#I completely understand why you might dislike this show

[isilwhore]

I S I L D U R 🌙

I’m still obsessed, help

[two-entire-bits]

I fear some of the outsiders fandom would not survive the les mis fandom. we have 133 adaptions not counting book adaptions and sequels: 42 movies, 1 movie musical, 29 tv shows, 10 various different types of animated medias, 12 radio shows, 2 stage musicals, 30 plays, 6 video games, and a ballet. and no one here is getting their panties in a twist because someone posted about the 1978 les mis movie, or the english stage musical, or shōjo cosette in the main tag.

[earlyspringtranscendence]

Smth that I always come back to in the pee Nureyev experience is like. My view on Peter and Mags relationship and how I disagree with like 99% of the fanon interpretation of it (and also perhaps the canon starting in S4) (and so will ignore it henceforth) like Mag is . Nice. He's nice. I fucking know he lied to peets ok but he also like killed Mag so it evens out but it's heart wrenching to hear the audio when they're duping that New Kinshasa woman and they laugh so raucously (AND FREELY!!!! WHEN HAVE U EVER HEARD PEE SO FREE...) and well it's like. They love eachother . Kinda all I even have to say about that. I refuse to believe that Mag was a bad parent beyond the usual bad parenting of someone who isn't by any means ready or even nec willing to be a parent beforehand, but like anything that extends beyond that is so depressing to me... There's strength in numbers, even on Brahma, and pee used to have that with Mag. and anyway you cant take that away from me im putting my fingers in my ears and yelling if u try to reason w me GOODNIGHT & GOODBYE

[avelera]

(Arcane Meta) Mel Medarda does not dislike Viktor and she's not biased against him

I feel like I'm seeing some rehashed arguments leftover from S1, but I see some wild (to me) claims that Mel dislikes Viktor, or looks down on him as a person from the undercity or for being poor, or that Mel is jealous of Jayce's time and wants to keep him all to herself. These are all wild to me because we have canon refutations of every single point that people seem to be ignoring.

Mel does not dislike Viktor. At most, she might be neutral towards him and, at worst, on one (1) occasion saw him as an ideological opponent to one of her goals. We have evidence of this in canon in her reaction to hearing that Viktor is dying and in the scene when he's in the Hex cocoon and she comes to check on him and reassures Jayce that, "He will come back to us." How close she feels to him is up to interpretation, but she shows concern for his wellbeing and genuine care for his recovery.

We have no evidence Mel looks down on Viktor, and why would she? The first time she would have met him would be as Heimerdinger's assistant, a respectable position, and then as the co-founder of Hextech. Viktor may not be Noxian royalty but he has never been low-status when she's known him. As Mel said, "No one is expendable, that's what this is all about." We don't have any evidence or scenes that show Mel dismissing someone she's met in person just because of their birth.

And on that point about being Noxian, Mel is not from Piltover. She is, technically, a political refugee/exile from Noxus, albeit a wealthy one which obfuscates for many the fact she is a refugee. She cannot go back to her home country, as far as she knows.

Mel came to Piltover as a young adult. She wouldn't have grown up with Piltover biases. She'd have her own biases as Noxian, to be sure, and like many people of extreme privilege, I have no doubt that Mel can overlook people in need like the undercity or see people who are wealthy and/or political players as more important to her goals, but automatically ascribing class or cultural biases to her the way Caitlyn and Jayce have them innately towards the undercity as citizens of Piltover who grew up there, is making up a bunch of stuff that just isn't there in the text.

Mel never shows possessiveness of Jayce, quite the opposite, especially when it comes to Viktor. When she hears Viktor is dying, she immediately says that Jayce should leave her to go be by Viktor's side. She never questions why Jayce is taking care of Viktor when Viktor is in the Hex cocoon. She never chastises Jayce for leaving the Council in its time of need (even though she'd have reason to there!) or for leaving to take care of Viktor. She never demands Jayce's time for personal reasons and she never badmouths Viktor. She completely understands the importance of their bond (however you view that bond) and the only thing she advises Jayce to do when she visits him after he abandoned the Council to go help Viktor is go check in with other important people in his life after the bombing, like Caitlyn, who lost her mother, and Jayce realizes Mel is right because she's more adept with people than he is, and realizes he's been neglecting other people in his life who are hurting.

The one scene people use to say that Mel dislikes Viktor is this one, where she encourages Jayce to create defensive Hextech weapons. People use the fact that when Viktor tells her absolutely not, she gives him a disappointed look, and then refocuses her efforts on persuading Jayce, who is the easier target and the more effective one because he has more power.

Personally, I don't see that as disdain at all, it's just practical. Mel has a goal. Her goal is Hextech weapons (a goal she will later walk back when she realizes the consequences). Viktor is unmovable on this point. Jayce is not AND if he agrees, he has the power as a Councilor to make them happen. He could probably also persuade Viktor too, which Mel has zero chance of.

Mel's disagreement with Viktor here to me should not be read as her feelings on him in their totality, it is an ideological one separate from whether or not they care for each other as people. Mel is entirely able to separate those two things as a mature, intelligent, and extremely skilled-with-people person.

(Viktor, on the other hand, has disliked her since the start and sees her as a threat, especially with her influence on Jayce. But that's another essay entirely.)

[stawbeemilk]

⤷ insecurities they think are beautiful; part 2 – hq

✩ characters: various

✩ warnings: none

✩ a/n: i've been super busy with work but i'm finally back! i decided to write a part 2 to this bc i've been feeling pretty down lately. but yeah these are once again all things i personally struggle with or have struggled with in the past ◡̈

⭑ bare face

every time he gets the opportunity to see you without makeup, he swears he feels his heart beat twice as fast. of course he appreciates all the time and effort it takes for you to do your makeup, but he just thinks there's something so intimate about seeing you fresh out of the shower, your hair still damp and your face entirely bare. he doesn't miss the way you tend to avoid eye contact, how you shy away from him and subconsciously try to hide your face, and it makes his heart sink because how do you not realise how cute you are? his favourite part of the day is waking up next to you and getting to see your pretty face, imperfections and all— it never fails to make his heart flutter.

⤷ hinata, fukunaga, iwaizumi, tendou, suna, osamu, ennoshita

⭑ messy hair

he thinks your unruly hair is adorable. he knows that it can sometimes make you feel a little self-conscious, worrying that you don't look presentable with your hair a mess and finding yourself becoming frustrated with it because of how long you spend trying to style it in the morning, but he loves the way it sets you apart from everyone else. he might occasionally tease you about it, but it's always intended to be lighthearted and he never means anything by it. likes to ruffle your hair for his own amusement, making it even messier than it is already and enjoying the way you pout at him and try to smooth it down.

⤷ kuroo, tsukishima, matsukawa, yaku, akaashi, daishou, hoshiumi

⭑ beauty marks

he finds himself drawn to the pretty marks on your face, unable to take his eyes off you because you're so beautiful. whenever he goes to kiss you he always starts off by letting his lips trail over the points of your face where your marks reside, before softly pressing them against your own. he loves how unique they make you look, and he thinks they compliment your features perfectly. it makes him so sad when he sees you trying to cover them up with makeup, and the fact that you don't see them the way he does genuinely hurts him. he loves the idea that your beauty marks are where your lover kissed you the most during your past life, and he likes to kiss them in hopes that he'll be leaving those marks on you in your next life too.

⤷ sugawara, kai, oikawa, tanaka, konoha, kita, hirugami, asahi

⭑ cellulite

he loves to randomly grab your thighs at any chance he gets, enjoying the way the supple flesh feels under his palms. he thinks you look amazing in thigh high socks and cute little skirts, and whenever he sees the small amount of pudge at the top of your socks he'll definitely have a hard time keeping his hands to himself. to be honest he probably didn't even realise you had cellulite until you pointed it out to him, too preoccupied with how absolutely gorgeous you look to notice such a small detail. reminds you that it's completely normal and natural, and will reassure you that he thinks it's beautiful as many times as it takes until you start to believe him.

⤷ daichi, bokuto, yamamoto, kyotani, atsumu, nishinoya, meian

⭑ being thin

he honestly can't understand why you don't like your body, because in his eyes you're literally perfect. he knows that you tend to wear baggier clothing most of the time, the loose fabric swallowing up your figure and concealing the parts you dislike the most about yourself, but he would be lying if he said he didn't love those days when it's really hot outside and you opt for something that's a little more revealing than usual. he adores the way tighter clothes look on you, and the way they show off and accentuate your beautiful figure. he thinks you look so pretty and delicate, and the fact you're smaller than him makes him swoon.

⤷ kageyama, kenma, hanamaki, sakusa, yamaguchi, goshiki, kunimi

⤷ please do not repost my works on any other sites!

