#which isn't bad per se; there's no bad intentions there

[sage-nebula]

To be honest I kind of just want to write a fic set after Frontiers where Tails ends up in Possum Springs and befriends that crew. Not for any plot reasons, there's no plot really, but just so he can hang around with a bunch of people who have problems and negative feelings and think it's A-OK to feel and express those negative feelings. They treat him like the kid he is because they're in their twenties, and he explodes with everything he's been through in a way to prove that he's not just a kid, and Mae responds with the NitW-certified understated, "Jeez." They take him to smash lightbulbs behind the Snack Falcon. They let him sit in at band practice. He helps Bea out at the Ol' Pickaxe so she can finally fire the creep that assaulted her. (She at first tells him that's probably a violation of child labor laws. He goes, "what are those." She says "fuck it" and hires him.) He and Lori get to gleefully shout, "everything sucks forever!!" while laying on the train tracks because sometimes you've just got to embrace the fact that, yeah, things suck! And maybe they always will! And maybe that's okay! Maybe it's okay to not be okay!!

There's no plot. This follows the events of NitW too, so there's no danger from the cult. Tails is aged up a little maybe, perhaps 12 so that he and Lori can be closer in age (since she's 14), because I want them to be besties and later pen pals. (She gets him a friendship necklace that's two halves of a star. Together they spell "BFF." She gives him the B, because he has a big brain, and keeps the second F because she wants people to think it means "fuck."

Tails: "So . . . Brains Forever Fuck?" Lori: "Exactly" :3)

I just think it would be fun and maybe what he needs. Everything's dying in Possum Springs and everything sucks, Mae is severely mentally ill, Bea is cut off from her dreams, Gregg and Angus have no way of knowing if they'll ever manage to get out, Lori was probably going to be the next target of the cult. But hey, they're still alive. They can still smash lightbulbs and build crazy robots and tightrope walk on the power lines and have knife fights (ok that's just Mae and Gregg) and play grunge rock as loud as they can during band practice. Angus can tell Tails about a universe that doesn't care, and people who do. Gregg can commiserate on what it feels like to feel worthless, and Bea likewise on how it feels to be overwhelmed but knowing you have no choice but to keep going anyway. And Mae can save him the trouble of paying for a shit therapist by telling him, look, the only therapist around will tell you to just journal your thoughts and feelings. So do that. Maybe it helps. She doesn't know. But she does it, so hey, might be worth a shot.

I don't know, I just like thinking about it. Don't know if I'll ever write it, but the idea of Tails and Lori M being pen pals regardless is one I like a lot (as well as Tails taking a burned CD of the band's EP with him when he leaves, and actually picking up on that journaling thing big sis Maeday told him about . . .)

#i recently rediscovered the song ''Ghosts'' by Mandopony which is based on NitW #and it makes me think of this concept a lot #the thing abt the Sonic characters is that feeling negative things is often like . . . they try to fix it for each other? #which isn't bad per se; there's no bad intentions there #but whether it's Sonic or Amy or whoever the idea is always - #no no don't feel sad! believe in urself!! be happy!! be optimistic!! etc etc #but sometimes you NEED to feel bad. sometimes you NEED to just scream abt how much everything fucking SUCKS #bc feeling it & screaming abt it is the only way to get to accepting & moving on from it!! #so i think being around ppl who are like ''yup things fucking suck bro. have a drink (wait how old are you again)'' would be healing #plus there's one lyric set in ''Ghosts' that really works for post-Frontiers: #''I found the stars but I lost my mind'' #idk. i'm just thinking abt it a lot #night in the woods #oh ALSO since Gregg is ALSO a fox he could teach Tails the trick where u put cups on ur ears #& then u can hear the ocean #v important trick for him to learn #sth

[project-sekai-facts]

Hey I've been wondering, could you explain Akito and his death symbolism? It's been constantly mentioned or implied in his recent focus songs and VBS covers (getting lines about "death" or "dying" and the likes)

It's just because the fandom is using that to mischaracterize him as an overly depressed and suicidal guy (another Mafuyu copy; pls save him and Tsukasa) and I just don't think that's what the writers mean to say and the point of his whole character!!!

(prefacing this: I'm aware there was a thread about this going round twitter a while ago, I haven't read it specifically because of this ask and if anything is the same that wasn't intentional and I apologise)

A large part of Akito's character arc is his difficulty with improvement and his sheer determination and passion that goes alongside it. He had always viewed his lack of natural talent and unrefined skills as something that made him inferior, which only led to him pushing himself to his extremes, and trying to face things independently and head-on. This is something that's touched on heavily in the STRAY BAD DOG event, where we get to see him learn to rely on his teammates more and realise that he isn't alone. Find A Way Out continues his arc of personal development, with him realising he's actually not so different to the people he looks up to, and finally learning to accept and feel confident with his improvement instead of just pushing forward almost desperately. It's that idea of him finally realising that he won't always be a step behind everyone else and good things are actually coming with his hard work.

Building off that idea, it's like a sort of rebirth. And that's where the links to Kashika come in. Kashika is a song about death and longing which gets horribly misinterpreted and has led people to believe Akito is suicidal which is simply untrue. The thing that's dying in this context is Akito's old self. The child who had no talent and was falling so far behind everyone. The child who worked so, so, so hard to be perfect is dying. And that sounds like a negative thing but it's really not. It's a metaphor for Akito reflecting on himself and moving on from the past and breaking new ground.

The 2DMV adds another layer to this with its marigolds, which not only symbolise death, but also can symbolise a renewal. And in this case, renewal refers to Akito's growth following the events of FAWO. He finally faced up to his past mistakes and overcame them, but even then he won't let himself feel relief. It's only with the help of Taiga's story about Ken that he's finally able to be more satisfied with himself and how far he's managed to come. He's finally able to break out from that belief that he's forever going to be stuck behind, and he's able to have faith in himself. Realising that Ken was just like him and managed to get to such a high level of skill and be so respected by those around him finally lets Akito believe that he too can reach that same light.

The butterflies in the background again symbolise renewal or transformation. It's not about death as per se, it's about change. Change and growth and transformation are recurring themes in prsk's character writing, and Akito is no exception. While on a surface level, Kashika is about death, if you put it next to the story, it's about regeneration. Akito is moving forward and leaving the old him behind, he says as much in the FAWO story.

If you actually read the lyrics to Kashika, it's genuinely kinda shocking to me how much people misinterpret its connection to Akito as a character. Like I get the song talks about death a lot and wanting to die, but particularly in these extracts you can see some of the key points of the FAWO event - Akito's determination, passion and self-acceptance. It's a song about Akito growing up, physically and emotionally, and saying goodbye to his past self.

Now as anon pointed out, the marigolds previously appeared in his card from Light Up The Fire. And while in the case of this event, it was most likely drawn to connect with the story surrounding Nagi's death, but it's worth mentioning that every character had their own flower, so the marigolds are specific to him.

As I mentioned in today's fact, aside from being associated with death, grief, and mourning, marigolds can also have positive connotations of optimism and passion based on their warm and vibrant colors. One of the key elements of LUTF was despair and grief, shown through more ways than one. Whilst the truth of Nagi's death came as a shock to the VBS and the others, the following battle with Taiga crushed their hope to the point that everyone except VBS gave up. VBS decides to keep trying for Nagi, and again there's that idea of a renewal. They know the truth now, and are going to come back and get better. Now while this is more general about VBS, the marigolds are still specific to Akito, considering how he's always been the most determined one who has taught himself that the only way he can succeed is through sheer perseverance. Whilst it applies to all of VBS in this instance, it applies even moreso to him.

Also it leads very nicely into his fes card story, which follows after the events of LUTF from his point of view. Something notable about his fragment sekai is that it's a completely barren wasteland. It's dead. And to top it all off, he gets amnesia. However the whole point of his sekai is to remind him of his determination, remind him that he has never once given up on this dream, how he's fought and fought to hold onto it and shouldn't let what happened with Taiga and the truth behind RW strike him down. Despite the area being dead and barren, and despite the fact he can't even remember who he is at all, he still pushes forwards and keeps walking through the dangerous environment because he knows he can't just sit around, he knows he has to do something. He knows it's not a choice, it's a necessity for him to persevere, even if he can't remember why. In the end he does remember, and finds a single flower that is managing to flourish despite the harsh conditions, and he even compares himself to it because truthfully they're one in the same. Even in a hopeless situation, Akito manages to pull through. In a metaphorical sense, he can't truly die, he still finds a way to thrive even if the world is against him. His determination truly is the core of his character.

And that leads us nicely to BURN MY SOUL, which I would consider to be the end of his first character arc. Despite having learnt a lesson about his true strength and potential in FAWO, he still hasn't reached that full potential, and he still believes that he needs to keep pushing and keep working. Through Ken's advice, he's able to realise that he's been so focused on perfection that he's bottling up all the passion inside of him. Because he's so passionate about music and it's this passion that fuels his resolve that is ultimately his core, his soul. And especially after everything that's happened, the fact that there's still a lingering sense of despair after the incident with Taiga, he needs to truly let that passion burn and realise that his true potential has been inside of him all along. His role as assigned by Ken is to light up a fire amongst the people again, so he let's the fire within him burn freely for the first time, and it works exactly as needed and is able to rekindle hope throughout the town and in one of his teammates.

Back to that idea about how metaphorically Akito cannot die, I really like the symbolism of fire within VBS and Akito in particular because it's framed in such a way that the fire lit by RW is a flame that can't burn out. Even with things such as CRaZY's "I'm so ready to die" and the "I'm going to pry it open like I'm going to die" voiceline that plays when you pull his WL card, it's not meant in such a way that he wants to die, but in a way that he's going to put his all into it as if it is the last thing he'll ever do. Akito doesn't want to die, he wants to live to see things through to the end. He's too determined to let anything snuff out his flame, and even then that makes me think of the original usage of snuffing out a flame, which was actually to trim the wick so the flame could burn brighter. If you care enough about that dumb candle analogy, you could say that Taiga/the events of LUTF tried to extinguish Akito's flame, only for him to come back from the dead (and quite literally considering the wasteland in his fes card), and now he's only burning brighter and stronger.

