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shiningshenanigans · 1 year ago

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When Sacrifice No Longer Feels Loving: Raw, Messy, Emotional Thoughts on Loki Season 2

It’s been a little over two weeks since the season 2 finale of Loki came out, and although it’s been pretty much all I’ve been able to think about lately, I haven’t really been able to put my thoughts into words. And I have a lot of thoughts. I need to get them out of my system, and I’ve tried to write them down on multiple occasions, but every time I do, they keep getting stuck on the way out.

So, I’ve decided to do something different. Rather than trying to analyze the series critically, I’m going to just start writing about how it made me feel, and see where it takes me. I’m not really sure what’s going on in my heart and mind as I reflect on this story, but I have a vague idea of the truth that it’s tapping into. Fair warning: these thoughts are going to get very Christian-y and preachy, so if the gospel is not your thing, I don’t know how much sense this post will make. But, if you’ve been having a similar experience with the season and care to read, I hope that you find some encouragement and truth in these messy, emotionally honest thoughts!

When I try to sum up how I feel about season 2 as a whole, the only word that really comes to mind is “upset.” I’m just upset about it. The morning after the finale aired, I woke up with a deep, hollow pit of sadness in my stomach. I broke down crying a couple of times over the next few days just thinking about certain scenes in episodes 5 and 6, and I couldn’t rewatch the finale for almost a week.

Is it weird to feel this kind of grief over something as simple as a TV show? Yeah, probably. But I think that’s kind of the point. I’d been looking forward to the release of this season for two years. Without getting too personal, I’ve recently been through one of the hardest years of my life. Just this year, I’ve gone to two funerals for people that I grew up with, been in a car crash, faced rejection in a relationship that I had grown emotionally attached to, and mourned with my community as we experienced one of the most tragic shootings in our country's history. The release of Loki season 2 had become a little bright spot in my 2023; something to look forward to in all the madness.

When the first season came out, I remember being overcome by how good it was. It was wacky, and sweet, and funny, and sad, and redemptive all at once. Even in its darkest moments, there seemed to be a thread of hope that ran through the series from beginning to end. Over the years it had become a comfort show, a beautiful piece of art that offered me encouragement when I needed a pick-me-up. Because if a comic book super villain with a long history of screwing his life up can change his ways, make new friends, fall in love, find meaningful work, stand up to his oppressors, and ultimately write his own destiny, then gosh darnit, so can I.

My roommate and I invited our friends over, every Thursday night for six weeks, to watch the new episodes as they premiered. Our watch parties started off full of excitement and anticipation. I even made key lime pie for us the first couple of times, which was a big hit. But as the weeks wore on, and the episodes started to spiral deeper into tragedy, our post-watch conversations became more full of questions and complaints than anything. When the credits rolled on the finale, we sat in an almost mournful silence, watching the screen, waiting with baited breath to see if there would be a post-credits scene. There wasn’t one. You could almost feel a sense of dread fall over the room. That’s it. That’s all they’re going to give us. That’s how they’ve decided to end the story.

I think the first words that were uttered when the Disney Plus screen finally popped up were, “I hate Marvel,” before we all began to voice how we felt.

I can honestly say this has been one of the weirdest, strongest emotional reactions to a piece of media that I’ve ever had. It’s genuinely felt like I’ve been going through the five stages of grief over this show, but the grief isn’t just stemming from the inherent sadness of the story. I’m also grieving the show itself; what it’s become, how it was handled by the people it was entrusted to, and the knowledge that there will likely not be another season to redeem it. I feel angry, unseen and unloved by the writers who set up everything over the course of six episodes to ensure that the finale was as heartbreaking as possible.

At the same time, however, I can’t say that I hated it. A part of me knows that the reason it’s affecting me so deeply is because it’s so well-made. Art doesn’t grip you this much unless it’s objectively good. There are legitimate critiques of the story/filmmaking that I could make and a lot of people already have. The temptation to scoff and say “Michael Waldron wouldn’t have done it this way” and turn all my excitement towards Secret Wars is very strong, but that just seems like misplacing my hope. Underneath all the sadness and the frustration, there’s also a layer of confusion. Am I supposed to be feeling this way? Is this what the writers of this show wanted me to feel all along? And if so, why? What are they trying to say through this story?

I don’t normally mind stories with tragic endings, so long as I can understand the purpose behind them. I remember feeling similarly unsettled when I finished the first season of Arcane, wondering what the point of it all was. But after a little bit of analysis and reflection, I could see how the tragedy was fitting; how the characters choices had led to the ending and the cautionary tale it was trying to tell me. Even in the tragedy, it was still good. I’ve also learned to love the grief that comes with watching a character make a heroic sacrifice for those he loves. I think of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, Janner in The Wingfeather Saga, or Stoick in How To Train Your Dragon 2. All these deaths are heartbreaking and painful to watch, but there’s a certain beauty to them too, and you can feel the goodness and love in their sacrifices.

This one is different, though. Something about this one feels wrong. Something about this one feels deeply, inherently, not good. And analysis is only making it worse.

I’m having a really hard time seeing the beauty in the sacrifice that Loki makes at the end of season 2. This story wasn’t supposed to end in tragedy. It was supposed to be a reversal of tragedy. A second chance for a beloved character (one who has already sacrificed himself for love on multiple occasions) to finally receive some kind of reward instead of punishment.

To end the series the way the writers did feels almost like a stab in the back, a betrayal if you will, of all the hope and joy and restoration that the first season promised. I guess adopted children who are abandoned at birth really are destined to be alone forever, no matter how much love they have to give. I guess villains can’t find redemption, and even if they do, they will not escape eternal punishment for their sins. I guess quarrels between brothers (or lovers) can’t be resolved, and every relationship we cherish is doomed to fall apart eventually. I guess young women like me, who are strong and independent because we’ve had to be, are not worth pursuing, and we should be content with our middle-management jobs and casual friendships as if that is the peak of human existence. I guess we should embrace isolation and selfishness after all. I guess true love doesn’t really exist, and we should walk away from any semblance of it before it makes us bleed.

Bummer.

The night after we watched the finale, I drove a couple of my friends home. On the drive back, I could feel the sadness of the story aching in my gut. I thought specifically about Sylvie, and how unsatisfied I felt with where the story left her. I’ve always connected with her as a character, and I hated the way she had been sidelined throughout the season. Every week, I had tuned in hoping I would see some kind of reconciliation between her and Loki. I just wanted some kind assurance that she loved him back, that they would somehow end up together in the end. One kiss, one hug, just… one conversation, for heaven’s sake. One apology from either side. One confession of love. But six episodes and it never came. Their relationship wasn’t even addressed. It was reduced to subtext, as if it wasn’t the back bone that Michael Waldron built his original pitch off of back before 2021.

I thought about the way she shrugged and smiled when Mobius asked her what she was going to do next, and it just irked me. Why didn’t they tell us what her plans were? Why didn’t they give us some kind of clue? It seemed so obvious to me what she should do. She should make good use of her Tempad and go be with Loki. How could she just walk away, knowing everything he just sacrificed for her? Do people really think she could just… go back to her life after that, with so many things left unsaid between them? If she really does love him, how could she? How could she go through life, knowing that the truest love she’s ever experienced is lightyears away, always watching, always with her, but unable to be physically present with her in a mortal, tangible way? It sounded like such a sad, lonely fate and my heart broke for both Sylvie and Loki as I thought about it.

But then it dawned on me: wait a second… isn’t that what it’s like to be a Christian? Isn’t that the reality I’m living every day, as Christ’s bride? The weight of that realization was so heavy I almost had to pull over on the side of the road because I couldn’t breath. My savior loves me more than anything. He gave up everything for me, just like Loki did for Sylvie. I don’t even know how many rounds he went with the enemy on that cross, just to bargain for my soul. And what do I do about it? I shrug it off with a smile. I forget about it until it’s convenient. I go back to my job, my house, my car, my record store, as if every second of my life hasn’t been paid for by the blood, sweat, and tears of a God who just wants me to be ok. As if I could ever fool myself into believing a life without Him is enough for me.

As if I shouldn’t be fighting like hell to get back to Him. As if love so amazing, so divine, doesn’t demand my life, my soul, my all. Just so you know, I teared up again writing that last paragraph.

A lot of people have pointed out the parallels that can be made between Loki and Sylvie and Adam and Eve. The comparison really does work in a lot of ways. A perfect likeness, a counterpart created for a lonely man because “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). One flesh, two halves of a whole. Equals, balancing and complementing each other perfectly. A couple chosen by a higher power to rule the universe with authority. There’s something edenic about that scene where they snuggle in the grass under that blanket together: a man and a woman, wrapped up in a garden of green, completely unguarded and vulnerable with each other. The man promises the woman his protection, and the woman shyly offers him her trust and thanks in return.

When they make it to the Citadel at the End of Time, their parting echoes deeply of the fall. The serpent (He Who Remains) sows seeds of distrust between them, knowing full-well that they are stronger together and could easily overpower him if they remain united. The two halves are torn apart and turn on one another. The woman, in her thirst for freedom, takes control of the situation, and the man fails in his duty to stop her. Free will is unleashed into the world, and with it comes consequence and chaos and danger.

If season 1 can be read as the journey from the garden to the fall, season 2 reads more like the journey from the fall to the cross. Chaos and confusion, spiraling slowly towards death and destruction. Constant distrust between the man and the woman, between God and his bride. An inability to reconcile, to fix what’s been broken. The citadel goes from being Eden to being Gethsemane. When every other option has been tried and all hope is lost, Loki returns to the moment of the fall and pleads with his love, over and over again, to make a different choice. But she will not stop rebelling, even though it leads to her death every time.

Unable to reason with her, Loki confronts He Who Remains to bargain for her life. But there’s no option that doesn’t end in bloodshed. Loki must either kill Sylvie, the woman he loves, and go on committing genocide in HWR’s place. Or, he must break the temporal loom and let the chaos that ensues destroy all of reality. These, according to He Who Remains, are the only two choices. So Loki makes a third choice. Instead of sacrificing others for the multiverse, he makes a total sacrifice of himself. I think you can see where I’m going with this.

It’s not lost on me how weird it is to compare Loki, a marvel super villain based off of a pagan norse god, to Jesus. But the crucifixion/ascension parallels here aren’t exactly subtle. Loki puts on a heavy crown, carries a great burden up a hill, and “dies” on a tree of all things, to save both the woman he loves and the group of friends he’s grown close with during his time at the TVA. His last words to his loved ones before he ascends are, “I know what kind of God I need to be, for you, for all of us.” When I think about the story in these parabolic terms, I’m almost overwhelmed by how much truth is woven into this mythology. And yet, something about it still feels deeply unsettling to me. There’s still a piece missing that makes it feel more like a Greek tragedy than a Jewish parable.

As they are, Loki Seasons 1 and 2 show me a reflection of the fall, the cross, and in some ways, the ascension of Jesus Christ. What they don’t show me is a picture of the resurrection. And any christian will tell you that the resurrection is the most vital part of the story (1 Corinthians 15:16-20). The series shows me sin and what it costs. They show me what is lost in sacrifice, but they don’t show me what is gained. The hero meets a fate worse then death, and is forced to remain there, alone, for all eternity. There are no tearful reunions at the tomb, no assurance that death has been defeated, no eucatastrophe. No curse reversed. God and man are forever separated, and for some reason that’s supposed to be beautiful, according to Marvel. It’s not. It’s a question mark, a gaping wound at the end of the story that offers no comfort. To live in that tension, that separation, in those three days between Christ’s death and his resurrection, is literally the most painful, most hopeless place for the human heart to dwell. But, maybe it’s a tension that we should sit in more often, so that we can appreciate the weight of what Christ did for us.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I don’t really hate season 2 of Loki. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of art, well-written (sort of) and well-acted, with gorgeous production design and a deep, meaningful story at its core. What I hate, with every fiber of my being, is the thought that that is where the story ends. That it’s supposed to end there. That this ending is good. As a Christian, I almost can’t accept it. Everything in me screams that there has to be more resolution beyond the credits of the finale.

