#you have to take his perspective with a grain of salt. because he will ‘I’m just a little guy and the world is out to get me’ his way outta

[zeb-z]

Bad has so many reasons to be cautious, even paranoid, as anyone else on the island. From Federation nonsense to Dapper being kidnapped to the whole purgatory nonsense to whatever fuckass suit of armor “old friend” was setting up cameras in his house. But it compounds on his regular overly aware paranoid self to this state of hyper-paranoia. And as a demon who can and usually will lie, cheat, steal, and use sneaky underhanded tactics, he expects the craziest extent because he thinks of it, realizes it’s possible, and would use it himself. We saw this very obviously in purgatory - when he thought greens desperate last ditch effort to balance the scale was a super planned out tactic to tip the scale, so he did it first, all the hardcore base hunting, the spawn killing, there’s a reason every other tactic he used usually followed a main channel qsmp post with updated rules - all usually things he was surprised no one else thought of. But then this also piles onto the fact that he has to have things go his way, all the time, and that he’s argumentative as all get out, which led to the debate between him and Bagi yknow. Especially because he’s not just doing it for the sake of being right, he doesn’t think he’s paranoid, but that he’s exercising the right amount of caution.

So like. Listen dude. Yeah he’s got reasons to be paranoid. But his thought process around building vaults for separate cookie caches like they locked up the risus pills, only to scrap it because it’s not perfectly impenetrable, is extreme. His character has hardly been a leading example in someone who has reasonable reactions to things. And even when there isn’t his own children’s livelihoods potentially on the line, he has a need for control, and the most control he has is if he keeps the cookies in his inventory at all times. If he makes himself the sole point in which the others can get ones in a case of emergency, then he can control the variables. The problem is he’s unreliable about himself when he’s at his most rational and healthiest, and he’s far worse with the current memory and health issues he’s been mostly unaware of.

I dunno it’s like. There is never going to be a purely impenetrable base. And it’s not just a case of “Bagi just hasn’t lived through __ yet!”. Bad’s own logic about keeping the cookies on him at all times is flawed under his own logic, because Bagi is right - if someone has enough drive to break into separate secured cookie caches purely for the downfall of eggs, they more than certainly have enough drive to find a way to kill Bad and just take them from his inventory, or to just kill the eggs themselves. All it truly does is give Bad a sense of control, and soothe his paranoia.

#everyone let’s remember rurus’ tweet about bad NOT being in the blunt rotation. he would try to pluck cameras out of your eyes. and he will #make it seem like it’s the most reasonable thing to do in that moment #now this is more me complaining about shit I’ve been seeing on Twitter in the tags <3 love and peace but I’ve got beef #side note - to say the people who are commenting on qBad’s paranoia or this and that are all newcomers who just ‘weren’t there to experienc #-the dark times’ or ‘weren’t there for the egg deaths/nightmares’ like you are not immune to the way bbh can make something seem so #reasonable #he’s got his own reasons to be paranoid. and most everyone agreed that the base idea of a ‘cookie jar’ would need rethinking with security #but to say qBagi (or Jorge’s/other viewers) is shortsighted or naive. when qBad is THE definition of paranoia. of overreacting. like #qBad’s reaction extends from a mixture of care hyper paranoia and trauma response (which is half that hyper paranoia) #and he will pick and pick and pick until there’s nothing left to pick at #sometimes this is helpful. a lot of the time it’s not #and on the flip side it’s like y’all bad cares about the eggs to a ridiculous degree don’t be silly here okay. he does this because he care #even without a memory in his brain he calls them ‘little one’ and is gentle like. he cares #but at the same time this doesn’t always justify his nonsense. his thought processes. he’s Uber hyper paranoid and not easy to reason with #he’s selfish he can and will jump to extremes he’s overly controlling. and he’s the worlds most unreliable narrator #I’ve been saying this I’ll keep saying this he’s an unreliable narrator! this doesn’t make everything he says or thinks bullshit but you #cannot take what he says to himself how he justifies his actions etc etc in private at face value. unless he is making it EXPLICITLY CLEAR #he’s talking from a meta perspective as the creator of his character #you have to take his perspective with a grain of salt. because he will ‘I’m just a little guy and the world is out to get me’ his way outta #everything #there is a difference between reasonable caution from learned past experiences and overly anxious paranoid responses #idk I’m running out of steam sorry this is like a second post with the tags #and again I say this as a huge qBbh enjoyer lmao #mcyt #qsmp #q!bbh #q!bagi #z speaks

[bamf-jaskier]

Cavill is not a martyr

I have been seeing so many posts and comments along the lines of “Henry Cavill left the Witcher because they were inaccurate to the books and he had enough of all the changes”

And this thought process, especially if you mention the recent DeMayo writer’s interview, is just a flawed thought process.

Just a quick blurb on DeMayo, as I said here his comments are probably a cry for attention from a fanbase he knows how to rile up and I would take what he says with a grain of truth salt. And Cavill has already filmed season 3 and I can assure you that a random writer he probably has already met making these comments didn’t send Cavill over the edge and have him march into the office an rage quit. Recasting and deciding on a new actor and getting out of contract is a lengthy process that has likely been going on for months. If anything it’s more likely DeMayo knew about Cavill leaving and then made his comments than the other way around.

So Henry Cavill announced he was leaving the Witcher just a few days after announcing he was returning to Superman.

In fact, he was quoted as saying this about his recent cameo as Superman in the new Black Adam movie:

"It was a very powerful moment for me. I wasn't sure how I would feel… whether it would be something very emotionally connective because I put the Man of Steel suit back on," Cavill said. "I chose that one in particular because of the nostalgia attached to the suit. It was important for me to be standing there and enjoying that moment. That is one of the top moments in my career. It feels great to have the opportunity to wear it again."

"The character means so much to me. It's been five years now. I never gave up hope," Cavill said of the half-decade he spent waiting for news about playing Superman again. "It's amazing to be here now talking about it again. There is such a bright future ahead for the character. I'm so excited to tell a story with an enormously joyful Superman."

And that 5 year mark is important. Because it is no coincidence that on September in 2018 it was reported that Cavill will no longer be playing Superman in the DCEU just days after it was announced he would be taking on the role of Geralt in The Witcher.

In fact, it was stated:

the Witcher commitment came after the Warners impasse, suggesting a change in the studio’s strategy.

Meaning he signed onto the Witcher because he stopped being Superman. So what we are seeing right now with Cavill announcing he is returning as Superman and then announcing he is leaving The Witcher is an exact reverse of the situation in 2018.

Cavill loves playing Superman and not only is it a project he is passionate about, but he also nets in a massive paycheck.

Even back in 2018 when Cavill left the role of Superman there was talk that he left because of contract disputes:

Cavill's original contract was for four movies, so a contract extension would naturally need to be arranged before Warner Bros. could move ahead with another standalone Superman movie. According to Revenge of the Fans, Cavill's team wanted to leverage a better deal out of the contract extension - including more movies, more money, and possibly even a producer role. From Warner Bros.' perspective, however, there isn't exactly a burning need to get another Superman movie made.

Then in August of 2022 reports began to come out from comi-con that Henry Cavill was looking to return to the role of Superman but wanted more money for the role.

And considering Cavill was paid a truly insane amount for 2013′s Man of Steel -- an estimated $14 million and a $20 million for 2017′s Justice League I have to wonder what wildly high amount he will be paid to return as Superman now in 2022 when he is a bigger star than ever before.

And his Witcher paycheck does not compare to that Superman money -- with him making 500k an episode in season 1 and $1 million an episode in season 2. Even if he was just making as much money as Justice League, and he is likely making much more to return, that is still well over double the amount of money to play Superman vs playing Geralt.

And at the end of the day, The Witcher is a show with very specific scheduling requirements and set locations. Blood Origin and Season 2 lost actors because of the scheduling conflicts. And that is not at all unusual for the industry.

And for set locations The Witcher is mostly filmed in Mafan Film Studio in Hungary as well as various locations around the country as well as Arborfield Film Studios in the UK and other locations there such as North Yorkshire & The Lake District. And with fewer COVID restrictions the production team is likely to want to go around Europe again for S4 and S5.

Meanwhile it’s hard to know where the new DCEU movies will be filmed but Man of Steel was filmed around Vancouver, British Columbia and Illinois in the US. Justice League was filmed around Scotland and London. Black Adam was filmed in Atlanta Georgia in the US. 

All this to say filming DCEU movies and The Witcher are two very time intensive processes that require film locations that could be on opposite sides of the world. And in addition Cavill is starring in the new Highlander Reboot and in the Enola Holmes movies. Being a TV actor takes a lot of time for not as much money and acclaim. Cavill is seemingly going back to just being a film actor instead of a tv actor which considering his busy schedule makes a lot of sense.

So it’s pretty clear why he would leave The Witcher to return to Superman and his other films roles:

1) Far higher paycheck to play Superman

2) He loves both the characters but Superman is very meaningful for his career and he has stated he has always wanted to return to the role

3) Scheduling conflicts and very different filming locations and the prestige of film vs tv

Trying to spread the narrative of “Cavill is a martyr in the battle against the inaccuracies of the tv show” is based on nothing but your own confirmation bias. And it honestly says a lot about the type of person you are that you jump to find a symbol to represent the victimization of your hatred of the show.

You can dislike the show but the tinhatting and conspiracy theories I have seen flying around are quite frankly embarrassing and this is a needed reality check.

At the end of the day Henry Cavill is a high-level movie star who makes choices based on his career and what he wants to do. Your parasocial relationship with the man is entirely in your own head and I recommend trying to get out. 

#and there's my thoughts on all the people commenting under my other post #the witcher #henry cavill #twn #liam hemsworth #discourse #superman #dceu #long post #myposts

[mothdustts]

A sorta rant about Sam from Stardew Valley and his 4 heart event cuz i cant sleep and hes my wee lil goober

So apparently sam is a pretty underrated bachelor mainly due to his behaviour and personality in heart events that can cause him to come off as “immature and too young” which yea it’s understandable. So this is coming off from a perspective of a almost 20 year old uni student who really find Sam rather interesting and relatable.

So seems like a lot of people tend to point out his 4 and 10 heart events (sometime 6 even) as to their reason on finding Sam like a bit distasteful. I wanna talk about his 4 heart event cuz the more i looked back onto it, the more it hits me and find him very relatable in terms of personal experiences. So lemme bring up his 4 hear event and give yall my personal lense of it.

The 4 heart event has Sam trying to get you a snack but dropped an egg by accident, which caught Jodi’s attention.

And of course Sam seemed distressed about it, and so is Jodi’s reaction as she got mad about something as minuscule as an egg crack on the kitchen floor. We as the player has to be the one to tell Jodi what happen (where you can either tell what actually happened or choose to lie and say you dropped the egg btw)

Pretty much the best option is to lie and say you did it, and Jodi forgives you and plays it cool ofc. Jodi gives off the same reaction when you tell the truth and said that Sam dropped by accident.

I’m guessing that’s because it’s YOU who’s telling her what happened rather than it coming from Sam, which of course Jodi would be a bit more forgiving so she would cause a scene in front of their guest. Had you not been there and its just a casual day in their household, it’s likely that Sam will get hella berated and scolded by Jodi over an egg.

It seems very subtle I guess but Sam not responding to Jodi’s question may be the cause of previous experience with causing minor accidents around the house and getting scolded by his Mom. He may also seem really scared to respond with the truth, fearing his mom’s reaction hence relies on you to do the talking.

And personally, this had happened to me a lot growing up, with my mom literally scolding the fuck outta me if I ever made a minor mess or an accident around the house, so it did impacted me growing up anf maturing into adulthood. I remember as a kid I had to lie a lot because i fear that she would shout at me or worse hit me and yikes that got a wee bit dark didnt it bruh.

Sam may have not mature out in that department and of course it would have to do with his upbringing, being raised by Jodi and having an absent father as well which i’d say makes him hard to be mentally matured.

So yea i guess that all i gotta say and since this is all just speculation and basically my interpretation of this heart event, do take it with a grain of salt.

I might make a revised version of this to make it more cohesive and shit, i mean like i literally am writing this at 3am so meow :3

Y’all are welcomed to reply or reblog to open up a discussion and id love to hear and chat with you about your thoughts and insight about this hehe :D

goodnight gois!!! especially to you Sam stans out there!!!

#stardew valley #stardew sam #sdv #sdv sam #i am very normal about this boy #oooo so normal #intense brainrot rahhh #ive literallt only played this game for like a month now im already so attached to sam

[johaerys-writes]

Hi! I’m pretty new to the world of Achilles and Patroclus (I read The Song Of Achilles last month) and I just saw your post about your love for them. When you said “there's just so much stuff out there about them (tsoa, hades game, the iliad, a bunch of other myths and adaptations, non fiction books, academic papers etc)” I was wondering if you could touch on the other myths and adaptations part maybe? I’m not exactly sure where to begin there but I would appreciate any guidance you could give!

Oh boy I don't know where to start either because there's a LOT. I don't want to overwhelm you so I'll just list a few key myths and adaptations off the top of my head:

Adaptations

So as far as adaptations go, I will include works where both Achilles and Patroclus show up and that are inspired by the Iliad.

Hades Game: I'm pretty sure you're already familiar with this, just mentioning it just in case!