Akito's death symbolism isn't a negative thing. Akito isn't someone who wants to die, he's too determined to die. No matter how much the universe tells him to give up he'll never stop pushing and never stop breaking down the walls around him until he sees his dreams through. All his death symbolism is equally tied to the idea of rebirth or even just living. Kashika is about him leaving his past behind and moving forward, his fes card is about his passion counteracting despair, and Burn my soul/CRaZY/Break down the wall are all about him being so fired up that he's going to act as if it's his final day. He's learning to be satisfied with his life and where he is. He's ready to live and to say he wants to die is a great injustice to his character arc.

#sorry this kinda just became an akito character analysis but. i think atp you're all just used to it #asks #mod talks #akito shinonome

[cerastes]

Do you think at some point early on in Arknights the intent was to be a buildup to a more critical look at Rhodes as more morally grey than it first appears? Because when I started the game I was so sure that's where it was going. Popukar probably being one of the first characters you get, the idea of SWEEP, the understanding I had at the time of darknights doctor and y'know, the villains being who they are. I just thought it would be more of a thing.

I don't think necessarily, I think the intent was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state". I do think it bears mentioning that child soldiers/children and teenagers with a job as a concept don't seem to really carry a stigma as they do in the real world: The only real times in which these are painted in negative lights are when the conditions or results of these decisions end up in something negative:

Popukar was clearly indentured labor at the lumberyard. The part that's condemned is that she was miserable and practically a slave, not really that she was working per se, and she's given a job by RI later after Kal'tsit personally gets her out of there.

Frostleaf's being a child soldier even before Rhodes Island isn't really all that condemned, the effects it had on her psyche is.

Absinthe, just orphaned, is made a Rhodes Island Operator. This notion isn't rejected or truly contested, no more than "maybe we can send her somewhere proper for care". Hell, all the Ursus kids also get made into Operators.

Even outside of this, we hire children frequently: Bubble, Suzuran, Shamare, you name it. Sure, each has a context, especially Shamare who is Fucking Haunted, but the matter of the fact is that Rhodes Island isn't just housing them, it's also showing no real qualms with them taking the Operator Testing Battery and, if they succeed, hiring them. It's mentioned several times that Rhodes Island has many non-combat roles -- Angelina used to be a Messenger for Rhodes Island before taking the Operator test, Orchid was offered a desk job at Rhodes Island initially, and Weedy was a Rhodes Island researcher who explicitly worked out and trained so she could pass the physical components of the test -- but there's no real turn of eyes when a child says mmmm yeah I'll do the Battlefield Supporter Battery please, thank you.

Amiya is, you know, the CEO of Rhodes Island, and that IS pointed out in a "damn, fucked up" way, but what's being lamented is not her having a job, it's her having a BIG difficult job. I think no one would bat an eye if Amiya was a regular Operator under Theresa instead (granted, because she's the owner's daughter, but even without that link).

These are some examples of in-universe logic regarding the whole child soldier and kid with a job. I'd wager it's because life expectancy in Terra is pretty damn low from what we've gathered: Armed conflict, crime, Catastrophes, Oripathy, there's plenty of ways to kick the bucket in Terra, much like it was in Ye Olde Ages in real life, which is coincidentally an era in which by 16 you already were an adult and were expected to start having adult responsibilities.

Pre-Amnesia Doctor was definitely not a stellar person but it's always understood that they weren't bad as much as broken: Scout put it best that it broke his heart to have seen this kind educator and fun, loving individual become a heartless tactician. Even when described this way, though, it wasn't like Doc became this Brooding Evil Mass, it's still mentioned plenty that they were pretty beloved by most people and a person they liked being friends with -- Ace, Scout, and Amiya all corroborate this, and in flashbacks, you have Theresa being pretty warm with Doc -- but if you were a footsoldier, Doctor was probably your worst nightmare because you were disposable -- W, Ines, Hoederer and Flamebringer can tell you as much -- so we had less a villain or a vile individual and more a broken individual who was remolded into someone that could withstand the immense psychological pressure that came with having their role. That's not to sanitize pre-amn Doctor, it's to echo the game's own words on them as per the characters in the setting that knew them from back then, and who held both positive and negative opinions on them.

Looking at all of these from an in-universe lens, they all have coherent in-universe explanations. I also think they would have foreshadowed any sort of Rhodes Island Insiduous Vileness with characters or actions by now: Less than stellar, antagonistic high command, dubious orders to do some vile stuff, other such things. The closest we get to this is Kal'tsit hating Doctor's guts, but also Kal'tsit is a really good person and her hatred of Doctor stems from her knowing them pre-amnesia, seeing how that happened, and what Doc did in those times, particularly one big event that's pretty lore relevant.

You may have noticed the elephant in the room [SPOILERS FOR PEOPLE NOT DONE WITH THE REUNION ARC YET]: I didn't address the enemy part yet. That's because that's the part that I still have some conflicted feelings over: The real enemy, in the end, isn't Reunion's ideals -- which are shared with Rhodes Island -- but rather it's what Reunion has become, a false flag operation for the Ursus Empire to justify a war. On one hand, I like that, on the other, I do think it's something that should've been more graciously hinted at in the very early chapters, because in those very early chapters, you REALLY are rent-a-cops in essence, putting down the people you set out to help. Of course, it's not that simple and there's a nuance as to why and the business dealings and all that, but given the relative simplicity and pace of the early chapters, it really is easy to see it come across that way.

It does, however, ring consistent with what we were previously talking about, though: The essence of, more than the act or thing in itself. Or, in other words, in Terra, the onus of things seem to be placed on the result or context surrounding something more than that something in itself: Child soldiers are fine, unhappy and in-risk child soldiers are not. Teenagers with jobs are fine, teenagers with huge stressful jobs way out of their league are not. Revolutionary movements are fine, revolutionary movements with civilian casualties are not. And so on. There is DEFINITELY commentary that can be had about this, mind you, but that can be for another post in another blog.

With this in mind, I go back to what was first said in this post, I think the idea was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state".

#arknights

[the-badger-mole]

I feel like I don't harp on Aang's lack of leadership skills enough. I can already hear people cracking their knuckles to type out some long diatribe about how it's unfair to judge Aang's leadership because he's a kid. Let me stop you right there. As with his lack of respect for consent and his lack of preparation to deal with Ozai, his age is irrelevant because the framing of Aang would have us believe that he's right. The show wants us, the audience, to see Aang as clever and wise beyond his years. To say I can't be too hard on Aang because he's a child flies directly in the face of what the writers intended. So, step away from the keyboard and let me finish, alright?

Bet.

When I think of Aang as a leader, the episode that comes to mind is The Great Divide. Someone recently brought this up to me as an example of Aang being a Trickster type. I disagree. I think Aang is more of an Innocent than a Trickster, but I get how someone might see him as either *. It doesn't make him a great leader, in any case. In fact, it supports my theory that he's a bad leader. His actions in TGD show that he is far more interested in taking the easy way out than in any real sort of conflict resolution, which in a world looking for guidance post war is...not a great attitude to have. This is the most egregious example of his lack of conflict resolution skills, but it's not the only example of this. He also looks for the easy fix when Katara and Toph are fighting (although, this is interestingly actually framed as a misstep for him. A box of Mars bars to Bryke for that, I guess). It would be fine if this was acknowledged as a short-coming in him, but the way TGD ends, it's supposed to make Aang look clever. (P.S. there's NO way those groups didn't go right back to fighting, because that's not how conflict works).

Bryke could have left that alone and just have more examples of Aang being a good leader in the rest of the series or in the comics, but seeing as they don't seem to understand why Aang isn't the wonderful person they frame him to be, I get why there's not a whole lot of growth in him. Speaking of the comics, remember that time that Aang jumped on board with anti-miscegenation without considering the consequences? Remember how the only reason he changed his mind is because he would be personally affected by it? Yeah...

So, in the comics, Aang meets a group of wanna be Acolytes who studied Air Nomad customs and wanted to actually live them out. They shaved their heads and painted on some tattoos, and Aang was all about it...until he realized that it wasn't paint, they had actually gotten the tattoos, and at that point, he feels insulted. Mind you, he wasn't insulted about his culture being used as cosplay. He was mad that they misunderstood the significance of the tattoos and in their misguided attempts they did something they weren't supposed to. I'm not saying he was wrong to be upset, per se, I'm just saying that cultural appropriation is probably something that the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender are out of their depths on. Well, this incident sours him on the idea of mixing cultures and in his anger, he jumps right to anti-miscegenation.

Let me repeat that. Avatar Aang, who is supposed to represent all peoples, got angry at some well-intentioned, but severely misguided girls, and decided that the solution would be to support policies that would literally tear apart families. Then he only walked that back because he wouldn't be able to keep Katara. It wasn't him realizing how much damage he would do to other people. It wasn't him understanding that the issue he's trying to solve requires more delicate handling than simply saying "everyone go back to where you came from". It was his selfishness that saved the day (sort of? I think annexing a part of the Earth Kingdom to make pseudo-New York was...questionable at best).

These are the two biggest, if not only examples of the type of leader Aang is. In both cases, his solution had more to do with him, his personal convenience, his feelings, than any thought of how best serve the people looking to him to lead. They are not presented as issues with his leadership, highlighting the ways he needs to grow into his role. The solutions he comes up with are presented as examples of his cleverness and wisdom, but actually, they just show how he leads based on what's best for him. The people of Planet Avatar ** are subject to Aang's whims and how much work he feels like putting in on a given day. But the people he's leading are supposed to think he's a Big Dang Hero. In a better written story, this would be the beginning of a villain arc.

*(btw, it is still The Year of Content ™️©️®️, so probably expect another post in the future about why I think Aang is more in line with the Innocent than the Trickster. Maybe. We'll see...)

** (is there a name for that world in the fandom? Can we come up with one? Planet Avatar is incredibly lame.)

#atla #anti aang #avatar aang is bad at his job #and the narrative doesn't seem interested actually improving him #they just want us to accept that he's a good leader #without any evidence of his leadership skills #for anyone who thinks i ONLY hate aang because of zutara #nuh-uh!!! #i also hate him for being a a boring poorly written character who the writers tried to trick me into believing was tH3 r3@L h3R0000 🙄 #as if #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

[utilitycaster]

So I've felt a little bit like I'm struggling a bit to see for myself where you and others are recognizing Imogen's self-centeredness. Like, it makes sense for it to be there once it's pointed out to me, but she has a lot of moments where she DOES consider whether or not she or the party are potentially bringing harm to other people or animals—so it wasn't difficult for me to come away from her character, at a surface level, thinking that her biggest flaw is being a cynic and not letting people in, and I think between fanon and judging her by past Laura PCs, I have some trouble getting a read on her. What are you taking into consideration as you observe her character and her choices, and how much do you think Laura's leaning into those things intentionally?

