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#what are morals even who is anyone really. does any person truly know anyone at all i mean seriously i am so dissociated nothing feels real
theokusgallery · 2 months
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The problem with my art right now is that 1) the little drawing time I have goes to @daily-basil ; 2) I have phases, and am currently deeply unmotivated ; and 3) when I do draw what this blog is currently about (Arsenic) I draw him in a gay way (because I love him deeply) and not like the unhinged person he actually is. I'm sorry I'm so soft about him right now. Yes I want Sunny and him to tear each other apart but they also need to love each other so so so much first
#siiiiiiigh...#im sorry i need him to hold sunny gently and tells him he loves him and yes he'll say it in horrible unhinged ways BUT#poor man who does not know how to love and does not know he can be loved. he is convinced he needs to manipulate people to make them stay#writing down arsenic lore for tosteur like two days ago made me so emotional about him. shaking and crying#there's not even like An Event it's just that his whole childhood sucks and he's never been accepted by anyone and he's so lonely and#(starts crying)#he does horrible horrible things but all he does to sunny truly comes from love. deeply inhumane and twisted love but love nonetheless#(except when he's being a selfish ass who doesn't have any sort of morals and generally doesn't give a shit about other people. of course)#god he's such a horrible person (/simplification) i love him#he does not care about hurting other people and only cares about his own selfish desires#he thinks he can do anything he wants and if other people get hurt by his actions it's not his problem#don't you DARE touch a single hair on sunny's head. not in a 'i care about my bf' way btw.#but because if sunny gets hurt. he has to deal with that and 1) it's boring unless it brings him something and 2) that's *his* plaything.#even when he does nice things for sunny he doesn't make it just to make sunny happy#he does it so that sunny will associate happiness with him and stay.#that's what he thinks consciously at least. he always had ulterior motives for everything he does#it doesn't really make him calculating because it's automatic at this point. it just makes him deeply selfish#my poor little boy who has never had anyone genuinely care about him before...#which doesn't excuse shit of course but hhhh i love him so much.#(D if you see this. this is about the OC not the guy. of course)#arsenic#rant#sometimes i think about nick like a normal person ('he's so awful and interesting') and sometimes i just slhrflfbfb. (cries)
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ldknightshade · 1 month
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how to write a morally grey character (and keep them from being a total bore)
so. your other characters have a “clear” distinction of good and evil - that is, from your perspective, your other characters have a distinction of good and evil that aligns with your own and would generally be considered by societal standards to fall under one of two groups… but now you want to make a guy that breaks those boundaries.
look no further.
i. myths
first step is giving them a balance of good and bad traits
1. every character should have this???
2. every trait works on a sliding scale; when amped up to 11, good traits can become bad ones
those who are morally grey are unpredictable
to YOU and those they interact with, maybe… if they do not have a clear moral code of their own, of course they’ll seem this way. but they’re actually quite predictable if you actually comprehend what their motives and values are.
example: Herbert West from Re-Animator’s only motivation is re-animation of the dead. this may be evil to some, noble to others… but is it unpredictable? not really. i think we all know not to trust this man around corpses.
example: Charles Foster Offdensen from Metalocalypse’s only motivation is ensuring the health, safety, and happiness of Dethklok. he goes incredible lengths (war crimes, literally) to do so; this is evil to some, noble to others… but it he unpredictable? not really. if Dethklok is in danger, then he has dropped everything to save them and is doing so as we speak.
they’re relatable / more human
see above examples. moral greyness is not inherently relatable; in some cases, it would be argued that they shouldn’t be. either way, their moral greyness does not make them any more or less human than any other character. their moral greyness makes them morally grey and that’s that.
you need to show them doing both good things and bad things
wrong. you need to show them doing things that align with their personal motivations and values. if your character wouldn’t do it, why force it? this goes both ways.
they need to be sympathetic / have understandable reasons
anyone saying this is afraid of making characters truly morally grey. sympathy is not something that defines morals, anyway; but regardless, sugarcoating their actions and motives by making them a poor little meow meow on purpose is… bullshit. if every morally grey character was sympathetic, fiction as a whole would be dull.
ii. values
this is the real meat of it. what does your character value? is it something practical, like revenge or power? or something wackier like the previously mentioned examples?
clearly define the values your character holds and how it shapes their goals.
iii. motivation / lengths
now… how hard does motivation hit them? how far do they go? where do they draw the line? is there a line for them?
would your character lie to meet their goals? cheat? steal? manipulate? maim? vandalize? kill?
even amongst those, is there specific lines they won’t cross? would your character go as far as killing, but draw the line at children and animals?
and amongst those lines… what would make them cross it? does your character value honesty, but would lie to protect someone? are they a pacifist… but believe followers of certain schools of thought deserve a baseball to kneecaps and won’t hesitate to act on that?
draw out the line for them and then examine their exceptions. this is what will make it seem to other characters that their morality is a roulette wheel; when, in actuality, there is a line of logic that your morally grey character is following.
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mint-yooxgi · 8 months
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Indulgence - Yandere!Fallen Angel!Hongjoong
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Yandere AU & Fallen Angel AU - First Person POV
Genre: Mature, Smutty Themes, Internal Monologue
Pairing: Hongjoong X Implied Chubby!Fem!Reader
Words: 2,038
Warnings: Religious themes and imagery, the typical angel/demon bs, heavy sexual themes: masturbation, voyerism. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.
A/n: Ngl, this was way darker in my head lmaooo. Anyways, Feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy!~
The Twelfth of The Feral Drabbles
Really? Broad daylight? You certainly are a wild one, aren’t you? Maybe that’s why I love you so much.
You know, it hasn’t been easy since the fall, but you have truly made the pain I first experienced worthwhile. I’ll even let you in on a little secret…
I fell because of you.
You: you’re captivating, did you know that? I’m not easily impressed, but there’s just something about you that drew me in from the very first moment I laid my eyes upon you. One of His creations that puts even the most beautiful of us to shame. You should be protected, and kept away from those unworthy to gaze upon you.
After all, I’ve always been taught: nothing less for the best!
I will keep you safe. I will worship you like you clearly deserve. You need me, just as I need you. After all, I no longer have to worry about those stupid morals or duties down here. Only you.
From my experience, humans tend to… indulge in their more primal desires at night, but you? Anyone could look into your room right now and see what it is that you’re doing. Really, you’re lucky I’m here to make sure that that doesn’t happen. No one else can see the way your hands trace over such delicate curves. No one else deserves to watch as your chest stutters with every hitch in your breath.
I only wish it were me in that room making you breathless instead.
One of the various reasons I fell, My Beloved, was due to my desire for you. You make it increasingly hard to control myself around you, not that I’ve ever seemed to have any sense of control around you to begin with. I’ve long since ached to feel your touch on me, to know what those hands feel like tugging on my hair, cupping my face so tenderly, and maybe even squeezing my ass…
Well, you get the point.
I want you, and I will do everything in my power - or rather, with the power that still remains inside of me - to make you mine.
I’ve truly never given much thought to indulgences before- no, wait, that’s a lie. I promised myself I would stop lying to you. You deserve my truth, and only my truth. You’re the only one that does. Everyone else can go visit Uncle Luci downstairs for all I care. You are the only one who matters to me now.
Anyways, I digress… Indulgence. What a strange word. To even so much as imply that basic wants and necessities are something to indulge in is completely abhorrent. Every person’s needs - angels, demons, humans - are different, and to act like an indulgence for one is completely natural for another defeats the purpose.
My brothers down below revel in the more sinister indulgences, while those stupid, ‘holier-than-thou’ chickens I once belonged to would shun them, even though the majority of us would do the same damn things. Isn’t it interesting, Beloved, that one is revered while the other is feared? What makes demons worse than angels for doing the same, horrific things?
Ah, but enough about my family trauma… Let me now focus on you.
Oh, I suppose in my tangent, I zoned out for a little there. You’ve certainly been busy in that time, not that I’m complaining. 
No. Never. I could never fault you for anything.
Unless you tried to run from me. Or you decided to fall in love with another. Or you wanted to leave me.
Okay, so just don’t do anything bad, and we’ll live- what do you humans like to call it again? Oh, ‘Happily Ever After.’
Really, I’m just lucky that you decided to move out to the countryside. You don’t have many neighbours, but really, Beloved, you never know what kind of monsters can be lurking in the shadows. Fear not, for I am here to watch over you. Always.
And gaze upon you, I do… 
Such beauty…
Such marvellous wonder…
Look at how those beautiful thighs part, practically begging for me to be between them right this very moment. Look at the way your legs tremble, and you’ve still yet to touch that gorgeous cunt of yours.
It’s a shame really. I should be the one giving you such sweet release. You shouldn’t have to do this on your own.
No! Don’t cover your mouth with your hand! Let me hear you!
Oh my… That was close… I almost smashed my hand through your window, Beloved. Do you see what you do to me? I told you I can hardly control myself around you, but you can’t blame me. You just have such a strong affect on me…
Such a perfect scene spread out before me, and you want to taint it by muffling your sounds? What am I supposed to do with myself if I can’t hear what you sound like whimpering and whining for me? How is that fair?
I want to know everything about you. I want to consume you in the best of ways, just as you have enraptured me with your very soul. Let it shine beside my own, a brilliant white to contrast my now scorched wings. Wings that now brand me as a Fallen with their blackened feathers.
Black feathers are meant to be a sign of shame amongst my kind, but all I can feel is pride. You have given me hope for a new life, and I would fall all over again if it meant spending even one second with you.
I love you, My Beloved, and nothing will ever change that.
