I quite like this one! Also - even though reader calls Din "old man", there is no implied age gap. I call my husband an old man all the time and he's only 2.5 months older than me (he just acts like such a freakin' old man sometimes 😂😂)

Series Masterlist

You wake the next morning when the bed jostles lightly; opening your sleepy eyes, you blurrily make out Din getting out of bed.  Taking a moment to admire the powerful muscles that lay dormant across the expanse of his back, for the first time you have the chance to see that Din has a tattoo beneath his left shoulder blade.  You study it for a moment, it looks to be some sort of animal skull with a narrow head and tusks; making a note to ask Din about it later, you yawn, “Good morning.”

Din turns and smiles, crawling back onto the bed he leans in to give you a soft kiss, “Good morning, pretty bird.  Sorry, was trying not to wake you.”

“I’m a light sleeper, don’t worry,” you grin lazily, still in a half-dreamy stupor from the evening before, “Are you sneaking out on me, Djarin?”

Din throws his arm over you, pinning you beneath the covers and wiggles his bear paw of a hand under you to start tickling; you shriek with laughter, trying to squirm away.

“Can’t get rid of me that easily, sweetheart,” Din chuckles at your feeble attempts to escape; he stops poking and uses his hand underneath to pull you in close, kissing you with tenderness.  Before the kiss can deepen, you’re both made aware of panting breaths coming from next to the bed.  Turning, you smile wide at Al who was lured into the bedroom by the loud sounds of laughter and is now waiting patiently, tail wagging, to be included.

Reaching over you to rub Al’s head, Din kisses your forehead, “Baby, was going to take Al for a walk and pick up some breakfast.”

“I can come,” you start to say, before a yawn over takes you.

“Sweetheart, you rest.  I’ll be back soon.  Need you to be fully recovered from last night, so you can refuel… and be ready to fall apart on my cock again,” you can feel his smirk against your lips as he kisses you eagerly, conveying that he’s not yet had his fill of you.  Your moan is involuntary; extricating your arms from your sheets, you wrap your arms around Din’s neck and pull him in with renewed hunger.

“Pretty bird, I should go,” Din mumbles, making no effort remove himself from your embrace.

“Mmmhmmm,” you hum, more than your wakefulness starting to stir.

*Bark*

Oops.  With difficulty, Din pushes himself off of you to give Al his full attention, two hands rubbing all over his furry head and ears.

When he’s left you to snuggle back under your covers, you call out, “Keys and leash are on the foyer table.  There are spare toothbrushes in the guest room bathroom next to the kitchen,” before closing your eyes and letting your sleepy, arousal muddled brain take over your body.

With Al trotting by his side, Din looks back to see you already snoozing peacefully, so serene and beautiful with your hair fanned out on your fluffy pillows, and he looks down at Al to whisper, “Aren’t we lucky?” before heading out.

---

The remainder of Saturday passes comfortably and lazily. 

Din comes back with breakfast sandwiches to find you making coffee.  In truth, you are a little sore, and not just in your core where you expected; you silently curse yourself for all the times you dismissed Pilates as “a fad” when you feel the strain in your hips and your upper thigh crease.  Though you try to hide it from Din because you know he’ll feel bad, he’s an ex-boxer trained to look for weakness in his opponent, and he picks up on your little winces as you bring over the steaming mugs to your breakfast table on the balcony. 

Immediately he rushes to your side, “Pretty bird, I hurt you,” eyes worried.

“No, no, I’m okay – I’ve been neglecting my yoga,” you joke, but make sure to kiss him affectionately and reassuringly nuzzle his jaw to show Din there isn’t anything to be concerned about.

Far from being placated, Din insists that he run you a bath after breakfast so you can soak and relax; you don’t argue, but make him promise to join you.

Honestly, you love baths, and given the time, you’ll soak in one for hours with a glass or two of wine; you’re sure today’s bath will be relaxing in a totally different way.  Filling the hot water with more salts and bubbles than usual, you lie in the water with your eyes closed, letting your aching muscles melt until you’re toasty and pliable all over for when Din joins you.  When he comes in, you sit up and cross your arms over the side of the tub, resting your chin on your arms as you watch Din undress, trying not to stare.  His naked physique in the daytime is somehow even more impressive than it was last night.  He towers over you, a mountain of a man, impossibly broad – he isn’t chiseled or as cut as he probably used to be, but his body is still muscular and a force to be reckoned with.  You can’t believe you were able to house all of that between your legs last night; no wonder you’re sore.  Once again, your eyes spot the litany of scars and marks from previous fights (in the ring and out, you’re sure); you beckon Din to come closer with your hand and when he’s within reach, you trace your fingers from scar to scar, drawing a connect the dots picture with the water droplet trail your fingers leave behind.  You look up at Din, eyes full of worry for wounds that have long since hurt, but still pain your heart nonetheless.  Din cups your chin with his hand and says softly, “Should have seen the other guys, pretty bird.”

Your fingers continue their trail down below his belly button, eyes hungry.  Even soft, Din’s cock is impressive; thick and girthy, your mouth waters slightly as your hand wraps around – an easier feat than yesterday when it was hard and throbbing in your mouth.  You’re not sure how long you stay lightly working Din’s length, proverbially and literally drooling, but when Din’s semi hardening cock jumps in your hand, you’re startled out of your daze; Din chuckles and tells you to scoot forward, he’s coming in.

You wanted to sit behind him and help wash him, but that would have defeated the purpose of giving your hips and pelvis a break, so instead, after Din slides into the tub, you sit between his legs on your knees and face him to wash his hair and his body with a little pouf. 

Din is in hell.  You’re once again sitting pretty on your knees for him, this time naked, wet and soapy; his hands are holding you gently by your waist and even there you’re supple and inviting.  He wants you to relax and recover, so he’s vowed not to fuck you until later, but he’s having to tap into years of trained self discipline in order to not sink himself into you right in this tub.  He forces himself to look away from your perky, sudsy breasts, and instead watches your face as you focus on washing him with an adorable look of concentration. 

He thinks he might actually die when you lean over him, pressing your chest into his shoulder and clavicle so you can reach and scrub his back.  All he has to do is tilt his head to the side and down a little and he would be able to bite and suck on that tantalizing flesh; luckily, you save him from himself, “Din?”

“Yes, pretty bird?” hoping you don’t detect the strain in his voice.

“What’s this tattoo?” your fingers tracing the Mythosaur skull; the more you look at the tattoo, the more fearsome it looks.

“Oh,” Din laughs, “…that’s the Mando insignia… we all have it tattooed.”

“Like how the actors from the Fellowship have the 9 tattoo?  Or all of BTS has 7?” you tease.

“Yes,” Din rolls his eyes, kissing and then lightly biting down on your shoulder, “exactly like that… nerd.”

Sitting back on your heels, you straighten your arms, pressing them close to your sides so your boobs are pushed up; you’re not entirely unaware of the effect your nakedness has been having on Din, his growing arousal evident even through the bubble foam.  If he wants to be teasing, you can too.  Pushing out your lower lip for effect, you pout, “Alright cool guy, how come that particular design for the Mandos?”

Din’s eyes are about to pop out of their sockets and his ears tinge pink, “Some of the Mandos went through a D&D phase… Woves found it in a book about fantasy monsters and creatures when we were kids; it’s supposed to be a Mythosaur, like a giant dinosaur, dragon with tusks.  It seemed pretty badass when we were 8.”

You giggle, god he’s so cute.  “It is badass… nerd,” you smile, kissing him lightly once, twice, then a third time in succession.  Turning so you’re facing away from him, you sit between Din’s legs and lay on his chest, “I like it.”

“Thanks, pretty girl.  Sorry I called you a nerd.”

Nuzzling in to his chest, you say light heartedly, “Don’t be sorry.  I am a nerd, and it’s a very cool thing.”

“Very true.  Also, I don’t even know what the second thing you said was,” Din admits.

“Omigod, old man, BTS?!?” you turn up to look at his face, disbelieving.

Little tease.  Din can’t hold back his hands any longer, “Old man?  You’ll pay for that, sweetheart.” Still wanting to leave the lower half of your body alone, he reaches out of the water to give your breasts that are resting above the waterline two playful slaps.

The first slap has you yelping in surprise, but the second has you moaning from the light, but pleasurable sting.  Right away, you feel a wetness between your legs that has nothing to do with the bathwater.

“Oh, does my dirty little slut like that?”

“Mmmhmmm, yes, please, Din.”

Din reaches up and palms your breasts, one in each large hand, covering them completely and groping them rougher than he would normally.

“…daddy,” you sigh.

“Tell daddy what you want, pretty girl.”

“Fuck.. Din.  Want… w-wan… want you to pull on them.”

Fingers rolling your nipples before pinching them gently, Din gives them both a little tug, much to your delight. 

“Ahhhhhh… oh yes, daddy, just like that,” you moan, melting back against him, feeling his hardness pressed against your back.

“Didn’t know my good girl could moan like a whore,” Din whispers hotly in your ear before pulling on your nipples a little harder and releasing them, letting your tits bounce before slapping them like before.

“Holy fu---, oh daddy, that feels so good, love it when you play with my boobs... ohhhhh yessss.”

Din starts sucking on your neck and dips a hand below the water, reaching for your pussy. He swipes two fingers against your slit to find your slick already coating you, “Sweetheart, this for me?”

“Oh god, Din, yes, all for you… please, please need you to fuck me.”

Din stills his hands and returns them to a more innocent position, wrapped around your waist, “Oh pretty girl, we can’t.  You’re still sore.”

You roll in his arms so to face him to plead your case, “Please, daddy.  You take such good care of me, I’m all better.  Want you.”

“Baby –,“ it’s not fair that he has to somehow say no to these big doe eyes you’re giving him, “don’t want to hurt you.”

Crawling up his body, you tuck yourself under Din’s chin and press kisses to his pulse point, “You won’t, daddy.  You only make me feel so good.  Do you need your little slut to beg for it? Please, please, Din.  I need you so bad.”

Fuck. “Let’s get out of the tub, pretty bird.”

Giddy at having gotten your way, you’re practically bouncing as you and Din towel off, and when Din guides you to the bed by the small of your back, gently pushing you up onto the middle of the bed.

“I’m not going to fuck you, sweetheart.”

Your head snaps up, “Wh-“

“And you’re not going to get my fingers.”

“Dinnnnn,” you whine before he cuts you off.

“…I’m going to eat you out until I have you running down my chin.”

“Holy Fu-,“ you don’t even finish your thought as you have to sharply inhale when Din pulls you closer to the edge of the bed by your ankles, gently places your legs over his shoulders and starts lovingly trailing kisses down your inner thigh.

Then he makes you come with just his mouth and his words:

“Such a pretty pussy.  So sweet and perfect,”as he licks long, strong strokes up and down your slit.

“Love how wet you get just from my mouth.  Such a greedy, needy slut,” as he explores your folds with his tongue, swirling and gliding through the most sensitive parts of your cunt.

“Give me those moans, baby girl.  Need to know if my little whore likes what I’m doing to this pretty hole,” as he drinks in your moans and makes the most obscene slurping and squelching noises while open mouth kissing every part of your pussy.

“Come on, sweetheart, soak my face.  Want to drink you up,” as he teases your clit between his teeth before closing his lips over your swollen bud and builds, builds, and builds you up until you topple off the edge, grabbing his hair as you seize, screaming “Daddy!”

You can still taste yourself on his tongue after Din crawls up your body to pepper your mouth with kisses, tucking you into bed before climbing in under the covers to join you. 

“What about you, Din?” you murmur into his neck as he holds you close; knowing you’re too pliant and boneless to argue, he tells you he’ll be fine as you drift off into your nap.

---

Later in the afternoon, the two of you go for a leisurely (and happily pain free) stroll around your neighbourhood with Al, where you proceed to point out all the food places of note; happily, you let Din select an assortment of pastries for tonight’s dessert from a local bakery and try not to side-eye him too much when he doesn’t choose the Portuguese egg tart.  No one’s perfect, you suppose, smiling to yourself. Once back home, you get started on dinner at the kitchen island, cutting up the bread for tonight’s panzanella.  Din is facing you, sitting on a high top at the bar side of the island, helping you organize the ingredients into little bowls when your cutting board gets too full.  Content chatting nonstop while you prep, you smile at Din and ask, “Why did your dad name the gym ‘Mando’s’?”

Smiling back a big grin, Din points to a pad of paper and pen, to which you nod, “You ever watch Back to the Future, pretty bird?”

“Of course, I love Michael J. Fox!”

Din starts writing on the notepad, “Well, before it went bankrupt, DMC had a repair garage where the gym is now.”  He turns the paper towards you, where you see he’s written:

Manufacturer Certified DeLorean Repairs

“Then before the movie even came out, the company went kaput and abandoned the building and the lot.  A couple of years later, Dad bought it for real cheap, and started to fix the place up to turn it into a gym and a place for us to live.  The neighbourhood was a bit rougher back then, and for some reason, maybe because the movie was so popular at the time, people kept stealing the letters on the sign out front.”

Taking the pad back, Din draws a few short marks on the paper before turning it back to you, “When we moved into the apartment on the top floor, this was what was left.”  When you look, you can’t help but laugh, “Oh my god, they took so many.”

Manufacturer Certified DeLorean Repairs

Grinning, Din takes the pad back for a second time, “Dad and Boba tried to scare the kids into leaving it alone, but I think the challenge just motivated them more.  When the renovations on the gym were about done and dad was ready to open, this is what it looked like:”

Manufacturer Certified DeLorean Repairs

“Dad didn’t want to spend any more money, so he got up on a ladder with a bucket of paint and a paint brush, added the apostrophe and the word ‘gym’ underneath, and that’s how ‘Mando’s Gym’ was born,” Din recounts wistfully, “I think if anyone didn’t know the real story, Dad used to just say Mando was his grandfather’s name or something.  He never found out that Paz and I were the ones who stole the last ‘u’.  I think Paz still has it at his place.”

“That’s so cute,” you grin.  You love how Din talks about his dad; it’s so evident that he’s proud of their shared history with the gym and strong ties to the neighbourhood.  You can just imagine a young Din and Paz sneaking around the property, planning their great heist, “I bet he knew though.  You two were probably the biggest scamps.”

Din comes around to your side of the island, “You’re probably right.  Dad always knew more than he let on.  And who are you calling a scamp, sweetheart?” He steals a handful of cut bread before pinching you on the bum and escaping to the living room to share his bounty with Al.

---

After a hearty dinner, you and Din put on some tv in the background, and laze on the couch talking about anything and everything: work, dream places to travel, most embarrassing dumb college experiences, extended family.  Netflix and chill, indeed.  You’re sitting with your back against the arm of the couch, legs laid over Din’s lap as he gently plays with and massages your hands.  On the heels of that last topic, you grow a little more serious, and decide to bring up something you’ve been meaning to address, “Din? You know how you told me yesterday a little more about what you and the Mandos do for Boba?”

At this, Din straightens up a bit.  He knew you would have questions and have every right to ask; he just doesn’t know what he’s prepared to answer. 

“I know that the Fett family is important to you, and you’re loyal to them – I can’t admit I’m not curious about… well everything. But I’m never going to, like, interrogate you, okay?  I might have questions, but won’t demand answers because I’m assuming, not all the answers are yours to give.  I guess what I’m saying is it’s okay that you don’t tell me everything, but Din,” and you look at him with pleading eyes, “please don’t ever make me feel like you’re hiding something from me?”