So I do think that I probably cover her selfish moments more than I cover her on the whole, both because I find those moments a particularly interesting part of her character and in reaction to the bad fanon of her as a long-suffering victim deprived of choices. I should also note that I don't think she's a black hole of self absorption, so much as she tends to perhaps not consider that multiple options all have a chance of hurting people in a way I find insensitive.

Perhaps an overarching theme is the psychic powers in that I think she is so used to picking up people's thoughts that she doesn't realize the power imbalance this grants. Like...I think she sometimes forgets that a conversation needs to be a two-way street and is not solely her reading thoughts, but an opportunity for others to get information about her and hear her feelings, and also for her to express that curiosity about others. Which is a weird take on self-centeredness! I think most people think of self-centeredness as someone who only talks about themselves, and Imogen is not that. But at the same time...a good example is when she sees her father, who is pretty clearly desperately lonely and isolated and has been abandoned by both his wife and daughter due to them having powers well beyond what he understands. I don't think she picks up on all the visual cues, and while she could read what he's thinking, I think she forgets the impact of a simple "how are you?" or the responsibilities of both people to engage with conversation. Like...yes, you can understand someone's upset by reading their mind, but what about talking it through? What about the benefits the other person gains by having to put things into words? That's often lost in Imogen's interactions.

When she's focused on getting information, all the niceties fall away, and if she doesn't want the information she doesn't have that sense of give and take that would obligate most people to still carry on a conversation. (I suspect this is also why the two arguments she's had with Laudna have both fizzled out so unsatisfyingly; you have someone who will rapidly cover up any unhappiness and someone who - in my interpretation anyway - doesn't take that into consideration.)

The conversation leading up to the solstice is also a big one; I think again that the underlying motivation isn't ill-intentioned, per se, when she talks about whether the Vanguard might be right. I think that comes from, as I've said, an idea of hypocrisy of words vs. thoughts not matching, whereas most of us would think of hypocrisy as a mismatch of word and action. I don't think she intends to hurt people here. But at the same time it's immensely hurtful to bring this up to someone like Orym, who has lost his husband and his father figure and nearly his own life, or to Laudna, who could have been permanently killed by Otohan. It's not that it's not a valid line of discussion even though ideologically I'm opposed; it's that I don't think she has that sense of tact here. Which is also understandable, in that 18-year-old Imogen was never spared people's thoughts about her, but that doesn't mean it's not selfish. And it stands out because, again, I feel that people who talk to Imogen are not granted that opportunity to talk through their thoughts and use her as a sounding board, but she (again - possibly unwittingly) expects others to be available as one for her. Sort of to your point - I think she often thinks about whether the party is going to hurt people but I don't think she thinks about whether she, Imogen, is going to say something immensely hurtful to a party member.

I also find that she's just...not terribly pragmatic, and I'll admit that this is just a strong personal preference on my part in that I find adherence to pure ideology without a clear plan to be selfish at worst, though just extremely annoying at best. It feels she shoots down or criticizes a lot of plans with no better idea in mind (this happened a bunch in Uthodurn/Molaesmyr so this might be recency bias) and that always in real life makes me go "ok so if you're the one with the good ideas, have one." The "what about people who don't follow the gods" line after Deanna and FCG had direct visions really made me go "girl this is not about you;" it's not that it's not a valid question but for real, girl this is not about you and I don't know, what about them? Figure it out yourself.

Writing it out I think that this is honestly not that different from what you might call cynicism. I think Imogen just...doesn't always get that people are in fact more than their collections of thoughts, and hasn't put in the effort to really get a sense of how non-psychics might interact with the world.

As for intentionality: I have to admit I'm not sure how much is an intentional analysis of how a psychic might behave. I think the view of hypocrisy is on purpose, but I don't know if the conflict avoidance with Laudna is motivated by that or by something else. I also wonder, but am not sure, if some of the subtle changes with Imogen after getting the circlet are her adjusting to not reading people's thoughts. Like, that puts the interaction with Deanna killing the goat in a new light, because that's an interaction where I don't fault Imogen, and I think it works well as her being like "TRULY WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT I CAN'T READ YOUR MIND." But Laura's played it close to the vest on 4SD and I have some again kind of personal...maybe not biases, but definitely hunches and doubts regarding backstory for Imogen, and I don't know how much she's thought it out.

And finally, also through writing this out, I do think some of what I say is again a personal reaction to not just fanon but the very "this person is RIGHT and this person is WRONG" nature a lot of fanon, especially surrounding Imogen, has taken. I think if there were a fandom environment in which (for example) it was more common for people to say "Oh, it looks like Relvin is someone who tried hard but was limited by his own knowledge, and his attempt to protect Imogen by keeping her in the dark about Liliana made things worse, and Imogen in turn saw his distance and increased it, and these are two people who love each other but have hurt each other pretty badly and don't want to deal with it because for a long time they were all the other had, and frankly Imogen is still all Relvin has" instead of projecting their personal daddy issues onto it in the service of the stripped of choice innocent but all-powerful failgirl narrative, I'd have a more measured response myself. "Insensitive in a way that quite likely is unintentional but often comes off as all take and no give, particularly in her one-on-one interactions with others" is probably a better way to put it, and I think that her cynicism is part of why she's like this.

#answered #burr-ell #cr tag #critical role spoilers #imogen temult

[traumabuddies]

hi i'm very busy but i'm taking a minute to ask for a prompt hmmm maybe "wait right here. don't move" for buddie. please and thank you. i love you <3

anything for you my love<3 spoilers for 6x18.

It takes a few hours for Buck to finally be able—allowed—to take Eddie home.

The drive isn't tense per se, but Eddie is still sour over being injured, which means he's not talking, intent on glaring at the buildings they pass by from the passenger seat.

Three fractured ribs, two bruised ones, and a hell of a bruise on his lower back. In the grand scheme of things and compared to the others, it's not too bad, but that doesn't mean he got away unscathed.

No matter what Eddie says. Well, Buck knows that Eddie knows he's hurt and in pain, but nothing short of a bullet wound will make him admit that. He's come so far when it comes to sharing his emotions, but it still takes a lot for him to ask for help driving or putting a shirt on.

He's still a proud man who doesn't want to be a burden. Buck gets it, he really does, but that doesn't mean that he likes it.

When he pulls up to Eddie's house, it's to a muttered complaint beside him. Buck ignores him, although he quickly rounds the Jeep to open Eddie's door.

"I can open my damn door, Buck," Eddie grumbles.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Can't a guy take his time?"

Buck tries his hardest not to roll his eyes. "No, because I want to get inside and take a shower to really get this dust off of me."

"Then go, I'll join you."

"In the shower?"

Eddie glares at him. "Haha, funny. Just go, man."

"Not a chance. Come on."

With less resistance than expected, he helps Eddie out of the car, and then into the house. Every pained sound that manages to escape Eddie's gritted teeth grates Buck's ears, makes him wish he could wrap Eddie in a blanket or bubble wrap so he doesn't get hurt again.

Well, if he had any say in it, he'd do that to all of his team, but right now, Eddie is the only one who is his problem. Eddie is the only one who's leaning on him as they make it to the living room, the only one Buck has to see simultaneously wince in pain and sigh in relief as he's lowered onto the couch.

"Here you go," Buck says, rubbing Eddie's shoulder, glad when Eddie lets him.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, no worries."

Reaching into his pockets, Buck hands Eddie his phone, as well as the remote on the coffee table. Eddie takes both without a word, face stuck like the grumpy cat Buck likes to compare him with mostly because it get Eddie more annoyed.

He keeps it to himself today, but he feels his chest expand with fondness all the same, especially when Eddie wastes no time texting Chris.

"Okay," Buck says, clapping his hands together. "I'm gonna go shower for real, do you need anything?"

Eddie shrugs. "Just gonna need a blanket and some water, but I'll go get—"

"Nuh-uh, no way," Buck is quick to say, hands once again pushing down Eddie's shoulder when the idiot tries to get up. "I'll do it, wait right here."

"Buck," Eddie sighs, but the fight in him is disappearing already.

"Don't move. I got this."

He does, too, running to grab pillows and blankets from the hallway closet—the same ones he uses when he's sleeping on the couch—and then pulling two water bottles out of the fridge, as well as some snacks just in case.

Eddie watches him through all of it, something soft and slightly disbelieving that makes Buck wish he still had blood covering his face.

"Okay, should be everything," he says, making sure Eddie is comfortably laid back against the pillow and that eveyrthing else is within reach.

"Buck," Eddie says. He rolls his eyes, but he doesn't sound annoyed for the first time today. "Unless your shower takes a whole day, I'm gonna be fine."

"What if I need to take a day long shower?"

"Then you'll have some bills to pay."

"You know, you're so generous with your guests, Eddie, it's a wonder you don't have more of those."

"Oh my god, go away," Eddie says, and it's not really what it sounds like.

Buck takes a step back with a mock salute before heading towards the bathroom, only to stop where the living room meets the hallway. He claps the doorframe, turns to Eddie.

"I'll be right back."

Through the pain, Eddie's smile is genuine. "I know. You always are."

send me prompts!

#911 spoilers #911 #buddie #911 fic #monse #thanks for this one baby i love you<3 #prompts #lex.writing

[xjulixred45x]

OKAY! I HAVE SUCCUMBED TO THE VOICES OF MY LATEST HYPERFIXATION: LEGO MONKEY KID! UNTIL I SATISFY THEM I WON'T BE ABLE TO WORK ON ANY REQUEST! Get ready for the most absurd rants you've ever heard about Jttw, lmk AND EPIC THE MUSICAL! YOU ARE WARNED!

I find it somewhat funny how the vast majority of adaptations of Sun Wukong leave out that the Monkey King HAD A WIFE. a fucking wife that he KIDNAPPED AND FORCED TO BECOME HIS BRIDE.

She literally appears singing about this :'D before Nezha and his father rescue her.

and while I was learning about this, I couldn't help but think about the songs from Calypso, from Epic: the Musical (another recent hyperfixation) and in some way relate it to Monkey Kid.

after all, LMK's Wukong knows that the things he did when he was young were QUESTIONABLE to say the least (he literally said it) and that he regrets many things, and I wondered what his dynamic would have been like in that case with Jiaozi (his "wife ").

and that is precisely why I relate it to Love in Paradise in a certain way.

