#whether you view them as romantic or platonic they just.

[charlesemersonwinchesteriii]

Ignore all logistical considerations of "would they ever meet each other under these circumstances". If you don't think Jules Bashir would have chosen to join Starfleet, imagine he is on the station for some other reason, or they meet in some other location.

I wanted to make this poll because I've seen various fics where Garak reassures Julian that far from being upset over him being augmented, Garak is grateful for it, either explicitly because (he thinks) they wouldn't be able to have their usual conversations if it weren't for the augmentations, or simply because he likes Julian "just the way he is" and wouldn't want him to be "different". I disagree that Garak would think like this (or at the very least, I think Julian would react negatively if he did, rather than be reassured), so I wanted to hear everyone else's thoughts.

#garashir #Star Trek: Deep Space 9 #this is not just a shipping question btw so please answer whether you view them platonically/romantically/whatever! #Julian Bashir #polls #Starky's original posts #I'll admit. to me there is a very clear right and wrong answer here. #again not in terms of Garak's characterization so much as in terms of JULIAN'S. #I would be fine if Garak said this and Julian felt at least somewhat conflicted about it but I've never seen even that........ #I've wanted to make this post for SO LONG but it's a very common thing in a lot of fics that I otherwise REALLY LIKE #from authors that I REALLY LOVE AND ADMIRE #and I have no idea if I'm just being completely insane and oversensitive OTL #but I just read yet another fic where Garak was like ''I have no choice but to be grateful you were genetically enhanced #because Jules would never have joined Starfleet so we never would have met.'' #and I just want to yell WHY DO YOU ALL ASSUME THAT #like not even getting into assuming that Jules would be permanently significantly intellectually disabled #based on limited information about his early childhood developmental delays #but more importantly assuming he wouldn't (read: couldn't. because I KNOW that's what you mean.) end up on the station #You! Star Trek fan! Do you think people with intellectual or learning disabilities are allowed in Starfleet? Answer quickly! :) #sorry I told you I've held onto this for too long. and now I'm a deranged bitch about it :|

[hooved]

honestly the funniest part about the quodo kiss blooper is that kira had like no reaction to it. it just made so much sense that even she just stood there and watched it happen

#also i'm not just saying this as a quodo shipper but if they kept the kiss blooper in it genuinely would've been a better ending for them #i think it would've given them and the audience some actual sense of closure #rather than odo just refusing to let quark hear what he wanted. refusing to admit to him how much he means to him and then just leaving #like literally. after over 10 years of Whatever The Fuck They Had Going On #why not get out all that tension and frustration with one impulsive sloppy passionate kiss. and THEN never see each other again #like rene auberjonois really knew what was up when he decided to go in for that kiss #and armin shimerman Definitely knew what was up when he fucking moaned during it #like. they knew. they Get it. i honestly think it would've been fitting for them to keep it in #especially since quark still says ''that man loves me'' in the final take. and it's true ! he just desperately wanted odo to admit it #and they didn't give him that even after he practically begged for it. and after all he did for him during all those years #quark loves odo so much. genuinely. truly. and whether you personally view that love as platonic or romantic. he LOVES him #and odo even admitted to kira afterwards that he'd miss quark. THEN TELL HIM THAT TO HIS FACE !!!!!!!! #anyway lmao. they drive me fucking insane

[milksnake-tea]

Hi hi hii!

May I have 2, 4, and 7 with Aventurine for the ask game? Have a nice day!

This man has a strong chokehold on me-

- 🪽

nah bro i totally get you that damn blonde im telling you .... him and his little >:3 are permanently etched into my brain .... THANKS FOR THE ASK !!! <3

2. What do you think their love language is?

My first thought was initially words of affirmation or acts of service, but now that I'm thinking about it, I think Aventurine would be a sucker for physical touch. The thing is, I personally believe that Aventurine is heavily touched starved, and a huge part of it is self-inflicted. There have been many times where he wanted to hold your hand, or lean onto your shoulder, or just have his hair played with, but he holds himself back because 1.) it's unprofessional and 2.) does he really want to deal with the implications of his actions? Even with friends (or the closest things he has to friends), he wants to be physically close to them, but he doesn't let himself be. The first time you held his hand, he stiffened like a block of wood. When you hugged him, and held him in his arms, he didn't know how to react - but it wasn't long until he closed his eyes and let himself slump against you.

4. What's an unpopular opinion you have?

i cant believe i have to say this BUT HE IS NOT A WHORE !!!!! Can he be clingy? Yes !! Can he be intentionally irritating and annoying? Yes !!! Can he come across as flirty? ABSOLUTELY. But what he isn't is someone who gives himself away at the drop of a hat. Intimacy and companionship, whether platonic or romantic, is something he desires, absolutely. But that doesn't mean he'll give it to just anyone. He has to respect you, he has to like you, he has to know you inside and out to ensure that you won't take advantage of his vulnerability.

I acknowledge that Aventurine often invites people to stab him in the back, but he does it with the prior knowledge that they'd likely do it, so he isn't surprised about it. But when it comes to true companions, not the "friends" he collects like chips, he needs to be able to trust you in all of your entirety. Yes, he has a very low view of himself, but it's not to the degree where he'd willingly use his body in that way to get what he wants.

7. What kind of person do you think Aventurine wants in a relationship?

The real question is whether or not he'll allow himself the liberty of getting into a relationship in the first place. But if I'm going to be honest, I see Aventurine as someone who values honesty and self-reliance, and admires those who are true to themselves and their ideals despite it all (example: Topaz and Dr. Ratio, both of whom he respects and admires as colleagues). So when it comes to being in a relationship, he doesn't want to stress himself out with the mind games; banter, sure, but he doesn't need another person to tip toe around.

Aventurine would want someone who isn't afraid to ask for what they want, or tell him off when he needs to be, yet is genuine, kind and earnest. He also would want someone who could at least take care of themself - as harsh as it sounds, he can't always be there to protect you, and he needs to know that you'll be okay even if he isn't there (also because he finds strength, both intellectual and physical, to be pretty attractive).

It's kind of sad, though. The kind of people Aventurine finds himself attracted to are often the type who end up disliking him.

2k follower event if you want to participate !!!

#mail 🏵️ #event 🏵️ #honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #hsr #hsr x reader #aventurine #aventurine hsr #aventurine x reader #hsr aventurine #hsr aventurine x reader #x reader #reader insert #y/n #archives 🏵️

[half-an-hour-hence]

As a relatively new fan of the show, one of my favourite things about Ghosts is the range of relationships there are. Media nowadays is so obsessed with romantic relationships and forcing romantic tension between characters where it just doesn’t exist. Ghosts doesn’t do that. Yes, there are canon romantic relationships, but they are either a) pre-established, or b) are set up in a way that feels completely natural. But there are so many more friendships and so much platonic love between the ghosts that is honestly very refreshing to see. Each connection has different unique qualities, whether that be between Julian and Robin, or Fanny and the Captain, or Thomas and Pat - just to name a few. You can really believe that they’re good friends, despite them being from different eras and have completely different world views and personalities. Another relationship I absolutely love is the father-daughter relationship between Kitty and the Captain. They make me cry. The Captain is always there to provide comfort and warmth to Kitty when she doubts herself or is upset, and Kitty in turn teaches the Captain many valuable lessons about learning to appreciate the time he has. They’re such a heartwarming duo and I’ll probably never stop talking about how much I love them.

#i do apologise for the mega long posts about this show #also using the phrase ‘media nowadays’ made me physically ill #bbc ghosts #six idiots #kitty higham #the captain ghosts #julian fawcett #robin ghosts #fanny button #thomas thorne #mary ghosts #humphrey bone #pat butcher

[sugar-grigri]

Fans are Denji's source of unhappiness

First observation: Fumiko is worse than Barem

I don't like making meaningless comparisons, especially in a work like Chainsaw Man where when the characters aren't nuts, they remain at least morally gray. But this comparison makes sense in the sense that the construction of the chapter refers to it. As usual, let's analyze this by following the chapter's chronology.

This one takes place in a funfair, which is not an insignificant location, but we'll come back to that later. These few lines of dialogue already evoke a very simple idea: Denji isn't so stupid that he wouldn't know he was being manipulated. He knows full well that Fumiko was placed in Yoshida's care not to protect him, but to keep a close eye on him, to prevent him from turning and joining the church.