“Oh, pretty bird,” as usual, you prove to be a lot more pragmatic and understanding than Din had been prepared for.  He’s not sure if he’s ever going to stop being surprised by your forgiving and empathetic nature, “I promise I’ll never make you feel that way.  Everything that’s mine, is yours to know if you wish.  You’re right about there being some things that I might not be able to discuss, but you can ask me anything, anytime, okay?”  He kisses your hands over and over, like a humbled subject showing his devotion and allegiance to his queen.  He might be being a little cavalier about it, but he wants you to know that you’re not misplacing your trust in him, and that he in turns, trusts you, “Is there anything you want to know now?”

You think about it for a second then shake your head truthfully, “Right now?  Not really.  Well… maybe just… do you ever carry weapons?”

“Baby, weapons are part of… the religion,” Din tries to phrase it in a delicate, more poetic way, “but, I never carry when I’m in public, and definitely not when I’m with you.  Is that ok?”

Thoughtfully, you nod.  You’ve never felt afraid or intimidated by Din, and his answer doesn’t change that.  Satisfied, you pull up and capture Din’s lips with yours, drawing out the kiss as if sealing in your confidence on the matter.

When you relaxed back into your previous position, but having now reversed your roles so you’re the one giving the hand massage, Din has a completely different question for you, but one he approaches with the same seriousness and care that you did your last, “Pretty bird, I have to make sure something with you.”

You look at him, curious. Din continues, almost shy, “When we’re… in bed… and I call you names…”

Keeping your expression neutral, you think about the side of Din that’s confident, dominant even, who has a mouthy quip for every occasion, and then fondly watch this other Din, the Din who’s easily flustered when he’s trying to be sincere, who is respectful to a fault, almost SHY; honestly, you’re falling in love with both.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t tease him, “What names?”

Din goes beet red and murmurs after a beat, “dirty names..” You stay silent but arch your eyebrows.

“… you know that that’s not what I really think of you, right?”

Oh.  How is this brute of a man, who’s made you come five times in the last 24 hours, so fucking respectful.  You almost feel bad at the giggle that leaves your throat, and you clasp your hands over your mouth so Din can’t see you smile.  It’s absurd.  This man?  An enforcer for a crime boss? If he hadn’t told you himself you wouldn’t have believed it.  He’s so soft and caring, considerate of your physical comfort and emotional safety.  How is he real?  The other hilarious thought is the idea that you might be offended by some light degradation when really, it turns you on like a lightbulb.

You climb onto Din’s lap, straddling his legs; glad to no longer feel a burn in your upper thighs, you cup his face lovingly and plant reassuring kisses on Din’s face, his lips, his cheeks, his nose, “Oh Din, how did I get so lucky?  Of course, I don’t think you think you mean anything actually insulting or demeaning towards me as a person when you call me a slut or a whore in bed.” Silly man. “In fact, the only reason I even find it such a turn on is because I’m sure that you don’t.  If I even thought for a second that you didn’t value me as a person or a woman, I would never entertain you touching me never mind calling me any dirty names during sex.”

Din breathes a sigh of relief, he loved how you brought out the dirty talk in him, but dirty talk was only hot if you liked the dirty talk, “Ok, baby.  I would never.  You’re the smartest, sweetest, prettiest bird. I’m the lucky one that you even looked twice my way.”

You’re melting, and also incredibly turned on, “You’re so good to me, Din.  That’s why I like it when you call me a slut,” you coo into his ear, “It’s like you’re the only one who gets to see this needy, desperate part of me.  You’re the only one who can give me what I need.”

“Fuck, sweetheart.”

“Everyone else gets to see the good girl too, but only you get to know me like this, a filthy whore that’s desperate for your cock.”

“Goddammit, pretty girl.”

“And you know what else I like?”

“What, baby?”

“I like the idea that you want me so bad, that I drive you so crazy, that you cannot help yourself.  You need to take your little slut so bad that you can’t be bothered to be respectful anymore.”

Din’s face is muffled into your neck, “Yeah, baby, respect you so much.”

“I know, daddy.  That’s why I want you to call me a whore, a slut… then handle me like one,” you pause and give Din a less self assured look, “but… I don’t think I like the word ‘bitch’.  And I don’t want you to call me stupid.  And… nothing said in anger.  Or to humiliate me.  I don’t think I would find that very sexy.”

Stroking your hair, Din kisses you lightly, “Of course, only what makes you feel good, I promise.  Only the dirty talk that makes you feel hot… and safe,”

Punctuating each word with a kiss to Din’s open mouth, “Thank you, daddy.  So good to me.  So respectful.  You take such good care of me.  That’s why you get to treat me like your cumslut.”

“Holy fuck, sweet girl.  Remind me again what else you like,” stutters Din, now thrusting up slightly into you.

“I like being your filthy, needy slut, Din,” grinding down on Din’s lap

“Yes, baby girl.  Daddy’s here, take what you need.”

You can feel Din’s cock pressing into you through his pants, so you lift up to shimmy out of your shorts and panties; climbing back onto Din, you take his hands and guide it towards where you’re already throbbing and aching for him.  Din strokes through your wet folds, sucking in a sharp breath, “Fuck, you are a desperate little slut.  So wet from just talking about how dirty you are.”

Plunging a finger in you and meeting no resistance in your slick hole, he adds another and builds up a steady rhythm, “This what you need, pretty bird?  Need daddy to fill you up?”

Bouncing on his fingers, you cry out, “Yes, daddy.  Please, please, need you to fill me up.  Stretch out this pussy,” you pull your shirt over your head, and let your breasts bounce free.

“Fuck. The tits on you, pretty bird.  And the mouth.  You’re gonna be the end of me,” Din growls, working another finger into you as his thumb draws firm circles over your slippery clit.

When Din leans down to take one of your nipples in your mouth, you gasp; your orgasm approaching embarrassingly fast.  The combination of the dirty talk and the fact that it all stemmed from Din wanting to make sure you got to set the boundaries on your derogatory dirty talk, has you absolutely feral for him, “I’m close, Din.  Can’t help it, feels so good.”

“Let go, baby, I got you,” Din promises, intensifying his movements until you come, shaking and nearly sobbing.

Resting your head on Din’s shoulders as he slips out of you, you purr, “Let me clean you up, daddy.”

“Dirty girl,” Din says, smiling down at you.

And with those two words, you feel a fresh wave of heat in your lower belly even though you haven’t yet fully come down from your high; sucking and swirling his fingers in your mouth, you mumble, “Want your cock, Din.”

“What’s that?  You’re still fucked out from my fingers and you want to be my cock sleeve already?”

Uhhhhhhhgg, he is driving you fucking insane.  Coming off his fingers with a pop, you give Din the most innocent look you can muster, “It’s what your little whore needs.”

“Who am I to deny you, pretty bird?” lifting up to pull down his pants, he releases his already leaking cock and lines himself up with your entrance, giving you the go ahead to sink down when you’re ready, “Take what you need, baby.”

Slowly, you sink down, letting his thickness fill you, feeling every delicious inch and stretch of your walls.  When you’re fully seated on Din, you take a moment to revel in this feeling of fullness, having him entirely inside of you, before you start to work yourself on his length.  Each little bounce pulling a moan from your lips and swaying your breasts in Din’s face.  Groping your boobs and pushing them together so he can take as much of the flesh in his mouth at once, Din mumbles, “Perfect tits, baby.  So perfect for my mouth.  You feel so good, pretty bird.  Need to fuck you.”

“Give it to me, daddy.  Use me like a cumrag,” you throw your head back as Din groans and still grasping onto your breasts, starts thrusting up into you.  You’re putty in his hands, a pliant doll for him to use, and he’s taking full advantage, “Such a good little whore for me, letting me use her hole any way I want.”

Your fingers dip to where you’re joined with Din and swipe across your throbbing clit; it takes only four sloppy circles before you wail out Din’s name, coming quickly but intensely.  Closing your eyes, you tuck yourself under Din’s chin and continue to mewl as Din uses your body for his own pleasure.

“Give me all those needy noises.  Need to hear how good I’m making my pretty slut’s pussy feel.”

“Fuck, Din… feels so good.  It’s your pussy, only you can make me – ngh!  Fill me up, daddy. Need your cum.  Please, give it all to me.”

Hearing you beg for his cum pushes Din over the edge and he comes with a roar, shooting his release deep inside you.  Both of you shuddering as he empties into you, holding each other tight, kisses messy and loving.

When your breathing evens, you straighten up to look at Din, glassy-eyed and fucked out; taking in your expression, Din gently kisses you, satisfied and content, mumbling against your lips, “Good talk.”

Laughing, you give him a little punch in the shoulder before kissing him back sweetly.

---

The next morning, Din drops you off at brunch; you let him know that he’s welcome to join, but he makes a good case for going back to his place, “I think I need a fresh change of clothes, pretty bird.  These kind of still smell like that club.”

Jokingly, you pretend to take a whiff and scrunch up your nose.  Din kisses your adorable expression and promises to come pick you up after.

To say the girls are curious about what’s transpired since the birthday dinner is the understatement of the century; when you let them know in the chat that Din would be dropping you off at brunch, your phone had practically vibrated itself off your bedside table from the successive notifications.  Securing your phone in a drawer, you escaped to the shower without reading any of the messages.

You’re sure you and Din were spotted through the windows, but when you sit down in your usual seat, you’re met with nonchalant, innocent faces… that last for approximately 20 seconds before Bea explodes, “What the hell??!?!”

“You dropped a bomb in the group chat and then radio silence?!!”

“That was him outside?! He’s the size of a fucking refrigerator!”

“DO YOU HAVE A SEX LIMP?”

Rory’s outburst stuns several nearby tables into silence, as your friends all turn to face you, expectantly.  Sheepishly, you nod and giggle, “… but he fucked it better yesterday.”

Your friends whoop and cheer so loud you’re sure that you’re going to need to find a new brunch location after today.  Feeling bad for having inadvertently left them in suspense earlier, you tell your friends everything, minus the details about the Fett Family and Din’s past and current ties, leaving it as Din coming from a rough neighbourhood and being hypervigilant about safety.

“Seems like he was trying to look out for you, but wound up being kind of stupid about it,” muses Lala.  Everyone nods; they’re right of course, but the dreamy look you have on your face convinces your friends that you and Din have worked past it.  They press you for more details about your weekend, and you talk so much that your food goes cold.

At one point, you have to remind your friends that this is Katie’s birthday brunch and you shouldn’t be monopolizing the conversation, but Katie waves her hand dismissively and says that all she wants for her birthday is to know how many orgasms you’ve had since she last saw you.

Popping a strawberry in your mouth, you muse, “Including this morning?”

“GIRL.”

Mouth full after adding a forkful of fruit, you hold up both hands, palms out and fingers spread, then fold down one thumb.

“Holy shit, no wonder you had a sex limp.”

The table giggles uncontrollably and you use the opportunity to shovel more food in your mouth before your friends assail you with more questions.

When your plates are being cleared, you lean back in your chair, stomach full, and spot a familiar hulk of a character sitting at the bar.  Giving Din a little wave, he smiles and gets up when you wave him over.

Getting permission from a waiter to pull over a chair, Din folds his large frame into his seat next to you and says, rather nervously, “Hi.  I’m Din.”

“Oh, we know,” cackles Rory, and you cover your face, you’re giggling so much.

You make the introductions, and Din politely shakes everyone’s hands while your friends all smirk knowingly at him.  They’re such menaces.  Din breaks the ice, “So you guys want my place and time of birth to do my star chart?”  This gets a good laugh, and when that dies down, Bea looks Din dead in the eye, “Yeah, we do.”

Din roars with laughter, “Might as well, I have a feeling there aren’t going to be any secrets between me and you ladies.”

“Right-o, dude.  Can you also get some socials so we can keep an eye on you?”

“No can do, sorry.  Like this one says,” Din’s finger jabs lovingly into your side, “I’m too much of an old man.  But you’re all welcome to come and work out at my gym if you want to check up on me.  Anytime,” holding his hands up in surrender.

“Any cute guys at your gym?”

“You’re looking at the cutest guy there,” you cut in, grinning uncontrollably when Din leans over to give you an appreciative kiss on your temple.

Before your friends can groan at this cute display, the waiter who Jen has been trying to flag down comes over so she can ask for the check, and to the table’s surprise, he responds, “The bill’s been paid.  All taken care of,” and gives Din a nod.

You turn to Din, shocked, “Din!!”

Din looks like he’s been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar, “It was… an accident.”

Incredulously, you say, “Did your credit call fall into the reader?”

“No, no,” Din implores, “I got here early, so I got a coffee at the bar, and then thought I would pay for your meal, pretty bird.”  You instinctively soften at the pet name, and you know your friends do too.

Din runs his hands through his hair, “Then I remembered it was Katie’s birthday, so I asked the waiter if he knew which meal was the birthday girl’s so I could pay for that too,” he’s getting kind of flustered now.  “…Then, I thought that might be kind of unfair for everyone else because you were probably going to split Katie’s meal so now everyone left would be paying more than before… and I couldn’t take it back, so… I just paid for everyone,” he finishes in a hurry.

“Why are you so cute?” you ask, purposefully pouty, pulling Din in for an appreciative kiss – he wasn’t trying to be boastful or impressive, he was just being thoughtful.  You can’t help but feel pride in showing this Din to your friends: he’s charming and confident, but ultimately just a giant teddy bear whose own considerate and kind nature can’t help but shine through.

“Ok fine, you’re forgiven,” quips Rory, and Din breaks out into a huge smile as he mimes wiping his forehead with the back of his hand and exhales, “Whew!”

The girls chorus their thanks, and you know that they’re truly appreciative and touched by his sweet gesture.

“My pleasure,” Din says, genuinely, “and Happy Birthday!” he says to Katie.

“Thank you!  The best birthday gift you could give me is taking care of our girl here,” smiles Katie, with sincerity.

Din wraps his arms around you and you tilt your face up to his, melting into his look of adoration. “Consider it done,” he says softly before lightly pressing his lips to yours.

#din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin fic #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal characters fanfiction #din djarin x reader #din djarin x f!reader #din djarin x you #modern au #modern!din djarin #din djarin smut #din djarin fluff

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

a brief retrospective on Louis and Violet as love interests, Clementine's bisexuality, and the fandom's continued insistence on fighting over this

In December of 2019, I made a series of posts called "An Explanation of Why Louis and Violet are Both Excellent Love Interests" that explored my feelings on the topic after seeing a lot of fighting in the fandom over who's better; who is the "right" choice for Clementine?

The answer is simple: there isn't an objectively correct choice.

I compared Louis and Violet to the romantic options in other games, including Life is Strange, Persona 4, King's Quest 2015, and Catherine, as well as TWDG: A New Frontier. I wanted to show how much better TFS handled the romance versus those games, why we should be grateful for what we got since it could've been a lot worse, and how the fighting over who's "right" was a waste of time.

I suppose it's only fitting that I'd be driven to revisit this topic after seeing fans continue to argue amongst themselves over this years later in the trenches of a weakening fandom.

Just when I think I'm done writing pieces for TWDG, some random redditor writes an essay about how violentine only exists for "woke points" that grabs me by the throat and throws me down. Then another will insist that clouis is abusive since Louis voted against them in ep2 in their own essay and I'm dragged back here, kicking and screaming.

While I think my previous Excellent Love Interests posts about this are on the juvenile side, I do still agree with my main point: Louis and Violet are excellent characters who make for compelling love interests. The fact that we got them both, that we were given the choice, and that they're as well done as they are, is something I don't think we appreciate enough. Hell, I don't think we even appreciate that Clementine's a canonically bisexual protagonist as much as we should.

