#And also a lot less... moral maturity? In the way of he's grown into a new set of morals he puts above all his interactions with people

[abyssalpriest]

It is funny AF seeing people talk about the Trinity Kings as brothers but in a specific order of age like. ignoring what I know about them if we see them as brothers we all know Poseidon acts like the oldest and Zeus and Hades are tied for baby baby baby baby youngest brothers. I'd say Zeus is middle and Hades is youngest but tbh no publicly Hades could pass for middle, hate to say it

(this post is friendly Zeus and Hades slander)

[hyperlexichypatia]

What some of y'all call "recovery" and "healing" is just... growing up.

The theme I keep coming back to, the theme I keep writing about over and over, is the inextricability of ableism (specifically neurobigotry) and ageism.

The pathologizing of youth. The infantilizing of disabled adults. The structuring and micromanaging of childhood leading to ever more opportunities for "deviancy" to be classified as "disordered." The "neurological" push to raise the age of majority. The constant framing of disabled parents and caregivers as "unfit" or "bad influences" on children. And on and on.

Ageism and neurobigotry are such an interconnected tangle loop mobius strip that people are using the "healing"/"recovery" framework for basic human maturation.

When you were little, you uncritically accepted the worldview of your parents and other adults in your life, but now that you're older and "recovered," you see it differently?

That's called growing up. You grew up.

When you had less information and experience informing your worldview, you saw things one way, and now that you've "healed," you see things differently?

That's called learning. You learned new information and changed your perspective accordingly.

Look, learning and change and growth and maturation are (or should be) lifelong processes with no endpoint, and one of the cultural factors making people so weird about "maturity" and age of majority issues is the assumption that a "Real Adult" is in their fixed final form. So people think "If I've changed and grown in the past 5 years, that means that 5-years-ago Me was Still A Child and should not have been allowed to make major life-altering decisions," and also think that once they reach An Endpoint, they can or should stop changing. And that's a problem.

But. But. Changes in one's relationship to oneself and one's family of origin are especially common during times of major transition. That's not pathological. That's not even abnormal. If you see the world differently than you did before a major life transition, that does not mean that you went from a diseased state to a nondiseased state ("recovery"), or from an injured state to an uninjured state ("healing"). Time passed. You got older. Everyone else got older. You changed. Other people changed. Your family changed. The social context in which you live changed. The pathology paradigm has no place in this phenomenon.

People are out here saying that "People should heal themselves before they have their own children," and then when asked, what they mean by "heal themselves" is "learn how to effectively communicate with children." That. That is a skill. Learning a skill is not "healing." Lack of a particular skill set is not a disorder you have to "recover" from. You just have to learn the skill.

But that's also why when we say "You don't have to recover from your disabilities, recovery isn't a moral obligation," people say things like "You want to use your disability as an excuse not to change and grow."

My good bitch, what does change and growth have to do with recovery?

And this isn't even a new observation, because people have talked about how parents of developmentally disabled children will credit "therapy" and "recovery" for their children's natural developmental trajectory (if your child gained a skill after a year of intensive therapy, that doesn't mean "the therapy worked," that means they got older and developed the maturation to acquire that skill). A lot of the rhetoric around early childhood education does the same thing (the reason your 6 year old can hold a pencil now and he couldn't last year is because his bones got stronger and his fine motor skills improved, not because his high-quality preschool made him ready to compete).

But this. This is adults doing it to themselves! And it's so very original-sin-coded. You are born Unhealthy, but through continual effort and right practice, you can Recover and Heal.

No! You just grew up!

[blackbullet99]

I don’t understand why Zutara shippers are so obsessed with hating Aang (or Kataang).

I understand they wish Zutara was canon, and that’s perfectly valid. I get why people ship it, and even though a good chunk of the toxic side of the ZK fandom say some pretty racist stuff, the ship is harmless. But the hate is vitriolic. You got to people like the-badger-mole, sokkastyles, longing-for-rain and they spend more time whining about Aang and his relationship with Katara than they talk about Zutara. They say the most objectively untrue stuff about Aang, Katara and Zuko as if making false claims about these characters is the only way to make their ship look good.

For example:

“Zuko did some bad things throughout the show, but Aang is worse because he never supported Katara and sexuality assaulted her. Not to mention Katara never had feelings for Aang, he was practically her son that she had to take care of”.

What ZKs actually sound like:

“Zuko did some bad things throughout the show, so we have to make Aang look worse by comparison to ensure that Zuko is a better match for Katara, despite his own problems, because surely a poorly timed kiss is the same is sexual assault. We falsely believe Aang never supported Katara because he didn’t agree with her seeking vengeance of the person who killed her mom, unlike Zuko who helped her out, meaning that one single episode must mean he’s the only one who supports Katara. Lastly, we have to find a way to make Katara’s obvious affection for Aang problematic, so let’s blow her motherly traits way out of proportion and say that any time she shows Aang affection, it’s a mom coddling her toddler, and yes Aang is a toddler because he’s BALD. So what that they kissed, they’re a mother and child. Also Katara emotionally supporting Aang is bad, she actually hates it. Dude trust me”.

They reason I bring this up is because I don’t understand why they have to be so bitter, it just makes them look pathetic that these people, some fully grown adults are so butthurt about a non-canon pairing from a 20 year old cartoon. Their media-illiterate ramblings don’t prove Aang and Katara are a bad couple, they just make it painfully obvious to anyone with a brain that these types of pathetic ZKs are just seething and coping.

Sure, you might say “I’m not one to talk” seeing as Kataang is canon, but let me tell you, I have my fair share of non-canon ships that I love.

I love Ichigo X Rukia, I think they have great chemistry and strong bond, I wish they were endgame, they felt like the heart and soul of Bleach. But I don’t hate Orihime, such a sweetheart (plus she gave us the Leekspin meme) her and Ichigo are cute, I just think Ichigo and Rukia are better.

I love Black Widow X Captain America from The MCU, they would’ve been a cute couple, they had good chemistry, they kissed for corn’s sake. I don’t care that much for Steve X Peggy, they’re kinda cute, but whatever, although I do really like Captain America’s ending. I don’t like Nat X Bruce, seeing as it came out of nowhere, but whatever, it didn’t last long anyway and I have nothing against either character.

If anything I’m more prone to getting annoyed when a beloved canon couple are broken up, all the build up thrown away and replaced with another character whom has less chemistry with the original. Case in point, Haley and Andy from Modern Family, they were so cute, they had great chemistry and there was so much build up, only for Andy to leave in the season where he and Haley become a couple. Then later Haley and her initial on again off again guy Dylan get together and I gotta say, I don’t like it. But I have nothing against the character, Dylan’s a sweet guy who genuinely loves Haley and matured a lot, and they’re in no way a bad or unhealthy couple, there are people who genuinely like them as a couple too. I do think Haley’s character was kinda done dirty, but that had absolutely nothing to do with what guy she ended up with.

The moral of this story is, you can like a non-canon ship and even dislike a canon ship without making up ridiculous reasons why and acting like a spoiled entitled brat like the vocal minority of ZeeK freaks from the the toxic side of the fandom.

[sleepsentry]

Hoooooooooboyyyyyyyyy...

I've spent most of my years in the gravity falls fandom as a kid/teen.

And I kinda resent seeing adult fans turn a comforting kids show about embracing your inner kid and not being ashamed of fun, into a dramatic, petty morality obsessed, soap opera...

Like- its really uncomfortable the way most of the adult characters are depicted in fanon, it doesn't feel "more realistic" it feels like the adult fans are kind of ashamed of any interpretation that isn't "acceptably mature".

______

For example: The way Stan and Ford are turned into the worst versions of Batman.

Stan and Ford are often depicted with a subtle but important edge that isn't necessarily present in canon.

Especially in fanworks wich focuse on them instead of the broader family.

As if their softer, goofier sides are just a front for the sake of the kids rather than fundamental parts of who they are as characters.

They're not.

They're just as important as their more "serious grown up moments"

Stan and Ford aren't adult characters in an adult show, they're adult characters in a kids show and their silliness is essential.

Their approachable, softer, kinder, moments, are vital, as authority figures in a show where the intended audience is expected to relate to the children they are responsible for.

Their vulnerability and screwing up is an important aspect of the show, showing kids that adults don't know everything and it's important to question them when they make mistakes.

"Adults are often just as afraid as you are and it's OK for them to express that, it's also important that they don't make it you're responsibility to deal with" is at the core of the way Stan, Ford and most adults in the show are depicted.

It's a comforting and affirming theme to have in a show about two kids on the brink of losing that childhood wonder, or at least afraid of losing it.

As Mabel says:

"They got... stupid. Promise me we won't get stupid."

______

I've seen so many adults make these characters more "adult" to appeal to them and it isn't even bad, it's just uncomfortable... it feels wrong.

Fiddleford is another adult character that I often see treated like this:

A lot of depictions of younger fidds I've seen (especially within the context of shipping him with ford) basically turn him into a conflicted love interest lady having an affair with her negligent boss in a stupid 80s movie-

I'm not getting into how fiddauthor is being used as a "safe ship" by the broader fandom and being stripped of its nature as a character dynamic and used as a tool to excuse morality based shaming and harassment by grown adults over stupid cartoon men-with cucumber shaped noses

It gives off similar vibes to certain queer peeps appealing to homophobes by throwing less "digestible" queer people under the bus and its not that serious its cartoon shipping for fucks sake

it's so uncomfortable when you remember he's a silly little hillbilly man.

His name is FIDDLEFORD.

MC. GUCKET. (•□•)

He's got depth and serious moments for days but he's also introduced screaming and jigging and slapping a sandwich out of someone's hands.

He contains multitudes withing his vegetable shaped head.

He's not Ford's frustrated underpaid secretary (as funny as that sounds)

______

Emotional depth and maturity aren't exclusively adult things.

The bloody "Goofy Movie" isn't suddenly an adult film because it has moments of quiet maturity and melancholy, along-side the expected goofyness.

That sense of quiet maturity isn't age locked in reality and I'm so tired of it feeling like it is.

It's not wrong or bad to depict more mature things with a story and characters aimed at kids.

But I think it's very disingenuous to dismiss the lighter elements in favour of the moments that "go over kids heads" they don't.

Even if the kid doesn't understand the adult joke, they can tell something is off and it's annoying how smug grown ups are about it.

I know Gravity Falls itself has that tone so I might aswell be complaining about fire burning or ice melting.

But it's taken to such extremes that it makes my inner kid feel like grown ups are twisting one of the few things I have and making it about themselves again... that's uncomfortably personal and petty I know.

But the reality is, that's been my experience for the majority of my time in this fandom.

Only in the past few years have I grown out of the "baby fan" vibe and it's going to shape my reactions to fanworks regardless.

______

For another example cartoon characters swearing isn't bad.

But it's jarring when adult behaviours (which more often than not means behaving like an ass) are superimposed onto child friendly characters, and these behaviours are taken for granted as "more realistic and natural" it's just... like no that's not true.

There are adults who don't like swearing or drinking or smoking, there are kids I knew when I was little (11 - 14) who enjoyed doing all those things for better or worse.

Seeing Teenagers complaining about 40+ year old characters being "infantilised" or "UwU-ified" as if grown ups can't be vulnerable is just saddening.

Adult female fans complaining that male characters aren't "man enough" is kinda scary to be honest, especially when those softer depictions are usually from teens and maybe even young boys/men in my case.

The problem is behaviours and perspectives are so strictly coded and enforced that even in a sub-community of a sub-community you get people enforcing arbitrary codes of conduct or depiction.

It's a kids show.

Relax.

He said to himself as much as whoever bothered to read this far.

I'm gonna go have a glass of water and some fresh air, if you've read this far I'd recommend doing so too but also, despite the tone of this wall of text, I'm not your dad.

[aulga]

Oooh the WIP ask game!! Whats the Hunter Time-Travel story?