But she tries to disprove all this, evoking the ecstasy one might feel if one were Chainsaw Man. Being Chainsaw Man is also a source of unhappiness for Denji, who corrects her, and Fumiko adapts to his speech, looking for the first negative point that comes to mind. I think it was a real mistake for Fumiko to mention this point, but once again, she adapts to Denji's reaction. He's completely horrified at having been observed in the bathroom, so she shares his negative view of the situation.

She knows that Denji's main objective is sex-related, so she builds on that by downplaying what she's doing. This is fan behavior; fans are sexually obsessed with Denji in the hope that it will delight him. But Fumiko knows no bounds, either ignoring his consent or stalking him, which logically engages Denji's rejection reaction again.

Once again, he perceives the means of manipulation with the word "fan", and rejects it. So far, these experiences have only been negative and intrusive, and even when they have been positive, whether with Asa romantically or Power platonically, the demon of control, another female figure, has put an end to them.

But instead of stopping the manipulation, Fumiko goes on to confirm Denji's words even as they express pure disgust and rejection. For a character who knows absolutely no limits, she may also override stopping this conservation, but she continues with her family history. If public demon hunters know anything about Denji apart from his natural distrust and need for affection, whether sentimental or physical, it's his sensitivity.

I can't say that the story Fumiko tells is a complete lie, just as I can't say that she's telling the truth. She's a hunter, and anything she mentions could well have ended up in a report, especially given the national authorities' interest in the gun demon. But even if her story is true, the tragic aspect, not for her but for Denji, is even stronger.

Fumiko says she lost her parents because of the gun demon, that CSM didn't hear her cries for help. I'd like to remind you that chapter 79, the chapter in which she refers to Aki's death, is dedicated to the trauma of what it means to be Chainsaw Man.

For the demon from the future, Aki died in the worst possible way, not for him, but for Denji. It's clear that the little boy is forcing himself to continue this snowball fight he no longer wants to play.

At first, he tries to reason with Aki, forcing him to wake up, but when he himself is shot trying to spare one of his only loved ones, people won't let him lose. Chainsaw Man is a weapon of vengeance into which everyone projects their frustrations, the deaths of their loved ones. Denji was forced to be resurrected, to kill Aki not for himself, but for the community. Chainsaw Man never acts for himself. If Aki died in the worst way for Denji, it's because his fans, this community, forced him back to life to remove one of his sources of love.

Denji was traumatized by having to win.

Let's be clear: it wasn't Denji who ignored their calls for help, it was they who ignored his.

Isn't it tragic to criticize Chainsaw Man for not hearing Fumiko's cries for help, or the cries of all those people, when he was instead so compelled by them, like a machine that would be reset to kill a loved one ? Chainsaw Man, on the other hand, hears all the pain in the world. This doesn't mean that Denji is altruistic - he isn't. He's closer to amorality than compassion, but like a permanently dehumanized machine, he must serve others. It has no morals, so how can it live for itself ?

That's why what Fumiko says is so paradoxical: saving Denji means finally allowing him to live for himself, granting him the right not to hear all those voices.

She doesn't mean what she says when she says she's never thought of him as a god, but simply as a child in need of protection. She's only setting up a dissident discourse to that of the church, which idealizes him by banking on the part of identity that is Denji, while the church banks on Chainsaw Man. How can someone who is constantly sexually abusing Denji be competent to protect a boy?

This chapter is about setting limits for children. To have access to the merry-go-round, you have to be over 1m10 tall. These clear limits were never set for Denji, either when he was forced to kill Aki or even when he explores his sexuality.

Having killed his father, been martyred by the mafia and then manipulated by a demon, Denji is now at the heart of other vicious circles. He's condemned to being too young an adult, watching over Nayuta like a parent while children play behind him, not enjoying the funfair with friends, a girlfriend, being cloistered on that bench. The bench represents the stagnation in Denji's life, his questioning, placed on the bench of his own life, his name unknown to his fans, his nature instrumentalized, his age ignored.

Denji needs and must be considered with the age he is, a 17-year-old teenager. Yet even this characteristic, even the fact that he's still a child, is ignored by Fumiko, hence her insistence on the word "senpai".

The treatment of Fumiko is good, I find her to be the very embodiment of Denji's sexual trauma in the sense that she constantly manipulates him to play on his interests, and constantly ignores his own desires, his limits.

Fumiko manipulates, hence the emphasis on her outraged expression when Barem interrupts. If Barem's manipulation is more grotesque, it's not to manipulate Denji but to mock Fumiko's strategy. Although it's incredibly more insidious, the weapon has a clear idea of what she's up to.

And yet, in just a few sentences, it's right on target. It's much closer to Denji's reality than to Fumiko's human perspective. Weapons are seen as weapons, machines at the service of humans, whose immortality is a pain, as it leads them to the trauma of always winning.

Barem uses a cigarette, obviously reminiscent of those smoked by Aki, who had given in to Himeko's advances and needed an outlet for his stress. Aki's misfortune is to have spent his life on revenge, living to avenge the dead, not living for himself. The cigarette was his flaw, the proof of his humanity, the one he threw at Denji to spare him the pain of getting involved in the horrible business of hunting demons.

Whether or not it was there to manipulate Denji by reminding him of his older brother, whether or not it was there by chance, it conveyed the same message: proof of the humanity of a man who lived for others. A man who was executed once again for that same community.

This community, Denji's fan club, is the cause of his deepest misfortune. Chainsaw Man has never been so popular, yet Denji has never been alone. Because he's not allowed to have loved ones. Nayuta, too, is proof of this: she wants her brother for herself, and convinces him that he's loved by others by acting under the cover of Chainsaw Man.

That's why Denji's intervention to stop the attack in progress is much less certain. All these fans, this humanity waiting for Chainsaw Man, are the source of his misfortune. Of course the fan club will call Chainsaw Man. What's less obvious...

Will Denji listen to their cries for help?

#csm spoilers #csm 142 #chainsaw man chapter 142 #chapter 142 #csm #csm part 2 #chainsaw man spoilers #chainsaw man #denji #fumiko #fumiko mifune #barem #nayuta #makima #aki #himeno #my thoughts #analysis

[rainerioun]

𝖧𝖮𝖶 𝖣𝖮 𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖸 𝖵𝖨𝖤𝖶 𝖸𝖮𝖴? | 𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝖺 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖽.

— Hello! I thought I'd try and give a more in-depth reading. Interestingly, some of the piles seem to be similar. Perhaps this reading is meant for just a few people. I tried to keep it pretty general and unbiased whether we're talking about platonic or romantic connections, but it seems like there are hints of romantic feelings in all of them. However, if you're inquiring about a friendship or something similar, feel free to take what resonates and ignore the rest. <3

HOW TO CHOOSE A PILE : The outcome may vary based on whether you receive clear messages visually or intuitively. If you resonate more with selecting a pile visually, trust that inclination. Personally, I believe the notion that 'looks can deceive,' so I prefer to take a deep breath and close my eyes, allowing the pile I'm meant to connect with to come to me. You might see the color of the pile, sense or hear a number, or simply feel its overall vibe.

Please don’t redistribute or edit my content.

MUST READ + MASTERLIST

PILE ONE

How Do They View You? King of Wands | Queen of Swords | Death.

To start, this person respects you heavily. They perceive you as someone exuding confidence and leading by example. You've influenced them at the very least. If you're experiencing change or have recently undergone a transformation, they want you to know they're proud of you.

How Do They View You? Dragon : Seeing One's Most True Self, Balancing Ego. | Oyster : Patient, Secret-Keeper, Hiding Inner Treasures.

They see the real you, not just the image you project. If you're shy or uncertain, they want to remind you not to underestimate yourself, and to embrace your genuine beauty and intelligence. They know that everyone else wants to see it too. I believe that they might perceive your confidence as a sort of façade.

How Do They View You? Trickster — Light : Transcending Convention, Stuffiness and Predictable Behavior. Shadow : Manipulating Others Through Duplicity.

I didn't view this card negatively; it felt more like confirmation of what I said earlier. This person understands that you don't reveal everything and perhaps even play a role, though it may not be intentional. They recognize your tendency to use humor as a shield, but they wish you would let them in a bit more because they can see through you already.

How Do They Feel Around You? Determination, Balance, Cleanse, Magic, Protection.