Aristos the musical: it's a musical as the name suggests, and it revolves around Achilles and Patroclus' lives from Pelion all the way to Troy. It's really lovely and has made me emotional on numerous occasions and I love revisiting it every so often! It also has a Tumblr account: @aristosmusical

Troilus and Cressida: this is Shakespeare's take on the Trojan War and it's quite interesting, not really faithful to the Iliad but offers a sort of different perspective on the characters and the events that led to Hector's death.

Achilles (1995) by Barry JC Purves: it's a short stop motion film using clay puppets, it's on Youtube and it's only 11 mins and I think it's worth a watch! I find it very compelling visually and any adaptation where Achilles and Patroclus are lovers is a plus in my book 🫶

Holding Achilles: this is an Australian stage production by the Dead Puppet Society, I really enjoyed it and I found it an interesting blend of TSOA and Iliad Patrochilles, which also featured some cool new elements that I hadn't really seen before. It used to be free to watch for a while but now I think you have to pay to watch it, there's more info on their website.

The Silence of the Girls: a novel by Pat Barker, it's a take on the events of the Iliad mostly through Briseis' eyes, I personally didn't really like the book or the characterisations but hey both Achilles and Patroclus are in it so it might be worth a read.

There are some other novels I've heard of where Achilles and Patroclus appear (A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane) and also a TV show called Troy: Fall of a City but I haven't read/watched them so I can't really rec them

Myths

Most myths revolve around Achilles, there aren't that many with Patroclus I'm afraid, but here are some of my favourites:

Achilleid by Publius Papinius Statius: this is an epic poem about Achilles' stay on Skyros disguised as a girl and his involvement with Deidameia. It's interesting but I'd personally take the characterisations and events in it with a grain of salt because Romans were notorious for their unsympathetic portrayal of Greek Homeric heroes but it's still a cool thing that's out there and free to read online.

Iphigenia at Aulis: a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides, it's basically the dramatised version of the myth of Iphigenia's sacrifice in Aulis which predates the Iliad, there are many obscure versions of this myth but Euripides' sort of updated version is my favourite, I will never shut up about this play!! Lots of a nuance and very interesting portrayals of Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and pretty much everyone in there, well worth a read.

Lost plays: there are several plays in which Achilles appears but that have been lost or survive only in fragments, but two of my favourites are Euripides' Telephus and Aeschylus' Myrmidons. Telephus takes place before the Trojan War, while the Greeks are on their way to Troy. I really like Achilles' characterisation in the fragments that remain and also the fact that he was already renowned for his knowledge of medicine and healing despite how young he was. The fragments that survive from Aeschylus' Myrmidons I think are fewer but the play was extremely popular at the time it was presented to the public and it sparked a lot of controversy re: Achilles and Patroclus' relationship and who tops/bottoms so I think that's kind of funny lol.

There are lots of other obscure little myths about Achilles that I've picked up by reading various books, papers and wiki posts on the matter and that are just too numerous to list here, but what I will mention and that I think concludes the myths section of this post pretty neatly is that the Iliad and the Odyssey are not the only works about the Trojan War that were written, merely the only works that survived. The rest of the books in the Epic Cycle have been preserved either in fragmentary form or in descriptions in other works, and I think the Epic Cycle wiki page is a good place to start if you want to get an idea of what each of those books contained.

I hope this helped! 💙

#patrochilles #achilles #patroclus #the iliad #homer's iliad #if I remember anything else I'll probably add to this post but I think that should be enough for now #there's just! so much stuff!! #happy reading/viewing/listening 😁

[chaoticace2005]

Love your takes on Hazbin Hotel, I have a question regarding Vox and Alastor's relationship in contrast to Valentino and Vox.

I know there are many hints to Vox's previous relationship to Alastor as a friend, but I don't understand why Vox is still so obsessed with Alastor despite having a great relationship with Val even if it's just for benefits. Is it because Alastor knew him and liked his company when he was a 'nobody' in hell? I just don't understand why Vox is so obsessed and why he seems to be sexually attracted to Alastor as well? I mean he got so "excited" watching him almost die by Adam's hand and if he likes him why get excited by this?

I mean most people in the show seem more creeped out by Alastor than wanting to be with him and most people would not find a cannibal serial killer attractive up close.

I just don't understand Vox's creepy obsession with Alastor tbh, I like it but even I find it creepy.

It’s difficult to say exactly why one is attracted to a certain person, but I think one important thing to note is that people can still have feelings for others even when in a relationship with someone else. We don’t really know Vox and Val’s relationship. They are involved in some way and there appears to be sexual attraction, but it was stated in an interview that they aren’t in an established relationship. Also Val has his own weird obsession with Angel, which is albeit different but still very present and disturbing. In both cases however the obsessions are NOT healthy.

The reason he gets “excited” watching Alastor get destroyed by Adam is because of that very reason. Vox’s obsession with Alastor is NOT healthy. The idea of a “hate-boner” seems very accurate there. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a “you denied me so now I want to watch you get destroyed”, with the sexual attraction still very much present but mixed with anger and rejection now.

We don’t know his feelings before the seven years, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it went from a worshipping kind of obsession to what it is now, with Vox still having some feelings of reverence for Al but also a ton of betrayal, hatred, and attempt to hate him to block out the hurt.

This is at least my perspective on the matter. Take this with a grain a salt though because we only know a bit about Vox and Alastor, as well as VoxVal. Plus I’m on the aroace spec, so I have limited experience on such things. This is just my thoughts on the matter.

Basically though: logic for romantic and sexual feelings are complicated on their own, when you add the fact that none of the players are mentally stable in the slightest it gets even moreso.

As for the whole Alastor is a a creepy cannibal thing, I mean… you can’t account for taste. (Look at the fandom 😂 I mean Alastor isn’t real but there is also a concerning amount of people who simp for real serial killers.) Also Vox is a shitty person himself and enjoys watching people get hurt, being attracted to a serial killer is probably right up his alley.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel analysis #hazbin hotel thoughts #vox hazbin hotel #onewaybroadcast #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor #voxval #staticmoth

[sugaringcozy]

Donghyuck/Haechan Natal Chart Reading - Part 1: Personality, Mind and Identity

Disclaimers: 

☁️ I will mainly be referring to Haechan as Donghyuck in this reading as I am referring to the actual person, not his stage persona. However, elements of his career/stage persona do come in and I may refer to him as Haechan then!

☁️ This natal chart reading is for entertainment purposes and this is just my perspective. Take this with a grain of salt.

☁️ My intention from this reading is just to understand Donghyuck better and appreciate the person he is, where any troubling topics come up I do not claim to know them as fact or wish to speculate.

Please do not copy my work and credit me if referencing!

Personality

Standout Traits: Intelligent, changeable, sensitive, intuitive, hardworking and creative.

🫧 Eighth house in Gemini - Starting off with this because it is a perfect summary of everything I’m about to cover. Donghyuck is a really magnetic person, a brilliant mind and naturally draws attention to himself.  However, he has many sides to him and is a complex, interesting person and much more sensitive than people realise.

♋️ As you can see, Donghyuck has a LOT of Gemini on his chart lol. As such, there is a lot of Gemini energy. His Gemini chart stellium and Ruler show how well he can fit in with different groups of people, he’s a master at ‘fitting in’ - and he understands exactly what the public are thinking and want from him.

🪩 However, while some people like this are natural chameleons, you will never forget when Donghyuck is present. He is a ‘life of the party’ type as we know… but has a tendency to shock or contradict the normal way of thinking. He is a natural contrarian and doesn't have a filter. Combined with his impulsivity, he has a tendency to say things which are too blunt or taboo. These natives tend to love dirty jokes and I think Donghyuck does too lol

🔥 Gemini Sun and Mars Conjunction - gifts him incredible will-power and passion. Hyuck’s warrior self wants to work with his sun self, which is positive - he is fiery and brave, and this is what makes him SO competitive and ambitious.

💢 Scorpio Ascendant - Scorpios are seen as very mysterious and complex people, but they are actually incredibly honest and funny people. This makes sense for Donghyuck as he is sometimes a little too honest with his thoughts lmao.

🧸 Something else which really stood out is how sensitive he is. I will get into this more a later on, but just having a Cancer Mercury (with his Gemini stellium emphasising Mercury traits anyway) AND Pluto in 1st House makes him very expressive, sensitive, and reactive. Hyuck is someone whose feelings are always on their face. Unfortunately a tendency for mood swings can come with these signs, exacerbated by a Gemini stellium and other water signs...

🤹‍♂️ Leo Moon - At his core, Hyuck just loves to be creative and entertain others. He has a great sense of humour, but likes to tease and get on people’s nerves. This is his love language! BUT it also comes from a need to create fun for himself if there is no entertainment around him.  However, when he winds people up and gets into arguments he is forgiven just as easily. Leo Moons are very lovable people!!

🦁 A fixed Moon makes him incredibly loyal, determined and hard-working - this is brought out even more by the Leo placement. He has incredible stamina at work.

🩹 His Leo Moon self can be a little uncareful, and he has a tendency to sulk when his pride is hurt. Hyuck will also have a tendency to be emotionally dramatic and really perform his feelings (no surprise to anyone lol). Pride is a big thing for Leos and this is both good and bad, he can be a little bossy, petty, and will sit and sulk if he doesn't get his way. In terms of Hyuck as a person, having a Leo Moon in the 9th house is  wonderful. He is extremely intelligent, open-minded and able to read others very well.

🎭 People with a Leo Moon house placement are almost always naturally gifted with acting, dance and performance. A Leo Moon in general is the perfect placement for a life in the arts.

🏆 Aries in Donghyuck’s fifth house compliments his Leo moon perfectly - as a person, Hyuck is playful, athletic and competitive. Takes pleasure from perfectionism - wants to be the best, keep improving himself and be the first to do things. He has an incredibly youthful and boisterous - playful energy.

☁️ Uranus in Aquarius - Free-spirited, very unique personality. Creative and very intelligent. Intuitive and empathetic, but sometimes over-opinionated. Having Aquarius in Uranus (the house of change) suggests Donghyuck loves change and excitement - really fits with his other signs and placements. In fact, Donghyuck needs change and excitement in all areas of his life. Aquarius’ (myself included) are known for being lovably weird - we just do things which other people can't make sense of. I think this sign is quite fitting for Donghyuck because he definitely does some strange, hilarious and unexplainable things sometimes. It’s the embodiment of giving in to your impulses, and when combined with the flippant nature of his Gemini stellium it explains some of the crazy things he says so casually.

💫 Something which will keep coming up in this reading is just how forward-thinking Hyuck is. The Trine between Gemini Sun and Aquarius Uranus really demonstrates Hyuck does NOT like old-fashioned and stuffy views and wants to talk about taboos - which is a big deal in a deeply Confucian society like South Korea.

🪖 Jupiter Saturn Conjunction - Makes Donghyuck strong-willed, proud, brave and prosperous. Willing to work for his goals and has patience in achieving them - this is especially true in the context that he became a trainee as a child, with odds stacked against him and has worked his butt off to get where he is today. A mix of incredible luck and being a profoundly hard-worker.

🃏 Opposition between Jupiter and Ascendant/ ‘Jupiter Setting’ - Always very bold people with something quirky about them - usually a larger than life presence and good sense of humour - likes to play ‘the fool’.

🐂 Capricorn in the third house - Donghyuck has grown to be an incredibly resilient and resourceful adult. Very hardworking and will withstand pain to achieve what he wants - he understands sacrifice very well. Fits well with his Saturn in 6th House making him very dedicated and reliable.

🦚 Neptune in Aquarius means someone with a lot of unique inspiration who likes to be bold and daring. Hyuck is also genuinely compassionate and wants to fix problems for the sake of harmony - harmony is really important to him.

🎨 Moon and Neptune Opposition - Donghyuck’s imagination and creativity is really a gift - he will be able to come up with such unique concepts and authentic ideas if he can harness his imagination and his emotions properly.

🗣️ Mars in Gemini - A gemini speciality - king of debating!! Hyuck can and will debate anything, especially if bored or wanting to get his way… as we know lol

🌊 Trine between Venus and Uranus - Creative and experimental person, good with his hands and has very good fluidity of movement - I think this references his talent for dance and general creativity. Naturally talented with musical instruments too.

🫂 Going back to his sensitivity, this can be a very positive trait as it is also where he gets his empathy. Donghyuck’s empathy is something to be admired and he isn't given enough credit for it - he is actually very affected by seeing people hurt and feels a great deal of compassion for them, because he has the ability to feel others' feelings.

🎭 Virgo Midheaven - Virgos love to help people and to make things, I think Donghyuck would have always gone into a creative profession. He can struggle to express his feelings verbally but he will always express his gratitude to fans through his performances and devotion to his craft. Knowing his music makes people happy during hard times will also be very touching for him, and it truly makes the hard days worthwhile. 

👀 Virgo Midheaven also shows him to be a lover of the taboo and unexpected - if all his friends got tattoos, he wouldn’t. If no one in kpop had a tattoo, he would be the first to get one. He’s just naturally a contrarian because he enjoys thinking for himself and making his own rules lmao (probably why he cheats in games too).