We're too busy trying to one up each other with, "Well, actually, clouis is superior because of this and this," and "no, you're wrong, violentine is actually better because of this and this," and sometimes a wild non-shipper will appear out of nowhere to slap down an, "actually, you both suck, singletine is better."

It's sad that this is what fandom inevitably defaults to, always. It stops being about the game we love, the thing that brought us here, and it becomes a pissing match.

Doesn't matter what fandom it is; we end up projecting too much of ourselves onto fictional characters, investing too much of our time into ship culture, hyper-fixating until it becomes part of us... and let's be real, sometimes it's in unhealthy ways.

So, when someone else attacks the things we're attached to, it becomes a personal attack... and when we feel threatened, we become defensive and retaliate... and sometimes, we take it too far and target others out of insecurity, to feel validated, even if it means going after someone who is just minding their own business.

Also, I think some people are just assholes who want to piss on everyone.

Because of this, I would like to discuss Louis and Violet as romanceable characters, why they're both important to TFS no matter who you choose, why Clementine being a bisexual protagonist matters, and the fandom's continued insistence on fighting over this.

For many personal reasons, I've always been trepid about being open with my sexuality as a bi woman. I've done a lot of reflection this year on why that is; internalized misogyny, the biphobia that lingers in the queer community, insecurities, regrets, how I tend to be harsher on female characters over male characters, why it took me so long to not feel afraid of engaging with queer media, admitting I was wrong about so many things I've said in the past, how it's all affected my writing, etc.

When TFS released and I made this blog, I had already accepted my bisexuality but was in no way public about it, not online or in my personal life. But playing the first two episode of TFS, being presented with both Louis and Violet as potential romantic partners struck something inside of me.

Yes, I picked Louis; we all know I'm a major clouis shipper at this point, and if you're new here, then now you know, too.

But it's the fact that Violet's also an option, that with just a few different button presses, Clementine could've fallen for her just as she did with Louis; that there's evidence in game that she shows interested in both of them no matter your choices; that no one in-game judges Clementine for who she chooses to be with... that meant something to me in a way that it hadn't before.

TFS wasn't the first game I played with a bi protagonist; in Excellent Love Interests, I compared Louis and Violet to Life is Strange's Chloe and Warren. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the first LiS game overall, but I've been quite open about my dislike of Chloe and indifference to Warren.

Chloe, to me, is everything I dislike in a love interest, predominately in wlw. 2023 was the year of "CJ dives into sapphic literature and it's a 50/50 chance of striking gold or gettin' hella eaten by disappointment, shaka brah." Meaning I've read a lot of wlw novels, and all the ones I hated featured a Chloe clone, sometimes done even worse.

And Warren? I'll be real honest with you- I couldn't even remember what his name was when I started writing this. I had to go back and check. That tells you what I think of him, no?

So, LiS didn't strike me the same way. Sure, I knew Max was a bi protagonist and that's great, but the choices weren't appealing to me. This was when I was a teenager still somewhat in denial of my sexuality, which most definitely contributed to me being uncomfortable when faced with a wlw relationship portrayed in-game, especially when I found myself wishing Kate was an option for Max... but y'know, "shhhhhhh if I don't acknowledge it, it doesn't exist."

When the first episode of TFS released, I was older, I was no longer in a not-so-great relationship, and had better accepted who I am. The first episode does a great job of introducing you to Louis and Violet, and giving you the opportunity to spend more time with the one you're interested in.

I actually really liked them both when ep1 dropped, but I've always had a preference for a character who is kind, deflects with humor, and tends to be picked on by the rest of the cast... so it was inevitable that I'd stick with Louis. Though I won't discredit Violet in ep1, or the rest of the game, just because I didn't choose her in the end.

That's one of the best things about Louis and Violet as options; they're opposites, yet alike in many ways. They have their appeals and charms. They're flawed. It never feels like a "love triangle" situation where they're fighting over Clementine. Louis and Violet are friends who have known each other from before the walkers came. It's refreshing to have two characters who are interested in the same person but don't go for each other's throats over it. When they do argue over her, it's more to do with AJ shooting Marlon and whether it's safe for the group to let them stay.

I can't fault anyone who struggled to pick between them. When someone talks about who they picked and why, it's all about the player's preferences.

It's your choice to make, and no matter what, you're not wrong for it.

This season concludes Clementine's story, regardless of what some comics will say. It's the last fight. It's her happy ending. She and AJ finally found a home, a family.

I've played these games since S1 came out in 2012, over ten years ago. Clementine holds a special place in my heart. Not only did this important character have a great final season [despite Telltale shutting down and TFS nearly being left incomplete, remember] but she's also revealed to be canonically bisexual.

They didn't release the whole season and then as an afterthought be like, "oh yeah btw she's bi, she has oneline of flirty dialogue with this character so see? we did good rep."

Yeah, I'm side eyeing you, ANF.

They didn't try to hide it. They presented it to the player unapologetically and made a conscious decision to exclude anything biphobic from other characters... which meant a lot to me.

Biphobia is real and it's not that I don't want it explored well in media, but there's something appealing and safe about a game with a bisexual main character who isn't questioned about it negatively; "You're bi? Doesn't that mean you cheat on all your partners?"

To give a compliment to Life is Strange: True Colors, I had a similar feeling in that game, too. Alex is openly bi, she can date either Steph or Ryan and no one questions the "legitimacy" of her bisexuality.

Because that's always a thing on top of everything else, y'know? "You're a bad bi unless you're with the 'gayer option.'" "Bisexuality isn't real, you're just confused." "I don't date girls who've been tainted by a man." "Oh, you're into girls? How about a threesome?"

Violet never turns her nose up at Clementine for admitting she had a crush on Gabe. Louis isn't ever gross about Clementine and Violet getting close. It speaks volumes for their characters and how accepting they, and everyone else at Ericson, are of Clementine no matter who she chooses, if anyone.

That acceptance, even if it's just in a game, means more than words can express to queer players who don't feel that acceptance in their daily lives.

Which means it hurts all the more when it comes to the fandom's own display of biphobia; "You're bi but ship clouis? Why ship something hetero when violentine is right there?" "Well, MY Clementine's straight because she picked Louis! Stop forcing the gay onto MY Clementine!"

Clementine's important to all of us. Why do you think so many people are pissed about the comics to the point of spewing disgusting bile toward Tillie Walden? I've said my piece on that plenty times before, so allow me to say it on this; the representation of bisexuality in Clementine is beautifully woven through TFS in ways that are subtle yet impactful, and I thank TFS for giving that to us.

One argument I've come across recently against Clementine's bisexuality, and violentine in general: "blegh they only included violentine/made Clem bi for lgbt points." y'know... as if that's a bad thing.

It bothers me because A. saying "I'm not homophobic *but*-" and then making a homophobic argument against violentine while insisting that Clementine's bisexuality came out of nowhere and was forced is icky, and B. I know I've said similar things about violentine in the past. I know I used to argue that violentine's underdeveloped, yet the devs pushed it to the forefront over clouis to pat themselves on the back for doing representation, etc.

I don't believe that anymore; remember when I brought up people making arguments out of insecurity? Yeah, that and being lowkey bitter that violentine got more dev attention than clouis sometimes even though like... that doesn't matter? It literally doesn't matter. That's what I meant when I said you get so invested that certain things feel like a personal attack when they're not.

Some of the developers of TFS are queer people. They probably wanted a bi protagonist with a wlw option because that representation is important to them and they had the opportunity to express it, not because they were trying to get "points" with anyone. Go listen to the commentaries for TFS; they talk about violentine with nothing but positivity, and they didn't do that to shade Louis or clouis shippers. And if you do think they did it shade fans, then maybe stop and consider why; do you actually believe that or are you annoyed that your fave wasn't the center of attention?

On the flip side, I also want to say that gloating and insisting that violentine is the better/right choice because of these things is also unpleasant and untrue. It sucks when it feels like things are biased against you and it sucks even more when that bias is weaponized by other fans to beat you down.

But honestly? If you need this much validation on your opinions about fictional characters, maybe you should stop to think about why that is and what it says about you, yeah?

Truly, this whole clouis versus violentine thing is irritating at best, vile at worse. Thankfully it doesn't happen as much on tumblr given the state of the fandom, and everyone's at least agreed that no matter their feelings toward each other, clemricca is worse. So, that's something, I guess.

I think the best way I can put this is you don't get to dictate what other people think and feel. Being passionate is great until it becomes an excuse to be an asshole. Not everyone is going to agree with you and you need to put your big kid pants on and accept that.

I'm under no impression that the fighting will ever stop, even when this fandom is dried up with only bones and memories haunting its desert... but at the very least, I can point some of it out and ask that we do better than this.

The focus gets lost in the fighting, and that focus is Louis and Violet themselves. Y'know, the two this retrospective's about.

Remember when I talked about Persona 4 in Excellent Love Interests and how much it sucks when the person you want to romance isn't actually an option--?

Hmm? What's that? Ah, yes, right- @pi-creates insists I add that TFS and Persona 4 actually are the same because Aasim wasn't an option and they're still bitter about that... but this isn't about Aasim, that's a topic for another day. Sorry Pi, but thanks for the screenshots used in this retrospective👍

Anyway, TFS gave us two excellent choices, and it would've been worse off had it only given us one of them, or none at all.

Louis wears charisma as a mask and uses humor as a shield to deflect. Violet, for as quiet and standoffish as she first appears, has a heart she's both eager and reluctant to share.

Louis is warm curtains of sunlight seeping through the murmuring woods of green leaves and little song birds. A heart carved into the rustic wood of an out-of-tune piano. Music echoing in the early morning hallways.

Violet is the glow of a full moon that illuminates still waters so the stars can dance in its reflection. Paint smeared over finger tips to offer a piece of herself meant to be worn. Constellations of stars named in secret.

They're both lonely people, often misunderstood by the others at Ericson, and sometimes by each other. They want to be known. They want to be seen.

But fear is a powerful wall to overcome.

And that's the beauty of choice. You get the impression of knowing them in the beginning, but it rarely breaks surface tension; Louis is nice and funny but undependable, Violet's rude and reserved and a little awkward. Neither are outspoken about any issues around Ericson, content to keep their heads down.

Clementine has to make the effort to know them, and the game establishes this by asking you an unassuming question: do you want to go hunting with Louis or fishing with Violet?

Clementine either makes an effort to understand Violet's feelings toward Brody and why she's so mean to her, and try to help her through it... or she doesn't listen to what Violet's saying, is dismissive, and ends up making things worse.

When Clementine goes hunting with Louis, she has to make the decision to spend time with him or ignore him in favor of hunting, and should she choose him, he opens up to her just a bit.

Then comes the confrontation with Marlon at the end of the episode where Clementine has to make the choice of who to appeal to. The gravity of this choice is often glossed over, I think.

Marlon has a gun pointed at her head, and she pleas for Louis or Violet to step in and save her. Both are hesitant because of course they are! They've known Marlon longer, he has a gun, and he's using manipulation to scare them into submission; he uses his friendship against Louis, and Minerva against Violet.

But when Clementine gets through to them? They stand between her and Marlon in rather in-character ways; Louis eases in with his hands up, attempting to deescalate the situation while Violet pulls out a weapon and demands he back off.

They risked getting shot. They risked death. They knew what was happening was wrong. They didn't want Clementine to die, they didn't fully believe Marlon's bullshit but were too scared to step forward until Clementine asked them, too. In that moment she basically told them, "I trust you. Instinct tells me you are the one who can stop this. My life is in your hands."

This choice changes them, and this moment ripples through the rest of the season. It makes perfect sense that Louis would be upset over Marlon's death and feel unsafe with Clementine and AJ there whereas Violet sees the death as justified and Clementine and AJ shouldn't be kicked out over it. It's an overwhelming situation for everyone.

I've talked about ep2 and the vote until my lungs nearly collapsed and I saw the gates of Hell over the horizon... but that's fine, I can talk a little more about it and maybe this time the flames with cleanse me of my sins or something.

This is where the fighting really began, and I shouldn't have to say it again, but I will anyway: There isn't an objectively correct answer here, there's only personal preference.

Louis and Violet take very clear, opposite stances on this situation. I think they're both a little wrong and a little right; they shouldn't ignore that AJ killed Marlon, but kicking them out isn't the best solution either.

As a clouis shipper, I happen to like the way these events play out with Louis' vote. But not everyone feels that way. For some, Louis' vote is a deal breaker, making Violet the more appealing option given she voted for Clementine and AJ to stay.

Do you want a girl that's been by Clementine's side from the beginning and was vocal about keeping her and AJ here?

Great, Violet's the choice for you. Enjoy the lovely moonlight and constellation mini-game.

Do you want the extra angst of a boy who made a vote he comes to regret and then does everything he can to apologize and make it up to Clementine?

Wonderful, here's Louis. He'll play you a song he wrote and then name it after Clementine, it's very cute.

While on the topic of ep2, I also want to discuss the episode's final choice of saving either Louis or Violet and the consequences.

You know how in other games, say like massive RPG's with "good" and "evil" choices you can make that end up defining your character? You know how sometimes people question why developers even bothered putting those evil routes in since a majority of people will choose to be good? This isn't a new topic of discussion, but it's relevant to my point- they do it because the option to be evil makes the choice to be good more impactful. If you do choose to be evil, you did it knowing you could've been good and yet you decided chaos was the way to go, and now everyone and everything around your character suffers.

I don't think it only applies to binary "good" versus "evil" choices, either.

TWDG is great with its "You can only save one of them" choices, even if they usually fumble with the consequences in later episodes.

When I'm faced with this choice to save either Louis or Violet, I don't save Louis just because I like him more. Sure, initially that's why I saved him on my first run... but then the rest of the season came out and I learned the consequences of the choices I did and didn't make.

Knowing that he'll get his tongue cut out if I don't save him makes me all the more anxious to choose him. And I know violentine shippers are gutted knowing that if they don't save her, she'll feel so betrayed that she turns on Clementine and in the end is blinded in the boat explosion, so they're just as eager to save her.

But all of us have to live with the consequences of what happens to the one we didn't save, too. We made the decision to save the one we love at the cost of hurting the other we didn't love enough. You can't save them both. You're forced to hurt one of them in order to protect the other.

And it doesn't even stop there. TFS isn't done twisting the knife.

Mere moments before you have to make the choice to save one of them, Lilly's standing over Clementine with her finger on the trigger... only to then be tackled by the person you didn't choose to spend time with.

They just saved Clementine's life only to be dragged away by their neck, and the game asks you what that's worth: They got captured saving you, so do you save them in return or do you remain loyal to the one you chose before?

And when you know the consequences of both routes, when you know Louis will have his tongue cut out and Violet will have her eyes burned?

Louis and Violet are good people at their cores who only wanted to be understood and loved, and no matter what, you have to abandon one of them for the other... and they are left physically and mentally traumatized because of it.

But wait, there's more. The one you didn't save will always survive to the end and act as a constant reminder of what you chose... but the one you saved? If you don't trust AJ, then you'll be forced to watch them get torn apart and eaten alive by a herd of walkers. The only way to save them is to trust AJ so that he shoots Tenn.

A child has to die in order for you to save the one you love again, a choice you indirectly made.

The ending shows you the one you didn't save, and it shows you Tenn's grave... and it presents a quiet question: was it worth it?

Would you make those choices again?

That's the power Louis and Violet bring to TFS.

That's why the choice matters.

We justify trusting AJ because we'd rather see Louis and Violet live over Tenn, knowing we're taking away the best friend AJ's ever had and allowing Minerva to get her way. We save Louis knowing that it breaks something inside of Violet and results in her permanently losing most of her eyesight. We save Violet knowing that we'll find Louis bloody and sobbing in the cell after having his tongue cut out of his mouth.