When this person is around you, they experience a sense of balance and comfort. They feel a protective instinct towards you, given what they know about you, or vice versa. They long to express their love and appreciation more openly and receive it in return. Reach out to them more often!

Additional. Photograph : Looking at Your Photos, Missing You, Nostalgia, Make New Memories.

They miss you if there's any current separation or lack of communication. They might even be keeping an eye on you, whether through social media or mutual connections, just to ensure you're doing alright.

Extra: Aquarius, Change, 10, Unique, Libra, Scorpio, Emotions, Bittersweet, Funny, Summer Blues, Phone Call.

Alien Blues : Vundabar | Fine Line : Harry Styles | I Wanna Be Yours : Artic Monkeys.

PILE TWO

How Do They View You? Ten of Wands [Reversed] | Nine of Swords [Reversed] | Knight of Pentacles.

This person acknowledges your ambition but finds it amusing that you can also be a bit absent-minded. It's not meant as an insult but more of a playful tease. They believe you sometimes overlook the risks around you because you're so captivated and excited by what lies ahead, which can come off as slightly immature. It reminds them of a naive child who might need a gentle nudge in the right direction, so you don't leap off the cliff hoping to grab the sun. I can picture someone stumbling clumsily while the other bursts into loud laughter.

How Do They View You? Moth : Impulsive, Hasty, Wishful | Bee : Earnest, Hardworking, Democratic.

I find this dynamic incredibly endearing. They see you as someone goofy or even whimsical. You're sensitive and vibrant, drawing people to you effortlessly, which they appreciate. Sometimes, it seems like they want to slow you down a bit so you don't scurry off too quickly. You give off a jittery vibe at times.

How Do They View You? Rescuer — Light : Provides Strength and Support to Others in Crisis. Acts out of Love with no Expectation of Reward. Shadow : Assumes that the Rescued will Reciprocate. Goddess — Light : The Feminine Expressed through Wisdom, Nature, Life Force and Sensuality. Shadow : Exploitation of the Female Nature and Form.

This person admires your kindness and charm. I can picture them giggling nonstop whenever they're with you. It's as if you have no worries, just frolicking through life carefree.

How Do They Feel Around You? Sweetness, Success, Rejection.

Once more, you're incredibly sweet to them. Normally, they feel content in your company, but there might be moments when they feel rejected. If they've made a move and you've turned them down, that's the reason. They need time to move on and accept that boundary if don't reciprocate their feelings. If not, it's because they've been dropping hints left and right, and you're just too oblivious to pick up on them.

Additional. Stabbed in the Back : Heartbreak, Pain, Separation, Shocking Attack. Camera : Remininscing, Keepsake, Perception, Learn from the Past, Make Memories. Coffee Cup : Meeting and Conversing, Savoring the Moment, Feeling Uplifted, Friendship.

Yeah, they're definitely feeling a bit disheartened that their attempts to win you over aren't hitting the mark or are just going unnoticed. But hey, you don't owe them anything, so no need to feel guilty. Regardless, they want to keep being part of your life, cherishing the friendship you've both formed.

Extra : Pisces, Indecisive, Kind, 7, Individuality, Unique, Communication, Taurus, Leo, Cancer, Junebug, Wheel, Fields.

Dangerously In Love : Beyoncé. | Hanging Your Picture Up To Dry : Cut Worms.

[18+, SUGGESTIVE.]

PILE THREE

How Do They View You? Ace of Swords, Six of Swords, Wheel of Fortune [Reversed].

I wasn't anticipating this kind of reading when I shuffled the cards. I almost reshuffled to get a more generic and 'safe' result, but I decided against it. It seems this person likes you a little more than they probably should. They perceive you as someone incredibly self-assured and inspiring, maybe even a bit out of their league. Yet, despite feeling like they're chasing you, they don't seem to mind the playful challenge and are willing to put in the extra effort to break through your defenses.

How Do They View You? Cheetah : Solar Force, Action, Achievement. | Starfish : Beautiful, Alluring, Superficial or Shallow.

This seems pretty clear-cut, lol. They view you as someone with the potential to reach any goal, maybe because your appearance tends to influence people without you even trying. They're strongly attracted to you, but they're also aware they're not alone in admiring you.

How Do They View You? Queen — Light : Radiates the Regal Feminine. Uses Her Benevolent Authority to Protect Others. Shadow : Becomes Arrogant When Authority Is Challenged. Controlling and Demanding. Hero/Heroine — Light : Passion for a Journey of Personal Empowerment. Shadow : Escapism and a False Sense of Heroism.

They definitely put you on a pedestal in their mind. Sometimes you can get a little sassy or assertive because you're clear about what you want, and they find that irresistible. They truly appreciate the natural authority you exude.

How Do They Feel Around You? Passion, Trust, Hunger.

Do I really need to elaborate? For my own sake, I'll keep it brief. You light a fire within them, and they feel like they cannot control such feelings.

Additional. The Snake : Competition, Enemy, Clever, Malicious, Look Over Your Shoulder, The Other Woman. Kisses : Unconditionally Loving, Giving and Receiving Affection, Falling in Love.

As I mentioned, they feel this urge to compete for your affection with others. They might even experience a twinge of jealousy seeing someone else getting your attention while they're so invested in you. My advice is, if this is a secret admirer or a third-party situation, it's best to tell them where they stand. If you're not interested, it's important not to lead them on. However, if polyamory is part of your dynamic, then there's no need to worry about what I'm saying; it seems like they enjoy the thrill of the chase.

Extra: 6, Virgo, Possessive, Cancer, Fussy, Moon, Emotions, Strong Needs, Candles, Stack of Papers, Show Off, Linger, Lust.

Fields of Elation : Sleep Token | Somebody Else : Bad Omens | Lost in the Fire : The Weeknd.

#metaphysical #occult #tarot #tarot reading #tarot readings #tarot reader #tarot cards #divination #divination reading #oracle #oracle cards #oracle deck #oracle reading #spiritual #spirit #spirituality #pick a card #witch #pac #tarot deck #advice #manifesation #tarot community #rainerioun #how do they see me #how do they view me #how do they feel #romance #friendship #general reading

[edelgarfield]

gods i haven't seen this parallel drawn before but it is something that drives me insane

everyone knows gortash was sold to raphael by his parents and one can only imagine the awful things he went through. and like i don't think it's too far of a stretch to think that abuse plays a heavy role in what led him to bane, how do you avoid being owned and used for other people's gain? by being the one with all the power and bringing them under your heel.

which is the exact same logic that drives astarion towards ascension. hells, the rite is a contract with mephistopheles, raphael's DAD.

imo gortash is a glimpse of exactly what lies in ascended astarion's future. he's the most powerful man in baldur's gate but he's completely alone. he's sold out and alienated every single person that ever cared about him, his power is the very thing that keeps him from ever being able to trust anyone else, all his allies are transactional and based on mutual gain, and one slip up means a knife in his back. durge, seemingly the one person he genuinely cared about, was taken from him because of the power they held. their affection for him put a target on both of their backs. he had all the power he could ever want and it did nothing to save the person he cared about most.

by the time you meet him, he is far far far too gone imo. i'm not even sure whether he cares about how isolated he is, or if he sees it for the weakness it is. if there was ever a time to convince him to choose another path, it is long gone, now he's too entrenched in his own schemes, that even if he WANTED to change (unlikely), it would spell his death.

if you don't ally with him, his isolation is the very thing that kills him; he believes he has no need of flesh and blood allies bc he has an army of tin soldiers to keep him safe. but once you take out the steel watch he's practically defenseless. he's the most powerful man in Baldur's gate, but you can literally just stroll up to his office and kill him on his own turf and no one comes to his aid. if you do ally with him, it's his ambition that puts the final nail in his coffin, his means to dominate the world turns on him and spells his doom.

and this is exactly what we begin to see happen with ascended astarion. his obsession with power and need for control makes him turn a genuine partnership based on love & mutual respect into one based on control. from party banter, we see pretty much all the companions immediately turn on him. these are people who genuinely cared for him & fought for his freedom, but after watching him ascend they wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. and he doesn't even care! he's so entrenched in his own misanthropic worldview that he only sees the power he's gained & not everything it cost him. the cost of ascension isnt just 7000 souls, it's 7000 souls and the love of every single person who could have ever cared for him.

if astarion ascends how long until he bites off more than he can handle? how long until his enemies realize the best way to get to him is through you? how long until all his allies turn on him? (if you choose to control the absolute, the answer is somewhere between a few days and a few weeks). all the power in the world can't protect you from your own hubris and astarion has it in spades.

whether you view durgetash & durgestarion platonically or romantically I see it as two opposing narratives held together with Durge as the lynchpin. durgetash is abt being doomed by that narrative, two people who genuinely cared for each other but were the wrong people at the wrong time to save either of them. had they met earlier, if one of them had been slightly less entrenched in their roles, perhaps they could have been saved, they could have lived and had something real.

