#& at this point i want it to be neither

[mondo994]

"We were both silent for a little, and then he looked at me with a direct, gentle gaze. His face in the reddish light was as soft, as vulnerable, as remote as the face of a woman who looks at you out of her thoughts and does not speak.

And I saw then again, and for good, what I had always been afraid to see, and had pretended not to see in him: that he was a woman as well as a man. Any need to explain the sources of that fear vanished with the fear; what I was left with was, at last, acceptance of him as he was.

-The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

there's just... there is no reason to make yet another cop show in this day and age. copaganda is not only bullshit, it is a failure of imagination.

you want to watch brooding characters with dark pasts investigate crimes in an official capacity? just use private detectives (cops have a miserable solve rate anyway). want eccentric geniuses & their sidekicks solving mysteries? i present you with armchair detectives & neighborhood busybodies. oh, you're craving a workplace comedy-drama starring overworked protagonists doing their heartfelt best to resolve community conflicts? social worker office sitcom! bitch this is ACHIEVABLE

[emoclowncircus]

quick little rant thingy because DMC reddit just pissed me off

I hate how so many people in the DMC fandom fall for Dante's party guy shtick and genuinely believe him to be as dumb as a rock . For example an argument i see often for this is his inability pay off his debts/rant . People believe he's simply too dumb to manage any money when in reality it's stemmed from the fact that he has little to no consideration for his well being and puts others' needs before his,rather than his own lack of intelligence. Like Grue's daughters,whom he sends money to support them--or Enzo,his ex middleman. Even in the anime he goes on his way to save his client's brother,without getting proper payment.

Other than that,again in the anime he proves himself to be a worthy-occult detective and how great he can be at reading people. His office also has a decent amount of books lying around showing that yes,he does read and value knowledge

Not saying he's smartest out there,but he is in no way as stupid as people make him out to be.

[whatudottu]

What do you get when, after you worked so hard Changing the first time, you're forced into a body that isn't yours and your have to stare at the person you used to be while regressing and battling against a new worse kind of dysphoria?

Being a cunt honestly :P

aka loopsabeau is a dick to isabeau as a version of 'killed them so i could live' but killing a timelooper is not permanent and really it's more satisfying to be the person they BOTH hate

[starry-bi-sky]

Snippets for my Clone^2 Au that I thought was funny...

in incorrect quotes style format (Clone^2 = Both my Clone Damian Au and Clone Bruce Danny aus combined)

Snippet 1: Danny and Damian meeting for the first time

Danny, avoiding Damian's katana: I don't wanna know who made you I don't wanna know who made you I don't wanna know who made you Danny: pleASE STOP TRYING TO STAB ME

------- Snippet 2: Danny and Damian meeting (Alternative)

Bby Damian: gets dropped off in the ONE city where his dad's clone is Danny, internally: damn I don't wanna know who made you

Danny: alright little buddy, lets -- *blocks Damian's sword* please don't stab me -- let's get you something to -- *blocks Damian's sword* please don't stab me -- something to EAT

------------- Snippet 3: Danny checking out books in the library Librarian: oh, are you trying to learn arabic, Mister Fenton?

Danny: oh- uh, yeah :) my parents recently,,, took in a foster kid from overseas,,,, but we found out he doesn't know english and he's having a hard time adjusting Danny, lying (only partially) through his teeth: so I,,, thought,,, maybe it would help him acclimate to his new environment if I learned some arabic :) Librarian: oh how sweet! let me know if you need any help, i can find you more books Danny: thank you

----------

Snippet 4: Damian wants to patrol Damian: let me come with you on patrol Danny, 16 year old idiot who fights without powers: uh. no. you are Itty Bitty Child Damian: comes with anyways

----------- Snippet 5: Damian, trying to fight a ghost without a ghost-proof sword: Danny, catching him and holding him against his chest: *radiating exhaustion* no,,,, no,,,,, not yet,,,,

-------- Snippet 6: danny has an epiphany Danny, realizing that he needs to set an example now that Damian is coming with him on patrol: fUCK Danny: I NEED AN ACTUAL SUIT ---------- Snippet 7; dynamic duo Danny: what is it with you and batman and robin???? Damian, silently sweating: ,,,,,,,because they are exemplary partners and i would like to think that us two are the same Danny, doesnt know identities: ...aww??? thats kinda sweet??? okay :)

---------- Snippet 8: hypocrite Damian: dijaal (affectionate) Danny, on day ?? of solving a cold case after a ghost asked him to: hrbhk - Damian, what are you doing up? it's late, you have school in the morning Damian, staring at him deadpan: you have school too. you should go to bed Danny: five min..utes buddy. then i'll go to bed Damian, grabbing the back of his rolling chair and pushing him to bed: no. now. danny, with eyebags the size of the marianna trench: ...fine. now.