🌟🦂 Midheaven in Virgo - 10th House cusp, Scorpio Rising/Ascendant - Intense but captivating personality, you can’t look away from Donghyuck. Again, keeps his insecurities and deep emotional thoughts to himself despite being a very honest person. He will always express his feelings rather than say them outright, and he censors what he does share with everyone. Craves privacy and control, might be why he hates showing his tummy/bare skin to fans - Hyuck has set a boundary here that no one is allowed to cross - though the Virgo aspect could also show it also stems from a place of self-consciousness and doesn't trust others not to compare his body with other idols.

👤✨ Pluto in Sagittarius - Hyuck understands his subconscious truth and has a sense of identity separate from the society. Modern and open-minded views. Pluto being in the 1st house is interesting though, it shows this huge intensity in his personality and I think this really fits him, he’s just all-in.

Section 2: Mind & Emotions

♊️ Typical to Gemini nature Hyuck is restless and he has such a busy mind. This is supported by his Sun in 7th house too - the inside of his mind must be a very loud place, and all this energy inside him tends to spill out as hyperactivity.

☀️✨ Gemini Stellium - There is a sense of alienation Donghyuck feels often, both in life experiences and in personality. He feels judged for being honest, and his Gemini Sun in 7th House alludes that he gets along with many people but truly ‘clicks’ with few. This Gemini Sun in 7th House can become very negative if he is not surrounded by encouragement and stable relationships. It is heightened by his Gemini Sun-Venus conjunction in 11th house, opposite a Sagittarius Pluto-Chiron conjunction in 4th house which will make him place a huge amount of importance on whether he is socially accepted and loved. It gives him an edge of determination as an idol, to become ‘the best’, ‘the most loved’, BUT he will also have felt very depressed about himself at times and comments about his appearance as a kid will have really stuck with him. His self-esteem is actually quite low. These two aspects at the same time often manifest as someone thinking they are unloveable or ugly, and being afraid of emotional intimacy. ☹️

⚖️🙇🏻‍♂️ Neptune in Aquarius - this is a fixed sign so again Donghyuck is very fixed in his values although his mind and interests change often. He’s a rebel who can't make his mind up on a cause. Can sometimes feel a bit alien or like he has a hard time understanding others. These natives tend to be deep thinkers underneath their flashy exteriors and Donghyuck probably thinks a lot about the deeper stuff and issues he cannot find answers to. Might be why he finds religion grounding and helpful (will go into that in Identity). Again very stubborn in his ideas, but his mind will change so quickly (esp. with all his water signs) that he will suddenly lose interest in arguing his case!! ❤️‍🩹 Along with his Neptune in third House - Hyuck is also really sensitive to people around him, and really needs supportive friends and encouragement.

🌑⚔️ Leo Moon - Again a duality here where Hyuck is intensely self-critical, never thinking he has done enough or being satisfied with his performances, but is very prideful about his opinions and his singing and dancing talents. Moon in the 9th house can show insecurity about emotional intimacy and suggests Donghyuck copes with this by acting out his emotions. By making everything a big performance, he doesn't have to admit to his real vulnerabilities and fears. He also does this to avoid rejection, because as mentioned, he can feel misunderstood and judged.

🔮☁️ Leo Moon and Sagittarius Pluto Trine - Donghyuck’s intuition and gut feelings can be really strong when not clouded by fear, so much that he could even be psychic. Has a lot of psychic protection, maybe from his ancestors.

💢🔥 Gemini Mars - Makes Donghyuck especially fiery in anger - he can have a temper and I see him as the type to get really mad, and then get over it quickly because Geminis are so changeable lmao. However, the Gemini Sun and Mars conjunction can also show Hyuck can be consumed by his feelings - definitely the type to rant, to argue or yell into his pillow - definitely swears a lot off camera. If really provoked, Hyuck has the potential to say things in the heat of the moment which are cruel and cold; forgetting his humility. But due to his empathetic nature, Donghyuck will then feel terrible about it once he calms down. Combined with self-criticism/self-doubt, he is likely to suffer from anxiety without grounding and support from loved ones. For Hyuck Mars is in the 7th house which is interesting as Mars is in the natural house of Venus, its polar opposite. Donghyuck has an incredible ability to channel his anger/frustrations into creativity if he doesn't let himself wallow in it.

🌪️ Mercury in Cancer - A deep thinker with a lot of mental energy and a VERY good memory. The inside of his mind is very loud though lol. Like many water signs, Hyuck is emotionally changeable and can experience mood swings and overwhelming feelings which he moves on from just as quickly. In the eighth house it gives Hyuck a very busy mind, especially with the emotionality of Cancer so Hyuck likely has problems switching his mind off. People with this placement often have insomnia or vivid dreams.

🧠⚡️ Uranus in Third House - Really rapid thinker, genius ideas just come to Haechan and he notices patterns easily. This is probably what gives him that scheming edge whenever he plays a game. Needs intellectual stimulation all the time & will have a wide range of hobbies (with his Gemini stellium I think his hobbies probably change often too) and a short attention span. In a lot of ways having such a busy and varied job as an idol really suits him. Donghyuck also has a very restless mind and thinks a lot. Again, puts a lot of value on his own ideas and beliefs which he has gained through challenging rules and authority. Hyuck knows he is different from most people and it can heighten a sense of ‘not-belonging.’

☔️ Trine between Venus and Uranus - Must be encouraged to share his deeper thoughts and feelings - again this could be his issue with being emotionally intimate. Hyuck is the type to try to demonstrate how he is feeling without having to tell you.

🥊 Square between Jupiter and Uranus - Some restlessness and anxiety can occur with this placement. Donghyuck has a strong urge to break free of tradition and to be free of ordinary routine - in this sense I think being an idol is actually an excellent career for him, as long as he doesn’t beat himself up over mistakes. Also makes Donghyuck a natural thrill-seeker and risk-taker. People with this placement tend to have very modern and open-minded views and a bold sense of humour.

💡 Opposition between Jupiter and Ascendant/’Jupiter Setting’ - A slightly negative aspect - Hyuck can fail to really consider the opinions of others because he places a very high value on his own beliefs/ideas, which could cause friction in relationships. Seeing how much Haechan has grown up over the years though, learning to be quiet and letting others believe what they want - I think he has an awareness of this behaviour and is trying to grow from it. For the most part it is something people just grow out of with maturity and experience 🫶

🌑🩹 Lilith in Capricorn - Lilith is where we hide our taboo sides, our trauma, shame, insecurities and hidden desires from the world. I read Haechan as a perfectionist (Capricorn) who is unable to ever feel fully satisfied with his achievements and skills. He is an insane workaholic as we know, but he nevers feels he has done well enough. There is also a part of him which is cynical or a little icy, as a result of trauma and disappointments in his life. Can be afraid of showing his delicate emotional side to people (goes back to the ‘funny loud guy’ front he puts up.) At times (off camera, as Lilith is a hidden side) Haechan probably comes across as quite serious or detached. This placement also suggests a deep inner fear of loss and can stem from feelings of abandonment. It really hurts him when he is rejected, and his pretending not to care or to have quickly moved on is a defense mechanism. However, Hyuck has an extraordinary stamina and resilience when it comes to times of hardship and conflict.

🖤🔒 Eighth house in Gemini - His privacy is something that bothers him. He wrestles with himself over what fans should and shouldn't know about him/his life. As an idol he likely also feels he cant fully be who he is inside, so there is a conscious mask - he loves to push boundaries but is afraid to push too far, so he moderates what he shows of himself even around the members. There are things even they don't know about him.  Along with his Scorpio Ascendant, Donghyuck feels a need to control what people see of him. A good example is his ‘customer service’/on-camera voice, which is a purposeful decision as he knows fans like Haechan to be cute. However it is also so that he can keep some of himself private and put a boundary between Haechan and Donghyuck.

🌀Twelfth house in Scorpio - Donghyuck is too good at burying his feelings and his secrets, which is unfortunate because then he has to carry the burden of them by himself. Donghyuck hates to talk about the low points of his past, his insecurities, fears and failures and this means he works through his issues in private, not wanting anyone to know. This can mean he suffers in silence, and that he needs to learn to process his feelings and let others in. This house can indicate someone who is almost unaware of their own psychological suffering or resists being vulnerable. I don't want to say I am worried about him - there is much positivity in his chart too, but I’m glad he has a supportive circle around him in NCT and I hope his family are the same.

Section 3: Identity & Appearance

👑 Gemini is associated with Mercury, the androgynous planet, so having a Gemini Sun and Venus will mean Hyuck doesn’t feel the need to play into masculinity the way some male idols do - he is happy being seen as cute, having long hair and doesn’t look for validation in his masculinity the way a lot of men do. King shit!!

❓ With a Gemini Sun in 7th House, Donghyuck really struggles to find a sense of identity separate from what he is to others - his self-worth and identity is dependent on how others see him, quite likely because becoming an idol at such a young age has really restricted his social development and sense of personal identity. They say becoming famous as a kid is a type of trauma and so I imagine he is stuck - stunted - with his understanding of himself, and therefore most of what he knows about himself is related to how others see him. 

💫✨ Gemini Sun and Aquarius Uranus Trine - Hyuck is naturally very intuitive and in tune with the universe. In turn this makes him empathetic and able to really feel others' pain. This also means he probably dreams very vividly and has strong gut feelings. Because of this, he may be drawn to find answers to the unexplainable through religion or spirituality. This trine also shows an absolute hatred for routine - no matter how his life played out, Hyuck would need a varied and busy job. 

👣 Square between Aquarius Uranus &  Scorpio Ascendant - Haechan is the epitome of a self-made person, but I think he is conscious that he did not have a normal upbringing and this placement brings up the lack of self-identity and experiences that other people his age have.

🎙️ Uranus in Third House - Usually these natives have a distinctive voice - for Haechan and his angelic vocals this is absolutely true. Also a really expressive communicator.

🪐 Jupiter in Taurus - makes him broad-shouldered and attractive. Again shows an innate respect for religion/spirituality - interesting bc as we know he seems to be exploring his faith with Mark’s help. A Jupiter in Taurus native also has a tendency to indulge in his pleasures, but with his financial prosperity this shouldn't be an issue. Hyuck is sensible enough to know when to reign it in. 

🔮 Cancer Mercury in Eighth House - Donghyuck feels there must be a greater purpose to everything, and has a great hunger to learn the complexities of life and things we cannot understand through religion or the supernatural. This tracks well because I know he has been seen praying before concerts and Mark bought him a bible - so I guess faith is something they talk about.

⚔️ Opposition between Mercury and Lilith - Quite a hard placement, finds it hard to understand himself and there is a continuing theme of an inner conflict.

🎯 Mars & Uranus Trine means natural charisma is attractive and feels exhilarating to others - he’s bold and exciting and outrageous. It adds to his natural  competitiveness. 

🏴‍☠️  Aquarius Uranus in 3rd house - Hyuck has a rebellious streak and a dislike for authority and strictness. This tells us the way Donghyuck sees the world - he sees social norms as boring and is distrustful of authority figures. He is absolutely the type to HATE rich assholes & chaebols who act as if they are better than others. 

⚔️📝 Square between Saturn and Uranus - Describes some inner tension or unrest which gives a huge amount of creative energy and boldness. Combined with his other placements, I think this speaks of the conflict between Donghyuck and Haechan. Donghyuck is not a confident person and is actually pretty unsure of himself, so being Haechan on camera/stage allows him to become everything he is afraid he lacks - the unrest inside him creates a huge amount of creativity and boldness through his Haechan persona.

💸 Moon Sextile Venus - This placement attracts popularity, comfort and wealth. Can be a little over-indulgent in things he enjoys and likes to spend money.

Also such a cute placement, basically meaning Hyuck is naturally a very lovable, soft and endearing nature. People naturally want to take care of him. But, people with this placement are usually so good at being adorable that they can simply rely on this to get their way, so has a tendency to manipulate others with his cuteness.

💅 Venus in the 7th house also means Hyuck is naturally attractive and charming without needing to try. Along with his Venus & Mars Conjunction, Hyuck has what is referred to as a magnetic appeal. People are just drawn to him, and he would be a fascinating and attractive person in any career. Masculine Mars & feminine Venus conjunction is also interesting, I choose to see it as a balance of these energies within himself. Hyuck is confident in his masculinity!!

😷 Square between Jupiter and Uranus - this is a slightly negative placement. I think Haechan feels confined and very conscious of the ways he has to moderate himself/hide his real self. If Haechan wasn’t an idol I think he would live an unusual lifestyle in some way and not pay much attention to social norms. However, we know what other people think really matters to him, so I believe this adds to this feeling of 'I can't show this side of me to the public'.

🩶 Chiron in Sagittarius 1st House in Retrograde - Suggests there is a disconnect with who Haechan is at his core and how he fits into the world. Again goes with this theme of a lack of self-identity or knowing things about himself and life for certain. I have this too and the best way I can describe it is just feeling… lost. It is hard to commit to decisions, and deep down it can be because you don't think you deserve success or the things you want most in life. It can be a fear of losing purpose once you actually have what you have worked for. This is part of his life path to overcome, and it will get easier for him.

🌟 Venus is a powerful planet in Donghyuck’s chart so it suggests he is in control of his actions (even if he cannot control his feelings). This is really positive and attracts wealth, respect and fame. A really good placement for a famous person.