& durgestarion is the opposite, had they met any earlier, they would have brought each other to ruin. two doomed people, once beyond saving, meeting at the perfect time and finding the strength in each other to break their chains, to choose a path for themselves. where before durge failed to save gortash (& every person they ever cared for) they can save astarion now (& all their other companions).

& the real tragedy is by the very constraints of the narrative, you cannot save them both. if durgetash hasn't been the people they were, Astarion would never have his chance at freedom, he would've been consumed in cazador's ritual with no one to mourn him. but in order to orchestrate the events that allow astarion his chance at freedom, gortash is long past the point of no return. it takes MULTIPLE extremely unlikely events and literal divine intervention to free Durge from Bhaal's clutches. The chance of the same happening for Gortash is infinitesimally small.

it's abt the cruelty and chaos of the world, how fate, destiny, and chance intersect to either bind us or set us free. it's abt second chances, walking through the ruins of your past mistakes & choosing to build something from the rubble, it's abt how love & loss are two sides of the same coin, how sometimes the only choice available is to love, & that love won't save you, but it's there and it leaves its mark.

thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #enver gortash #durgestarion #durgetash #bg3 spoilers

[lunar-wandering]

alright, i'll do it.

I'll go off the deep end over the argument scene

First and foremost: they're kinda both in the wrong, obviously. But also kinda both in the right?

Macaque, is in the right for being upset that Wukong didn't listen to him, that Wukong drove himself to this point, etc etc. He, even, is not the one to start this argument, and instead approached peacefully, and attempted to leave when he was getting irritated. It was Wukong that pushed him over the edge into blowing up at him.

He even leaves afterwards, which, actually, is technically the right course of action. In a healthy relationship (platonic or romantic) it'd be best to give both parties time to cool off, and then return and discuss the issues calmly to find a solution.

The main problem is; they don't do this. Macaque doesn't come back, and Wukong doesn't cool off.

On the other hand, Wukong is in the right for being mad, mad that Macaque isn't working to free him (cause, from his position, it sure seems like he isn't), and is instead 'wasting time'. Mad that Macaque would dare to say he was dragged into a mess when he isn't the one trapped under a mountain. (On some level, mad at himself, likely, for letting all this happen).

He, of course, doesn't have the choice to leave, so instead he's left.

The core issue here, as is usual with most relationships shown in media; is their lack of communication. Wukong didn't truly listen to Macaque, and Macaque was too upset to understand Wukong's side of the issue.

...And they let this fester.

Of course, this isn't the end of the falling apart between them. No, there's more to this, the show makes this adamantly clear with MK trying to get Macaque to tell him "what happened between them".

Things continued after this, this was just the barest tipping point.

So. Macaque (probably) didn't come back.

We don't know why. We don't know if it was his choice, based on hearing Wukong yell that he "never wants to see your face again", or if it wasn't his choice, if something else happened.

So Wukong is left alone.

It is shown, in Journey to the West, that Wukong is prone to anger.

Quite usually, this is his response to most situations that upset him (followed later by crying), anger and destruction is usually his first response.

Whether viewed under an "autistic Wukong" lense or a "traumatized Wukong" lense, this makes perfect sense.

It's even shown in the show, if you look at the early pieces of flashback art that show bits of the Journey, you can see that Wukong looks pissed in most of them, and that he slowly starts to look happier as the images go on, as, in the story, he worked on this issue, and got better, less angry, less prone to immediately resort to violence.

(Notably, as far as I remember, the tipping point for when he slowly starts becoming less violent literally is the Macaque Chapter. Interesting, huh?)

Wukong, likely, logically knows that there was nothing Macaque could do to free him. Emotionally, though?

He's going to be upset the next time he sees him. And when he's upset, he's prone to anger.

Macaque, on the other hand, is going to see Wukong, with the Journey to the West group, slowly becoming a better person, old parts of him returning, creating someone new. Wukong... changed for these people, he listens to them.

But not for him. Wukong didn't change for him, and he never listened to him.

So. They meet again. We're not sure how. We don't know if that whole thing of Macaque pretending to be Wukong and attacking the JTTW gang is still actually a thing in Monkie Kid. It's possible he might do it out of jealousy, but we're not sure if it happens.

Maybe Macaque came to Wukong for help. Maybe Wukong, still mad about being left behind, refused. (I consider this possible based on the the way the special shows Macaque when MK says that "Monkey King would try to save us if one of us was trapped" + his reaction to MK saying he'd never abandon his friend in s3ep10. It's possible he's regretting not trying harder to free Wukong, but...)

We don't know.

What we do know is, they fought, and Wukong, in the end, successfully killed Macaque.

A Key thing this show hasn't brought up though is... how.

Shadow Play, vaguely, implies that it might've been via his Kaiju Form.

Notably, we are now at the point where Wukong, who, once again notably, has the most memorable Kaiju Form within the story of Journey To The West, is the only one of the three monkeys in this show who hasn't used their Kaiju Form.

We've been told, quite a few times, actually, that Wukong is holding back.

He held back against Nezha. He held back in episode 9, in the fight against Macaque. Even when he was possessed he wasn't using his full power- we're outright told that Wukong was fighting her control the whole time- he couldn't do that while also going at full power.

We've never seen Wukong go all out in the show.

...Why?

Why would the most powerful character, of all time, not use that power to defeat world-ending threats? Why would he choose to not pull out all the stops?

...

("You can't just ignore your power because you're afraid of it.")

Why else, would he not be using his full power, if it wasn't what killed his best friend?

#Monkie Kid #LMK S4 Special Spoilers #LMK S4 English Special Spoilers #LMK Spoilers #Monkie Kid Spoilers #(holds up sword) if i see ANYONE. bashing EITHER of them on this post. you're getting a one way ticket to stab zone. #they're both flawed characters and they're both WORKING ON IT. don't judge them on their past actions #judge them on how they are NOW. they're both reconciling #they're SLOWLY reconciling. #that's GOOD. that's what they SHOULD be doing. taking things slow. #they definitely need to have a full heart to heart talk when they're ready #but what they have rn in canon is definitely a good starting point

[adrianasunderworld]

​Housewardens X Chubby!reader

This has been sitting in the drafts for ages. But for all my fellow Plus size Twst fans out there. 

This isn’t light hearted in tone like the Obey Me one, but even so, I hope you enjoy.

Just like with the Obey Me one, I do mention body insecurities concerning weight. 

Riddle

Riddle is the one who has a lot to unpack. With his moms obsessive calorie counting and portion sizing, I wouldn’t be surprised if she had instilled in Riddle the idea the being over the average weight=the worst thing you can be. Riddle may not be rude to your face about it. But you can feel the judgment.

After his Overblot and realizing he was wrong and needing to mellow out a bit, is when he realized how horribly he had misjudged you. If you had been purposefully avoiding him so as not to deal with his bullshit, Riddle will apologize with you the first chance he gets, because who knows when the next chance will be? 

Over all Riddle has come a long way since coming to NRC, and he is your #1 defender. He will not hear any rudeness towards you. It is off with the heads of anyone that wants to make a comment about your weight or anyone else who is also plus size for that matter. 

Leona

In his homeland it’s actually viewed as a good thing to have extra weight. A bit of a hold over from the olden days of famine when people still lived off the land. Caring more weight meant you were taken care of and nowadays it’s a cute trait. So Leona does not mind at all, and has no qualms telling you he likes it.

You will be a pillow for this asshole. If you find him napping somewhere, you will be dragged down and have him lay on your stomach. 

Pretty much all of the guys from the Sunset Savanna are in the same boat as Leona for the as mentioned above reason. So they’re all cool, and if anyone ever bullies you for being plus size, you can call up one of them. 