[professional-rat-eater]

I need people in the IWTV fanbase to realise that you can appreciate a character in all their complexities and enjoy their precense in a story and still wish they had a slow, painful death scene. For non-book readers, I hope to be able to clarify a few things about why a certain character is so hated.

Keep reading for more nuanced Marius de Romanus slander:

I feel like I post at least once a day something about hitting Marius with a car or something and I do it mainly because it’s funny but it’s also because there is a very valid reason he is where a lot of people draw the line, despite the scale of morality in gothic literature being utterly different from that of pretty much any other literature, and drastically different from real life.

I love him for what he brings to the story. He is fascinating and I am excited to see him in season 3. He’s a brilliant character and I want to put him under a microscope and study him like a bug. He is still absolutely vile even for Anne Rice, something she even hints at here and there in her work.

I could go on and on for days about him, but to keep it short (edit: I lied), he met Pandora when she was ten years old and he was twenty five. What makes him particularly sick is nothing to do with vampiric morality, which we’ve seen is completely different, within the world of the books and show, from human morality. We get onboard with Lestat because we get to know him as a human and then watch how he changes as he gets used to being a vampire. Lestat was not a monster when he was human. Marius was.

If you disagree with that, you can think so if you wish as I do not currently possess the ability to control other people’s thoughts (but as soon as I do, I’m coming for you!) but please do not try and make excuses for him on that topic. Most people will not be open to that sort of debate. I know I’m not. Pandora was a baby. He should not have felt anything towards her other than a desire to protect her as a parent might. Yes, yes, gothic morality. But you need to understand that that is just too much for most people.

And you know who else was a baby, especially in comparison to Marius? Armand. Armand, who grew up to do awful things because of how he was treated. He was already being taken advantage of (to put it lightly) before he met Marius. If Marius had cared selflessly for Armand, he would have taken him from that brothel and tried to help him heal from the trauma. That is what real love would have been. You should not look at broken children and think to make them your lovers. All he was was yet another grown adult taking advantage of a boy whose spirit had been utterly shattered by what he’d endured.

(I’m not suggesting that should have happened or it would have been better, but I dislike the insinuation that Marius’s love for Armand was anything other than exploitative. It can be sincere, and still exploitative. I believe he meant it. I also believe he fucked Armand up more than he already had been.)

Murder in a fictional setting can be justified and overlooked, but as soon as anything involves children, you have to accept that you will lose a lot of people, even in gothic literature. That sort of relationship may have been more normalised thousands of years ago, but there were always people who objected to the concept. Even within the narrative of Anne Rice’s books, Marius’s actions are called out here and there (usually subtly) so even there, they are questioned. Compare him to someone like Lestat (I only mention him because for whatever reason, people like to group them together as irredeemable characters???).

Lestat’s actions are deeply toxic but people still like him because we understand why his behaviour is the way it is. As dreadful as what he does is, we are endeared to him because of his suffering and follow his journey as a vampire. He is twisted, but he is behaving according to what his trauma has turned him into. Armand is another example of this. Vile behaviour that is a believable response to trauma. There comes in the gothic morality again. We love them and know they are awful at the same time.

It is not that you cannot like Marius or characters like him. I do like him very much as a character, but you have to get on board with the idea that most people never will. The lines he crosses are unlike many of the others crossed by different characters. No one looks at Madeleine and Claudia and thinks it’s weird because Claudia is not actually a child. Armand was. Pandora was.

I could honestly make a separate post about book!Louis too and why I think the changes from the book were necessary to make people actually care about him, but it is similar. Harming/exploiting children and anything to do with slavery is a hard line a lot of people draw. Marius is still a multifaceted, interesting, complex, humanised character, as all Anne Rice vampires are, but he is deeply disliked for a very good reason. People cannot switch off how they feel about what he did, even if they are invested in the story.

(But also let’s be thoughtful about this type of discourse. Do not look at anyone whose favourite character is Marius and assume they are a bad person. He is a great character, he is just not to many people’s tastes. They likely just find him deeply interesting which he is.)

Anyway, after he gets his screen time and we reach the end of the show and he has gotten his chance to chance screen time, I vote we tie him up and treat him like a piñata.

[rosenkranz-isnt-dead]

rewatched The Field Where I Died and got so enraged that I went to search for some scalding reviews of it. this is one of the things that bothered me about the episode (Mulder telling Skinner that Melissa has multiple personality disorder)

like the reviewer says, this is against everything we know about Mulder, who is always committed to telling the truth, no matter how ridiculous it might sound. even for a show with such inconsistent writing, this episode feels very out of character. (I'll put the rest under the cut because it's getting long)

the response to the episode's not-so-great reception seemed to be "oh the shippers don't understand anything":

this isn't what makes me personally dislike the episode so much, but let's unpack that. Scully's role in the episode is far from "substantial": she makes a few skeptical remarks, but mostly she's there to be pretty and stand quietly next to Mulder. and knowing that they cut the part that justified Scully's viewpoint doesn't make me feel any better. this episode is Mulder and Melissa centric -- but no, not even that. this episode is Glen Morgan and Kristen Cloke centric, so it wasn't even written with Mulder in mind. this is basically Morgan's self insert fanfiction. it's nice that Morgan believes in soulmates, but imo he didn't do a very convincing job selling the idea. shipping aside, the x files' writers had very strange arguments for why Mulder and Scully couldn't be together. Chris Carter seemed to think that being friends and lovers at the same time is impossible, or that there can be no hanky panky between colleagues. or maybe he just didn't want to let go of his initial idea of Mulder and Scully as this buddy cop duo, so when he was backed into the corner and forced to make them a couple, he made sure they were as miserable as possible, and divorced them when the show got brought back. in The Field Where I Died, Glenn Morgan projects his ideas of soulmates onto Mulder and Melissa, and Scully is... also there, as Mulder's father. a win for feminism: a woman can be your dad too, I suppose. both writers seems to agree on one thing: friendship/partnership and romance are two separate entities. this is a very boring way to view love, but I'm no expert.

that is not to say the episode is a lost cause: Rob Bowman did an excellent job directing it, it's truly one of the most gorgeous episodes in the series. past lives as a concept is also fascinating to me, I'm just not a fan of how the idea was executed here. the notion that you can love someone just because you were together in a past life is ridiculous to me: so much of you is shaped by your experiences, your environment, your family and friends. in your past life your experiences were completely different, you're not that person anymore.

and then there's this:

Mulder never raises his voice at Scully. he can be an asshole sometimes, sure, but not to the point of screaming at her because she... what? says that it's wrong to disturb this mentally ill woman even more? episodes that treat Scully as a secondary character are my least favorite, and when she gets ridiculed by Mulder and by the narrative for doing her job... well, that's not as progressive as the show wants to appear. In another Morgan & Wong episode, Never Again, Scully is given more agency, and yet gets punished by the narrative for experiencing desire, which, I'm sorry to say, doesn't make me want to sing praises to this duo like the rest of the fandom.

in short: 12/10 visuals, 5/10 story.

[thiccsys]

can u dump random error facts.. maybe..

FACTS?? cracks my little knuckles

TW FOR SUICIDE MENTION!

okay. im gonna go off memory. so if i get anything wrong someone correct me.

- Error’s glasses have been around since Aftertale! Geno got them from Alphys with the wrong prescription. Because Geno is.. well, himself, he decided that the shitty prescription was “good enough” and rolled with it.

- Error is nearsighted. In the askerror comic Swap paps is seen standing far away. He is blurry. The closer he got to Error, the clearer his image became

- Error’s REAL name is Gaylord Scooter Brighton (im not making this up)

- Contrary to popular belief, Error can feel guilt. Guilt is hinted at in CQ’s summary of what could’ve been (a completed Error comic much like Aftertale).

- Error Papyrus and Error Undyne are canonical characters within his story. I, however, don’t enjoy them as much as I enjoy Error himself, so they’re irrelevant to me

- Errors are literally some sort of species. Error isn’t the only one (Circuit, Proferror, the ones mentioned above, Blueberror). My memory might be failing me but I remember hearing that an Error’s “last thought” before becoming corrupted is very important. Why? I forgot. Is this actually true? I forgot, but i cant be bothered to check

- Error IS suicidal. After destroying all fhe AUs, he will kill himself. In addition, Error would kill himself if he ever became mentally sane enough to understand how hypocritical he is.

- Error has a sensitivity to Papyrus. He doesn’t like being asked about him, or “his brother.” In addition, he struggles to kill them, shown in the AskError comic as well. Geno’s still in there and it’s sooo so amazing to think about

- Error’s very insecure. Although the idea of him being this slay girlypop feather boa wearing king is amazing, he could never. I remember seeing a comic where he indirectly says he dislikes himself. Which makes sense— his narcissistic characteristics definitely stem from insecurity. “i feel like i’m the worst so i’ll act like im the best” mentality (we genuinely relate too much to this).