That, I think, is where all the pain swirling in my heart around this story is really coming from. And whether they know it or not, I think that’s where a lot of the Loki fandom’s pain is coming from right now. The gospel is so written into our DNA that it pours itself out into every mythology we try to create. We are so desperate for the reassurance that the resurrection is true, that when we get even the slightest hint that it might not be, it triggers our deepest, darkest anxieties. Nothing scares me more than the thought of being alone, separated from God, for all eternity. Not even death is scarier, or more tragic, than that. It is, by definition, hell.

So yeah. Curse you, Marvel. Curse you for telling me a story that hurts like hell, and expecting me to just be ok with it. For giving me an ending that could never, in any reality, be satisfying or conclusive, and then trying to gaslight me into believing that it is. For ensuring that I will probably end up buying a ticket for both Secret Wars and Kang Dynasty (even though I’m really tired of superhero movies) just so that I can see if I’m right, that love really does win in the end. I don’t really have any kind of expectation that the next two Avengers movies are going to give me the closure I’m looking for. But I think I know where I can find it.

As grieved as I am by the way Marvel handled this story, I’m also kind of amazed by the way its incompleteness is revealing to me the total, satisfying completeness of the gospel. Marvel can’t promise me that, at the end of time, the God of Stories will be reunited with his warring bride and live happily ever after in the presence of his inner circle. But the gospel does. And the hope that I find there is immeasurable.

#loki #loki season 2 #loki series #geeking out gracefully #sylki #sylvie laufeydottir #christianity #when sacrifice no longer feels loving #eucatastrophe #ressurection

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mercurytrinemoon · 4 years ago

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Another post on Moon signs you can drag me for

Before we get into the actual thing, I'd like to say this post initially started as something else but ultimately, what I tried to put across is, sometimes Moon signs aren’t that easy to decipher. It’s easy to grasp overall characteristics of the signs and then learn how to identify their specific traits. But what people seem to forget it that Moon represents the deepest side of us & our inner world - it’s uncommon to really see someone’s side of it unless you really pay attention. Sometimes I’m surprised to see what someone’s Moon sign is even if I know this person well. Meaning, people usually hide that part of them - or they just simply process it internally and others can’t see their emotional reactions. It’s also uncommon for folks these days to fully express their emotional needs so it gets even trickier to pin-point their Moon characteristics. I don't think I have to mention this but, of course, your entire chart should be taken into account, as well as house placement, aspects. Personally, I like to also look at Moon's dispositor.

Let’s start from my friends, Gemini Moons, who, I feel, get a bad rep for not showing their feelings and scanning every emotion like an AI. Nah-ah. I know this one Gemini Moon whose immediate emotional reactions aren’t very cerebral in the sense of processing everything in the mind and intellectualizing it aka, what people like to label as being un-emotional. Instead her reactions are often fast (air energy) but physically expressed through Mercury (Gemini Moon’s dispositor) and Sun (overall identity) – she has them both in Aries. She’s a crybaby who can burst into tears in a matter of seconds. So she’s not something that would stereotypically be assigned to a Gemini Moon. But what I did notice is that all Gemini Moons tend to have this weird look on their face when they’re processing stuff. As if they were about to have a brain malfunction; they stop and have that specific worried look. They also like to either gossip or tell stories (either real or made up lol); they’re great with words - they can talk for hours if they feel comfortable with you. They just crave interaction and mental stimulation. Their quick reactions tend to make them effortlessly witty. Even if they’re a withdrawn Gemini type, they make up for it through social media and technology or just a quiet exploration. My shy Cancer pal with Moon in Gemini is now a brand/website designer and an instagram queen who travels the world. This is great energy for content creators in general. And don’t forget that Geminis need to have their fingers in many pies. It’s because they always have a backup plan… and they get bored easily so they need that chaos around them to feel at home. They like to have options in everything, which is kind of funny cause it’s hard for them to make up their minds and actually choose something. And they store a lot of information in their brains… I feel like it must be exhausting, no?

On the other side of the axis, whenever I see someone with a Sagittarius Moon, I can immediately say “yup, a Sag Moon indeed” (probably thanks to my Sag stellium), meaning, they all seem the same to me. Sag Moons often find comfort in exploration - best if it’s literal travel. They always seem to need to free themselves from their surroundings, family, roots or their own culture to discover something new and exciting, even if it’s only in the imaginary words - through books, movies and other medias. Their happiness always lies somewhere else from where they currently are. Like, I think all Sagittarius Moons that I know have left their parents and went their own paths early on. And they have this yolo attitude. Just like Sagittarius Suns, they’re massive dorks, probably also obnoxious… sometimes in a REALLY annoying way. They’re either a) very wise and curious b) lil preachy and stuck up c) just plain dumb clowns with no filter. But they’re all funny. And they take things lightly, with a natural ease. This means sometimes they may offend other people just because they assume everyone’s as chill as they are; „relax! I was just kidding!” - that’s a phrase you’ll hear from them often… I mean, unless you’re a jokester yourself and you’re unmoved by their sarcastic or teasing words. They have somewhat spiritual or philosophical nature so besides making you laugh, be prepared for deep monologues. They want to believe everything will eventually fall into place. It’s also hard to bring them down - or I should say, it’s hard to make them acknowledge that they're feeling down - they always try to distract or cover it up with a joke, usually a self-depricating one. If Sagittarius Moon (or Sagittarius in general tbh) is telling you that they’re unhappy, then it’s serious.

I’ve noticed there comes a point in life for a Libra Moon where they just have enough. They’re too nice for everyone and one day they wake up and yell about how they have to do everything for everyone and everyone wants something from them and bLah bLah. Makes me think of when Bieber was this overly nice kid and then he was like “I’M NOT TAKING PICTURES WITH FANS ANYMOREEEE AAGhJFJFUWIUq”. Yup, a Libra Moon, everyone. They know how to charm and appeal to people, I think overall they’re easily liked by others. Sometimes it’s simply because they like to kiss people’s ass just to avoid being rejected. That’d be a Libra Moon’s nightmare. They like other people’s company too much. And they thrive in relationships and in a big circle of friends. What they hate is confrontations (like every other Libra placement omg). They may be good mediators when it comes to other people but if they’re involved in an argument they get sooooo passive aggressive. They just don’t know how to handle conflicts - it’s as if their nervous system wasn’t designed for emotional outbursts (because, you know, everything needs to be peaceful and harmonious Venus-style). A fussy or angry Libra Moon will suddenly get loud as they blame someone for something… and then they’ll leave the room cause they’re scared to even hear the other side of the argument. Or, alternatively, they’ll make a doormat out of themselves just to stay quiet and avoid causing any rift. And making decisions? I think it’s common for them to have two different romantic interests and feeling so dramatically torned between them *Alexa play Agony from Into the Woods*. Then when they decide, they have problems breaking the bad news to one of them.

On the other end we have Aries Moons. *deep breath* Listen, I think I’ve said enough about having Moon in Aries (or rather purely dissing it) but last time it made a bit of controversy so why not wreak even more havoc. I have a good description for this one: I will punch you but be gentle with me cause it’s easy to break my fragile heart. So basically, imagine putting Buttercup and Bubbles into one person. And honestly, I need to say this, women with this placement are just hot badasses, look at friggin Angelina Jolie. The queen of badass. The queen of hot. People say because Aries folks move quickly (literally and figuratively lol), they often get bored with whatever got them excited last week... or yesterday. Ha, yeah, right. You get their heart to open up and they’re going to have their eyes for you ONLY, like a lil puppy. Give us treats and we’ll build our world around you. But NOT in a clingy way by any means, we need our space and independence after all. My lil niece is an Aries Moon and ever since I started playing guitar with her, she became my #1 fan or something. That’s the energy. But we get easily bored with day-to-day stuff so yeah, there’s that. Innocent and clumsy yet raw in their emotions - so there’s potential to make mistakes sometimes (or a lot of times) or having this tunnel vision, like „I want this and I don’t care about anything else!”. And then excusing it with some „but the heart wants what it wants” crap (looking @ ya, Selena Gomez). They experience constant inner movement and turbulence that needs a physical outlet in order to feel satisfied. WE NEED PASSION IN OUR LIVES, OKAY?!?!?? now leave me alone

Aquarius Moons aren’t as cold as you might think. People like to describe them as if their Moons actually disappeared from their charts: dEtaCheD, uNeMotiOnaL, tHey fEeL nOtHinG. It’s just they don’t sit and dwell on things, they find solutions to the problems. If something doesn’t make them feel right, they just leave that situation. They do care about other people’s well-being, they’re very sensitive in that regard, they’re humanitarians after all. Yeah, they detach, but from their own emotions - in order to make sense of them. They may seem like snow queens sometimes (and this comes from an Aqua rising) but they’re really friendly and if you pique Aqua Moon’s interest, they’re going to be curious about you. They like new exciting things so if you’re cool enough, you have their attention. Usually they’re pretty progressive as well and can’t stand injustice. That’s why you’ll see them standing up for those who are in need. Uranian energy gives them a specific type of sharp intuition and wit. Idk they’re just cute in a quirky way. But this buzzing, fast energy is a great recipe for anxiety, over-thinking and frequent changes of heart. Similarly to Sadges, they need constant exploration and stimuli. Intelligent, people-oriented (but not people-pleasing! Look to Libras for that), individualistic. They definitely need their own space and independence. Their decision-making is fast and it’s easy for them to just say „screw it, I’m doing this”. My Aquarius Moon friend just casually decided that she’s moving to Turkey cause nothing in our city (or even country) seems interesting or helping her expand… So she was like, see ya suckers, I’m leaving.

Leo Moons shine from within. You’ll spot them from a mile away even if they’re on the shyer side. They’re all lil stars no matter their profession. Very expressive people & easily excitable. Art galleries, live shows, theater - they love a creative environment even if they don’t pursue that lifestyle themselves... One of my Leo Moon friends is an art junkie – suggest taking her to an obscure play at the local bar, a music festival, a weird museum – she’ll say yes in the blink of an eye. And she loves discussing these things. A Leo Moon may not see themselves as artistically inclined, but usually sooner or later they at least try dipping their toes in music, arts, acting, dancing... you name it. They’ll learn a simple 3-chord song on a ukulele and then play it to you in excitement. Imagine a lil kid making you a puff piece and being super proud of it. Sometimes they just need some encouragement. Remember, Leos feed off of praise, that’s their fuel. Doesn’t mean they’re all proud, egotistical people but what it does mean is that they need a lil assurance to gain their self-confidence. I lived with a Leo Sun/Moon for almost 15 years (who’s a musician btw so yeah, a classic creative Leo type) - he did have some issues lol but ego wasn’t one of them. Drama followed him everywhere but I’m pretty sure he disliked it himself. BUT, with that being said, I feel like Leo Moons tend to dramatize themselves internally. People say it’s something Virgos or Geminis would do - because of their tendency to overthink, but Leos can just go straight to a worst-case scenario in their heads simply because they exaggerate everything. So don’t be surprised to see a Leo Moon feeling down and anxious. On the bright side, be their cheerleader and they’ll give that to you in return. They need sparks and dullness kills their upbeat spirit. They need to feel their own heartbeat so the feeling of excitement is crucial for their well-being. Romantic, giving and kind. They’re fixed fire so once they’re set on something or someone, they give their all and are rather loyal.