Like, we know that this Wukong definitely had good intentions, which were initially driven by good reasons, but which became more and more selfish, so here perhaps he could have brought Jiaozi to Flower Fruit Mountain as a direct response to 1- monkey logic + 2- after his trip to the west he needed a way to deal with loneliness and 3- demonic courtship is WILD.

Anyway, I can see this more (ONLY IN LMK) as a response to mourning and handling loss (the Brotherhood? Macaque? is up to your interpretation) and that he really doesn't know how to manage/communicate his emotions in a healthy way.

Imagine being Jiaozi, being taken from your comfortable princess life overnight, waking up in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE with a monkey man who is too... friendly to be a kidnapper?

Like, lmk's Wukong acts just like Calypso, with a lot of familiarity, his normal confident post-trip to the West self, explains the situation to Jiaozi (but in a much friendlier way than it really is) and she's like "uh HELL NO" but there really isn't much to do against the literal Monkey King, THE SAGE, THE EQUAL TO HEAVEN, and poor Jiaozi is having a full-blown crisis while Wukong doesn't understand why she's so distraught, don't she understand him? They have everything they want and need in the mountains!

Ironically other texts also described Wukong as a "spoiling husband who gave a lot of clothes/food/things to his wife" and that was probably the route he took after the beginning, Wukong has a lot of trash, but he was more than willing to share with Jiaozi as long as she was happy, that she wanted him back...love him Back.

He JUST doesn't understand the seriousness of the matter that KIDNAPPING YOUR SPOUSE REALLY IS...until Nezha and His Father come along.

Now, I don't think Wukong is stupid even before that happens, he would see Jiaozi's clear anguish, her sadness, the desire to return to her old life with her family, and although he consoles her and such, he is having a crisis, This is supposed to be normal, right? So why does he feel so bad when he sees her so distressed?

The glass fills slowly but surely.

I don't think he was a bad husband Per se, like I said, he was very pampering and such (maybe even Jiaozi sees him in a certain positive light, even if not as a husband, because of his good deeds of the past), but he had a big problem with taking things too lightly and not dealing adequately with his emotions.

so when he receives the ultimatum from Nezha and company, he has a very Im not Sorry for Loving You moment.

in which he does just that, he explains to Jiaozi that he let her go with Nezha, that he regrets having made her go through all this just out of selfish fear, and he very much regrets not regretting loving her even so (many years of being alone screwed him up a little head, so this type of interaction definitely marked his isolation even more in the future).

Even if in lmk Jiaozi doesn't keep track of him or anything like that, she makes it clear to him that she couldn't love him the way he wants her to love him. and it hurts, but it hurts good. because he learns from it.

(PS, it would be quite ironical if this Jiaozi marry Nezha of all people lol)

waaaaaaa I just love finding parallels between my hyperfixations, I will soon publish another one, but it will be much fluffier and from this same fandom.

(the songs that give the idea)

Shares, reglogs and comments are very welcome!

#drabbles #jttw sun wukong #jttw au #jttw #jttw media #jttw monkey king #lego monkie kid #lego monkey kid sun wukong #lmk #lmk sun wukong #tw kidnapping #i mean he was not exactly malicious #but HELLA incensitive #even if he tryed his best #jiaozi #the poor woman #she would be like “the shit i get into” after realizing WHO HE IS #epic the musical #calypso #SoundCloud

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

I am sorry that Yuzu's divorce annoucement fires up discussions about Fanyus again and that the MEDIA harassment that caused the divorce to happen is pushed aside over it BUT I am still kind of perplex about the level of delusion from some Fanyus about their own fanbase and the impact the fandom has on Yuzu's life in general...

This is MY opinion, feel free to disagree...

The MEDIA caused Yuzu trouble - this time maybe even beyond repair 😢 and I am still not over this - BUT it's not like Fanyus don't have any fans among them with disrespectful behavior that caused Yuzu discomfort. Who I personally question and want to adress with this post are those who see "no wrong" in the Fanyu fandom and aren't able to acknowledge bad behavior that did cause Yuzu personally trouble. And even things done in good faith can cause discomfort. This is not to put some Fanyus questionable behavior and media harassment on the same scale, which is not, BUT there were a lot of "unsafe" moments created for Yuzu by his own fans, some that have impacted Yuzu's personal life or invaded privacy as well.

Here are some examples for unsafe moments throughout his amateur career: For example Yuzu being to afraid to go on his own to the rink in CANADA bc ppl kept following him (you think these were all "journalists"?) and FANS put a huge poster - a paid aid even - on the bus stop he used to get off to the rink in Canada to congratulate him a couple of times(a cute thing per se but it shows how fans tracked his habits to know he'd see it). At ACI 2019 fans ran after the car they saw him getting into and almost even caused an accident (there was a huge uproar among Fanyus how some acted disrespectful). In Helsinki 2018 the crowd waited outside the VIP door in hundreds and ppl expected him to walk through a pushing crowd, security didn't walk him through this instead he went through a backdoor and even there were fans showing the camera into his face though he didn't want it. (I saw this myself from afar bc I was leaving the building at the same time to catch my flight). Yuzu almost hiding behind Brian Orser at 4CC 2020 at the airport, yes media was present too, but fans waited there for him. At Beijing 2022 fans released a photo of Yuzu AND HIS MOTHER at the airport and shared it among fans. (I am even sadly complicit in this bc I also shared the pic without realizing that it was his mother and not an authorized pic. I took it down immediately,but damage is still done) Yuzu has dozens of bodyguards around him at airports as seen in for example in Pyeongchang 2018 or 4CC 2020 and that's not only because of the media. Yuzu stopped meeting fans at events a long time ago because of the fans behavior. I think the last ppl who got a pic with Yuzu was some lil time after Sochi 2014. These are just a few examples. I don't say all these things are done with malicious intention, maybe even just meant as showing support but the "love" goes way beyond for some for what is respectful. Yes maybe these examples were not stalking his home but Sendai isn't really that huge of a city and ice rink Sendai doesn't say for no reason that they don't accept gifts for Yuzu and that ppl should act respectful. That's not targeted at the media but at ordinary ppl and fans trying to catch glimpses of Yuzu.

Yes most Fanyus condemn the Tabloid papers, but still even raging about wrong articles and retweeting and reblogging with comments to take the articles down give the articles attention. To say only non-Fanyus read those articles is delusional as to know what's wrong about an article you unfortunately have to read it yourself.

It is a known fact that Yuzu has a huge hater base, especially in Japan, but I think Fanyus have a much higher number and are a much securer target audience for media than the haters. So haters may buy tabloid articles but the ones buying everything with Yuzu's name on it or for example track what Yuzu is wearing are fans. "Hanyuconomy" is something Fanyus are really proud of, don't you think some fans still end up buying those tabloid papers for Yuzu's pic in it? And non-Japanese speaking Fanyus may not even realize that an article or magazine is tabloid stuff and problematic?

And if you think Fanyus are all sweet and unproblematic than ask the multiple fans of other skaters who got bullied by Fanyus online just for their opinions. Fanyus even bullied their own fans of sns for example they bullied two Fanyu translators off Twitter bc they didn't liked the wording or bc god forbid they made a mistake or bc translations have been misinterepreted. I have experienced my share of hatred from Fanyus online as well. I personally don't even like to call myself a Fanyu bc of how rabid Fanyus treat other fans though this whole blog once was just started bc of my fan love for Yuzu. Fanyus even made me enjoy Yuzu content less! There is a reason for other skaters fandom's calling Fanyus toxic. A huge number of Fanyus come from KPop and act according to the KPop fandom and we all know that fandom isn't unproblematic. I swear the view on Fanyus worsened over the years. It's sad because the majority of Fanyus is kind and respectful, but the ones who cause trouble fall back on the fandom as a whole.

Just the reaction by some Fanyus about both the marriage annoucement, you can definetly tell that not all Fanyus think the same way.

Fanyus is not an entity with one brain. These are multiple fans with different behavior and I strongly believe the majority is like me sad and shocked about Yuzu's divorce news and the media treatment, but you or me we cannot speak for ALL Fanyus. There are different opinions and nuances within the Fanyu fandom and that's ok. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings and opinions and their way to support Yuzu. The bigger the crowd though, the more bad apples. We can ofc discuss if those bad apples can even be called "fans" but they'd call themselves Fanyus anyway and that falls back on Fanyu fandom, fair or not.

Fanyus made Yuzu bigger than the sport, more than just an athlete by bringing his fandom to new heights. It is not a bad thing per se, but with this kind of attention unfortunately the interest in this person grew beyond results and skating. He cannot be just an athlete, he didn't ask for being a celebrity but he is one and he wouldn't be one if not for the huge fandom. To say that the fandom has no impact at all on his personal situation is naive.

I am not blaming the Fanyus for Yuzu's divorce BUT imo Fanyus cannot deny their own impact and problematic behavior among them and I think it's important to have a conversation about Fanyus behavior and how to be a better fandom. But sure saying "Yuzu said it was media so we do everything alright" is so much easier than acknowledging problems among ourseleves. (Yes I am including myself there too because if I like it or not I am also part of this Fanyu fandom and atm I can't say I like it and I still feel so incredibly sorry for Yuzu)

Sorry this got out of hand again...well I said what I said...

#yuzuru hanyu #fandom #personal rant #if you wanna rant in my inbox about what a bad fanyu i am you can do that but don't expect me to post a reply or even read it #i am just tired of this fandom sometimes #fanyus should question why ordinary ppl believe that fanyus are problematic that's not for no reason #figure skating

[earlgraytay]

why death note isn't copaganda

Since y'all seem to like my Death Note Metaposting, here's another nugget for you to chew on: I don't think Death Note is copaganda. Either in intent or execution.

I think that Death Note is a story from a very specific time and place, with a very specific target audience. It is a Japanese story from the 2000s, and it's aimed at edgy thirteen-year-old boys.

Japan does not, technically, have a rating system for TV. But most media outlets do choose to self-censor. (To give you an idea of how that looks in practice, I turned to Eirin- the Japanese film ratings board. Eirin splits movies into G, PG-12, R-15, and R-18. Most anime movies are somewhere between PG-12 and R-15. Drug use and abstract supernatural horror tends to get treated much less harshly by Eirin than by the MPAA, but graphic violence, criminal behaviour, and nudity/sex get a much harsher penalty in Japan than they do in the USA.)