- Error canonically has five blue tongues

- Error’s glitches temporarily blind him at random. Yes, it happens when he is agitated or upset, but it also comes and goes as it pleases.

- Error’s glitches are painful. Crashes are painful. The scene of him first pulling strings from his sockets was likely EXTREMELY agonizing (i’m pretty sure he said it hurt himself while showing it all to blue).

- Error’s portals do seem to have some sort of replay ability. After all, how else could he have shown Blue what happened to himself?

- He’s very lonely. He wants friends. Living friends.

- CQ stated that Error is INTENTIONALLY made to make no sense. His character doesn’t make sense to you? Good! That’s the point! He’s an enigma that doesn’t even understand himself.

- Error can see and read code as if he were looking at a computer screen. He likes picking through the code of an AU before he destroys it

- Error loves Outertale and Undernovela. He will never finish his little job.

okay thats all i remember ty for asking :3

[pineappleciders]

Hiii I saw your EW posts and I was wondeing how Tord And Edd would react to a Y/n who keeps bugs ^^ its a lil weird yeah! Have an amazing morning/night

tord and edd with a reader who keeps bugs headcanons

A/N: i don't keep bugs but um i LOVE them they are so silly 🐛🐜🪲

TORD

so tord isn't really one to get freaked out by bugs, but he also doesn't love them. like he'll let one chill on his wall but he'll be low-key nervous if it gets too close to him

so once he knows you like to collect and keep them, he's a little off-put by the creepier looking ones but he's willing to suck it up

he definitely has his niche interests that he's super Normal about, so he completely understands having a fascination or even obsession with things most people dislike

he'll let you place them on his hand and crawl around, and you can see his shoulders tense as it moves further up his sleeve. though he won't say anything!

tord will 100% let you rant about bugs and their habitats and anything ab them. he might do something else while listening, but he knows the importance of having someone you're able to rant to

he'll sit there patiently as you introduce each bug to him and tell him their names. and it takes awhile for him to remember any but slowly he'll start bonding with them

one time you catch him with his hand in your tarantula enclosure, letting the spider inspect his finger. he'll quickly pull it out and act as if nothing happened

EDD

edd is definitely a bit more spooked by bugs than someone like tord. he used to swat them out of his house, but then he started to think about it and actually feels bad for the little guys

so now he's a lot gentler with them as he sees them as small animals, yet they still scare him half to death sometimes. esp spiders.

so you might have to help condition him getting used to your pets, by showing him pictures and holding them out on your hand.

he doesn't think you're weird for keeping bugs as pets, as he has a love for all creatures big and small. though he shudders when looking at certain insects and truly wonders how you're able to touch them so freely

he'll (very) slowly start getting used to having bugs in the house and seeing them. surprisingly, one day he decides to hold a mantis in his hands all by himself.

when he asks you to help him, you question why he wants to do this all of a sudden.

"oh.. y'know.. no reason."

but you can easily tell from his firm expression that he wants to become braver. though with his caring personality, you're sure he also wants to indulge in your interests to make you happy!

[b1tcht0p1a]

Feelings - Monster Trio

Fem! reader, but there is more gender-neutral wording in both Luffy's and Zoro's parts. Sanji does, too, but I was thinking more feminine. Don't worry, I will be making a male! reader one eventually. Rewrite of this post!

Luffy doesn’t come off as the most intelligent or aware of a lot. He’s smarter than he lets on sometimes. He's had crushes during his childhood and is well aware of what a relationship is. But he hasn't explored anything close to a romantic. It's unimportant to him, but that doesn't mean he's never considered it. It wasn't often, but these thoughts started up more often when you came crashing into his life. Especially after he got to know you better.

He figured that he liked you but shrugged it off at first. It was a small thing, it would probably disappear at some point.

But he was wrong, he found himself talking about you. From something big you did with him and the crew or a small thing you did that he found funny.

He'll do this when he knows you're not around to hear. He's not embarrassed about what he's saying. He just doesn't want to make things uncomfortable for you.

And even after repeated attempts to get him to even hint at this crush of his, he doesn't. And you're oblivious to the whole thing.

So when he finally comes around and just admits what he feels, you're blindsided. But once thinking back on some things, you understand completely.

You were on the deck, chilling and just enjoying the sun after several days of overcast. Everyone was enjoying themselves, relaxing like yourself, or doing some activity. You're in your own world, not paying attention to anyone, when the sun's warmth suddenly disappears. Cracking open an eye reveals Luffy staring down at you and picking his nose. "Can I help you?" He shrugs his shoulders, his finger still digging in his nose. He pulls it out and inspects his finger before wiping it on his shorts. "Don't know, just kinda felt like coming over here."

"Oh, why don't you sit down?"

"Ehh, no, I'm good. Just wanted to say you're pretty and that I like you." "Oh? Thanks-" "As in, I want to date you." He walks away after that, probably to return to whatever he was doing before or to annoy Sanji for lunch. You're stunned momentarily, mind wandering as you think.

Getting over how sudden the confession was, and thinking back on how he treats you; he was obvious with his feelings.

Checking on you first after fights, even if he's pretty injured. Coming to find you and hanging around you even if you aren't doing something 'fun'. Most of the time, he'll ask a question about what you're doing before walking away. The rare times he would stay, he would simply watch. Only a question or two here or there.

He also tends to listen to you better. Like, ask him to do something for you and he'll do it. (Most of the time, occasionally he won't)

Anyways, if you approach him and talk to him about what he said, he'll repeat himself. No shame. He felt ready.

He doesn't expect you to return his sentiment but does hope that you feel the same. At the end of the day, he wants to have you in his life. Significant other or not.

Oh? You feel the same? He heard you just give him a second. The words are reaching his brain.

He's overjoyed, he's laughing and wrapping you in a hug. He's running around the ship telling everyone. He still has you held in his arms the whole time.

Zoro is very special. He knows things, but fuck is he emotionally constipated. He tolerates you more than the others, aside from Luffy. He's capable of showing and experiencing emotions; he's not as stoic as people think. But he doesn't like expressing things that might make him seem weak. He hates crying; he hates romantic feelings. Even though he tolerates you, he dislikes being around you because you make him feel weak. He can't have that.

When he first realized his little crush on you; he started to push you away.

Only to stop doing this because it made him feel worse for pushing you away.

His crush is obvious by the way. He'll do things for you that he wouldn't do the others. And also if you get him talking about you, he has a lot of things to say. All good, promise.

He likes to hover a lot when out on an island. He says he doesn't but he is. He also manages not to get lost while with you. Which is strange.

Please don't talk to him about his feelings. He will get mad and walk away. Let him do it himself, and act surprised.

You just returned from a little shopping trip on the most recent island. Everyone went out, getting much-needed supplies but also some more indulgent things. You went off to shop, wanting to see what this island had to offer. Zoro, of course, had followed you. Standing right behind you, arms crossed and looking more like a bodyguard than anything. It's intimidating and some vendors seemed too eager to sell you things. Even at a high discount. Sure, it's nice not having to spend a bunch of money on something you really like, but the feeling of being rushed makes it hard to comfortably buy things. But overall, your trip was successful, and Zoro was 'begrudgingly' carrying it back to the ship for you. It was silent as you walked back to the ship. You had decided to take a scenic route back to the docks. Enjoying the vibrant colors of the town. It gave a perfect opportunity to speak to Zoro alone. You had been aware of his feelings and returned them. You had wanted to talk to him about it. Thinking it was best to do it away from the other, you waited to get him alone. The island stop provided a good moment. So when the docks came into view, you stopped walking. So did Zoro, though he was confused as to why you stopped.

"The ship is right there, why'd you stop?"

"I want to ask you something..."

"Okay? Why'd you stop, though?" You sigh deeply. You have to take your next steps carefully. Zoro is special. Being blunt felt right.

"Everyone keeps saying you have a crush on me. Yes or no?" He drops everything in his arms and stares at you blankly. Then you see it, he becomes flustered.

"You’re an idiot. What the hell makes you think that?" He stomps off before you can even answer. You had to carry everything back.

He ignores you for the rest of the day. Refusing to even glance at you during dinner.

He’s still visibly flushed btw.

He will come around later either that night or the next day. Begrudgingly apologizing of course.

He’s honestly expecting to get turned down so he starts talking as if you don’t like him back.

Dumbfounded when that’s not the case. Smiles at you before it quickly drops.

The others only know because you told them. There’s not much of a difference between dating and friendship. Just more affection.