I feel like my chart low-key tells me I should dislike Taurus Moons but I just want to melt in their arms and just stay there? Like, forever? Low maintenance but a bit slow-moving and stubborn. They won’t settle easily, at least not officially, so you need to have a lot of patience with them. They need 3 things to feel secure and at peace: physical stimuli, time and a stable place they know they can always come back to. And it’s not like all of them are total lazy homebodies, they may be active spirits & travellers but they are going to have a reallyyyyy nice cosy flat somewhere near their childhood place (gotta be be close to their moms, you know). Not necessary materialistic but they may have one thing that they collect throughout their entire life and they won’t. ever. get. rid. of. it. There needs to be at least one constant in their life - like you know when Elton John decided to go to therapy but one thing he stuck to was shopaholism? Very Taurus Moon of him. Also, they’re very affectionate. In fact, may have issues differentiating between affection and passion - this is actually something Taurus Moon and Aries Moon have in common. Pro tip - and this is in regard to all Taurus placements - don’t smell bad when you’re around them (I mean, don't smell bad in general, no one likes stinky people lol). They have a sensitive smell. Doesn’t help that they like to smell everything. EVERYTHING. I swear, Taurus, stop sticking your nose in every single thing!!! You don't need to know how that piece of utensil smells like. Jeez.

Scorpio Moon (shoutout to those who remember me accidentally calling them sporpio last time I made a post on Moons lol). I honestly don’t know what to tell you... I feel like all you hear about Scorpio Moon is 100% true, there’s nothing to debunk here. It’s the Moon of extremes. Prone to jealousy and surpressing emotions; severe trust issues; they’re instigators. I was low-key bullied by a few Scorpio Moons when I was in school so there’s that. Very secretive and private. Scorpio Moon will be like “I’m in control of the situation!!!!” and you’ll just look at them and think, yeah, right, looks like the situation is controlling you. But keep being in denial, sure. Like, don’t get me wrong, Scorpios in general can be TOTAL SWEETHEARTS OMG but ya’ll have issues. Even celebrities who have this placements... Think Beyonce or Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus... I feel like they have issues lol, especially with control and the need for everything to be perfectly the way they want it to be. To be fair, that’s probably why they’re all so influential and high status: it’s either their way or highway. They need constant reinvention; they’re the ones to wake up one day and decide they’re going through a spiritual awakening blah blah. They also like to talk about dark and shocking topics while having casual lunch with you... So like, be warned that you may end up with a depressed mood after talking to them for 10 minutes. And their mood swings... don’t even get me started on that.

I don't know where to start with Virgo Moons... I feel like they're very calculated and nit-picky but they're a lot warmer than Virgo Suns. I think I called them softies in my last Moon post. Very sweet people but prone to anxiety. You gotta experience seeing them having a heart attack over someone mixing bananas with milk or messing with their stuff that’s been put in a perfect arrangement. I saw a Virgo Moon once literally squealing shouting "YOU'RE GONNA RUIN YOUR LAPTOP WITH THAT SUPERGLUE!!!" Highly entertaining to watch, not gonna lie. Gordon Ramsay has his Moon in Virgo - it’s conjunct Uranus and Pluto so that’s an extreme but I think him being fed up with people over small inconsistencies in their food prep is a perfect example of this energy (btw his chart is hilarious, it literally explains EVERYTHING). They're VERY picky with their food as well, just as Virgo Suns tend to be. Like, they’ll only have a specific type of single origin coffee or they’ll be vegan or something. Self-critical over their work, which is a plus... except for when finishing a simple task takes them a few hours because they want to make it perfect. They take everything seriously. This of course doesn't mean they're total bores - on the contrary, Mercurial energy gives them witty approach and a talent for choosing the right words at the right time. Tho they can be a bit awkward or shy with it. Can be as bubbly as Gemini but the grounded earthy energy gives them more practical and almost nurturing nature - earth signs are providers after all and Virgo is the sign of service - helping others is like their second nature. I’ve noticed they often find comfort in devoting themselves to a choosen task - this is why if they pursue something, they’re really good at it. They’re also very likely to dissect their emotions.

I’m not a fan of water Moons in general but Pisces Moon is the best water Moon in my opinion. Maybe because I like Pisces overall. I think it’s like a tweaked Sagittarius Moon - just more internalized, withdrawn & gloomy. But unlike Sag, who has a tendency to be an adventurous optimist, Pisces likes to focus on the negatives instead. Obviously, they can be very upbeat, they’re Jupiter-ruled after all, but there’s somehing whiny about them lol. Just like Sadges, they dream big and have their standards put up sooo high but if there's not much active energy in their charts, they’re often too passive to actually fullfill any of that - or I should say, they’re stuck daydreaming about it, believing it’ll just magically manifest for them... OR they do everything with an apathetic approach. What I do like about them is that they’re funny. And really chill - sometimes to the point of coming off as confused or hazy. I feel like a lot of them would just love to sleep all day... or sit by the lake and just think about the world. Most of them are also compassionate folks - again, maybe a bit too much. Hey Pisces, you don’t have to take everything to heart, it’s okay. On the bright side, they have big imagination and the ability to disconnect and just create. I have a few Pisces Moons in the family: one’s that sleepy artistic type with grand visions, one is an asshole-ish but funny entrepreneur with a questionable work ethic and one is a witty IT guy who’s actually a workaholic and likes to shut in his own world of computers and numbers or whatever he does there... So there’s this factor of tunnel vision, escapism and, on the more negative side, being kinda iffy and almost addicted to the way they want things to be. Once they set their eyes on something it’s done deal…

My issue with Capricorn Moons is that they're often trying to be sooooo mature omg, like, loosen up a bit. It usually starts when they're in their later teens... They can be the most rebellious kid that likes to have fun and suddenly they'll be like "I'm too old for this ugh grow up" *judgmental stare*. My 18-year old niece once literally roasted my sister that she's in her 30s and still doesn't have her own place (well so do I so I guess she also indirectly roasted me as well???). And she was SO deadpan with it. Because she herself wants to be independent and start a family before turning 25. This is classic Capricorn Moon energy. They suck out joy out of everything lol. Of course, OF COURSE, it depends on the whole chart but I feel like worst-case scenario is that at one point in their life (or maybe even a few times throughout it) they go through a massive shake-up that makes them change their attitude and re-evaluate their structures. There's this multi-instrumentalist Yvette Young - she's a sweet, funny Cancer/Leo mix but her Moon is in Capricorn. She used to be a competitive pianist but the pressure that was put on her has led her to severe health issues. Like yes, she’s now an extremely talented musician - thanks to family’s expectations & a rigid schooling system (Saturn) but it did cost her a lot. She has recovered since then but I think it's a perfect example of this energy. It’s very ambitious and hardworking but emotionally demanding in the sense that you have to actually put your emotions aside in order to deal with the rest. Another thing, because Moon can be associated with family, there's often a weird dynamic surrounding this topic. I don't think I've met a Capricorn Moon that had a completely healthy and happy relationship with their fam or one of the family members. Or, alternatively, there can be a strong bond between one of them but usually created in the atmosphere of hardships.

Last but not least, Cancer Moons. I had three school friends with this placement and all of them made this sad, whiny face as they said „oh I don’t knoooow anymoreee” when they were feeling torned or frustrated. To be fair, two of them are water Suns so for them, it added to the mushyness. All Cancer Moons I know are family people or better yet, baby people. One of those school friends is now a guidance counsellor, working with kids; the other turned her instagram into a gallery of her own child after she gave birth. So much kid content, omg. There’s also something very indecisive about them… or I should say, hesitant. They’re not very fast at making decisions. Also, what’s interesting, they’re kind of like walking libraries, they remember a lot – so they store a lot of information in their brains just like air signs but they process it in a completely different way – emotional, obviously. I think this also makes them hold grudges a lot. For them it’s more of a question of „how does it make me feel?” rather than „how valid is it?”. There’s certain stubborness in them in that regard because they don’t keep their minds open. It’s also hard for them to walk away from people and situations, like a crab pinching you with its claws – it won’t let go. Sensitive but not easy to open up; very protective of themselves and their loved ones & they tend to shut down in their crab shells. But they may crave connection and the feeling of belonging. Also very caring and with a big imagination. They’re very receptive of their environment so mood swings are a thing for them.

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iamwhelmed · 4 years ago

Text

I’d kill for a fanfiction where Helga and Curly get stuck over summer, between elementary and middle school, together and unintentionally become, like, best friends. They bond over being a little eccentric, and over art, and over unrequited love (assuming, of course, Jungle Movie doesn’t happen-- or at least doesn’t happen until, like, way later).

They’re both so obnoxious together, they enable each other like nobody else. They’re making loud, unintelligible, annoying noises whenever somebody (likely Arnold, Lila, Sid...) starts getting preachy or annoying: “MAWP. MAWP. MAWP. See? That’s what you sound like”.

Curly starts completing Helga’s sentences-- but purposely at inopportune moments because she hates it when he does that. He always gives her this little shit-eating grin.

Curly starts getting manic and Helga just grabs him by the shoulders and goes: “Look at me. Look at me. Look at me! Does that sound sane? Does that sound like a thing normal people would do?” And she gets him to maybe back off of letting all the animals in the zoo loose, but she’ll help him sneak into the chimpanzee pen after dark so he can fight one.

Helga starts panicking about her secret love for Arnold getting out and Curly walks her through five different plans of execution to make the Scary Feeling™ go away. Phoebe is the one who tries (sometimes fails) to shut these mission ideas down.

He and Helga have a pact to get platonically married if they hit 30 and are still single. Curly has picked out the suit for this occasion and has a catalogue of possible dresses for Helga, who he knows will be picky. Helga has booked the venue just in case, because she’s nothing if not pragmatic.

Boys will walk up to hit on Helga, and Curly leans back and rates their courting tactics on a scale of 1 to 10, and nobody ever gets more than a 4. Curly will cup his hands over his mouth and audibly mock them after they inevitably get shut down because Helga is a one-man girl: “Your approach was commonplace, your appeal was substandard, and you should feel bad!” Phoebe will smack him after this.

Helga has adopted this rating system for just about anything-- his mental state, hotness of girls, comfort level-- almost like a secret language akin to Ice Cream, but she mainly uses it to ask Curly about his opinions in cinema. Phoebe is the only one who can keep up with what is being communicated, because they cut out so many words that are, to them, superfluous (Phoebe’s verbiage.)

Helga: Backgrounds, eh, 3.

Curly: 4. Script?

Helga: 5.

Curly: Modest.

Helga: Themes?

Curly: 3.

Helga: Also modest.

Curly is involuntarily good with girls when they come back from break. The kicker is that he is totally, incomprehensibly oblivious to it. He’s simply just a charismatic, romantic, suave guy. Years of pining after Rhonda made that a part of him. Him getting hit on and ogled is just a part of Helga’s life, now. She’s the guard dog who pinches hands when they try to touch the unaware pretty boy.

Now, this definitely causes some jealousy in Arnold, because he’s been trying to be friends with Helga for so long, and Curly just... does it without trying??? Also, he is subconsciously aware FiT was not heat-of-the-moment and this feels oddly like Curly is stealing from him-- not that he acknowledges that or recognizes it on any level. Rhonda is also very, very jealous. Not only did Curly get hot over the summer, now Helga is too??? M’am, there is only room for one beauty in Curly’s life and that has always been her.

Phoebe is put off by the possibility of being replaced at first, and almost certainly gets defensive, offensive with Curly over it. But that’s, like, for one episode arc. Now, they’re a trio and she’s the exasperated Mom that keeps her two chaotic, self-destructive children in check.

People think they’re dating (Arnold and Rhonda will disavow this to anybody who will listen), and come up to them asking about how they met, how they got together. Helga and Curly will go out of their way to fuck with these kids.

Random girl fifth grader, stars in her eyes: What is the key to a stable relationship?

Curly: *Undisguised snorting* Live. Laugh. Love?