And we argue about it amongst ourselves even though it's all fucked. There isn't a true happy ending here, not for everyone.

Louis and Violet stand on their own as great characters, but you only get the true depth depending on how you play. They're excellent love interests because they care for Clementine. Through their relationship with her, they grow as people and find the acceptance and love they're starved for.

It's not perfect, but it honestly doesn't need to be. There was care woven into these characters. Both routes have a wide appeal. That means something to so many people.

I know we as fans often will say we wanted more, we wanted this and that, we wish this was different. It's not a dating sim where the main objective is to woo them. It's not a massive RPG with hundreds of hours to explore every nook and cranny of their characters. This is a Telltale game. It's a narrative with Clementine and AJ at the forefront, and it's up to you whether you want Louis or Violet to share that spotlight.

It's a story about Clementine finding a home, about molding what kind of survivor AJ comes. It's about Clementine meeting two broken people with glass shards at their feet, about her glass mixing with theirs. It's a game about choice; which glass pieces do you pick up, and which do you step on?

We should take more time to appreciate Louis and Violet. We should share our appreciation for the development team for giving us a bisexual lead with two great love interests, especially since we almost didn't get TFS in its entirety; we can hate Skybound as much as we want for the Clementine comics, but without them, this team wouldn't have been able to finish the game they were clearly passionate about.

We should have more self-awareness and try to understand why we like and dislike things without targeting others.

In conclusion?

I think they're both neat 👍

#twdg #twdg clementine #twdg louis #twdg violet #twdg clouis #twdg violentine #clouis #violentine #long post #i didn't plan on writing this for new years but here we are #might as well end 2023 with some clouis and violentine talk mixed in with some self-reflection and shade toward reddit #i have many thoughts so thanks for reading them

[lokisprettygirl]

Close Ties (Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Modern AU) (Non canon) (18+)

Read Chapter 7 // Series Masterlist

Chapter 8

Summary : After your respective confessions Daemon sits you down to discuss the new development in your relationship with him.

Warning: 18+, dad's best friend trope, canon (we don't know her..don't like don't read), feeling of hopelessness, slight uncle kink if you squint, familial uncle niece sort of relationship but he's not really her uncle, there will be more smut later, significant age gap but reader is in her mid twenties, mention of infidelity, divorce, smoking and alcohol drinking, physical violence implied

Note : i know in fiction we tend to dramatize things (as we should sometimes) so this chapter might feel boring, underwhelming or a bit too realistic but that's how I wanted to keep it for this series. Not a fan of grown men acting like teenagers hence my take on this Daemon is different. Okay enjoy 😊

You were sitting in Daemon's cabin, your heart racing and palms sweating as you waited impatiently for him to return. Even as work hours had ended his work didn't stop. He had gone to meet some people and had asked you to wait there for him because he wanted to drop you home today.

And ofcourse discuss that unspoken thing between you two. You were kind of happy about the alone time you were getting to have in his absence because you needed some time to process what he had just said to you before he left. What was going to happen between you two now? All your life he has been your Uncle Daemon but now both of you had confessed to having romantic/sexual feelings for each other so where do you go from here?

As he finally returned your heart was pounding and threatening to explode in your chest, you couldn't bear the tension.

“Darling get your bag, your parents are back and they want to see you” he said as soon as he entered so you quickly got up from your chair and you were ready to go. On the drive back home you were quiet because you didn't know what to say, even he seemed lost for words, he wasn't even looking at you.

Was he embarrassed? God you hoped not.

“Ummm everything okay?” You asked finally as you couldn't bear the complete silence anymore,

“Yesss”

One word answer? Yeah you didn't need that right now.

“Mom and dad are fine right?”

“Mmmhmmmm”

“They have been going on a lot of trips lately..that's nice, dad really never had much time in his youth and she always wanted to see the world” he turned his head to look at you as you said that.

That's not the reason why they were taking trips together but he couldn't tell you anything just yet.

As you reached home you found your parents right in the living room so you immediately went in for a big warm hug..

“How's my sweetie doing at work Daemon?” Your mum questioned him so he smiled.

“She's a fast learner.. Doing really well” you looked at him as he praised you and he quickly averted his gaze. Truth to be told he was feeling a bit ashamed of himself at the moment, not because of the confession but because of the way your parents trusted him so deeply to take care of their daughter, especially your mum.

What would they think of him once they find out about this situation between you two and that he didn't exactly have innocent intentions for their daughter?

At the dinner table, you struggled to keep your eyes off of Daemon who had taken the time to shower and change into a comfortable white t-shirt and trousers. All you wanted to do was snuggle against him. However you couldn't help but feel as if he was ignoring you, you didn't want to jump to conclusions so you figured that he was probably just trying to not give away anything in front of your parents.

You felt a level of guilt as well, if you and Daemon choose to go down this path it might just wreck havoc all over again and you didn't really want that, you didn't think you'd be able to get over if he was to leave again..

After dinner you spent some time with your mum as she seemed a bit stressed..you had put down your head in her lap so she began to caress your scalp.

“You know you should dress more appropriately in front of Uncle Daemon” you gulped as she said that, you just had a sling night dress on that barely went past your thighs.

“What do you mean? It's just a night dress” you chuckled as you sat up suddenly,

“I know..you know we have never stopped you from doing anything. You're a good girl but he's just a man, a single one now that he's divorced..” you couldn't help but giggle at her words, she was your mother afterall, could she sense that her old friend was up to something? You hoped not.

“Mumma he's not like that you know that”

“I know..he's a decent man, always has been..but in the end men are just that ..men and he had a fling with Cass didn't he? How is she by the way, I haven't seen her lately" she asked you and Cassandra really was the last person you wanted to discuss right now.

“How was your trip?” you asked her to change the subject so she sighed deeply.

“Tiring” she smiled “I bought a souvenir for you from the states. While we were in LA..we bumped into Stella. What are the odds?” you gulped again as she said that,

“You did? Ummm what did she say ..How does she look now?” your tone was inquisitive, you had never really liked Stella even when everyone was besotted with her, perhaps you were just jealous. You remembered her being mean to you on occasions, she had that typical rich snobby girl vibe that you disliked so much. And you were jealous.

“Well she's still the same as I remember her..she asked about Dae, she kept saying that she always wanted him to go back to London with her as she liked it here but he never budged”

You rolled your eyes as she said that.

“Of course she did…I feel like she's the reason why he left, maybe she didn't like it here and wanted to go back to her home so she influenced him somehow..did you ever find out what had happened between him and umm dad?” you asked her so she sighed again.

“I honestly don't know..I have tried enough times to make your father open up to me but he never did, he and Daemon are sewn from the same cloth. Both stubborn and insufferable at times" you chuckled as she said that. She wasn't wrong though. You had asked Daemon about what had gone down between them but he refused to tell you anything. You didn't really understand why.

As you ascended the stairs and made your way to Daemon's room, you knocked on the door, but he didn't answer so you turned the knob only to find an empty room. He hadn't come back yet, he was in your dad's office downstairs discussing business.

You probably should have turned around and left but a part of you wanted to bask in his scent that was soaked in every inch of that space. You found his clothes that he had worn today scattered all over the bed so you picked up his shirt and wrapped it around your shoulders .

“God you're such a creep y/n”

You placed the shirt back down and took a seat on the bed in a sensuous position with your legs crossed and arms placed elegantly on the mattress ..or you tried. You still didn't know the nature of your relationship with him so this felt blasphemous.

A few minutes later he finally entered his room and as he saw you he gave you a small smirk,

“Mum thinks i should dress appropriately in front of you..is this not appropriate Uncle?” He walked towards you as you said that, the smirk stayed.

“A nighty that is barely covering you is sure as hell not appropriate love”

God you wanted to moan just from him using that voice on you.

“What are you doing here?” He asked you so you stood back up.

“Just wanted to talk about..you know what” he sighed as you said that.

“We are going to talk..I'm not going to cross a line and ruin our familial relationship for a few nights of fun” Daemon's voice was serious and firm as he spoke, and you could tell that he was weighing his words carefully. He reached out to grab his coat from the bed and wrapped it around your shoulders, covering your exposed skin.

“Who said I wanted just a few nights of fun?” you argued so he smiled,

“I assumed..you're still young ..i had all my fun in my twenties” he reverted

“I'm not a slut like you” he winced as you said that.

“Touche..first thing first you need to stop calling me Uncle when it's just you and me” he told you and you agreed.

“ Okay Mister Daemon”

“Just Daemon is fine”

“Okay.. Just Daemon”

“Sit down” you sat down immediately as he said that, he reached closer to you and at first you thought he'd kiss you but he just cupped your cheeks and leaned down to kiss your forehead before he walked away from you, pulled an armless chair from the corner of the room and sat down right in front of you.

“Do you know how old I am?” he asked you.

Stupid question you thought.

“Mmhmm freshly turned forty three”

“Do you know how old you are?”

“Will soon turn twenty six”

“That's eighteen years of age gap..almost a generation apart”

“I know..my math is not that bad”

“Don't get sassy with me right now” You bit on your lips to stifle the smile that was threatening to escape your lips “Your dad is wealthy and famous...you could have anyone in the world you'd put your eyes on. Are you sure this is what you want? Even if temporarily” His tone was a mix of uncertainty and genuine concern he felt towards you.

“If I could have anyone then why not you? All my life I have been around people who just wanted to use me because of my dad. What makes you think I'd ever want a boyfriend or a husband who'd marry me for the same reasons?” you answered him confidently and it made him smile. You were always such a good girl and that's what made this harder for him. He didn't want to ruin you.

“What makes you think I'm not doing the same thing to you? I'm certainly broke and homeless and I desire to regain the wealth and status again. Who is better than one of the most influential men in all of the UK to bring me back to glory? After all what's his is going to be yours someday” His voice was low and laced with a subtle hint of sarcasm,

“You won't do that to me” you said to him softly,

“Why not? Perhaps I'm just playing the long game..”

“You're not ..i have felt it..your care, your beautiful heart, I know you Daemon Targaryen” he couldn't help but smile at your words,

“I do care of course, but how do you know that I'm also not lying to you and using you for my selfish purposes?” he asked you so you smiled.

“Because i have known you all my life and a wise man once told me to look into the eyes of the person you are talking to and you'd know whether they're being truthful to you or not..that's how I know you're not lying to me..i see it in your eyes” his eyes immediately and so quickly teared up as you said that “Besides if you wanted to use me you'd have made your move the first night itself but you didn't, you waited for me to do so, that tells me everything I need to know about your intentions”

He smiled as he looked down, he was so proud of the kind of person you had turned into, perhaps it was your upbringing.

“Alright.. Do you understand the consequences of this thing between us?” he asked you, his voice was turning softer and softer with every question.

“I do”

“Does it scare you?”

“Yes, alot”

“Do you think we can go back to being just uncle and niece if you're bored of me after a few nights? When you see the real me and not the man you have built up in your fantasies? When the mirage is broken and I am all bare in front of you?” He looked at you with a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes, his feelings for you evident in every word that came from his mouth.

You got down on your knees and placed your hands on his thighs which made him shudder so he leaned back into his chair, he was hoping you won't see the erection he had now after seeing you in that position.

“I don't think we can just go back but what makes you think you won't be the one to get bored of me? I'm nothing interesting…especially in bed” his brows furrowed as you said that. He couldn't imagine you being anything but a submissive little freak in bed, you just had that aura surrounding you, he noticed how your face flushed every time he was tough with you at work or commanded you to do something.

“Then I'll teach you my ways, I'm certainly not a novice in that department. I stayed in a broken marriage for more than a decade with a woman that wasn't half decent as you...what makes you think I'd give up on a girl who's finessed so perfectly inside out?”

Your face felt warmer as he said that, no man has ever made you feel so desirable as he did in that moment and he hadn't even touched you yet.

“What if we have no chemistry in bed? And it's all just the forbidden aspect of the relationship that's pulling us to each other?” you questioned him so he chuckled in response.

“Entirely possible but you don't need to worry about that, chemistry is precisely why we are in this predicament in the first place” his tone was playful as he said that. Even if there was that one percent chance that you both would have no compatibility in bed he was going to build it up from scratch but he won't hurt you for something so superficial.

“Mmmhm..i didn't think of that”

“What are you looking for in this relationship? Considering we will get to have one” he asked another question, he could feel your fingertips caressing his thighs gently, the touch was making him lose his concentration.

“I date to marry .. always have”

“What if I don't want to get married again..ever?”

“Then we don't marry”

Why did this feel so normal he wondered? Discussing such heavy subjects with you came so naturally to him.

“What if I want children in the future?? Is it something you'd want?” he asked you so you smiled

“Mm never thought about it..what if I don't want kids in future.. but just me and you?” the smirk on his face reappeared as you said that.

“I have gone forty years without procreating..could easily go forty more”

He was a dreamboat wasn't he?

“Mmmm..I'd have to address you as Uncle in public still”

“That is highly inappropriate but we don't have much of a choice here. What if I want to take this thing slow and don't wish to defile you the moment I have your consent?” he asked you so you smiled.

“You can go as slow as you want as long as you are mine..all mine”

“Words have meaning you know..you can't just speak to me like that if you don't really mean it”

“What makes you think I'm playing with you for fun?”

“Because I'm insecure, I don't think I am what you deserve or need in your life”

You stood up and sat down on his lap as he said that, god you had envisioned this scenario a million times in your head so when it was really happening, it felt really surreal, your arms curled around his neck as you hugged him tightly.

She did a number on him but you won't allow him to feel that way ever again, that if he'd be yours for eternity

He wrapped his arms around your waist, the coat he had put on you was discarded on the floor, he could feel the heat emanating from your body as you clutched onto him.

"You're all i have ever wanted..i literally had everything growing up but you" you whispered in his ear so he put his head down on your shoulder and sighed..

“Thiss is not easy for me" his voice quivered slightly as he continued "Acknowledging or accepting that I'm lusting after a girl I have known since she was twelve..it's not easy. What would she think of me?” he said to you softly so you pulled away a little and cupped his cheeks, he was torn between his feelings for you and his own sense of morality, and it was clear that he was struggling to come to terms with the situation.

“I know..but I have lusted for you since I was twelve, when I didn't even know what this meant and that girl that you're worried about disappointing? She knew her Uncle Daemon would never hurt her, she trusted him implicitly with her life and her safety and she never would have judged you for choosing to love her differently when she's all grown up, an adult in her mid twenties. You are lusting after me ..I'm not that child you knew, i have grown in every possible way and you're attracted to that part of me..but you have always cared about me..all parts of me”

Tears slipped down his eyes so you wiped them with your thumbs before you kissed his forehead, always wanted to do that and it felt as satisfactory as you thought it would.

"Also..that twelve year old me would be screaming right now if she could see this" he chuckled as you said that but then his smile faded again.

“You're so young my darling pixie. I don't want to be a mistake you'd regret all your life or be something that ends up holding you back. You have so much potential and a bright future ahead of you, and I want to make sure you're able to reach it." The words slipped from his mouth with an almost paternal affection, and you could hear the genuine concern in his voice. He truly did not want to be the cause of any harm or regret in your life - he wanted the best for you even if it meant he'd have to suffocate his own feelings.

“Even if it turns out to be a mistake you should know I'd never ever feel regret for you..” you said to him so he placed his fingers on your chin and made you look him in the eyes.

“Time is going to catch up with me..I'd only get older and less attractive..you'd not even be the age i am currently when I'm already hitting sixty” he said to you but it only made you smile.