Section 4: Health

Venus in 7th House - Vulnerable to back problems. 💢

People with Saturn in 6th House tend to be obsessive workaholics. However, they have a tendency to be overworked for long periods which is good for nobody’s health and likely adds to the emotional exhaustion mentioned in Donghyuck's other placements. Health issues can occur due to stress (which would mean high blood pressure, fainting, heart problems etc.)

Sixth house in Taurus speaks of physical exertion - it is suggesting Donghyuck is overdoing himself physically and changes will have to come in the future as it will continue to impact his health.

Honestly I don't think Hyuck has a predisposition to heart issues, I think his illness occurred because he is so overworked and hasn’t treated himself with a lot of compassion 🙁 The good news is he seems to be doing better now, and this kindness for himself will grow with age. I will touch on this later but he will go through a huge emotional transformation in the next couple of years + will really come into his own. 🤍

~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! ☁️ 💖

~~~~~~

Next - Part 2: Career, Passions and Work Life

Back to Masterlist

#kpop astrology #nct astrology #haechan #lee donghyuck #nct 127 #nct dream #astrology #nct #lee haechan #nct imagines #nct headcanons #astrology observations #natal chart #natal chart reading #sugaringcozy

[insanelyadd]

OKAY SO THE FRESH ANALYSIS

ME DEARLY BELOVED FOLLOWERS, you probably started wondering why I like Fresh so much. Why I have been lovingly rotating him in my mind like a rotisserie chicken.

SO ANYWAYS I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING I’VE READ ABOUT HIM. This is not complete simply because I haven’t read EVERYTHING on the old RP blog CQ ran for him. This is also mostly from the perspective of his character so other facts like Fresh using he/they pronouns and having furby bombs and canonically liking kissing (okay actually that does play into his character slightly) won’t be the primary focus of this analysis. This also, All, my own interpretation.

This analysis will be in three sections: His original characterization, his Monologue, and finally what could be inferred about how how his character changed due to the Event that gave us the Monologue.

His Original Characterization

The first thing you need to know about Fresh is that his goofy 90s persona was chosen specifically because they thought it would be non-threatening. This plays into a major part of his personality, which is that, baseline, everything he does is for survival. Once everything needed for that is met and taken care of the next major component is that he does whatever he wants to do to entertain himself.

He possesses people to live, but torments people on occasion (not too often, making enemies would go against the survival thing, unless he’s assessed that they would be a harmless enemy perhaps). All his weapons are innocuous at first glance to once again pass himself off as non threatening (oh hey the furby bombs come into play here, huh, he also uses a wiffle bat).

He doesn’t feel most emotions, but he can feel a few, (and at one point CQ said that the longer Fresh is in the same host the more he can feel? Not sure if that still applies, take that with a grain of salt) but those emotions are fear, anger, and amusement primarily (though affection and others are not off the table, it would just take A Lot of work for him to get to that point). Primarily his emotions that he portrays are all ones he’s imitating based on what he thinks are non threatening reactions. He easily pretends to be chipper or indignant but he doesn’t truly feel most of these emotions. According to posts written by CQ he is not genuinely flirty though him imitating “safe” emotions might put him in situations where he does that (most likely just to entertain himself, which is the primary reason he likes kissing. He doesn’t understand why kissing is meant to be important and does it because he’s amused by people’s reactions to it. Absolutely no thoughts [about kissing] behind those glasses.)

He is also very full of himself. He thinks he’s better than other people (but obviously he recognizes that as being a negative/”unsafe” thing to voice so he keeps it to himself and privately believes it). He thinks he’s better and deserves good things (this is directly stated in The Monologue), which is another reason he amuses himself by scaring people. IT’S IS ALSO A RESULT OF ANOTHER MAJOR COMPONENT OF HIS PERSONALITY: He has an ideology that people are primarily driven by selfishness. This is likely a direct result of him being a literal parasite who needs to harm others to live. He is really unable/unprepared to comprehend that people can care about others so much that they would put their loved ones before themselves. When this is challenged it typically makes him irrationally angry and ready to hurt people (even ones he “pretends” are his friends, and even though this contradicts his need to survive at any cost) to prove to them that they should never trust anyone. This is also why on occasion in a few comics CQ has done Fresh will offer up being possessed to desperate people with the lure that they won’t feel pain anymore (which is implied to be a lie because people who can read souls and Fresh himself say they can hear the host screaming, possibly in agony).

THE MONOLOGUE

Okay so I’m going to explain the events leading up to The Monologue, and then I’m going to share the whole monologue here, then I will analyze it (plus here is the link to the post with the monologue and a more in-depth recap of events from Fresh’s old RP blog)

There was a huge multi-blog RP event (these used to be very common, I don’t go to the RP scene anymore though so I’m not sure if they stopped or I just stopped seeing them, basically a whole bunch of blogs get together to RP through one big common event, typically a party that they are all attending) called the LoveBall that Fresh went to with the plan to infect as many people as possible with parasites he produced and from there infect the whole multiverse (which he claims is to “help” them all). Fresh directly states that he’s not a Sans here, even though this was before his redesign when he was still possessing one (STARES DIRECTLY AT EVERYONE CLAIMING I AM A SANS SIMP FOR LOVING FRESH).

Anyways he gets confronted by another Not Sans, who takes him to The Last Corridor (judgement hall) and Fresh is sure he’s going to die, though he still tries to act unbothered. They talk a bit and it is revealed to Fresh that he is a fictional character (he could see the whole multiverse was code too which is a fun detail), he’s clearly taken aback but still tries to play it off as it’s explained to him that him and the other Not-Sans and everyone they’ve ever known are Nothing, and that it would be for the best if he doesn’t try to get OUR attention.

SO NOW WE COME TO THE MONOLOGUE ITSELF WHICH IS SO GOOD THAT I WANT TO EAT IT. Anyways:

…….I’ve thought about a lot of stuff lately. Ya know. All these inner thoughts I ignore or avoid listenin to. And I realized. Ya know. Maybe I wasn’t lookin to ‘help everyone’. It was some excuse, ya know? I like messin with people. I like the concept that in some way, I’m more clever, or amusing, or hilarious, or-…. simply put, I’m BETTER then the rest of em. I’m better and I deserve to get what I want, and I wanna mess with people and I want to hurt people, and since, ey, I gotta possess people to survive, I might as well ENJOY the process as well, ya know dawg? I wanted to take over the multiverse because yeah, it extended far beyond somethin so noble as ‘helpin’ people, I wanted to take over because I COULD, and because it was FUN, and because I couldn’t be STOPPED. I wanted the power to enslave E͏̷͏V̨̀͜E̸͠͠R̡̢͠Y̸͢͟T҉̢͠H͏͜͞I��̀̕N̡̨̕G͡. The power to enslave everything. But. I can’t do that. Can I?

B̷͠E͢͝͡C̕͠͝Ą҉̀́̀U̡̢S̀͏E҉́͢͟ ̷͜͞Ó̡̢F̢̧͝ ̶Ỳ̨́O̢̢̢Ù̶͡.̨̛ ̵͜͜R͏̷͢Ì́Ǵ͝͞H̡̡͟T́͞?̛͜͠ You’re the voices Error hears. Aren’tcha. The voices Error always talks about. Always chats with. You’re ONE OF THEM. BEYOND THE CODE. YOU’RE WHAT I WAS WARNED ABOUT. YOU’RE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. BEYOND ALL OF MY KNOWN EXISTENCE. BEYOND ‘THE GAME’. You’re toying with Error. Askin him questions. We’re all your toys. Every single thing I’ve seen, every Universe, every single creature I’ve come across or possessed, every bit of data…. is something you are capable of manipulating, right? And now.I got your attention. Just like he warned me against.

….y-ya know. I won’t stop. Right. I’m gonna keep possessin peeps, and runnin around and having a radical time.

That’s what you WANT, right?? That’s what you’re lookin for, to be amused, and have a laugh! Well you’re in luck! THATS WHAT THE FRESH IS HERE TO DO! No worries, my good ol chums!!I’ll keep it up. Everything.

Right?? THATS WHY YOU’RE TALKING TO ME NOW. Right?? You are amused by me!!! Ah hahaha wicked brah! I’m glad! I’ll just- keep–

I-I…. I’ll just. Keep up my dated lingo. I’ll heelie right into every situation and make a joke of myself, and then when peeps drop their guard I’ll do somethin creepy or hilarious– OR BOTH! Ah hahahahahahaha. That’s what you want. THATS WHAT YOU WANT?

….don’t kill me. Don’t kill me. Or worse. Whatever you’re capable of….

I… I’ll do what you want!!

I PROMISE. just….just.

Don’t kill me. Please.

So one of my favorite details here in the monologue is the fact that it starts with him outright stating that he thinks he’s better than everyone else and it ends with him begging us not to kill him. His hubris hit an unmovable wall at 100 mph.

I really feel like the monologue speaks for itself, so onto the next part!

Post Event Characterization Implications

So one of the things that could probably be inferred by this is that all three of his major motivators, His Need to Survive, His Want To be Entertained/Amused, and His Ideology of Selfishness are basically shoved into a blender. I’m sure he still believes in inherent selfishness but his ego about it should be at least slightly bruised, knowing that he’s just as microscopic and inconsequential as anyone else in the multiverse. As for his need to survive and want to be entertained, they’ve both been subverted to different extents. His want to be entertained is completely subverted where instead of being the one being entertained by bothering people, he is now the one wanting to do the entertainment because they believe it is necessary for their survival.

I imagine he is being eaten alive every day by the worry that he’s not being interesting enough and will be abandoned and effectively killed for not entertaining us enough. Though he might be able to push that out of his mind most of the time to continue what he normally does, because he might be able to convince himself that we have to like him for who he is to some extent or he wouldn’t have gotten this far, which seems very plausible given how good he is at hiding his fear and anxiety during his confrontation with the other Not-Sans.

Anyways he’s a bastard and he’s great and I am unfortunately in love with him. He probably wouldn’t be down for it but I will still imagine holding his hand and then picking him up and slam dunking him into a trash can (lovingly).

#utmv #underfresh #fresh sans #even though he's not a sans #character analysis

[gaypiratebrainrot]

Hey, sorry I hope you don’t mind me messaging you again (prev anon) but I can’t stop thinking about wfu after reading earlier in the week.

So on my second read I actually found myself getting quite cross with Stede and the way he is generally the one escalating the situation in terms of physical contact and then placing the blame for that escalation on Ed? yes, i know Ed is the one who waits for him by the trailer after shooting the kissing scene, but it’s Stede who comes back and actually kisses him? And then Ed’s acceptance of that guilt smacks of someone with self esteem issues allowing someone else to place blame on them where it doesn’t belong.

Like, without Stede driving things forward, the physical intimacy would never have happened imho.

Ed clearly wants that intimacy, so I didn’t find myself too troubled by worries about consent, but I do find myself troubled by Stede being the driving force behind things and then Ed being the one left with that guilt. And god, Ed just seemed so lonely, that really got me.

Sorry, I’m not very good at meta analysis stuff, I tend to react to stories through character/emotions so those are my takeaways.

Anyway it’s been a bit of an emotional double whammy reading your fic and then getting cancellation news this week so I’m off to do a bit more crying (jk, except not really)

Thanks again for your story x

thank you so much for this ask!!! i do not mind at all--in fact, i am quite happy to think about this instead of the many other stressful things in my life right now.

your thoughts are so interesting to me, in that you are not the first person to have this perspective on stede's actions in wfu (in a good way!). in fact, my friend @chaotic-neutral-knitter left very similar thoughts in a wfu comment on their recent re-read, and i've seen the sentiment echoed elsewhere in various responses. and it's such a fascinating take to me because it is different from my own perspective, both as i was writing it, and in the year+ since. i am a staunch believer that my interpretation of the text is equally valid as any reader interpretation--that is, i don't think i have any special authority on a "correct" read as the person who wrote it, so big grain of salt with my thoughts.

i think it's interesting how many readers put the responsibility for that parking lot kiss on stede, when i've always maintained that moment as the moment when ed opens the door to what will eventually unfold between them. it's ed who leans in first to kiss stede in the parking lot. in the kissing scene on set, in the moment after the kiss, ed reads so much into the look on stede's face--that "pretend pretend" paragraph, to me, is ed looking at stede and believing that stede understands ed's desire to be genuine and not acting, and that stede, on some level, is accepting/welcoming of that desire. but i think, in that moment, ed reads stede wrong. i think the idea that ed has genuine desire for stede is an impossible idea for stede right up until the moment when ed leans in to kiss him in the parking lot. and then stede doing his little back and forth after initially saying no there, that's stede wrestling with this brand new conception that ed might actually want him, that ed's desire isn't pretend, or a joke.

to consider stede's pov--this is a man twenty years deep in a heterosexual, monogamous marriage, who, for the first time in his entire life, is realizing he might have these extremely repressed sexual desires, for men generally, and for ed specifically. but ed is, and always has been, his hotter, sexier, more successful, more highly regarded friend, inaccessible to stede as an object of desire beyond stede's repressed sexuality. stede has never had to grapple with his desire for ed in large part because never in a million years did stede think ed would be a sexually or romantically attainable person for him. and then, because of the show, stede gets to find out what it would be like for ed to want him, for ed to kiss him like he wants him, but still, still, for stede it's under the guise of pretend. until the moment in the parking lot when ed leans in. and i think that opens a door for stede that he never, ever thought would be open, and so has absolutely no idea how to not walk through it.