Helga: I have no idea! You tell me! I’ve never been in one.

Curly: *unrestrained side-holding laughter*

Some other sixth grader who didn’t go to elementary with them: If your relationship had a theme song what would it be?

Curly, turning to Helga, who is muffling herself: Don’t laugh this is serious. *Turns to sixth grader* Crawling In My Skin.

Helga brings out the artist in Curly, the real man who loves deeply and the cute, handsome dork he is, and reigns in his “crazy”. Curly brings out Helga’s wild side and makes her live a little, and inspires her to hide her true self less. They’re like platonic Morticia and Gomez Adams. In this hypothetical, I’m 90% sure this was a Halloween costume they did together at some point. Phoebe was Wednesday.

#hey arnold #helga pataki #arnold shortman #phoebe heyerdahl #Curly Gammelthorpe #Thaddeus Curly Gammelthorpe #Thaddeus Gammelthorpe #Rhonda Wellington Loyd #ps118 #shortaki #those last bullet points I attribute to Jacksfilms #Also Arnold is the only one who gets a perfect score from Curly when he asks Helga out #Rhonda sees Curly perform Hamlet and falls helplessly in love with him

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fruitcoops · 4 years ago

Note

could we see coops first big fight when they’re married? (essentially pure angst)

Yes, we can! Don’t worry, I got your follow-up ask about a happy ending as well--there are no sad endings on this blog, just some bittersweet ones, and this is very soft and fluffy. Hope you enjoy!

Combined with prompts for...

1. Another of Coops’ serious talks

2. Remus overworking himself to keep up

3. From @colored-rain: Sirius sleeping at Dumo’s for a night

4. Slow dancing in the kitchen

TW for couples fighting, suppression, and marriage issues

“Do you think we got married too fast?” a quiet voice asked in the darkness.

Remus paused for several heartbeats before opening his eyes and turning over; Sirius was staring at the ceiling, wide awake. “What?”

“Do you think we got married too fast?” Sirius repeated without looking at him.

“Do you?” Remus countered. Something panicky was starting to buzz in the back of his brain and he tried to keep his breaths steady. Sirius wasn’t breaking up with him. They had only been married for a few months. Things were really, really good—as far as he knew, they were both happier than they had ever been.

Sirius sighed through his nose. “I don’t know.”

“What?” Remus sat up against the headboard, wide awake. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I—” Sirius shifted to sit up as well and crossed his legs. “I don’t know! People usually date for a lot longer than a year and a half before getting married, right?”

“We’ve known each other for seven years, Sirius.”

��Yes, and I love you, and you’re wonderful, but everything happened so fast.”

Remus wasn’t sure if his heart was trying to crawl out of his chest or dissolve into a puddle of pain. “Are you—Sirius, are you breaking up with me?”

“No!” Sirius said immediately. “I just said I love you, what the hell?”

“People can love each other and still break up!”

Sirius grabbed his hands, holding tight even when Remus tried to pull back and let his panic overtake him. Grey eyes locked on his, as solemn as he had ever seen them. “I’m not breaking up with you, Remus.” The clock on the nightstand beeped midnight and Sirius pressed his lips together. “We have early practice.”

“We need to talk.”

“We need to sleep.”

“Promise we’ll talk tomorrow, then.” We need to talk right now, actually.

Sirius squeezed his hands and kissed his cheek. His cheek. “I promise.”

Remus didn’t sleep much that night. His cheek burned with the memory of Sirius’ lips.

---------------------------

Their morning routine was stilted and quiet. Practice was awkward, and though neither of them let the previous night’s events influence their performance, he knew the tension was palpable. “Y’all good?” Leo asked under his breath as Remus filled his waterbottle up.

“We’re fine,” he answered, exhausted.

“Loops—”

“Stay in your lane, Knut.” He regretted the words as soon as they escaped his mouth—the kicked-puppy look on Leo’s face was more than enough to make guilt spike up—but he kept on moving down the hall and tried to wash the bitter taste from his mouth.

The ride home was worlds worse than he could have expected. Sirius turned the radio off the moment it started to play and kept his eyes firmly on the windshield the entire time, tapping his thumb against the wheel in the tic that always appeared when he was nervous. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t help us fix whatever’s going on.” Remus wasn’t angry, per say, but he was really fucking frustrated with Sirius’ sudden inability to communicate. “Talk to me. What happened?”

Sirius chewed the edge of his lip. “I was just thinking.”

There was a long stretch of silence between them. “Wow, thank you for that incredibly helpful information,” Remus said sarcastically when it became clear he wasn’t going to continue.

“You don’t have to be mean about it,” Sirius muttered.

“I’m not trying to be mean—”

“Well, you kind of were—”

“Then maybe you should talk about your problems for once!” Remus snapped before he could shove it back down. Sirius’ jaw clenched. “If we’re going to work through this, then you have to tell me what the hell happened to make you so worried and upset. Do you regret getting married to me?”

The response was immediate. “No.”

“Thank you.” He leaned his head back against the seat rest and closed his eyes. “Thank you, that was what I needed to hear.”

“Do you think we moved too fast?”

Remus scrubbed a hand over his face. “I used to. I don’t, anymore. There’s no rulebook for any of this. How long have you been thinking about that?”

Sirius started tapping the wheel again. “A couple weeks.”

He may as well have opened the passenger door and booted Remus from the car. A breath punched out of his lungs. “A couple weeks?” he whispered. The world was spinning, the floor was open, hell itself was coming to swallow him up. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I figured it was normal marriage stuff. That it would pass.”

“Oh my god.”

“I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

“And I do?” Remus said incredulously. “News flash: this is the first time I’ve ever been married, too!”

“Please don’t be angry.”

“Being married means you share things, Sirius, not keep them bottled up for two weeks! Especially when they concern the other person!”

Something stormy came over his face. “Oh, really? So when were you planning on talking to me about the fact that you haven’t slept in six days?”

“I literally sleep next to you!”

“You toss and turn all night, and then you get up and run drills for an hour before coming back to bed. Every time I ask how you slept, you lie to my face, Remus. That’s not okay.”

Remus was speechless. He had done everything he could think of to be quiet and careful so Sirius wouldn’t know. “I…”

Sirius glanced over at him, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, I noticed.”

Be an adult. Be an adult. You’re married. Be an adult. “I’m still worried about catching up to the team.”

“I figured. We’ve talked about this before, Re, it’s not safe for you to do that to yourself—”

“You don’t get it!” Sirius pulled into their driveway and turned the car off. “You have no idea how it feels to constantly be catching up to people! I’m fine, it’s not like I’m doing any damage!”

“I’m sorry, did you forget who you’re talking to?”

Remus clenched his teeth and got out of the car, grabbing his duffel from the backseat before slamming the door. He felt a little guilty—the rising memories of hushed confessions of hours of exercise to his father’s whistle meant Sirius understood better than anyone. Then the front door closed behind them both and the indignance on Sirius’ face sent his temper flaring up again. “You never bother to talk to me about anything that’s going on with you, so why should I even try?”

“What happened to ‘marriage is a partnership’?” Sirius followed him into the kitchen. “Have we moved on to the hypocrite stage yet or are we still clearing the air where nothing ever gets solved?”

Remus reeled back like he’d been slapped. “Fucking excuse me?”

“Every time we fight, you start all sarcastic and defensive, and then you get preachy like you’re reading something out of a fucking self-help book!” Sirius ran a hand through his hair. “Christ, Remus, it feels like I’m talking to a therapist instead of my partner!”

“Husband!” The ring on his finger had always been a comfort instead of a lead weight. “You can’t even say it?”

“I don’t regret marrying you!

“Then why are you so upset about us being married young?!”

“Because it’ll fall apart!” Sirius shouted back. “We’re going to be insufferably happy for a while, and then somewhere along the line we’re going to hate each other, and then it’ll be cold looks when we pass and different beds and all our friends will have to pick sides because we can’t stand to be in the same room together!”

“If you’re so sure about that, then why are you trying to fucking hard to keep us together?” Remus’ heart pounded like he’d run a marathon. Hearing his own fears thrown in his face was the most terrifying thing he had ever experienced.

“Because I love you.” Sirius’ voice broke. They were on opposite sides of the kitchen island, but Remus could see the pain on his face. “I love you, and I don’t want some—some impulsive decision to ruin that forever.”

“I love you, too.” Tears clogged the back of Remus’ throat. So stop pushing me away.

“Then I’ll be at Dumo’s.”

Remus nodded silently as Sirius walked past him toward the stairs; the moment he was out of sight, he headed into the downstairs bathroom and sat down with his back to the closed door, burying his face in his forearms. There was a rustle outside, and the front door closed with a click.

It wasn’t until his face itched with drying tears that he remembered Hattie. Guilt and panic stabbed through him and he scrambled back out, sprinting to her bed and then to the backyard. “Hattie?” he called, frantic with worry. “Hattie, c’mere!”

He closed his eyes and thought back to the events of the day. They had left her in the house for practice, and he vaguely remembered hearing her in the other room while they were fighting, and when Sirius left—

“Oh, you bastard,” he said aloud. The rustling of Sirius grabbing his duffel and whatever else he packed had been accompanied by the pattering of Hattie’s paws. “You took our fucking dog.”

Part of him was grateful that at least somebody had remembered their baby. The other part was absolutely furious. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a few deep breaths as the tone played. “Hello?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“Re, are you okay?”

“Not really. Can you pick me up?”

Concern dripped from Lily’s voice. “Where are you?”

“At home.”

“…where’s Sirius?”

“At Dumo’s.”

“I’m on my way.”

-----------------------------------

Harry Potter had been alive for less than two years, and he had been cried on by about half the Lions. Finn had started referring to him as ‘therapy baby’, and Remus was inclined to agree—it was hard to feel anything extreme when he was holding the pudgy little angel to his chest.

“So you fought?” Lily asked gently from the armchair across from him. Remus nodded. The whole story had spilled out in a gross mess of sobbing and baby snuggles until he laid down on his back, holding Harry to his chest as he dozed.

“I feel like an idiot,” he said miserably.

“Don’t.”

“It was awful.”

“I bet.”

Remus sniffled and kissed the top of Harry’s head. “Thank you for getting me. I didn’t want to be there alone.”

“I’m glad you called.” She took a sip of tea and gave him a look that he never liked. “Re, can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

“I was kind of waiting for this to happen.” At his stricken expression, she folded her hands around the sides of her mug. “I don’t think you got married too early, because neither of you do big things like that on impulse and you love each other so much. However, I do think that you have a habit of trying to protect each other from the shit you carry with you. James did the same thing to me, and it sucked.”

“It does suck,” Remus agreed. “I hate the thought that he can’t trust me.”

Lily held her finger up and shook her head. “Nope. It’s not an issue of trust, is it? Why didn’t you tell Sirius that you were having trouble sleeping?”

“Because I didn’t want to worry h—oh.” Harry wiggled around for a moment and Remus adjusted himself so he was leaning on the armrest. “I think I get it now.”

“You guys need to talk about that at some point or it’s going to keep coming up.”

“Is that what you and James did?”

“No, we let it fester for, like, a year and then broke up for two weeks.”

Remus made a sympathetic face. “I forgot about that part. I should call him, huh?”

Lily shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

“I want to apologize,” he said carefully. The sore spot in his heart and chest still twinged. “But I’m still really upset. And hurt. And a little angry? Mostly worried. There’s so much happening, I just want to hold your baby.”

“Go for it, he’s having a blast. Lover?”

There was a shuffling sound from the other room before James appeared in the doorway. “Yes?”

Remus snorted. “Simp.”

“Yes, and? What’s up, darling?”

“Can I have some more tea?” She batted her eyelashes at him with a dimpled smile and he sighed, then took her mug with him into the kitchen.

“You only love me for my kettle!” he called over his shoulder with a grin.