So, please, won’t you open up to me?
Yes… That’s it, Beautiful, just like that. Cup those gorgeous breasts for me. Imagine that those are my hands holding you so. Feel my fingers pinching your nipples, my tongue flicking against your skin.
How I long for the day where I can finally touch you. I want to be able to bring you to new heights, and show you pleasures that you’ve never even dreamed about. You should be taken care of with the utmost attention, and I promise you that that is what I’ll do. I’ll take my time worshipping every dip, every curve of that wondrous body of yours. I’ll make you sigh my name like a prayer, nothing but the most intricate of praises delegated unto you from my lips.
Fuck- spread those legs for me. Let me see all of you in your glory. Let me discover my own personal heaven on earth in you.
My Beloved… is this all for me? Is the way your essence drips out of you because you long for this, too? It must be. There’s no other that could make you this wet, no other that could have you trembling just from the mere thought of them and what they could do to you.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one able to affect the other like this…
Oh, Beloved, you really are putting on a show just for me! It’s like you can read my mind!
Perhaps… No. I shouldn’t be so bold.
Then again, after everything that’s happened, why shouldn’t I be? I have long since submitted to the fact that I am yours, and you are mine. There’s no doubt about it, not when I feel this strongly for you.
I must get closer, this glass separating me from you is burdensome. I need to see you, unobstructed. I need to be able to hear your every sound, unfiltered.
I suppose I should be grateful for my wings now, the black blends right in to the shadows my brothers downstairs revel above all else. I’ll admit, I’m not quite used to hiding in corners. We angels typical love standing out, but for now, I’ll lie in wait. It’s much better for the both of us this way. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to see me even if you tried.
Oh, Beloved, look at you… How the mere sight of you, hand teasing at that gorgeous pussy, nearly brings me to my knees. The way your lips are parted as little breaths escape you while your eyes flutter shut and your nose scrunches is the most captivating sight I have ever had the pleasure to behold.
My only wish is that you could see the effect you have on me. Like you, my whole body is heating. My hands tremble, and my legs shake. Hell, even my wings cannot help but flutter in anticipation as I sneak my own hand down the front of my body. I’ll allow myself the pleasure of touching myself in time with you. I’ve only ever dreamed about it a countless amount of times before, anyways.
Dearly Beloved, won’t you give in to yourself? Give in to any and every desire you’re currently thinking about.
Touch yourself for me…
That’s it, Beloved, let me hear the wet drag of your fingers through that dripping cunt. I want to drown in your pleasure with you, don’t hold back.
Now I see why you covered your hand with your mouth…
It truly is hard to keep quiet when there’s such a temptation spread out before oneself. You are the greatest temptation I have ever known, and if I didn’t stifle my moan just now, you would have know that someone else is in the room with you. Well, we can’t have that, now, can we? You’d get scared and stop what you’re doing, and I wouldn’t be able to comfort you when you needed me most.
Fuck- there is no sound more holy than the breathless way you whine from such a simple touch.
Does that feel good, My Beloved? Are your fingers enough, circling over that delicate little clit of yours? Wouldn’t you rather feel mine? What about my tongue? You’d let me have a taste of that intoxicating nectar that flows from your pretty cunt, right? You’d let me get lost in you for however long I’d like? I’ll always give you everything you could ever want, My Beloved. My fingers, my tongue, my cock. Everything.
All that I am, is yours, Beloved. I hope when the time comes, you can say the same for me.
Oh, Beloved… do you know how fucking sexy you are when you moan like that? Do you know how it makes my heart stutter to hear you get lost to your own pleasure; how my cock aches for you? You must, otherwise you wouldn’t be tempting me like this.
I’m honestly embarrassed by how close I am already. I’ll have to work on that if we are to make love all night long when the time comes. And it will. I will make damn sure of it.
For now, why don’t you come for me? Rub that little clit, and come for me. Don’t hold back now, I want to see you. In all of your raw glory.
Yes, yes, yes, that’s it! Don’t stop now, Beloved. Let me hear you scream for me!
Fuck- I can practically taste you on my tongue already… look at that gorgeous pussy, just fucking fluttering in bliss. 
So beautiful, and all mine.
Wait a second… I taste… blood.
Oh, I suppose I bit into my hand to keep myself quiet while I came with you. No worries, I’ll heal in the blink of an eye. Getting to see you come apart like that for me, though… priceless.
I wish I could stay, but I think one of my wings knocked into one of your picture frames on the wall, and I think you heard it despite the blissful haze that still clouds your mind. The last thing I want is to get caught like this. It’s not proper of me.
Really, what would you think?
I hope you didn’t catch that soft giggle of mine as I left your room, My Beloved, and I certainly hope you don’t discover any of my feathers I may or may not have left behind for you. If that’s that case, and you finally learn of my existence, my devotion to you… well, whatever on earth would I do?
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kamariya · 3 months
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i know the fandom loves to pretend that xie lian doesn't take care of himself but let's really think about it for a second. he doesn't have a penny to his name, he has no luck, no spiritual powers and no friends and family left in the mortal realm. how exactly should he take care of himself?
he eats food off the floor because it's better than going hungry. that's how many people in poverty live. he doesn't think twice before touching something that might poison him because when you don't receive medical attention for centuries, you're naturally going to adopt an "it is what it is" mentality about your health. he probably didn't get treated by a healer the first few times he got corpse poisoning because he didn't have enough (or any) money to pay them with. he's humble and ignores however which way he's slandered because what can he do? he's heard things like that and worse before.
800 years of poverty will teach anyone humility as well as strip them of it. 800 years of poverty and solitude can make anyone into a complete cynic, an abuser and/or worse.
but xie lian didnt break, not permanently. what jun wu put him through is nothing compared to what the world put him through. tell me this: is jun wu truly the real villain of the story? or is he a micro manifestation of all the other systematic issues in the TGCF universe, wrapped up into a shiny, evil package that's easier to hate, easier to digest and easier to fall for?
know that even though jun wu "set up" the fall of xianle, it was corruption and imperialism that truly brought the kingdom to its knees. know that teen xie lian truly fought for his people, be they patriots or rebels, and that the reason his efforts could never come to fruition was the corruption of the royals and the nobles.
in a world as systematically corrupt as that (much like our own), how easy do you think it would have been for a poor, homeless and friendless man to live a happy, fulfilling life (which he never lived)? and how much easier would it have been for him to gradually give away his morals and principles in favour of a better meal for once, for a better bed for the night? considering his martial skills and vast knowledge of cultivation, would it not have been easy for him to take a path like jun wu himself? like xue yang, even?
and do you think that xie lian did *not* do all these things just because he had "self-sacrificial" tendencies? after centuries of being only a little better than a beggar, do you think the reason he wants to help the common people is because he feels Rich Prince Guilt?
don't you think that the act of preserving oneself here, the act of not sacrificing onself for a cause, is actually whenever xie lian decides to keep following the path of justice, his Third Path? does self preservation only count when it's your body you're preserving, or your material wealth, or your name? surely your own principles matter more. surely you mean more than a fancy title on a tyrant's mouth.
place yourself in xie lian's shoes, and answer this: if you were to go through all that, even if you were to not become a horrible person, would have found and maintained the courage, time and time again, to keep being kind, to keep taking care of yourself, to not become heedlessly reckless, to not become a walking corpse with a noose (ruoye) wrapped around your neck?
in my opinion, xie lian is a hell of a lot positive for a man who's been through so much and never heard a "it's okay, you can rest now" once (until hua cheng came along, at least).
do you think xie lian doesn't feel bitterness towards lang qianqiu, who buried him with a stake through his heart for gods know how many years, because he just... hates himself? or do you think it's because he helped raise lang qianqiu since childhood and earned real respect and admiration from him, after so many years of being spat on, cursed and ultimately turned invisible? do you think he begged to be banished once again only because he felt guilty (although yes, he did feel very guilty) for the terrible fate that befell lqq's family, or because he also genuinely cares about what happens to his people --- he protected the xianle remnants by setting himself up as a cold-hearted murderer, and he protected lqq by refusing to fight him.
do you think that being so old and having seen so much, xie Lian can't tell danger when it's looking him in the eye? he's not stupid. he doesn't neglect his safety until and unless it's to protect someone he cares about. e.g., when he tried his level best to protect shi qingxuan during the Blackwater arc, knowing that he's fighting things and people beyond his control. my point: it didn't matter if he failed. he had to try, just like he tried with his kingdom, and the kingdom that came next. sqx was the first person after hua cheng to befriend and defend him in a long time, and he wanted to show him the same courtesy. can this be reduced to "self-sacrificing" tendencies or "playing the hero", too?
when xie lian stepped out of that bridal sedan, he knew he was playing with fire, but he's not stupid. if he hadn't stepped out, who is to say that crimson rain sought flower wouldn't have entered on his own, or dragged him out forcefully? xie lian isn't a "you only live once, let's make bad decisions" person. xie lian is a "no matter how many lives i live, i will not change" person.
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qqueenofhades · 6 months
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Maybe this is a controversial opinion, but its one that I've been reminded of in the few weeks since things have escalated so severely in Israel and Palestine-- I feel like the pressure for random, average individuals online to be vocally political is not only entitled and uncomfortable, but also just an example of misplaced priority.