Azul

Azul is the one that well and truly gets it. When you vent or recount a story about how the store carried nothing in your size. The times you felt the judgmental eyes of others. Or when you had to get off a ride because the seatbelt was a touch too small to buckle. It’s been a few years since Azul had been in your position, but that fat kid he was never truly left him in the back of his mind. Sure some of the other housewardens may be sympathetic, but Azul is the one that really understands how horrible it can all feel.

It’s one of two things with Azul. Either you are someone like him, who is self conscious and wants to loose weight, he’ll help and share tips on what helped him. (For a modest fee of course) On other hand, if you are comfortable and confident in your skin, Azul has a level of respect for you, and even a bit jealous. Your prior surroundings had not been cruel enough to you where you had endure the mockery he did. And if you were bullied for your weight, you didn’t allow it to break you. That quality alone is something Azul admires in you. In a way it makes him wonder how he would have been if his environment had been kinder to him.

Azul will not tolerate anyone who is rude to you for your weight. Even if it doesn't matter to you, it does to him. He’s not projecting, what? You’ll find minor annoyances like that start go away after awhile. If you ever comment on it he’ll simply go, “Oh really? I hadn’t noticed. But it so much nicer without people like that yapping away when they're not wanted?”

Kalim

It has genuinely never occurred to Kalim. Well, not occurred but rather it’s not something he thinks about. Like he knows you're chubby, but he doesn't pay it much mind. If you’re some who is on the shy side, he has a knack for making you comfortable. If you’re more extroverted, you’ll get along with him phenomenally.

Kalim unabashedly adores you. He gives his affection you, whether that be platonic or romantically, without any thought. You’re one of his favorite people. 

If Kalim did have comment about your chubbyness, it is always positive. Boy loves to hug and cuddle you, he loves it. Give him all the snuggles.

Vil

Despite how Vil will diet at at the slightest sign of weight gain, he doesn’t expect that of you, that is just what he puts on himself. Unless you are part of something liek the VDC training camp, Vil will never impose his strict diet or routines onto you if that is not what you want, and you will never hear him comment on it either.

Vil doesn’t really care about you being on the plump side, what he does care about is whether or not you are making any effort. You know he doesn’t take sloppiness. If you tell him you have trouble shopping for your size, Vil will find something. 

Overall, despite being in a very vain industry and the rigid beauty standards he hold himself to, Vil has met many talented and gorgeous people of all shapes and sizes. So he views you in that same regard: Someone wonderful that he cares about dearly.

Idia

Let’s be honest, Idia does not care. If anything you guys are on opposite ends of the spectrum, you’re chubby (and if you’re short too like me, welcome to the club) and then you have this tall lanky mf. If anything Idia wishes he could gain a little weight so he can stop being called a radish sprout. 

 If you and Idia are romantically involved in some way, expect your thighs to be his new obsession. Even if you are not together and it’s just a crush on his part, he’s going to be thinking about it. He would like very much to have to have his head in your lap please. 

Unironically calls you “Thicc AF”. I will let you decide for yourself if that is an endearing quality or not.

Malleus

Like Kalim, Malleus Doesn’t really care nor think about it. Fae don’t really have the same concept of fatphobia or body image issues like humans do. Plus a some very famous fairies are also on the more plump side. Malleus doesn’t really care. If you are self conscious about being chubby or tell him that other people are, this is all news to him. 

But it’s one of those things that, once you bring it to his attention, Malleus finds he likes those qualities about you. Whether that is in general or jsut because they are your traits remains to be seen. But Malleus finds he enjoys holding you, or laying on your stomach, lap, or chest if you will allow it. (Romantically or if you guys are just close like that.) 

If people gave you crap about your weight, you will find that is no longer a  problem, because no one wants the ire of a dragon for bullying his child of man.

#twisted wonderland #twst x reader #riddle rosehearts #leona kingscholar #azul ashengrotto #kalim al asim #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #malleus draconia #twst x chubby reader #riddle x reader #leona x reader #azul x reader #kalim x reader #vil x reader #idia x reader #malleus x reader #twst headcanons

[vesora]

dealing with fear of abandonment through LOA + general tips

personal backstory / long post ahead

“Change your conception of yourself and you will automatically change the world in which you live. Do not try to change people; they are only messengers telling you who you are. Revalue yourself and they will confirm the change.” ― Neville Goddard, Your Faith is Your Fortune

as a child, my needs were not met and therefore, i developed a schema that people were meant to disappoint me and leave me and my relationships, both platonic and romantic reflected EXACTLY that.

countless times, i was ‘left’ without any reason, always strengthening the notion i had always felt that people were meant to abandon me. even if i was close to someone, i would still engage in self-sabotaging behaviours when i felt disappointed by the expectations i had set for them. feeling this lack of control when it came to relationships because i was so deathly afraid of being left alone; of disappointing the other. not putting myself first because i felt the only sense of worth i had was through whether another found me worthy. this is all very hard for me to say of course, im a private person but i felt maybe someone at least needed to hear this. my parent would be nice at one point and disinterested in the other, i felt i had to work to gain their approval and for them to be nice to me all the time. i needed them to view me as perfect, so they wouldn’t leave me. but guess what guys? thats stupid, bcos fuck perfection.

in my abandonment activation strategies/self-sabotaging behaviours, my body would go into a state of desperation, in dire need of any sort of relief and safety, crying my heart out because i was so scared, leaving people because i was scared of being left first. being scared i was being clingy by asking for reassurance which in turn sends me into another frenzy, isolating myself from people so i have no chances to be hurt, feeling resentment when someone doesnt meet my expectations/needs through no fault of their own. my inner child would just take over my body, repeating the same distress i experienced as a kid. 

but i am not a kid anymore. i am a well-functioning adult and i cannot continue this abandonment schema. so what do i do?

i use loa. 

how to use loa + general tips for this:

recognise that everything and everyone is you pushed out. your relationships play out the way you assume they will. this is not to say at all what happened when you were a child was your fault. we are not to blame. our needs were simply not met.

change the way you view relationships, no matter how hard it may be. if everyone is just us, how can anyone else abandon us? not even that, why would anyone leave us? we are amazing and fun and good people

be someone YOU are proud of, irrespective of what other people think. all is mind, so why do you think you need to impress someone who’s just another part of you? a part that can easily be molded

you are not clingy. you are not desperate. you are not unworthy. you are not unlovable. repeat affirmations that you are lovable. that you deserve to have your needs met. that everyone meets your needs. that you never feel abandoned. that you love yourself unconditionally. YOU are on the pedestal, NOT anyone else.

if someone is emotionally unavailable, this DOES NOT mean they do not love or care about you! they might be busy, not be well-versed with showing emotions in a healthy way, express their love in a different way than yours or they may simply be going through something in their lives right now. 

when this happens, you can talk to the person about it and usually in my experience, the person understands and reassures me that they still love me and that we are okay. if a person is not willing to make sure you are okay, maybe rethink their position in your lives. you are the pedestal, not them. now just because someone reassures you doesn’t mean you don’t work on yourself. you do work on yourself through LOA and useful strategies.

take deep belly breaths when you feel yourself get triggered. it is okay. you are going to be okay, i promise. the next day im sure you will feel fine. it is not the end of the world, i promise you. the world IS you. just change it.

reassure your inner child and your adult self that you are okay now. you are the best version of yourself right now. you are safe. you are secure. you are not in danger. your life is in YOUR hands. YOU are in control. YOU created this life. the only way to change it is within.

if you feel impatient and you want things to change IMMEDIATELY, i.e. when youre having a panic attack, take deep breaths and remember this is temporary. remember you are in control of what happens but also do not be attached to any outcome, just have faith that everything works out in your favour.

if you feel resentment when someone doesn’t meet your expectations, do NOT use strategies to hurt them or leave them. just calm down and view them with a gaze of love. transmute this feeling of resentment and abandonment to love and understanding, you can even visualise it. they still love you, you can manifest them to love you the way you want to idk but still they love you! don’t try to make them jealous, don’t distance yourself, don’t do whatever you do to get ‘revenge’ idk, it is NOT healthy. it only hurts YOU in the end. plus, LOA dictates the way people act with you is a reflection of yourself, so all you need to do is change self.

no matter what, KNOW you are loved. even if your body is freaking out and wants to flee, tell yourself in the moment it will pass. it has to. your trauma trigger reactions are NOT you. 

it may be hard to believe that someone loves you. for me, i felt like i was delusional. that i was kidding myself, because how dare i assume someone loves me? that’s why i kept seeking external reassurance for any semblance of love because i was not giving that reassurance to myself internally. and when someone didn’t give me that reassurance in the 3d, i’d freak out, even though i had manifested it unknowingly. how can i go to the 3d and ask for love when everything, good and bad, is within me? as the creator, how can i not tell myself i am worthy of love and that people close to me love me? how can i not believe that when all is me? it is a bit stupid to think like that, no? well i did, and to an extent i still do. but i’m recovering. i deserve to live a life where i am not constantly afraid. i deserve to live a life where i can speak with confidence that someone loves me. it is hard for me, even now, but i know i will get through it, as will you. 

let’s be brazenly impudent together, shall we?