there's no question to me that stede is trying to evade responsibility for his actions, especially in the second half, and him showing up at ed's house in the middle of the night and refusing to leave (even while pretending he has the intention of leaving) is pretty blatantly on him. but i also think there's something to his line about "it's not fair for you to want me back"--in the sense that, ed's beauty and sexual charisma and fame and success and status and the fact that he's technically stede's boss and employer does give ed a certain amount of power over stede, a power ed is not responsible with when he goes for the kiss in the parking lot, and when he makes a pass at him a second time after the party at stede's house. ed is offering something to stede in those moments that he should not offer him if he understands and respects the importance of stede's monogamous marriage, which he textually does. ed knows why he should not come on to stede, and he does it anyway, twice. and i think if ed had never come on to stede, stede would never in a million years have even thought it would be possible for ed to want him the way he does, and would never have taken the actions he does once ed opens the door.

all that being said, yeah, i think stede is a real dick about it and tries to place as much of the blame on ed as possible when stede is quite blatantly the aggressor beginning with the moment he decides to walk to ed's house in the middle of the night without his phone or wedding ring. imo, stede is doing some olympic level denial about what he actually wants, and that's making it extremely difficult for him to be accountable for his actions, and to accept responsibility for his choices. whereas ed is at least somewhat consciously aware that he is choosing to do something he shouldn't when he waits outside stede's trailer for the possible opportunity to kiss stede again, instead of going in and talking it thru, and so he's more readily accountable, and it's easier for him to take the blame.

phew, this was a whole essay lol, but i just happened to have been thinking about it a lot still (and am still stuck in covid quarantine). my condolences that you are having wfu feels at the same time as cancellation feels--but at least our fandom is fighting the good fight to not let the show go without a major push back! thank you again for this ask!!! <3 <3 <3

#asks #water flowing underground #i have other thoughts about ed's loneliness but that's more of a diary entry lol #thank you for continuing to engage with this fic

[goldenhickeysandramen]

📢🔊🎤🎶 LOVE IS IN THE AIR... 🎙🎷🎺🎸🎹and 5 takeaways from the past months

THIS IS A LONG POST.... 

Oh my Gosh! What an afternoon of excitement!

Apparently Jimin changed for nanoseconds(?) his profile picture and posted one of JK 

Too bad the account didn't record a video..... If there is only one person as a testimonial, let me be a bit skeptical. 🤨

But who knows... maybe Jimin was playing with Jk, as this latter did on April 28th.

https://twitter.com/jkfl6wer/status/1640512226829189122?s=20

Also emerging on twitter are the constant cacophonies heard in Jimin's last vlive....LOL

https://twitter.com/jeje_machi/status/1645017065609388032?s=20

I take these things with a grain of salt, because they always happen... there’s always someone in tiktok who hear voices in Jimin's and JK's vlives 🤣 

BUT

I do think they were together the night of Like Crazy's BB100, because all the k-army accounts (I follow) perfectly hear, at the beginning of the vlive, a "go quickly" with a busanese accent. That can't be a coincidence, nor a general delulu mode! 

In any case, I'm here to celebrate Jikook's love fest of this past month.

📢🔉🔊🎤🎶🎵 LOVE IS IN THE AIR... 🎙🎷🎺🎸🎻🎹

I have to admit that there was a time when I didn't understand why the hell we didn't know anything about Jikook.😫

Those who wait are in despair. And if I'm the one who waits (while quitting smoking), it's even worse, because I'm (above all) IMPATIENT! hahaha. I missed jikook a lot and I was in a total skeptical phase.

Don't scold me, I am not insecure, I like to be objective and critical. And there were things from these months that just made me wonder if everything was okay... I'm not going to go into them, because there’s no need. But I am going to share with you some of my lessons or takeaways from these months of CHAPTER 2 and that now, with more perspective, I can share, in case it helps anyone for next months.

1. The members who interact the most are the ones who are promoting at the time. 

I don't expect to see others in official content, unless they have something to promote. I guess it's marketing strategy. Just compare how Suga has reacted to other albums on socmed, with how he has been more involved in Jimin's, because he came next. 

The only exception is Hobi who is constant. Our dear sunshine..💜

But as I could see, if we want to see the rest, it's up to them.

2. This brings me to the next point: JIKOOK has chosen to show us that they are still there as usual, but without the exposure. 

Let's cry in chorus! 😭😭❤❤

JK wanted to support Jimin and for us to see him. And he wanted it to be something special, dammit! And so it has been!

I melt with him and everything he has done so far: from saying how great the Set me free Pt2 MV was going to be, to playing the chords of Letter, and the vlive reaction to Suchita and Jimin's best moments unbothered.

Plus the next morning reacting to Jimin’s live LOL

And Jimin has always been active in JK's vlives, whenever he could, with some very memorable lines 

3. What we don't see is almost EVERYTHING. And what we can see depends on many external factors. 

Thanks to the editors we could see JK visiting Jimin. It looks like they were together for only 5 seconds, but we know that was not the case.

if they even said goodbye in two different positions LOL

On the other hand, Letter was not recorded remotely, nor did JK teach himself to play it on guitar on youtube, like he learned to make sushi on ITS. 

This would be a point for non-jikookers who believe that jikook has not seen e/o for months.... but, I write it as a reminder for everyone, but especially for ME. 

What we see in recorded content is Hybe's choice. The rest is either shown to us by them or we have to assume it by applying common sense.

On the other hand, does anyone expect jikook to plug in a vlive when they're at home together watching The Notebook for the umpteenth time? I don't... Which brings me to the next point...

4. Army is always a support to Jungkook

I really believe that when he has been feeling very bored, alone or melancholic, we have been a help to him. Maybe he needed a rest, but at some point the inactivity has taken its toll on him, given that he didn't have his precious people around him.

In particular, I am happy to see him in his new role as CK ambassador and to see him travelling and active, at least until he enters the more intense work phase of his future projects.

So when I've seen Tae at his home, or with him at concerts, far from worrying about the cults's reaction (Who cares!!), I've been glad he was getting him out of the Mikrokosmos cave, because JK is an introvert and his comfort zone isn't exactly socialising.

[How I feel about Tae and his vlives and name dropping at certain times is another matter. But I have no doubt that Tae loves him and has made it a point to take him out bowling or to concerts]

5. Perhaps most controversial, but most obvious.....JIKOOK don't officially live together and that's what we're going to see from here until they leave for military service. So it's best not to give too much thought to the issue of houses.

But there is a very big obviousness to this issue. JK lives in a house rented by Hybe, with furniture from the dorms and barely decorated (althoug full of underwear 😁), as if he can't rent a house while his mansion in Itaewoon is being built...LOL! It's a joke! (and by this I mean that perhaps he spends part of his time elsewhere 😏).

If jikook is an established couple, as many of us think, we will always have to bear in mind is that they cant fulfil everything we would see in a long-term couple, like living together in one house 24/7/365, for obvious reasons, but basically because they are hidden couple and they’re also chased (especially Jungkook, who has a lot of sasaengs behind him).

And this is basically my main takeaways.... I'm sure I have more lessons learnt.... but I don't remember them now.... or I'm tired of writing.... maybe it's the latter ;)

I purple you 💜

#jikook kookmin #mingguk #jikook

[minsungchronology]

My Personal Opinions on Minsung's Dynamic (2018)

Disclaimer: I am not trying to pass off my opinions as facts. This is my personal interpretation of what is laid out right in front of us. I could be completely off base because I don’t know these guys personally, so take this with a grain of salt and feel free to disagree!

Lee Know is very interesting to me.

That’s literally the first thought I had when compiling all of these moments together.

Members and fans equally describe him as the “Tsundere” of the group (even though he’s a multifaceted person with a very caring side towards his closest ones). We see throughout the years he has a dry/deadpan sense of humor, is sarcastic at times, has a more introverted personality, etc. etc.

When I was a newer fan, I quickly assumed that out of him and Han, he was the one that was more inclined to “keep it together” on camera, thus making it super difficult to read him.

That is definitely not the case for me when making this video…cause holy sh*t??? There are times where the guy is shockingly transparent. (the fansigns and the early vlives, especially)

While putting together clips for this year, I found a clip of him (in a later year) where the other members describe him as someone who’s honest with his emotions, which…kind of tracks if you’ve watched him over the years. It's refreshing to see that in an idol.

I’m of the opinion that he developed a little crush on Han early-ish this year. 

I probably would have chalked down LK’s behavior towards Han as platonic fondness like he has for I.N (he really dotes on the youngest like a baby brother during this year. I felt like these two were also pretty close since you see them together frequently, but their friendship isn’t talked about too much. Jeongho is actually so underrated 😭.), if it wasn’t for Changbin’s subtle yet unsubtle remarks towards those two. Changbin is someone who knows them personally, lives with them, and is with them almost 24/7. He knows them better than any of us ever will. So it’s quite telling to me when that is coming from someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS THEM, which really puts things into perspective. 

He literally acts like someone who teases their friend for having a crush.

You have moments where Changbin points and laughs at Lee Know for staring at Han ~that way~ during the dance segment in the KBS World Idol show, then there’s him giving LK the 😏 look when he gets smiley from Han who was doing…almost nothing…during a Vlive they have before a fansign, AND THEN the 3.NO.RA.CHA car Vlive where he’s like “Lee Know why are you so happy? Why are you so happy?” after LK and Han do something that catches Chan off guard (I’m pretty sure they did the one plus one is cute thing that they end up doing during the two kids room episode). Which goes onto another point…THAT episode:

I find it interesting how LK was the one who requested Han to do the aegyo class with him because…like,,,, what?? 🧍‍♀️

For some reason I thought Han was the one who suggested it.

Then comes the part where LK mentions feelings and Han looks into the camera like he’s in the office and LK just nervously giggles and says “I don’t know” after realizing the implications of what he just said. This is also interesting to me b/c normally someone would react like “Oh no!! Don’t misunderstand!” to diffuse any awkwardness. 

And the fansigns, they are so flipping cute in those. 😭 There’s so much content out there so I was stressing out about how much to include and/or exclude. From these alone, you can tell LK adores the hell out of Han. It’s so painfully obvious to watch. It really puts the “LK can’t live without Han” saying by Seungmin into perspective. 

Han, on the other hand, like I said in a previous post, is harder to read. I honestly don’t think he liked LK “like that” at this point, unless he’s incredibly good at hiding it and didn’t want to acknowledge those types of feelings at all for obvious reasons. If you compare him in 2018 to 2023, it's worlds apart. (lmfao the concerts this year are something else; I seriously can’t wait to get to 2023 b/c whatever happened in Australia Sydney day 1 is VERY INTERESTING, like the fancams from that concert are incredibly eye opening for reasons I don’t want to explain right now 😬😬).  LK has remained fairly consistent imo. I think you’ll start to see some reciprocation from Han in later years.

But they are consistently close this year. They bicker and play-fight like close friends do, they comfortably joke around with each other, and they’re always finding some way to interact with the other. The two of them always seem to be on board with eo's ~weird~ antics too. (Much like you see in subsequent years and this year; they haven’t changed at all in that aspect). They’re the definition of soulmates. 

Seeing their evolution as idols from the beginning is very interesting too when you get to go back and watch almost every single content out there. Like plenty has changed within a 5-6 year span, but a lot of things have also remained the same.

Lee know was noticeably more camera shy back then. Han seemed more outgoing and out there compared to him (the guy is a ball of energy) while LK was quieter and more in the background. You can also see snippets of his characteristic sense of humor and “4d” personality, although, again, he was more camera shy so he didn’t show it as much. 

2019 is still a work in progress, but I think Han's behavior much later that year and in 2020 is an interesting change from what we see in 2018.

#minsung #my little opinion

[milkdreamspecialmix]

about veneciano’s eyes (=ヮ=)೨☆

i generally dislike many psychological headcannons as they’re often uninformed or rely on misunderstood and stereotypical ideals of certain illnesses/disorders. it also comes at the risk of watering a character down into a slew of micro labels instead of focusing on all traits holistically. i personally find it more interesting when characters aren’t overly pathologized, but it’s all purely subjective when you think about it

that being said, i can’t help but think it’d be interesting if vene is prone to keeping his eyes closed due to some flavor of sensory processing issues or as a result of conflict, past or present.

i’ve seen a lot of takes on this trait and i like to think of it as just another enigmatic/unexplained side of him. see “The Bravest of Men (and Nations)”, a oneshot that is actually germany centric but acknowledges vene’s “strange (but beautiful) eyes” in a way that suggests he may be hiding certain emotions or insecurities by keeping them half-lidded or closed. i think it also suggests it’s just another peculiar part of him, which works well with germany’s constant attempts to make sense of vene in canon. he’s simply nonsensical, and that whimsy is part of what makes him such a great character. it’s been a bit since i’ve read that fic so take my comments on it’s subject matter with a grain of salt

i’ve seen several fics that portray him as blind, which makes sense due to his clumsiness. i could see him as being legally/partially blind as well. some have even speculated that his vocal tic might be a form of echolocation. but i prefer it as more of a purely vocal tic myself.

all of this eye talk gets me thinking about this

which kind of implies the general nation-public hadn’t seen his eyes open before. i was thinking of compiling instances of both of his eyes being open at some point... the most prominent ones i think of (not including any promotional material) seem be to associated with his curiosity, feeling content, and being surprised.