Ok so! I'm a HUGE fan of Time Travel Fix-It Hunter (The Owl House) fan fics and I like The Owl House the show itself BUT. I always HATE when the competent smart strong characters are not depicted as competent smart strong characters! Like they can be defeated by high schoolers EASILY when it should at LEAST have a struggle even after their first few appearances. Or like they become more, I don't know how to explain it but like, cutesy? Unfortunately, The Owl House has these problems. I guess the classic character I can use to best explain this is Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Like, Zuko when he gets redeemed doesn't necessarily become cuter so much as he shows that he's out of his element and therefore awkward and calms down and doesn't have as much of a reason to go around yelling at people but is still, y'know, Zuko. Intense and passionate, the same character traits he's always had but with less confusion and more resolve and maturity. That's why I like the Time Travel Hunter fan fics. They let him think things through and show his awesomeness although unfortunately a lot of them haven't been updated in a while. I was thinking of a fic I think was called "Grey and Gold Feathers" or something in particular was one of my favorites because of this. Also, controversial opinion I know, I didn't think Hunter had a redemption so much as stuck with a group that didn't immediately want to kill him, that group then gained his trust, and then he swore his loyalty to them the same way he did with Belos. Except the people who gained his trust this time were GOOD people so therefore he started making morally good decision that catered to the goals and support OF THOSE PEOPLE.

But I also don't like erasing this part of Hunter. It's like. Ok how do I explain this.

I think this can be just him ON HIS WAY to a redemption. Because Hunter is a morally grey character in my eyes. Hunter only making morally good decisions for other people makes sense because he's not quite redeemed yet and he's still learning AND THAT'S OK. He's hasn't unlearned these habits yet and they were never brought up to him so it makes sense for him not to have grown quite enough for him to have known that but now he has his support system. And I want to give him that time to have that redemption without taking away this part of the journey...

... through the hardest way possible. He has to start all fucking over. He has no support system but he does have his loyalty to his friends and their view point and what he's learned from them and he can reflect so he can decide on his OWN morals without someone there he feels like he has to adjust himself to.

He'll have the weight of saving the Boiling Isles on his shoulders and he knows that Belos has defeated every single Golden Guard before him so he has to play this smart, use his strengths, be patient, and think outside the box... Of course I have to be the one to actually think of those things so that's going to be tough and I can't promise they'll actually be as impressive as I want them to be but I want to try.

There's a lot of unanswered questions to myself like

1. When does Hunter time travel? After he walks into the portal to GET to the Human Realm? After they try to get BACK to the Boiling Isles? After they fail to save the Boiling Isles? After they SUCCEED to save the Boiling Isles? Way back years in the past to give him time? How old is he? Does Papa Titan bring him back? Does The Collector? Why? Or why HIM?

2. Does anyone remember? The Collector? Papa Titan? Or do these two just get a feeling? If they do remember then how much? If The Collector fully remembers does he stay quiet or tell Belos? Does Hunter take The Collector with him when he inevitably leaves? Does he raise him and I give him more trauma? Does Hunter get help with that last question if yes? Does The Collector blab about what's happening? Does The Collector love Hunter as a big brother and if so is it right away or does it take time? Does The Collector help Hunter? Does Hunter not ket him because he sees that The Collector is a child and doesn't think he deserves to be a murderer as a kid like he is?

3. Do I want to give Hunter intense amounts of paranoia and essentially Batman-ify him? As in make him have back-up plan on back-up plan on back-up plan? Do I make him go insane? (Yes. Yes I want to.) Do make him have plans for if Belos possesses or mindcontrols his friends and he has to fight them? Does he not and it dooms them? Is this after Belos possesses Hunter in canon? Is the gang concerned about all of Hunter's seemingly endless plans and back-ups? Does Hunter decide to study everything he can based on his experiences in the last timeline? How well can he lie? Does Belos let him go out into town whenever he wants or does he have to sneak out?

4. Does he know how to skateboard? Does he know how to use a sword? Does he know how to throw knives? Does he get cool status with his friends because of this? Does he terrify adults and bullies around him with his capabilities and looks? Do I give him cottagecore skills like being sutprisingly good at cooking? Do Emira and Edric teach him how to use his looks to get information out of people?

5. Does Hunter die by the end of it, was he loved, and were they there?

I'm also not sure on whether or not this is a Huntric fan fic and can I even put it in? There seems like a lot going on anyway and if I go with the "Starting at years in the past" thing it would just be creepy. But I do like Huntric. Very underappreciated ship which surprised me. I thought it was going to be more popular. We are starving over here. I also wanted to give the other characters growth but got carried away talking about what I wanted to do with Hunter's growth and now I'm realizing I haven't thought about the other characters much at all.

I also wanted him to experiment with old magic and tinker. Like in, I think it was also in "Grey and Gold Feathers."

Even though I love Dadrius I wanted Hunter to realize that Darius ALSO didn't start treating Hunter well until he started behaving in a certain way (rebelling at the end of that flyer derby episode) and essentially have to earn his love like Belos and getting mad at him for a while. Whether or not Darius knows what the hell Hunter is talking about I have no idea although I do want him to get the point of "You made me earn this love just like he did" across no matter what.

I really hope I answered this question. I know I sound critical but I blame these things on lack of time and I couldn't have handled these characters better than the creator. I SWEAR I love this show I just wanted to build off of things I wasn't fully satisfied with and I don't know how else to voice this whole post so I'm sorry if I sound like I don't.

[frazzledsoul]

A while back @saltygilmores directed me to an AYITL era interview with Milo I thought was interesting. Milo had infamously said on a talk show (Jimmy Fallon, I think) that it mattered less if Jess were "Team Jess" than if Jess were "Team Rory". I thought that meant that Jess would be supportive of whatever was best for Rory, but....

...it appears that's maybe not exactly what he meant. Milo doesn't encourage the ship because he doesn't think Rory would be good for Jess because of how she hurt him in the past. Also he would rather have you talk about whatever he's working on now and please shut up about the baby daddy questions, please.

There's been a lot of speculation (here and elsewhere) on Milo coming back to film a Literati-centered sequel to AYITL over the years. I've heard it said often here that Milo was unhappy that Jess didn't win the ship war. I was told so many times over the years that Milo and Amy were just waiting for This Is Us to finish so they could film a follow-up, that Milo intentionally planned for The Company We Keep to be a one-season show so he could run back and film AYITL 2, etc. but the truth is....he's not a shipper. He thinks it was great that Jess went off and became a better person and formed a great life on his own and was an inspiration to Rory to change her own life. But he doesn't think it's in Jess's best interest to reconcile with her. He wants him to keep his own happy ending, where he's happy and mature and well-adjusted. And he's right.

I think recently with the proliferation of podcasts and clickbait media writing about the show that AYITL is seen as something that's not quite canon, and people have given up on the sequel. Which I actually think is a positive development. There have been rumors that Milo wouldn't film any romantic scenes with Alexis in AYITL, that Alexis shut down AYITL 2 talks because she didn't want to be involved in it...all of that is neither here or there, because I think everyone's accepted that it's over. So the story won't be concluded any more than it already has been, except in our heads.

As for Jess, the insistence that he's the sole threat to Rory's well-being the first time he tries to reconcile with her and that he's the destructive or morally inferior force that's going to bring her down is a very inaccurate interpretation of the situation. Running away together was not a good idea, but neither was Rory sleeping with a married man and helping destroy someone else's marriage...and she is primarily so cruel and dismissive of Jess because she's hurtling towards that adulterous affair that she imagines will validate and affirm her and Jess is going to get in the way. Just because Dean lied and manipulated her into it doesn't mean what she was doing wasn't already wrong, nor does it excuse her actions or the fact that she didn't regret what she did for years. The fact that she didn't make this mistake single-handedly doesn't mean she wasn't responsible for her role in it.

So, yes, she hurt him instead of gently saying no and backing away from Dean before anyone else got damaged by her behavior with him. He took that hurt and made a great life for himself but when he meets her again on fresh terms as an adult and she uses him again...yeah, it's not in his best interest to try again unless Rory has changed her behavior and isn't going to use him as one more competing figure in her endless love triangles. He changed and she didn't, at least not in the way that would make him believe he could trust her again.

Which doesn't mean they can't be friends in the meantime or that she's not capable of changing....but it has not happened yet, and as long as ASP is in charge it won't, because she doesn't believe in character development for her main characters. So I think Milo was on the right track with his thinking on this one. Jess shouldn't reconcile with Rory until she's grown up enough to be good for him. I do imagine it happens because I believe change is possible...but it shouldn't happen until there is some serious character growth on her part.

Jess should not have to atone forever for the shit he did in high school, and Rory is not some blameless dream girl who wasn't capable of inflicting serious emotional damage on her own, often in very cruel and catastrophic ways. And as she grew older, the damage she did (or tried to do) to Jess actually got worse. She is not morally superior to him by the end, and he shouldn't have to prove himself to her. It should be the other way around. His happiness matters at least as much as hers does, if not more.

[theographos]

Yes ! Exactly !

She is another reason why the storytelling in Steven Universe is amazing and mature, and I hate to see people being like "ew no she villain."

We had the chance to witness a character development in reverse. We meet Rose Quartz at the end of her character arc : she is gone, she morphed? into Steven and will never come back, because she was fascinated by life and how human change. She has become selfless (more or less), and is ready to become part of something she always admired : life.

Then as the story goes on, we discover that she had many, way too many secrets from literally everyone. And as we uncover her secrets, we discover that well, when she was younger she did a hell lot of bad decisions.

The thing is, even if we learn that, her character arc is already ended. She already had some sort of redemption arc where she became selfless enough to stop existing to create someone else.

And yet people are so focused on "but spinnel, but the colony, but". Like yeah, she did not have time or she did not have enough courage to take care of those problems. She had a bad habit of running away when the situation became complicated (or bubbling gems). But I personnaly believe that by the time she was emotionally mature enough to take care of those issues, it was too late. She had already faked her death, and around 2000 years had passed. I'm not saying that she was right to not do anything, i'm saying that the situation was complicated and that even if she had a redemption arc she remained a morally grey character.

But not only that, we also get to have a real growth for Steven. A part of growing up is to discover that badfully, society/family/parents are f up, and are not those hero you thought they were. So Steven is confronted to his mother's past mistakes, understand that his mother isn't who he thought she was, gets to have the chance to learn from his mother's mistakes (He literally learns to not bottle up his feelings and hide problems from his loved ones in Steven Universe Future)

And also, they destroy the stereotype of the "dead mom who will always be showed as almost ethereal". We have the mysterious Rose Quartz, who everyone loves and who also was so mysterious but also so good...! Welp nevermind she was an immature gem who even though at some point she had good intentions, her choices weren't all that good.

Rose Quartz is one of the greyest morally grey character I have encountered in a cartoon so far, she was so grey and her story arc had so many mature themes that even the grown ass adults who watched the show were not ready for her.

Rose Quartz is amazingly written, Steven Universe is amazing and the world was not ready for it, thank you for coming to my ted talk.

"i want morally grey female characters" you fuckers could barely handle rose quartz

[bisluthq]

The point was that if a person in a much more extreme situation can’t realize how fucked up the situation is, someone in a much less serious but still problematic situation won’t. Just because Beyoncé and Aaron can’t see the problem, doesn’t mean it isn’t one. A 40 year old person dating an 18 year old, no matter the circumstances, is a creep and deserves to be called out even if people don’t know them personally. She was also the director, not a fellow actor, so there was a power imbalance. I think less people know about the age difference between Beyoncé and Jay Z because she’s always looked older than she is. Not because she’s aged badly but because she has a more mature face, kind of like Margot Robbie.

I also don’t know Woody Allen and I’m going to call him out for marrying his step daughter even if it was a completely legal thing to do

I actually think that’s a complete false equivalence and kinda naive - I think a person in a much more fucked up situation (because as I say it’s REALLY not comparable to say a sixth grader being raped by his teacher is the same as someone legal but young getting involved with an older person) is far LESS likely to figure out something is not right because that’s what they’ve grown up with. Back to a discussion we’ve been having a lot here re religious fundamentalism - a lot of people who grow up in proper fundamentalist households of all religions and denominations tend not to realize how fucked a lot of it is and many defend it into adulthood because those are really intense situations to be in and the people involved often don’t know better/different (not in a patronizing way, but in a “if you have weird shit happen to you like you think that’s the norm” kinda way). Whereas those of us who grow up in environments that give us more options and open us to new experiences tend to actually be fussier about what we will tolerate or find normal idk. Vili was a dad at like 12/13 - that shaped his life dude. His baby mama was his grade school teacher-a maternal figure. Obviously he couldn’t figure out it was wrong and obviously he was gonna stay and obviously he cared.