“Is that supposed to discourage me because you have only gotten sexier with age so far”

“Mmmmhmm? You are going to lie and tell me that I look better now when I'm all pudgy then I did before when I had visible abs?” his voice was playful but you could tell he was insecure.

“You have no idea how badly I want to snuggle against you and this thick body of yours right now”

He gulped in nervousness as you said that and then his cheeks flushed. Everytime Stella cheated on him, the men she chose were always shredded and jacked, so he killed himself everyday to look the same but he had given up now, he didn't have to impress her and he certainly didn't need to impress you..you were willing to take him as he was.

He cupped your cheeks and his fingers brushed over lips, eyes looked at you as if you were the best thing in the world.

“Besides, it's not just your body I'm attracted to ..it's you ..all of you Uncle..your age is the last thing I think of when I am thinking about you” You squeezed your eyes as the word uncle slipped your mouth, force of habit you feared.

“That's so dirty”

“What is?”

“You calling me that when you're dressed so immodestly and straddling me like that” he murmured against your mouth, voice barely audible.

“Godd are you going to kiss me or not”

“Patience sweetheart..”

“I have been patient enough” you leaned into him so he grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you away from his lips,

“Mmhm? Have you been a good girl?”

“So good.. uncle” you said it on purpose this time because he seemed to enjoy it, the hard on was a clear indication.

“I must be a complete degenerate to get turned on by that” he whispered as he kissed the corner of your mouth, being as teasing as he could be.

“I don't mind that at all”

“Ofcourse you don't..you were always a naughty girl”

Your breath hitched in your chest as he talked down to you. God you really didn't want to be patient, you just wanted him to take you in his bed right now

“Worry not though, I'll make sure you never step out of line without my permission.”

And you were a goner.

None of your antics worked on him because he made you get off his lap and sent you back to your room soon after that, you got to keep the shirt of his that you were going to snuggle around with until it would lose his essence.

That night, after three months of torture Daemon finally had the luxury of jerking off to your thoughts, the way that silk night dress clung to your voluptuous body but left a mystery enough for his imagination and how you were so desperate to be played with was all he needed to pump his hard and swollen cock into his fist. The truth of the situation that you were his supposed niece turned him on even more even though it shouldn't.

He pictured your sweet face moaning and groaning underneath him, chanting his name like a prayer and it didn't take much as he combusted and painted his torso with thick spurts of his release.

Lord, how was he going to keep you away from him? Leave you so untouched when you were so desperate to give into him?

He was being a tease, he wanted to keep you on the edge you figured and you just wanted to give him whatever he desired. The conversation he had with you had made you realize that he was so unappreciated so you were going to appreciate the heck out of him, worship him the way a man like him deserved to be worshiped.

You were going to make him realize why you are the only woman he'd ever need in his life again.

Next day at the office you pretended to be the good girl he wanted you to be, especially in public and more importantly in the workplace..you had to be extremely careful, there was a sense of taboo attached to your relationship and you understood that well, you also knew that whenever this thing would go out in public he'd be the only one to take the hit for it, he'd be blamed and shamed for corrupting you but you won't let him take the fall all alone..you'd be there for him.

“Your father is sending me on a business trip to Japan” he said to you as he placed some documents in his briefcase, it was 5 pm so you no longer had to pretend that he was just your boss .

“Whatttt? For how long?” You asked him hurriedly so he sighed.

“Four days, could be five” he answered you and he could see how sullen you looked all of a sudden. Did you really need him around you that much? Were you always going to be so needy for him? He didn't really mind that, it has been a while since he had wanted to spoil someone so badly.

“Ohhhh umm.. okay uhhh okay” you mumbled in your mouth as you jumped up to sit down on his desk. You felt saddened that he would be gone for four days and you won't get to touch him, or bask in his scent, you really were obsessed with him.

He smiled as he walked around the desk to stand tall in front of you and placed his hands on your thighs to pull you closer to the edge of the desk and into his body, the sudden action had turned you on immensely. His hands caressed your thighs before they trailed up to your bosom for a brief moment and then he brought them up until he had your cheeks between his palms.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” He whispered against your mouth and you had to remember to breathe because you were definitely going to pass out from how wrecked your nerves were at the moment.

“Mmmm please” your voice came out all whiny and it made him smile.

“Or i should take you home and kiss you in my bed while you're underneath me love” he whispered against your mouth and your whole body shuddered, even he was able to feel you trembling.

“Ohhh God yess…that..i want that”

“Greedy” he mumbled as he kissed the tip of your nose.

“Tease” you quickly replied and that made him smirk “I'd miss you.. alot..you're going to come back right?” Your eyes teared up so he placed his forehead down on yours, an action that felt very familiar to you.

“Come back To you..for you? Absolutely” he kissed your forehead before he suddenly pulled away from you.

“Oh I forgot to tell you something” he mumbled as he grabbed his briefcase from the desk so you stepped down as well as he was going to drop you back home.

“What is it?” you asked him as you grabbed your purse

“Your father wants me to take my only intern slash assistant on this trip with me..you know for learning purposes”

The scream of excitement that you let out was deafening, he was lucky his cabin was soundproofed.

Sure taking this thing slow was his idea but he had a feeling he'd be the first one to break that rule as he finds himself with you all alone on this trip in a foreign place where he didn't have to pretend to be your Uncle.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Note: Hope this wasn't disappointing 😂 plenty of stuff to come..

Taglist

@serving-targaryen-realness @annoyingsweetsstranger @anukulee @mcufan72 @insertsomethingsillyhereple-blog @silentf @ajthefujoshi @stupidthoughtsinwriting @ammo23 @shuichiakainx @daddylokisqueen @ipostwhtifeel @anehkael

#daemon targaryen #daemon targaryen x female reader #daemon Targaryen x reader smut #daemon targaryen x reader fluff #daemon targaryen x reader angst #non canon au #modern day au #modern daemon targaryen #age gap relationship

[princesssarisa]

Some thoughts on "Little Women" and the "Little House" books

In the endless discussions by Little Women fans of the issue of "Jo vs. Amy," I've noticed a slight recurring theme, both when Amy's defenders discuss Jo and when certain Jo fans put Amy down. It's the idea that the books' narrative inherently favors Jo and is biased against Amy. That Jo is the character whom readers are clearly "supposed to identify with," as if Louisa May Alcott expected most of her young girl readers to be free-spirited, ambitious tomboys who struggle with gender expectations. And that Amy's portrayal is "negative," or at least that we're supposed to view her femininity and love of refinement as slightly silly and annoying.

Not too long ago, I found similar sentiments in an essay by a woman writing about her childhood experience of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. She wrote that she never identified with spunky, tomboyish Laura, but as a girly girl and as an eldest daughter who felt pressured to be "the responsible one," she related more to Mary. Then she complained that the books seem to expect readers to identify with Laura, and that we're "not supposed to like Mary."

I'm not sure those claims ring true for either of these literary works.

Both Little Women and the Little House books are autobiographical. Louisa May Alcott based the March family on her own family and Jo on herself, while Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote explicitly about herself and her family without changing the names.

In Little Women, I don't feel as if Alcott expected readers to identify more with Jo than with the other three sisters. Yes, Jo gets the most emphasis of them all, but that's because Alcott personally identified with her. Likewise, in the Little House books, Laura is the protagonist because she was the author. It's only natural that she wrote about her childhood from her own viewpoint, not because she thought readers would relate more to her than to her sisters.

Nor do I think Little Women is overly biased against Amy. Is her portrayal complex, and does it reflect Alcott's complex relationship with her sister May? Yes. Does Alcott use Amy to make fun of May's childhood foibles? Yes. Does she make it clear that May often drove her crazy when they were young, and does her envy of May's charms and social life sometimes bleed through the text? Of course! But none of it seems really mean-spirited; her affection and respect for May also come through clearly. Besides, she's just as willing to use Jo's foibles to make fun of herself.

And in the Little House series, do we really think Wilder set out to insult the memory of her beloved and by then deceased sister Mary? Just because she was honest about their childhood sibling rivalry and made readers feel for her envy of her "perfect" sister doesn't mean she wanted the readers to dislike her.

Maybe I'm giving these authors too much benefit of the doubt. But "An author writes about her own family, makes herself the protagonist, and honestly portrays both her closeness and her sibling rivalry with a sister who was very different from herself" doesn't inherently mean "The author expects all readers to identify with her self-insert and dislike her sister."

#little women #little house on the prairie #the little house books #louisa may alcott #jo march #may alcott nieriker #amy march #laura ingalls wilder #mary ingalls

[gloriousburden]

i don’t know if anyone else really relates to this but, whenever i wear some of my loki merch out, sometimes people will come up to me and compliment me, or ask where i got my merch from. and obviously i’m more than happy to tell them where i got it from and even discuss loki with them.

but sometimes… people will bring up things about the series or say that they loved the series. which whenever they do, i often say things along the lines of “oh i actually don’t like the series.” and they always seem so surprised by that. i’ve recently had someone compliment me and say something along the lines of “i didn’t watch season 2 yet” so when i told them i don’t actually like the series, they were like “oh so you’re just a fan of the merch?” like ??? 😭😭😭 my response to that was just “… no, i just prefer his character in the movies.” and honestly i don’t get why people don’t really… understand that. like it’s so shocking that someone who is evidently a huge fan of a character, would be “hyper critical” and protective of how that character is treated in future works.

but the loki in the series is quite LITERALLY a different person who went a different path than our loki, even if he had the same past as our loki. that’s literally the whole point. these are canonically two different characters, and i wish that mcu normies as well as loki series enjoyers would understand that. even if you’re not a HUGE fan of loki, it is literally explained in the series that they’re not the same person. just because they’re both played by tom hiddleston, and have the same past, name, etc… it does not mean they are the same person.

why is it so shocking that i and many others, prefer the actual loki? it is canon that the loki we all know and love, is the actual loki. that’s like… the whole plot of the series.

although there have been some occasions where people agreed with me 😭 i’ve heard “yeah he was kind of out of character. i miss villain loki.” and stuff like “yeah i didn’t like it either.” so there is still some hope out in the world.

#tired of mcu normies and series fans #loki #anti loki series #loki series criticism #mcu loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki 💭

[ladyiristheenchantress]

Working with Air

Welcome to the third part of my elemental series! Today we will explore some aspects of working with air like offerings, devotional activities, common lessons, aspects, and more! With all that said lets get started!

To preface: I am a devotee to water itself, I am a west witch practioner which means I work within the domain of water, the past, divination, and psyche! I also am a general elemental practioner and have experience working with all of the elements and their aspects!

What is working with air like?

While looking at verified gnosis and cultural nuance some things remain familiar, things like air being both stagnant and rushing, life giving, and more! It is a major backbone (Much like all the elements are for each other) in the way that all organisms that preform aerobic respiration (Air breathing) need oxygen, air, and a form of atmosphere including water based animals. Air does not have a concept of gender (same with all the elements), however you can always ask as a bonding opportunity or follow a cultural addition that may apply pronouns to an element.

In general, air is primordial, but it is considered one of the youngest of the elements mainly because magma, water, and a form of earth had existed before O2, and an actual atmosphere. With that in mind, the air ended up facilitating a lot of growth here on earth, and from there air has many aspects! Air has tempest, dead air, atmosphere, wind, and breath! There are plenty of types of air spirits like syliphs, Sylphons, Spirulites, and more.

Some people work with wind, air anomaly's like tornados and wind storms, and breathwork. Wind and breath teaches more gentle and peaceful lessons about how to take a step back and take a moment for yourself. Someone who works with tempest might receive more lessons relating to coming into your own power and growing a backbone. Each aspect will have different lessons and personality traits, but each of them still follow the same lessons of balance between motion and pause, and even speaking.

In your relationship you may be called to breath work, using feathers, and more that we will be discussing a bit later, however air is will see us like any other animal, and is more apprehensive to engage in a conversation so practioners may have to call out to it first. UPG: Air is really rushing and sometimes can be overwhelming, and we have had many wonderful conversations relating to hard work, taking things as they come, and not falling into unhealthy stagnation. Air has not been very direct and tends to come as needed into my space and isnt an omnipresent force! In general I have needed to call on it first for information or advice, it is also quite stoic and serious when needed but also upbeat and kind when needed.

Finally, air does have some birth connotations, but they are directly indicative of the relationships it has with other elements. Air cannot do its job in a vacuum like space until some level of atmosphere is established. However 'air' can mean different things to different people, and in a way taking a first breath is life!

What are common offerings?

People tend to keep an altar to air near doorways, windows, and living rooms because of the rush of energy as people walk through doors, the energy of change from windows, and more! historically a lot of air honoring comes from within like being outdoors, having windows open, and doing breath work in a special place because of the motion you can feel from the air.

In air practices there are heavy emphasis on working and action! this comes from most of air needing to be moved to be felt, as often times we dont notice when we are breathing or walking through the precious gas. Moving air like with breath, feathers, and fans can be really helpful.

Some common practices include meditation and breath work, energy motion, dance, song, using feathers, fans, and incense scrying are all really common aspects of work! Another aspect is action, doing divination with clouds, the sky, and smoke is helpful, and then another thing is storm chasing, tracking the weather, and observing the atmosphere can also be really good forms of connection.

What are some correspondences?

Crystals - Amethyst, Angel Aura Quartz, Angelite, Celestite, Clear Quartz, Danburite, Flourite, Green Adventurine, Howlite, Kyanite, Labradorite, Rainbow obsidian

Herbs - Poplar, cottonwood, moss, Aspen, Marjoram, Cilantro, Lavender, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Anise, Oregano, Peppermint, Fennel, Asparagus, Celery, Cattail, Hazel, Almond, Bay, Borage, Frankincense

Colors - green, yellow, white

Energy Centers - heart and sacral

Zodiacs - Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

Tools - Feathers, fans, incense, and books

Scents - fresh, clean, lively

Resources

#air #elemental magick #witchblr #elemental work #pagan witch #witch #magical theory #grimoire #witchcraft #spells #magick #culturalexploration #baby witch #elemental #air magic #air magick #folk magic

[cartoonrankings]

10 Best Serialized Cartoons

This day and age is amazing for cartoon fans because we have many different types of cartoons to enjoy! Whether we prefer serialized or episodic, there is a bunch from both worlds for us! Many typically lead to one side, and while I love episodic cartoons, serialized ones are my favorite! In this blog, I will highlight my 10 best serialized cartoons!

10. Sym-Bionic Titan

I am opening this list up by discussing an underrated gem that deserved way better! Sym-Bionic Titan is a series that ran from 2010 to 2011 for only 20 episodes. The series revolved around Lance, Ilana and Octus who all left their planet Galuna due to these creatures called the Mutraddi consuming it. They arrived on Earth, and blended in as normal. The series gets the name from when the three combine. When this occurs, they form the Sym-Bionic Titan. Now, this series is truly amazing - we get amazing writing along with amazing characters and the artstyle is beautiful! Sadly, Sym-Bionic Titan has not been treated fairly, and due to this, it has a pretty short runtime, but it is still awesome!  You can watch Sym-Bionic Titan on iTunes!