“Maybe!”

Remus turned his head to look at Lily while he ran a hand over Harry’s back. “Lils?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I preachy when I’m upset?”

She frowned. “What?”

“Preachy. Like—like I’m reading out of a self-help book.”

With a heavy sigh, she stood up and walked to the couch, leaning over the armrest to kiss his forehead. “No, Re, you’re not preachy. You like being right, but you’re not preachy.”

“Sirius thinks we’ll end up like his parents.”

“I’m not surprised about that, either.” She brushed his messy hair off his forehead and braided a small strand along the front, then gave it a little tug. “Guest bedroom’s yours for as long as you need it, okay?”

“That might be a while.”

She shook her head and patted his shoulder. “It won’t.”

“Could be.”

“Remus.”

“Sorry. Sleep well, Lils.” He sat up slightly and covered Harry’s ears. “And you, eavesdropper!”

“Love you!” James laughed from the other room. Lily picked the sleepy baby up and ushered Remus into the guest room with a final ‘goodnight’.

-----------------------------------

“Am I an idiot?” Sirius asked.

The bed creaked as Dumo readjusted his legs. “No, mon fils, you’re not an idiot. You are a young man going through his first marriage spat.”

“I hate it. I hate it. I said horrible things to him.”

“It sounds like you’re both to blame.”

“No, I brought it up first.” Dumo huffed, and he let out a slow exhale into the pillow. “Okay, maybe—maybe we were both in the wrong.”

“Fights are rarely one-sided. You have a visitor.”

Something cold prodded Sirius’ ear and he groaned, then curled on his side to let Hattie onto the covers next to him. “Bonjour, sweet girl. Thank you for the cuddles.”

She licked his nose and he smiled, petting the velvety top of her head. “Are you staying here tonight?”

“I was thinking about it. Re’s got the house to himself for a bit, then, and he knows I’m here.”

“I’m glad you’re taking the time to calm down a bit,” Dumo said as he stood with a final ruffle of Sirius’ hair. “That’s a wise decision. Bonne nuit.”

Sirius mumbled a response and made more room for Hattie, then settled in for a restless night. He never wanted to sleep alone again.

----------------------------------

By some miracle, practice was more bearable the second day. Remus still ached somewhere deep inside, but it wasn’t like he had anything else left to suppress. Seeing Sirius was a relief; it surprised him at first, considering the explosive nature of the previous evening, before sliding into something that soothed him. If he could still find peace in Sirius after all that, they would be okay.

He knocked lightly on the side of Sirius’ stall after he returned from the shower. “Knock, knock. Ca—”

“Who’s there?”

Remus’ heart stuttered as Sirius looked up at him from the bench with an apologetic tilt to his mouth. Something clicked into place. “Can I get a ride?”

“ ‘course you can.” Sirius stood up just as Remus stepped forward, and they met in the middle for a tight hug. He tucked his face into the dip of Sirius’ collarbone and breathed in his shower-fresh smell, as well as the trace of laundry detergent from his shirt.

“Love you,” he murmured.

“Let’s go, mon loup.” Sirius pressed a kiss to his hair and they headed out toward the parking lot together; Remus caught Leo’s eye and saw him smile.

“How’s Dumo doing?” Remus asked as they turned out of the parking lot. Start slow, start easy. “Did you drop Hattie off at home before you came to practice?”

“Yeah, I did. He’s good, and Celeste sent me back with some brownies.”

Remus tentatively reached over and rested his hand on the side of Sirius’ thigh—his chest visibly caught before he relaxed into it and reached down to put his own overtop. “Harry’s doing well. Lily says he’s almost started running.”

“Did you go see them?”

“Stayed at their place last night.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It felt weird being there by myself.”

“Re—”

“I’m so sorry.” The words spilled out in a rush, despite his best efforts to keep it in until they reached home. “I’m sorry for everything I said to you, and especially for how I said it. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about how I was feeling, too. It should never have gotten to that point.”

“Apology accepted.” Sirius sounded a little choked up. “I don’t think we got married too soon, if that means anything.”

“Of course it means something,” Remus half-laughed as he wiped the dampness from the corners of his eyes. “It means everything.”

“I thought it might be too late.”

“Can you pull over for a second?” Sirius obliged, and as soon as he turned the car off, Remus turned to face him. He linked their hands, making sure Sirius was looking into his eyes. “It is never too late to talk to me, okay? I’m sorry if I ever made you think that it was.”

Sirius unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over for a brief kiss that sent bubbling warmth throughout Remus’ entire body. “I’m so, so sorry for yelling at you. And for keeping everything in, even though we both promised to stop doing that. All that shit I said, it—it wasn’t true, Re, and I wasn’t thinking.”

Remus rested their foreheads together and wound his fingers in the short curls fanning Sirius’ face. “Honey, we’re not your parents.”

Sirius swallowed hard. “I know.”

“So you don’t have to be afraid that we’re going to hate each other out of the blue, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“If—” His mouth went a little dry and he faltered. “If you want to take a break, or take things slower, I totally respect—”

“Nope, no, no, no,” Sirius interrupted, grabbing his cheeks and pulling him in for another fervent kiss. “I love you. I’m happy with you. I let my head get away from me, and I’m sorry.”

“All’s forgiven, love.” They sat in silence for a minute longer as Sirius traced his jawline. “Let’s go home.”

-------------------------------------

Sirius woke up in bed alone, which would have scared him if he didn’t know exactly where his husband was. He smiled to himself and got out of bed, grabbing a hoodie off their dresser before heading downstairs.

The kitchen light was on and music played quietly from Remus’ phone over the sound of running water. “You’re up late,” he said casually from the doorway.

Remus almost dropped a pot. “Jesus Christ!”

“Just me.” Sirius wrapped his arms around his waist as he set the pot on the drying rack. “Stressed?”

“A little. I forgot to do these earlier and didn’t want to leave them overnight again.” Sirius hummed his agreement and rocked back and forth, then took Remus’ hand and spun him in a slow circle. “Oh, are we slow dancing to the Billboard Top 100 now?”

“Very romantic, I know,” Sirius laughed.

Remus shook his head with a wide grin as they swayed, much too slow for the actual song but absolutely perfect. He was beautiful in the low light of their kitchen, puffy eyes from and all. “You are ridiculous.”

I’m the luckiest person alive. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Sirius leaned down for a series of quick kisses, pulling him in until their chests pressed together. Remus let go of his hand and draped both arms over his shoulders, tangling his hands in his hair. “I know we can’t exactly control it,” Sirius said against his lips. “But let’s never fight like that again.”

“Deal.”

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cor-ardens-archive · 3 years ago

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hey mari have you ever seen Do Começo ao Fim? I'm not sure if it's 100% your style but i saw it years ago and, well, it sure was a gay incest movie. thoughts if you have seen it?

I HAVE and I actually have so much to say about this movie. You asked for this...

[CW for discussions of incest, of course.]

[This is long. Spoiler: I didn’t like it.]

Mostly I did not enjoy it at all, and it felt really off to me the way it just... glosses over the incest? For a movie that is supposedly about an incestuous relationship there was very little conflict about it, which is a choice I do not understand. I’m about to be a little harsh, so I’ll say what I did like about it first. So, the good: Júlia Lemmertz did a fine job as their mother, and their relationship with her is quite beautiful. The actors who play Francisco and Tomaz aren’t very good, but they do have chemistry together, and the love between them was evident in the way they talked, touched and looked at one another - although to be honest, that got very weird and cheesy too (I cringed every time Francisco said “irmãozinho”). Other than that, it was just bland, and I didn't think about it for years.

But then, years later, I read The Carnivorous Lamb by Agustín Gómez-Arcos, which is also about a gay incestuous relationship between two brothers, only it's set in Spain, and the whole thing is an extremely obvious metaphor for the civil war. There are a lot of similarities that made me think Do Começo Ao Fim was inspired by this book, but what really sealed it for me is that in The Carnivorous Lamb, Ignacio, the younger brother, is born with his eyes closed and remains that way for sixteen days:

“Sixteen days!” she exclaimed. “Can you believe it? He waited sixteen days to open his eyes! We were all standing around his cradle, and do you know what he did? Without hesitating, he looked straight at his brother, staring at him as if he were trying to hypnotize him. My dear, you can’t imagine how upset I was. Never, but never, will I forget those eyes, opening to the light for the first time, already full of shadows picked up God knows where. What infernal whirlwind was he riding during those sixteen days of my torment? What brought him to such a state? I never knew. He never looked at me. Or at his father either. His unblinking eyes were still locked on his brother’s.

[...]

So on the sixteenth day after my birth, I opened my eyes and unhesitatingly looked straight at my brother Antonio.

The exact same thing happens to Tomaz in Do Começo Ao Fim - he's born with his eyes closed and remains that way for weeks until he opens them and looks straight at his brother. There's a major difference, though, in how their mothers react. In The Carnivorous Lamb, the mother is selfish and oppressive. She makes a spectacle of her son's blindness, and is extremely disappointed when he opens his eyes because it ruins her plans of turning herself into some kind of martyr. In fact, she resents Ignacio for everything from the moment he is born, perhaps because she already senses they're the same.

In Do Começo Ao Fim, Tomaz's mother is not at all worried about his closed eyes because she knows he'll open them when he's ready. Tomaz says that's how he learned free will, which also puts him in direct opposition to Ignacio, who spends his childhood locked inside his own home and who never develops a sense of self outside of his relationship with his brother. Whereas in The Carnivorous Lamb incest is the product of a dysfunctional, abusive and unhappy family life, it’s framed as something natural and even healthy in Do Começo Ao Fim.

Of course, the movie is not an adaptation of Gómez-Arcos’s book, it’s just somewhat inspired by it. But it invited the comparison, and I think it’s curious how absolutely different they are, and how much the contrast sheds light in the blandness of the film.

The Carnivorous Lamb is theatrical to point of being ridiculous - entirely on purpose, because the characters know they’re playing their parts in a spectacle. Do Começo Ao Fim is also ridiculous, but I don’t think it’s on purpose, and it has nothing to say - and yet it manages to be preachy, what with the terrible, pointless voice-over of Tomaz telling us the themes of the movie, like “This is how I learned free will” and “I’ll never let them lock us in a cage”. Geez.

But for all that, it almost entirely skirts around the issue of incest. In fact, it doesn’t feel a narrative of incest at all, because that’s never a source of conflict. Not only Tomaz and Francisco happy together, they seem to be in a very healthy relationship, and everyone in their life loves and supports them. They even get their mother’s blessing (who is like a divine figure for them, so it’s like God is saying it’s all fine).

I suppose that’s because incest in this movie is a romantic fantasy and not reflective of how sibling incest actually happens in real life. But even then, it doesn’t actually explore, like, the consequences of violating this taboo out of love. It doesn’t explore anything, because there’s never any real conflict. Everything is bland, uninteresting, out of touch and sanitized to death, which is actually what I find most offensive about it.

It’s not just the fact of the incest, the film just refuses to deal with anything, which means there’s barely a story. The major conflict in the movie is that Tomaz and Francisco are going to need to spend some time apart in different countries because of their respective careers. This is understandably difficult for them because they haven’t spent any time apart since Tomaz was born. However, they quickly and efficiently solve this issue by communicating with each other with love and respect, making the choice together, parting ways and eventually reuniting. So even though everything points to a codependent relationship, they’re actually able to solve their problem like any normal, healthy couple would, because the writer hates me personally and doesn’t want to make anything even remotely interesting.

It’s a very curious movie in that way, because it’s like the writer was trying very hard to not tell a story. And he succeeded.

(Also, it’s interesting that you’ve seen this movie, I actually don’t know anyone else who has, except my mom. She also didn’t like it, she said it was boring.)