“Dare to believe in the reality of your assumption and watch the world play its part relative to to its fulfillment.” ― Neville Goddard

#abandonment issues #abandonment #fear of abandonment #attachment #anxious attachment #attachment anxiety #trauma response #loa #law of assumption #neville #neville goddard #law of attraction #law of belief #manifest #manifestation #manifesting #consciousness #psychology #awareness

[thefabledpheasant]

I watched a video of Jensen ackles opinion on the scene in 7x17 where Dean returns Cas’ coat, and he said it was out of character for Dean to have it folded up like that. Which I thought was really interesting because I disagree completely. Dean, as a character, is extremely emotional. He feels a lot and he cares a lot and so much so, that he has to repress so much of it to get through his life.

Whether you ship Destiel or not, Dean obviously cared tremendously about Cas. During Cas’ very brief stint as Emmanuel, Dean tells him: “I used to be able to just shake this stuff off. You know, whatever it was. It might take some time, but... I always could. What Cas did... I just can't - I don't know why.”

While I do interpret this as an indication of his romantic feelings for Castiel, either way, this line is Dean stating very obviously that what happened with Castiel has been weighing very heavily on him and he thinks about it a lot. It also shows just how deeply he cared for Castiel.

The trench coat is the last thing left of this person he cares about. What’s he supposed to do with it? He wouldn’t throw it away. THAT’S out of character. I think it’d be in character for Dean to burn the coat as as a final goodbye, the traditional hunters funeral, but it’s canon that a part of Dean believed Cas would come back. The line is in the promo for the episode and Jensen & Misha even mention it being in the original script. Which means no burning the coat.

Then what is he going to do with it? He wouldn’t just throw it somewhere haphazardly. When you lose someone, you treat whatever is left of them with the love you have for the person that’s gone. That’s grief. So, OF COURSE he folded it nice and neatly. I don’t think it’s out of character at all.

When it comes to the fact that he had the coat with him in a stolen car, that’s when we definitively cross the threshold into romantic territory. I think the place the coat made the most sense, from a platonic perspective, is stored somewhere in either their cabin or Bobby’s house.

Dean had to constantly, purposefully transfer this coat from stolen car to stolen car. The coats only purpose is to remind him of Cas. It’s not like the coat actually does anything. Cas doesn’t NEED the coat, so it’s not like he kept it on him at all times because it’s important that Cas have the coat if he were to come back.

I don’t personally think it is out of character for Dean to do what he did. I think Jensen thinks it’s out of character because he viewed the whole thing as romantic and doesn’t believe Dean is in love with Cas. And while I agree the whole thing feels romantic, I don’t think the act of folding the coat neatly is inherently romantic or out of character. It’s just grief.

#supernatural #cw supernatural #dean x cas #dean winchester x castiel #deancas #castiel x dean #dean x castiel #dean winchester #castiel #destiel #spn 7x17 #born again identity #spn #spn meta #supernatural meta #The Born-Again Identity #mine

[ramen8008]

I LOVE aged up Ladynoir dynamic because they are more mature and understand each other to a level that just AHHH!

One of my oldest and most loved Ladynoir head-canons basically goes like this:

Where as they grow older, they grow closer but especially during the time where the og friend group kinda separates because of college and Marinette being Marinette is like "you know what? not having close friends with me helps me focus on college AND ladybug" but she still NEEDS SOMEONE (whether she knows it at the moment or not) .

It gets tougher, the akumas evolve into causing more mental and emotional damage than physical, hawkmoth grows to understand that with their age and jobs it's easier to target their mind. During this time they've grown more independent than they should have. So one night they talk, they explain their situation, they vent to each other and decide that the comfort they feel with one another can't be compared to anything else. That maybe the other is more than just a work friend that they joke with, more than just someone they only see during the most stressful times of the day, maybe it's easier to find a best friend in someone who you've known for most your life, who you've been through thick and thin with, who understands you in ways most might never. So Chat Noir and Ladybug grow closer and closer.

They rant about college and work (Adrien works in his father's company now and did a business course so he doesn't have to model and Marinette has an Etsy shop on the side). They get close and have random night talks where they talk about things no one but them and the night sky will ever hear. Everything they go through as heroes, the ups and downs, and they also talk about fun stuff, learn more about each other, finding out that chat is a part of multiple fandoms, that Ladybug has a horrible bed head and hates that chat doesn't, that they more are more of a romantic at heart than they want to admit. But they also talk about just the struggles and anxiety that comes with their jobs, just how messed up what they went through as kids is now that they see it from an adults point of view, but they also just laugh it off, joke about the trauma some fights inflicted. Nightmares that keep them up, hopes they are too scared to say out loud, sometimes even the fear of losing purpose if hawkmoth is defeated.

There's so much more too. They have the kind of friendship where they make jokes and promises into the night about how if they are always going to be single because of their jobs they'll just get married in their superhero costumes. How ladybug is going to love making chat's kids little clothes and how chat is going to make sure that ladybug gets time with her future partner whenever there's an akuma by handling it for her. All the while not knowing that their feelings for each other keep on growing and growing. It's so huge that it feels like their hearts will combust but it's also constant to the point that they get used to it.

It hits them like a truck yet it's so slow, maybe just talking one night and it hits them that they can't imagine life without the other, that they want the other in a way that's more than what they ever thought, no they've thought of it before, they've jokes about it but never acknowledged the truth this jokes had in them, never acknowledged that over time they became to lean on each other more than just in battles, they became each others partners in more than just fights against akumas, more than in a platonic way. They've always loved each other but their love had grown into something much stronger

P.s. thx @rosekasa for reigniting my Ladynoir head canons and now I'm on a journey to go through all my head canons 🤍

#oh wow #okay then #i wanted to post this a while ago but i wanted ro do this right #I LOVE LADYNOIR #thanks for coming to my ted talk #thanks for coming to my rant #miraculous #mlb #chat noir #ladybug #ship #adrien #marinette #ladybug and chat noir #chat #ladynoir #ladybug x chat noir #ladybug x chat

[an-au-blog]

wait, I'm cooking, zosan on the menu:

In my mind, all the strawhats tell each other they love each other all the time. It's a normal thing for them. Even if some of them thought it was weird at first, they got used to it and started saying it back as well. It was mainly because Luffy says it to all his nakamas and they can tell he actually means it.

Normalizing verbal affirmation is great, but also causes a domino effect.

One day Zoro finally decides to tell Sanji he loves him. And Sanji acts like it's a normal thing. "Okay, love you too, man. So?"

Zoro desperately wants to explain but he can't find the proper words and Sanji just gets more confused. He already told him he knew, what more could he want? Zoro keeps telling him it's the other word, because in Japanese there's different words for "love". But Sanji is french and there's only one word for "love", whether platonic or romantic is the same. So he assumed he wanted to offend him.

After the time skip, somewhere during the Wano arc he hears the same word Zoro used while having that conversation. So he finally asks and finds out.

Suddenly, after finding that out, Sanji starts to recall all their interaction, viewing them through new eyes.

#zosan #one piece zosan #zoro x sanji #sanji x zoro #op

[sodasa-was-taken]

How subtle is the romance of G-Witch really: The language of romance and the bias in interpretation

First of all, I want to express my gratitude for all the feedback I've received. You guys are awesome. When I posted my first analysis, I had no idea how it would be perceived. Throughout my life, I've mostly been met with confusion, if not a bit of curiosity, when I've told people about my fascination with the romance genre. Even people who like the genre don't treat it with the respect I do but rather see it as something they can turn their brains off to. I was scared that people who saw my analysis would think that G-Witch, I dunno, had too much else going on to be considered a romance. I can't tell you all how validating it's been to get this much praise for writing about one of my biggest passions. Thank you so much.