A Japanese show for preteen boys in 2005 could not portray the cops as being fundamentally corrupt and violent, any more than an American show for preteen boys could have. So... assuming the writers of Death Note had Some Things To Say about the police, they had to make some choices. They had to figure out how to convey what they wanted to convey- "having the power to kill fucks you up, and cops have that power"- without pissing off their publisher or their TV company.

The easiest way- and the laziest- would have been to make one cop, perhaps Light's Dad, into the Designated Corrupt Punching Bag that the Good Cops have to defeat to catch their criminal. Maybe the Corrupt Punching Bag cop would use a lot of bureaucratic red tape that the Good Guys have to punch through to get their man, or slow down the justice process by insisting on Correct Procedure at all points.

That writing decision positions the failures of the police department as the failure of one man. That writing decision implies that forcing cops to follow the rules that are designed to keep people safe from them actually puts people in danger. I think you could definitely call that writing decision copaganda= and too many shows, on both sides of the ocean, choose it.

But that is not what Death Note chooses to do.

Another way Death Note could have handled the problem is to just... sidestep it. Completely take the focus off of the police, throw in a line about how they're baffled, and let our Genius Detective Hero-Antagonists handle the case completely. In this version of Death Note, we'd have no Aizawa or Matsuda, Soichiro would just be Light's father, and L/Mello/Near would be the only ones pursuing the investigation.

This writing decision positions the police as irrelevant in a way that means you don't have to think about them. The Police Are Baffled, and that's all you need to know; they've handed the case off, and the story goes into the realm of The Outsider Boy Detective Story. This isn't copaganda, per se; it acknowledges that the police are a flawed force that can need outside help... but it's not engaging with the social issues that make the police genuinely flawed. It's veering into pure fantasy. And that can be a valid decision...

But that is not what Death Note chooses to do.

Death Note chooses to actively present the police as being good, but deeply flawed people... who, because of the system they operate in, have no choice but to become bad people. The cops we get to know are kind, funny, ordinary people. But for one reason or another, they don't notice the monster in their midst, until it's too late. And Light's influence corrupts them- or forces them out.

I'll admit that I'm going off my interpretation of the anime here, which does make some significant changes from the manga, but considering that the big change to the ending that the anime makes from the manga is continued into every future adaptation? I feel comfortable including it in my analysis.

[oh, and, uh, spoilers for the end of Death Note, obvs.]

Soichiro refuses to believe that his son could be a criminal. He knows Light's a smart cookie, and he trusts Light's sense of justice. He comes to treat Light as something of a superior officer, even though Light is his teenage son. ...And Light repays him by sending him off on a suicide mission. I mentioned this on a reblog of the original post, but when Soichiro gets his hands on the Death Note? He dehumanizes the criminals he's been sent to kill, the other members of his squad, and ultimately, himself. He treats everyone like they're an expendable cog in a big machine. No one is a person; everything is something to be used in pursuit of Justice. And unlike Light, Soichiro includes himself in that. Soichiro falls into the ultimate trap of being a Good Cop. If you fight for justice as a cop, you wind up utterly expendable. If you're a Good Cop, you die, on command, and take as many people with you as your overlords see fit.

Matsuda also looks up to Light, though for slightly better reasons; they did more or less join the force around the same time, if you count Light joining the Kira Investigation as Light becoming a cop. Matsuda implicitly trusts Light, especially by the start of Season 2. He sees himself as naiive, weak, careless, and stupid- even though he's actually really good at his job. Matsuda is sympathetic to Kira, but thinks he's going about things the wrong way, and that surely there's got to be a better way to make a better world? ....And then Matsuda discovers that everything he thought he knew was wrong. That Light is Kira, and always was. That Kira wasn't a good guy doing things the wrong way, that he was callously manipulating the entire task force this entire time, and that Matsuda has been his patsy. And Matsuda goes out swinging. Matsuda shoots Kira. And hits. More than once. If Ryuk hadn't decided to put Light out of his misery, it would be Matsuda's fault that Light died without real justice being done. If Soichiro is what happens to you when you're a Good Cop, then Matsuda shows how a Good Cop can become a Bad Cop. A moment of anger at the wrong time, a realization that you've been living a lie, or a criminal the cop cannot see as a person anymore? He uses the power of life and death. The power that the viewer has just been told is murder. Only instead of coming from the inkwell of a pen, it's from the barrel of a gun.

Aizawa is... interesting. I'll admit, I remembered him as being The Cop Who Leaves, and that coloured my interpretation until I went back to check the wiki. It turns out he left and came back- what I remembered as "Aizawa working as a private investigator" was Aizawa working well within the bounds of the Kira investigation, but going behind Light's back to talk to Near. But I do think it's significant that Aizawa, more than anyone else in the Kira investigation, is the one who's able to leave. When the Kira investigation gets defunded by the Japanese government, it's Aizawa who can walk- who feels like he has the duty to walk, because he has something to live for that's more important than Justice. Catching Kira is less important than making sure his wife and kid don't starve, after all. He moves to a different part of the police force, and considers leaving the force altogether. And even after he's come back to the Kira investigation, he's detached enough from it that he can see Light's transparent bullshit for what it is. Aizawa is the Good Cop. He follows procedure when he can; when he can't- because the investigation is too corrupt, mostly- he still tries to do what would make the world a better place for everyone. He isn't violent; he isn't cruel; he isn't into justice as retribution. FFS, Aizawa tries to hold back Matsuda from shooting Light. The writers have said that if more people were like Aizawa, the world would be a better place.... And Aizawa is the guy who can leave. Who does leave. Whose loyalty is to his family and his own morals, not to the police as an agency, not to his comrades on the force, not to the thin blue line.

A couple of people have pointed out to me that in Death Note How To Read 13, the writers have said that they didn't have a theme they were going for. And honestly, that'd explain some of the hiccups with the writing.

But I can't help but feel like, even if it's unintentional, the way that the major cop characters' arcs play out is a very well structured critique of some common copaganda tropes.

I think that Death Note is only copaganda if you define "copaganda" as "there is a cop character who is sympathetic" without interrogating what the show is saying with its cops beyond that. And considering that Death Note is a show written for tweens, in a country where respect for authority is paramount? I think that the show's done as much as you can reasonably expect it to to subvert Being Copaganda.

(If anyone wants to say that the Autistic Detective Crew is somehow copaganda, a) I have another essay locked and loaded, do not test me, the short version of which is b) there are two genres of detective fiction, and the one that L/Mello/Near are part of is not part of the tradition that gave us copaganda, it's the other one.)

#death note #shoichiro yagami #touta matsuda #shouta aizawa #copaganda #< that doesn't even look like a real word anymore jfc #general malarkey #tumblr malarkey #fandom malarkey

[sailorwritesstuff]

Poly Lumax Headcanons to pull me out of my bad writers block.

Spoilers...duh.

It's mostly a secret. Partly because it's the 80's partly because it's nobody's business

You guys aren't necessarily hiding it per se

just nobody's picked up on it

The three of you aren't insanely popular so most people usually just perceive whichever one of you to be with Lucas to be his girlfriend

And when the three of you are together "oh hey what a lovely group of friends"

Ofc Dustin, Mike, and co notice the three of you handing out without them.

Tbf tho they know Max and Lucas are dating

They get together the same way and while sneaking around away from the rest they bump into you

Literally

And you almost cried because you were worried about your hair.

Max immediately disliked you.

But Lucas was infatuated.

Not in love per se

Just curious.

And a little scared people would think he'd made you cry.

"whoa whoa whoa, don't cry! I'm so sorry."

And he helps pick up your things. Buys you a coke from a vending machine and calls it even.

And honestly none of you expected to see each other again really.

Until you and Max find out you have a class together.

You're a year older than them a sophomore

And Max was in an advanced English class.

You just ended up being desk mates.

"oh hey I know you! You and your boyfriend bumped into me this summer." And despite the words sounding like they should come out harsh they were light and playful. There didn't seem to be any ill intent behind them which threw her off. "I'd remember your face anywhere. You're so pretty. Your freckles are crazy mesmerizing."

And her ears turn RED.

She becomes infatuated

And soon you start a rocky friendship.

And hanging out with Max soon turned into hanging out with Max AND Lucas

You get close

And actually...they never really ask you out.

You just kinda are chilling and Lucas has to go. He mutters "I love you guys" kisses Max's cheek affectionately and then yours leaves

And you pause. Take it in. And then look at Max who seems un bothered like she hadn't even noticed.

Few days later Max calls you babe at school instead of your name. And you short circuit briefly.

And that's...that. there's no awkward polyamorous negotiations you just kinda become partners.

Max loves kissing if you wear lip gloss! She complains it's stick and gross and "ew is that glitter?" But she doesn't really care.

And Lucas keeps a little Notebook of things the two of you like. How youre different from each other etc.

Neither of them are particularly fond of pda

Max isn't allowed to drive your car because A. she doesn't have a permit. B. She's a TERRIBLE driver. And C. She can't get a permit because she's a terrible driver.

So Lucas (who also doesn't have a permit) and you tend to do the drive around.

Max secretly really loves being called princess

And gifts

Getting gifts specifically.

Words don't always click for her so Physical affirmations of love >>>>

Lucky her tho Lucas loves giving gifts. Not always big things but snacks you two like, your favorite drink, flowers he saw while riding his bike. Etc.

"I have no money...but look at these smiles" - proud boyfriend Lucas

Max doesn't really say "I love you." Or "I love you too" it's usually more along the lines you "you're so stupid." Followed by a smiling eye roll.

Things get a little dark a little after a month of dating. About 2 months into the school year when Max starts having bad nightmares.

She starts getting headaches.

Easily irritated.

And she snaps at you

And soon after breaks up with the two of you through Lucas. (She couldn't say it to your face with your big cute dumb eyes staring at her all heart broken)

For a bit it's you and Lucas.

You go to ever game

You wear his jacket around school

Max switch's sits with Betty Larson in English

Lucas buys you gifts to make you smile. Anything for a smile.

Max doesn't sit with you at lunch anymore

Lucas holds you on his lap when you're alone just the two of you.

Max watches you talk in the hallway

You leave her candy in her locker when she looks tired in English

Max throws them away. She doesn't deserve them

And then Vecna.

And suddenly Max and Lucas are hanging out again.

And then she gives you a letter "for later. Just in case"

And then you demand to know what's happening

And then you're dragged into their mess.

And you watch max almost die.