#i've been dying to talk about this because apparently no one else's pointed out the The Carnivorous Lamb influence #truly love u for this one

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bettsfic · 5 years ago

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hi betts! one of the things I appreciate about many of your stories is the way your characters are capable both of hurting the people they love and of loving people who hurt them. so often these days tumblr seems ready to paint those kinds of dynamics with a broad "abuse" brush and cancel/censor them rather than tell or appreciate an interesting story. do you have any advice for writing characters who hurt each other? how do you make it feel so truthful, and not at all preachy?

i’ve been sitting on this question for a long time because i want to give it the answer it deserves, but i don’t think i can do that without writing an entire book on the subject (which i intend to do someday, and if i do the phd it will very likely be my dissertation subject). it might be my favorite question i’ve ever received.

i came up with a list of “ways people hurt each other (and why you might still love the people who hurt you)” that i may save for another post. i simultaneously want to write my personal story of abuse – the ways in which i’ve been hurt and have also hurt others – but i don’t think that’s an effective response either.

the simplest answer i can come up with is this:

the reality of abuse is terrifying. people are not always inclined to look frightening things in the face, especially if they’re really looking into a mirror. to render cruelty as it really is means you have to empathize with atrocity. to empathize with atrocity, you have to accept that with the right circumstances, you are just as capable of hurting others as anyone else. you might have different reasons, you might have different means, but as a writer, you are tasked with staring into your darkest self and loving the thing that resides there.

cruelty is a matter of priority. if you make a list of mean things anyone has ever done to you, you will see a pattern emerge. each time, someone has prioritized something else over your comfort or happiness. very often, this pattern is self-serving. when someone cuts you off in traffic, they’re prioritizing their gain over etiquette and safety. when someone breaks into your house and steals all your stuff, they’re prioritizing their desire for your stuff over your ownership and sense of security. when someone you love cheats on you, they’re prioritizing their relationship with someone else over their relationship to you. when someone hits you, they’re prioritizing they’re desire for power and control over your safety and agency.

humans are not naturally drawn to malice without personal benefit. despite what comic book movies will have you believe, the drive to cause pain for the sake of chaos is an extreme rarity. it’s easy to other and objectify that experience because it’s so difficult for most people to understand. what is harder to accept is that “normal” people are capable of horrible deeds, and that you might be capable of loving them. serial killers and mass murderers are driven by control, prejudice, toxic rhetoric, and a distortion of identity which makes them believe it is part of who they are to do these awful things. as a writer, you are allowed to – and should – empathize with and have compassion for your cruelest characters. just because you can understand them and sympathize with them doesn’t put you on the same level as them. you’re allowed to find compassion for sex offenders, pedophiles, rapists, murderers, bigots, or trump. you certainly don’t have to, but for some of us it’s much harder to hate people than it is to love them. maybe part of the work of our life is to navigate the difficult divide between compassion for the self and for the other. if i allow an abusive partner into my life, i am not practicing self-compassion, and so i have to prioritize my love for myself over their love for me. and that may hurt them, but that’s okay. hurting people and being hurt by them is an inevitable part of being human. the only thing we can control is the path of our compassion.

there is no such thing as good or bad people, only people who choose to prioritize certain things over others. you are never a bad person for wanting to explore those priorities in art, or to introspect on your own priorities. it’s okay to ask yourself what you’re willing to do to survive. could you kill someone? rape someone? torture someone? if the answer is “no” – how are you sure? and if you’re not sure, if there’s even a sliver of a potential for “yes,” how can you still love yourself? it’s okay to look on your past and admit to the ways you’ve hurt people, and forgive yourself. it’s okay to see the ways people have hurt you, and choose to forgive them, even if they haven’t apologized, even if they don’t “deserve” it. these are all difficult and fearful things to think about and accept in yourself, but it’s a worthy task, and art is an effective method of confronting the terrifying truths of life.

as a writer, i believe it is more important for a story to pose difficult questions than it is to answer them. you can use fiction as a way to make peace with the cruelty you find in yourself and others. you don’t have to have solutions. you don’t have to admit you know the answers to unanswerable questions. but you can write stories that present problems, and you can use narrative to navigate difficult terrain. next time you sit down to write something, consider: how might you love monsters? how can you better love yourself?

#writing advice #dow20 #tsatp #Anonymous

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clover-png · 5 years ago

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character quirks!

originally this was going to be a list of passive and active character quirks (ex. passive = loves history but knows nothing about it, active = well, everything on this list), but once i started it, i realized that’s not how it works?? all of your quirks and hobbies and loves and hates leave stains on your personality, even in the tiniest ways. so here’s a list of quirks that actively change your character, with simple explanations! and please remember, this is strictly for characters. it is, in one way or another, based in stereotype! and humans aren’t built around stereotype, you are not built around stereotype.

i don’t write about what I don’t know about, so almost all of this is taken directly from my own self or someone i know :]

only likes cold pizza/raw bagels/the off-brand version of a popular food - can indicate this character is a particular, detail-oriented person, and typically this type of person is not snobbish, but they are stubborn (if you’re looking for something similar to indicate the person is snobbish: they refuse to eat leftovers, wipe grease off their food, shuns fast-food restaurants)

homeschooled/grew up homeschooled - coming directly from a homeschooler, we get a bad rep! not all homeschoolers are antisocial, extremely religious or have old-fashioned views on society. that being said, homeschoolers tend to act more like their parents and siblings than other kids do, and that’s where those stereotypes tend to stem from. while many homeschoolers are very sociable, it’s common for them to still be more reserved and a little more socially inept than other kids, just from lack of practice. homeschoolers also tend have a strong sense of loneliness, even if they have lots of friends/have graduated, that feeling will stick.

walks along the curb of the street, swinging one foot in front of the other - turning something as minuscule as walking along the side of a road into a silent game shows that they are in their mind a lot, they live in their imaginations. showing them walking normally can indicate that something’s wrong. traits that match with this quirk but aren’t necessary: quiet, optimistic

hates wearing hats/skirts/tights/etc. - a person that hates hats/skirts/tights/whatever is very much comfort before fashion. they’ll tend to not wear fully matching or fitting clothing and this can stem from a fear of change. if someone who openly dislikes wearing hats comes into the room in a beret, it’s change (yes, it can be as small as that. trust me, it took me 2 years to work up the courage to wear a non-formal dress in front of my family.)

always tapping their foot/bobbing their head/patting their leg - this means someone is more musically inclined than others, and it’s almost always subconscious. they probably play multiple instruments, and come from a family of musicians/music-lovers. close friends/family might make fun of them for dancing all the time, or someone might get frustrated when they won’t stop doing it during a serious moment

zones out easily/can stare at nothing for hours - similar to the person walking on the curb, a character that tends to zone out on nothing for long periods of time is probably daydreaming about the other lives they could lead. they might feel like they’re stuck with the hand they got dealt in life. when things go wrong, they’ll probably get as far away from every person as possible and fantasize about running away and starting it all over. they don’t have to be loners, but they’ll typically feel isolated and different from their friends, maybe not as invested in their friendship as the other person is.

having stuffed animals - a character, especially outside of young childhood, having stuffed animals can be a sign of their loneliness, the manufactured hug of a friend or soft fur of a pet when they don’t have the real thing nearby. a character with stuffed animals might be more empathetic and sensitive than others, getting upset if someone makes fun of them for it or holding extra tight onto one that fell or got damaged somehow. they also might have childlike fears or simply be more fearful than most, and the stuffed animals might be a sanctuary for them

draws slight attention to themselves in public (listens to music without earbuds, does things that could be done inside [painting, reading, stuff like that] outside, asks a stranger a question to prove their point in a conversation, wears bold clothes, talks loudly, etc.) - while it’s possible for these to just be seen as obnoxious/extroverted quirks, on a deeper level they can imply the character wants something to happen. they want to be seen by strangers. maybe they consume a lot of entertainment (books, tv, movies) and they subconsciously set up their life to be met with question, then a greeting, then a friendship, constantly giving “The One” a chance to appear.

hates jewelry - fear of being trapped. a necklace feels like being choked, a bracelet feels like being chained down, a ring feels like circulation is cut off, but also take it in a figurative way. by accepting the jewelry, an expensive gift, they’re accepting that someone cares about them/they’re accepting that they have to wear it enough to make up for the cost. it sounds dumb i know but i can tell you from experience this is a very real thing

puts off work to the last second/procrastinates - i’ve really grown to hate that word. they grew up smart, or with an easy workload, and now they refuse to adjust to the updated workload. this one is short but there’s about a million posts on procrastination, and i’m sure there’s a more in-depth one than i could ever do! some ideas for prompts for this quirk is running out of time on something important, someone getting mad at the character for leaving the work until the last minute when they need them, being overworked, having a stress-induced meltdown and a love interest/forming friendship offers to help

goes through phases rapidly - based on what kind of phases they are, this could show unrest at home for a secondary character. one day they go to MC’s house wearing florals smelling like fabric softener, soft rock music wafting through the air from their cheap earbuds. they’re making clever jokes and urging MC to go on a walk in nature with them. next week, they show up wearing a ragged, wrinkled black t-shirt and they have bags under their eyes, looking like they haven’t showered in five days. they’re being insensitive with their sarcastic cracks and impatient with MC’s reactions, maybe even admitting they didn’t know why they showed up in the first place. obviously that’s a dramatic juxtaposition, but just an idea.

a gentle vandal (carving their initials into old wood, drawing/writing in textbooks, letters to no one put in cheap bottles and thrown into the ocean, underlining passages in books, so on and so forth) - fear of being forgotten, a good romantic partner/close friend of this character would be someone who reminds them they’re not alone in the universe.

never paints their nails/does their hair/wears extravagant clothes - fear of being seen as “different,” doesn’t want to be noticed by people. probably was bullied when they were young, or they have a family with a Reputation™ to uphold

struggles to accept compliments - a character that struggles with compliments, and basically any positive attention on themselves, would have low self-esteem to begin with. they probably didn’t grow up being seen as “pretty,” or someone made them feel ugly when they were young, regardless of whether it was true or not (example: Cinderella)

tips restaurant employees/delivery people way above the average/gives big gifts for small celebrations - this could mean they grew up in a upper class/upper middle class household and feels guilty for it, or that they grew up in a lower class/working class household and know what it feels like not to get gifts/have extra money. either way, it can give you insight to a character’s past without too much exposition, just a simple line of dialogue after an action.

always has at least one band-aid on somewhere - this can show that a character is careless with themselves, or maybe that they have a very active mind and force their body to match it (running to write something down and tripping, getting excited about seeing something pretty to sketch in nature and getting scratched by thorns as they tried to reach it as fast as they could, etc.)

wears vintage clothes and/or watches old movies - in the most accurate sense, i think, a character who enjoys these types of things would likely have an old soul, they probably think life should be more exciting than it is, and they’re dissatisfied with the current state of humanity (this doesn’t mean that they have to have an old-fashioned mindset! i wear vintage clothes and one of my favorite movies is meet me in st. louis, but i’m still VERY glad we don’t live like they did. not everything that makes logical sense in life can be drawn together with a bow on top)

i hope this didn’t come off too preachy or anything? i mean, i don’t know shit, i just like writing and characters that make sense, and i feel like i see a lot of character flaw lists that are very.. generalized, and not everything works for every character! obviously you’re free to use any of these, but if you’d like to show me how you used them in your story i’d love to see it!!! feel free to message me any time!