9. Motorcity

Motorcity is one of the few shows that I love, but I can’t help but feel upset every time I watch it. The reason for it is because of how badly it was treated (see my other blogs for what I mean by that). Motorcity was a series which ran from 2012 to 2013 for a season. Motorcity revolves around a group of six who call themself the Burners. The Burners share the goal of stopping the evil billionaire and ruler of Detroit named Abraham from taking over Motorcity, a small part of Detroit which he is trying to take over. The Burners have six members - Mike (the leader), Julie (an insider trying to get information from Abraham), Texas (the muscle), Chuck (the tech guy), Dutch (the smart one) and Jacob (the older member who mentors them). This series had lots to enjoy - the characters, the plot and the series sometimes got introspective which added a lot to it for me. Motorcity was a great series that deserved better, and I am sure that if it got promoted properly by the network, it would be featured on more people’s 10 best serialized cartoons lists! You can watch Motorcity on iTunes!

8. Ducktales

This is another one of the many Disney cartoons that had made me into a huge fan. Ducktales was a series that ran for 3 seasons and 69 episodes from 2017 to 2021. It was about Donald Duck, his uncle Scrouge and his three nephews, Huey, Louie and Dewey who essentially go on treasure hunting related adventures. Each season has a different arc, with each providing a different sort of adventure to the series. The series has much to love - we are introduced to great characters, a great story and fantastically written humor. While many reboots fall flat, Ducktales was one of the reboots that hit the nail and exceeded my expectations! You can watch Ducktales on Disney Plus!

7. Steven Universe

I am sure many will agree with me when I introduce one of the cartoons of the 2010s that pushed boundaries and helped increase representation - Steven Universe! Steven Universe ran for 5 seasons from 2013 to 2019, and had a total of 160 episodes. The series revolved around Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Steven - The Crystal Gems. They were essentially alien warriors who protected the world from any sort of peril. One catch to them was that Steven was a half human who got the Gem side from his mother and the human side from his father. Steven Universe’s plot would continue to progress as the series went on. There was a lot to love about the series - the color choice was beautiful, the characters were amazingly done and the series helped increase representation by pushing boundaries. Steven Universe is definitely a strong series and one that was impactful! You can watch Steven Universe on Hulu!

6. Teen Titans

This is a classic from many of our childhoods…I had to include it on here for sure! Teen Titans ran for a total of 5 seasons and 65 episodes, and the series ran for 3 years from 2003 to 2006. The series centered around five superheroes calling themselves the Teen Titans. The group consists of Robin (the leader), Beast Boy (has the power to morph into an animal), Starfire (an alien princess), Cyborg (a cyborg) and Raven (a goth girl with telekinesis). The series has many different arcs, with each arc focusing on a different character. The series had so much that I took away from it: we had awesome characters who are all iconic and unique in their own ways, great voice acting to back up these characters and an amazing soundtrack. Teen Titans is truly amazing, and it is still iconic up to this day. You can watch Teen Titans on iTunes, Google Play or Amazon!

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Now, I am moving back to a cartoon that was definitely a bit older than the previous entries, and one that was clearly a standout from its time! Avatar the Last Airbender was a series which ran from 2005 to 2008 for a total of 3 seasons and 61 episodes. The series revolves around the Avatar, Aang who is supposedly the only person who can master all four elements and restore peace after the fire nation attacked. The avatar was found by two siblings from the water tribe, Katara and Sokka, who travel with him to different nations so that he can master all four elements and defeat the fire lord, Ozai. This series had much to love - my favorite aspect was the story. Despite having an intense story, the humor also made the series for me. Finally, the artstyle won me over. I loved the anime-esque artstyle this series provided! Avatar: The Last Airbender was definitely an amazing series, and it’s no secret why it’s so loved today! You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix!

4. Detentionaire

Ah yes, now I move back to the 2010s…to a series that blew my mind when I had first seen it with it’s very intricate mystery! Detentionaire was an animated series which ran from 2011 to 2015 and had 4 seasons of 53 episodes. Detentionaire was about a high schooler named Lee Ping who gets framed for a huge prank on the first day of high school, and gets detention for a whole year. He sneaks out every day to figure out who set him up, and while the series starts off with him interacting with different groups at school to see who set him up, he eventually finds out that there are secrets hidden deep beneath the school that could put the entire world in harm. He also finds out that he and his bloodline are connected to everything that is going on. This series is amazing - my favorite thing about this series is definitely the progression that we go through with each episode. Furthermore, the characters are all enjoyable and the overall mystery is just so fun to try solving! Not only is the mystery fun to try solving during the first watch, but the writers also put in little hints regarding what’s to come later on, making rewatching the series very satisfying! Detentionaire is truly one of my favorite cartoons of all time, and while it is definitely underrated, I am happy it still has a fandom! You can watch Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, or on Tubi!

3. Gravity Falls

As I mentioned earlier, I am a huge Disney fan! At this point of the blog, don’t expect any non-Disney shows. Anyways, to start this Disney run off, I would like to give attention to Gravity Falls! Gravity Falls was a series which ran from 2012 to 2016 for a total of 2 seasons and 40 episodes. Gravity Falls was about two twins named Dipper and Mabel who visit their grunkle, Stan, at a town full of mysteries known as Gravity Falls. In this town, Stan owns a tourist trap known as the Mystery Shack, but aside from the “mysteries” in the Mystery Shack, Dipper hopes to uncover the true mysteries of Gravity Falls as he finds out that Gravity Falls us not what it appears to be. With the help of Mabel and two Mystery Shack employees named Soos and Wendy, Dipper aims to uncover the big underlying mystery behind Gravity Falls. Gravity Falls was definitely a well thought out and unique show. Like Detentionaire, it had a great mystery and was fun to rewatch as there are lots of hints sprinkled in the earlier episodes. Furthermore, the characters were all really entertaining and the pacing was really fluid and made sure every episode was engaging without running into the plot too fast. Gravity Falls was truly an amazing show, and despite seeing so many awesome cartoons after it ended, Gravity Falls has remained in my top 3 since. You can watch Gravity Falls on Disney Plus!

2. The Owl House

Now, this is a show that really continued pushing the boundaries like how Steven Universe did. The Owl House is a series running from 2020 and still running. It currently has 2 seasons of 40 episodes, and is expected to get one more season containing three specials. The Owl House is about a girl named Luz who unexpectedly ends up in a new world by the name of Boiling AIsles after finding a portal. In this island, she meets a witch named Eda who helps train her to become a witch. Now, I love The Owl House. The series has awesome animation, and awesome characters to back these characters up. Furthermore, the LGBTQ representation in this series is a huge plus for the series. It truly is awesome, and it definitely deserved better. You can watch The Owl House on Disney+ or Disney Now!

1. Amphibia

Anyone who has been following me for a while probably knows this…Amphibia is not only my favorite serialized cartoon, but my favorite cartoon of all time! Amphibia ran from 2019 to 2022 for a total of 3 seasons and 58 episodes. Amphibia is about a girl named Anne Boonchuy who, along with her friends, Marcy Wu and Sasha Waybright steal a magic box. This box ends up transporting the three friends to the magical world of Amphibia, which is a world full of frogs. In this series, Anne has the goal of finding her two friends and getting back home. However, along the way, she faces many different challenges both in the forms of monsters and her own inner struggles, and she finds out that not everyone is who she really thinks they are. Now, I love Amphibia. We have a bunch of loveable characters, we have some huge twists and we have a very unique and interesting concept. Amphibia is such an amazing series, and I am so happy that it became a part of my life! You can watch Amphibia on Disney Plus or Disney Now!

Well, these were my 10 best serialized cartoons! Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Are there any you would add? Feel free to like and comment your thoughts and follow me for more as I post regular cartoon blogs!

#cartoon #cartoons #cartoon network #nickelodeon #disney #teletoon #amphibia #the owl house #gravity falls #detentionaire #avatar the last airbender #teen titans #steven universe #ducktales #motorcity #sym-bionic titan #radarplz

[kerubimcrepin]

Analysis: Lance Dur Webtoon Episode 5, The Third Death

(aka, Ronik's "let's try reading too much into some comics, and the Lance Dur series" challenge)

TW: Discussion of Child Abuse (physical, emotional, psychological), Filicide, Patricide, Child Neglect. Just the usual things that come up when talking about Lysmee, Agard, Lance Dur, Kerubim, God Ecaflip, and Joris, and their character parallels.

When looked at from the lens of symbolism and motifs, this comic is one of the more important pieces of Kerubim lore we have. And I really, really mean it. I need to talk about it.

But to talk about it... I will have to do something bad. Something I really wanted to put off for as long as I could:

THIS POST WILL SPOIL THE ENTIRETY OF THE LANCE DUR CARTOON, THE LANCE DUR WEBCOMIC, AS WELL AS THE CIRE MOMORE WEBCOMIC.

For this reason, I will be placing this analysis under a read more.

The thing that really gets me about this comic, is that it explicitly makes Kerubim a character foil/parallel for Agard and Lysmee.

Once or twice, I might have said things like, "Joris parallels Yugo, Atcham parallels Joris," and so on, — because of similar troubles, or character beats, — but let it be clear when I say "parallel" here, I don't mean conjecture, or correlations. What is happening here, is a bit... different.

Through his inclusion in this comic, and the role he takes in it as a victim of the Cire Momore curse, — the same way Agard was, — an explicit parallel is drawn between Kerubim and Agard.

And, by that logic, between Kerubim and Lysmee as well, — for Agard is already her foil and parallel.

In a way, their being a trinity really enriches the way one can understand these characters, — they form a sliding scale, I think, — because for every mirror image they have, there is a small deviation.

From Lance Dur's genuine love for his son and failure at showing it for all those years, and Ephedre's hatred of everything, to Ecaflip's godly "love" being both cruel and transactional.

In a way, despite Cire Momore not actually picking victims in-universe, symbolically speaking, she is the unhealable, unbeatable wound of parental trauma, personified.

It's no wonder, her long-term targets, within canon, are Agard and Kerubim.

Something can have many different symbolic meanings in the same story. From the march of death, to the weight of parental trauma.

The past, with all the horrible things that happened in it, is as real as the future, and the ending it holds. And it's always coming for you.

Sometimes, they are actually two in the same. At least for Lysmee and Kerubim.

This is the level of parallels that Lysmee, Kerubim, and Agard operate on. Even though Kerubim being their parallel is only a minor thing, because Agard and Lysmee's stories are mostly intertwined between one another, it is still a good way to analyse things.

(I hope someone makes a similar post to mine, but mainly about Agard and Lysmee. I'm too much of a Kerubim fan to be talking about them...)

All three of them grew up with parents who weren't supportive of who they were as people. The onee person who was supposed to nurture them, treated them like an object at best (Agard, Kerubim), — or derived pleasure from their suffering at worst (Lysmee, Kerubim).

Between the two, Kerubim seems like the middle ground. Agard has a toxic, distant parent, Lysmee has a horrible, physically abusive mother, and Kerubim has a toxic, emotionally and psychologically abusive parent.

Their stories diverge, yet remain reflections of one another.

Lysmee dreams of breaking free, but is killed by her own mother in the end. Kerubim cannot die, or get rid of, his father. And Agard kills his father, — obtaining a tragic sort of freedom, an actual ending to their relationship.

Lysmee and Agard reflect one another with violence, with poison. They both plan their parents' death, but for different reasons, — a want to be free of abuse vs. a twisted way to show love.

Kerubim and Lysmee reflect one another in inability to die or move on, — cursed to live forever by their parent, out of hatred, or out of love. But it differs, — for Kerubim, an eternal life, marred by death, by disease, is a pleasure, because he has his loved ones. But Lysmee... isn't living. She is suffering, forever.

Agard and Kerubim reflect one another by loving their fathers despite how bad things were, but having a way to move on, just a little, and try to be better fathers themselves, — separate from their toxic parent. But Kerubim will always have to look behind his back, to police his speech, to try and please Ecaflip, — because he is always watching, and he can always take all of Kerubim's freedoms back, at the snap of the fingers.

The way Kerubim experiences his haunting by Cire Momore is emblematic of his relationship with Ecaflip — everpresent, clouding over his thoughts, yet, if he focuses on moving forward, he can ignore it, if just for a bit.

The way it ends, is also a reflection of their relationship: only Ecaflip can choose, when, exactly, Kerubim stops suffering, — and he will keep him in danger, until Kerubim gives him what he wants.

Kerubim tries to free himself of the pain that his relationship with Ecaflip brings him by using fatherhood, but only ends up mirroring the dynamics that caused him pain. Joris wishes he could help him, but he is literally seven, and he has no idea how, — besides staying by his side, together, for eternity. Suffering from a very similar pain to Kerubim, but because of Kerubim himself.

Forcing himself to parent his own parent, to try and lead him from his pain.

Lysmee tries to free herself from the pain of her mother's abuse with romance, but the circumstances against them are far too strong, — Gustav can't even begin to help her. No matter how much he wishes he could. The only thing he could do for her is to die and be cursed together for eternity.

The same way Ecaflip is the only one who can save Kerubim, and the only one who could have saved Lysmee was Ephedre, the only one who can save Agard is Lance Dur, — because, as I had pointed out, all of them are the reason of their pain.

But the difference is that Lance Dur truly loves Agard. He might not have been the best father, he might have hurt him, but he loves Agard, enough to make sacrifices.

And if it took her mother's hate to doom her, it's quite poetic that it took a parent's love and determination that can finally set Lysmee free.

#lance5 #ro liveblogs dofus #dofus #wakfu #krosmoz #kerubim crepin #Iance dur #cire momore #I CONNECTED THE DOTS I CONNECTED THEM

[fangirleaconmigo]

maybe weird and mybe vague, but if you ever have the time and inclination, would you talk bout your opinion on Geralt and *religion*? I haven't read the books in a very long time, and i only am halfway though the series, but sometimes geralt says something (' for it is the **holy** and irrefutable right of every woman.') and i'm left thinking, because he doesn't seem to believe in much but at the same time he does?

Religion and Spirituality in The Witcher Books: What DOES Geralt of Rivia Believe In?

Hello my dear! Sometime you guys will send me an ask that just makes me go...HOW DID YOU KNOW I LOVE THINKING ABOUT THIS AND WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO RAMBLE ON ABOUT IT.

VERY MILD BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD

VERY LONG, EXTRA, GEEKY POST AHEAD

So. For those who missed it, this is in reference to my "abortion in the witcher books" post, where Geralt calls abortion a "holy and irrefutable" right, both words that imply either spirituality or at least moral beliefs that surpass reasoning and rationality.

Yet, we know that Geralt does not believe in the existence of 'the gods', (I'll pull the quotes for that and show evidence as we go) so why would he use such language? What DOES he believe in? Does he have a guiding spiritual system of beliefs?

A lot of people interpret Geralt's attempts at political neutrality as wishy washy or cynical or apathetic, and believe, as a result, that he does not have a particular driving moral system of beliefs. In fact!! On my abortion post there was a guy on twitter actually trying to fight with me, saying that it doesn't matter what Geralt thinks about abortion, because Geralt doesn't value human life. (lmaoooooooooooooooo)

I am here to say that this is incorrect all around. (to the conservative dudebro I told him that he was conflating 'has killed' with 'does not value life', two very different things.) Anywho. Geralt actually has an incredibly strong system of morals and ethics that are VERY clearly laid out in the books. We can even name that system of beliefs. It just gets complicated!

So, let's talk about that. First, let's lay out his beliefs.

Disclaimer: I'm working with English translations of the books, and as I get very precise about words, just please be aware of that limitation. Many times I wish I had a Polish friend who had copies of the book and wouldn't mind me (the dreaded Geraskier shipper and twn fan) pestering them every time I had a question about wording. If anyone doesn't mind being that friend for me, please let me know.

Now. Onward.

For those who did not read my abortion post, Panur is referring to the fact that In Sword of Destiny (p 345), when Geralt is discussing his mother with Calanthe, this is what he calls abortion:

“A choice. A choice which should be respected, for it is the holy and irrefutable right of every woman.”