there’s also this one unfinished LJ fic from ages ago about a autistic-coded and especially eccentric vene spying on fireman!germany (??) while he showers from a neighboring apartment (???) as inspiration for his airport thriller novels (????) and i’m pretty sure there’s attention to his eyes in that one. he’s depicted as a little higher-needs (as in he relies on romano for some things despite maintaining his own apartment) and a bit agoraphobic/lacking in understanding of social cues, but still extroverted and well-meaning. i recall thinking it was cute, i’ll try to find it. but i’m getting off track

back to my original point, i think vene could reasonably have a combination of any of these things and we wouldn’t know because we rarely ever see things from his internal perspective.

we do know that he fawns a lot in order to diffuse situations and that he’s very prone to being nervous about how others perceive him, so the closed eyes also serve the purpose of shielding him from a multitude of things.

they also just make him look a bit silly, which i’m sure was the original purpose. he’s kept them open a lot more in recent years, and especially now that he’s impersonating his brother. i wonder if his eyes will give him away if germany manages to nab those sunglasses

#my brain is nothing more than a library of gerita fics and references #kinda sad actually lol #aph italy #hws italy #hetalia #headcannons #canon #my stuff #sperg sesh lol

[hyperfixationtimego]

hi that post about the Velma plot synopsis is literally very obviously an excerpt from a biased third-party article, not what the show is actually about. You can tell via the way the last sentence of the excerpt is worded, as it’s intentionally condescending and meant to portray the show itself in a negative light.

Not to mention, that excerpt gets a couple things wrong, actually. In referring to Daphne only as an “orphan,” it’s effectively omitting the fact that she has two adoptive mothers who are indeed present in her life and have good intentions, regardless of whether or not the effects of their actions are ultimately positive or negative. To be entirely clear, they’re a bumbling pair of lesbian cops who are bad at their job. like yeah acab whatever but my point is that Daphne isn’t the cruel, miserable one-note character that excerpt makes her out to be; it’s all just facets of the character that the show hasn’t even gotten the chance to fully develop yet, because we only have 2 episodes out so far.

And the implications of Fred’s portrayal as rich, white, and privileged…..yeah? i mean, he is? but again, that’s not the only facet of his character we get to see, and it’s very clear that the show has at least some plans in mind for his arc and character journey. You’re not meant to just hate him completely; I’m fairly certain the intent of his character is to watch him slowly change and connect better with the other mystery inc members as we get further into the show.

Because that’s the thing! I’m pretty sure the characters are meant to be assholes to each other right now!! This is a prequel - therefore, we already know they’re all going to end up being friends with each other. VELMA is just showing us that, in this continuity, they weren’t always that way towards each other. That’s the whole point of the show; it’s showing us the journey!

Is it perfect? Absolutely not! Not all of the jokes land perfectly, and I personally think the storytelling & pacing could use a fair bit of revision, but it deeply saddens me that everybody seems to be more focused on insulting the show and its creators rather than engaging in constructive criticism of it.

there are a lot of issues and controversies surrounding the show, I know, but I do have to point out that the exact moment it was revealed that three of the characters would be reimagined as POC, people started tearing the show to shreds, and we barely knew anything else about it! So forgive me for taking all the egregious hatred and disgust people have for it with a hefty grain of salt!!

Ugh, I’m trying to cram as much into one post as possible, but here, let’s talk about the TERF thing. The accusations I’ve (very suddenly) heard of Kaling’s bigotry are DEFINITELY an incredibly important thing to be aware of, and I have no intention of defending her or her behavior, but I am positively BEGGING you guys to look into these things yourself rather than simply taking some internet rando’s word as bible for what is and isn’t ethically pure to consume. I’m literally a trans person, but I’m not going to assume someone’s evil because I saw ONE screenshot of them supposedly liking a transphobic tweet; that’s not a reliable source of information!!! Research her and her actions yourself before coming to a conclusion!

If the things you find out about Kaling make you uncomfortable with engaging with the things she creates or contributes to, that’s entirely your call! HOWEVER, it’s also not an inherently bad thing to watch and engage with things made by people with contrary perspectives to your own; when you keep an open mind and engage with things critically, you’re exposing yourself to various viewpoints, styles, humor, & perspectives that, even if they aren’t necessarily your thing, are still important to understand and be aware of.

by no means am I telling you that you have to watch the show; I’m only asking for everyone to be a bit more open-minded and a bit more civil in their discussion of media as a whole.

#velma 2023 #velma show #velma the series #velma hbo max #mindy kaling #rant #long post #media analysis #critical thinking

[peachesandmilktea]

𝕭𝖊𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖊𝖊𝖕 𝕭𝖑𝖚𝖊 𝕾𝖊𝖆 [𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝐼𝒱]

Click here to see the full art!! I had to crop it and my heart BLEEDS. Shout out to @obsidianne-art / @beware-thecrow for being the best wro/co-writer/artist this earth has ever seen.

Part I. Part II. Part III.

Captain Shigaraki is a merciless pirate, a terror over the seven seas, a monster of a man who fears neither god nor man. You’ve sworn to take him down and bring him to his knees under the crown’s justice, and you would have, if only he hadn’t discovered your most well-kept secret.

TW: Lots and lots of fluffy/horny thoughts, an erection somewhere, enemies to lovers, Shigaraki Tomura and Reader are both bad at feelings, smut to come in the next chapter.

Dabi was a menace.

He loved to rile Shigaraki up, as he did you, you had come to learn. Each word out of his mouth was nothing but sweet poison, playful teasing that sank its claws into your thoughts until they were filled with nothing but unavoidable annoyance. He’d watch with a smile pulling at his pierced lips then, a glint of malicious amusement in his cerulean eyes, always relishing in the little bits of chaos he managed to spread with only a few sentences carefully chosen.

If Shigaraki seemed to be his preferred opponent, the more he got to know you, the more often he made you the target of his malevolent attacks. Thankfully, you were nothing if not a dedicated adversary, and you always replied with just the same level of guile.

“So,” he started one day while the two of you were coincidentally watching violent waves crashing on the ship’s hull, the sign of a nearby sea storm. “Think you’ll be going back to your sweet, sweet navy soon, doll?”

Since you perfectly recalled the filthy things he’d called you when he still thought you a man, you took the pet name with a grain of salt.

The tattooed man wasn’t even looking at you now — instead, his gaze trailed along the lines of foam swaying up to the line of the horizon. Leaning over the railing as he was, he just needed a little push if you wanted to help him join the fishes, and the perspective did have some appeal to it. But, as if he’d heard your thoughts, he suddenly perked up, settling his lower back against the railing instead, his arms crossed against his chest.

“Why are you asking?” you simply shrugged. “Thinking of joining the navy as well? You’ve grown fond of me and would rather have me as captain, is that it? I wouldn’t go easy on you just because you’re making eyes at me.”

He laughed, and the sound was full of unconcealed mockery.

“Isn’t that the opposite of what’s currently happening? You’ve got a disgusting little crush on our dear ol’ captain, and pretending you’re above such a lowly feeling isn’t going to help your case.”

The words made you frown — if you hadn’t exactly hidden your gratitude or the respect you held towards the pirate king, having Dabi bring it up made things a little more realistic. Your devoted admiration was now something more than a distant, comforting feeling and instead turned into something you felt like you needed to hide, if only to protect your heart from the thieving hands of a pirate.

“It’s not a crush,” you corrected, sour, but it sounded like a stupid lie even to your own ears.

“It sure is a crush, sweetheart,” Dabi replied, a wolfish grin spreading over his lips. “Don’t tell Toga, though, she would have you married in less than a heartbeat. Spinner could officiate the ceremony as the first mate, and he probably wouldn’t need much convincing on her part.”

The mere thought made heat spread over your cheeks, prickling your flesh from underneath until it felt hot enough to sear your fingers should you raise a hand to your face. You averted your gaze, avoiding Dabi’s in the hopes that he wouldn’t notice the dreadful embarrassment that had filled you whole, but you knew you’d already lost that game of his.

“No need to get so riled up,” he mocked, and you elbowed him in the ribs.

“I’m commodore in the Royal Navy!” you snapped, doing everything in your power to make him drop the subject. “He’s a pirate, and I’m an officer of the law!”

Dabi marked a pause, arching an eyebrow.

“Are you really, though?”

The question stole a breath from your lungs, for it wasn’t mocking for once. It was sincere instead, one of those rare moments when all malevolence disappeared from Dabi’s cerulean gaze, when he seemed ready to tear you apart with the mere strength of his words. Dabi was clever, almost as much as Shigaraki, though he hid it well beneath a cold, distant facade.

Seeing a glimpse of the more genuine side of his personality felt like breaking down a wall — it was both exhausting and terrifying, for you didn’t know if it would crumble over you and bury your weakened form beneath the rumble.

“What do you mean?” you asked, though you knew all too well.

“You’re playing stupid,” he noted with a glare. “Would you really return to the navy, all so that you can go back to hunting and killing pirates?”

He wasn’t scared, not even worried. His words had another intent — he meant to make you doubt, to push you back into a corner and watch as you did your best to justify the blood on your hands. It was a useless attempt on his part, though. In those few weeks spent as a pretend hostage on Captain Shigaraki’s pirate ship, all of you had changed, from your core values to the gentle feeling that had settled in your heart in replacement of the shackles that you’d kept tightened over it like a cage before.

“Never,” you hissed between gritted teeth. “If I choose to return, it would be to change things. To make the sea a better place for anyone who decides to sail it.”

Dabi’s gaze dawdled over your face, studying your expression as if seeking to uncover the lies you would conceal beneath the frown that pulled at your brow, the snarl on your lips, or the light of determination that burned in your gaze. He didn’t seem to find anything of interest, though, and simply shrugged, his eyes trailing back onto the sight of the ocean then.

“Let’s hope you’re telling the truth, doll. You might meet your end sooner than later otherwise.”

That was fair, you supposed. Shigaraki was an opponent that was equal to you in many fields, from his wits to his swordplay and, if he went back to being your enemy, one of you would soon enough make a mistake, letting the other send their soul to the realms of the dead in a heartbeat. It would be a fitting end, to let him tear your life from your hands when he’d been the one to save it, but that wouldn’t happen, for you would never betray.

And it was hard to see him as a murderer now when you’d seen him with his crew, the family he’d crafted by himself with hands not coated in blood but gentle and warm instead. Shigaraki had seen untold nightmares, battled against monsters bigger than you ever could imagine, and still seemed to bask in every little kindness you’d showed him, as if he were only just a boy craving for some kind of tenderness, and not the king of pirates, leading a fleet of merciless killers with an iron fist.

But you’d come to like that boy. You’d come to wish you could tuck wild strands of his hair behind his ears just so that it would make it easier for your eyes to dive into his at will. Maybe even kiss his lips rather than his wrist, and watch as a slight blush spread over his cheeks. And yes, you now yearned for his touch to linger just a bit whenever his fingers brushed against yours, if only that meant you could bask in his warmth a little more.

You’d thought him merciless, but he was anything but. He’d offered you shelter when you’d needed it and, the more you asked for, the more he gave. Saving, protection, crumbs of his attention — he’d even granted you his trust, although not fully yet. He gave it bit by bit, slow and steady like the tide, and you’d come to long for it enough that you’d grasp every single opportunity to get closer to him, to prove yourself at last.

Maybe, someday, he would accept you whole. And maybe, someday, you would accept him as well, pirate king or not.

“Stop making heart-eyes, stupid,” Dabi spat at you as he kicked your calf, almost making you stumble over your own feet. “The object of your foolish affections is coming over here.”

He was right — Shigaraki exited his cabin where he’d been all day, working on more and more devious plans, and was now making his way towards you.

The days had gotten warmer, and he wasn’t wearing his coat anymore, merely a cream-colored shirt that stuck to his skin as the sea breeze pulled at the thin fabric. It kissed the shape of his arms and chest like the ocean embraced the sky, pretty in the way such a sight made you want to gaze at it for hours. Strands of hair as white as foam framed his face despite the fact that he’d tied most of them in a low ponytail that hung between his shoulder blades. It almost made you want to reach for the black ribbon he’d used for it, and—

“You’re so fucking obvious,” Dabi mocked again when he caught you staring, and you averted your gaze while a blush crept over your cheeks. “You’re not going to be able to convince anyone that you’re ogling him non-stop just to look for weaknesses or some other commodore bullshit.”

You let out a cough in a vain attempt to get a hold of yourself again.

“Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing,” you tried. “Maybe I’m just studying him because I’m wondering if I could still take him in a fight. Nothing more.”

He laughed at that, a deep, low sound that made you feel even more stupid.

“Hey, Captain!” he called, because of course he would. Dabi wouldn’t let you have any kind of respite, not when he held the keys to pure, unbridled chaos in his tattooed fingers. “Commodore here says she’d like to take you.”

Tomura froze at the words for a second, raw confusion swarming his gaze.

He’d walked on Dabi and you seemingly enthralled in a talk that had you all flustered — you were biting your lower lip almost to the point to draw blood, and you kept averting your eyes, no matter how many times Tomura attempted to look into them. Whatever you’d been conversing about, it had left you with some type of uncharacteristic shyness that lingered in your expression still, one he wondered at for a bit too long. He would have found it cute, if it didn’t seem like Dabi of all people was the cause for it.

“Take me?” he asked, almost certain he must have misheard.