Like, I have people on twitter right now that are flat out saying if you don't talk extensively about I/P you're truly, irredeemably evil. I've had mutuals say that silence means you're complacent in genocide, that you have blood on your hands (exact words). But it just doesn't make sense? Most of the people who I've seen being flat out harassed for being silent are teenagers who don't have money to donate, working class folks who don't have time to spare, and normal people who just don't have enough of a following online to even spread any word effectively. Of course, the ones doing the harassing are also poor/busy/not-popular, but they don't see the irony. (I've also seen them say that talking about war constantly is taking a toll on their mental health, saying they've cried, had nightmares, panic attacks, etc...but they also say that taking a mental health break from social media is "selfish" and genocidal, so.)
The whole interaction leaves me with so many questions. If stepping away from social media because politics are stressing you out (which they are known to do), are you obligated to use social media? Do you have to use twitter to be a good person? What does that say about people who can't afford a phone, or live in a country where it isn't quite possible? (Are homeless folks inherently genocidal, or is that an "obvious" exception that was never clarified because no one uses nuance anymore?) If you have to talk about world events, lest you side with the oppressor, at what point is something so catastrophic you *must* talk about it? Is there a number of lives lost that is low enough you can get away with being quiet, and a certain amount too high that you're obligated to talk about it? Is it your duty to have the news on 24/7 to make sure you don't miss anything and catch all the global disasters as they happen? How much do you have to talk about something for it to be considered "enough"? Is there a quota??
It just feels like a lot of people are acting as if people who aren't chronically online aren't 1. doing any activism, because the only important activism is social media networking (sarcasm), or 2. are inherently bad people for *not* spending 6 hours a day on their phones. Like, I had someone I thought was a friend say I was a bad person because I was trying to cut down my social media usage, because the timing was "too convenient"... as if that's a normal thing to say to someone, ever. Sorry if I went on a little bit of a rant, it wasn't my intention. I dunno, maybe it's just me; I've seen a lot of people saying this sort of stuff so maybe they are the majority. It just feels really weird to let people that are addicted to social media take charge of who online is "good" or "bad" based off their internet usage. As if we were all catholics or something. If I were to say that current takes on morality were very catholic-seeming, would you know what I mean?
As recently noted, I am myself on an embargo from answering asks related to this topic. I will make one exception because this is important. Please note that any wank in replies or reblogs will be instantly blocked (and I won't hesitate to disable reblogs if necessary). I will not be answering follow-up asks or getting drawn into Discourse. I do not want to do it and it will not be happening.
I have said it before, but it bears saying again: thinking that the only way to Do Activism is to be constantly on social media and immersing yourself in terrible things nonstop and then posting the Most Correct Opinions (and then viciously attacking anyone who is even slightly Not As Correct as you) is absolutely bullshit. If you're engaging with this content so much that it's giving you a mental breakdown or otherwise plunging you into a spiral of anxiety that you take out on other people who are just as far removed from actually doing anything about it as you: why? Do you really think that you and you alone, one random person on the Internet, are the only way anyone else is going to find out about these things? Or do you think you have to perform the Most Correct Opinions nonstop, viciously harass anyone who isn't responding in exactly the same way, and this is the sum total of what your response should be? Especially in a situation as bloody and complicated as this, dealing with reams of religious, social, cultural, and political history where the average commentator on this conflict knows only what's been fed to them by propaganda on TikTok? How the fuck is that useful or constructive for anyone, aside from perpetuating the idea that you have to be angry all the time on social media about things you essentially know nothing about? I can't see that it does.
What's happening to the Gazans right now is no qualification or equivocation, a genocide. It should rightfully be opposed and called what it is. But unfortunately, I have spent too much time around Western Online Leftists to believe they actually care a whit about stopping genocide as a fundamental principle, and only want to be seen to loudly care about what their Ideology has told them to care about. If it means hand-waving aside genocide and atrocities when committed by their preferred polities, so be it. Why haven't these same people been wall-to-wall up in arms about what Russia has been doing in Ukraine, or for God's sake Syria for the past ten years, if they're really concerned about the rights of innocent Muslim civilians attacked by a far-right imperialist power? Why not the Uighurs in China? Why not [insert the blank] of all the terrible things happening in the world as a result of far-right fascist genocidal imperialism? Why only this conflict? Why now? Why does it involve so much excusing of terrorism as long as it's committed for the Right Ideology? Why are some of the most loudly pro-Palestinian accounts on here also the most rabidly pro-Russian? How does that make sense? To put it bluntly, those genocides are being committed by nation-states that Online Leftists like for being "anti-Western," and therefore their activities are actually fine and should even need to be defended.
My point is not to say that what's happening to the Palestinians is not bad. It is. It is awful and inexcusable. However, I seriously doubt the motives and morality of those who are being the loudest about screaming on social media and attacking everyone else for not instantly repeating their views. I seriously doubt that the Online Left actually opposes genocide and accelerationism as fundamental principles, because they proudly demonstrate every day that they don't. Until those vast factors can be dismantled and shown for what they are, and this can be placed into its larger context, I don't buy it and I don't believe this wall-to-wall social media outrage factory is actually aimed at helping the Gazans or anyone else suffering the most as a result of this. It is just to show that they can be counted on to Perform Outrage and harass anyone else who doesn't do the same, and that does nothing for anyone whatsoever.
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me becoming a gortash apologist apparently
i never thought i'd say this. i am thinking about Enver Gortash. i'm usually not one of his apologists but... i've had brain rot for my Durge lately, and i think a big moment of developing your Durge is how you react to meeting Gortash again, yeah? you may or may not be close with Karlach but the party and Durge especially have all faced similar trauma of betrayal and exploitation nonetheless (and so has Gortash), he's already been introduced vaguely at the end of Act 2 as a threat/main villain, he worships Bane, he has general edge lord vibes (remember that bit where I'm usually not a Gortash apologist djdjdjd); what i'm trying to spit out, is there's a lot to sway you against Gortash in that first meeting. and I'd argue even a little further, as someone that followed Orin's plans of betrayal against him in my first Tav run, (just because her audacity is so damn funny.)
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But anyway. Meeting Gortash. Finding out you used to be close. Perhaps homoerotically, perhaps in a strange platonic manner, or some other third thing, but nonetheless, Durge is assumably the only person Gortash has ever truly liked. He just really goes out of his way with praise at meeting again, the use of the word favorite is notable, and if Gortash had anyone worth elevating, he would, right? That was how Ketheric got here, Orin wants more credibility for herself and the Bhaalists, and Gortash... just enslaves his parents in their old home/business. But he liked you. He's really so similar to Astarion (it's nothing, you're just the only person I've ever truly cared for); he's just already a touch too far gone in his power hungry search for security. He's already repeated the cycle, years and years ago with Karlach as the main example and just the inevitability of being Bane's Chosen. And yet - Durge comes marching through the door again with this band of misfits and his old lackey he wronged, and he's willing to make a true bargain.
And I know it's just in Gortash's character to scheme, but l think playing as reformed Durge makes Gortash's potential deal all the more devastating, since he will truly follow through on his word (or, at least he would.)
It's so funny to show up dating Astarion or Shadowheart, and imagine them teasing you later that night, saying they thought you'd have better taste. Or the bitterness of being with Karlach, knowing that you seemed to be in such deep kahoots. And so on. The point is not valuing that past relationship with Gortash. Focusing on the shiny and new.
And like whatever. Gortash isn't ever going to publicly present that his feelings are hurt but like... wouldn't they? Your past lover or at the very least, only close friend struts in, now thinking they're some big shot, so beyond everything you two had ever done... when you always lived in their shadow beforehand, frankly. Gortash adores how this flawless plan was majorly Durge's, critiques Orin's sloppy manner of filling your place, how Ketheric was just a means to an end. But he liked you. The person who helped him raid Mephistopheles' vault, in turn helping him spit not only in the arch devil's face, but his past captor, Raphael's too (since Raph lives chronically in the shadow of his father, imo.) The person who thought they could formulate and enact this whole plot, and the only one he was willing to follow, to be an equal with, now coming to tell him what everyone always does, inevitably.
A final fuck you, or some form of betrayal, the same thing that caused his mess all those years ago when sold off to that warlock.
It would have to hurt, and while it's funny to imagine my little gnome Durge dying inside and cackling to the party about sleeping with an enemy and technically being the enemy... a little obssessed at the angst you could perceive of Gortash somehow falling for any crazy Bhaalspawn, nonetheless Durge, who was never one for morals, coming back renewed and not to come get him or work things out... but to slay him or turn against him. I'd send the Steelwatchers after our asses too.
In conclusion, Gortash, probably:
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sigh. my bias against greasy little guys could never truly make me hate you, enver gortash. look at you, the man that you are.
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phoenixyfriend · 11 months
Note
AU where it's Padme that goes all evil and not Anakin?
send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it
Had some trouble figuring out how to make Anakin not be loyal to Padme here, but hey:
Padme does not think she's evil. This is a Padme who was radicalized by the invasion of Naboo, a Padme who grew up and joined the Senate with poison in her heart, which only got stronger as she saw how little she was able to do. This is a Padme who agrees with Anakin: the galaxy would be much better if one good person was in charge. That good person should be Her.
She doesn't tell him that she agrees with him, because she's still under the radar, but she doesn't... really try to dissuade him. Just talks about how difficult it is to find someone that's really, truly good. Why, even Chancellor Palpatine has made all these questionable policy decisions...