Sanji, despite being the emotional person he is, doesn’t know how he really feels. He loves women. Which makes it hard to discern genuine thoughts from his perverted thoughts. And at first, that's what it very much seems like. A man with a little too much to say about feminine individuals. He understands that he finds you attractive, but there's something else there. This tight feeling in his chest makes it feel like he can't breathe. He's scared.

He's not as confident serving you as he is with Robin or Nami. He needs everything 100% perfect.

Because of these feelings, he tends to cook meals that he knows will please or thinks will please you. He lives for your praise.

He'd say things like "I love you..." or "Marry me...". Anything that he also says to Robin or Nami. It's less tossed out as it is with them.

Despite his typical nature, he can converse with women or feminine people in general without being his usual self. So he'd ask for help; it's new, and he wants to address it as soon as possible.

He is a lot softer leading up to his confession. More genuine smiles and compliments. Like small things. He's observant.

'Did you do something new? You look lovely today!' 'Wow! Those colors really make your eyes pop.'

Sanji had been acting strange the past few days. His normal pervertedness had mellowed into something actually sweet. He wasn't as tense, and he spoke softer than he would Robin or Nami. When he wasn't cooking or catering to people's needs, he often sat with you. Talking about interests, hobbies, anything about you. It was late, way after dinner. Everyone was off getting ready for bed. Other than you and Sanji. All his cleaning was done, thanks to your help. Now, you're both sat at the head of the boat. Both staring into the water, talking about random things. Surprisingly, the topic turned to the future and love. He's standing close, his face soft as he speaks. "I fear that my normal behavior might have ruined my chances." "Well, if it's anything, you've made leaps and bounds with that shit since. At least towards me." Sanji hesitates momentarily, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing it into the wind. He turns so he faces you. "Yeah, because it's you." The world has never been clearer.

Just pretend you are blind pls. He was so obvious with it that he thought you knew. But realized you didn't when yall would talk.

He almost walks off after saying that but waits.

Crys when you share the same sentiment.

Gladly tells everyone over dinner. Only for Zoro to say some dumb shit.

Nami and Robin are very happy for you, though. They were tired of Sanji's whining to them.

As stated above, this is a rewrite of this post. Do not plagiarize or reupload my content to any other site or blog.

Luffy 574 Zoro 606 Sanji 468

[maxdibert]

Yah so how the fuck did Remus manage to "forgive" Sirius? And why does everyone in the fandom always take The Prank as an opportunity to make Wolfstar angst... Like...no?

I'm sick of seeing posts that are like "Sirius going back to his house and having a breakdown" "Remus not talking to Sirius to Sirius sends him a letter about how sad and depressed he is because none of their friends are talking to him". Oh my gosh. ENOUGH OF THAT 😮‍💨

Oh no, the consequences to my own fucking actions--- No SHIT, Remus doesn't want to speak with you. WHY WOULD HE??? And people just completely shove Severus into the corner as if he wasn't also going through something. This fandom man...

Honestly, I’ve never been interested in Wolfstar, and not because I dislike the characters but because it doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, if I had to choose a pairing for Sirius among his friends, for me, it would clearly be James, because Sirius was literally obsessed with him. He wasn’t just his best friend; Sirius’ entire life revolved around James, and even 12 years after his death, he couldn’t move on, to the point of projecting James onto Harry and getting upset when he realized they were two different people. Look, Molly Weasley gives me the creeps, but she was absolutely right when she called him out, saying that sometimes it seemed like he wasn’t seeing Harry but James—because that’s exactly what was happening.

But beyond that, Sirius shows absolutely zero interest in Remus or at least zero empathy. It’s clear that if there was any glue holding the group together, it was James. James had more sense than the two ringleaders combined, or at least more common sense to know where the limits were. He was also the one who took care of Remus when he had nowhere to go after finishing school. My theory is basically that Sirius hung out with Remus and Peter because James tolerated them, and because having a werewolf friend gave him an excuse to act recklessly. If we look at SWM, Sirius remarks that he wishes it were a full moon because he’s bored. He couldn’t care less that for Remus it’s a traumatic moment each month, because for Sirius, it means going out, living dangerously, and messing around with his friends. What’s a trauma for Remus is an opportunity for fun for Sirius. He doesn’t consider what it represents for his friend; he doesn’t show that his reason for becoming an animagus is to provide moral support. Instead, he’s WISHING for the moment his supposed friend dreads most because, for him, it’s an exciting event. That’s not appreciating someone—it’s seeing them as a means to an end, a tool. That’s pure utilitarianism, not friendship.

Now, let’s move on to the facts. In “The Prank,” Sirius doesn’t care about the consequences. He thinks it’s funny and is totally thoughtless because that’s just who he is—someone who was never taught about morals or ethics and who basically chose a different “side” than his family’s just to spite them. He’s a rebellious and chaotic spirit who despises snobbery, and that’s about it. There’s no deeper philosophy, no deconstruction. Deep down, he behaves like any other Black, believing he has the right to control others—whether it’s ending someone’s life if they’re “stupid enough to fall for the trap” (Severus, in this case), which he justifies by saying they deserved it, or using others for his malicious ends (Remus). It’s James who has a modicum of conscience and who thinks about the consequences, stopping Severus because James was taught values and understands that certain lines shouldn’t be crossed. But also, I think James genuinely cared about Remus and probably understood what it might mean for him to end someone’s life.

Then there’s the post-Hogwarts relationship. Remus is always portrayed as being very close to the group when canonically, Peter was the one who was always trailing James and Sirius like a cheerleader. Ultimately, they chose Peter over Remus to be the Secret Keeper. This happened because CANONICALLY, Remus had distanced himself from the group, and CANONICALLY, it was Sirius who suggested Peter because he didn’t trust Remus—thinking he might have joined the dark side. This wasn’t something that came from Lily or James; it came from Sirius. Sirius was the one who considered that Remus might have betrayed them. Is that really what a true friend would think? How can people even consider there’s chemistry or a sexual subtext between them when canonically, Sirius repeatedly demonstrates that he doesn’t care about Remus at all? He only starts paying attention to him years later, after escaping Azkaban and realizing his best friend is dead, and his personal cheerleader turned out to be a traitor who ruined his life. Then, when only the two of them are left standing, Sirius starts giving him attention—but only because he’s the last one left. That’s it. Even Rowling herself described Remus ages ago as “the third wheel in a two-person relationship,” referring to Sirius and James. Seriously.

And let’s not forget that Remus never doubted that Sirius could be a traitor either—he always believed him guilty. It’s funny when they’re portrayed as missing each other, but missing each other from what? Remus thought Sirius was scum the whole time! And how could he not? He’d seen Sirius be cruel, even sadistic, and show zero remorse. It’s no wonder it fit for him to think Sirius had lost his mind.

As for how Remus handled all this, it’s no mystery: Remus is very similar to Severus in terms of his position. He was a vulnerable kid clinging to any lifeline to keep a low profile and feel safe. Sirius and James provided that safety—they made him feel protected and accepted. He never raised his voice or questioned their decisions because the mere thought of being rejected terrified him. Even as an adult, he keeps justifying their crap because he’s clearly incapable of going against those who gave him a place when he needed it. Remus is also a terribly cowardly man—he doesn’t have the guts to confront things. He has a super avoidant personality, which is crystal clear when he leaves a 13-years-younger pregnant woman because he can’t handle the pressure. A 17-year-old kid has to make him come back—is there anything more pathetic than that? At 38? Sirius clearly hurt him, but Remus knew that confronting Sirius meant confronting James, and if James had to choose between the two, he would always choose Sirius. So it wasn’t in Remus’ interest to speak up or express how he really felt because the idea of losing the protection that came with being their friend was far worse than feeling like crap over what Sirius did. That’s it, plain and simple.

Honestly, it’s such a shame and a total waste that everything gets reduced to couples and absurd adolescent dramas when the dynamics among those four “friends” are fascinating because they’re built on pure power relations and are deeply dysfunctional. But instead of exploring that, which I find genuinely interesting, it all gets thrown away, their personalities are rewritten, and it’s all turned into cheap teen soap operas. But whatever.

[0daylighthours0]

A Deep Dive into Milkvan and Byler's Development: If Milkvan Was Endgame All Along, Why Was it Written Like This???

SO. I've been rewatching st with my mother, who's never seen it before. And she was a fan of milkvan throughout seasons 1 and 2. Viewing those seasons again I could see why, they're cute. However, come season 3 and INSTANT distaste. And, listen, my mother is not the consciously shipping gal. She simply routes for main character pairings as writers intend, doesn't read between the lines, doesn't nothing. And she does NOT know my own opinions on the pairing. In other words, completely unbiased, uninternet drama influenced eyes. We've now reached season 3 and, after getting through a chunk of it, I asked her,

"so what do you think of Mike and El?"

and she expressed to me that they seem to be, quote:

"not very good together."