Aaron and Beyonce were working professionals with their own money and jobs and networks and connections. It’s weird af but they were down with what happened. They both have continued to grow and establish their own careers and have their own support systems and could fucking leave whenever lol? They both have obviously heard people say it’s weird? They aren’t an abused child, they’re just people who got into a weird thing and seem happy with it??? Also Jay had a similar power imbalance - he was a TOP producer/record exec by then and she was still starting out and he met her when she was younger than Aaron was even but as far as one can tell nothing happened until she was a bit older, they were just friends idk. Directors date, and even marry, their actors (actresses really) all the time. Producers/execs marry artists. It’s not great but it’s also not some cardinal sin. We can’t always find situations that are totally equal in every sphere of our lives.

idk dude I’m not defending her. I think she’s a weird ass lady lol. But I think comparing her to Mary Kay or Woody (PS the worst thing he did wasn’t the stepdaughter marrying thing, which is also super super super fucked because again she was his stepdaughter - not the same as his star, not the same as another 18 year old he met, she was his wife’s daughter - it was the Dylan stuff because Dylan was seven) is really uncalled for?

Sam’s whole deal is super fucking weird lol. I’m not pro what went on. But I think we should leave them tf alone because there are two underage kids involved, he seems happy as larry, it’s not like he doesn’t have plenty of ways to leave/get therapy, so like??? No it really isn’t your/my/our business? Then we’re just passing judgments and moralizing per our own personal ideas of what’s right and what’s not? What YOU can do is not consume their content. You can also hope Woody does actually go to trial for the Dylan stuff. But beyond that like all you can do is say “eh this person really isn’t my cup of tea” 🤷🏻‍♀️ Which is fine bc Aaron isn’t asking you lol.

[raayllum]

Quick run down: 4 is the lowest typical score given, 10 the typical highest score given (although you can technically go up to 12). Making my post because I noticed Callum’s Justice ranking was at 6 (lower than I’d expected) and I always meant to do a lil more formal comparison between the trio so here it is I suppose.

Devotion: This is value is about duty, faith, and friendship. You’re motivated by the bonds of loyalty and your love for others.

Truth: This value is about fidelity, certainty, and authenticity. You’re motivated by finding strength in facts and by the principle and pursuit of knowledge

Glory: Have you ever wanted to be celebrated by history? This value is about legacy, fame, and fortune. You’re motivated by praise, acclaim, and your desire to be remembered.

Justice: Have you ever been compelled to fix what’s wrong? This value is about balance, virtue, and reward. You’re motivated by adherence to fairness and what you think is right.

Liberty: Have you ever resisted the control of others? This value is about freedom and autonomy. You’re motivated by a world without oppression or suppression.

Mastery: Have you ever needed to rise above your own limits? This value is about control, achievement, and skill. You’re motivated by power, growth, and progress.

Similarities:

Glory is a 4 for all of them. Utterly unsurprising I think - they’re all willing to do things regardless of recognition and aren’t motivated by any real self importance

Truth is a 6 for all of them. I find it interesting that Callum gets the “hide the truth to protect others” rather than Rayla, but we do see elements of that in TTM. For Ezran, it has less to do with a moral truth (Rayla) or how to handle the truth (Callum) but more to do with maturing to see the truth (“I ignored something that is true” —4x03)

For anything other than their Most Important Feature, everything else has roughly an 8. This makes sense as it is still a core value, i.e. Callum jumping off the mountain is very devotional, Rayla works very hard to find real justice, Ezran cares a great deal about placing autonomy in other people’s hands (S3), etc. 

In Betweens:

Ezran and Rayla both have Mastery at a 6 with Callum having it at an 8; this makes sense as he is driven to look for knowledge and power (through magic) in ways they are not / are mostly settled and/or disinterested in

Ezran and Callum both have Devotion resting at 8 - high, but not their highest values. This makes sense as according to the game, Devotion is how obligated you feel to others. Ezran feels beholden to Katolis but that’s something he’s largely grown into, and he feels a wider responsibility to the world at large, moving in between them as he can. Callum is very devoted to his loved ones (mainly Ez and Rayla, but also Zym in a lot of ways) and his desire for freedom often interplays with a desire to have autonomy/capability to protect and/or provide for them in key ways. 

Rayla and Ezran have Liberty at an 8, showing that they value freedom (Rayla’s bio includes her goal to free all people from terrible fates like the one she almost had with the binding ceremony, we’ve gone over Ez’s, etc) even if it’s not as high as Callum’s - but more on that later

Highest Values

Ezran’s is Justice at 10. This makes sense as he is the series’ embodiment of Justice thematically as well as the series’ Witness. This reflects his role as the peace maker for elves and humans and dragons, both politically and interpersonally with Callum and Rayla in S1 and S4 in particular. It is also embedded into the fact that his death itself would have been Justice and his survival is what allows true justice to actually continue, his decisions as king, and the fact he’s king at all, per Harrow’s words: “My father told me that about all, I must be a Just king.” 

Callum’s is Liberty at 10. This foreshadows his arc in season four in terms of a complete loss of control/freedom and why it screws with him so royally. While many of the characters agonize over making the right choice (or a choice at all), not having a choice at all is what torments him the most: “I can’t do anything!” (2x07) particularly when it comes to protecting or helping his loved ones. We see this especially in his quote under Liberty in which despite being crown prince and heir to the throne, he states that he is beholden to his inner circle rather than a sense of duty. In S4 he is concerned about Aaravos hurting his loved ones, and that fear of doing awful things to other people is what has him so especially worried over the situation, reaffirming his statement that “I value those close to me more than anyone or anything” certainly. 

Rayla is Devotion at 10. At first glance it’s easy to take her “My only allegiance is to my heart and those that know it” as a similar kind of sentiment to Callum’s “I value those close to me” statement, but we know what Rayla’s heart is aligned with: “My heart for Xadia.” Her heart is given to whatever she feels her duty is, to what feels right, hence why she risks everything for Phyrrah, someone she doesn’t know at all, simply because leaving the dragon there results in “every fibre in my body is telling me this is wrong.” Bloodmoon Huntress also expands on this further, drawing comparisons to her and Runaan’s sense of duty and love for the whole world, as well as precisely what led her to take on the assassination mission in the first place. In S1-S3 Rayla gets better at listening to her heart rather than shutting it down, although this has changed in S4. She’s learning to prioritize her loved ones more and more, but at the cost of her actual heart.

Misc Notes:

For Callum, it’s worth noting that Devotion and Mastery (magic) are of equal value to Callum and are definitely two cornerstones of his more hands on arc. Thus, we can likely deduce that as much as Callum undeniably values Liberty, the fact it’s his highest value is also because it’s the value that informs and guides his arc the most Thematically. This means that his desire to learn magic and be there for his loved ones is of equal measure in terms of his decision making, but we also see him clearly prioritize his loved ones in ways he does not do with his own pursuit of magic. 

[ Side note: And just as a comparison, Claudia - Claudia’s - devotion is also an 8, but Mastery is her 10, even though so much of her arc is driven directly by devotion to her family (although her bio makes it clear it is supporting her family and her father, not merely her valuing them, as the distinctions are important too). ]

Following this “Two Pillars holstered by One Theme” logic, we can break Ezran and Rayla down into a similar manner.

Rayla is defined by her initial quest of Justice and a growing sense of Liberty (cue: being literally freed from her binding, other symbolic cycles, etc) but this is bound together and streamlined through her Devotion to a cause to people and her family. We can see S4 bring this together directly in her devotion to Callum and her family and how they are both either already literally or becoming entangled / entrapped in forces beyond their control with Rayla wanting to free / protect all of them.

For Ezran, this means he is defined by his place as Justice thematically first and foremost, with Devotion and Liberty as his two tether-hooks: re a child king being put in chains to try and give his people a choice > forced conscription, as well as the work he’s doing to try to create peace and a Narrative of Love (devotion) in S4.

Thus, the highest value for each of the Trio is what informs them at their core and subsequent thematically, with their two respective pillars as how those things are motivated and manifest throughout, with of course a good dose of overlap beyond all three. But either way, I just thought it was Neat™

Closing Note

One thing I found interesting when actually going each beat of their bios is that Rayla and Ezran are inverses of each other and very closely aligned. They share the exact same 3 values, all in similar amounts (either 8 or 10) and just rotate one out for their respective highest: for Rayla, Justice is at an 8, and for Ez, it gets bumped up to a 10 and his devotion down to an 8. This closeness between them, and how Callum diverges, lines up with how I’ve thought of and how I’ve written each of the trio for a while now, re: meta dated September 2021 about this exact difference, well before TOX came out.

Because Callum, strangely enough, does not have Justice™ as a particularly high value. It’s actually on the lower end of his scale, with other heroic characters like Amaya, Janai, and Aanya having it as a 10, an 8, and 8. The only none villain adjacent character (Soren, Viren, Claudia) with a Justice as low as Callum’s is Lujanne, and Callum’s justice ranking is the lowest of the trio’s. This is interesting particularly because Justice is defined by fixing what’s wrong/broken, a sense of fairness and balance. And while Callum wants to have positive impacts on the world and make things better, it shows that his big heart is also equally if not more so tethered to pragmatism, perhaps, compared to his family, even in decisions made like leaving with the egg in the first place being what was also safest for the egg and particularly Ezran during the attack on the castle. 

And well, if you know, you know ;) 

[bird-inacage]

Love in the Air: Is Prapai an Asshole?

So I have seen some less than complimentary comments on Prapai’s character, namely because of poor Sky (which is understandable and completely valid). I thought I would offer my two cents.

Now, the series has been very clear in defining Prapai as a rich playboy and brat essentially; spoilt, somewhat careless, cocky, smug, has had everything in life handed to him pretty easily. All the common symptoms that come with being wealthy and privileged. A walking red flag you may even say. His little brother is actually a great example of how that upbringing reflects in others within their circle.

And I’ll admit, there were definitely moments in episode 8 where I was like ‘ohh you are being so slimy right now, with your smug, smarmy and quite punchable face’.

But I think that’s the point. Prapai is meant to be the antithesis to Sky. He’s everything Sky is not. But I also don’t believe he’s a genuinely awful person. If we consider Stop as a comparison, Prapai doesn’t go about his life intending to hurt or aggrieve people. I think the key differentiation is intention. He’s just incredibly self-centred.

Prapai’s life revolves around what he wants and does, which means he doesn’t possess any perception outside of that. So if he does rub people up the wrong way, or inconveniences someone, causes damage - he’s likely doing this without having even noticed he has. It’s not even on his radar, which is textbook ignorance and a maddening lack of self-awareness. What would change this is if his actions had consequences. If someone was able to call out his bullshit, and he was actually able to see why and how his actions can be problematic. Even Payu doesn’t stop him from pursuing Sky, knowing full well what his friend can be like. Clearly no one in Prapai’s life has acted as his moral compass, and this is again where Sky is going to play a massive role.

My take is that Prapai is not truly an asshole, he just exhibits a lot of asshole behaviour. Some of which is just straight-up bravado and big talk (and should not be taken with an inch of seriousness). His ‘asshole’ tendencies is what I believe the series will attempt to unravel.

Prapai’s first encounter with Sky

Prapai has grown up in a world where most people are just like him, and that has inevitably enabled a lot of those bad traits.

I don’t think he should be excused for how his behaviour with Sky at the beginning probably caused a lot of internalised damage. We do have to remember that he doesn’t know Sky at all. Doesn’t know Sky’s history, his personality, not even his name. And during that initial encounter, he doesn’t really care. Why would he? He probably thought he’d never see Sky again.

When you’re young, handsome, privileged, wealthy and powerful, life is mostly fun and games. Prapai’s probably never had to take anything that seriously. So his perspective in most situations is probably ‘This is just some fun, you’re on board with that right? Everyone else is’. He doesn’t fathom what the other side looks like. Note that throughout this episode, Prapai is amused by his pursuit of Sky. He sees it like a game that Sky is playing hard to get.

Sex is also a casual transaction in Prapai’s world. We see that he goes on booty calls. It doesn’t have the gravitas to him as it may do for other people. Payu even comments that at the races, people bet anything - as if these things are easily expendable in their world. They are a very out of touch group of people.

And Prapai probably assumes - why wouldn’t Sky enjoy a night with him? He’s a catch, and everyone in his life has either inflated his ego or given him positive reinforcement. So again, it doesn’t even occur to him that Sky is deeply troubled by this. Even if he did have the foresight, Sky quickly jumps in and gives him what he wants.

And he’s always gotten what he wants.

Prapai’s Lack of Maturity

I think people who come from privilege can have quite an immature and sheltered outlook on life, because they haven’t had to do much for themselves, ever. When Prapai starts to clock that he’s thinking about Sky a lot, he doesn’t get why. His thought process is very much like a 15 year old boy. He’s genuinely baffled.