And you're scared

All of you.

But you're together.

#lumax #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things 4 #lucas sinclair x reader #max mayfeild x reader #lumax x reader #sailor says something dumb #your honor i love them so much

[sapphire-weapon]

It's not insinuating anything, but it stuck in my head out of curiosity.

Well, I see a lot of different opinions with Leon from ID flirting with Shen Mei (shenmei), and I think...if he SUPPOSEDLY (I don't know why I'm using supposedly) doesn't care if she has a boyfriend

Do you think he would regret it later if she had actually accepted? Or that he might be used to doing this...

Or the worst possible option ...Do you think he would have that kind of attitude even if he was in a relationship with someone? (Cheater Leon ewww)

IT'S A GEN GEN GEN GEN QUESTION‹/3 I hope youre okay! English is not my first language

🍼kiss kiss

i don't think leon cheats.

i also don't think that he thought his "so?" was going to work. i think it was just a kneejerk response that came out of his mouth without thinking -- like, he was looking for a solid "yes" or "no" and his brain took too long to register that "i have a boyfriend" is a stand-in for "no."

and all he did was ask a question; she's the one who would've said yes and she's the one who would've gone to bed with him. someone like that, like -- if they're going to cheat, they're going to cheat, regardless of whether it's with leon or not. because it's not like he seduced her. she would've basically just jumped at the opportunity to do it. it means that she's probably in a terrible relationship. so i don't think he'd feel bad about it.

which tells me that he's probably slept with a taken woman at least once before -- probably one who was in a terrible relationship -- or maybe the relationship wasn't bad per se, but it wasn't good for her in the sense that it was a long-distance thing or something and she couldn't cope with it well.

and in that sense, like

i think people look at this and go "so he's that asshole who gets off on fucking someone else's girl" -- but i don't think that's it. i think that leon's a lonely guy who's looking for a real connection with another human being -- however brief. and sometimes lonely people attract other lonely people -- and feeling lonely while in a relationship is some of the worst loneliness there is. i think leon, knowing the kind of character he is, would look at it as him providing relief for that person from that loneliness, which he's happy to do, because he knows just how bad it can get. and i think he would also probably tell her "this isn't right, you need to get out of that relationship" -- but that still wouldn't stop him from actually putting it in her first.

now, whether you personally (ubiquitous "you") feel like that's still wrong of him to do regardless of his intentions -- that he should automatically look at any woman in a relationship as "off limits" -- that's a different matter entirely. i'm just talking about how he, himself would see it.

like i meme on leon for being sleazy for this interaction, but it's just a meme. i don't think it comes from a place of sleaze at all. i think it comes from a place of desperation and longing. of isolation and loneliness. and everyone has selfish moments. this was one of his.

[drifloonz]

s!3v3n headcanons bc i've been thinking of him and nobodys specifically requested s!3v3n yet? just my default version steven ( post incident post Manicness ). also yea dating hcs too This is an x reader blog primarily you should expect this by now

_____

♡ S!3v3n isn't an alternate personality of Steven's. I mean like ok technically but not in the DID way. it's just basically steven when he's manic or incredibly upset. he will most of the time go into this form when he feels these intense emotions that he can't exactly grapple with or handle. especially anger or rage or revenge and things of that sort. aliken it to more of a werewolf transformation but like personalitywise. does this even make sense.

♡ despite this S!3v3n can be passive, but he's always on the defensive in some way or another. he's always protecting something he loves from any danger no matter the cost - usually you or miki.

♡ he can loosen up in this state of course, but usually just when you two are cuddling. physical affection seems to soothe him easiest, as he'll just relax and de-tense a lot, but will still hug you nice and tight. he also might purr but who can say. smiles.

♡ prefers he/it, while steven prefers he/they. state of mind based secondary pronoun changes we love to see it

♡ not missingno possessed per se but missingno fucked with a lot of his body, mentally or physically, which is why he gets like this sometimes. missingno isn't possessing him ( missingno does not have desires it is just a jumbled mess of code that can do whatever it wants because it's not supposed to exist ) but being around it made him go a little bit insane, basically. Frenzy area of effect that permanently damaged him /hj

♡ s!3v3n isn't nonverbal per se but he's a lot less verbal than steven already is, unless he's really mad. see; doors open and strangled ( with image examples this time just cuz i wanted to, i guess. the last one is so funny. once again steven/s!3v3n is not written well in these. this is also s!3v3n / steven around the ages of what i'd assume to be 16-17 so take it with a grain of salt bc my hc steven/s!3v3n i write for these requests by default are like 19-28 or over )

♡ he still speaks in a lot of noises over words, and if he has to speak usually does it in very short sentences, but unless he wants to talk he'll always opt for just silent communication or little noises.

♡ tends to growl a lot. notably, steven grumbles and groans and sighs, but never growls. s!3v3n growls and hisses and snarls. things like that. he's more animalistic and impulsive.

♡ due to his impulsive nature he doesn't make the best decisions. s!3v3n is mentally unstable ( not like steven isnt but as said, s!3v3n's emotions are much stronger than stevens ) and very clingy. he does things with 15-35% good intentions, at least to him, and the rest of that percentage is impulse. what he wants in the moment. he's more passive than he used to be when steven was actively fucking killing people, but he'll still be like this sometimes. although, most of the impulse is when he's angry and towards people he doesn't know, doesn't care about.

♡ i state this like he's actively really shitty to be around but nowadays tbh this just shows in s!3v3n not asking you about things and just doing them most of the time. if he wants to cuddle he'll grab you and take you to bed and cuddle with you and you Aren't escaping his arms. he's still mindful of your needs to some degree of course, but he's just sorta like that. this can obviously still lead to discomfort and disagreements though.

♡ he'll be more mindful about it if you seem genuinely upset with him for doing these things, though. although since his emotions are heightened he has bad reactions to being rejected in any way so he'll just lock himself in his room and avoid you because he thinks you hate him ( or is scared of getting angry and hurting you, because hey, he's hurt loved ones over accidents and disagreements before. ) it'll usually take half a day and then his 'being loved' battery runs too low so he gets over it and walks back into your arms with your permission and snuggles up like a big cat.

♡ very very prone to moodswings and is easy to upset. this is a lot harder with anybody he's clingy or protective towards but can still happen. but like i said, easy to soothe with physical affection from his loved ones. he's a moody black cat except a black cat that's like, 6'8 feet tall. and is a lion.

♡ s!3v3n's a lot more buried within steven these days since he's less actively manic all the time, but he'll still come out, usually after traumatic experiences or when steven is extremely upset and can't handle himself. often times he'll lock himself in his room if he can figure that he's about to lose control of himself for everybody's safety. the last time he let himself get lost in his intense emotions he let that control him for like 1-5ish years and killed like 3 or more people and also flew to johto for some reason ( escapism, s!3v3n sort of fucking hates kanto due to how everyone there treats him ) and killed one of those 3 people there.

♡ extremely overprotective and clingy. steven himself already is, but s!3v3n basically just makes his emotions 10x worse. he will not let you leave his sight 99% of the time, will cling onto you literally, and hold you extremely tight in bed so you don't leave because he's kind of selfish and likes your warmth and everything else about you. he'll let go with an annoyed grumble if you have to go to eat or go to the bathroom or something, but he'll let you go. he might follow if he cares enough.

♡ s!3v3n specifically is way more obsessive with miki. she's out constantly when s!3v3n is, getting so much attention. sometimes even more than you. miki's his main priority even if she's perfectly fine and alive - at least to him. you are an extremely close second though, sometimes tying depending on how he feels and how close steven is to you normally. if you're dating but like, only recently, s!3v3n will basically still care about you but will barely be around you unless you need something or come to him first. but if you two are very close he is all fucking over you and is as obsessive about you as he is with miki sometimes. have fun! ( also obviously if you don't fuck with miki this pisses s!3v3n off way more than it pisses steven off. So don't be rude!!! )

♡ he does not go outside for any reason unless it's at midnight. the last time he did he flew to johto and beat a kids ass for no reason. he'll go on strolls in his secluded little forest area of pallet and maybe fly with miki to take his mind off or to go somewhere to do something cryptic, but otherwise he stays holed up in his house as usual. he's much more active than steven though, often pacing or sometimes stomping around if he's upset.

♡ speaking of which he doesn't engage in most activities other than ones to keep him alive like eating and whatnot, but. the exception to this is videogames. canonically, probably, since its noted that he loves videogames and has old consoles. which is really fucking funny. imagine him with his scary ass red eyes and messed tangled hair growling and yelling at a multiplayer game or something. ( he is very competitive </3 ) ( canonically, he probably wouldn't even have any newer consoles with online multiplayer. but for the sake of my headcanons he does. )

♡ likes to cuddle up with you sitting on his lap while he plays games or watches tv or something. another easy way to soothe him.

♡ because he's clingy, this also means he'll take you literally everywhere he goes because he's too afraid and paranoid of leaving you alone. the only time he doesn't is when he himself is going out, is sure you're safe and won't try to do anything, and is sure he'll be quick ( for example him getting a midnight snack and then just coming back to bed after )

♡ type of guy who triple-checks everything - if locks are actually locked, if doors are closed, if wires are working and connected properly ( iykyk ), etc. so does steven, but as per usual, less than s!3v3n.

♡ if you like try to go to the store or something he'll be staring at you like an upset dog the second you get close to his homes door for any reason. he will not break eyecontact until you leave or move away from the door. he'll peak outside just to make sure you're safe, but will try to leave it alone despite his mind desperately telling him that something bad will happen to you if he leaves you alone.

♡ extremely easily jealous. if you ever somehow were to rope s!3v3n in an actual factual public setting ( likely via doing so with steven and something happening to make him s!3v3n during that ), he'd curl his form around you protectively, a hand always on you. it grips tighter whenever he's jealous - not intentionally to hurt you, but just out of impulse.

♡ hair is a lot more wild than usual, sometimes floating a bit off the ground, sometimes even longer than normal? it's also usually even darker than normal, too...

♡ although steven has cooking knowledge when s!3v3n's there, he doesn't really mentally care enough to cook so he just eats frozen meals. its why.. most of stevens kitchen is full of frozen and easy to make meals - because he was in a much worse mindset in most of his years of living at his somewhat decrepit home. said mindset being called Whatever the fuck S!3v3n is.

♡ s!3v3n loves physical contact as mentioned previously, but one thing he likes is to hug you from behind or to rub his cheese-grater feelin' ass chin stubble against your shoulder or something like that.