There are two words that Geralt uses here, "holy" and 'irrefutable" and both imply something 'higher' than reason. Holy is religious in nature, while irrefutable is along the lines of "inalienable" which is the word Dandelion uses, when speaking about the right to abortion. In Baptism of Fire (p317), Dandelion refers to abortion like this:

It’s obvious that only the woman can make a decision like that. It’s her inalienable right.

Inalienable and irrefutable are words that describe inherent rights, which are not subject to rational debate.

Many would describe that as sacred or untouchable. So even though it is not as directly religious as the word 'holy', it implies a value that is higher than logic or rationality.

AND YET, we do know that Geralt does not believe in the gods. It is a point of discussion between him and Nenneke on multiple occasions. In The Last Wish (p37) Nenneke is worried about Geralt and is trying to convince him to let Iola, one of her priestesses, put him in a trance. He resists her idea. Here is what Nenneke says.

"Iola isn't a medium or a mentally ill soothsayer. That child enjoys the goddess's favor."

Geralt's face does something in reaction to this that indicates his disbelief, and Nenneke responds.

"Don't pull silly faces, if you please."

So whatever his face did, it wasn't good. She continues.

"As I said, your view on religion is known to me, it's never particularly bothered me, and no doubt, it won't bother me in the future. I'm not a fanatic. You've a right to believe that we're governed by Nature and the Force hidden within her. You can think that the gods, including my Melitele, are merely a personification of this power invented for simpletons so they understand it better, accept its existence. According to you, that power is blind."

So, Nenneke describes his belief system in regard to the gods as...they don't exist, at least not in the way people view them. There is magic and chaos and monstrous beings, sure. But there are no 'all powerful' gods enacting their will on the world, there is nothing so predictable or organized.

Those beliefs are repeated elsewhere in the books, but I won't pull every single quote. This one does the trick. Geralt believes that people invented the gods to explain the world around them.

We also know that he believes humans invent monsters in order to seem less monstrous themselves. He says this to Dandelion in The Last Wish (p167).

"People," Geralt turned his head, "like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, staar an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.

So. In Geralt's world view, human beings are the creators. They create gods. They create monsters. And when they blame the gods or monsters, it is a false powerlessness engineered to escape accountability. But Geralt holds people accountable anyway.

So, if Geralt does not believe in the gods, does that mean he believes in nothing? Does that mean he does not have a moral code?

Actually, it is the opposite.

If people are held accountable for their actions, when they have no gods or demons or monsters to blame, the standard for morality is much higher.

Geralt if often called self righteous for this stance. In The Last Wish, (p160) when Geralt is complaining about how hard it is to make a living as a witcher, Dandelion even tells him he should be a priest, saying the fact that he doesn't believe in gods shouldn't be any barrier.

"Whatever. Become a priest. You wouldn't be bad at it with all your scruples, your morality, your knowledge of people and everything. The fact that you don't believe in any gods shouldn't be a problem. I don't know many priests who do. Becomes a priest and stop feeling sorry for yourself."

But without spirituality, where does Geralt get his system of morals? How does Geralt decide what is right and what is wrong?

Well, once again, Geralt puts human beings (instead of gods) at the center, in the position of power and importance.

Let's start with the moral quandary Geralt faces most often. Which monsters are ethical to kill, and which are not ethical to kill?

Geralt has arguments many times throughout the books with people who want him to kill a monster that he does not want to kill,

AND conversely

he has arguments with people who judge him for killing monsters that they believe should be protected.

Those people are on the extremes. Some people see all monsters as inherently without worth. At best, they think they are subhuman and can be murdered for money making schemes or potions, or at worst, they think they should all be exterminated.

The other kind of person (mostly druids and academics) see them as part of mother nature, sacrosanct and untouchable, and accuse Geralt of being immoral for killing even one.

But for Geralt? It isn't so simple. There is no 'one size fits all'. He doesn't 'other' monsters like that. So he has to decided each and every time. And as a nonbeliever, Geralt does not have a holy book or god to consult with to tell him what is right. And yet? He always has an answer.

In reference to the monsters he does not want to kill, here are a few passages of Geralt explaining his reasoning. In The Last Wish, he tells Dandelion he won't kill mecopterans because:

I'm not going to kill mecopterans. Nor any other harmless creatures."

Then, in Sword of Destiny (p42) when when Yennefer and Dorregaray are arguing about dragons, Geralt speaks up. What he says explains why he doesn't kill them:

"Dragons aren't man's enemies," Geralt broke in.

Then later, Yennefer challenges him.

"...And what do you know, witcher?"

“Only," Geralt said, ignoring the sudden warning vibration of the medallion around his neck, "that if dragons didn’t have treasure hoards, not a soul would be interested in them; and certainly not sorcerers...

Later on in the book, Dandelion says that Geralt doesn't kill night spirits because they are "sweet". There are a lot of other examples, but basically, that is always the test. Did the monster harm a human?

Now, on the other extreme, there are people who think Geralt shouldn't harm any monsters. These are people who are big on theory and environmentalism, druids and academics. Here are two examples.

First, we have Dorregaray in Sword of Destiny (p40) he says that Witchers calling killing a vocation is "loathsome, low, and nonsensical". He says:

"The world...is in equilibrium. Natural equilibrium....The extermination of the natural enemies of humans, which you dedicate yourself to...threatens the degeneration of the race."

Geralt responds with his reasoning.

"Do you know what, sorcerer?" Geralt said, annoyed. "one day, take yourself to a mother whose child has been devoured by a basilisk, and tell her she ought to be glad, because thanks to that the human race has escaped degeneration. See what she says to you."

Basically, he's like...tell that to the people who are killed.

Then, in Blood of Elves, Geralt is talking to an academic called Linus Pitt. (it's actually a really funny story, I summarized it here) Geralt has been hired to defend the boat from a monster, and this academic has struck up a conversation with him. They are discussing sea creatures (aeschna) who have been pulling people from decks and eating them. This man offers a similar argument to Dorregaray.

"...It was wiped out a good half-century ago, due -- incidentally --to the activity of individuals such as yourself who are prepared to kill anything that does not instantly look right, without forethought, tests, observations or considering its ecological niche..."

Now, we as the reader know, witchers do consider ecological niches, because Vesemir teaches Ciri about them in the previous chapters in this same book. But for witchers, ecological niches ultimately do not outweigh human life. So after briefly considering just telling the man "where he could put the aeschna and its niche," Geralt responds, trying to appeal to the man's love of theory and scholarship and his college (Oxenfurt, natch)...

"Master Tutor," he said calmly, "one of those pulled form the deck was a young pregnant girl...Theoretically, her child could, one day, have become chancellor of your college. What do you have to say to such an approach to ecology?"

That doesn't work. Master Tutor Pitt is still snooty.

"Nature is governed by its own rules and although those rules are cruel and ruthless, they should not be amended...And nothing can justify the extermination of a species, even a predatory one. What do you say to that?"

So, Geralt reverts to his truth.

"I'd say it's dangerous to lean out like that. There might be an aeschna in the vicinity. Do you want to try out the aeschna's struggle for survival on your own skin?"

Linus Pitt let go of the railing and abruptly jumped away.

The point is always always always...idk man do you want to die? Do you want your family to die?

The test is always:

Harm to humans, vs no harm to humans.

At this point, we can comfortably say that Geralt's system of beliefs has a name.

Geralt does not exist, he is a literary device. But in as far as we can gather evidence and apply it to canon, his state beliefs fit the definition.

A system of belief that attributes the good and evil in the world to choices of humans, rather than gods, and that assesses good and bad based primarily on whether they harm or help humans, has a name.

Geralt is a humanist.

Here is the definition for humanism from Oxford dictionary:

an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

There are, of course, many ways to define any philosophy you could possibly discuss, but at it's most basic, humanism does not source morality from a holy book or a god. There is no higher power or authority.

It asks one simple question:

Does this do harm to humans, or does it help humans?

That may seem obvious, but a whole lot of morality based on religion falls away when you use this. Premarital sex? Is it bad? Welp? Are you harming the person you're having sex with? No? Ok, you're good! Homosexuality? Again, are you harming the person you're dating? No? Then you're good! Most sex based ideas about immorality just sort of goes away.

So is this just a decision making tool though? Or a system of morality? A way of life?

Well, for Geralt it is a way of life. This man is extra as fuck about his code of ethics.

I mean, there is no witcher code of ethics. But you'd better believe his extra ass made one, for himself! He calls it the witchers code, instead of Geralt's code, because that sounds fancier, and people respect it that way. If he just said, "I don't want to do it," no one would listen to him.

I did a post on his code.

So this guy is so in love with ethics that when no one gave him a code, he WROTE HIS OWN, and THEN! THEN he went out on the path as a young witcher, hoping to rescue innocents. He came out of the gate being driven by the value of human life.

When he is in the temple, talking to Iola, the priestess, (p115)about himself as a young witcher and what motivated him out on the path, he says this:

"...when I left Kaer Morhen and took to the road. I'd earned my medallion, the Sign of the Wolf's School. I had two swords: silver and iron, and my conviction, enthusiasm, incentive, and....faith. Faith that I was needed in a world full of monsters and beasts, to protect the innocent."

Geralt's entire personality is based on his initial desire to just...help people. Do good. It has nothing to do with gods. It has everything to do with the way he values human life.

Does this take a massive beating every day he wakes up? yes. Does he always live up to it? No. But it doesn't change the fact that it's there, that it is the underpinning of his character.

Also, I have to add, it informs his entire approach of political neutrality.

Geralt gets a bad rap for his ideas about neutrality. I'm not saying his idea about neutrality is the ideal or always correct. But people tend to see it as based in apathy or self interest and it very much is not.

He explains it to Ciri in Blood of Elves.

Geralt, Triss, and Ciri are traveling with Yarpen Zigrin and his men in Blood of Elves (p122) . Yarpen is transporting (smuggling) something crucial for the war effort on behalf of King Henselt of Kaedwen.

Triss is ill, so Geralt has begged Yarpen to allow them to join the caravan. Geralt says he will help out to pay them back for their kindness, only, Geralt has one thing he will not do. Since they are an official caravan, fighting would essentially make him an official soldier. So, if they are attacked by Scoia'tael, he will not fight. He says:

"Please don't count on my sword. I have no intention of killing those, as you call them, evil creatures, on the order of other creatures whom I do not consider to be any better."

Later, Ciri rides ahead and comes across some elven ruins. Geralt catches up to her and tells her what happened there. They are the ruins of an elven castle called Shaerrawedd, where humans mercilessly massacred a huge number of elven youth.

Geralt says that he has seen some elves about, but he isn't going to warn the caravan because he knows the elves are only there to visit their sacred place. He explains his neutrality to Ciri further.

"Do you know now why the Scoia'tael were here, do you see what they wanted to look at? And do you understand why the elven and dwarven young must never be allowed to be massacred once again? Do you understand why neither you nor I are permitted to have a hand in this massacre?....Do you understand?

She nodded.

"Do you understand what this neutrality is, which stirs you so? To be neutral does not mean to be indifferent or insensitive. You dont' have to kill your feelings. It is enough to kill the hatred within yourself. Do you understand?"

It isn't that Geralt doesn't care.

Geralt cares so so very much, and is so distrustful of power and political and religious institutions that he believes getting involved with them will end in him being used as a tool to do something to harm others.

Geralt does not want to be used as a tool to kill someone else. He has a lot of experience with that. He believes that the only response to a rigged game is to not play it.

Of course it is so much more complicated than that. Geralt has a lot to learn over the course of the series and he is tested sorely, and brutally. He is challenged over and over again. Is it even possible not to play? Are you playing by not playing?

But this post isn't about the relative ethics of political neutrality. It's about Geralt's spiritual and/ or moral beliefs.

The point of this post is, that Geralt is very passionately driven by his well defined system of beliefs, and that belief system is humanism.

Ok, let's go back to the words holy and irrefutable. Even though Geralt does not believe in the gods, he sometimes uses words that sound religious to describe his beliefs. Let's also go back to the word Faith. He uses it twice with Iola to describe his belief that he can help the innocent and do good in the world.

That is because, you don't need anything supernatural to value human life, AND YET sometimes that act of valuing human life feels sacred.

It is not logic. It is not reason. It is love.

I'm editorializing here. This is just me talking, my opinion. Humanism involves believing in the worth of human beings, and that requires a massive amount of faith, especially when people are out there doing evil to each other every day. Some days, love feels like a miracle.

Sure, you CAN make 'rational' arguments about why being kind to one another or valuing one another is the best way to live. It results in a high quality of life, it builds a healthier, more peaceful, world. It's all true.

But ultimately, most humanists are probably not humanists because of rationality. They value human life because they value it intrinsically. They believe that it matters, against all fucking odds. They just love for love's sake.

A know I do!

And having a protagonist like Geralt, who, no matter what horrors and evils he sees, not matter what abuse and trauma he endures, who never ever stops just fucking HELPING, who never stops CARING never stops TRYING, who exemplifies everything to love and cherish about the human spirit, just because he thinks HUMAN BEINGS are worth defending, it is so important to have, and for me, so fulfilling to read.

So, call him a humanist, don't call him a humanist, it doesn't matter. But watching him him go through hell, yet refuse to stop trying to help other people, it makes me feel better about being a human.

#the witcher #asks #geralt of rivia #the witcher books #thinking about geralt of rivia yet again #thinking about the witcher books yet again

[raayllum]

it’s high key really annoying the attention toh gets on this website while no one acknowledges tdp exists

Yeah, sometimes I wish TDP got more recognition and appreciation in a fandom space for its storytelling (the parallels, the worldbuilding, the mature theme explorations) simply because we haven't had a western kids' show go this hard since TLOK (even if I think Korra stumbles in a lot of ways) and arguably ATLA in its explorations of war and morality, two things that TDP is obsessed with, as well as a sometimes overwhelming discussion of Grief.

However, to be frank, while many teen and adult fans of kids cartoons say that they want darker themes and storylines, what that usually means, I think, is more akin to something like TOH or She Ra, in which you know 1) your favourite characters will always typically survive with maybe one or two minor parental or villainous exceptions, and 2) one or two characters in an otherwise fairly cookie cutter 'good guy' cast will have a redemption arc or be quirky morally dubious in a way that's played for comedy, and there will be a handful of significantly "Oh Shit!" darker or creepier moments. The characters are mostly teenagers, the heavier plot stuff is regulated to a few standout episodes, with most of the other conflicts being things like figuring out how to make friends or struggling with not fitting in or deciding what you want to do with your life. And those are all good explorations, and it's not as though TDP doesn't touch on some of that (Callum is finding his place in the world, Rayla is 'changing careers', Ez struggles with his new responsibilities and not fitting in, Soren - like Hunter - leaves an emotionally abusive relationship with a parental figure).

But I think it's TDP's attachment of all of those things to morality that makes the emotional stakes higher and less comforting and/or comfortable for people who are, likely, going to fiction for escapism rather than exploration. (To be clear: one is not better than the other, I just know what my personal preferences are.) Rayla's 'career/schooling' change is whether she's going to kill people for a living; Callum deciding what sort of mage he's going to be is rooted in deciding how much he's willing to either slowly destroy himself or take on the impossible, both with some dire consequences; Ezran not fitting is is also tied to having mysterious, unknown magical powers the story still hasn't fully explained the root cause of. Yes, the three main kids are typically good people who want to do the right thing, but that's much easier said than done (Ezran burning the monster soldiers, Callum's ruthlessness, Rayla's self sacrificial tendencies manifesting in destructive ways). TDP is never going to have an episode of "I lied to my friends because I wanted them to think I was cool or not a nerd" or "I'm scared of them preferring someone else over me" or "I need to learn how to be a good friend" (hi TOH with like 5 episodes and She Ra).