He convinces himself that this is just a simple blip, nothing more. But when he continues having dalliances with other men, it doesn’t seem to do it for him anymore. Instead of doing some self-reflection, he thinks that by pursuing Sky, it’ll ‘cure’ him of whatever temporary spell he seems to be under.

A Few Redeeming Moments

In the scene where he’s invited another guy to spend the night with him, he very politely turns his guest down when he’s clearly not into it. He apologises and says he needs to figure things out, and that he’ll make it up to him. I’m assuming this is also a random fling but Prapai was quite sweet with him. A true asshole would probably be like ‘Yeah, I’ll let you see yourself out’.

I also really liked the interaction between Prapai and his brother. He really did come across as more mature in that scene, where he was the older sibling ushering his little bro to get to their family dinner on time.

Prapai’s Character Development

Now I do trust that over the weeks, Prapai will come to be humbled and will make attempts to redeem himself in Sky’s eyes and ours as the audience. I think Prapai will go through a lot of growth in this story. Sky is his turning point. His relationship and gradual love for Sky will make him a better person.

We already start to see at the end of the episode that Prapai takes 2 hours out of his day especially to go and buy Sky flowers and deliver them personally. His PA is visibly surprised. He’s evidently never made this effort for anyone before.

We’ll eventually see the sweeter, affectionate, caring and sincere sides of him. Sky does fall in love with him after all, so there must be good reason.

For all his faults and flaws, I can’t bring myself to dislike him. I actually find him very endearing in a sort of boy-who-needs-to-grow-up kind of way. And perhaps that’s a testament to Fort’s performance. I think his outlook on life right now is just very simplistic but Sky’s about to change all that.

[dballzposting]

Not over the idea that like.

Well imagine that you’re Ms Chichi right. And your son Goten has matured into a right slag and he seems to always be on the phone with some new girl. And you keep telling him time and time again “Stay away from those city girls!” but he does not listen. City girls are deviant whores with no morals and the ONLY exception is of course dear Videl , who is from the city but is an amazing girl with a good head on her shoulders and who has an excellent moral compass. Videl is a great wife and mother. 

But most city girls are skank whores and you keep trying to tell your second son to STAY AWAY FROM THOSE CITY GIRLS and you implore him to start THINKING ABOUT HIS FUTURE but he just seems wholly unbothered. He thinks he has it under control. And then next week he’s chatting up a different girl. 

Eventually he comes home with a sweet young thing named Palace and she’s sweet so you’re courteous back but she’s also a complete fucking ditz. And that’s fine but it’s just that .... well ... you’re Ms Chichi and you want your sons to marry good women who can be good wives and mothers, you know? And this sweet young thing does not know how to cook a single dish.

But then you find out that it’s because she’s rich, so, you’re enthusiastic about her after that. 

And though she’s daft, she’s definitely well-intentioned and tries to be respectful, so you like her well enough. And you’re definitely glad when she sticks around a while and when it starts to seem like this is Goten’s forever girl.

And yknow, you’re Ms Chichi, so you start pushing them to get married after like, three months in (which is definitely longer than the grace period you had given your first son). And of course Goten is like OMG MOM STOP LOL and hes all nervous and anxious and hesitant, like, IM NOT GONNA MARRY HER NOW ... LOL.

But you’re Ms Chichi and you see the way they look at each other and you know better. And you’re definitely not completely trusting of this city girl’s ability to commit, but, over time, you start to settle into having hope for her. 

But, still. It’s a long time until they get married. But you suppose that Gohan and Videl took their time too, and did that Saiyaman 1 + 2 thing for a while before settling down.

But, like, Goten and Palace REALLY take their time making it official. And you sit back and watch for years as they seem to want to spend most of their time hanging out. And Palace is rich but she has the hobby and passion of working at Hot Topic 4 days a week, and that’s cool and all but you’re really hoping that she’ll settle down into being a housewife soon. And Goten STILL spends a lot of time with Trunks, even though Trunks has the utmost responsibility of being President of Capsule Corp now, and like, you understand that they’ve always been close, but there comes a time in a man’s life where he needs his friends less and he needs his wife and kids more, yknow? But Goten has no kids because he won’t marry Palace and the three of them altogether hang out quite a bit and though they seem to stiffen into a more formal register when you’re around, you catch them giggling and joking and playing around when they think that you’re out of earshot. And sure, you love that they get along, and you love the loving atmosphere that theyre cultivating, but what you dont understand is WHY WON’T THEY BRING SOME CHILDREN INTO THAT ATMOSPHERE ? It does seem strange to you that Goten keeps Trunks around as much as he keeps his girl around, because surely they’re grown by now and need not to indulge in boyish antics anymore, but you see that Trunks and Palace get along swimmingly as well, and you’d be willing to accept that if only Goten showed signs of moving forward by marrying that girl.

And, well, eventually they DO get married. Eventually you say to him for the millionth time “I don’t know why you don’t just marry her already!” And this time he agrees with you. He says, “Yknow, I don’t know why I haven’t married her yet either.” And then they’re engaged to marry the following day, and then they get married the following month. 

And it’s like, THANK GOODNESS !! But not all is well. You see, Goten and Palace decide to settle down in the city. And you were hoping that Goten would keep close and be there to look after you in your old age, as he had once promised. But the city had gotten to him and now he seems to have forgotten his rural roots. You are bitter with him, although he visits you often, and brings his wife along as well, and often times even his best friend. 

Your doubts are never quite ameliorated, but after a year or two, some news arrives that makes you forgive it all - Palace is expecting a baby! So the city girl COULD commit, so Goten HAS settled down into the married life, so you WILL have a grandbaby from your second son! It’s a very tense and exciting time, and you assert yourself to make sure that all the preparations are performed smoothly. 

Needless to say, you are very excited and scared when the baby is finally due. And you’re in the waiting room of a city hospital, and you’re pacing, and Gohan and Videl and Pan are all there, and you barely managed to drag Goku along, and Palace’s family is there, and you’re pacing a hole in the ground. Occasionally Gohan will try to get you to sit, and sometimes you let him try, and other time you just keep pacing. 

Surely, surely, surely there would have been news by now? Goten should have stepped out with news of a healthy birth and a happy baby by now. Is everything okay? Has something terrible happened? You grab a passing doctor by the lapel and your first son has to physically drag you back to your seat.

And youre all momentarily distracted by Trunks appearing suddenly in the room. he looks startled himself, with that dazed look of having been traveling at mach speed only to stop abruptly and steeply at a destination - and he’s fresh out of work with his suit still on and his tie loosened by his quick travel. And you realize that, of course he’d be here too, and you realize that he rushed out of work as soon as he could. 

And only then does Goten appear, and you rise from you seat to accept whatever dire news he carries - but he moves directly to Trunks, his posture sheepish becasue he knows he’s ignoring you, and he asks Trunks to come back to the room with him real quick, and you stand and watch, stunned, as just as quickly as they arrived, they both just disappear into the catacombs of the hospital without so much as relieving you with an intimation of good news. 

You’re too angry to see and exhausted from pacing, so you just collapse into your seat and seethe. You put your head in your hands and decide to just let it happen. You don’t know what Palace’s family is going through on the other end of the room and you don’t look.

But they’re gone for a while, and what on Earth is happening back there that Goten would bring his Best Friend in but not his MOTHER ? Gohan tries to remind you that the birth of a child is a sensitive thing, and he assures you that if things were bad then they would have found out by now, but you are irate and inconsolable. Goku seems to have taken it upon himself to be blithely social with Palace’s father across the room, and that’s fine by you.

After what feels like an ETERNITY, Goten comes back out. He’s wringing his hands together nervously and he has news. He looks like he had been crying, but the weight of joy is evident by the weary and awkward smile that he tries to bite back.

You stand, everyone stands, he goes right up to you this time. He looks like he wants to speak, but he sees everyone stand and crowd around him, so he waits for everyone to gather, and he looks at the ground, and he says “Um,” and you immediately feel sick. 

You ask him if everyone is alright, and before waiting for an answer, you start to list all of the things that could go wrong. Your list grows increasingly nonsensical and he shakes his head “no” at every one. He silently pleads for the floor and does not get it until Gohan puts his hand on your shoulder and gently asks you to let Goten speak. 

So you all look at Goten and wait for him to speak and he looks at you and he looks at Palace’s parents and he looks at Gohan and Videl and he seems to wince in apology. Then he says that everyone is okay, that it was a healthy birth, and that the baby is beautiful. 

But there’s just one thing. “It’s um. Well. The baby’s not mine,” he says. And then, like he doesn't know what else to say or how to say it, he blurts out: “It has blue hair.”  

You don’t know what the fuck this means, but you hear Videl go “Ohh,” and you hear Gohan go “Oh.....OH,” and you remember holding Bulma’s blue-haired second-borne, and you remember how frequently Goten and Palace were seen with Trunks in their midst.

And when you wake up, you’re leaned back in a waiting room chair, and Gohan is holding an ice pack to your head, and Goku is remarking that he hadn’t seen you faint like that in years, and that maybe you’re not eating enough, and hey, are we all going to go out for dinner after this to celebrate or...?

[luna-rainbow]

would you ever write... shrinkyclinks or shrunkyclunks? XD what do you think a bucky or steve who didn't grow up with each other and went through the war and everything would be like?

Thanks for the ask!

I need to start by saying everyone reads Steve and Bucky in a slightly different way and I’m not saying that my way is any measure of “correctness”, but rather it influences what I like to read and write about.

Childhood sweethearts is usually not a trope I enjoy but there is something about a shared childhood and a shared wartime experience that makes Stucky…well, Stucky. I think Steve and Bucky being around each other in their formative years was vital for who they both became. Without Bucky, Steve would be a loose cannonball because he has nothing to lose and no one to hold him back. Bucky was always in his corner through thick and thin, and I think that sort of relationship really softens one’s worldview and I have no doubt that through the worst of his days, Bucky’s existence gives Steve hope and reminds him that the world — which has been largely cruel and cold to Steve — is kind. Without having Bucky there, I think Steve would like/trust people far less and his sense of justice is going to have an angry edge. Sarah’s upbringing would have laid down the foundations for Steve’s morality, but assuming Sarah was quite unwell for the last years of her life, Bucky’s steadfastness would’ve been pivotal in shaping Steve’s patience and optimism for other people.

I think having Steve in his childhood is also crucial to Bucky being the way he is. Maybe Bucky will always be loyal and protective, but there’s nothing like having a friend who always gets unfairly picked on, who you wish the world would cheer for as much as you do…to understand the unfairness that comes with being disabled, and the need for other people to also stand up for them. I do think a lot of Bucky’s maturity and kindness comes from having grown up with Steve, because otherwise illness and misfortune are vague concepts to a healthy young man. And Bucky will probably always be resilient but I’m sure being around Steve would’ve reinforced that and helped him survive so long under Hydra’s control.

I feel like they’re two people who are not actually that similar, but have grown into each other so well because they’ve lived as one half of each other. Their intimate familiarity with each other is what I find special about their relationship and is central to how I like to write them.

That said, I’d love a Shrinkyclinks and Shrunkyclunks if we can keep that shared experience bit, although I’m not sure that it would fit exactly with the definitions of the terms 🤣

I’d love to do a story where Steve’s serum doesn’t work and he ends up not getting to the frontline. He becomes a journalist or activist, while Bucky gets captured and turned into Winter Soldier…and Steve dealing with the aftermath of that, as well as the living through the period where Operation Paperclip was in full swing.

I think the basis for Shrunkyclunks makes it hard for them to retain that shared experience. One possible way of making it work (again, classic Danmei trope) is reincarnation. The Chinese concept of reincarnation is that people drink from the river of forgetfulness which wipes the memories of their previous life. In various stories, people either choose not to drink or doesn’t get given the drink, or they didn’t drink enough and their memories start coming back. A Shrunkyclunks where there’s a meet-cute (or meet-ugly) followed by Steve being plagued by the familiarity and Bucky’s memories of previous life slowly coming back, I could get behind 🤣 Or even a Bucky keeps getting vivid wet dreams of Captain America and he would collect a lot of Cap merch cos…why not, his subconscious is clearly a diehard fan. Might even end up working for Shield (as a science/tech staff). Then Steve comes out of the ice and now he’s working in close vicinity with the guy he half idolises and half gets wet dreams about…but also lately the dreams have become increasingly less horny detailed and painful…and he keeps feeling like if he doesn’t reach out he will lose something important.

Sorry this got long-winded!