She said El's character doesn't suit the way she's acting now (in the first few episodes, concerning Mike), that Mike is more likeable and interesting when he's away from her. She doesn't like the way they ditched the party, and when it comes to their 'making out' the scenes are seen by her from Hopper's perspective (in other words, distasteful). She claimed that they'd be much better characters as friends.

And ya know what, she's right. And I mean like - duh, that's what we've been saying all this time, I'm not stating anything new here. But guys, wouldn't it be strange if the central couple of the show, pivotal that it is liked by audiences and is rooted for by them as they are THE pair, would be so dislikable like this? So uninteresting, so cliche.

I mean, okay, let's do a little mental experiment I like to do to test if I'm not just acting delulu. Let's play a game. In this game, milkvan ARE meant to be endgame. They are in love, they were all along, and they're here to draw in viewers and appease all El stans. Now, seasons 1 and 2 their relationship is honestly fine. Surface level, yeah, people will watch and appreciate them. They perfectly blend in with all the other neat pairings of the seasons, and have their own unique character traits to stand out as a main couple.

Just pretending our mate Will doesn't exist, we now get into season 3. Now, writers have nothing to lose here. If you've finished season 2, you probably like milkvan already. The issue is that they're already together now, so what's the conflict going to be? The arc? And every central couple needs that conflict to stay juicy.

Just take a look:

Jancy: quarrels, struggle to understand one another

Jopper: not yet together, one sided? will they won't they

Lumax: ...

Lumax? Lumax. Huh, guess they were simply together. Some loveable bickering, maintained a friendly dynamic while clearly in closer proximity. Well then, writers can do the same for milkvan right? Well, yes easily. But one might argue that since they are supposed to be THE pairing they need more going on between them than that. So what'll it be? Well, it seems that writers thought,

"hey, why not break them up?"

ok so.. that's a bit risky. I mean you want people to like this ship, if you break them up then that threats: 1. there being a disliking to one or both characters, 2. coming off generic if done incorrectly, 3. the break up might make no sense considering how in love they came off as just a season ago. But hey.. it could work, if done right. Some kind of misunderstanding, similar to Jancy. Maybe an argument leading to a sudden parting. I mean, yeah, Yeah! I can see that. Perhaps Mike is being too overprotective whilst El's trying to sacrifice herself for something, so she NEEDS to separate herself from him attempting to hurt him less. Or, I dunno, something akin. What's crucial is that us, AS THE AUDIENCE, still know them to be deeply in love. I mean, we have to still want them to be together. And we've seen couple trouble before. Just take a look at Lumax season 4 - did you or did you not want the best for both of them as a pair? You most likely did. See, it's doable. So did people like milkvan season 3 the same way, even after a separation plot? No.

Okay well, there are obviously those who'll always love milkvan no matter but, see, season 3 tainted it. "We need to write them like this cause it's more realistic to teenager behavior" my ars. You can make it messy without making it icky. Not only did it sour their unique dynamic, it flabbergastingly stomped on Mike as a character.

Honestly, I feel Mike has always been a mild struggle to write. Season 1 his motivations were 'find Will' (who still doesn't exist in our mind game yet shh) and 'protect El'. This worked well for him. Afterwards though, El and Will became more separate plots to him. But as a main character it remained integral that he be closely linked to them somehow. This sets him apart from Lucas and Dustin, who can easily be given any arc any season as their plots have the flexibility of a side quest nature. Since what Mike does is meant to matter more - with there probably being a better way of phrasing that but you know what I mean - it's harder knowing what he'll do when El and Will (who we'll GET to sh.) are their own separate people. And Mike is just a boy, he doesn't have super powers and he isn't a cop, which leaves there even less for him to do which is of significance. Season 2 writers decided upon having him support Will's arc, making himself of enough relevance by being able to take credit for some Will development in the story, and the plots that surrounded that, and then Mike was thrown a little bone by being the one to come up with the idea of burning those vines in the finale.

Truthfully, you don't really remember Mike's deeds much when reminiscing the series. It isn't like Dustin who's bond with Dart sticks to everyone, or Nancy and Jonathan responsible for kicking out Hawkins Lab. This is due to them, again, being able to traverse all sorts of adventures without limits. But my guy Mike can't do dat. Sadly, this kind of leads to him coming of as a little.. well... insignificant. And I know I know, the Mike truthers are gonna come at my throat. And hey! I love him too. I only want the best for my boy.

This makes season 3 a unique case cause it seems that, for the plot they decided they wanted, writers actually had to almost entirely change his character. I mean mate s2 Mike and s3 Mike are two different peoples, don't even. And I don't believe that the Duffers had their story and character turnouts completely drawn out from the very start at all. If I was to guess, I'd assume they have vague ideas of little plots they plan to include in future, but there is definitely a lot that has come unpredicted or changed throughout st's runtime. And one of those phenomenons are Michael Wheeler. So they decided to make this guy a di-

So they decided to make him more douchy, more movie typical teenage guy. It's not as if he wholly sucked, he didn't, but he didn't really do much. Whined about his girlfriend, separated the party. I mean what even was his arc? (UnLESS–)

You see, if milkvan is written to be loved, then season 3 was strike one. All of its charm was stripped away. It seems they had some cute scenes after their reconciliation, but it's not enough. It's just sort of

"oh, ok, so they're happy with eachother now. yayy."

and Stranger Things should want to be anything but boring. Sure they often enjoy indulging in tropes, but they always do something different with them. Something standoutish. And from this point on milkvan just got dull. Either writers ran out of ideas or lost interest, honestly (still with our mind game of telling ourselves they're meant to be).

But it's okay. Look, so season 3 was a bit rocky, maybe lost a couple of fans for the guys, but it is salvageable. Easily, easily. Looks like we want a plot of Mike struggling to tell El he loves her. Great! Much to work with.

So let's get into it. Season 4! Choices were... made. And, okay, now we can't go any further without bringing in our boy Will.

Mike is intrinsically tied to Will and El and has been from the start. Maybe Will was more of an accident. Maybe s1 Will was just a plot device for Mike, then s2 Will was a plot device again and Mike needed to be there as the main boy character. Come season 3 and it seems their relationship still matters. Will was sidelined - hard - so most of Mike's moments revolved around El. But as his bond with Mike is the only that's been properly built up, that's the only friend we'll get him interacting with in a way that matters. So the Mike and Will tie continues!

But that does not have to be the case for season 4. Now the writers have a chance.

They made Will gay.

Ok so.. ok so yeah that's fine. Yeah! I mean they didn't have to do that, might put them in hot water with the bylers since milkvan is their golden beauty but.. you know what no no that's okay. He's been hinted at being queer since episode 1, why not make it canon! Cool that works. Explore that, especially since we now have Vecna who can easily target Will for this. Give him a boyfriend! Or a guy crush. He's at a new school now? That's cool. Maybe we can explore some new male character Will's taken interest in. Hey maybe he meets someone who interests him which rises to surface his whole sexuality plot and-

he's in love with Mike.

Ok. No. No. What are you doing? What do you mean?? You didn't have to do that. Strike- strike EFING TWO mates! Strike. 👏 efing. 👏 2!

This was part 1. I am tired and gots to get my ars in bed. But ohohoh, do not worry. I am just getting started.

[theleotarot]

The Personality Of Your Future Spouse - Tarot Reading ❤️

Choose the image that you feel most drawn to… The piles are in order from Pile 1, Pile 2, and Pile 3.

Before you begin reading your pile, I just want to ask you that after you’re done reading, can you please give me feedback if you enjoyed your reading or not through my ask box… Please be kind though! I am still a beginner at tarot reading, so your input will be very much appreciated! Thank you, and you may carry on to your reading now!