“What?” you frowned, finally meeting his gaze. “You don’t think I could? You shouldn’t underestimate me, Captain. I could take you any day, any time you want, as many times as you want.”

Tomura fully stopped in his tracks.

There was no way in hell, on earth or even in the skies, that you could possibly mean what he thought you meant. Yet, his mind didn’t wait a second more to play tricks on him and, soon enough, he pictured it clear as day, as if he could truly feel you beneath his fingers as he took you, truly took you in the way he meant, over and over in the filthiest fantasies he’d ever cradled.

“Really?” he asked, holding the tiniest sliver of hope that you’d meant the same thing, no matter that he knew the sun would rise in the west and set in the east sooner than you started being so blunt about such things. “Then care to prove  it?”

Dabi’s laugh echoed in the sea breeze at the same time that your fingers closed around Tomura’s throat, stealing every single breath from his lungs. The strength of your attack and the way you purposely tripped him was enough to make him tumble backwards, until his spine hit the wooden wall of his cabin with a slightly painful little crack.

In a fight. You’d meant to take him in a fight.

Tomura took a deep breath, and threw himself into the brawl.

It had been a while since he’d met you in battle, and you moved just like you always had — efficient and quick, fast enough that he barely saw it before the pain rippled through the targets of each one of your strikes. He let you play for a while just like he always had, simply enjoying the way you moved, the warmth of your breath tickling his skin whenever he let you get a little too close, or the goosebumps that spread over your flesh when he caught you in one of his deadly embraces.

If your strength was your fastness, his was just that. Pure, raw power.

Tomura was taller, he was thicker, he was stronger. A single hit of his fist would send you sprawling, and you knew that all too well, which was why you did your best to simply build up your defense and exhaust him instead, avoiding each one of his attempts at striking you in your weakest points.

But if you knew him well, he knew you as well, and could read you just as good, if not better — he’d studied you long enough, both as a commodore and as a pretend pirate, and Tomura now prided himself in being able to see through you like he would through the translucent water of the coast.

The game was amusing, though, and he let it last for a while, relishing in the thought that each and every bruise you left on his pale skin was a cute little mark branded by your hands. They were all received on purpose, if only to rile you up just a bit, to give you a sliver of hope before he snatched it away with too-skillful hands. Soon enough, you felt like you were winning, absolutely certain that you’d pushed him to his limits, that he would tire soon, that he wouldn’t be able to stand his ground any longer.

And soon enough, he smiled, a wolfish grin full of youthful mischief, and turned the battle to his advantage.

He pushed you against the wall, in the very same place you’d attacked him first, and towered over you, all threatening and oh so powerful. His taller form shadowed yours in each and every corner, concealing the mere light of the sun from your eyes, his crimson gaze seemingly swallowing the whole word but the two of you as it dove into yours. He was close, maybe a bit too much — close enough that you didn’t have a single means of escape, should you decide not to give in.

He’d cornered you like a prey, and somehow, you wondered if you had ever stood a chance against him.

“Give in,” he said, triumph pulling at his voice, deep, raw satisfaction making each syllable rumble like thunder. “You lost.”

He’d been going easy on you all this time, you realized. Even when you’d been enemies, he’d been underestimating you, perhaps — after all, you were smaller, significantly weaker and less used to spilling blood, no matter that you were his equal in wits or determination. You’d taught him that the hard way by slashing a cut through his chest, the scar now still visible beneath the clear fabric of his shirt that clung to his skin with the dampness of his sweat. But now, he showed his true colors, the real extent of his strength.

It would be absolutely infuriating, if only he didn’t look so damn good doing it.

Each breath you took was filled with the smell of him, the deep, heavy scent of seawater, blood and dust. Close as he was, leaning towards you like a shark waiting on its prey to make the wrong move, you could feel the warmth emanating from his skin, tickling yours in a way that was too intoxicating for your treacherous heart to ignore.

He tilted his head with a smile that was full of victory and wild strands of his hair tickled your cheeks, making a blush course through them that you hoped wouldn’t be too noticeable, though it deepened still when you felt the blow of his breath against your lips, warm and kind like a summer breeze.

You wouldn’t let him get away with victory, though. And so, in a desperate attempt to defeat him with a surprise attack, you pushed him with all the strength you could muster and held out a fist to strike him.

He caught it before it could reach his face.

A pained, ridiculous little yelp escaped your lips when he turned your attack against you, grasping your arm in an embrace that was all too threatening, and twisting it until you had no choice but to take a step back until you were flushed against his chest unless you wanted him to shatter the bone. You were caught, stuck, prisoner of his hold like a mere insect in a spider web, and, as he leaned towards you, close enough again that you could feel the softness of his breath brushing against your collarbone, you knew he was smiling.

“Nice try,” he said. “That’s not going to be enough to defeat me, though.”

Tomura was elated.

Not only did you give him the opportunity to make a show of strength right in front of your astonished eyes, but the closeness forced by the brawl made his blood run faster in his veins, hot and burning like a campfire. He could feel your skin all over — against his chest, under his digits when he raised a hand to curl his fingers around your throat in the same gesture you’d done before, and on his wrist, when you struggled your best to push him away, your movements however led by more defeated annoyance than true fear or worry.

Your heartbeat pulsed under the palm of his hand.

Thump, thump, thump.

You were at his mercy, and the thought was appealing enough that he had to take a long, deep breath, and part from you just slightly, all so that you wouldn’t discover the sickening effect you had on him. It wasn’t enough to deter him, though — he was drunk on victory, drunk on the scent of you and the feel of your flesh kissing his in each and every place he could get away with. He could have drowned into the feeling and now, like an opium addict, he craved for more, and more, and more.

Be damned the stupid navy and your mysterious loyalties, he wanted you now.

“Hey, Captain, don’t be too hard on her,” Dabi called, interrupting Tomura’s thoughts with a smirk on his lips. The fucker knew exactly what he was doing — filth spilled from his lips in a low laugh that sounded way too mocking to be but playful teasing.

It annoyed Tomura to no end, but now that the moment had been stolen from his hands, he didn’t have a choice but to let you go, a quiet groan filled with annoyance rolling on his tongue. You let out a sigh of relief and turned to him, cheeks flushed and your gaze fleeting, as if you’d been feeling the same way he had all along these instants of closeness he’d forced you into.

He wished he could make you go out of breath in other ways.

He wished you would let him.

And, when Tomura went back to his cabin, the smell of you lingered on his clothes. The sweet scent filled each one of his senses, leaving a gentle taste on his tongue, one he was eager to try from the source. Yes, maybe he liked you just a bit too much, and maybe that was a weakness, but was it truly one if such defeat was as blissful as victory? He would hold triumph in the palms of his hands just like he would cradle your body once you gave in.

Loyalties didn’t matter anymore, and the thought felt like delightful heresy.

----

what's an enemies to lovers story without a playful fight filled with sexual tension, AM I RIGHT!!

smut is in the next chapter hehe

thank you so much for all of your comments on the last chapter, it really made me super happy! once again i'll post the next one (already written) once i get enough opinions on this chapter, i can't wait to read your thoughts <3

#shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x you #shigaraki smut #shigaraki x y/n #mha x reader #bnha x reader #bnha smut #mha smut #bnha x you #bnha x y/n #mha x you #mha x y/n #mha fic #bnha fic #pirates au #shigaraki fic #fluff #shigaraki fluff #pirate shigaraki #Peaches writes #between the devil and the deep blue sea

[lawonderlandwriter]

Everything we know about the Jon Snow Show

Facts:

~ News about a Jon Snow spinoff was first broken by James Hibbered of The Hollywood Reporter, then subsequently confirmed by Emilia Clarke, and finally by George RR Martin himself.

~ The working title for the show is Snow (though this could definitely change, ex: GRRM wanted the ill fated show about the Long Night to be called The Long Night but the HBO official title was Blood Moon).

~ The writing / producing team for Snow is a crew put together by Kit Harington and the idea for the series was created by Kit.

~ Kit’s writing / producing crew visited GRRM in Santa Fe and are working with him / his writing and consulting team to “hammer out the show.”

~ Snow is not yet greenlit by HBO (that they’ve announced, at least), but is in the “script” stage of development, which includes an approved outline and treatment, notes, and multiple script drafts (though whether for a pilot or a whole season is unknown).

~ Lastly, goes without saying, HBO will be the network behind Snow.

Reasonable Assumptions:

~ Friend of Kit Harington and co-executive producer of the limited series Gunpowder, Daniel West, will likely be involved with the show.

~ Tandem news, Snow will likely be a limited series (West’s page on his agent’s website was briefly updated with an item for an unnamed limited series with HBO but it has since been deleted) (and not to toot my own horn but I had already long predicted that it would be a limited series so, yay me).

~ Brienne of Tarth actor Gwendoline Christie could be involved, as she has said she would love to play the character again and gave a “maybe” when asked point blank if she’d be involved in the Jon Snow spinoff. 

~ Lastly, could be something but could be nothing, but House of the Dragon co-showrunner, Miguel Sapochnik recently left the series after only being involved for a single season. With Sapochnik also being a friend of Kit Harington and Kit being an admirer of his work, it’s entirely possible he’s been poached by Kit for Snow.

Unhinged Dot Connecting:

(The tinfoil hat is screwed on tight for this section and the shipper goggles are ON so take all these predictions with a grain of salt). Keep reading line included cuz this gets LONG. 

~ We know Kit personally told Emilia about the Jon Snow spinoff. They’ve talked about this show together. Granted, it could have just been in the casual context, “Hey, I’m thinking about pitching a Jon Snow spinoff to GRRM, what do you think?” But arguably, it also could have been a lot more. For all we know / have been told, this is something Kit and Emilia have come up with together. Based on their individual thoughts of the final season and their desires for their characters’ endgames, it makes sense that they would ruminate on the S8 ending together and then come to the logical conclusion most of us had in response to watching that dumpster fire: it’s bullshit and it should be re-done. 

That Emilia was THE former cast member to officially confirm that the spinoff was real after the THR leak feels significant. Also, George’s Not-A-Blog was posted the same day that Emilia’s BBC interview came out (Gwen Christie’s Newsweek article also came out this same day, but was more framed from the perspective of it already being confirmed and just asking Gwen if she’d be involved, whereas Emilia’s was asking if it was true or not). All 3 confirmations of the show from people being previously involved in GOT coming out on the same day and exactly one week after the Hibbered article. I mean, I know I’ve got my tinfoil hat screwed on tight here but it really feels as if this was all... planned. 

~ Though she initially demurred in the BBC interview and said she was “done” playing Daenerys, Emilia has since backtracked. At the DIFLondon event, she was asked about playing Dany again in a sequel and allegedly said it would be “difficult” because she’s dead and “We don’t know where her body is.” She allegedly dropped the old “could come back as a white walker” chestnut. And she said she wants Dany to be with Jon, for them to work through their issues in family therapy (lol), and said that Dany is ultimately a hopeful character. 

So all her talk about Dany being dead, to me, is very reminiscent of Kit’s “I’m dead” routine following the GOT Season 5 finale. She absolutely knows that characters can come back from the dead in the ASOIAF universe which is probably why, after saying it’d be difficult to play her again with Dany being dead, she added “we don’t know where her body is” as an additional obstacle to her coming back to the character. 

But, of course, as we’ve all theorized about a thousand times, at the end of GOT, it very much seemed as if they were hinting at Drogon flying toward Volantis, where there’s a temple of the lord of light with red priests who could bring Dany back. 

Now, do I think D&D purposefully set up Drogon’s location to hint at Dany coming back for potential future spinoffs? Not really. I mean, it’s entirely possible they thought they could come back to the franchise a few years later but it’s also possible HBO asked them to leave that all ambiguous for the purpose of potential spinoffs, with or without their involvement (like Showtime did with the original Dexter series - the writers were forbidden from killing off Dexter). 

~ According to Maisie Williams, Kit was allegedly told back in Season 3 that he was going to be the one to kill the Night King.

This is such an odd rumor considering the character of the Night King doesn’t exist in the books and didn’t even appear in the show series until Season 4 (though Maisie could have gotten the seasons wrong). But, so far as canonical ASOIAF, Kit being told his could have been genuine. D&D learned from George the final fates of all the major characters around the time Season 3 was airing. So if George had told them Jon was involved / helped with stopping the White Walkers, they could have offhandedly passed that information on to Kit.

With House of the Dragon now shining a beacon on the Prince That Was Promised prophecy that D&D completely abandoned in Season 8, this could become a central plot point for Snow, especially if they’re going to rehash the White Walker plot with the old, “but they weren’t really defeated” trope.

At the end of GOT, Arya is headed west of Westeros and has Aegon’s prophecy-inscribed dagger with her, which could definitely prompt a return of Maisie Williams to the character in the spin-off.

Now, this absolutely does not mean that Dany can’t also be TPTWP. And according to the prophecy from the books about waking dragons from stone and Maester Aemon realizing it could be someone male or female, it actually makes more sense for it to be Dany. Going back to HOTD, with the Dance of Dragons ending with Rhaenyra being killed by her usurping male relative, it feels reasonable that they’d be setting up a Targaryen woman to be the savior of Westeros, not a man. 