[cinnamonest]

Xingqiu - Yandere Profile

I actually just got my sweet bookworm boi to his next to last ascension, my hydro baby, my angel, I love him even if bc of him I have to marathon fight the oceanid

I’ve had a lot of reqs for him & Chongyun dating back to January again lol but it only felt right to wait until I finished both so I could release them at the same time, so, Chongyun’s will be up immediately after this!

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TWs: fem reader, yandere, confinement, manipulative behaviors, mentions of homicide, gaslighting, Xingqiu being a spoiled arrogant brat

TWs (below cut): noncon/dubcon, manipulating and guilting reader into sex, overstimulation, fluids/cumplay, humiliation 

Since there's no canonical age but he has a bit of the rounded young face I'm tagging with the sh*ta tw as well!

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Severity Scale

Intelligence/Perceptiveness: 7 Brutality: 3 Physical capability: 4 Mental/emotional instability: 6 Restrictiveness: 7 Sexual sadism: 5 Stubbornness: 8

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

Tries to buy his way to you, initially. He's grown up seeing the power that money holds over people, and, well, his father can always just wave a bit around and get whatever he wants from most people, so why should you be any different? He goes for stereotypical "girl" things like flowers and jewelry at first, unless you have some prominent and well-known interest, in which case he'll invest in something related to that.

Honestly, for all his chivalry and all that, his maturity is something of a faux one, a sort of projected self-image of the gentlemanly figure he strives to be... but when he lets that slip, he can be something of a childish spoiled brat. The thing is... he's completely unaware and refuses to acknowledge that he can be so immature. He likes getting what he wants, when he wants it, exactly how he wants it, and being denied the things he wants isn't particularly common in his life. So rejection comes not so much as a disappointment so much as a shock. No matter, you're just... a brat, yourself. You think you're too good for everyone, he reasons, so you play hard to get.

Really, after recovering from the initial shock, he realizes he likes things this way. He likes challenges. It would be no fun if you came to him easily. You may be a brat, but in the end, the one thing he refuses to ever do is lose. Chivalrous gentlemen are fine with having to earn their things, so really, he's thankful that you reminded him of his morals, of his desire to truly earn the things he wants. It will make it that much more meaningful.

So he goes heavy on the idea of "courting", following whatever old and prudish traditions may exist in Liyue. If you're from somewhere else, he figures, that could be why -- clearly he hasn't followed through on whatever is normal for your culture. Silly him. He makes an effort to research whatever those traditions may be, and goes to the absolute maximum on performing them. Lavishes you in gifts of all kinds, constantly giving you compliments. He even goes to the effort of, if all else fails, reading romance novels targeted at women to get a better grasp of what exactly you're supposed to like, and emulates those behaviors.

Overall, though, in later stages Xingqiu slightly more mild for a yan, allowing you to have interactions with others (even if he’s irritated), such as his family, family servants, and his friends, and will even take you outside now and then. However, he will cut off your ties to those friends you had before that weren't mutual friends. He's also one of the least likely yanderes to ever kill someone, and will avoid hurting people if possible -- if anything, he prefers more discreet methods like ruining their life socially or financially.

He's also a lot more moody behind closed doors than he is to most people. His attempts to be oh-so-mature eventually kinda crumble, and the more comfortable he becomes around you, the more he lets his immaturity show.

He could assign family servants to looking for you, but really, he prefers to do it himself, this is about love after all, he doesn't want to assign them to a task they would never perform as diligently as he could. But rather than stalking, he chooses to just kind of... stay with you. He's somehow always where you are, "coincidentally" running into you everywhere and then somehow nothing having anything to do, because he clings to you for hours until you finally have to go home, and even then, he'll just follow you to continue the visit there if he can. No point in watching from a distance when he can be right there with you. And again, he's actually surprisingly unaware that his clinginess is so obvious, he's oblivious to how obvious his infatuation is. Which is a bit odd, considering that he's usually fairly perceptive, but he's so confident in the fact that he is normally perceptive that he allows himself to slip into abnormal behaviors without really realizing it, because he's not constantly on guard in the way some less socially adept yanderes are.

On a genuinely sweet level, there's one little thing he keeps hidden from you. He's actually written a lot of love poetry for you, verses about you and all of the things he loves about you so much... Despite usually being fairly confident in his work, he can't bring himself to show it to you. He's too flustered. And considering your negative reactions to his affection (read: not wanting to be kept like a captive animal), he is actually a bit sensitive to that perceived rejection, which further discourages him. He keeps them all stashed away, stuffed into some fairly hidden drawer. Should you ever come across them and bring them up, it's one of a very few things that will genuinely make him super embarrassed, and he'll just insist they weren't about you, even though the details make it obvious they were, and storm off, never bringing it up again.

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

It's not kidnapping. It's... relocating. He's far too chivalrous to resort to something so brutish as kidnapping! He'll make sure you want to come with him. He can easily arrange for there to be rumors and reports of... occurrences near your home. Criminal activity, maybe false rumors of mysterious disappearances. Hell, he'll get Chongyun to testify that your house has demonic spirits in it. Something to make you want to move out. Maybe some things start happening to you -- you get the feeling you're being watched, you get threatening messages mailed to your home, you have strangers (read: randos who will do anything for some mora he gives them) telling you you're not welcome in the area and to get out. It's all incredibly confusing and scary and you have no idea what brought it all on!

Luckily for you, you have a rich, generous friend who makes it more than clear you're welcome to come stay with him for a while at any time. Eventually, no matter what it takes, he can push you to a point where you'll take him up on that offer. Something feels... oddly ominous about the way the gates to his family estate close behind you once you walk in. Like they're sealing your fate.

And once step one is done, step two of his plan goes into place - make sure you never want to leave. He can make that happen, there's plenty of space here for you to roam, plenty for you to do, and even when he's not there to entertain you, there's plenty of servants to keep an eye on you and make sure that whenever you try to leave, they'll smile and tell you you can't go just yet miss, there's this or that going on tonight! The young master said he had something important for you when he gets back later! You can't go out now, there was just an attack by some deranged person in the town still on the loose! Just... go back inside for now.

Of course, it's wishful thinking, but he likes to maintain the delusion that he can just keep this going indefinitely, that you won't finally one day put your foot down and tell him you've been stuck here nearly a month and you're ready to at least go visit home. He might even entertain it a bit - sure, you can go visit your old house with him and collect some of your old things to bring back with you, but he makes sure to make it look at though whatever problem he made up is still occurring. Nonetheless, if you're insistent, or at whatever point you finally crack and catch on, demand to know what's going on - well, it's not pretty. He gets into something of a tantrum if you don't comply, but ultimately, in his own little huffy, ticked off way, says you can't leave, and that's that, no more questions allowed, and no more of this ridiculous demand to leave. Of course, darling is taken aback at first, even thinking he's joking, but it soon becomes very clear he's completely serious, and intends to enforce that command.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

When he's with you, he's tends to be pretty clingy, both physically and in conversation, never ceasing talking about this or that, and he's actually a sleep-clinger as well, keeping an iron grip around your waist when you sleep. So, whenever he's at his home, he insists on you being in his presence, usually physically touching, so you won't really get an opportunity while he's just in another room or something because you can't get any privacy to begin with. When you're in public, he's incredibly watchful over your every move and incredibly clingy then as well, so don't expect such a chance to arrive either.

Thus, your best bet is to try when you're under the watch of guards, whenever he's gone for whatever reason. They've been instructed to watch you from a distance, you see, he doesn't want them interacting with you directly, so you'll have a few chances here or there where they get distracted or their backs are turned. There will likely eventually also be a time where there's a scheduling error, you end up unsupervised! However, physically getting out of the estate is still difficult. There's still posted guards everywhere. So all in all, it's fairly difficult, especially in broad daylight, the only time he's not with you.

When you're inevitably dragged back kicking and screaming by some poor guards that aren't getting paid enough to deal with this, after getting back and hearing the report he deals with it in that unnerving saccharine way of feigning ignorance to try and get a reaction. Now, he knows you weren't trying to get out... right? Surely you got distracted by a bird or something, right? That's the only reason why you'd ever try to leave, right? It's obvious he knows better, and is just fucking with your head, but it's best not to lie. What he wants is an admittance of guilt and an apology, preferably down on the floor begging for forgiveness.

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

Moderate, leaning towards difficult. He's perceptive, and intelligent, but that intelligence is largely a sort of book-smarts type of intelligence. He's generally crafty and a prankster himself, so pulling things over on him is difficult because he's familiar with the mindset and methods of doing so, but he can be tricked if you put on a believable enough act. Basically, a darling who is a good actor stands a much better chance.

However, he's ultimately a learner. You can get away with some tricks or plots once, but he won't fall for the same thing twice. Any sort of escape or deceit you've tried once, he'll make active efforts to guard against and prevent in the future.

Manipulation, though, you can forget it. He's way too proud and stubborn to be emotionally manipulated, in the end getting his way and what he wants takes priority over making you happy, so don't expect to be able to manipulate him based on the notion of something making you happier.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

Fairly lenient, actually. You get a lot of access so long as your behavior is good, so really it's wise to be on your best behavior in the long term of things. He can get you anything you want, especially reading material. And you actually get to go outside, yay! He's like my earlier Childe profile on that -- he likes to go on dates, and he's actually really enthusiastic about it! He's big on date planning, wanting to see everything there is to see and do everything there is to do together. The rules are that you just need to be physically attached to him in some way -- you can hold his hand, grab at his sleeves, or he can do so to you (although he'd prefer you cling to him. He likes the image it projects to people around you). He actually gets really hyped about said dates whenever you plan them, he'll talk to you for hours plotting out all the things to do on this particular outing. At one point, his smile drops and his voice goes low and he tells you that, just a reminder, you know the rules for dates, right? ...Good.

Similarly, if you ask, he'll let you accompany him on more trivial outings as well, say if you'd like to go grocery shopping, and he certainly won't turn down a trip to the bookstore. The same rules apply, although he's a bit less excited for something so mundane.

One thing he won't do, surprisingly, is let you have anything to do with Guhua arts or skills. He won't teach you anything he knows nor let you learn, and if you were a follower of it before, he'll cut off your access to any material. His reasoning is that he just doesn't really think anything to do with combat suits you. You're better off learning more passive skills and hobbies.

In reality? He can't stand the thought of you ever being able to present a challenge to him in that sense. It would kill his ego if you ever managed to do something related to the Guhua arts better than he can, or even half as good as he can.

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

Well, to occupy your time, he has things that need cleaning you know... Honestly, he's messy, and he's already used to having maids, so he kinda treats you like one to some degree. Of course, he's active in his little heroism adventures, but when it comes to his own living spaces and such things he can be a bit lazy. So, he'll give you tasks to do sometimes, he likes the power rush too that he gets from ordering you around a bit. It soothes the ego.

Outside of your strolls together, you can't be going outside (and you don't get to choose when you do go on your little walks and dates, he does, although he may grant you the wishes of your begging). Also, don't actually try to talk to the guards. They're there to watch you, nothing more, so pay them no mind, and by no means should you ever have a reason to make conversation with them. If there's an emergency or something you need, you may inform them and get help, nothing more. And really, they're more afraid of this rule than you are -- you'll have difficulty finding one even willing to talk to you, they all take the warnings they've been given very seriously.

He eventually gets nitpicky and makes all sorts of little behavioral rules, it's incredibly obnoxious. But honestly, suffering his bratty tantrums is enough of a punishment, even if he didn't usually follow it up with actual punishment, which, for him, tends to be something perverted in some way.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

He actually gets jealous rather easily, often over people who are no real threat. You can never be too nice to anyone -- even after he introduces you to his father and older brother, he expects you to be happy to meet them... but not that much. If you show too much excitement or happiness over any other being, he gets pouty, especially other men, but also your friends, male or female, family, even animals. His first reaction isn't to kill, rather, just an increase in isolation. Drag you back home and make sure you get a lot of time to yourselves, seeks reassurance that you really love him. If it's his own family, he might get grouchy towards them, snap at them a bit, bitterly drag you back off to your own room, where he'll then proceed to get equally grouchy towards you until you have given him enough reassurance he deems sufficient. In his own time, when you're not around, he makes sure to make it perfectly clear to those around him that they aren't to get in between you two.

He's one of the better yans to have in this regard, though, because he's unlikely to resort to killing anyone. He's got too much of his self-image invested in the idea of morals and justice to be able to do so, he can't delude himself into believing it's right or acceptable. It's not impossible to push him to that point, but it wouldn't just be someone you show any positive reception towards -- if Xingqiu did end up killing a rival, it would have to be one for whom you have very blatantly made clear you have actual romantic and sexual affection, someone who poses a genuine, real threat.