——————————————————————————

Pile 1

(Tarot cards: The Emperor, Knight of Wands, The Lovers, The Hanged Man, & at the back of the deck The Chariot)

There are lots of fire energy, some of water energy, and a bit of air energy. Your future spouse may have these signs in their chart. I see your future spouse as someone who is a natural leader, commanding, authoritative, extroverted, and very confident as an individual. They enjoy orderliness and leadership. This is someone who you can look up to for advice, and they aren’t afraid of showing you tough love when they need to. I can see your future spouse working in a career field that they have authority over. They can work in the military, law enforcement fields, be the CEO of a company, or any type of career field that they hold the power. I can also see that your future spouse is a very outdoorsy person! They may enjoy going out on hikes, swimming, skiing, biking, and all fun activities! Pile 1, if you love to travel, you will be so happy because this person loves to travel as well. They are so active and courageous, they are willing to do any type of exploring you want to do. When it comes to dating or talking with people, I can see that your future spouse is a flirtatious and passionate charmer. They may be the type of person to talk around a lot for fun, but when it comes to someone who they feel is the right person for them, they take them extremely seriously. Your future spouse is in love with love itself. This is why they aren’t afraid of pursuing in a partner. They are a person who is very humorous, talkative, and romantic, and that’s why people around them enjoy their presence so much. I can also see that when your future spouse is having a disagreement with someone or when they have trouble in their lives, they are able to look at things from a different viewpoint, and act fairly on it. They want to keep the balance of peace in their lives. Overall, pile 1, your future spouse’s personality is a fierce, passionate, loving, and understanding individual. They are a person who makes people feel safe, secure, and that everything is under control. They also see the good in everyone even when they do encounter with people who might have a negative reputation, but this is because they are a great listener to different viewpoints and always open to understanding the other side of arguments. (Pile 1, your future spouse is so fun, adventurous, confident, and passionate! These are definitely amazing traits that they have! You are all very fortunate)!

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Pile 2

(Tarot cards: 4 of Swords, 2 of Pentacles, 8 of Pentacles, 9 of Pentacles, & at the back of the deck The Magician)

There are lots of earth energy and some air energy here. Your future spouse may have these elements in their chart. The first traits I see that your future spouse has is that they are a homebody and more on the introverted side. They are a very calm person who dislikes drama, prefers comfort more than style, and has an excellent self-care routine. I can see that they always try to get in a good night’s sleep, does skin care routines, keeps their home organized, and makes sure that they are cleaned up as a person. They may enjoy doing lots of meditation or yoga to maintain the peace in their life. Your future spouse has also mastered the definition of self-love and independence. They don’t rely on a romantic partner to feel complete, they already know that they are worthy of their life while being by themselves only. They are also an extremely hardworking individual, and I can see that they may take their education or job very seriously. Regardless if people are being unsupportive of them, they continue to strive for achievements. They accomplish their goals according to their terms, and they don’t let negative comments interrupt their success. I can see that they are also very abundant and satisfied with their money income. To sum it up, your future spouse feels adequate about who they are and what they have accomplished in life. Your future spouse is excellent at balancing the different areas in life. Whether it be making time to spend with family versus working very often in their job, or maintaining money while having to pay bills, your future spouse knows how to keep the balance in their life. For career, I can see that your future spouse may work in a quiet environment like the library, secluded area in a building, or work from home. If they don’t work in a quiet environment, then I can see that they may work as being a writer, artist, an advocate, or they can work in marketing. Pile 2, overall, your future spouse is a very calm, peaceful, determined, hardworking, balanced, organized, and independent individual that is always on the go to improve themselves. They are always on the go to create more accomplishments. They don’t need to show off or please anyone, the only person that they are trying to make happy is themselves. As long as they believe in themselves and have their own approval, they can make magic happen in any area they wish to. (I’m so happy for you all Pile 2!! To have a partner who loves themselves AND is very determined in their work is rare to have! This is wonderful for you all <3).

——————————————————————————

Pile 3

(Tarot cards: 9 of Pentacles, 2 of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, 7 of Cups, & at the back of the deck The Fool)

There is a mix of all the elements of earth, fire, water, and air energy here. Your future spouse may have these signs in their chart. I can see that your future spouse is a nurturing and selfless individual. They can even have the traits of an ideal “parent type.” They are always making sure that others around them feel cared and loved. Whether it be them donating money to charity, babysitting children, or doing volunteer work for the community, they always want to give selflessly out to people in all ways. I also see that your future spouse enjoys taking care of their body! They eat delicious foods while also eating healthy foods, and they do outdoor activities such as walking and hiking to keep up their physical health. I can also see that they may play an instrument or music plays a big role in their life. For career, I can see them working as a fashion designer, baker, the art scene, or they can work in the entertainment industry. They are also very abundant with money, and they never show it off or think of themselves as more superior than anyone else. Your future spouse’s aura is more relaxing and peaceful because they have an outstanding amount of self-acceptance and self-love. They feel very satisfied with their personal life areas as well as their career and money. Although your future spouse is satisfied with who they are, I can see that they have many ideas and dreams that want to make come true. They might actually have too many goals or tasks that many of them aren’t fulfilled yet. I can see them as someone who feels like they’re all over the place. Maybe one moment they want to go to school to deepen their education, but another moment they want to move out of the city to explore more with their life. I see your future spouse as someone who has a lot of dreams at hand, and this is what makes them a very organized person in planning. With every goal they have in mind and whatever they do, they are always steps ahead with planning. They are very courageous and exploring when they want to take action, but they are never too quick and naive. Overall, your future spouse displays a mature individual with young energy as well. Their life is content with money and success, but they also want to explore more because that’s who they are as a person! They always strive for more and want to explore as much as they can, and they do this through planning and taking risks. (Pile 3, this is great for you! It’s a great balance that your future spouse is mature but still has a young energy to them! Also, when I say that they may feel “all over the place” it’s not a bad thing because it just means that they are very exploring! It’s a great thing that they have a lot of desires actually)!

[ghosty-zero]

Sonadow one shot number #19: You’re Too Much Like Her (Part 2)

Shadow wandered back toward the G.U.N base, replaying Amy's advice in his mind. Flowers, chocolates, and a card. How... cliche. And yet, he couldn't entirely dismiss the idea. Sonic wasn't the type to care much for material things, but maybe a small, genuine gesture would get his attention without making Shadow feel like a complete fool.

The problem was deciding what sort of flowers to get. Did Sonic even like flowers? Shadow racked his brain, trying to recall any instance of Sonic showing interest in them. He remembered Sonic stopping to admire a patch of wildflowers once during a run. Dandelions, if he recalled correctly. The memory brought a faint, unbidden smile to Shadow's face.

Perhaps something simple, then. Something unassuming and carefree, just like Sonic.

Next was the card. Shadow had no idea where to start with that. He could barely string together the words for casual conversation, let alone a heartfelt message. Should he keep it short and direct? Or was he expected to be poetic? The thought of writing a card made him uneasy. He'd have to ask Rouge for help, no matter how embarrassing it might be.

And then there were the chocolates. That would be the easiest part. Everyone liked sweets—except Shadow himself, but he wasn't the one who would be eating them. He made a mental note to find a store with a decent selection.

Shadow didn't understand emotions. At least, not the way others seemed to. They were like an alien language he'd never learned to speak—complex, contradictory, and impossible to pin down. Most people seemed to intuitively grasp the meanings behind a smile, a sigh, or the subtle shifts in tone during a conversation. For Shadow, every interaction felt like navigating a minefield blindfolded.

He wasn't clueless, not exactly. He could recognize emotions when they were overt—tears meant sadness, anger was loud and direct—but the subtleties? The unspoken things that seemed to pass between people effortlessly? Those were lost on him.

It wasn't just emotions either; social cues baffled him just as much. He'd once overheard Rouge say that Shadow could kill a mood faster than Omega could flatten a city block, and he hadn't understood what she meant. Wasn't honesty better than sugarcoating things? Why dance around the truth with pleasantries and half-formed gestures? He didn't see the point.

But Sonic... Sonic made him question everything he thought he knew about interacting with others. The blue hedgehog seemed to communicate with a language all his own, one filled with light-hearted jabs, unspoken challenges, and a constant undercurrent of warmth that Shadow couldn't decipher. Sonic had a way of looking at him that felt like a question Shadow didn't know how to answer. It made him uncomfortable in ways he didn't entirely dislike.

Shadow found himself pacing along the edge of the cliffside overlooking Green Hill Zone, the words Amy had suggested bouncing around in his mind like stray wisps of chaos energy. Each attempt to form them into a coherent sentence left him more frustrated than before.

"Flowers, chocolates, heartfelt confessions..." Shadow muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Ridiculous. Sonic would laugh in my face."

He stopped mid-step, staring down at the waves crashing against the rocks below. Why was this so difficult? Shadow had faced numerous villains, hordes or robots, and even the crushing weight of his own past. Yet somehow, this—trying to talk to Sonic—felt more daunting than anything he'd ever encountered.

He clenched his fists, inhaling sharply. "Focus. Just say what you need to say."

Shadow squared his shoulders, as if bracing for battle, and began rehearsing aloud. "Sonic, there's something I need to tell you. I've been... thinking about us."

He paused, grimacing. It sounded wrong—too formal, too stiff. Sonic wasn't formal. Sonic was—what was the word? Casual? Spontaneous? Annoyingly carefree?

Shadow sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "Alright, try again."