Padme is much faster and more successful about securing Anakin's loyalty as compared to Palpatine. She's also been kind of conditioning Anakin to think about how she'd be a MUCH better dictator than anyone else, and how he should run any kind of political ideas past her first. She conditions him to run everything past her. She's got this perfect in with the Chancellor and the Jedi that isn't just Her, The Senator, but she needs that in to be loyal to only her, and more importantly, dependent on her. She does really, truly love her Ani, but he's much more useful when he asks her to do his thinking for him. What this really means is that when Anakin has dreams about her death, and goes to Palpatine, and gets fed some lines about how only Palpatine can save her if Anakin just swears loyalty to him, Anakin actually asks Padme about what to do before he does it. He goes to Padme before he goes to the Jedi. Padme tells Anakin that Palpatine needs to be removed. If he's a Sith, then who's to say that he isn't the threat to Padme's life? Who's to say he isn't the one feeding Anakin these dreams? Palpatine is evil, Anakin, and he's made it impossible to remove him from power legally.
Padme tells Anakin to kill Palpatine. And he does. And Padme's years and years of manipulating the Senate in shady corners and through applying her wiles and through applying her Jedi and his mind tricks to her coworkers, through collecting blackmail and applying pressure, it all comes together, and Padme becomes the Empress.
Anakin is happy to follow her, until he realizes that she's so focused on her new power that she's neglecting the twins. He tries to dismiss it; after all, he's got much more free time than she does, now, so he can watch them. He's mostly the guy she uses to try to placate the Jedi, which he's not great at, and mostly the Jedi try to convince him that Padme's lost her shit and needs to be quietly removed. Not killed! Just... retire to her fancy lake house and stop ruling the Empire with an iron fist in a fancy silk glove.
Padme doesn't... not love her children. But between the years of selling out her lesser morals in favor of pursuing complete control of the galaxy for the sake of her biggest moral core, which is No Military Actions, and the Sithly Environs of the Chancellery Apartments that she's moved into, which Anakin doesn't know how to purge and the Jedi aren't allowed in to exorcise, she's kind of losing the plot and getting more and more evil. It's mostly her own foibles that are making her go evil, but it's the General Sithly Vibe are pushing her that last little bit to just... ignore her kids. She's got more important things to do, right?
Padme uses the clone army to enact her will on less cooperative planets. She uses the brain chips, when Anakin isn't looking. She's sure that he wouldn't turn his back on her, after all she's done to secure his loyalty, but it's best to not risk it.
Some Jedi try to take her out. She has them killed, by Anakin and the clones alike. She praises Anakin for it, as she tightens restrictions on the Temple. He has a bit more 'what have I done' but not. Quite. Yet. (After all, Padme's not risking death to the Jedi Younglings yet. Not yet. Not yet.)
Ahsoka shows up, with Rex in tow, and tries to convince Anakin to help them peacefully remove Padme from power. He's one of the core reasons that Padme has managed to maintain her power. He can change this. Padme hears about this. He tells Anakin that Ahsoka's a threat. She's going to try to remove Padme, like Anakin removed Palpatine. She tells Anakin that Ahsoka needs to die.
Anakin would rather arrest his wife than kill his sister.
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There was no Redemption or Damnation. Chloe Doesn't Actually Have an Arc at All
Does Chloe have an abandoned redemption arc?
No. Absolutely not. She also doesn't have a “damnation” arc or really any arc at all. She is a font of wasted potential for both redemption and damnation who never gets a true chance at either path. To explain what I mean, I have to first discuss the two types of redemption arcs and also how damnation arcs work. I’ll be doing this by discussing the guy who started the redemption arc trend, Zuko, and why his story doesn’t work for people like Chloe.
The Two Types of Redemption + Some Bonus Damnation
There are two general paths to redemption: redemption through a change in worldview (the easy path) and redemption through a change in self (the hard path).
Redemption through a change in worldview is what happens when you take a character who is a fundamentally good person and give them a messed up worldview, usually through their upbringing. The story will see that worldview challenged, resulting in the character changing how they view the world, but that’s about it. They don’t really have to make major changes to themselves at a fundamental level.
This is Zuko’s path. He’s born in the Fire Nation and raised to think that the Fire Nation is good. He also has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. When he’s included in a war council and told that the army leaders are going to willingly sacrifice Fire Nation troops, he stands up and says that’s wrong. This act results in him getting banished. During his banishment, he gets to see the rest of the world and learn that the Fire Nation is, in fact, NOT good. This ultimately leads to him switching sides because he has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. Who he is and how he acts never really changes.
Chloe is not like Zuko. She is a selfish, egotistical, petty, spoiled brat. For her to be redeemed, she has to accept that fundamental aspects of her character are deeply flawed. This might involve some changes to her worldview, but that’s only a tiny piece of what needs to change and I’m honestly not sure that she really has a messed up worldview. There are multiple instances where it’s clear that she knows that she’s being mean or bad and just doesn’t care.
This brings us to the topic of damnation arcs. For something to be a damnation arc, a person has to be presented with a choice between good and evil and they have to choose evil. Zuko actually has one of these. At the end of the second season of Avatar, Zuko is given the choice to join the good guys or to join his sister and be accepted back into his family.
He chooses his sister.
That’s a damnation arc because Zuko truly had a chance to change sides. The scene would play very differently if Zuko had to choose between staying in exile and joining his sister. Joining his sister would still be the wrong move, but it’s no longer damnation. It’s just doing a bad thing vs doing nothing (though it can be argued to be somewhat damning since Zuko is going against his own morals). Along similar lines, Zuko is redeemed when he chooses to abandon his family to do what’s right even though it costs him everything he wanted: his family, his girlfriend, and his home.
This is where Chloe’s “damnation” and redemption arcs fall apart. There is no point in the series where she’s actively given a choice between good and evil. She only ever makes choices between inaction and evil or inaction and good. Does that make her a good person? Hell no! But it does make the argument that she had an arc fall very flat. She never gets better, but it's hard to say that she gets worse.
Chloe’s Choices: The Good and The Bad
Chloe becomes Queen Bee without anyone saying she was fit for the role. She just finds a miraculous and uses it. The way she uses it is selfish, egotistical, and petty. In other words, it’s just Chloe being Chloe. While the actions she takes are horrible and definitely deserve punishment, they’re in character. She’s not acting worse than normal, she’s just being herself, but with superpowers. If she’d been given the miraculous and been charged to be a hero, then her actions would be damning because she would be choosing to go against her charge. But she’s not. She has no charge.
To really assess if Chloe has potential to change, you have to look at what she does when she’s given the choice to be good and this is where things get messy.
This is how Chloe’s first encounter with her miraculous ends:
Ladybug: I have to get the Miraculous back, Chloé. (in the background, Nadja's van arrives) Chloé: Give me a second chance, please! Nadja: (holding a tablet with Audrey on it) Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened. Audrey: (on the tablet) According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her. Cat Noir: (puts a hand on Chloé's shoulder) I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother. Ladybug: Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero. What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of not giving it back. Act like a hero. Cat Noir: And show everyone how exceptional you can be. (Chloé hands Ladybug the Miraculous) Ladybug: Thank you. Chloé: (the duo are about to run off) Ladybug? Cat Noir? (the cameraman moves closer) I'm sorry.
Chloe doesn't fight to keep her miraculous. A few quick lines are all it takes for her to hand it over. When Ladybug gives Chloe the chance to act like a hero would, Chloe acts like a hero. The same can be said of every subsequent time when Ladybug gives Chloe the bee miraculous. Every time Chloe is called upon to be Queen Bee, she does the job to the best of her abilities and acts as a functional member of the team. She's not incompetent. She doesn't put the team in danger so that she can be in the spotlight. Heck, the very next time she gets it, Chloe willingly admits that her father’s akumatization was her fault.
Chloé: It— it was me. I hurt my daddy's feelings. Because I want to leave Paris, forever. Ladybug: Because of what happened in school? I'm sure Marinette probably didn't exactly mean what she said. Chloé: Oh, it's not just her— actually, I don't even care about her— it's because I have no reason to be here: nobody likes me; I have no friends. I'm… useless. Ladybug: (remembering what Adrien told Marinette earlier at school about Chloé) A friend once told me: nobody is useless, Chloé. Chloé: It's easy for you to say that. You're Ladybug, a superhero. You serve a purpose. Ladybug: Yes, I can fix up all the messes. You said it yourself in your documentary. Chloé: (gasps) You saw it?! Ladybug: (nods) Mm-hmm. Chloé: Oh! I'm so embarrassed. That film's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I realize that now. Ladybug: Don't worry Chloé. You can fix your own messes, if that's what you want. You, too, can serve a purpose, but you have to want to. Chloé: (sniffles) I do want to.
When Ladybug asks Chloe to be a better person, Chloe is a better person.
This is why I say that Chloe has a perfectly functional view of the world. She knows when she’s doing something wrong and is able to do good when challenged to do so. Even on the civilian side, we see that Chloe is willing to be a little better when given the proper motivation. In Despair Bear, Adrien says he’ll end their friendship and so Chloe actively tries to save that friendship even if she hates every minute of it. Similarly, in Zombiezoo, Chloe sacrifices herself so that Ladybug can win.
Now, none of this is a redemption. It is, at best, the foundation for a redemption. We see that Chloe has the potential to be good when challenged to do so by the right person or circumstance, but she’s not trying to be better outside of those moments when she’s challenged. For her redemption to really start, she has to choose good over evil. She has to start improving when Ladybug isn’t watching or when Adrien isn’t threatening their friendship. For it to be a damnation, she has to choose evil over good.
She is never truly given that choice.
The two big scenes where Chloe gets “worse” are at the end of Queen Wasp and at the end of Hearthunter. However, in both of those scenes, no one gives her a choice to be better even though she’s primed and ready to make that choice.