This post is less an analysis of G-Witch as it's an exploration of the hypocrisy in how straight and gay romances are interpreted even by the queer community. I've engaged with a lot of female/male romances, especially when I was younger and thought I was straight, so it's quite surreal seeing similar stories being interpreted vastly differently based only on whether the main characters are queer or not.

There's been a lot of discussion about how explicit same-sex relationships in fiction should be. Many agree that the minimum for the characters to be unambiguously into each other is for them to kiss. That would be an ideal metric if the same applied to a man and a woman being into each other. It does not. For the vast majority of history, since people first started portraying characters in romantic relationships, explicit depictions of physical affection between those characters haven't been a thing. Depicting that sort of thing didn't become commonplace until the 20th century. For example, you would be hard-pressed to find any of the somewhat indecent positions Miorine and Suletta get into in a Jean Austin novel. Like, usually in a platonic hug, you lay your head on someone's shoulder or clavicle, and Miorine's burying her face in the upper part of Suletta's cleavage. How scandalous!

Of course, these views are centuries old, and the expectations of what should be included in a story about people getting together have changed drastically since then. Except in a lot of ways, it hasn't. Especially in manga, light novels, and anime, it can take real-life years for two characters to show affection through physician touch. Still, it’s expected that the characters are or will become attracted to one another and that they’ll end up together before the end of the story. Unless they’re the same gender, where not only is that not an expectation, but due to tropes such as Bury Your Gays, people are more likely to think one of them is going to die. That’s messed up. Being a main character in a romance or something adjacent shouldn’t be a death sentence for any character. Then there’s the fact that same-sex couples-to-be in fiction can be as forward as they want in their physical and verbal affections. Still, a straight couple-to-be that does nothing but bigger or just be the most prominent characters in their respective genders will still be perceived as less ambiguous. A man and a woman who get a bit flustered around each other are hopelessly in love. Yet, two girls sharing an intimate hug after a conversation about how neither wants their engagement to just be a transaction; that’s “totally platonic.”

Better yet, Hollywood has fine-tuned this to the point that the male and female leads only need to look at each other for about five seconds, and it’s enough to infer that they’re attracted to each other. This has become so ubiquitous that people have gotten confused when the leads are implied not to have gotten together despite having shown zero romantic intent. Having the character show romantic intent isn’t generally considered a requirement for them to end up together in a Hollywood film. No, seriously. All this is to say that literary and visual shorthand have always been and continue to be a major part of romances. Yet, the bar is much higher when it comes to the confirmation that two characters of the same gender are into each other. An author can use the exact same narrative tools that have become a staple of female/male romances/romantic subplots, and someone will tell you you're being led on for picking up on them.

The main reason for the high standards placed on same-sex couples is the desire for representation. If straight couples are allowed to or even expected to kiss at some point in the story, the same should be the case for same-sex couples. That said, kissing neither is nor should be the be-all and end-all of good representation. Yeah, straight couples get to kiss and have sexual relationships, but by all accounts, a significant amount of straight representation is absolutely abysmal. Lots of straight romances reek of sexism, outdated gender roles, and stereotyping, are toxic, and straight-up have a reputation for romanticizing abuse. If kissing or an “I love you” is the metric to which good representation is judged, two straight people who have zero chemistry or are downright abusive would be better representation than a same-sex couple whose relationship is built on mutual respect and support but who doesn't get to kiss or say “I love you” and that's ridiculous.

It’s also worth noting how people who tell others they’re crazy for seeing a queer story where according to them, there aren’t any, get characterized as needing to see something explicit to pick up that a story is or even just be interpreted as a queer romance. The thing is, most of these people aren’t dense; they’re willfully ignorant. They can pick up on the signs just as easily as they can in male/female romances; they’re choosing not to, even if it’s likely an unconscious decision. There seems to be a need among queer people to have depictions in media that even bigots can’t deny are queer. Why though? Representation is vital in helping to normalize the existence of various types of people, but for so many queer people, it just doesn’t seem to be enough. So what if some people wouldn’t get it unless the characters kiss? Those people will just start complaining about how they’re having queerness forced down their throats, and that’s their problem. There’s so much more to the queer experience than displays of physical affection, and this representation gatekeeping isn’t helping anyone. Normalizing same-sex couple kissing is important, but normalizing people of the same gender kissing is only going to normalize the kissing itself. If, for example, two people of the same gender get to kiss and then one of them gets killed off, that's the opposite of normalizing same-sex relationships.

Pulling from my own experiences, I've never been told that there was anything wrong with two people of the same gender kissing. Still, I saw same-sex relationships as inferior and believed being in one couldn't give me the life I wanted. I tried so hard to convince myself that I was straight and was only attracted to someone with a different gender presentation than me – because I was also an egg who told myself I was wrong for feeling uncomfortable for being referred to as my assigned gender at birth. Honestly, I thought that I would be happier if I didn’t even entertain the idea of getting together with someone with the same gender presentation as me. So, imagine how much it meant to me to see a show about two girls where one of them didn’t even think that getting engaged to another girl was an option, both of them having young men interested in them but asking each other to spend their life with them, and ending the show being married and being all the happier for being with the other. That's the kind of representation I've been looking for.

On a less serious note, I’d like to share an antidote from when I watched episode one for the first time. When Suletta sees someone floating around in space who appears to be in danger I didn’t initially consider that the person in question might be Miorine. The visuals planted the idea in my mind and the thing that confirmed it was the framing of the two inside Aerial’s cockpit. I couldn’t explain what I was picking up on, but to me, it was a dead giveaway.

#queer representation #mobile suit gundam the witch from mercury #the witch from mercury #g witch #sulemio #suletta x miorine #love is love and film language is film language #when the visuals dialogue and music all suggest something romantic is happening how subtle is it really?

[lovelybrooke]

Yandere Strawhats x Reader

A/N: It's pretty obvious that I'm currently hyperfixating, and I really wanted to write this. These headcanons will only involve Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Sanji, and Robin since I'm not caught up on the anime yet. I promise that once I am, I will write an updated version. It's also your choice on whether or not the relationships are platonic or romantic (except for Chopper, he's definatley platonic). Likes and reblogs are appreciated. Enjoy!

You knew you were in a for a wild ride when some goofy boy basically demanded you to join his rag tag group of pirates, but you never expected it to be this bad.

You barely have time alone once you join the Strawhat crew. Whether its Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper demanding you to play and joke around with them, Sanji wanting you to help him cook, Zoro wanting to train with you, or Robin and Nami wanting to read with you, alone time is a thing of the past.

Everyone is extremely overprotective of you. No matter how much train or how strong you are, they are always going to prioritize your safety above all else. Any time a fight is brewing, one of them is there to pull you away. You could be there, beating your opponent's ass, and they will still take you away from battle and finish what you started.

Obviously, you are very annoyed with this, since you spend so much time training with Zoro, only to never actually use what you learned. You've tried talking to Luffy about it, but it never goes anywhere. All he does is tell you not to worry and that it's their job to protect you.

Speaking of Luffy, it's well known that he's protective of his crewmates, willing to fight for any of them, however if it comes to you, it's like his protectiveness is 10 times more. Where you go, he goes, and vice versa. He's constantly watching you, even when on the safety of the Going Merry. Even when you're with the others, Luffy is still attached to your hip. You could be reading with Robin and he's hovering over your shoulder, constantly asking questions about what you're reading.

If you somehow not with Luffy, you're with one of the others. You spend a lot of Zoro either napping or training, both of which he considers bonding time. Alone, Zoro is pretty quiet, so you usually go to him when you want to do something that requires peace and quiet. If you're working on something that doesn't require his help, he will most likely fall asleep, but don't be fooled. He will definitely tell if someone else tries to take you away from him.

Nami is like your big sister, and you spend a lot of your time complaining about the others to her. She's proud that you trust her enough to tell her anything, but she's definitely telling the others anything noteworthy that you tell her. She likes to shop with you, and you're one of the few people she will spend her money on

You are Sanji's favorite person. He cares about you above all else, and whenever anything goes wrong, he always worrying about you. He's constantly giving you compliments, praising you about everything you do, even if it's something stupid, which most of the time it is. He takes any insult to you personally and will defend your honor with your life. He doesn't like it when his time with you is interrupted and will go as far as bribing the others with food to get more time alone with you. He likes to spend time cooking with you, since it's one of his favorite activities, and will constantly be cooking your favorite meals.