He straightened his posture, attempting a more conversational tone. "Sonic, you're... important to me. I don't know how to explain it, but when I'm around you—"

The wind picked up, rustling the grass beneath his feet, and Shadow tilted his head back to glare at the sky. Why couldn't this be as straightforward as a fight? In combat, there were no ambiguities—only action and consequence. But words? Words carried weight he couldn't measure, meaning he couldn't predict.

He tried again. "Sonic. I've never been good at this, but... I think I—"

"Think you what?"

Shadow startled and instinctively swung his arm out, catching the intruder in the chest with a solid punch. Sonic shrieked and toppled over the edge of the cliff. Shadow peered over the side, watching him bounce from ledge to ledge, eventually coming to a halt in a small alcove.

He winced. Oops.

Shadow leapt down after him, landing in the sand a few feet away. He crossed his arms, trying his best to appear casual, like he hadn't just sent Sonic tumbling off a cliff. He wasn't about to run to his side and play the role of concerned boyfriend. Not yet.

"Oh, hey Shadow," Sonic said as he rubbed his chest, wincing slightly. "Long time no see. You got a mean right hook there." He smirked.

"Don't sneak up on me." Shadow snapped.

Sonic chuckled. "I thought you were supposed to be the Ultimate Life Form, Shads. I didn't sneak up on you—I just came to visit."

Shadow shifted his weight, feeling awkward. "Yes, well... You know I prefer my solitude."

"Oh, come on!" Sonic grinned. "So, what were you talking about just now? Something about...a friend?"

Shadow frowned. "It's nothing."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You were talking to yourself. And you're not exactly the most social hedgehog. You don't have any friends besides the ones we all know about." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Or... are you hiding something?"

Shadow snorted. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Sonic waggled a finger in his direction. "You're up to something, Shads. I can feel it."

"Perhaps." Shadow shrugged. "But if I was, do you really expect me to tell you?"

"Hmm..." Sonic tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Nah. You'll tell me when you're ready."

Shadow looked away, over to the ocean and the bouncing waves. Of course. Just like Sonic to assume he knew what was going on inside Shadow's head.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sonic asked, moving closer. "You seem upset."

Shadow tensed at the contact, his mind immediately replaying Amy's advice. Flowers, chocolates, confessions. He didn't even know where to start. He wasn't good at this kind of thing. Should he just say exactly what was on his mind? Sonic wasn't a complicated hedgehog—he would appreciate honesty, right? Shadow didn't have the chocolates or card, but perhaps that was for the better.

Sonic was too much like her. Way too much. The way his smile lit up the room, the way he'd listen intently, as if Shadow's words were the most fascinating thing he'd ever heard, the way he'd reach out with an open hand and an open heart... It hurt almost as much as it made Shadow's chest ache with longing. Because despite everything that had happened between them, Sonic still treated him like a friend. Shadow could call him a faker, an idiot, and Sonic would laugh and tease right back, completely unfazed.

And maybe that was what hurt the most. Because as much as Shadow tried to deny it, Sonic made him want things he had no right to want. He made Shadow wish they'd met under different circumstances, in a world without so much death and heartache and betrayal. 

Sonic was unique. Special. His very presence made Shadow feel alive in ways he hadn't since Maria had died. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once, and it left Shadow feeling completely unprepared. Because no matter how hard he tried to keep his distance, Sonic always managed to draw him back in, like a moth to a flame.

Sonic was the sun—bright, warm, and impossible to ignore. His wagging tail, his subtle purrs, the way his energy felt against Shadow's own—it was all too much. Too bright. Too loud. Too Sonic.

And maybe that's what scared him the most. Because as much as he wanted to, Shadow couldn't let himself get too close. Couldn't risk opening up that door only to watch it slam shut again. Couldn't face the pain of losing someone he cared about.

He was afraid that the moment he let Sonic in, the moment he gave in to those feelings, everything would come crashing down. That the universe would snatch away the one good thing he had left, just like it had taken Maria.

Because deep down, Shadow knew that he didn't deserve happiness. Didn't deserve love. Not when he'd failed to protect the person who had meant the most to him.

So he pushed Sonic away.

"I have to go," Shadow said, turning to leave. "There's something I need to do."

"Wait, what? Where are you going?" Sonic asked, confused.

"Away from here. Away from you." Shadow replied, starting to walk off.

Sonic followed him. "Away from me? Jeez, harsh much? Anyway, I found this cute little crab the other day, and I wanted to show you. He was so adorable, and he had this little-"

"Leave me alone, faker." Shadow interrupted, gritting his teeth.

Then he teleported away.

It was better this way. Sonic didn't need someone like Shadow dragging him down. Shadow wasn't good enough for him—he knew that. Sonic deserved someone who could make him happy, someone who could give him what he needed. And that person wasn't Shadow.

But as much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe, just maybe, he could be good enough. That maybe he could find a way to make it work. If he really tried hard enough, if he pushed past his own insecurities and fears, he could finally have the one thing he'd been craving for so long—a chance at happiness.

It was a dangerous thought. A tempting one. But it was one he couldn't afford to entertain.

He needed to let it go.

He needed to let Sonic go.

He needed to move on.

He lay in his bed, curled into a ball, trying to block out the world around him. He felt as though the entire planet was crashing down around him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his mind racing. Sonic was out there, somewhere, wondering what had happened, why Shadow had pushed him away. Wondering why Shadow couldn't just be honest with him, why he had to hide behind his walls instead of letting Sonic in.

Shadow wouldn't blame him if Sonic never spoke to him again. It would be better that way. Safer. Easier. Shadow didn't deserve him anyway.

Shadow buried his face in his pillow, breathing deeply. He needed to get a grip on his emotions. He couldn't let them control him like this. He was the Ultimate Life Form, dammit! He didn't need anyone—least of all someone as annoying and cheerful as Sonic. He was created as a weapon, not some kind of house pet.

He was supposed to be above these kinds of feelings. Supposed to be strong enough to deal with the consequences of his actions, whatever they may be. He was supposed to be an example for humanity, a beacon of hope in the darkness.

But he wasn't any of those things. He was just a broken shell of a person, desperately clinging to the shattered remains of a past that was long gone. Refusing to let go of his memories of Maria because they were all he had left.

He didn't know how long he lay there, drowning in his own misery. All he knew was that it felt like an eternity. An eternity of guilt and regret, of shame and anger. An eternity of being alone.

He remembered all of his time with Maria. He had kept those memories in a special place in his heart, a place where no one could touch them. He didn't know if it was possible to ever be happy again after losing her, but he had to try.

He had to try.

But it was so hard. So hard to keep going when everything seemed pointless. When he felt like he was only hurting everyone around him instead of helping. When he felt like he didn't deserve anything good in his life. They took Maria away, so maybe that was a sign that he has gotten too soft, too attached to the things he shouldn't be.

Maybe he should just stay here, alone, forever. Maybe then he wouldn't hurt anyone else. Maybe then he could finally be at peace.

Things were easier with Maria. She was gentle, patient, and understanding. She never judged him or made him feel like a failure. She always accepted him for who he was, flaws and all. And she loved him, despite all his faults.

Maria understood him in a way no one else did. She saw him as more than just a weapon or tool—she saw him as a person, someone worth caring about. Despite her disease and her wishes never being granted, Maria was always full of kindness and compassion for others. She never let her illness get the better of her.

She was strong, even when she had every reason not to be. She never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. She always found a way to keep going, even when the world seemed against her. And she was always there for him, no matter what. She told him her wishes and her dreams, and he swore to himself that he would make them come true. But he couldn't.

He had failed her. Just like he had failed everyone else who had ever mattered to him.

Sonic was too much like her. Annoyingly optimistic, stubbornly hopeful. Shadow hated it. Hated how Sonic had the ability to break through his defenses so easily. Hated how Sonic made him feel things he'd sworn to never feel again. Hated how Sonic made him want to hope, even when Shadow knew better.

Hated how Sonic reminded him of what it meant to live, to love.

"I love you," Shadow whispered, closing his eyes.

He wasn't sure if he really meant it, but admitting it aloud felt like a weight off his shoulders. He hadn't said those words to anyone in a very long time. They felt strange in his mouth, like they didn't belong. But they were there nonetheless, hanging in the air between them.

And if he was honest with himself, he did mean it. At least, a part of him did. A part of him that was growing stronger by the day, pushing aside the pain and grief and anger. 

But the thought of pushing Maria aside felt like a betrayal. Like he was letting her down, abandoning the promise he had made to her.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know which path to take. He felt like he was caught in a storm, unable to find his way out.

"Maria..." he murmured.

A faint smile touched his lips. He remembered the way she used to comfort him when he was upset. She would sit on the floor and take his head, laying it down on her lap, where she would stroke his quills softly. She would whisper words of encouragement and reassurance, telling him that everything would be alright, that they would get through this together.