#writing #writing prompts #writing tips #scene prompts #writeblr #writing inspiration #writing inspo #lolas posts

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smokeybrand · 4 years ago

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Sacked

This Empyre crossover Marvel farted out was so gay, man. I’m not saying that to be homophobic, I'm saying that as a matter of fact. There were a lot of queer folks getting the spotlight in this and i think it was a detriment to the overall narrative, not in the sense that the representation was bad, but more that the overall narrative felt like queer pandering. I was never a huge fan of Wiccan and Hulkling as characters, the only Young Avenger i found compelling was Finesse, but i didn’t hate them being a thing. I actually enjoyed the fact that they loved each other and shared a very openly gay relationship during a time when that type of stuff still needed to be normalized. That said, these two kids are B-List at best. They’re non-factors in the Marvel universe so why the f*ck do they get to headline an entire crossover event? Literally, who thought this was good idea?

Marvel has been real sh*tty as of late with their writing. There are certain outstanding plots and arcs but those aren’t the norm. I really enjoyed the newest Doom book and whatever the f*ck Hickman is doing over yonder with the X-Men is wildly intriguing. Professor X has finally, properly, transformed into Mr. Right, Magneto? I’m here for all of that. Apocalypse is hanging around being mad sinister about some sh*t that will lead to the corniest crossover event i have ever seen, but still want to see because the first Death is f*cking Anubis and i live for that type of sh*t? Yessir! The last, massive, Thor crossover, War of the Reams was pretty hilarious and had great character interactions that i loved. That last Secret Wars was f*cking phenomenal, following the equally excellent Incursion arcs. God Doom’s Battleworld was the best Battleworld to date. House of M, Spider-Island, Seige, Fear Itself, Spider-verse, Infinity, the SpOck arc; All of these tales, f*cking outstanding. The thing about all of those stories i just listed is that they have an actual story. Those narratives felt like they had a place to go. There was a real plot and the events therein, actually amounted to something. There were very real consequences and definitive shifts in the status quo once those narratives concluded. Empyre has none of that.

Empyre is so queer, man, and that’s the problem. It feels like the writers started with how gay Wiccan and Hulkling were, and worked backwards to fit some sort of conflict tos bury that lead. It cheapens the validity of their relationship and it grosses me out. This was effectively stunt writing, Twatter catering, gender politic, cash grabbing. Billy and Theo deserve their happy ending and they deserved a much better narrative to get them there. It’s been a long time coming, but to marry them in the most obnoxious, over-the-top, Bayhem-esque, manner possible, feels like cop out. This whole story feels like agenda over narrative and that’s the sh*t f*cking up everything in media today. Look, Billy and Theodore can be as gay as you want them to be. That’s fine. I’m here for all of that. But those are just aspects of the characters, not their definition. There should never be an intergalactic conflict where the sun is going to blow up the entire f*cking solar system, and all of that drama takes a backseat to the sexuality of two kids who have been f*cking on the regular for, what? A decade and a half? I mean, the entire resolution to this mess was “The Power of Love” like they’re both Disney Princesses or some sh*t. You should have called this arc Frozen because it has that same energy.

I’ve written at length about how i feel diversity should be portrayed in our entertainment media. It absolutely needs to be there. The sh*t we watch should always reflect the world we live in and this world is a rainbow of race, creed, sexuality, and capability. If you want to focus your narrative on any single one of these things, to define your entire story and conflict through such a narrow lens, that’s fine. The best way to tell those stories is to make them as intimate as possible because those are, by nature, very personal and intimate stories. Peanut Butter Falcon, Boys Don’t Cry, and Love Simon, are perfect examples of that. This is not the type of story Empyre presents. If you want to write a sprawling epic that examines what it means to be whatever in the context of a narrative, that’s fine, too. I don’t care for The Old Guard but the way they explore what it means to live forever, what it means to love forever, in such an organically beautiful manner, i couldn’t help but commend that production for it. Even if the film whiffed on the rest of the character adaption. This is the type of story Empyre wants to tell but it reads like the opposite of that. It reads like the whole Rey debacle and “The Force is Female” situation with Star Wars. It feels preachy and forced, not respectful and genuine. That’s the wrong way to handle all of this.

You want to marry Billy and Theo, f*cking go for it. Make it an event in a one shot like they did Spider-Man or Superman. Make that an arc unto itself. That’s one of those intimate stories i was talking about. You don’t need an entire, intergalactic, war as a prelude to something that should have happened a decade ago. I mean, the way Marvel bent over backwards to bring eternal enemies, the Kree and the Skrulls, together for this creatively bankrupt, sermon as some weird ploy to make this marriage mean more than it should feels like they didn’t have faith in doing just that. It’s kind of offensive. Just write good stories with great characters and everything will take care of itself. Billy shouldn’t be a glorified deus ex machina and solve the puzzled that is the Kree-Skrull alliance “with his kiss.” Theo doesn’t have the clout to be an entire linchpin to a massive, multi-issue, crossover event. Like, who cares? Both of these characters deserve much better than this, and that’s coming from a guy who doesn’t really care about either of them. This entire event feels so disingenuous to me, which is a shame, because this thing had all of the hallmarks of being as dope as Annihilation only Marvel went “Full Woke” with their nonsense. This sh*t reads as bad as those new New Warriors that dropped a few months back. Marvel is overextending trying to appeal to that Twatter crowd and it’s making their books damn near unreadable. Sh*t’s all bad comedy now.

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powerborntouch · 5 years ago

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“The Altered Adventure: Luck of the Guardians (Chp 2)” reaction

I’M SO PUMPED.

This post has been written on April 7. But you’ll see this after my hiatus.

Time to post about Luck of the Guardians. Now, if you don’t want spoilers, stop scrolling down and blacklist “altered adventure spoilers” or “luck of the guardians”

Again, too much telling than showing. I want to see Brayden be bullied by the guards, not be told that it happened “off screen.” How else is the audience going to feel sympathy for Brayden?

“power-hungry guardians” Narrator, what have the guardians done to you?! Who hurt you, narrator?

...Tayren and Gypsy met. ...why would you bomb that info on us like that? Now I’m just confused. Again, I would like to see this in a flashback, not told to us.

OK. We get character dialogue and behavior now. Good. Much better.

Dang...now I’m intrigued by what Divine (or Voice) is like in the novels. Nevermind, read a few pages ahead. Cyborg Dad is confirmed.

Anyways, I really like the character interactions.

I’m so confused. Who are the beings roaming around after Alpha’s death? The power-borns? The book explains later that it’s because the powerborns are the ones who are wreaking havoc after his death and the Guardians are just like *shrug* I’m glad this is answered. But this just brings up more questions.

Why do powerborns become more active after the King’s death. Did the king oppress them? Did his presence somehow “zap” the powerborns’ energy (supported by the origins of Brayden’s powers, debunked by Witch’s family having powers during Alpha’s lifetime)? And the guardians really didn’t do anything? I would like to get their side of the story.

The foreshadowing is getting a little bit too obvious now.

I think the novel just confirmed that the Package was the pack that slaughtered Tayren. So if you were a roleplay fan who theorized this, congratulations! Theory confirmed!

I have a question...why didn’t the Package kill Tayren? Did Tayren escape before they could experiment on him?

...HOLY SHIZ. THAT’S SOME PLOT CHANGE WITH ROBIN’S DEATH.

omg, these purple fireflies. WHAT DO THEY MEAN?!?

Why is Brayden suddenly not clumsy?

PURPLE FIREFLIES. WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES? I NEED TO KNOW.

GARRICK. NOOOO. AAAAAH, THAT’S JUST A WASTE. GIVING HIM SO MUCH CHARACTERIZATION ONLY FOR HIM TO DIE.

NOOOOOO.

Seriously, now I feel like Garrick’s life or death situation dragged on for nothing.

So, if Garrick’s characterization wasn’t for a possible redemption story, since he’s now dead, then I guess Garrick’s characterization was just to exemplify a theme. Brayden did get pretty preachy to Garrick. So one message of the novel is that “no one’s evil. Just angry and needs some kindness and serenity.”

...maybe that message is a key to a potential redemption arc for Witch...please???? pllleeee-e-e-ease?

...Who is this cloaked stranger.

BOI, IT’S ALPHA

So the protectors of the Air Kingdom are sci-fi undead ghosts...I think Air Kingdom is a bit far from modern times.

So...Stand Down City was Alpha’s home and now Voice’s home (nice choice, Voice).

Voice, man, are you a hot mess? Is this metropolis abandoned because of you? Or is this metropolis abandoned after Alpha died and you tried to rebuild it because you’re Voice? Anyways, Voice, you suck at rebuilding areas. You shouldn’t play Minecraft or SimCity. You’ll suck at those games.

And Voice, are you a necromancer now?

Voice, you’re not gonna ask Alpha who the heck he is alive?

The guardians: We like how things are now. Altered: *is a hot mess* Me: ... *laughs*

Now I can see why the Guardians suck. But they suck because they don’t know how to rule. That’s a believable reason and I can see that the Guardians are not truly evil. They’re just a hot mess. I need to stop using that word.

omg, the book just confirms that the metropolis is abandoned because of Voice. WOW VOICE. WOW. GOOD JOB VOICE. NO WONDER THE REBELLION DOESN’T LIKE GUARDIANS. GOOD THINKING VOICE. YOU REALLY ARE A HOT MESS. TM. I’M SURPRISED YOU’RE THE MOST POPULAR GUARDIAN. It makes me curious of what the other guardians do, if Voice’s reputation is the best.

I like seeing Voice’s perspective more. I like seeing how he’s just an idealistic guy who’s got the wrong direction.

OH SHIZ. ANOTHER PLOT CHANGE. HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT THE DILEMMA BETWEEN VOICE AND INFERNO. AAAAAAH

BUT I LOVE THIS. I WANT MORE VILLAINOUS VOICE. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HIS REDEMPTION ARC AND HIS LATER INTERACTIONS WITH WITCH TOO.

AAAAAHHH.

The evil beings in Nether are called Trumperts. Trump-erts. Gizzy, you’re getting political now with writing, eh? I know that feeling, my man. I got way too personal with the stories I write too.

The city of the Nether though. *does that finger/kiss gesture* Mwah. Beautiful world-building. Voice, take notes from Inferno. This is how you manage a city/kingdom. Will, Inferno is still a terrible leader, but at least he’s functional.

Yaaaaay, Inferno backstory. I’m loving this. And I’m glad there’s a given reason why Inferno is hated.

Dang, Inferno. Take a chill pill.

Inferno’s received a lot of characterization. I’ll try to analyze him in a different post.

...Hmm. One problem I have is that Brayden is just revealed to be the king’s son. But the book just glossed that over. I think that wasn’t handled very well.

#altered adventure spoilers #altered adventure #alteredadventure #altered reactions #altered adventure book #luck of the guardians

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thiswaycomessomethingwicked · 6 years ago

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My other issues include, but are not limited to:

1. Somehow the Fabulism was boring. Jack can literally hear objects talk and this was just ... somehow ... boring

2. Jack’s girl friend, a sex worker from the Fens, performs top surgery on Jack and a) he doesn’t die of blood loss; b) he doesn’t die from shock (I don’t know he had that convenient weird drug given to him, but still); and c) doesn’t die from resulting infection. It is the Year Of Our Lord 1724.

2.A I think he also somehow killed a man in the middle of this which seems highly unlikely.

3. Poor interpretation of a 17th century street cleaning law which demonstrates the author’s lack of understanding of English medieval common law and its movement into the early modern period because they’re too busy being a Radical Marxist or some shit.

3.A Yes the city of London took charge of the streets because the previous law, requiring everyone to keep their street portions clean, wasn’t working. Have you seen how no one fucking shovels their sidewalk in the winter? And that’s like 2 sq ft. No one was cleaning the streets. We have a court record from a dispute between two neighbours because they kept moving a horse carcass back and forth between their houses. With the coming of the plague and other fun and exciting rapidly infectious diseases the City understood that something needed to be done about the filth. Good lord it wasn’t about commodifying your literal shit. It was about trying to reduce miasma which they thought caused the bubonic plague oh my god.