♡ that borderline certainly can personality a disorder! goddamn!!!!!!!!

♡ he's clingy! obsessive! jealous! terribly paranoid! has a lot of emotions he doesn't know why he feels or how to handle! but he still loves you at the end of the day, he's just easily upset and doesn't know what you want sometimes.

♡ he finds anything strange or new a threat most of the time and will either be cautious or defensive around said things. most true of people, least true of items. i feel like if you poisoned him he wouldn't even feel it so he wouldn't care ( although he does check food for poison if hes giving it to you or miki ). due to this if you want to order delivery or something he will be like "we have food at home." but in a less verbal sense ( probably just dragging you to the kitchen and scrounging around for something to eat that doesn't require social interaction )

♡ while pokemon avoid steven and leave him alone, pokemon and people fear s!3v3n. it's like a magnet aura of people leaving him alone out of fear. this is also kind of canon in strangled red after he gets missingno, where every npc turns away from him after he obtains it. it's not like s!3v3n specifically ever willingly goes out into public settings anyways, but if he were to nobody would bother him out of fear.

♡ if you two run out of food he dreads going to the local pokemart but does it begrudingly, being silent the entire time and just throwing food he wants or needs into his cart. he uh. he doesn't have money after the events of strangled red ( unless he stole mike, gold, or That one kid he presumably killed in strangled's wallet. ) so i don't know how he pays, he just does. or he steals at the dead of night via breaking in. either works. if someone catches him he just turns slowly and stares. the glowing red eyes usually convince them to leave him alone.

♡ he really likes putting his hands through your hair. its soothing and calms him down.

♡ s!3v3n isn't only active when stevens going through an episode, it's just 99% of the time when it happens. but when he just comes out through normal(ish) means, he's pretty passive. just quiet, giving single word responses usually and following you around his house with intrigue. he likes observing you passively throughout the day. just looking at you makes him that much calmer.

♡ sorry if you don't like being stared at s!3v3n does that a lot with his big glowey red eyes. the 'tism. he's staring at you lovingly if you can't tell dw

♡ if anything hurts you he will fucking go after whoever did it. you have to hold him back from seriously hurting anything or anybody. he just growls and stares at whatever hurt you in an attempt to hold himself back but make his intentions known. despite steven himself getting better to a degree, s!3v3n isn't one to be messed with still. He will actually beat your ass and possibly kill somebody over things still, just not as easily since he's ever-so-slightly more well adjusted than he was a few years back.

♡ the only difference is the s!3v3n back then relied on miki and various versions of her to take care of annoyances. s!3v3n nowadays will just beat somebody's ass with his bare hands for the hell of it if they piss him off enough and especially if they are trying to hurt you.

♡ if you two don't live together he'll collect various knickknacks you lose at his house and stash them somewhere safe, close to his bed as a good-luck charm of sorts. he's unironically not trying to be weird, he just thinks its cute and is a little too awkward to tell you that something of yours is left with him... he wants something to remember you by as cheesy as it may seem.

♡ s!3v3n is especially careful to not squeeze you too tight due to s!3v3n allegedly being stronger than steven since he's more emotional in this state than steven is, but at the same time he likes squeezing you a little roughly, but not enough to be uncomfortable. just in a playful and affectionate way. obviously he's mindful of it though, this is the version of steven that did snap his brother's neck after all. as much as he wishes to forget about that.

♡ s!3v3n holds grudges like a motherfucker and will not let them die. he's obviously more forgiving towards partners and usually flags relationship issues as his fault, but he will get vindictive and upset sometimes regardless - he just tries to not act on these feelings and have a moment to himself so he can calm down instead of immediately acting on it like he used to.

♡ doesn't eat a lot. s!3v3n usually comes out when stevens manic / having an episode / extremely depressed, which. Symptom of depression number whatever; Not taking care of yourself. which steven already does, but like stated many times before, s!3v3n is always way worse about stevens flaws

♡ if you like mostly solitude and if you don't like when stevens all snarky to you sometimes, s!3v3n tends to be more quiet if he's happy as stated before. he's just happy existing around you.

♡ often times he'll do his own thing while you do your own thing if the two of you don't want to be super touchy. parallel play behavior. it's usually him taking care of miki while you do whatever hobbies you have.

♡ face is usually shaded over way more than stevens and thats the main visual indicator along with his eyes being glowy usually. which should be known but In case it isn't. oh also he's probably taller or bigger sometimes in this state.

♡ he has a lot of issues but he's trying his best! big scary animalistic boyfriend who is always thinking of giving you a little smooch and cuddles all over.

♡ i'm writing too much and a lot of this boils down to the same things so im sending the fucking post and worrying about it later. amen.

♡ tldr the type of dude to wrap his arms around you tight to his chest and growl at any sort of threat. overprotective clingy boyfriend x 10.

#wispy writes #steven strangled red #s!3v3n #s!3v3n strangled red #headcanons #steven strangled red x reader #s!3v3n strangled red x reader #yea #the x reader bits are sprinkled in bc its more focused on my characterization of him in general but theyre there #ok theres more now that im finishing this up and abt to post it But yea. Very long. Thinking of mr S!3v3n.

[raayllum]

to build on your recent ask, and just to pick your brain a little (gross metaphor, I know), when you said:

"To me, the coins could never have been permanent, otherwise there's very little reason to have them exist. After all, if the parents can't be freed and/or come back, why not just kill them? It'd effect the story the same way... unless they come back." I wonder, in your experience and education in literature, do you think it is feasible/would be an effective avenue of storytelling for the writers to use the (theoretical) inability to free the coined elves as a plot device to teach Rayla about moving on, and that she can't save everyone? she is portrayed as a very determined--and sometimes obsessive--character, and I can recall the writers bringing up her strong devotion to freeing the elves as something that should be questioned (though I do believe this will involve her allowing herself to let Callum/the others help). But, nevertheless, what are your thoughts?

The thing about Rayla is that her determination, and her wanting to save everyone isn't a Flaw, per se. If anything, it's the best thing about her, and the story points that out time and time again (1x03 with the boys, 1x05 with Bait, 1x09 with Zym, 2x07 with the dragon, 3x05 with Nyx): "You have true courage, and a big heart" / "It's because Rayla is a hero. Rayla's brave. She saves people. She does what's right [....] That's what makes her a hero. That's what makes her Rayla."

It's just not only a virtue, as like real people, most of TDP's cast's best qualities are also their worst ones, depending on the circumstance. Callum can also be obsessive with magic, after all (1x04, 2x01, 2x04, 4x02) but that doesn't mean him being a mage isn't his path, or not a Good path for him, particularly when it comes to primal magic. But his persistent, perpetually pushing nature also means he can be impulsive and bite off more than he can chew, unknowingly getting in over his head before it's too late. (Whereas Rayla tends to have a better cognition of her bad odds, but just less concern over them.) If Callum's 'bad path' is being a dark mage, Rayla's 'bad path' is being a loner assassin who takes everything on alone, y'know? Those paths are both from the same places, but there are always more options than the roles they've had enforced on them or have taken up because it feels like they don't have any other choice in war, even if they have/had good intentions regardless.

This also comes back to like, Rayla's relationship with letting go vs holding on. If anything, Rayla has a laser focus on moving on - "We have to keep moving" (1x09) / "Fine, one extra day. One" (2x01) / "Rayla, you're pushing us to move too fast" (3x02) / "I'm fine, Callum, like I already told you [...] We walk away and this never happened" (3x04) - that operates to her detriment, because it's usually when she's ignoring her own pain to prioritize the mission, or putting the mission above most things (other than the boys). If she doesn't linger on her pain/mistakes, she can pretend more easily that it doesn't exist (not "I don't want to talk right now" but "There's nothing to talk about," if you will). Illusions and erasure and all that - very Moonshadow

C: So, uh, yesterday must've been a hard day for you. R: Not really.

We see this even when she comes back in S4 and her attempts to "get things back the way they were" and even her almost complete prioritization of how Callum feels, and very little regard to how she feels (outside of being nervous to see him, which 4x05 quickly reveals is the least of how she's been emotionally damaged).

And this, of course, is because Rayla is very bad, actually, at letting things go. She holds on mistakes, she repeats the same patterns of herself and others who loved but hurt her, and that's why all her self deprecation talk is very similar across the seasons

I messed up. I know I did. (1x02) / You should cut yourself a break. Everyone messes up sometimes, or in my case, all the times. [...] Right up until moment when it really matters. That's when I just, poof, mess it up... And the next thing I know, I've failed. / I dropped it. This is all my fault. I let you both down. I let the world down. (1x09) / I need my friend to trust me, and he doesn't. And I think it's my fault. (2x02 / But every time I tried, I would mess it up, and the next time it was harder, and-- (2x03) / I failed them. It was my fault we were discovered. (3x03) / It's me, and it's all my fault. I failed them. I let them all down. They were right to reject me. I'm not good enough and I never will be. (3x04) / Oh no, I messed up again! [...] This is all my fault. I left him alone. I shouldn't have-- (4x06)

Rayla is someone who is selfless to the point she doesn't know how/when to be selfish, which causes her to be selfish in ways that are extremely detrimental to herself and to the other people around her. In a lot of ways, her inability to move on is an inability to let go of her negative self perception of herself: she fears that failure for her is inevitable ("I'm sure it would've flopped when it was my turn"), she's so terrified of being alone yet continually isolates herself because that seems safer, and because of these negative perceptions, she unfairly punishes herself. For her own mistakes, and for others.

Harrow: I recognize that I may pay the price for our mistakes. / I won't hide in the body of another while someone else pays the price for my decisions. (1x02) Rayla: It will just get tighter and tighter until I lose my hand. But I'm ready to pay that price. (1x06) / But if I die, I'll just be paying the price they should've paid a long time ago. (3x08)

VS

Callum: But you didn't run. They have it all wrong. Rayla: Does it matter? (3x03) Claudia: We're not going to the dungeons, Soren! We didn't do anything wrong. (3x02)

So Rayla wanting to prioritize something over the mission that's not for the good of someone else (Callum, the dragon, Nyx, etc) but for something that she personally wants is a massive departure for her and gives her all sorts of room to grow. However, it remains to be seen if Rayla will view it like that. I could see her see saving her parents as a form of 'redemption' - even though she didn't fail them like, at all, but again: it's Rayla we're talking about. Turning it into a duty would be very on brand. "This is a journey for redemption" and all that, even if like... she doesn't Need to redeem herself.