Queen Wasp: When the Civilian Moment Should Have Happened
At the tail end of Queen Wasp, Marinette has the choice to go to New York with Audrey or stay in Paris. She chooses Paris, but brings Chloe with her to try and repair the relationship between mother and daughter. Here, Marinette gets to really see just how little Audrey cares for Chloe.
In a show where Chloe has a character arc, this should be the moment when she’s given a choice. She’s just spent the whole episode trying to get her mom to love her and it’s gone nowhere. Marinette, our hero, is standing right there, fully capable of saying, “You know what Chloe, your mom sucks and you don't need her validation. I know some people who already think that you're awesome. Come on, let’s get you back home and I’ll call Adrien and Sabrina to meet us there.”
Instead, this is what happens:
Marinette: I think you're wrong. A huge part of your life is here in Paris, too! (she steps aside, showing Chloé and Butler Jean) Audrey: Chlorene? Uh— Chloé? Chloé: (looks at her mother, then at Marinette in a guilty manner, then back at her mom) Why don't you love me, Mom? Audrey: But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you. Marinette: (groans) You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional. In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love. (Audrey and Chloé are furious with Marinette for telling mean things to them.) Chloé and Audrey: (shouting) How dare you⁈ (gasp and look surprised at each other) Marinette: See? You're both much more alike than you think. (walks off; humming)
…our hero, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I’m not saying that Chloe’s poor behavior is Marinette’s fault. Chloe’s choices are her own, but it’s hard to say, “why didn’t she change?” when even Ladybug doesn’t seem to want her to. If no one is actively encouraging Chloe whenever she does better, then it's 1000x harder for her to get better. Fake it til you make it is a huge part of self improvement. Being a better person for validation or selfish reasons often leads to meaningful change and is a legitimate way to start a self-driven redemption arc. (Go watch The Good Place if you want a prime example of this.)
Hearthunter: When the Hero Moment Should Have Happened
Hearthunter and Miracle Queen are supposedly the end of Chloe’s “damnation” arc. The moment where she makes the wrong choice and, to be clear, Chloe does the wrong thing here. Helping Hawkmoth is a bad move and she deserved to face some consequences. However, the choice to help Hawkmoth has the weirdest setup for a “damnation” arc that I’ve ever seen.
In Miraculer, we get this line from Gabriel: all I need is for [Chloe] to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her.
This is also the episode where Chloe rejects an akuma (Chloé: No, Hawk Moth! I am a superheroine! I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU!), the episode where Lila helps manipulate Chloe into doubting Ladybug, and the episode where Ladybug tell’s Chloe that she’ll never be Queen Bee again, setting up the tension for the season final.
However, even though that tension is set, the thing that turns Chloe to the dark side is… her parents being akumatized. Not some random akuma that Chloe wants to help with. Not Hawkmoth just randomly showing up with the bee. No, we have both of Chloe's parents as the victim of the day and Ladybug actively chooses Ryuuko over Queen Bee, making Chloe the first and only hero who doesn’t get called in when a loved one is in trouble.
All of that leads to this:
Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you. Chloé: You've akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous I'd- Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrupts) You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand) Chloé: This isn't real! How do you have it? Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to deakumatize has my parents first!
Just like with Queen Wasp, Chloe does the wrong thing. She didn’t have to take the bee. She didn't have to stay selfish, egotistical, and petty. But at the same time, this isn’t really a damning act. It's an act that makes her unsuitable to be Queen Bee again, but she wasn't going to be Queen Bee anyway. She wasn't choosing to be a villain over a hero. She was just choosing to be selfish at a time when she's been actively manipulated and when her parents are in danger.
In other words, this is just Chloe being Chloe. She’s acting the same way she did when she first got her miraculous. If no one is going to believe in her, then why should she be a better person? Why shouldn't she just stay the same? She's arguably no worse than she was in Queen Wasp, the consequences are just greater because of Hawkmoth's plan and the powers he gives her. The only real change is that she no longer idolizes Ladybug so Ladybug no longer has a chance to encourage Chloe to be a better person, but Ladybug never did that anyway, so what does it really matter?
Once again, none of this is to blame Marinette. She doesn't have to try and make her bully a better person. That's a huge ask. But with no one actively trying to make Chloe better even when she shows that she can be better when given the right motivation, it's silly to say that Chloe had a damnation arc or really any arc at all. She ended where she started and, if that's all they wanted to do with her, then they should have just left her as a one-dimensional mean girl instead of making her one of the most developed characters in this bloated mess of a show.
Personally, I would have liked to see a redemption arc because I enjoy morally grey characters and it would have been nice to have someone on the team who wasn't a kind, sweet, goody-goody (for a team with 18 freaking members, there's really no moral diversity, which is boring). It also would have stopped Chloe and Lila filling the same basic role for 3 seasons, which was stupid. (Why do you think Lila showed up so little? It's because Chloe could do almost everything she could do and do it better.) Second choice would be don't develop Chloe, leave her as a petty mean girl and give her focused screen time to Nino and Adrien. Their relationship is barely a thing and that's disappointing considering its strong setup. Cutting Lila and giving Chloe a true damnation arc would have also been far more satisfying.
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thewertsearch · 8 months
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GG: you said you are asking me permission first and i appreciate that GG: but if you are asking im afraid my answer is no! AT: oKAY, i RESPECT THAT, AT: bUT, i WONDER, GG: what? AT: i WONDER IF A TRULY SELF CONFIDENT GUY, wITH THE BEST SELF ESTEEM THERE IS, wOULD EVEN NEED TO ASK, AT: mAYBE THE BEST GUY WOULD JUST KNOW HE WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL, aND WOULD DO IT ANYWAY BECAUSE IT IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, aND EVERYONE ELSE'S,
I don't think Tavros is just emulating Vriska here. This is a very Alternian mindset, and it's one we've seen before.
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Alternia is, after all, an empire. It's a society whose idea of success is inexorably tied to violence and domination - so if you're trying to be a better troll, you'll probably gravitate to both, even if you don't realize it.
It's not really about your personality, either. Karkat is, by all accounts, one of the more moral trolls in the party - but as we've seen above, even he's got those imperial instincts. This sort of thing is insidious, and once it worms its way into your brain, it can be hard to shake.
Tavros is a very straightforward example. He's finally gained some 'confidence' - and what's his first impulse?
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To seize a useful resource from an alien, and use it against her will.
GG: that would be smug and arrogant and would make you a bully!!! [...] AT: yOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT ALL THAT, i'LL RESPECT YOUR WISHES, AT: oR, AT: wILL i? };) GG: nooooooooo dont dont dont dont dont GG: im serious GG: uuuuggghh i think my headache is coming back AT: i WAS jUST, AT: mAKING A JOKE, AT: sORRY, }:(
This dude cannot read a room. Truly, the anti-Terezi.
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Oh, leave off.
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AG: Next time you decide to open your heart to an alien girl…….. AG: Make sure her chat client isn't 8eing holographically projected for all to see, ok?
This exploit should apply to chat clients of any size, provided the screen is visible. Maybe John's Pesterchum Glasses were a better investment than I thought.
AG: Jade let you down too easy. She's too nice! Someone's got to tear into you for that appalling display, and once again, guess who's shoulders that falls on? AG: That's right. Vriska's, as usual.
Tavros probably does need someone to explain what he did wrong, but it should be anyone but Vriska. This is obviously just going to be more bullying, and no actual advice.
AT: i THINK SHE HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF NICENESS, pERSONALLY, AT: aN AMOUNT THAT IS SOME, iNSTEAD OF, AT: nONE,
Showing backbone against Vriska, eh? Finally, a constructive use for all that confidence.
Progress is progress, even when it's just a minor clapback.
AG: Hey, I'm nice when it matters, [...]
Nope, I'm calling Vriska's bluff. What nice things has she done so far, exactly?
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Sure, she made Tavros the rocket chair, but only after mercilessly tormenting him for his physical condition, which she caused.
Plus, this wasn't even a real apology gift. She kept bullying him after that, and is literally doing so as we speak.
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I guess she also made Aradia's soulbot, as an 'apology' for murdering her with her own boyfriend. To be precise, she had Equius make it, with horrific results that she should probably have seen coming.
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She also thought that it would be 'nice' to tell Terezi that her blindness 'wasn't that bad'. This conversation was kind of complicated, though, and I'm not sure what her actual intention was.
Anyway, it's pretty clear that Vriska doesn't really grok what 'nice' means. She gives Tavros a rocket chair, continues to torment him, and doesn't understand the contradiction, because she doesn't think his feelings actually matter.
[...] and where it doesn't strangul8te the critical development of people I give a shit a8out, ok?
"After all, no one was ever nice to ME, and look how gr8 I turned out! When you think about it, it's actually a GOOD thing that no one ever showed me kindness! It made me strong! Don't you want to 8e stroooooooong, Pupa? ::::D"
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I'm reminded of this exchange from Hivebent. Kanaya recommends that Vriska practice some basic self-care, and Vriska completely flies off the handle, furious at the mere suggestion that she should be kind to herself.
Vriska thinks kindness will harm her. She refuses to accept it, and avoids showing it to anyone, which makes her remarkably consistent in her cruelty. I'm willing to bet that there's nothing she's said to Tavros that she hasn't already said to herself.
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elcucurucho · 6 months
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Whether or not these enigmas are truly qcellbit or someone pretending to be him, it’s revealed so so much about qroier and qbagi and their characters and I’m really enjoying it. They’re two very different people linked very closely together by their connection to qcellbit, which makes the difference in how they react to his potential actions so fun to compare.