Like Rayla lies to the boys, but that's because she isn't sure how to tell them that her father murdered theirs and made them orphans, and she's worried it will accordingly be a wedge between them.

Like, there's hardly any episodes of TDP that don't talk about grief or death or both in some manner. The show consistently explores unreliable narrators across all sides of its ethical spectrum(s). S4 has a subplot regarding religious traditions and the ethics of the death penalty. Most of Arc 1 and now into Arc 2 sees good people with good intentions or understandable motivations doing pretty terrible things to either themselves, the people around them, or both. The death and body horror imagery aren't one offs, but consistent series defining elements that are always treated seriously. Villains aren't people who don't love their families (or anyone) and good guys aren't good because they're good friends to one another. It's more complicated than that, from the body swap and discussions of the soul in S1, to the cycle of violence laid out explicitly in S2, to explorations of punishment and exile in S3.

Overall, I'm fine with the success and appreciation that TDP gets; some of my students watch it, actually, which makes it useful in some of our lesson discussions. Because TDP is a good show for kids, yes, but it certainly never pulls its punches in forcing all of its ensemble cast through the wringer.

TLDR; due to age demographics and tonal differences, particularly in character conflicts, themes, and amount of Lore, I'm not surprised at all that TDP is pretty underrated on tumblr. Again, doesn't mean these elements of 'maturity' make it Better (although I do think it's written more cohesively than She Ra and more consistently than TOH in its set up and payoff), I just know where my (and many other's) preferences lay accordingly, and am not surprised at the split.

#tdp #thanks for asking #tdp fandom #will also say that besides httyd i think tdp might be the most adult heavy fandom i've been in #like there are very few teenagers here lmao #s5 spoilers

[popculturelib]

Fanzine Friday #14: The 3rd Season Supplement to the Star Trek Concordance (1973)

Happy 57th anniversary to Star Trek: The Original Series!

Star Trek is one of the most influential fandoms on modern fan culture in the United States. It's where television fandom split from literary science fiction and where slash fiction was created and popularized.

At the Browne Popular Culture Library, we have hundreds of Star Trek zines, dating from the years TOS was airing all the way to the present day. The 3rd Season Supplement is one of those. Its precursor, the Star Trek Concordance of People, Places and Things (1969) by Dorothy Jones and Bjo Trimble, is a comprehensive guide to the episodes, cast, characters, and other information about the first two seasons of TOS and the world of Star Trek. The supplement, as the title implies, was made after the third season aired.

Both the Concordance and the supplement have a long, complicated history in the Star Trek fandom that we highly recommend reading about. What grabbed our attention about the supplement, however, was a paragraph from the editorial that discusses the challenges Trimble faced:

First, one needs a bit of cooperation from the show itself; yet I could not get even the loan of a script from anyone in the ST offices, and had to wait until the show was on the air, to tape it, and then try to reconstruct the show from that. Try it sometime; it's more fun than biting fingernails, anyway. Then they didn't show "Turnabout Intruder" until well into the re-runs, and I had to wait until the network dropped that shoe; had there been any cooperation from the people over at Paramount, the wait would not have been necessary, but... By the time the show came on, I was deeply involved with other things.... Each time I thought I could get back to the project, something else came up. For one thing, this involves pasting up the whole job at once, or risk losing bits and pieces of the copy. So far, I have managed to take up the den, the living room and the dining room, with a bit of overlap into the breakfast room (by the way, some people wonder why we think we need a bigger house!).

Quite the difference from how fandom in the 21st century often works, with our quick access to IMDb, Wikipedia, and easy rewatching, isn't it?

The Star Trek Concordance, its supplement, and entries about later shows and films have been professionally published several times since the 1970s. We have several editions available for library patrons to use in their research.

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States.  Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

#bgsu #libraries on tumblr #star trek #star trek concordance #star trek tos #fanzine friday #zines

[simp999]

All good things come to an end

Ship: Arven x GN!Reader

Series: Pokémon

Word count: 2.6k

A/N: Please bare with me in with the slow beginning, it gets better I promise

Warnings: A few short sentences that hint at Arven having an anxiety attack

Themes: Hurt/Comfort, fluff, friends to lovers, bit of angst

Taglist: @5centsanhour @ultranimallover33

Masterlist

“Hey, would you like to hang out today?”

“I’m so sorry Arven, but I’m fully booked with fan meetups and interviews. We’ll have to try again sometime soon, okay?”

Alright, not a big deal. He can just try again some other time. 

Arven hung up the phone and put on some more comfortable clothes, now deciding to stay in for the day. He had hoped to take you out to lunch today, so he dressed a little nicer than usual. It made sense that you were busy, being champion and all isn’t just about having battles and doing whatever you want. Mabosstiff looked up at him, a little disappointed since he liked spending time with your Pokemon, and was itching for a battle soon.

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

“Hey buddy, are you down to go to the park? Mabosstiff wants to see you.”

He felt bad bugging you again only two days later, so he figured he’d try to persuade you with Mabosstiff.

“Ahh, I’ve got a battle with an important trainer from Kalos in a few minutes, and I hear she’s got a strong team. I’m not sure how long the battle will last, so I can’t make any promises for today. Sorry, Arven!”

No dice. Alright, maybe he just has to give more of a heads-up before meetings? It’s gotta work one of these days.

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

“Hi again champ, wanna make sandwiches together on Wednesday?” He was hopeful about this one, planning all of it out.

“Oh! That sounds fun! Let me see my calendar- aw shoot, I’ve got lunch with Geeta where we plan on discussing some league things. I’m sorry Arven, maybe some other time?”

Arven had already planned all around that timing, not like he had much else to do, so he made an extra two sandwiches for later, just in case.

It couldn’t be that you were avoiding him, right? You two were so close and worked so well together while fighting the titans, you must really just have a busy schedule, right?

He ate his sandwich alone, never being able to clear his mind of your image. 

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

Arven was out shouting moves for his Pokemon to use the next time he saw you. He was close to calling out to you, but decided against it, remembering how it’s been lately with your busy schedule. To his surprise, as soon as you heard his comforting voice and caught sight of his unique hair, you ran right over to him, calling out his name. You didn’t catch the way his smile grew slightly bigger.

“Oh, hey! I figured you’d be busy today, what brings you here?”

“This is like, my only day off this week. It’s been terrible lately, not a minute to myself!” You keep complaining about how all of a sudden everybody needs you to make decisions for the league, to do interviews, make ads, try on stupid clothes, go to all these dumb meetings, and so on. The both of you take a seat on a bench nearby and you eventually get to mentioning that you came here to train, since you’re got a handful of trainers you have to battle soon. You absentmindedly begin to run your fingers through Mabosstiff’s fur. 

Arven always loved how you cared so much for Pokémon, always treating them with respect and going out of your way to treat them with such care. He never missed the way you’d scratch behind Mabosstiff’s ear because you noticed that he really liked that, or how you’d always offer your Pokémon their favorite treats after trying new, difficult things or winning a hard battle. Or even when you’d offer to heal up a trainer’s Pokémon for them, and not be afraid to call out those who didn’t respect their own Pokémon. It seemed like it came so naturally to you, and Arven truly thinks you’re perfect Champion potential, even with all the complaining.

“Sorry about the rant, I’ve just been so pent up lately. How’ve you and Mabosstiff been? Taking good care of yourself?”

Your tone was so sincere, you definitely did care about him and thought of him as a friend, right? You surely couldn’t have been avoiding him with how honest you sound right now. 

He begins your guys’ first actual conversation in weeks, glad to finally be able to catch up with you. You were always so hard-working, especially during the gym challenge and while taking down Team Star, so you ended up not having much time with Arven back then, either. Actually, the only time you ever did get to hang out with him was when you were battling for your lives against the Titans. At the odd time, he was able to get his eyes off of the danger in from of him and take a glance at you, while you were completely entranced in the battle. He could tell that that was all that was on your mind, and he probably barely existed to you in those moments. 

The sandwiches afterward were another story though, savoring every bite and being sure to thank him and his godly sandwich-making skills over and over. He cherishes those moments with you. He didn’t get to see that wide smile after beating a Titan very often and adored the way you would sway from side to side a little when you were extra glad about how tasty his sandwich tasted.

But all good things come to an end eventually. With a short call from Geeta telling you about some rogue pokemon that was hurting people, you were off in seconds.

Arven comforted Mabosstiff after hearing a whine from him, sad that you left so quickly. Well, at least he was able to get a few minutes with you. 

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

The next time he tried to call, he was turned down immediately. Maybe you were on a call already? So he tried again a few minutes later, with the same outcome.

And again a few days later.

Same problem a week later.

And then two, then three. 'Why can’t I get ahold of you? Did I get blocked by you? Did you really hate that last meeting you had, and never wanted to talk to me again?' No no, that’s going way too far. But why, just why are you ignoring him? Maybe they just need some space, he thought. Arven put down his phone with a shaky hand, pulling his blankets back over him, ready to waste another day away. Mabosstiff comes to cuddle him, letting Arven bask in his warmth, hopefully gaining some kind of comfort. The stinging in his eyes may not express his gratefulness, but at least he has one buddy that always sticks around.

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

Meanwhile, you’re in Galar, visiting for a few weeks to challenge their strongest trainers. There’s an event going on, and lots of strong trainers and champions are all meeting up. Your mind is completely occupied with planning out sentences for when you meet these people and coming up with strategies for when you battle these people. Leon’s Charizard knows a grass-type move, so using a rock-type might be good. Man, you also have to consider other stuff like abilities and what strategies your opponents might attempt. So bothersome. The time difference isn’t helping either, and all these new people are giving you a headache. You know that most of these people are going through the same things, but you’ve all gotta sit, smile and act professional.

You finally get back to your temporary hotel suite, hoping to get some rest for the day. But of course, with no time to yourself, you get a call from your Public Relations Team. They’re the people who are meant to promote and protect your brand. They also get to control ‘unwanted’ notifications. Without them, you’d be getting tens of thousands of notifications from whatever social sites and random people trying to text and message you. It turns out that there's this one person that has been trying to contact you, and one of the newbies thought that it was some rando. They’ve realized how grave their mistake is when the entire top three floors of the hotel can hear you shouting into your phone. 

There’s a good chance that this decision may end your career as a Champion and may even get you banned from lots of places, but that isn’t even a thought in your mind right now.

You have to go see Arven now. Your face is burning with the frustration of a thousand suns, and the private jet’s pilot taking you home doesn’t even want to risk breathing wrong, or he might get thrown off.

Once you land, you have one of your bigger pokemon carrying you, running around Paldea as fast as possible while on the hunt for Arven. You’ve now calmed down and are now moreso in a state of panic rather than frustration, hoping that everything’s alright and everything is going on just as usual. You knew that he didn’t get lots of comfort growing up, and you knew that he didn’t have many- or even any- friends. You truly hope that he had just forgotten about you at this point. You’ve tried time and time again to call Arven, and nothing. You turned on your notifications and prayed to Arceus that he’d get back to you.

There he was. You had finally found him hours later. He was sitting at his picnic set up, feeding Mabosstiff the last piece of his sandwich. The biggest sigh of relief left you as you hurried over to him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, ready to explain and apologize to him.

Arven immediately recognizes the hand and stands up abruptly, feeling immediate anger bubble up within him. Swinging his arm forcefully to get your hand off of him, a yell leaves his mouth and he sends you flying. 

He takes a step back to intake the situation and feels instant regret, his conscience getting back at him, telling him that you’re still a person too, and he has no reason to lash out at you like this.

Then he catches the watery look in your eye and how tears threaten to fall. 'Did I… did I hurt you? Why is it so loud all of a sudden? I hurt my closest, my only friend? Everything’s so bright, why do I feel nauseous? Did I hurt the only person who was ever even somewhat close to me? No, no, NO! Please don’t leave me, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please, please stay with me. I need you. Please comfort me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for bugging you and being so annoying, I'm sorry for making you fight the Titans, I'm so sorry for-

Arven feels warm arms wrap around him. One goes up to pet the top of his head, while the other rubs circles on his back. He slumps into their body without any thought, his mind going blank. Gentle fingers continue to make their way through his hair, and the circles being drawn on his back don’t stop. It’s the only thing he can focus on right now.

With the softest voice you can muster, you begin to talk.

“Arven, sweetheart, I know I apologize often, but I mean it every time. And please, please accept this as my most sincere apology, I am so very sorry for not being here when you needed me most. I always wanted to spend time with you, but I let other things get in the way of that, and foolishly accepted that.”

You weren’t hurt by him, not at all. Well, on the outside at least. You felt so very bad emotionally for what you’ve put him through, and can’t bear it anymore. You take a deep breath in and encourage Arven to do the same. He slowly tries to accept the situation and sits on the ground. You sit on Arven’s lap and continue to hug him and run your fingers through his hair, then bring them to cradle his face in your palms as comfortably as you can, to make sure he’s completely focused on you. He absentmindedly rests his head in your palms and nuzzles into them.

“It’s okay, I’m here now. I will not leave you anymore. I’ll stay here for as long as you want me to.”

You let go of his chin and bring his head closer to you for a comforting hug, you sit there in silence.

Until the inevitable happens. You feel a vibration in your pocket and contemplate even taking it out to hang up. You end up letting go of Arven with a soft ‘sorry’, and your hand makes its way to your pocket.

'Hey, are you just trying to toy with my emotions? Is this really just going to happen all over again? Did everything you just say mean nothing to you?'

You take your phone out and answer on speaker. Geeta is fuming and insists that you must be at the champion dinner and that this is incredibly unacceptable and blah blah blah.

Without a care in the world, you utter your next sentence;

“Alright, sure… as long as I get to bring Arven as a date.”

The silence coming from the phone and Arven would be deafening if you even cared a little about what she’d say. Worst case scenario, she starts yelling at you through the phone and you hang up on her and continue to cuddle with Arven, or, best case scenario;

“Fine. Hurry back over to Galar, you should make it on time if you leave in less than an hour. That may give you time to get prepared for the dinner itself.”

As much as you want to stay and comfort Arven, you’d much rather bring him to the Champion dinner as a sign of rebellion. And as a sign of love towards Arven because you are bringing him as a date, but that’s not important.

You quickly stand up and offer your hand to Arven, silently asking him if he accepts your offer to this ‘date’. He grabs your smaller hand, and you’re off to pick out your nicest clothing and hurry over to Galar.

⚛》》》》》◆《《《《《⚛

You and Arven are at long last sitting down, picking away at the fancy food in front of you after such a hectic day.

“Finally.” Arven lets out a sigh of relief, everything that just happened eventually processing.

“Hm?”

“I hope this means we get to spend more time together.”

“I’ll make sure of it. I’ll apologize for being away so much and not being better, and I’m ending that cycle right now. I’ll be there for you whenever you need me, even if I’m just a phone call or text away. I was definitely clear about you being an important contact, so there’ll be no more mix-ups.” You try to lighten the mood, and also want to clarify how important he is to you. Maybe what you said wasn’t enough, let’s try that again.

“Hey.” Arven focuses on your serious expression, as well as the way your hands meet his.

“I’ve loved you this whole time, and I’m going to act on it now. I’ll hug you whenever you need me to, I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek whenever you want. If you need some words of comfort, I’m here.”

“...And if you want a date? Well, I’ll just have to clear my schedule.”

2.11-12.22

4.5hrs

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