--------- Snippet 9: ...the line Danny, doing homework with Sam and Tucker: Danny: *has an epiphany* wait. shit Tucker and Sam: ...? Danny, his head in his hands: am I Damian's dad or his brother?? Danny: wh- what do we define this??? Tucker: ... you're brothers until its funny? and then you're his dad?

----------- Snippet 10: learning Danny: reading a book about learning arabic Damian, slamming his hand down on the book to get his attention: dijaal, *points to book* kitab Danny, frowning: what? Damian, tapping book: kitab Danny: ..ki..kitab? Kitab? Book? Damian: Boog...book. *points to table* tawila --------- Snippet 11: clone reveal Damian, later after he knows enough english and months of chilling out: i am a clone.... meant to kill my original Danny, internally: wow you don't say? Danny, out loud:..huh. okay. thanks for telling me, uh, same here. except that last part

---

Dijaal = imposter Damian is affectionately calling Danny an imposter because danny is a clone of bruce :)

[cringefailvox]

ideal radiostatic relationship progression for me personally is friends to enemies to codependency

[coockie8]

I saw someone on twitter claim that lolicon/shotacon and other adjacent type tropes only exist because pedophiles know they can't rape children, so they just draw it instead.

And I am not even remotely joking when I ask, if that were 100% factual and not a blatant strawman; how is that a bad thing?

How is someone with a mental illness choosing to cope with their desires through artwork instead of going out and raping a real, living child a bad thing?

Look me in the eyes and explain it like I'm 5 how intentionally going out of your way to avoid hurting a person because you know it would be wrong is bad.

[megamindsupremacy]

Drifting Stars headcanon where Mabel and Ford use the "we're father/daughter" story so often to avoid suspicion that Mabel calls him "Dad" instead of "Grunkle Ford" now.

Ford has a reasonable amount of emotions about this and does not nearly cry the first time Mabel calls him "Dad" outside of lying to people.

[daemon-is-perfectly-unhinged]

Rhaegar: We can't come.

Viserys: Why not?

Rhaegar: . . .I'll be washing my hair.

Jon: Holding the towel.

Aemond: Running the water.

Aegon: And I'll be in my chambers trying to get over the fact that nobody invited me to the big hair washing party.

[dxxtruction]

"Louis acting like a pimp to Armand" And what is a pimp exactly? Quickly. And, oh so sexual trauma survivors can't engage in kink now without it being all about that? Pet names? They can't be submissive anymore? Consensually? Sexually healthy? Be serious. I'd hardly say there's much power difference between them during all this anyway, except that Louis is freer than Armand and it's been putting a strain on their relationship. Louis wants more from Armand, and less of this 'being his past' for them both, and so helping Armand with this could fix that. It's healthy to want to help your partners get out of a rough patch?

I mean, the whole exchange was very clearly set up as a "I want to help you" after such a great moment of vulnerability Louis feels just how much Armand is desperate for it. Louis called Armand so they could work out a plan together.

And the bit with the umbrella was Louis' way of asking 'are you willing to listen to me?' and Armand said yes by unfolding it. Louis goes on and explains, Armand is allowed to argue against it, but Louis makes his point. And then he gives Armand a way to make his own choice in it too. Armand's already decided 'I want you, more than anything else in the world', but Louis still asks after if he's sure of his choice, and with a name, Arun, that is the one of his fullest agency, running the point home. Honoring the situation Armand calls Louis Maitre - as a way of being like 'I'll do as you've said then'. To make this work he's going to have to give Louis some of the control, yes. But it's the first time such a role is ever established, and it was his choice to do it. So so what if they do it in a very suggestive way? They can't like doing that? I think it's them having fun.

I struggle to find how Louis is being overly domineering here when really he's giving and offering Armand the most agency he's ever had. Same with finding it manipulative. The manipulation was more earlier in the episode I think, when he was stringing him along, giving mixed signals. He's no longer toying with him like that. Louis might be pushing Armand, leading him on to make a decision, but he doesn't mean bad by it.

But back to this pimp thing. I find it frankly offensive that this is where people are going with this. I get it, but to run with it being the case is, on many levels, wrong.