To qbagi, family is everything. qcellbit is the only family she has and she’s spent most of her life looking for him. But she doesn’t really know him. They’ve spent so long apart and they’ve had such different experiences that there’s a gap in understanding that might never be fully resolved. But she’s still trying! And she’s willing to overlook a lot and work with him, even on the whole murder thing. To her, qcellbit’s supposed actions are morally wrong, full stop. And she’s still willing to stand by his side if it’s what he really wants to do, in direct opposition to her own moral compass. Because that’s her brother, and family matters more to her than any personal feeling she might have. She already gave up everything for him, what’s one more sacrifice?
But she’s cautious. She’s seen what qcellbit has done from an outside perspective and she knows he’s dangerous. So, her bringing all her warnings and suspicions to qroier. Because she’s accepted him as part of her family, and family is her priority. In her eyes, qroier might not be fully aware of what qcellbit has done, and he deserves to know what he’s involved with because knowing is the only way to keep him safe. It’s half an attempt at protecting him, half seeking reassurance and a confidant in the only other person who cares about qcellbit like she does.
But qroier… isn’t like her. He doesn’t have the same aversion to murder as qbagi, no matter how much she tries to search for it. Especially when it comes to the federation. And he’s never been bound to traditional morality, all the way back to his revenge plot against quackity and spreen in the first months of the server. But he’s a funny guy with a friendly attitude, and he rarely lets his true feelings known to anyone. qbagi wouldn’t be the first person to misinterpret his friendliness as morality. More than that, his and qcellbit’s relationship began when they were both hitting personal lows. They’ve always found sanctuary in each other, especially in dark times. To qroier, this is just one more of those on an island of nightmares. qcellbit’s past, what he does in his free time, it doesn’t interest him.
So qbagi keeps trying to pull qroier’s attention towards qcellbit’s more… morally questionable actions, looking for someone to share her concerns. And qroier continues to not care, even becoming slightly suspicious of qbagi empathizing with federation workers. They’re so at odds with each other, and yet at the end of the day they would both choose qcellbit over anything. The dynamic between the three is crazy and cellbit hasn’t even logged on in a week! No idea where we go from here, but it’s going to be a wild ride.
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chen-feiyu · 1 year
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The impact of Chu Wanning and his values on Mo Ran's morals in the second timeline of 2ha
When I read 2ha, one of the most satisfying things about the story for me was observing how Mo Ran's growth as a person was intrinsically linked to the way in which he perceived Chu Wanning and his values since, deep down, he has always been his reason for existence and the force who restores his faith in humanity.
1.0 is complicated in terms of morals, in the sense that he has no interest in helping others and shows contempt toward Chu Wanning and Sisheng Peak for caring about injustice and the common people so fiercely - albeit with Chu Wanning, there's the added resentment that he devoted his life to helping anyone in need, yet let Shi Mei die during the heavenly rift and refused to acknowledge Mo Ran during all of the time in which he was his disciple.
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He loathed to be dismissed by Chu Wanning when he was Taxian-Jun too but at this part of the novel, Mo Ran's PTSD opts to repress most of Chu Wanning-related thoughts for avoiding emotional pain, to the point in which he even comes up with a different retelling of Chu Wanning's death in 0.5, where it occurred by his own hands.
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Unlike Taxian-Jun, Mo Ran 1.0 has no desire to trample over the weak or perpetrate suffering. He's merely self-absorbed and focused on enjoying the moment and newfound positive emotions, considering he didn't have any for decades.
Mo Ran is, however, fully aware of the gravity of his actions since the beginning. He doesn't sugarcoat it, doesn't pretend that he had any justification for the pain that he caused, and deliberately makes the choice to not take revenge on Rong Jiu in chapter 2 of the novel, giving us a glimpse of the Mo Ran who strived to stand by Duan Yihan's maxim of repaying gratitude and not holding grudges.
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The novel starts with Taxian-Jun being suicidal, talking about his crimes, calling his life sinful, stating he has blasphemed and that his hands are stained with blood. In this regard, Mo Ran is an outlier in comparison to characters like Song Qiutong and Rong Jiu, who don't hesitate to explain their behavior and justify themselves with their circumstances. In Mo Ran's eyes, he's someone who sinned irreversibly and it's a miracle that he got a second chance when he didn't do anything to earn it.
Mo Ran tends to describe himself as a simple person who doesn't like to overthink and has difficulty grasping complex things, especially emotions, yet he knows what he craves the most is acknowledgment and acceptance. He can't overlook when someone does something for him, which is why his feelings for Chu Wanning tend to be so conflicting after the injury in Butterfly Town arc.
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After this, Mo Ran begins to observe him closely and is unable to stay away entirely. Instead of feeling sheer hatred at Chu Wanning's lack of ability to take care of himself, he's concerned and takes him food he can actually eat since he really doesn't want Chu Wanning to starve or suffer, and rationalizes his need to protect by thinking he's only doing things because he doesn't want to owe Chu Wanning anything.
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At random parts of Book 1, Mo Ran would make passing mentions about how when he looks back at some of the things he did in his previous life, he's horrified and unable to understand how could he become so cruel.
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It is important to mention that while these are attempts for Mo Ran to truly reflect on what happened enough to make amends, it isn't until he hurts Xia Sini, realizes how selfish he was, and is able to see Chu Wanning in Xia Sini's words, that he stops being able to repress the influx of guilt, regret, and confusion over the person that he used to be and the things he did. Chu Wanning's figure as his moral compass begins to shape in full form over here, given it is his memory that triggers the need for repentance.
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Something I must add about Mo Ran being different than RJ or SQT is that during Xia Sini's soup incident, is very clear that the reason he made Xia Sini wait was due to Shi Mei's insistence on Mo Ran to stay by his side, yet Mo Ran takes full responsibility for what happened and doesn't excuse himself at all. Accountability is something he definitely doesn't struggle with.
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It is a common belief in the fandom that without the heavenly rift event, it'd have been difficult for Mo Ran to change his mind about Chu Wanning, and I'm inclined to agree here because as I stated before, disliking Chu Wanning's hypocrisy about the common people and his disciples WAS one of his values.
Hypocrisy is a trait that Mo Ran detests profoundly in any person regardless of the timeline where he's at. It's precisely the reason why Ye Wangxi will always be worthy of respect in his eyes and not Song Qiutong.
Knowing that Chu Wanning died for him changes his paradigm and shatters his reality entirely.
Mo Ran 1.0 used to be a person with no purpose who barely reflected on things, tried to remain in the present as much as possible and assumed that because he already experienced many things in the past, he could take advantage of what he knew and keep going mindlessly as long as Shi Mei was around. He didn't feel the responsibility to help or make amends. Caring about humanity wasn't even an afterthought, but an absurd concept overall in his mind.
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2.0 is the exact opposite.
Before Duan Yihan left, she took good care of providing Mo Ran with a maxim that he could hold on to since the world was cruel, and she was aware of what could happen to him if his values didn't remain strong.
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The flower removed this and broke Mo Ran's biggest value, leaving him with no sense of self other than spite and resentment over all of the tragedy he had to experience. There was nothing to feel grateful about: Shi Mei and his mother were dead and his Shizun always hated him, so indulging in destruction, debauchery, and revenge was all he could do, regardless if he found it enjoyable or not, if it made sense or not.
Mo Ran 1.0 is the middle ground between a bitter, tired adult who had been drowning in hatred for decades and a teenager who was acquiring new experiences and slowly developing empathy as a consequence.
Mo Ran 2.0 is a profoundly traumatized and broken man who doesn't know what to do with all the pain he carries inside and the voices in his mind who tell him he's dirty, irremediably evil, and undeserving of the sacrifice that Chu Wanning made for him. He can't exteriorize any of this, and can't give up on life either because it was a gift that Chu Wanning granted him.
He's worthless in comparison to Chu Wanning, but if he can dedicate his days to acting in half the decent way that Chu Wanning did, then maybe that would be enough to clean the stains on his soul, if only a little, at least.
In 0.5 Duan Yihan gave Mo Ran a purpose, the flower took it away from him and Chu Wanning tried to restore it, with no luck, when he asked Taxian-Jun to think about kindness and not harbor evil.
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In the second timeline, Mo Ran starts his new life with no purpose, Chu Wanning gives it to him by showing him genuine kindness, by letting him see that he had always been acknowledged and protected from the shadows. A pure soul took care of him and gave him another chance, and his purpose in life became to not fail him in return.
Chu Wanning turned into Mo Ran's pillar. He was the person Mo Ran thought about before making any decision, the one who gave him strength during lonely days, and the God of salvation who visited him as he hallucinated during his episodes.
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Doing good deeds in Chu Wanning's name became his second nature. Anything Chu Wanning would do, he'd do it too without hesitation and with this, he forged an unbreakable moral code, impulsed both by his devotion to Chu Wanning and crippling guilt.
As the story advances, Mo Ran is able to see that his lack of understanding about his feelings toward Chu Wanning and the inexplicable, obsessive things that Taxian-Jun did over Chu Wanning in 0.5 strived from a misconception about the relationship between sex and love.
Once this is clear to him, all 2.0 can see in Taxian-Jun's actions is nonsense which only works to reinforce his beliefs about his lack of intelligence. I'll discuss his sense of self further in future posts.
In conclusion: Chu Wanning has had a different, yet consistent impact on Mo Ran's morals throughout all of his life stages.
In 0.5, Chu Wanning started as a force who restored Mo Ran's faith in humanity and then gave him a strong sense of identity over being the disciple of the man that he perceives as the embodiment of justice, goodness, and compassion. In my next series of meta posts, I'll be exploring how this is the reason behind Taxian-Jun's cognitive dissonance around him.