Xingqiu is a sort of open book when it comes to jealousy -- it's obvious to everyone around you that he's mad at someone else for even looking at you, and he doesn't try to hide it. It makes him that much angrier if someone doesn't obey his silent demand to stop interacting with you, doesn't seem fazed by his glares and coldness. He'll meet with them privately and make things clear verbally, since he tells himself maybe they're just dense and too stupid to understand. But they only get one more chance. Cross him twice, and they'll likely find themselves in financial ruin after pulling some strings through the connections of his father and brother.

What would make him significantly more likely to kill someone is someone who poses a legal threat, someone who catches on to what's going on and threatens to get him in serious trouble for it. Even if he tried bribing them, well, they'd likely just pretend to accept, and someone so bold likely wouldn't bow to threats.

This is where he can slip into the mindset of a delusional yandere. He once again projects the image in his head, that knight he wants to be for you, and hey, sometimes to save the princess, the heroes in his martial arts epics have to get their hands dirty, have to unfortunately get blood on their hands for the sake of the greater good. And hey, then it's usually called character development. Most of his fictional heroes tend to have killed at least one person in a sort of epic battle to defend something precious to them. This is no different. Of course, ambushing an unarmed person and running them through hardly counts as an epic battle, but he doesn't really take that part into account.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

Again, a bit of a spoiled brat at times. He's pouty, gives you the cold shoulder, yet dramatically inserts himself in front of you and whatever you're occupied with so you can't do anything. Basically he's forcing you to acknowledge his pouting and ask him what's wrong so that he can pull the "oh, nothing" until you ask again, and maybe he'll eventually bitterly, passive-aggressively make it clear what you did wrong. The bright side is he's easily soothed - an apology and some groveling will fix his attitude pretty quickly, although he'll have an infuriating air of superiority about it all, telling you he's glad you were able to understand what you did and have, hopefully, learned to correct the behavior in the future.

Worse offenses, things that make him genuinely and truly infuriated, are significantly worse, but rather uncharacteristically for him, he's quiet. And that's what's do frightening about it - for once you almost wish he would blabber or complain or whine like you're so used to, but his fury is dead silent. He moves without speaking, harsh motions that will either shove or tug you to wherever he's trying to maneuver you, and he shows how he feels through actions rather than words - he slams doors and objects, stomps, everything about his body language is frightening enough to make you stiffen and jolt.

Thankfully, Xingqiu is a milder yandere when it comes to severity of things he'll do to you in moments of anger -- he's one that can control himself well enough not to severely hurt you, break bones or anything like that. When it comes to his flashes of anger, at worst he might slap you in his tantrums, but he has at least enough self-control and empathy for you to manage better than a lot of yanderes.

So they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

Below. It's mostly that he thinks rather highly of himself - he's an important person you know. He saves people, he goes around doing his little vigilante thing, and he's not afraid to flaunt sometimes.

If you happen to also be from a rich family, you can earn a little bit more respect from him, you're cultured and sophisticated. If you're intelligent, you can get some validity in his mind as well. He'll still consider himself more intelligent and higher status, something you'd be mindful to remember, but he'll begrudgingly acknowledge it.

A commoner darling, though? God forbid an airheaded one? Forget about getting any respect - you're more like... A cute little puppy to him. Dumb and loud and clumsy, but nonetheless very cute and loveable. You were just... Made to be something of an accessory to him. And he loves and values you, you mean the world to him really, but that's all the more reason why you should accept your place as such.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

It drives him up the wall. You know, his father could arrange his marriage to a ton of young rich daughters in Liyue who would be more than happy about it, but he can't get the attention of ONE girl he likes? It's infuriating. And it makes him all the more insistent to have specifically you.

For Xingqiu, it's a mix of both desperation and a pride thing as well. One one hand he desperately does truly want his feelings to be returned, he wants you to love him, he wants the fantasy he has in his head of you two having a long, happy future together. On the other hand, rejection is also a mark on his pride, and that irritates him beyond comprehension.

So don't expect him to ever give up, really. Unlike a lot of loving yans though, he doesn't blame himself, he directs the rejection hurt outward - maybe you're just so spoiled yourself that nothing is good enough for you. Maybe you're just playing hard to get. Maybe you just think constantly turning him down is funny, it's amusing to you, and, well, he doesn't take lightly to you trying to play games with him. So while he'll continue to try and earn your love, don't be surprised if it results in an irritated mood swing every now and then.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

A lack of desire/hesitancy to resort to violence or more morally wayward methods. He stakes a lot of his pride and self-image on being a chivalrous, upright, just person, someone who should exemplify right and punish wrong, and unfortunately for him he's not a delusional and can't convince himself that he's doing the right thing. He wants to be a gentleman, your knight in shining armor, the storybook hero he projects in his head that always comes to save his princess, who in turn is receptive and showers him in praise and affection and gratitude. You're the problem, you see, you're not following through on your role in all this.

As such, he really, really hates having to dirty his hands in any way, or do anything that he knows is wrong and will consequently drag him into guilt. Not that he can't be driven to it, because he certainly can, but if it reaches that point, that means you didn't cooperate with him to begin with, which would have made things so much easier, so he'll definitely rid himself of that guilt by redirecting the blame to you, or deluding himself into some bizarre justification.

Another thing... his family's compliance. Honestly? His dad is far too busy and far too done with Xingqiu's shit to expect any help from him. His son tends to be picky, whiny, and demanding -- now that you're here, he's finally satiated, finally actually paying attention to the important matters his father wants him to be involved with, finally not causing nearly as much trouble now that you're around. You can bet he's more than happy to put in some extra funds and personnel to restrain some random commoner, so long as his son is satisfied. His brother doesn't really agree with it all, but his brother wants this and his father is supporting it, so... his hands are tied. He turns a blind eye. And the staff, the servants? They're getting paid far too much to care, and besides, the family is incredibly influential -- should they get fired, it could smear their reputation. It’s kinda really discouraging, being surrounded by so many people, but none of them willing to help you.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

Bounces back and forth. On one hand, he wants to maintain, again, a gentlemanly and sophisticated image, and in his mind, such people don't normally think about such things, don't behave in lewd or degenerate ways. On the other hand, he's a nasty little perv that secretly sinks to the absolute depths of depravity. There's not much he can't get off to. If his poor brother hadn't been so busy being concerned about the martial arts books under his bed, and had dug further, he would have found that those books are actually just a cover-up for a different set of nasty, gross materials he's spent years accumulating -- some of the most vulgar smut you've ever seen, stuff you question how he ever even got ahold of. Surely the book house wouldn't sell this kind of material... it's honestly a mystery how he manages to get so much.

With his first few interactions, he tends to display the former image, but the more time he spends with anyone, the more that inner little pervert side tends to come out. He's definitely one to get touchy, his light grazing little touches become firmer and more daring, his hands always rest just at a point that's right on the boundary of being inappropriate. Sometimes he'll straight-up grope you and pass it off as teasing. He's also like Kaeya in that he intentionally tries to embarrass you by making your mind go to lewd places, making obvious innuendos and euphemisms, then pretending like he doesn't know why you're looking at him like that... oh, is that what you thought he meant? Wow, you must have such a dirty mind, you little pervert.

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

Something like rape is barbaric! Of course he would never, eeeeever do something so awful, so unbecoming of someone like him. And he really never will. He's another yan that will simply... Secure your consent by whatever means necessary.

In the end he'll most likely guilt trip and gaslight his way into it. I mean, you're staying with him for free, he took you in, he feeds you and clothes you and you can't show one little bit of gratitude? He treats you like a wife and you can't fulfil your end of that role? Don't be selfish. He loves you so much... He'd do anything for you... don't you want him to be happy too?

He'll try different approaches. If seduction doesn't work off the bat, he'll try gaslighting, if that doesn't work, he'll try guilt tripping, if that doesn't work, he'll make up a bizarre lie - he has to have sex or he'll die, somehow! You get the idea. If you really, really, really push it, he may just resort to a vague threat of sorts - nothing too bad or deadly, but hey, it would sure be a shame if this recent market crash affected your family financially... Not that he knows anyone who has power over the local commerce or anything.

With a more timid, soft darling, you're likely to end up essentially... Dubcon'ed. Half-noncon'ed. He just kinda... Slowly goes for it, and at your protests insists no, it's ok, you'll feel good... And a timid darling too afraid to stop him doesn't exactly fight back or resist, so hey, silence is a green light.

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Experimentation

As I've said, he's a nasty little perv deep down, and he can get off to, well, a LOT of things. And he loves to try new things out, no matter how weird it may be. He's one you can get into a lot of things involving toys and objects, or physical forms of things applied to the body (think temperature play, hot wax, nipple clamps -- anything that has to do with objects being used on you). Part of the fun of it all is having something new that he's never tried before! Even if it turns out to not be his favorite thing, he'll still enjoy the trying it out, and those things he DOES find himself liking, well, he'll just have to add them to the little mental list of favorites.

And he, honestly, enjoys the little reactions you often have to the notions of this or that -- the shock and sudden fear on your face when he tells you today you'll do this or that, and how you shake your cute little head so rapidly. It's not that bad, he promises, and he's done a lot of research and reading to be sure he does things correctly, so no worries!

Body writing

It's kinda comical because you can't make out a word. With his canonically horrendous handwriting, but fondness for the act of writing, it makes for what essentially looks to you like abstract art on your body -- but just know it's the lewdest, most degrading shit you can think of that he'll get all over your thighs and stomach, marking you as his. If nothing else, he gets off to it, and based on the little things he whispers in your ear, you know it's the same sort of humiliating things. If he takes his time, he can write better, but he gets caught up in the heat of the moment.

Lingerie

He's a fan of lacey, frilly things. And he will definitely invest in as many as he can buy, ornate and intricate things, stockings for your legs that have pretty lace patterns at the top of the thigh, bras and panties that are somehow both lacey and perfectly see-through. He's also a big fan of things that have holes in them for easy access, so you can wear it the whole time. And, if he's feeling meaner, he'll definitely have you walk around in just that for a while -- not out where anyone else in the estate could see you, of course, but in his room with him.

Master/slave

He's not a sadist per se, and doesn't really put you in pain, but he loves your submission. And no better way to exemplify submission than with service. The little bastard already makes you act like a maid outside of bed, but now he likes it even more -- there's a certain rush of power to laying out a command and seeing you follow it. Not to mention the cute look on your warm face as you follow though with the degrading shit. Oh, and you'd better believe he gets humiliating. It's not necessarily degrading in the sense that he says or makes you say bad things about yourself, but rather, just the commands themselves, getting on your hands and knees and crawling over to him, and demanding you slowly strip down. Make it cute, give him a show, you know? He won't be cruel in the things he says about you, yet your pride is still wrecked by the end of it all.

Voyeurism/masturbation instruction

He loves to watch you get off, honestly. It ties into the slave thing to a degree, making you follow every little command, telling you exactly how to touch yourself and move your hands. He'll sigh and tell you no, you're going to fast, you can't do it that fast yet... and if you get too overexcited, he'll just have to make you stop, since you can't seem to listen, and maybe not get to cum until tomorrow, so you can learn to behave better about it next time.

Fluids/Cumplay

He has something of a fixation with all kinds. He loves seeing the trail of saliva from your mouth when you pull off his dick, the way cum drips out of you and runs down your thighs. He also likes seeing it splattered across your face, your chest, in your hair, something about the sight of it nearly has him hard immediately after and ready to go. But he also likes how it will gross you out, leaving you tied up so that you can't wipe it off, are forced to just stay there with it dripping out of your holes and down your skin in a way that makes you shiver. And, really, he loves your fluids too, sweet salty slick that's just so mesmerizing to watch coat his fingers and face. But his favorite thing, probably has to be running his fingers through your own juices and slick, collecting it on his fingers, holding it up to your mouth and telling you to suck them clean. Somehow, it's even hotter when you're licking your own fluids off of his fingers, although you doing so with his is certainly nice too.