Louis told us episode 1 this was the only sustainable line of work to support his family and keep their standing, at the time. It was never his choice to be doing this either but his blackness allowed no other options. He did what he did so his family could stay in that house and maintain all their same comforts. It gave him privileges most black men didn't have at the time that he wanted to maintain and even have more of. Anyway, it doesn't and had never defined him the way 'being good at running things' had. And in that case he just likes having that kind of control where he can get it, which makes sense.

The world is what placed that kind of role onto him of what he was allowed to be able to run, not himself. And on that he actually treated the sex workers he employed well and respected them enough to give them more opportunity.** He recognizes they don't have much in the way of options either.

Louis employed sex workers, yes, but he didn't subject them to abuse, (like how Armand was)*. He didn't oversee things in a way that would go against their consent (see; episode 1 again)**. Sometimes a job is just a job. And Sex work is work.

Armand's particular past with sexual abuses may strike a particular cord with Louis, given all that, but the very last thing either is thinking is that Louis' pimping Armand out here. This is merely their decision as companions, and had nothing to do with adding another line in a laundry list of selling Armands body out to people at the command of someone else. Armand rescinds some of his control to Louis' wishes, because he wants him, and he trusts him, that's all.

If you aren't allowing Armand that choice, and are doubtful it's fully his, you're putting him right back in the box of being defined by his abuses. Putting him back into that space where he isn't given any agency over what he does. (Which is exactly opposite of what the intent of this scene is for)*.

*: (edit) added for clarity.

**: (strike through) numerous people are saying I'm misremembering these points so disregard it. (Thought he was siding with Bricks, it was the other way around). (Technically one aspect of those opportunities were for getting around the law). I don't have a perfect memory, it happens. Let's not get mad about it. Doesn't change much of the point which is that Louis, now, Louis then, was always considering more about the running things and for stated purposes. So I guess I'd say he may only have respected the SWers enough sometimes for what allowed him to do that, and there are moments he certainly expressed remorse over the fact, but he has a great deal higher respect for Armand that is genuine. It's incomparable. Please read my added notes in the tags, it should address most other concerns.

[briar--rising]

It is so funny to me when people try to argue about who's 'worse', Lestat or Armand. First of all, worse by what metric? By the way they treat humans? The way they treat Claudia? Or (as it seems most people are focused on) only the way they treat Louis? And if it's by the way they treat Louis, are you judging based on what you would find worse in a partner, or by what Louis does (bc I would argue he pretty clearly has an opinion on that based on the end of season 2).

And most importantly of all, who cares??? They are both TERRIBLE. Everyone in this show is terrible! You can like morally reprehensible characters. Armand is my personal blorbo, and what he does is horrific. I can feel bad for him, and enjoy watching him, and think that his actions are heinous, and reblog art and read fanfiction of him, and analyze him without excusing him, all at the same time! And so can you with whoever you like!

Pitting these characters against one another is absurd. "Which one is less abusive" is a question I guess you can ask, but it's not a very interesting one. Much more interesting is "Why are they abusive in these specific ways? What about their trauma and personality informs their actions? Why does Louis react the way he does to each of them? What does that say about Louis? What does this show say about domestic violence in general? Are the rules different for vampires? Or is abuse abuse? Do the victims determine who should get forgiveness? Or are certain actions inherently unforgivable? Can you forgive someone when their victim hasn't? Is any of this different in fiction rather than reality? etc etc etc." There are so many interesting questions posed by the juxtaposition between Lestat and Armand and the way they treat Louis, and none of them are "but which one is worse so I can forever villify that one and hold up the other one as the paragon of what's good and right and perfect for Louis"

[iampastelry]

Man I love pairings where it's like a disgruntled but undoubtedly excellent in his field silver fox has to deal with a 30-something-year-old terminally average American Dream looking man who's just getting through this shit way easier than he ought to be and being an annoying little shit about it.

[midnightwind]

gonna stream of consciousness discuss Lucanis, Spite, their relationship, and the control they have over each other

This started as me wondering just how their communication works, because sometimes Spite chimes in with a thought or feeling from Lucanis that he doesn't voice. Yet the vast majority of their interactions are verbal on Lucanis' end. Spite also operates mostly on the basis of "if Lucanis or one of the party members doesn't explain something, then I won't be able to understand" which is one of the popular reasons for his many tantrums. So it seems like Spite can only comb through Lucanis' mind so well. Is it because they've been at odds for a year? Is it possible for them to reach a level of harmony where they can converse solely in the mental? Is there a point where Spite can sift through Lucanis' memories and knowledge without needing the man to audibly tell him anything?