In 2.0, Chu Wanning and his sacrifice disrupt Mo Ran's misconceptions created by the flower and external manipulation.
Chu Wanning's selflessness used to be annoying for him, then unsettling because he didn't understand it properly, and in the end, it devastated him so much that it shattered his reality and helped him to forge a moral code.
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vrisrezis · 1 year
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Hi! I hope you're having a nice night or day. May I request the bnha class 1-a characters you write for + the types of people they'd hate to be around? Basically just the people they can't stand, whether it's platonically or romantically. Thank you!
(Some manga spoilers in shoji and aoyamas part)
Izuku can stand mean people, if the treatment he received from kacchan for so long is anything to go by. But you’d have to be a special kind of mean, the kinda mean that doesn’t come from a place of some form of mistreatment, or some inferiority complex, or even because you just don’t know any better. He cannot stand people that will just pick on others for the sake of it. In his eyes, kacchan is a good person, even if he was a bit cruel in his younger days. But he hates a person that’s clearly terrible, through and through, and there’s no true reason behind it, you’re just straight up terrible. Like a comic book villain with no character depth, just straight up, no morales, just a terrible human being.
Kacchan can’t stand people he sees as weak. As he grows, his idea of weak changes. Nowadays, he can’t stand somebody who talks big and then cowers when it comes to a fight, or has the audacity to look down on others when they’re as pathetic as a koalas entire fucking existence is. (I fucking hate koalas holy shit.) Hes no stranger to putting up a front for other people, but he’s still real about who he is and he hates anyone that plays pretend for the world. He does not hide behind a facade, even if he can’t be honest about how he feels, even if he has to act tough, he’s not a liar about who he truly is and what his ideals are. He hates somebody that is too ashamed of themselves to be honest about who they truly are. Because to him, that’s fear. And to him, letting fear control you like that, to that point, is weakness.
Shoto can’t stand people that are inconsiderate and selfish. The reason he adores his class so much is because he sees the good in everyone, their kindness, their selflessness, how considerate they are of eachother, even bakugou is in his own way. But somebody that simply doesn’t care for anyone but themselves reminds him all too well about why his family fell apart to begin with, because his father was selfish and far too focused on himself and what he wanted. If you tend to be selfish but show remorse for it, and are trying to be better, he wouldn’t mind you so much. He minds people that are unapologetically selfish and simply don’t care for others. To him, it’s a dangerous trait for anyone to have.
Ejirou hates anyone that isn’t an honest person, compulsive liars annoy him and he can’t stand being around somebody he can’t trust. Ejirou is an honest guy, and is pretty much an open book. So he doesn’t understand how people could ever pride themselves in being fake. It’s completely foreign to him and he’ll never understand. He doesn’t mind small lies, and it’s not like he’s gonna deny lies all together but he can’t trust somebody who consistently lies about things. Important things or even things that don’t matter, if it’s constant he doesn’t like it, simply put.
Denki hates being around people that are overly snobby. He really can’t stand being around overly confident rich kids (bakugou doesn’t count because he isn’t snobby lol). It’s not like he minds his rich friends, he likes em! Maybe he’s a little jealous but that’s all! But he really can’t stand somebody snobby and judge-mental just because people happen to have less than you or whatever the reason may be for your bitchiness. He doesn’t mind somebody that’s bitchy, he deals with bakugou on a everyday basis. However, he does mind somebody that’s bitchy just because they happen to be rich and often brag about the money they have.
Sero cannot stand people that prey on the weak in order to make themselves feel better. How pathetic do you have to be? Honestly, nothing makes him more angry and it’s partially why he wants to be a pro hero so much. He wants to protect others from the likes of people that abuse their power and pick on those in weaker positions. He wants to be a person high in power, but for the good reasons. He would despise bakugou in junior high, but at the same time he is all for people changing and becoming better people. Seeing you first hand be a shit person to the “weak” would seriously piss him off.
Ochako hates people that simply revel in hatred, who enjoy it. She thinks it’s sad, people like that probably don’t have much going for them and don’t have much to enjoy in life if they enjoy hating others and others hating them. While she may sympathize with you she still can’t stand you, and everything it is you stand for. She can’t be around somebody that brings drama everywhere they go and is always itching for a fight, or to hurt other peoples feelings. It’s so attention seeking it’s embarrassing. If she didn’t feel so bad for you, she’d tell you off a lot more.
Mina can’t find it in her to hate most people, but she will say she cannot stand people that are… well… sadistic. Even in a sexual manner and even if it’s a consensual thing she just… hates it. Like way more than the average person. She thinks you’re horrible.. so HORRIBLE for enjoying peoples suffering and while that’s how most people would feel she has a special hatred for people like that and it makes her stomach turn and it makes her feel so unpleasant, even if it’s just bullying and poking fun, if you enjoy doing that so much, for the sake of just seeing somebody cry it sickens her.
Momo can’t stand people with next to no manners. The kinda people that would pick their nose in a public space, those kinda people just disgust her. A lot more petty than everyone else on this list but she was raised a certain way and she just can’t believe that some people aren’t the same? Most people on this list would find it gross but not enough to hate them, but momo finds herself really being unable to be your friend because who does that so openly? She doesn’t even hate bakugou like that, and he’s rude as hell. She doesn’t even mind him that much but even she can get annoyed with some of the conversations she overhears him have. She’s not a snob or anything, she just values politeness a lot.
Jirou can’t stand people that make fun of people for their interests. A personal thing she’s always hated, she used to always get made fun of for wanting to be a pro, whilst having a passion for music. It’s caused her to have some issues with it herself, so she just hates anyone that makes fun of people for enjoying something they love. They’re not doing anything wrong! It’s not a crime to have a hobby. She understands criticisms of different things people enjoy, but shitting on somebody for their interests isn’t rocking at all, in her opinion.
Tsu can’t stand people that don’t listen. If it’s an accident, she can get over it cause she knows it’s not their fault, but if it’s because you clearly don’t care and it’s on purpose it can be upsetting because it’s clear you don’t care about how she feels or what she has to say. This is a pretty standard thing to hate in a person, but she hates it especially. She hates being ignored in general, so this is a bit more than just a pet peeve and she’s not against dropping you rather quickly over it either.
Tokoyami can’t stand people that act kind but secretly are just snobby assholes. The audacity you have to act like you care for others, when in reality you’re simply using them for your own benefit. The audacity you have to act kind, and when somebody realizes it? You act like a victim? Truly annoying. He hates people like that and he’s not one to shy away from calling you out on that shit either. He can never get over it, how can somebody be like that? The hawks situation, with twice really eats him up inside. Somebody he idolized so much, could he really be like that. Could he? Was he just pretending to be a carefree bird, or was he just so carefree he didn’t even care if he murdered a man? Things like this keep him up at night.
Shoji hates people that discriminate against others. Of course, everyone on this list does but naturally he has a special distain for it, as somebody that’s been hurt and discriminated against for his appearance. He will hold a special hatred for you, especially if you’re in UA with him. How could somebody aim to be a hero but be … like that?
Aoyama would hate somebody with villainous traits to them. Perhaps it’s because it reminds him of who he is. That he’s no better than a villain himself. Even if this wasn’t something he desired. He can’t stand being around people that use and abuse others. It just upsets him to his very core.
iida hates people that seek vengeance. It’s obvious why. He hates those that are vengeful, constantly looking for fights, even for the sake of others. It’s even worse if you’re being self righteous about it. It just reminds him of what he thinks is the worst mistake he ever made. He sees himself. He hates it so much it hurts to describe. So he finds himself constantly trying to change you, fix you. He knows it’s wrong though, you are who you are. He just happens to hate who you are.
Ojirou is a chill guy, you’ll find it’s very hard for him to hate people. But he hates people that are just… annoying. You’d have to be a special kinda annoying. The type to be overly two faced and talking shit about everyone you meet. Like a middle schooler. It’s just so tiring and draining to be around somebody so negative and he can’t stand it. But what he hates even more is that he’s acting like what he hates too. Because at the end of the day he acts nice, when he secretly hates your guts.
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cerebralinvasion · 6 months
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If that okay, can I please have one shot, ow yandere Ozaki Koyo who tires to stop the reader to leave mafia. The reader is tired of working for the criminals and wants to start a fresh quiet life. However, Ozaki does not want to let go of the reader, and will tries to find a way, to force the reader to stay in mafia. Gender Neutral reader is fine.
return to sender.
yandere koyo ozaki x reader.