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

He’d like an heir one day. He's one to want a kid, maybe two, but not a whole lot. Just enough to have a proper family structure, much like the family he was raised in. It's the proper thing to do, he thinks, a natural part of the social order and continuation of a legacy. As a natural extension of his spoiled brat tendencies, he often doesn't think very responsibly in regards to preventing children, so, lucky for him, that ideal will likely come to fruition eventually, if physically possible.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

Absolutely uses overstimulation. Whatever sorts of toys exist in Teyvat, he's rich enough that he can easily obtain them - little things he can attach to you and leave buzzing, or thick plugs and internal toys to stuff you full and leave you there to suffer in stimulation and stretching for hours on end. And he doesn't leave you alone, no, he stays close by, leaving you tied up and blindfolded, the occasionally lazy checkup of "oh, how are you holding up over there? I almost totally forgot you were there!" in a mocking tone while he goes about reading his books or practicing or jerking off to the sight.

Also ruined orgasms. Ugh, he's the worst. Gets you right to your peak, likely also after hours of edging, and then just... stops. Right as you reach the high, stops all motion, leaves you whimpering and sobbing, it's literally painful to actually reach it, and then still have that orgasm taken from you. And he'll be sure to remind you that if you were good, you could experience it in full, he could make you feel so good and let you ride out that high... but so long as you insist on being such a stubborn little princess, unfortunately, he can't just give you that. He hates this too, you know, he says. He'd love nothing more than to share pleasure, but you insist on being difficult.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Legs and thighs. He likes the aesthetics of legs, the softness, the way the flesh feels in his hands. The way touching them can make you jolt, the sensitivity, the way they leave little marks so perfectly if he sucks and bites at the skin. It's just really pretty.

[tobeornottotc]

Can you explain to me why lots of people are so interested in the VegasPete arc? Like I have read the novels and am just not as invested in this pairing. Even if they fall in love, the way their whole relationship starts is just disturbing and I find nothing about that intriguing. I think Vegas is still and evil creep.

Hi!

I mean fair enough to you I understand where you're coming from because I also don't really enjoy the novel or feel invested in the couples in the novel until I take some time to actually understand the subtext behind their characters. I think the thing with KinnPorsche is that all of the characters are morally grey not evil, or monsters, the main characters are all flawed somehow, especially with the ones formed in the Mafia environment. I do not enjoy Vegas love story with Pete at the beginning and honestly I haven't gotten to the part where I still understand how they become what they are but I understand Vegas, I see what makes Vegas become what he becomes, I find his actions horrifying and uncomfortable but I get why he is the way he is and I feel for him. It doesn't mean I think he should be easily forgiven or romanticised but I understand what makes him him and because I do I now see hope for me to actually find more stuff with him and Pete arc. I actually noticed and liked Vegas more with Porsche in the novel, I know disgusting... but I did I don't shy away from it, I enjoyed watching his arc and seeing him at the end where he has to deal with the consequences and realisation of who he is and then embrace the monster he is. Unfortunately it meant that Pete had to see that too, and go through a lot to get to understanding that and breaking his mask and shield and entering his heart. I understand the darkness appealing to people, it's not every day in a BL we get such a mature, conflicting yet deep storyline with characters that are not simple to like or understand. There's layers between what makes the characters do what they do, and why they seek love (though I struggle to see how Vegas is that for Pete), so I get why people are pulled to the messy chaos of this couple, the messed up hurt and passion that consumes and erodes them, and makes them who they are at the end of the story. Plus at the end of the novel Vegas and Pete have grown and both are dealing with their origins and it's not simple or easily forgiven either. I like the way Vegas' character arc is written, (apart from his start with Pete) I like who he becomes at the end and how he gets there. I like watching his truth get exposed and seeing what lies behind the monster, what forced him to become that and how he stops needing to be that. I like watching him defeated, and defenceless and very slowly healing. Because I've come to see him not as evil but as human, and he's messed up extremely so, but he's broken and formed from darkness and pain, I don't expect any less. You can find him evil and a creep there's nothing wrong with that, I think a lot of people will do, but I don't really think he had a choice in the matter of what he became and so I now understand that, again fair to you not to think that, and hate him for his actions, not going to sugar coat how toxic he is, but also I can see why when all he's had is toxicity. He's a victim as much as he's also an aggressor and villain, he's selfless as much as he's also cruel and disgusting. But there's a beauty in his brokenness and in the way Pete later somehow sees that.

I think anon, people are attracted to darkness on media because it gives depth and places for character to develop from, it's interesting and unique to watch someone like that and understand what makes them do what they do, it's morally conflicting to choose how to view them, and see how their environment differs from the norm in society. It's exciting to watch them change and learn and become better but also relieving to see them punished but also free of their chains at the end. That's how I am with Vegas characterisation. And that's how others are who understand why Pete falls for him and forgives him and sees the good in him later. Pete saves him, and I get why Pete matters to him I don't get why Vegas matters to Pete yet so I can't say I ship them in the novel.

Also the actors for the two are incredible, their chemistry is real and they formed a bond and a lot of trust to be able to understand and play these characters, Bible understands who Vegas is, he sees his scars and pain, but he also sees monstrosity and he also gets his love for Pete so he's going to bring Vegas to life in a way the novel Vegas wasn't fully done right, and same for Build, a lot of processing to create them has been put in, and a lot of effort to write them and humanise them. If you don't want to see a chance of them being humanised or understood that's also fine. If you're not comfortable with them, you don't have to watch or like them. But I find something intriguing and challenging seeing their story and I like challenges. So that's why I'm intrigued and ready to give them a go.

Thanks anon. I think the show will be very careful in how they humanise and show these two's origins, for now I choose to trust Pepsi with directing their story, and we will see if it changes.

[kookingtae]

falling into you (pt. 8) PREVIEW

pt 1 | pt 2 | pt 3 | pt 4 | pt 5 | pt 6 | pt 7

→scenario: Jungkook’s innocence is like a breath of fresh air in your wild life, and though you know you’re toxic for him, you just can’t seem to stay away.

→genre: college au, slow burn, mutual pining, shy/nerd jk + bad girl oc (mature themes)

→a/n: so i’m not finished with pt 8 yet, since it’s such a climactic chapter it’s taking a bit longer than i anticipated unfortunately BUT i dont want u guys to think ive forgotten about it!!! i know u all are waiting so patiently, and i cannot thank you enough from the bottom of my heart <3 i hope this preview keeps you excited for what’s to come!

Jungkook could never face Y/N again.

God, how could he, knowing that he’d not only finished in five minutes like a pubescent teenager, but also in his pants while she was on top of him?

Embarrassment didn’t even begin to describe the mortification he felt. He’d never wanted the earth to swallow him whole as much as he did in that moment. Sure, he was aware of his slight social anxiety, the way he was constantly looking to bolt from uncomfortable situations—but this was different entirely. This was new territory for him; he’d never done anything remotely sexual with someone else, period, much less with the girl who hung the stars, moon, and sun in his eyes. What was he supposed to do? There was nowhere to escape to in his own bedroom, no running away from his problems that made him uncomfortable. No, he had to stand there with his head down and his crotch dripping wet while he practically begged her to leave. He had never been so ashamed of himself. He had never felt so pathetic.

But then Y/N surprised him like she never failed to do: she’d given him reassurance, another kiss even, while telling him that she actually enjoyed the experience—went so far as to say it was the best in her life. Now he knew she was lying to spare his feelings. Of all the men Y/N had been with, there was no way a virgin cumming untouched in his pants was the best of them. She was cruel to make him believe otherwise, to give him false hope.

He wouldn’t allow himself to think any differently. He couldn’t allow himself to get hurt.

Which was why he made it his mission to avoid her at all costs—something he’d gotten very good at over the past few months, and the past few weeks, specifically.

But in the same way he’d learned from the patterns of her daily routine and used them as a means to remain hidden, she’d also learned his and utilized them to her advantage as well. It was the only explanation as to how he was turning a corner inside the art building (about to take the rear exit, since she usually waited for him out front) and suddenly she was standing right in front of him.

He instantly skidded to a halt, heart rate shooting to astronomical levels and eyes widening on their own accord. “Y-Y/N,” he stuttered out involuntarily, the sight of her causing every single detail of their time spent together to come rushing back to him like a tidal wave ready to wipe him out.

As if he needed another excuse to think about the moment they shared that had changed him forever, about the way her moans sounded in his ear and her body felt on his lap and the way she touched his cheek, his neck, the way her lips felt on his skin, god help him—

Already he could feel the beginnings of a blush start to rise to his suddenly hot cheeks, and he cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other to keep from springing yet another boner in front of her.

He slid his books in front of his waist, just in case.

While she usually approached him with the natural ease of self-confidence and charm, today she seemed worried, unsure. She chewed at her lower lip—something he didn’t think she really ever did, as he would certainly remember the way it stirred within him—and looked up at him beneath delicate lashes that framed her eyes.

He didn’t have it in him to keep from outright staring at her beauty.

“I… I missed you,” she finally murmured, and he felt the breath physically whoosh from his lungs to join his butterfly-filled stomach all the way at the floor.

It had been a few days since he’d last seen her, since she’d been in his room that night where they opened up about their past and confessed how they truly felt about one another and shared the most life-altering moment he’d ever experienced. He missed her too, god he missed her. He missed everything about her the moment she left his side—would picture her face in his mind as soon as she left his field of vision. But for some reason unknown to him, she was too kind to him, spared his feelings despite knowing what little experience he had. There was no way he’d be able to satisfy a girl—mentally, physically, emotionally—who could have anyone she wanted. Perhaps she pitied him. Either way, if she wouldn’t put a stop to it, then he would.

Or so he’d try, but alas, nothing ever went according to his plans where Y/N was concerned. And here she was, three simple words mumbled into existence and he couldn’t even remember his own name, much less why he’d been trying to fight this.

She seemed to expect he would say nothing—either that or she’d grown used to his silence—because before he had enough sense in him to even think about responding, she was speaking again. “How have you been?”

The question was asked with deliberate, genuine curiosity and concern; she really wanted to know if he was okay, how he was handling things after what had transpired between them. And no matter how hard Jungkook tried to fight this, fight her, fight himself, he was only human.

And so he stopped fighting.

“I– I missed you too,” he breathed out, and it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and relocated to his gut. He tensed at his confession, mentally berated himself for his words even though she’d been the one to say them first. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, what with the way his throat locked up.

Though the second he witnessed the smile that sprang to her tantalizing lips, he felt as light as a feather floating in the breeze.

“You did?” Her eyes lit up, sparkled under the fluorescent hallway lights that still managed to capture all of her beauty despite the unflattering lighting. He didn’t think it was possible for any scenery, not even that of a dull and stuffy university building, to make her appear any less breathtaking than she always was.

“I was so worried after I left last week,” she continued without prompt. The mention of his premature finish had him stiffening in dread, though she didn’t let enough silence fester between her words for the anxiety to claw its way up his throat. “I didn’t want you to beat yourself up. I’ve noticed you tend to be too hard on yourself sometimes.” She glanced up at him with the hint of a sheepish grin dancing on her lips.

Her expression said it all: that’s an understatement.

And this shocked him to his core, because she was absolutely right.

Just how well had she gotten to know him in their time spent together over the last few months? And how? And why?

The last question would always boggle him until the end of time; he would never understand why she was interested in him. Why was he the one she had feelings for, when she claimed she never had feelings for anybody? Though he supposed he could ask himself the same thing: why did he feel things for Y/N that he had never felt for anyone else in his life? And the answer was quite simple, really: because it was her.

He didn’t know what about himself was so special to make him stand out in her mind, and as a result he still couldn’t help but be skeptical, even after her confession. But it wasn’t like he had any choice in the matter on what to do with that skepticism—not when his heart kept leading him back to her.

At some point after her accurate description of the inner turmoil that’s been plaguing his mind, his mouth had fallen open slightly. He couldn’t hide the surprise from his face even if he tried; he was speechless.

Y/N gazed up at him, not seeming in any hurry to rush the conversation along, and for that he was grateful. He’d never met somebody so patient and understanding before—just another reason to make Jungkook’s heart flutter with endearment. And it was no secret to himself anymore that he yearned to be in Y/N’s presence for as long as possible whether he was aware of it or not.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, you know,” she continued as if she could read his mind, and that was when he realized the way his eyes avoided hers and the fact that his skin was the color of tomatoes must’ve been dead giveaways. “I meant it when I said that was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Jungkook balked, practically choking on his spit at her forward, shameless words. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the way she spoke her mind so openly without any fear holding her back. She’d gone through so much in her childhood, in her life—Jungkook not even knowing the half of it, he’s sure—and yet she was still so strong and brave and everything he wasn’t. He couldn’t help but admire the person she was today, despite all the prejudice and judgment he’d held for her when they first met.

He realized now that he was too quick to judge her, to write her off based on rumors and first impressions. He realized now that he was too quick to do that to a lot of people. Just how long had he closed himself off from others based on his skewed, morally righteous perspective? His whole life, if he had to say.