Usopp deep down is afraid that you will view him as a coward, so even though he doesn't like it, he is constantly lying about his abilities to you, even though most of the time you see right through him. He's actually fine with other people spending time with you while you're with him. Will he very much cares for you, he doesn't view you as an object to own and control, and he just wants you to be happy. Because of this, he is often the one who bails you out when you're tired with the others however he will team up with Luffy and Chopper when he wants to hang out with you.

Chopper knows he's cute and will use it to get you to spend time with him. Chopper loves that you don't view him as a monster, but also wishes he could protect you like the others. He constantly worried about you getting hurt, and constantly does routine checkups on you to make sure you aren't sick. Whenever there's a big battle you are the first-person on Chopper's mind, and even if you had no involvement with the fight, he is checking you over, making sure there is nothing at all wrong with you. Since you don't get involved in battles often, he teaches you a lot about medicine, viewing you as sort of an apprentice. He likes to infodump on you and appreciates having someone who listens. He knows he isn't as the others, so will often spend time with you when Luffy or Usopp is with you, even if he doesn't like sharing.

Robin wants to know everything about you, even down to the small minute details. She asks a lot of questions and expects you to give very detailed answers. Like Nami, she uses the fact that you trust he so much to her advantage and isn't afraid to use what you tell her against you. Unlike the others who like to horde information about you to their self, she will go straight to Luffy is she gets even a whiff that you planning to escape or leave the crew in any way. She isn't all that bad though, she won't spill all your secrets, choosing to keep some to herself just in case. In terms of hanging out, she likes to read with you. You've developed a book club with her and will buy books from the island you visit and share them with each other. It's one of the few things you look forward to. The others have tried to join, but Robin always refuses.

Most of the time, the Strawhats get along well, rationing out time together and working hand in hand to protect you. Sometimes you question why you even joined the Strawhats when you don't really do anything, but whenever you see Luffy come back from a fight, blood all over his face and a faraway look in his eyes, and he comes straight to you, asking for a hug, you understand.

There's been a few times when you were somehow hurt in battle, and in some ways it's more terrifying than death. All the Strawhats are willing to put their lives on the line for you and waste no time in eradicating anyone who lays even a finger on you.

Leaving the crew isn't an option. You have the world's most dangerous pirates obsessing over you, there's no chance of escaping. Even if you give a good reason, it's in one ear and out the other for Luffy. He just ignores you when you beg to leave and tells you that you're a Strawhat, and Strawhat's stay together.

#yandere #yandere one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x you #gender nuetral reader #straw hats x reader #one piece strawhats #monkey d. luffy #monkey d. luffy x reader #roranoa zoro #zoro x reader #nami one piece #nami x reader #vinsmoke sanji #sanji x reader #tony tony chopper #captain usopp #usopp x reader #nico robin #nico robin x reader #Yandere strawhats #yandere x reader #soft yandere #anime fanfic

[weepingchronicles]

platonic yandere best friend headcanons

a/n: hi everyone :) im working on requests but it might take awhile since I've been busy. I just wanted to do this short lil post since I had the idea tw/cw: yandere behavior, stalker behavior, taking of ones belongings?

Platonic yandere friends are so special to me since they toe the line of what's normal in a friendship but are able to get away with more, I feel like? You share everything with your friends, your deep thoughts, your inner self that even your s/o and parents don't know about.

Partly I believe this is because they're your equals and you just feel more comfortable sharing stuff like that because your parents are more authority figures and sharing everything with your s/o might be embarrassing, at least to me.

You become very close with your new friend, to the point you don't even remember how you guys met and became so close. I think yandere best friend easily weasels their way into your life, gaining personal information that you've never told anyone before, yet told them.

Stuff like this creates a very tight bond, when you share trauma and embarrassing things you feel like you've known yandere best friend your whole life

And everything is great, until...

For the purpose of this post, let's say you have other friends, maybe not as close as yandere best friend but friends nonetheless! Yandere best friend is tolerant of your other friends, maybe even friends with them too, but all of that friendliness disappears if they feel threatened in the position as YOUR one best friend.

It starts off as nitpicking, waiting for them to mess up somehow.

Wow, they canceled on you that one time? That's rude. They don't invite you to everything and everywhere they go!? That is so shady!

Once they truly mess up somehow, coincidental or not, yandere best friend tells you to cut them off. Which you do, because they're your best friend! They're just looking out for you.

Yandere best friend is very possessive and protective of you! They might be the 'mom friend' but literally only for you. They even carry a separate bag for you in case anything happens.

You get hurt? Here's a band aid. Forgot perfume or need any makeup? They got you, even your favorite brands, of course they know what products you use, they're your best friend! (Totally didn't take pictures of everything you use to buy later on.)

They insist on always paying for you! Probably even makes a list on things you randomly mention you want just for them to gift you it on your birthday or Christmas. They don't expect anything in return but it's so difficult when they go all out for you and you got them a couple gifts. (They treasure it more than anything.)

If for some reason they don't have enough money to buy you dinner or something, they get insanely embarrassed!

One thing they do take advantage of, though, is your home. Specifically your bedroom. It is such a safe space for them, they swear they sleep better when you're right next to them. They often come over whenever you're there(or not) even if it's just to laze around and scroll on your phones. You probably even gift them a key to your house since they come over all the time.

They want you to have a very specific view on them. This may include coming from an abusive home which makes you let them over to your house often, wanting it to be a safe space for them. Whether it's true or not, they can't lie that it benefits them!

People often mistake you for a couple, whether you're same-sex or not. You find it uncomfortable but yandere best friend doesn't mind!

I mean, are you even really friends if people don't assume you're together?

Not to say yandere best friend has feelings for you, it's just that they don't care? All they want is you, if you gain romantic feelings for them they'll even be in a relationship with you, afraid that if they reject your bond will break.

If you get together with someone else though they'll be insanely protective. They don't think anyone is good enough for you and will poke and prod at your s/o, trying to find any flaws they can.

The most annoying behavior is probably their clinginess, when they're not with you they often text or facetime. They like facetime better or calling since they get worried over text. (what if you're secretly mad at them cause you responded with 'k' instead of "okay!!"?)

They get INSANELY worried if you don't respond or call them back. First, they spam you with calls, messages, even debating to call the police. They decide to check your house, using their keys to your home.

If you're still not home, they have no choice but to wait on you, the worry and anxiety turning into anger. Why the fuck aren't you responding!?

You come home after your busy day and go into your room.

Right as you turn the lights on is yandere best friend there going all like "what are you doing? where were you??" and you literally almost died from a heart attack.

It's super annoying to constantly check your phone in case your friend is worried about you over a "gut feeling" they had. You think about taking back the keys you gave them but they already made tons of multiples

All in all, just go along with everything they say and it'll be fine. They are less deranged than romantic yanderes as they probably won't kill for you. They prefer manipulation and sneaking around to get what they want, but killing people for you... they definitely would- but the job is much easier if you already think everyone is out to get you or toxic- other than your best friend of course!

A unique thing about yandere best friend is that if something major happens the friendship might not last. It turns into their dark obsessed enemies situation. They hate how your friendship ended whether it was your fault or theirs(most likely) but they still can't shake off their obsession towards you. They become much more secretive and manipulative and mean. They keep tabs on you however they can if they can't physically be around you. Whether that's social media or just plan ol' stalking your schedule. They remove all your friends by starting rumors or talking badly about you, you have no one.

Finally you break, guilt and loneliness overcoming you to the point where you apologize to yandere best friend and hope to rekindle your friendship whether it was your fault or not that it had ended.

Of course, they forgive you! But don't expect it to come without consequences, they are much meaner to you and keep a closer eye. If they suspect you distancing from their grip again, they don't beg and sob for your friendship like before- instead forcing you into their grasp, who else will be your friend except for them?

They guilt and humiliate you all in the means of you being beside them, and cuz it feels good to punish you for even trying to leave their side.

They are much more clingy and touchy, wanting to make up for lost time spent apart.

You better pinkie promise your loyalty because they are not letting go of you ever.

#yandere #platonic yandere #yandere headcanons #yandere x reader #yandere best friend #yandere bff #gender neutral y/n #gender neutral yandere #yandere hcs #yandere scenario #yandere drabble #soft yandere #obsession #obsessive yandere #obsessive love