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notes: sorry for being gone so long everyone!! im backkkk
tags/warnings: yandere, brief mentions of god, threats but no violence really
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the life you had chosen wasn’t an easy one. of course you had known that going in. no one joins the mafia thinking it was going to be cupcakes and rainbows. but maybe you had underestimated how brutal your life would become. or maybe you just chose to ignore it. chose to lie to yourself that it wouldn’t be all that bad, do whatever you could to make the money you desperately needed. it was difficult, of course. working by the higher ups was terrifying. you constantly feared for your life, even around those you were supposed to consider allies. you never truly felt like you fit in where you had come to find yourself. the people around you felt dangerous in a way you were not. whether they worked above you or on your level, you felt like an oddity. someone whose mind just wasn’t strong enough for this life, not the way theirs were.
there was only one person you had come to find comfort in: koyo. as an executive her position was held second only to the boss. from her status, to her fighting skills, her wits, and her supernatural ability— she was superior to you on every level. she had no business with a low-life grunt such as yourself. yet somehow, despite all odds, you managed to peak her interest. you don’t have a clue what it could have been. what you possibly could have accomplished for her to take you under her wing like she did, but it worked. you’d managed to garner her favor.
it was a lot different now than it had been when you two first interacted, all tense shoulders and short responses on your end. trying to make yourself as small as possible and avoid catching her eye. that’s changed. you wouldn’t say you had ever become at ease in her presence, however you did lose much of the initial terror. out of everyone in the mafia, you could easily say you preferred to spend your time with koyo.
but it wasn’t enough. having a single person you could semi-trust just wasn’t enough to convince you to continue like this. to continue staking your life every day for profit. putting everything you had in terrible danger and trampling your morals for some extra cash.
finding your way into the mafia had been hard, and you knew that finding your way out would be even harder. but you had to try. you refused to lay down the rest of your life for this. naturally, it’d be dangerous. but no more dangerous than engaging in shootouts on a regular basis. no more dangerous than spending your days around seasoned killers.
the plan was simple. make yourself as little of a threat as possible. you wouldn’t turn to the government or anything of that nature. you figured that if you made it clear enough that you wouldn’t be any harm they wouldn’t even bother looking for you. you know people have done it before, maybe you could be one of them. it’s not like you were a noteworthy asset. you weren’t an executive or a leader of any unit. you were just another faceless grunt. the odds that anyone would not only notice but also care were slim. you didn’t have access to highly classified information. you would make a pretty useless traitor.
on the night of your departure you worked quickly. packing everything necessary from your apartment into a rather large suitcase. you withdrew the money from your bank account and found your way to a mediocre hotel until you decided where you’d go. but just as you were preparing to settle in for the night you heard a knock on the door. it had to be near 4am, what was room service doing at this time of night?
the second you twisted the door handle you were flung back. something had hit you, hard. there was little damage, but you could already feel an aching sensation bloom along where your head and back had made contact with the wall. you looked up. there was a blade at your throat and a woman a few feet ahead of you. you dared not move. not when a literal demon held a short sword centimeters from your jugular.
“now what do we have here?” elegant as ever, koyo strode further into the room, making her way to the wall opposite the door, where you were pinned into place by the golden demon.
“koyo….” your mouth instantly dried up when you heard her voice. “how did you… find me?”
she laughed.
“did you actually expect to simply waltz out of the port mafia? you should know better. i really did think you were smarter than that… you didn’t even bother leaving the city.”
“it hasn’t even been six hours since i packed up… i got to the hotel less than an hour ago! how? how did you get here so fast?”
koyo’s movements were near serpentlike as she brought her own shortsword up to your neck, taking the golden demon’s place. the ability moved behind her in a defensive position. it floated ominously, it’s mere form acting as a barricade from the door. no one would be getting in or out until koyo removed the thing.
“you really should break this habit of underestimating the opponent. of course i found you. maybe the hope in your heart came with a heavy dose of naivety. hope that things would work out for you in a way they didn’t back with the mafia. you should know by now that god is no longer on your side, not after all you’ve done.”
your breathing stuttered. she was right. you never would have rushed into something with a plan as rudimentary as ‘just hope the enemy won’t notice’ back when you were with the mafia. only a cruel hope could produce such utter stupidity.
“still, to think you’d disappear without so much as a goodbye? not even to me?” koyo tapped the blade against the underbelly of your chin, watching as you tilted your head upward to avoid it.
“don’t… don’t kill me. please just let me go. i promise, i swear on everything, i won’t tell anyone anything. please.”
“now, you know i can’t do that, right?”
your breath quickened. was this it? the whole plan was stupid and half baked in hindsight, now it seemed you would pay for your lack of foresight with your life.
you weren’t ready to die.
“poor thing… you’re trembling. really, just how far did you think you’d make it? no offense, dear, but there’s no way someone like you could make it out of here. you’re no osamu dazai, you know? pitting yourself against the port mafia is a losing battle. you’d be crushed like a butterfly in the beak of a hawk, and wouldn’t that be unfortunate.”
“i just don’t understand… why would an executive like you be sent to fetch someone like me?”
“sent? oh no, you misunderstand. nobody sent me to come get you. in fact, no one else even knows you tried to leave, not that they wouldn’t have found out within the week... but tonight? consider this a… personal endeavor.”
you furrowed your brows. the more questions she answered the more confused you became.
koyo pulled the sword away, neatly tucking it back in it’s holster. the blade once again masqueraded as an elegant parasol. demon snow fizzled out of existence. she reached the hand not gripping the wagasa towards you. offering a hand to help you up.
“now then, let’s go home before you cause any more trouble.”
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ask-the-rag-dolly · 6 months
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First of all sooo excited for your blog! The one thing I don't like about digital circus is the complete and utter lack of Ragtha love! Lol
I know you said you prefer platonic relationships, and for my girl Ragatha, I think if her and Jax were secretly besties, it would add so much more to each other. Cause it means Jax does have a vulnerable side, and Ragtha has an unlikely ally perhasp willing to push things a little far for her.
Also just a personal headcannon since Ragthas been there the longest maybe she's actively helped some of the main cast figure out to cope and hold on to their sanity, because she did say their was still time to "fix" Kafmo. So that's implies someone can be brought back if their not completely constructed yet. I think there's so much potential in her doing that for Jax because their different morals and personality seems like the most interesting dynamic to me. Plus, gotta love that angst.
// yeah same ! ragatha quickly became my favorite - for several reasons that will be too long for this post - and it really saddens me that she's already getting pushed aside ...
like don't get me wrong , she gets more attention than gangle and zooble ( who are also characters i'm fond of that i wish gets the same level of analysis as jax and kinger ) , but there's so much to pick apart and analyze with ragatha that someone has to take the mantle ^^
besides uurgh i may love jesterdoll but ragatha has so much potential for interesting dynamics , not just pomni ! like her being very compliant towards caine , how she might've helped zooble considering they were the newest before pomni , the history she might've had with kinger , how she's the most suitable to comfort gangle , and just !! her entire thing with jax !!
like i can see why they can be an interesting dynamic - they're like two sides of the same coin in a way ( both are secretly terrified out of their minds and hides it by either servicing people or pushing them away . do you see my vision ) . i personally see them as begrudging siblings - really dislike each other but most likely won't be able to live without the other
( also a part of that may not be fueled by how ragatha's heavily inspired by raggedy ann and that jax's voice is a raggedy andy impersonation ... )
i will admit it's a bit too early to draw a conclusion on what's going on between them though since gooseworx keeps reiterating that no one likes jax and that he's an irredeemable asshole - but i know their dynamic won't just be pure , mutual hate . i personally love the thought of them being the only one who truly understands the other despite the vitriol lol
also ! i've always thought of ragatha as the group meditator in a way ! in my head , she's the glue that helps hold the group together - i don't think the current cast will survive even a single hour without the only person who isn't panicky and/or irresponsible . i won't be surprised if she actually saved someone from near-abstraction !
though i don't think it's a role that's doing her any big favors . do you think anyone ever asks how she's doing ? (: //
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sprout-senior · 12 days
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some nightmare headcanon type things, bc some thoughts invaded my brain and i needed to get them out(in depth headcanon shit under the cut)
the ‘nightmare’ we know now is a completely different person from the former guardian of negativity, though he possesses all the same memories. he goes by the same name, brings up past events, and generally acts as if he’s the same person but evil. he’s apathetic and calm in his downtime, but he becomes manic/psychotic when wreaking havoc and feeding off negativity. if he has a soft spot for the ghost child residing in his head, he will never admit it or intentionally show it.
the real nightmare is dead, but his consciousness remains tied to the entity that took over his body, an echo of a soul. he spends a lot of time dormant/“asleep” due to the pain of constantly bearing witness to this parasite’s atrocities. he will always stay awake during any interactions with dream. he misses his brother so much. there have been a couple occasions where he has saved his life by wreaking absolute havoc in his shared mind(he SHRIEKS. he screams like a banshee and will not let up for even a second until dream is safe). this takes up a lot of energy, so he reserves this method for dream only for fear of not being able to use it when it matters most. his morals have… eroded, a little; he simply does not have the capacity to truly care for anyone but dream. 500 years of being a helpless bystander to mass murder was bound to desensitize him. as it stands now, he’s not about to waste precious energy on random people, even if it brings him a nonzero amount of guilt.
they refer to each other as moon and terror respectively, to avoid the headache of sharing a name. in downtime, they’re almost amicable; neither are much for conversation, but they will read together and generally let each other exist in peace and quiet.
moon knows that the pain and misery he feels is not his alone. he is intimately aware of terror’s inner struggles, and is not afraid to use it against him in arguments. he haunts him, tells him everything he doesn’t want to hear, laughs in his face when he lashes out in anger. terror retaliates by describing exactly how he wants to kill dream, insisting that moon won’t be able to do anything about it. their arguments usually end abruptly, either due to being interrupted or just running out of steam.
moon will never be able to exist independently from terror. hypothetically, he could interact with the world etc if terror relinquished that control, but that isn’t happening any time soon(or maybe ever).
the incidents where terror lets dream go leads him to believe that his brother is still in there, which… isn’t entirely inaccurate, but not in the way he thinks. terror holds no love or care for dream, and very firmly wants him dead.
just looking at the code, you would not be able to find moon’s presence. there are some people who could deduce it based on terror’s behavior, but only if they’ve experienced it themselves(dust, cross, etc) and they’re REALLY paying attention. dust is currently the only one who knows what’s up, having walked in on terror arguing with nobody one too many times. even then, he’s only going off an extremely educated guess; he’s not about to cause trouble with his boss.
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