The epiphany that she was physically prying open his third eye with a crowbar, that he was now self aware and changing for the better for her—for himself—hit him all at once.

It was the most frightening sensation of his life, the introvert in him wanting to crawl back into his shell where it was safe and comfortable and dull. But deep down he knew it was also for the best.

“W-why?” He heard himself asking before he knew what he was doing. “Why do you keep saying that?”

He had to know why she insisted on standing by her statement that his mishap was not only hot, but the hottest ever. Why did she insist on lying to him, on giving him false hope? She spoke her mind in every other situation, or at least that’s what he assumed; why did she insist on sparing his feelings in this incident? Was he really that pathetic? Did she pity him that much?

She simply blinked at him once, twice, before: “Because I really like you, Jungkook.”

As if in slow motion, you could visibly see his eyes expand to the size of saucers at your words.

You would’ve found the sight comical had the situation been any different. But the way he continued to disbelieve that you could have feelings for him, that you could be attracted to everything about him despite who he was, despite his inexperience—it made your heart break in your chest. You now knew from where this inferiority complex stemmed—he’d told you himself about his family situation—and if anything, it made you want to rebuild his confidence that much more. He needed to see himself the way you saw him.

But you also didn’t want to overwhelm him, either. And you were more than willing to walk that fine line with Jungkook no matter how long it took.

“So are we on for a study sesh tonight?” You continued nonchalantly, wanting to return things to normalcy for him as much as possible before he ran away mid-conversation as he’d done so many times before. You wanted to ease his self-doubt so he’d stop avoiding you—like he’d been doing the past few days—as much as possible.

Jungkook blinked as if trying to adjust from the whiplash of your subject-change. “U–uh… if you want?”

“Of course I want to,” you replied without missing a beat, not caring how desperate you seemed so long as he didn’t question where you stood. You took a step forward, unable to help the intangible, magnetic draw you felt to him as you gazed up at him beneath your lashes. “That is… if you want to.”

You watched in agony as a gulp slowly raked its way down his throat.

“I–” his voice was hoarse before he cleared his throat. “I uh, can’t tonight. I have to study for math.”

You weren’t even sure how one studied for math, but you weren’t about to question the expert. “That’s fine! We could… do it tomorrow?”

Jungkook chewed at his bottom lip, an action he always did when he was internally struggling with something before he finally nodded his head yes in a slow, hesitant manner. “N–not in my room though,” he added as an afterthought, and when your gaze snapped to his he had a pleading expression in his eyes.

A mix of emotions rolled through you. On one hand, you were horrified at the possibility that he thought the only reason you wanted to study again was so that you could get in his pants. Which—okay, you’re not going to lie, you would love to have a repeat of last week—but that definitely wasn’t why you wanted to see him. He meant more to you than just a means to get off, which was what you’d thought of flings in the past. You didn’t want him to be just a fling, though.

You didn’t want to think of the meaning behind that fact right now, either.

But on another hand, you understood where Jungkook was coming from. Maybe it was because you’d studied him enough over the past few months to learn some of his behavior (for once you finally saw the appeal of studying), so you knew that level of intimacy was probably extremely overwhelming for Jungkook and he needed a moment to step back. Hell, it was even overwhelming for you, and that was saying something. Never had your senses, your heart, your body, your soul been attacked like that with such an abundance of emotional pleasure, and you hoped with all your might that Jungkook was feeling the same—that that was the reason he needed a breather from being alone with you, and not the fact that he just didn’t want to be intimate with you.

Unless…

Oh god, had you misread the situation entirely? Had Jungkook hated everything about that night?

Suddenly you were feeling sick to your stomach. The thought of you misunderstanding his confession—or worse, him changing his mind completely—made you want to escape to a dark and desolate stairwell and cry in the hidden nooks of the windowsill again; the irony that not only would you be pulling a Jungkook by escaping mid-conversation, but that the stairwell was also the place the two of you had your first real conversation, wasn’t lost on you.

“M–my roommate is staying in, studying for finals.” The sound of Jungkook’s voice was like a breath of fresh air whooshing into your lungs after almost drowning underwater. You blinked out of your inner turmoil, focusing on him. “So he’ll be there, i–in my room, this whole week.”

And suddenly your heart was warming with relief, hope, appreciation, like flowers blooming in the spring after a torrential downpour. Just when you thought you had him figured out, this enigma of a boy continued to surprise you. It was usually easy for you to hide your emotions—you’d been doing so for years, always wore a mask around others so that they couldn’t see the real you—and yet somehow, Jungkook must’ve sensed them anyway. He sensed the doubt, the pain, the fear that you vowed never to cage you crawling up your throat and threatening to consume you whole, and he eased it. He didn’t want you to misunderstand him. He wanted to reassure you.

If anything, that was just a testament to how Jungkook had broken down your walls—how much you had let him in, how well he was able to read the emotions you wanted to keep hidden. Your mask had begun to break, the real you showing through the cracks, and Jungkook was still standing here. He hadn’t run away.

You fought the urge to grab him and slam your lips onto his.

“Not in your room, then,” is all you managed to breathe out beneath a fluttering smile.

[thevindicativevordan]

On Maxima

Every time DC wants to put Supes in a relationship with someone other than Lois, I always wonder why they don't just go with Maxima.

Especially since she's basically what they turn Diana into every time they try to hook the two of them up. Why not just go with the actual Superman Rogue/supporting character who is also a warrior-queen? Who is already almost as violent as she is horny, forcing Clark to try to get her to chill out, even as he's tempted to join her? If it isn't already clear, I like Maxima. Her character archetype, the supervillainess who tempts the hero with sex appeal, is one that's pretty damn popular for obvious reasons. Also for obvious reasons, this kind of character can provoke a backlash nowadays.

Personally I think she can still work just fine, she just needs some revamp. The basics of her character and backstory are still solid and offer storytelling potential. She's the Queen of the alien Empire of Almerac. Maxima is drawn to Superman because of his power. The real big fix is changing why she's attracted to his power, and why she came to Earth in the first place, shifting it away from eugenics to something else.

What I'd Do With Maxima

So I'm going to take some cues from the DCAU incarnation of Maxima in that the reason she seeks Superman out is because she's been deposed.

DCAU Maxima got deposed after she met Superman, but she lost her throne because her people judged her too self-absorbed and immature to lead them. Which she totally was, and changing that formed the crux of her character development over the course of the episode. I'd take a similar route with reworking comics Maxima's backstory.

Maxima has just taken the throne when the Interstellar Empire of Almerac comes under the assault of Mongul of Warworld. Crushing Almerac's defenses, Mongul gives the world an ultimatum: Turn over a selection of their greatest fighters to fight for Almerac's continued right to exist in Mongul's gladiator arenas or he'll reduce the entire planet to ashes. He also demands a sizeable portion of the population be turned over as slaves tasked with keeping Warworld running, and he wants Maxima to be among those slaves as a symbol of Mongul's authority over Almerac. Maxima angrily refuses, but her people don't trust in her leadership on account of her youth and immaturity, and Maxima is overthrown. She's handed over for transport to Warworld, but while en route she breaks free and seizes control of the transport. Alone and without allies, Maxima sets a course for Earth to seek out the one person she's heard is a match for the Lord of Warworld: Superman.

Only interested at first in his power, and planning to use and dispose of him afterwards, Maxima at first presents herself to Clark as a potential mate. Her hope is that will entice him to support her on what could be a suicide mission, and that offering power and wealth via marriage will cement his loyalty. Being betrayed by her subjects still stings her though she takes great pains to pretend otherwise. Superman turns down the marriage offer, but agrees to follow her to take down Mongul and free Almerac. The two travel back to Almerac which is in the midst of choosing who will fight on Warworld. Clark pretends to be a native of Almerac and is chosen as one of the champions. Initially planning to stay on Almerac and purge those who betrayed her while Clark fights on Warworld, Maxima chooses to give herself up to Mongul, after he announces that he will be vaporizing an entire continent as punishment for the Almeracans failure to turn her over to him. Amused at her compassion for those who betrayed her, Mongul adds Maxima to the roster of gladiators, and she departs with Clark to the arenas.

Over the course of a series of battles, Maxima and Clark butt heads, watch each other's backs, and gradually fall in love with each other. Maxima admires Clark's resolve, restraint, and maturity, traits she's forced to admit she lacked. She's skeptical of his idealism however, seeing it as a flaw that undermines his effectiveness, particularly when it comes to killing. Clark admires Maxima's passion, bravery, and refusal to settle for anything less than the best in anyone including herself. All traits that make him ponder if perhaps she does have it in her to be a good leader. He dislikes her arrogance and entitlement however, particularly when it comes to her royal right to rule. A frequent source of fights between the two is whether the common person should have any voice in government with Maxima scoffing at that and point at how the mob gave in to Mongul, with Clark countering that Almeracans had long felt unheard and cut off from their rulers. Obviously that they're both super hot doesn't hurt as part of why they end up sleeping together.

Ultimately through a series of events Superman and Maxima succeed in freeing Almerac and driving Mongul away. Then everything promptly goes to hell. Having fallen for Clark for real over the course of their adventure, Maxima repeats her offer to him of marriage, except genuinely this time.

The two have had sex a couple times already, and Clark is genuinely tempted at the prospect of sticking with Maxima. He's grown to enjoy her company (having sex tends to do that), he enjoys the freedom to be himself without having to hide his powers, the Almeracans embrace him as their champion, and as Maxima's consort he could take an active hand in shaping society. At the point in Clark's career where I'd want to do this story, he's growing out of his youthful rage, but he's still not at peace with his lot in life. Earth's inability to meaningfully change at the pace he wants frustrates him, and leaving behind the restrictions of life there does entice him. My point is that I think the appeal of Maxima to Superman should and can be more than just breeding little Clarks as has been the case in the past.

However Clark ultimately rejects the offer. He can't bring himself to cut ties with Earth, Maxima's unwillingness to cede some of her power to her people isn't something Clark can accept, and Clark is also concerned that taking up her offer would compromise his ability to be a hero. As you would expect, Maxima is pissed at his refusal, treating it as another stab in the back. Due to his help in freeing her people and reclaiming her throne, she spares his life but exiles him from Almerac, declaring him persona non grata throughout the Empire.

Unbeknownst to Clark, who leaves after it's made clear the Almeracans don't want a civil war, Maxima is pregnant with his child. The child allows her to avoid entering into a political marriage, maintaining her independence since she now has a heir. This daughter will be groomed in hidden to take over the Empire, which Maxima now has plans to expand. The humiliation Mongul visited upon Almerac has had a big impact on her mindset. Now she's focused on eliminating any potential threats to her people, and she wants to transform Almerac into the greatest Interstellar Empire in the Milky Way. Then it will never be at the mercy of a foreign power ever again.

For stories, Superman and Maxima are clearly going to clash given she's become an imperialist herself, no better than Mongul. You can tell stories about Clark foiling Maxima's attempts to conquer other worlds, or Earth itself. Maxima would occasionally dispatch assassins or go personally to attack Clark, for the purpose of preventing him from getting "soft". The public reason for this is that he's become a roadblock to her aims, and needs to be eliminated. Secretly, her goal is to constantly push him to be stronger because she wants him to meet his daughter one day. Not for any sentimental reasons mind you, Maxima wants Superman to teach their daughter to be his equal in ability and resourcefulness. After learning everything she can from Clark, said daughter will be charged with leading the invasion of Earth. Conquering Earth, and defeating Superman, will be the girl's rite of passage into cementing herself as Maxima's heir. The world of her father, Superman, is destined to be her own Throneworld as Almerac's is Maxima's.

Think you could have a lot of fun in giving Clark a "Damian" of his own to deal with. Personally I'd have it so that the "daughter" would be akin to the New 52 Maxima who I thought had some potential. You could have Maxima and Maxima Jr. argue about the morality of Almerac's expansion, with MJ ultimately taking her father's side which causes enormous problems for her mother since she can't disown her daughter without a replacement heir. I think that could be a fun family dynamic to explore.

Wondering where Maxima will show up next. Part of me was hoping Almerac was that part of underdeveloped Superman lore PKJ talked about fleshing out, but that seems to be either Warworld or the Phantom Zone. I still think Maxima and Almerac have a lot of potential to be major players in Superman's world, but it's going to take someone being interested in fleshing them out. Maybe the upcoming Superman cartoon will accomplish that? If not I'll just have to hope someone will down the line.