I think Lucanis doesn't realize just how much he controls Spite's environment and abilities. When Spite asks for your help in Inner Demons and pulls you into their mind palace, he's locked out of the inner chamber. He can't get past the many guardians Lucanis has put up to reason and guilt himself into isolation. He needs Rook to make any progress towards his host. Lucanis wants to distance himself so much from Spite, he has recreated their prison and then locks Spite out into the farthest reaches of it.

Imagine being ripped from your home and shoved into another person, to go from a life of fluid freedom to a small vessel of unyielding flesh. Imagine that, at the very least, you are not alone in this agony. In the Ossuary, the real one, Spite and Lucanis always had each other. They hated everything about it. But they were never alone. They came to an understanding. They are as much kindred souls as they can be given their twisted creation. There is a comfort to be found in that.

Instead, Lucanis has trapped himself in the very room where they likely were forced together. Where Zara likely tortured him most. He picked the room holding the worst memories and the sharpest pain, and he forced Spite out of it. Lucanis has decided to hold a knife by the blade in a white knuckled grip and pushed away the one being who knows that pain intimately. And it feels like a betrayal. They experienced horrible things in that room, together. They survived the ordeals, together. They found reason to cling to themselves, the determination to live, together. And at the end, Lucanis chooses to be alone. Because it's easier to think he deserved it all if Spite isn't there to save him from himself again.

But they escaped the real prison! They're finally free. Spite can finally experience all the happier memories and thoughts Lucanis held onto, see the world he's now trapped in, because not once does Spite think to kill his host. Not once does Spite try to walk him off a cliff, use any number of sharp knives or vicious poisons a Crow carries, never tries to talk him into death. He wants out. He wants to be free, but he knows that it would come with a price. So instead, he settles for living. That's why he's furious at Lucanis for locking them both up in a pantry, for keeping himself tucked away from the others, for refusing to even acknowledge the torture he is subjecting them both to.

I can only imagine how infuriating it must be for Spite. He's thrust into the physical world where nothing makes sense to him. He's trapped in a man who would rather carry their prison with him forever than try to find a way to live, changed as he is. He's not even allowed to cling to the one bastion of comfort in this new, gently hellish existence because the would-be friend has locked him out. And to top it off, their new home is a bubble inside his home. Lucanis is staying in the Fade, and Spite isn't allowed to exist there. Imagine being in a cage where your home is just outside the cell. You can see it, smell it, hear it, but you can't even so much as poke a finger through the bars. I would have started biting people.

The two times we see Spite take over in the Lighthouse, he isn't reveling in this touch of home. He isn't seen trying to walk them into the welcoming abyss to drift forever in the Fade. He's trying to reach the Eluvian. People have theorized that Spite was trying to take Lucanis back to Treviso. To take him home, to his family, to get help. Spite wants out, but more than that, he wants Lucanis to start living. When Rook starts getting through to the assassin, when he starts opening up and engaging with the group, Spite lashes out less. He earnestly tries to talk with the party at times. He expresses more curiosity than animosity to them.

I can only imagine Spite's frustration as Lucanis insists on holding onto their prison given how much better things are with the Veilguard. How bitter it must be to have thrown himself at every door in the ghost of that cage for naught, just to watch Rook breeze through it. How gutting it must have felt to finally reach Lucanis and he's chosen the place that hurt them the most. And he has chosen to live in it alone.

I think Lucanis never truly realizes the extent to which Spite cares. The tragedy of their existence isn't solely a spirit trapped in a man, it's two kindred souls who experienced the worst, but always had each other. It's one rejecting the other despite the shared trauma. They should have been happier, more at peace, after the escape, but Spite was never allowed to properly leave because Lucanis dragged that place into them. He spent a year trying to survive hell, then left Spite thrashing at the walls of it. And he wonders why the demon is screaming.

[wildsaltair]

BONUS

[otomes-and-tears]

hello!! if its alright i'd like to request headcanons for step 1 Qiu and Tamarack with a fem!reader who aspires to be an idol. they like to practice idol and vocaloid dances and wear frilly dresses and accessories. If you want too, you could add their reactions in step 2 to reader actually posting dance covers online and getting popular on social media. :3

thank you!!! I hope this isnt too complicated and makes sense <3

♦ Qiu & Tamarack with Idol!MC (Step 1 and 2) ♦

► tags/warnings:

► words: 945

► A/N: Hope you enjoy! Little PSA. Since the request specified both Step 1 and Step 2 Tamarack and Qiu, I used he/him pronouns for Step 1 Qiu and switched to exclusively they/them pronouns when I wrote the Step 2 section.