She always knew just what to say to make him feel better. And she never judged him for his emotions—she understood them, and she accepted them. She was there for him when no one else was.

And now she was gone. So what was he supposed to do? Just replace the first friend he ever had? The one who had given him a chance to live, even if it was only for a little while?

The thought made him sick. It felt wrong, like he was betraying her memory somehow. She was gone, but her memory lived on. And he couldn't throw that away, no matter how much it hurt to remember her.

Shadow opened his eyes. He sat up, staring at the wall. He could see his reflection in the mirror, looking back at him with dark eyes.

If letting go of Maria would allow him to let Sonic in, then so be it. It was time to move forward.

He had to make a choice. Maria or Sonic. They were both special to him, but in different ways. They both gave him hope when he had none. They both saw something in him that no one else did. They both made him feel alive.

But only one could be his future. And Shadow knew which one he wanted.

He stood up, taking a deep breath. He walked over to the mirror and looked at his reflection. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he knew that he had to say something. Or...maybe he didn't need to say anything at all. Maybe he just needed to show Sonic how he felt.

He smiled, his reflection looking back at him with the same expression. For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. He felt like he was making the right choice. That sinking pressure in his chest lifted, leaving him feeling light and free.

"Thank you, Maria," he murmured. "I'll never forget you."

[lostyesterday]

There is a certain type of Star Trek character that is extremely and vocally hated by at least some large segments of the fandom. These aren’t just characters that many people dislike – these are characters who are actively hated by a significant number of people, usually ostensibly because they are “annoying” in some way. This isn’t a phenomenon unique to the Star Trek fandom by any means, but I’m interested in examining this phenomenon in relation to Star Trek in particular – including which characters it applies to and the potential reasons why it might exist.

First, I wanted to make a list of Star Trek characters that I believe definitely count as overly hated from the Trek shows whose fandoms I’m most familiar with:

Wesley (TNG)

Pulaski (TNG)

Keiko (DS9/TNG)

Ezri (DS9)

Winn (DS9)

Neelix (Voyager)

Michael (Discovery)

Adira (Discovery)

Then there are the characters who I’ve seen a lot of hate toward, but I’m not sure if it’s from a large enough segment of the fandom or is vitriolic enough to count completely:

Chapel (TOS)

Lwaxana (TNG/DS9)

Julian (DS9)

Kes (Voyager)

Naomi (Voyager)

Gray (Discovery)

La’an (SNW)

Obviously, I think it’s perfectly fine and reasonable to dislike any of the above characters. What I’m talking about here is when people act like there is something fundamentally terrible or irredeemably annoying about these characters in comparison to other similar characters, with a base assumption that most everyone in the world is going to agree that these characters just suck.

So what makes these particular characters such common targets of hate? The most obvious pattern I see in these lists is that female characters are vastly overrepresented, which is hardly surprising. Fandoms disproportionately finding female characters “annoying” and “badly written” is hardly a new thing. Also, in addition to just plain sexism, there’s certainly a racial element to the ways people hate Michael and Keiko, and a lot of people who talk about how much they hate Adira will just straight up admit it’s because they hate trans people. On the other hand, I’ve seen more hate toward Wesley than most of the other characters on these lists, and he’s a white boy. Could there be elements of the hate toward characters like Wesley and Neelix that are also gendered – as in, these characters somehow don’t measure up to cultural standards of masculinity in a way many people find irritating?

Obviously, bigotry plays a large role in why a lot of these characters are hated, but it probably isn’t the whole story either. Fundamentally, the thing that confuses me here is that I don’t personally find any of the characters on the above lists to be more “annoying” than average. I slightly dislike a few of them, but I don’t hate any of them, and I don’t understand what it is about them in particular that makes them prime targets for such vitriolic and widespread hatred.

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on this. In particular, what do you think about the above lists of characters that I think definitely count and might count as overly hated in the Star Trek fandom? Are there any characters you’d add to or remove from either list? And do you notice any patterns in the types of characters that end up being overly hated?

[defendingtheowlhouse]

Have some thoughts and I wanted to hear your take.

While I do like lumity I personally think that lunter (luz x hunter) would make the most sense narratively speaking as it would highlight how wrong Belos was about the situation with Caleb. By having hunter end up with a human, it contradicts belos' point about witches being evil and the reason why Caleb left him alone. I also feel like it would parallel Caleb and Evelyn really well since luz was technically the one to kick-start hunters arc (you could say that willow and hunter also parallel Caleb and evelyn but I feel like you'd need more development to actually make a case for it).

Now if Lunter did happen I would pair amity with willow as it would provide some more depth to amity' character and her bullying. We don't actually see amity reconcile with willow besides maybe one or two scenes so it would be really interesting to see how a bully would act and develop after falling for one of their victims. I personally didn't really like amity's redemption because it seemed the writers retconned her bullying by having her mention that Boscha was the one bullying willow even though we see amity bully her in the first episode she shows up in. Willow would also be provided with some much-needed character development if amity really did like her after bullying her so much. (also when luz and amity got together all I would think of was imagining your best friend dating your former bully. Thinking of that I feel bad for willow). Understanding Willow is a decent episode when it comes to willow and amity's development but it also seemed like the episode was just hinting at Lumity than actually caring about willow and amity's bullying plot. After the episode I was expecting amity to try really hard to be willows friend again but we didn't really get much payoff when it came to this (now I might be wrong because it's been a while since I've watched the show so correct me if I'm wrong lol). Willows forgiveness of amity also seemed really rushed to me and I feel like we should've gotten an episode dedicated to their rekindling friendship.

Thank you for contributing to the discussion. If I sound mean it is not purposeful, it is simply passion burning too bright, I wish not to offended but the fires of disagreement burn bright.

1. I actually really dislike when people try to parallel ANY of the relationships to caleb and evelyn. Hunter is not caleb, and people need to stop acting like it would be better if he was just the caleb in the relationship. He's his own guy, and I think comparing huntlow or lunter to it is kinda silly and I dislike it. I find discussions of 'who's kinda like these dead guys more' irrelevant

2. It in no way contradicts his point. The reason he thought witches were bad wasn't because they took his brother. He hated them before that, him being abandoned is no way implied to have caused him to hate witches because he already hated them. He doesn't care about the motivations of grimwalkers to betray him because no matter what, they do their traitors. They can not make any point because belos is wilfully ignorant of their point of view, brushing it completely aside.

3. Hunter leaving 'for love' in my opinion completely cheapens his character arc and makes it become superficial. It makes him mirror the random dead guy, making him seem like less of his own person and makes it feel more like it's about hormones than the strong themes central to the themes of the show. Hunter's willful ignorance is taken from him, and he's forced to face the truth. Hunter literally thinks ignorance is the way people should be "this stuff is restricted for a reason" "they knew too much and got themselves hurt". Hunter is shown to be a well-meaning yet wilfully ignorant character. The episode makes a point of how it's about how those people need to be forced to confront the truth rather than cause more harm "maybe we just need something big to change their minds" which is so much more important to me than him leaving hormonal responses to the people around him. (And if it's after then that just feels like the devaluing of friendships because it would litteraly change nothing)

4. Why is it more interesting to see a bully catch feelings for their victim? In this case, is that why they change because that makes her feel like she has less agency in her willingness to change if it's motivated not by regret and seeing the error of her ways, remembering the old times and seeing how things change just for it to be replaced with hormones making her reflect on herself because she has feelings for her.

5. While the phrasing of the scene implies that amity didn't bully willow "then you let your new friends pick on her for years" "I won't let bosha and her gang pick on you ever again" if you pay a bit more attention it seems more like clunky wording. We see tiny amity calling her names and if you take the often cited quote in its full "I CAN'T UNDO WHAT IVE DONE BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS I won't let boscha ad her gang pick on you ever again" it seems more like their saying that permitting boscha is another extra bad thing amity's done and another part of her behaviour she needs to fix. (Besides, why would romance need to be built up to to improve this scene)

6. Amity does try to make it up to willow after that. That's the entire B plot of labyrinth runners. They couldn't spare a whole episode with their time but they spared half of one

7. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy willow's character arc which I think is often ignored by those who wish to pose it isn't there, i was almost going to make a post by myself about it. I love how she gains confidence and becomes more of herself, but despite this, she still needs support and doesn't need to be invulnerable to be strong. I love how its sprinkled in episodes not about her (it makes her feel more real to me). My favourite part of huntlow (which wouldn't change whether platonic or not, infer the combination of their names as you wish) is how both have inverse arcs about finding who they really are. Willow can be as strong as she is and hunter doesn't have to be strong. They together embody truth of the self outside of what others force you to be.