At the very least, if Emilia is indeed coming back as a resurrected Daenerys, we can safely say this would be Dany’s redemption. There is NO WAY Emilia would agree to come back to the character if Kit’s grand spinoff idea was to turn her into the Night Queen or another kind of “big bad” for the show. If Dany comes back, she will be redeemed, she will be a hero, and she and Jon will be given another shot at love (true, they could die again in the end, but they’d likely die together as heroes). 

~ Speaking on House of the Dragon again, this is a show that they are rushing. There’s such a huge time skip in the middle of the show that they had to cast multiple actors to play the same characters to show them when they were young vs when they got older. And this isn’t an issue of waiting for actors to grow up so they can do sex scenes à la Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. The younger versions of the characters cast were adult actors too. And there is certainly enough material on the Dance of Dragons to last a series at least as long as Game of Thrones. However, HOTD is being planned as only a three or four season show. 

Now, why on earth would HBO (and GRRM for that matter, as he was always in favor of having more seasons of GOT to flesh out the story more) only order a show for three or four seasons, when there is certainly enough material to run for at least as long as GOT did?

Well, if they are going to tie in the Jon Snow spinoff show with HOTD (and especially if the spinoff contains a Daenerys resurrection / redemption), it makes a whole lot of sense that they’d want to premiere Snow as HOTD is ending. Season 1 is already half way finished airing, which means it’s only got two or three to go. If Snow rides on the coattails of HOTD and follows directly after its run, we could get the spinoff on screen by as early as 2024.  

(As far as production and writing timelines for House of the Dragon, this could logistically make sense. Though Fire and Blood, the book on which HOTD is based, came out in 2018, and the series was ordered by HBO around October 2019, writing for the series only began around January 2020. George stated that Snow has been development almost as long as the possible shows for Ten Thousand Ships, 9 Voyages, and The Hedge Knight. And though those three potential spinoffs weren’t announced / leaked until early 2021, they’d have to have been in development / talks much earlier than that before news of their development finally got out).

Other silly tidbits:

~ When a fan explained to Kit the finer points of fandom shipping and that they believed Jon and Daenerys were “The Song of Ice and Fire,” he called it “brilliant” and said he “totally agreed.”

If HOTD was in the writing stage then and Snow was in very early development, Kit could definitely have been agreeing because he knew he was already creating a limited series spinoff based on that exact idea and had insights from GRRM about the true ending to ASOIAF. 

~ When Kit was asked whether or not he’d become a father in Season 8 (before the table read when he found out Jon and Dany’s ultimate fates in the show series) he certainly seemed fond of the idea. And, as has been relentlessly pointed out, the GOT 7x07 commentary with David Benioff, Dan Weiss, Kit Harington, and Lena Heady (not to mention the numerous references to “children” throughout Season 7) definitely seemed to hint that this would be the case for Season 8, and realistically could have been a planned plot scrapped by D&D in favor of Mad Queen Dany. But if it’s part of Dany and Jon’s book fates and is a plot favored by Kit, we could finally get a Targling at the end of Snow if Dany is indeed resurrected.

But what do you guys think? I’ve already predicted that Kit’s growing out the beard in preparation for beginning filming Snow, though it hasn’t been announced that the show is going to series yet. I doubt they would officially announce it before filming begins because it is such big news and HBO wouldn’t want paps trying to get photos of the set and spoil parts of the plot. Though if we get short-haired Emilia soon or blonde Emilia, I think we’ll be able to say with confidence that it’s happening. 

#Jon Snow spinoff #Jon Snow Show #Kit Harington #Emilia Clarke #George RR Martin #my harebrained predictions and dot-connecting #I'm going to continue to remain hopeful for Snow #hopeful for Snow and hopeful for TWOW to fucking finally come out

[starsinkpop]

ATEEZ Jung Wooyoung Tarot Reading - October 2023

Disclaimer: I do tarot readings for fun, so please read them with a grain of salt. Don’t take my words too seriously and just keep an open mind. Tarot is a divination tool that can’t predict the future, as every single individual has their own will and makes their own decisions. Tarot should be seen as a guidance and a good friend that just has your best interest and gives you advice when needed. I’m not putting anyone in my readings on a pedestal nor am I trying to harm anyone. One last side note, I’m not a native speaker, so please excuse any wrong spellings or poor grammar.

Date of Reading: October 6th 2023

Decks: Modern Witch Tarot Deck, Wild Mystic Oracle, Rebel Deck, Dreamscape Oracle, Romance Angel Oracle, Love Oracle

Wooyoung’s overall feelings and energy this month - Nine of Swords (R)

Wooyoung has a pretty turbulent month ahead of him. There could be a pretty big breakdown lurking around the corner. He could be involved in a scandal, which causes him to have sleepless nights because someone is not on his best side. However, there’s light at the end of tunnel and better times are waiting for him. He has to take extra care of himself and read people thoroughly and carefully to understand their true intentions. Not everyone who’s nice to him wants the best for him. He is urged to accept the help of loved ones.

Career - Ace of Swords (R)

Wooyoung could face some creative blocks in October. He has a hard time concentrating and focusing on his career. Again, there could be a scandal at the horizon, some misinformation could be spread about Wooyoung. He feels like life keeps stabbing him in the back and feels like a failure. He doesn’t seem to feel good enough for his job and lacks confidence. He could also feel kinda bored lately, there’s too much routine in his career and he could use some new perspective and variety. He can expect some injustice in his work life.

Love - 0 The Fool (R)

I think he’s dealing with a bit much right now so he’s really blocked off in his love life. Don’t get me wrong, he wants love and loves to love and actually wants to commit to someone but he has to love himself first (a classic, I know). He is urged to respect himself more and stop being harsh to himself to allow himself to find the paradise he’s looking for. He’s too restless and irrational for any new connection to be formed. There could’ve been some kind of betrayal that happened not too long ago which could also be the reason why he is being unfair to himself. Kinda blaming himself whenever something goes down bad.

Advice from the rebel deck

“If you are waiting for a sign - we’ll, here it fucking is”

“You got a good thing going. Don’t ruin that shit”

• • •

If you want a more in depth reading on certain areas, feel free to ask me!

~Nicky 🫧

Masterlist

#ateez #ateez tarot #wooyoung #wooyoung tarot #kpop tarot #jung wooyoung #wooyoung tarot reading #ateez tarot reading #kpop #kpop tarot reading #tarot #tarot reading

[purrincess-chat]

Cat’s Writing Tips: Head Hopping

Welcome to another Writing Tip Monday with Cat. My name is Cat, and I’ve been writing for 16 years. Still not a professional by anyone’s definition, but I have learned a thing or two over the years. Take any of my advice with as many grains of salt as you see fit. Let’s get into it. 

“Cat, what the hell is head hopping?”

Head hopping is the cute little thing writers do where they tell the reader what every character in a room is thinking about in a scene. One minute you’re following the MC, but then you just have to know what their rival across the room is thinking, and who doesn’t want to know what their crush is up to as well? I’ll give you an example from my own writing from a few years ago:

His gaze flicked back down to her lips, and he leaned in once more, gently touching his lips to hers. A hand cupped her face, tenderly caressing her cheek while the other slid around her waist, and as much as she knew she shouldn’t, she let herself pretend that this was real. That Adrien loved her, and that they were really together.

For one small fraction of time, she didn’t worry about how much it would hurt later. How her heart would shatter and break when all was said and done. How painful it would be when she and Adrien went their separate ways, and she’d watch as he moved on with someone else.

She didn’t care. All that mattered to her were the soft lips entwined with her own, the gentle yet eager way he pulled her closer, tilting his head until his tongue slipped between her lips and made contact with hers. The soft moan that rumbled in his throat as she dared to reach up to curl her fingers through his golden locks that urged him to kiss her deeper until her back was against the couch as he pressed against her. The hungry way his tongue danced with her own and the breath shared between them that became heavier as they held tighter, hands knotting fistfuls of clothing and hair as what was meant to be a gentle melody evolved into a symphony.

Neither one cared to slow down. Adrien found himself just as lost in her as she was him, and he didn’t want to stop.

Marinette was a friend, a fact he knew this quite well, but something in this felt right. Kissing her was exhilarating and fun, and he had to admit, it felt pretty good. However, as was customary for his life, all good things came swiftly to an end, and when Nathalie cleared her throat forcefully, he felt the haze parting.

Pulling away, his eyes locked with Marinette’s who seemed just as dazed and confused as he did, and he realized how unconsciously entwined they’d become and quickly pushed away with flushed cheeks. Nathalie barely batted an eye as he looked up at her, wiping saliva from his mouth and fussing with his hair.

There are several things wrong with that, but as you can see, we start the kiss in Marinette’s POV, then by the end we are in Adrien’s POV. This is what’s known as “head hopping.” 

I think most writers do this at some point in their writer journey, myself included, and let me be the one to tell you, your readers are getting whiplash. Don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of people are generally pretty smart and capable of unscrambling your pile of POV soup, but let’s maybe stop making readers do mental gymnastics with you, mkay? 

So, how do you fix “head hopping,” you ask? The easy answer is, pick one person’s head to be in and stay there. 

“But what if I’m following multiple POVs in the story?”

Here’s the thing, you can have multiple POVs in a story without head hopping. Head hopping occurs within a single scene with no indication of a change in POV such as a scene break. Like the example above, I changed POVs within a few paragraphs. That story is frequently told between both of their perspectives since it’s a fake dating story following two friends. There was merit to both POVs because one of them is suffering because they’re in love and the whole relationship is fake, and the other is slowly falling in love for real. If I were to fix the example above, I would pick one person to focus on, so let’s explore a couple ways I could fix it:

Picking Marinette’s POV (also let’s clean this shit up, sheeeeesh):

Adrien leaned in, tenderly caressing her cheek with the side of his hand. Marinette’s skin tingled under his touch, breath hitching when their lips brushed. She closed the gap between them, spine tingling when his hands slid into her hair. As much as she knew she shouldn’t, she let herself pretend it was real. That Adrien loved her. That they were really together. For one tiny moment, she didn’t worry about how much it would hurt later. How painful it would be when she and Adrien went their separate ways. How her heart would shatter and break as she watched him move on with someone else.

She didn’t care. All that mattered were his soft lips entwined with her own, and the gentle, yet eager way he pulled her closer. A soft moan rumbled his throat when she dared to curl her fingers through his golden locks, urging him to kiss her deeper. Tilting his head, he slipped his tongue between her lips, the breath shared between them hot and heavy as they held tighter, hands knotting fistfuls of clothing and hair as what was meant to be a gentle melody evolved into a symphony.

“Ahem.”

Adrien’s lips ripped away from hers, the clouds under her feet vanishing in an instant, and she plummeted back down to earth. They jolted away from each other at Nathalie’s quirked brow, tucking loose hairs back into place and straightening their shirts. Marinette’s heart hammered, rushing blood to warm her cheeks. Even though their relationship was for show, getting caught making out by his father’s assistant was still embarrassing. 

Or something along those lines. In this version, we stay in Marinette’s head the whole time. We get little glimpses of what Adrien might be feeling based on how he responses to her touch, but Marinette doesn’t really know what’s going on in his head. She’s not a mind reader. All she has to go on are his physical reactions or what he tells her, which is all anyone ever has to go on. If you’re struggling with POV slips, ask yourself what your character can feasibly observe about someone. Most people aren’t body language experts, but there are times when body language is a big indicator. I.e. if someone is slamming doors and stomping around, they’re probably mad, or if they’re sitting in a corner crying, they’re probably sad. Those are logical inferences for characters to draw. However, if someone is just sitting quietly in a chair, and your character seems to know everything the other person is thinking, that’s not how people work. So, keep that in mind. 

Typically, people don’t know what someone else is thinking or feeling unless they actively tell them (unless your character is actually a mind reader). We can guess based on how people are behaving, but ultimately, it’s still a guess. What’s important here is staying in one character’s head for the entirety of a scene. If you absolutely must include different POVs, then you may indicate the change in POV with a scene break. Usually something like a series of **** or ---- just anything that indicates to the reader that something is changing be it moving to an entirely new scene or changing POVs. Once you change POVs, you need to establish whose head we are in now immediately. Don’t make the reader wait three paragraphs to figure out who they are following now. Establish that at the very beginning of a scene. 

All of this being said, I would urge all of you to carefully consider POV swaps. Too many changes can be just as jarring to the reader as head hopping. Constantly seeing a barrage of **** followed by three paragraphs of someone else’s POV is just as annoying. We don’t need to know what everyone in the room at a party is doing. Pick one or two key players who actually have important things going on. Ask yourself what a POV shift is adding and if the story can be understood without it. And that’s really the bulk of this topic. What are other POVs adding to a story, if anything? Sometimes, stories are better left to just one or two perspectives max, so do your best not to go crazy on POV swaps. 

Now, go forth and stop head hopping! If anyone has any more questions about this topic or another topic they’d like to see me cover, feel free to let me know in an ask or in the comments on this post. I’m always more than happy to discuss writing any time. See you all next week with more writing tips!

#cats writing advice #writing community #writing advice #writing help #writing reference #writing ref #writing tips #writing