There's layers there then, of her being 'selfish' (wanting something for herself, it being her family) and of being too 'selfless' again, semi similar to her choice to leave in TTM. Because Rayla's inability to let go is unable to be separated from the way she continually punishes/loathes herself; that's what she can't put down, the mistakes and failures she feels responsible for that she'll destroy herself to try and correct, to ensure she pays the price so that no one else has to. That's why she's obsessive about Viren (protection, punishment, self-martyrdom) and prepared to stay behind at the Storm Spire.

Her choices to save and protect Zym are a little different. She, like the princes, wants to make up for her parents' mistakes, yes, but it goes deeper than that - she truly believes that this is right and has the power to change the world for the better, to break the cycle rather than perpetuate it. To make a difference, not as a trauma response, but in the vein of healing.

TLDR; to summarize, I think Rayla's parents, particularly Runaan, have a great capacity to help her unlearn the harmful patterns they've passed down, whether because she's grown beyond them and can help her parents do the same, or in seeing their behaviour and correcting hers, or in having them realize how they messed her up, and saving her right back.

None of this really touches on how TDP's hero side is staunchly big on protecting the value of the individual, and their right to exist/thrive without prejudice/expectation, by laying yourself down (as opposed to offering up others' lives), but I think that's absolutely a component as well. TDP's hopepunk theme - Breaking the cycle, working towards harm reduction, reconciling rather than reinforcing binaries - are all in favour of saying "you can't save everyone, but you should still always Try" (hi Ezran in 3x04) and I don't think they'd toss that out, either. In a world with magic, they could've taken the concept of the Moon Nexus and Rayla wanting to see them again for the same end (which, in TTM, Rayla doesn't think she can save her parents per se - she just wants to know if they're actually dead or not), but uh. They didn't so yeah, particularly because Runaan living means all sorts of messy feelings for Callum and happy gay reunion elves, them living absolutely holds the most merit for the narrative, tbh

#thanks for asking #moon fam #tdp rayla #mini meta #requests #analysis series #analysis #hoothalcyon #hero motif #theme: duality #also pick my brain away #characterization #by mistake

[sonorousabyss]

Hi! Can I get a Star Wars MxM pairing? Here's a bit about me if it helps! I'm 5'10, I have dyed blond hair but the roots are black (my natural colour lol.). I usually wear baggy clothes, graphic tees, beanies, funky sunglasses, denim jackets, and converse- I'm also super interested in streetwear. I always have a messenger bag or tote bag on me- both of which are littered with pin badges. I love writing, especially sci-fi or fantasy scripts for films. I have a massive camera collection and I love filming and taking photos of stuff! I'm an ENFP and an Aquarius. My other hobbies include: Skateboarding, analysing film and books, decorating my room and watching video essays! Thanks! :D

AN: I know I just did this man for someone else but the idea of you and Tech together just makes me warm and fuzzy inside, Anon! Hope you enjoy!

I present to you, analysis nights.

No, seriously. If you want to know how you got as close as you both did? It was these, hands down.

You'd sit together in the ship, barracks, mess hall- literally anywhere and just talk- with or without his brothers around.

Tech is a bountiful source of knowledge. If he isn't aware of something, he's a few holopad touches away from finding out. And getting to share this knowledge? With someone who is JUST as passionate as he is? He's in heaven.

Film and story plot analysis? Talking about books? The Bad Batch never allows him to do this. He's chatting with you for hours over just about anything he's come across browsing the holonet. Seeing you just as engaged as he just makes him bubbly inside.

Of course, these sessions don't just consist of him talking. He's sitting next to or across from you, nodding intently as he processes everything you're telling him for minutes to hours at a time.

If you aren't just info dumping to each other over stuff that one of you has heard about and the other hasn't? It's a seemingly endless back-and-forth exchange of ideas and opinions.

As much as you enjoy this time together... the boys know to stay away. Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo, and Hunter know it's time to give you both some privacy as soon as one of you starts piping up about one of your special interests. It's not intentionally spiteful, per se, it's just that when both of you pick up and get going? Getting a word in edgewise is difficult. Especially considering they can't always follow along.

While they're walking away after the first few discussions, they place bets on how long it'll take for you both to realize you have chemistry- if you haven't already, that is.

You can thank Crosshair and Wrecker for this. It wasn't long before everyone committed credits to the pot, though.

Tech finds your style of dress both endearing and interesting- especially when it comes to streetwear and such. There was one occasion where he just sat there analyzing your tote bag, pointing at the individual pins and asking what each of them mean. He makes sure to keep up with any new ones he discovers, and has even brought you some between missions.

I present to you Tech and yourself sitting on his bunk, watching films and video essays on your holopad.

Tech watching you skateboard so easily back at base, a look of mild distrust on his face as he eyes your board- the likes of which you happen to be offering to him with an audible offer to "teach" him how to use it.

Seeing videos of how to do it and doing it yourself are two very different things, he finds that day, as he sits on his ass with Crosshair and the rest of the batch unceremoniously laughing their asses off by the ship.

They wish they could've caught that wipeout on camera, and I'm not convinced at least one of them secretly has.

Tech helping bleach your hair in the washroom as you write scripts on your holopad or scroll through the photos you've taken on your camera, occasionally lifting it up for him to analyze when you find a picture you particularly like.

Tech helping you write by acting as an editor/beta reader for any pieces you're willing to share with him.

Tech seeming particularly shifty one week as he goes about business elsewhere, deliberately avoiding contact with you because it's a well-known fact that he's horrible at lying.

You go about your day mildly concerned at seeing him scurry away into his ship or random rooms to avoid you, only to head back to your room to crash for the night, utterly exhausted.

When you get there, you find a red and black beanie with a skull and holopad emblazoned on the rim resting on your bed with an apology note from Tech, explaining that he'd been attempting to get this as a gift and didn't want to spoil the surprise.

Turns out he wasn't upset he was just being a sappy lover.

Oh- Crosshair won that bet by the way. The others groaned as they paid up while you walked into the ship hand in hand, and Tech looked rather perturbed as they did so. Crosshair just smirked.

AN: Sorry this was a bit on the shorter side, but honestly this is one of the cutest things I've mulled over in a hot minute. Hope you enjoyed! May the force be with you, and may your day be as pleasant as the ocean's abyss is deep.

For those who are new here, I take requests. You can find my rules here.

#tech bad batch #tech x male reader #mlm #tech #bad batch x male reader #bad batch matchup #star wars matchup #star wars x male reader #tech x reader #bad batch x reader #male reader #headcanons #matchup #male reader matchup #star wars #bad batch #the bad batch #the bad batch matchup #the bad batch x male reader

[everyoneisrose-stuck]

Hello bestie beloved /p. What about Rozlin Ampora? Cronus ways tho. Also are you gonna be doing like, the ancestors as rose? Rose as the ancestors. Like, Signless Rose. If that makes sense

In which, Rozlin stays gold

Do not be fooled! She may seem like one of the nicer Roses, but she's really not. Rozlin Ampora (Alpha) is very much an asshole, and unlike Rozlin Ampora (Beta), she doesn't even have the defense of being good intention. She isn't a villain per se, just a very selfish and mean person.

It's a bit tragic, as she wasn't always this way. At some point, Rozlin had reinvented herself into her current image, and in the process of doing so, got rid of her old passions, hobbies, and personality, costing her several friendships as a result. (Whoever the alpha troll version of Jade is in this particular universe, she and Rozlin used to be really good friends but are on pretty bad terms now).

As for your question, I'm pretty sure I'll get around to doing the ancestors eventually! Just gotta figure out how.

#homestuck #homestuck sprite edit #sprite edit #rose lalonde #rozlin ampora #rozlin lalond #alpha trolls #bloodswap #kidswap

[anneapocalypse]

I'm always fascinated to learn about other writers' processes, so I hope this isn't too many questions! 😅 3, 11, 41, 46, 49

(For this ask meme.)

3. Answered!

11. Are you partial to a certain character/pairing or are you more equal-opportunity? If you are partial to any character/pairing, why do you think that is?

I certainly have my faves and I think it's generally pretty obvious who they are! At the same time, I like to explore new things and consider myself open to persuasion. Especially for canons with very large casts, it would be hard to limit myself to a single favorite character or pairing.

41. Link a fic that made you think, “Wow, I want to write like that.”

Vincit qui se vincit by @zelroyo-blog. It's got such gorgeous world- and character-building (one of my very favorite Fallout couriers I've ever read about). When I read it I knew I wanted not only to write that well but to engage with the worlds I'm writing in on that level. Truly one of my biggest inspirations over the years (and Zel if ever you happen to see this, it's been a long time but I hope you're doing well).

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

I much prefer working on desktop or at least on my tablet for anything substantial, but the phone will do for jotting down short scenes, dialogue, ideas etc. that might come to me when I'm away from it. I can write more volume on my phone if it's all I've got, but if I'm in the middle of a larger project I just prefer to be able to see more of it at once. It's harder for what I'm writing to feel grounded in its larger context if I can't click around and see the context!

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

Right now I'm doing a little low-pressure challenge for myself that I'm calling 100 Word November, with the intention of getting myself back to writing regularly after a bad year. The goal is just to write at least 100 words per day, though most days I end up writing more, and it's been a lot of fun. It's all little snippets about my FFXIV character Ariane (and in particular it's a lot of Ariane/Urianger Shadowbringers-era stuff). Very unstructured and nothing set in stone, as I really don't plan on finishing or finalizing anything until I've reached endgame.

Here's a snippet from today! Mildly spoilery for Shadowbringers.

"’Tis fascinating the myriad ways in which the fae distinguisheth—” Urianger paused, giving her a sheepish smile. “Forgive me. Many a time hath Thancred admonished me for talking his ear off, as it were.” “Urianger,” Ariane said very seriously, “this is important, so listen carefully.” She wrapped both hands around her teacup, and leaned slightly forward, and he listened with all earnestness. “I want to hear everything about the fae. Everything. Should you ever doubt my desire to hear about something, you may ask me, ‘Ariane, would you like to hear about the intricacies of the customs of the fair folk?’ that I may assure you, my dear friend, that I do in fact want to hear all about it.” Urianger’s countenance positively glowed. “Thou art altogether too kind to me, my friend.”

#ask meme #fic writer meme #ask anne #ell vellan #fic snip #the stars are blind my love