► Masterlist

Tamarack

Step 1 Tamarack Isn't at all familiar with idol culture, or Vocaloid, for that matter;

She is too much of an outdoorsy type to spend too much time online, and I think that at that age, her grandparents wouldn't let her go online, or would only allow it under strict supervision;

So she'd only have access to cool math games or things of that nature;

Mc would be her first exposure to idol culture;

Tamarack would ask SO MANY questions! It's something so important to her new friend that she'd like to know everything about it!;

She'd be FASCINATED by the frilly dresses, and would likely BEG to try on any of the hair accessories;

You can trust her to always be there, cheering MC on when she's practising, and Tamarack would be happy to help her come up with ideas for her future idol career;

Like, coming up with call and responses, fandom names and stuff;

Likely, practising with her around wouldn't be really helpful because she'd be dancing along to an entirely different choreography or excitedly cheering MC on;

It's amazing for morale but not so much for memorising your steps! ;

Also, at that age, she’ll be painfully blunt if she doesn’t like something, so she’s the best person MC can go to for honest opinions about stuff;

In Step 2, she still shows her support but in more practical ways!

Like helping MC set up their camera to film, or be able to give her pointers on how the audio sounds;

She's always the first person to like and comment on the videos, and is insanely proud of MC's newfound popularity, although she is not surprised at all that it happened;

I mean, she saw firsthand how hard she worked. How much she struggled and how much practice led to all the skills MC perfected over the years;

Of course she would succeed!;

At that age Tamarack is very insecure about herself, so I think part of her would wonder why MC bothers spending time with her now that she's internet-famous;

It's a thought she tries to shake but always comes back to torment her eventually;

Sometimes, when Tamarack thinks that she’ll move away with her parents, she’s thankful for MC’s videos, because they mean she’d still be able to see MC’s face and hear her voice whenever she misses her;

I think at that age, you’d see slight influences from MC’s hobby influencing Tamarack too;

Like, how you see more frills in her dresses, a light-stick charm with MC’s signature colour hanging from her bag and Mc’s covers littering her playlists;

She finds herself learning to play Vocaloid songs on her Cello;

Is still very honest about things she likes and dislikes in MC’s work, but is better at expressing it in a gentler way

Qiu

More familiar than Tamarack on idol culture;

He’s online a bit more, and I can totally see Ren as a Vocaloid fan that would introduce Qiu to it!;

So Step 1 Qiu is blessed with base knowledge, but he’d still ask many questions about it anyway;

Like what style Mc is going for, what songs they know how to sing etc…;

And he’d try to help her as much as possible;

But Qiu helping is a lot more different than Tamarack. Like, he may fumble his ballet choreographies sometimes, but he’d try to help her memorise hers!;

He’ll cheer her on while she practises, like Tamarack, but be more restrained about it and try to give her notes afterwards;

I think he’s also the type to think of ideas during class and pass her a bunch of little written notes from his notepads on things he thought of (including little drawings when he’s able to!);

He is much kinder about criticism, to the point of sometimes being a little too kind and not critical enough;

So he’s the person to go to for reassurance if she’s feeling particularly insecure about her hobby;

He acts a little like MC is already famous, and when questioned he just says, with a smile, that he can sense that she’s going to make it;

So he wants to assert himself as the first member of her fan club!;

Step 2 Qiu is colder, but they’re no less supportive;

Just, perhaps, a little envious of her sense of purpose;

How cool is it that MC has known what she wanted to do and who she wanted to be since she was little? And that, while she has matured, she’s only grown more certain of her dream?;

How they wish they had that same certainty about anything; 

It doesn’t diminish their liking for her. It’s just another way they grow to admire her as they both age;

They find her newfound internet fame a little unsettling, but they're happy for her as long as it’s something she wants and enjoys!;

They know what it’s like for people to have certain expectations about how you act and what you can offer and the last thing they want is for her to burn out like they did;

So they check on her, discreetly. And makes sure MC knows she can always say no, and that her life doesn’t need to revolve around making her fans happy and satisfying their every whim;

Would only carry discreet merch, and would not make a big deal out of being friends with her;

They are still a big fan and supportive of her work, but they want their friendship with MC to be a respite from the turbulence of internet fame rather than an extension of it;

They snap at anyone who recognises MC and make her feel uncomfortable at school

[theyhitthepentagon]

"MALE" CHARACTERS I THINK WOULD BE COOLER IF THEY WERE BUTCHES. in no particular order

both mario brothers

2. gordon freeman, including all machinimas except for gorgeous freeman

3. ANY wizard

4. bubby from hlvrai

5. the scratch cat, for fun

6. scourge from cats

7. link from totk

8. link from twilight princess

9. this cunt

10. hobie brownfor fun