4. Look, capitalism is evil. I hate it as much as the next person. But I do try and not apply marxist theory to a period where it’s not really relevant. I’m all for against-the-grain renditions of history both in academia and in fiction but this one is so preachy about how corporations are bad.

5. It’s so heavy handed! Corporations are evil. Blah blah blah. Capitalism makes commodities of us all. Blah blah blah. I really dislike books where it feels like the author is preaching at you which is the case here. I also dislike books where it feels like you’re clearly supposed to like this character because idk they’re Good or something which is the feeling I get about Jack.

5.A Dude was a literal thief. Dude was not Robin Hood, though he absolutely played into that myth. He was very good at constructing a mythology around himself. I know this book is supposed to be a found manuscript that is a supposed biography of Jack and if the author is trying to lean into that Defoe-esque myth making from Jack Shepard’s life it’s done to the point where I just really hate the sort of underlying jacking off to how radical and anti-capitalist the two main characters are. Like by all means have this be a myth of Jack Shepard being a robin hood-esque figure, go for it, but have that truth behind the myth slip out occasionally. That would make it more interesting.

6. I just expectations about this book and it started very strong and now I am Annoyed.

#confessions of the fox #writing #lit #history

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 6 years ago

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Episode 78: Log Date 7 15 2

"She still has a lot to learn about our planet.”

Cooldown episodes tend to be underrated, as they’re right next to big bombastic moments that merit such cooldowns. House Guest is bad for its own reasons, but episodes like Full Disclosure and Kindergarten Kid do an excellent job of just taking a moment to breathe and process. The Cluster Arc isn’t over quite yet, but the emotional high point certainly is, and I’m thrilled that it’s followed by Log Date 7 15 2.

This is a simple episode full of humor and heart, in a way that’s honestly difficult to write about, because the temptation is always “oh man it was so funny when ____ happened” in such comedy-centric outings. But this is still Steven Universe, so there’s still something deeper even in a wacky pseudo-clipshow like this.

If we’re going to move forward with Peridot’s development, it’s nice to take one last look at how much she’s grown, which this episode does brilliantly. And if we’re honest about making Peridot a true member of the team, it’s necessary to address her fusionphobia.

This is Garnet’s Peridot Episode, and the culmination of her Season 2/3 arc (she’s the only Gem who gets to finish in Season 2!), in which she learns better ways to understand and to be understood. In Keeping It Together, she encounters the heinous perversion of fusion that creates the Cluster Gems, and in the Week of Sardonyx, she faces betrayal from her oldest living friend. In the former incident she nearly comes apart, and in the latter she does come apart, but after absorbing these events and sharing a more positive story of fusion with Steven in The Answer, she’s able to deal with Peridot’s toxic attitude with grace.

It’s an unusual arc, because despite resilience being a good thing, Garnet isn’t wrong to react the way she does in Keeping It Together and the Week of Sardonyx. She’s completely entitled to her pain, and to her expression of that pain. It takes a ton of strength to deal with a bigot with patience, but I very much doubt the crew’s message here is that having negative reactions to bigotry makes you weak. Not everyone can deal with the Peridots of the world the way Garnet does here, and frankly, if you’re the one being wronged because you are who who you are, it’s not your job to educate bullies on how to not be terrible.

Garnet’s ability to do this benefits from Log Date 7 15 2 airing at the end of her arc. We know from past episodes that her patience has limits: she gets fed up with Peridot in When It Rains and Too Far and It Could’ve Been Great, so this isn’t some unrealistic paragon of grace we’re talking about. You don’t have to like somebody to be patient with them, and showing that Garnet has never liked Peridot makes their newfound bond much more meaningful.

Moreover, we have a concrete reason for Garnet to change her approach to Peridot. This is the episode where Peridot inadvertently shares with Garnet what she already shared with Amethyst at the end of Too Far: that she wants to understand. There’s a different between a bigot determined to hate and a bigot who seeks to learn, and while the latter is no ray of sunshine, it’s certainly a better starting point for the conversation.

The scene where Garnet makes this discovery is remarkably subtle considering how broad its humor is. Peridot’s methodology to see whether humans can fly is childish and clumsy, but think about her point of view. Yes, it’s silly to think that an animal with a very different body than a winged insect could fly, but her only exposure to humans until now has been Steven, who has superhuman strength thanks to his Gem heritage. Otherwise, every other humanoid she’s ever met has been a full Gem, and peridots themselves are especially sturdy. So even if Greg is unlikely to fly, Peridot has no reason to think pushing him a relatively short distance might hurt him.

Garnet’s natural response is anger, but she takes Peridot’s “Well how was I supposed to know that?” to heart. From there, this could’ve been an episode where Garnet teaches Peridot the ways of Earth, but thankfully we eschew the preachiness this would involve and instead get a ridiculous comedy episode where Garnet pops in on Peridot’s antics with quiet affirmation.

Garnet’s suggestion to fuse works terrifically as the episode’s climax, ending with the episode’s strongest plot point: Garnet referring to herself as Percy and Pierre. It gives her seemingly random appearances in other clips meaning beyond comic relief, because it shows that she’s been paying close attention to Peridot and used her interests to better communicate. Garnet appreciates that Peridot is trying to understand her, and expresses this by making an effort to understand Peridot.

I really can’t emphasize enough how funny I find this episode, but I love how well the comedy is used to flesh out the characters. Peridot’s erratic emotional state at the beginning of the episode (culminating in Shelby Rabara’s jolly “No!”) is hilarious, but it does wonders to show how she feels about her harrowing rejection of Yellow Diamond. Florido’n’Zuke, as always, make the most of Peridot’s inner raccoon to give us great physical comedy, but it constantly reminds us how awkward and antsy our little gremlin still is. Her very first “Wow, thanks!” is a punchline, but it only takes two episodes for it to become a heartwarming acceptance of love.

Even the episode’s unusual format serves the comedy and the characters simultaneously. The zipping around in time allows for quick jokes that build on each other to create callback humor, but the conceit of Peridot’s recorder gives us the rare episode with a narrator (linking this episode with Steven Bomb opener The Answer). Care was clearly taken to make sure her commentary doesn’t tell at the expense of showing: we can see, for instance, that Peridot is bashful around Amethyst and patronizing to Pearl before her jokey narration confirms her analyses of them.

Log Date 7 15 2 is, above all else, a relief. Like Peace and Love on the Planet Earth, it’s refreshing to see sustained levity in a season full of stress, but unlike Peace and Love on the Planet Earth, this is an entire episode of that without another shoe dropping. Yes, we’re about to hit more drama as the third season begins, but this episode will hold us over nicely on the comedy front until the legendary Hit the Diamond knocks it out of the park.

Future Vision!

Where is Peridot gonna put the star? On her chest, as a badge of honor. And it’s awesome.

Garnet and Peridot’s positioning during their present-day conversation has some serious Mindful Education vibes.

I’ve never been to this…how do you say…school?

Okay wait how are Pearl and Amethyst and Opal all around at the same time? Is this a different opal, or are you telling me that the Floridoverse isn’t grounded in strict logic?

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I really love this episode, and it’s pretty high up in terms of rewatch, but it’s not quite enough to crack the Top Fifteen. Still, it definitely would make the cut were it not for the glut of amazing episodes.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

When It Rains

Catch and Release

Chille Tid

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

5. Horror Club 4. Fusion Cuisine 3. House Guest 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

#log date 7 15 2 #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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gcrminatorarchive · 6 years ago

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° ☾ ASTROLOGY PROFILE - SAGITTARIUS. ☼°

– NOVEMBER 26th, 1973 (Date of Birth.) / AUGUST 10th, 2001 (Creation date.) –

Lemme just say I am so fuckin’ THRILLED that Ozzy’s a Sagittarius ‘cuz it fits him almost PERFECTLY; I’m no expert on astrology so at first I thought he’d be more of a Taurus, but with help from a friend last year they helped me figure him out. I also just learned that Taurus is a bit more feminine sign whilst Sagittarius is a more masculine one. And Ozzy’s all about masculinity; He’s tough, gritty at times, and rather prefers to solve problems with actions rather than anything else. Sagittarius is also the 9th zodiac, so it’s not the most grounded, meaning that they have a more free-spirit, and a rebellious side!

Symbol: The Archer or Centaur

Element: Fire

Like fire itself, fire signs tend to be passionate, dynamic, and temperamental. Fire can keep you warm, or it can do great destruction. While fire burns out quickly without fuel to keep it going, it can also regenerate its power from the ashes. A single spark can set off a forest fire. As a result, Fire signs need to be nurtured and managed carefully.

Quality: Muteable

These signs end every season—and have learned the hard lessons taught by spring, summer, fall and winter. They know that all good things come to an end, and their role is to prepare everyone for the changing of seasons. Mutable signs are the adapters of the zodiac, a little bit older and wiser. More flexible and comfortable with change than other signs, they can “chameleon” themselves to fit into a variety of situations. Mutables are also the editors of the zodiac—the ones who complete the package with a winning touch. A plan can be sparked by a cardinal sign, built by a fixed sign, then perfected with the critical eye of a mutable sign.

(Not sure about wiser and perfecting, but flexible? Yep!)

Ruling Planet: Jupiter — the planet of luck and expansion

(He’s sometimes only got luck and his overall instinct on his side, but he truly does work hard to try and get things done right!)

Body Part: Head, face.

(Face, definitely. And maybe hair, and hips. ouo)

Good Day: Honest, fair-minded, inspiring, optimistic, enthusiastic, encouraging, dedicated.

(Accurate.)

Bad Day: Argumentative, reckless, flaky, preachy, tactless, overconfident.

(Not so much flaky, but everything else? YES.)

HNGH THIS IS MOSTLY VERY ACCURATE. Except for the overconfidence on his bad days; Ozzy’s very reckless when angered or determined and makes some split-second decisions that aren’t usually very smart or good when he’s in a rotten mood, though on his good days he’d be very upbeat, cocky, and cheerful!! He’s also in a bit of a clearer state of mind when he’s calm, too, and can encourage his friends if they’re feeling down about themselves. Ozzy can also get hella argumentative if he’s trying to do something right or make a point, too.

Favorite Things: Dares, flirting, pets, pop music, international travel, laughter, karaoke, books, inspirational stories

(Flirting, music, and laughter especially. Don’t think he’d sing karaoke tho. xD)

What They Hate: Prejudice, routines, rules, being bored, taking things too seriously, the words “you can’t”

(He can get serious when the situation calls for it, but seriously; This could not be more accurate!)

Secret Wish: To make the rules.

(Can’t see why, since he tends to bend or break them. Perhaps he wants to be a police chief himself someday??)

How to Spot Them: Strong legs, laughing eyes, comedic facial expressions.

(YES.)

Keywords: Adventure, Travel, Expansion, Honesty, Outspokenness, Wisdom.

(...Ehhh, well they got the adventure part right. xD)

Tagged by: Stole from @wabbitseezon <33

Tagging: @koldreliff @shcllgame @brinkofbedlam (For Thrax or Otto!) @tmxmory @ringthief @battleblush @stridelasting @trilliumjones

#Who you callin' a bad cop? (Self.)#You're dealin' with a white blood cell here! (Headcanons.)#Memes.

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vio1315 · 6 years ago

Note

Kreig Cecilia and Kusuma

Full Name: Kreig of [snowland country name]Gender and Sexuality: Male, straight (potentially asexual but idk if I’ll ever make that canon)Ethnicity/Species: Human with about 10% harpy blood

Birthplace and Birthdate: In the country I’ve been calling snowland on here. The dating of this place means it’d be like 82X of the fourth era or some crap, so I'mma say he’s like in his 40s or soHaven’t figured out the calendar system beond the years yet though, so I super dunno month/day (not even an equivalent) Fall or winter bday feels okay… maybe even spring….

Guilty Pleasures: Judging people with friends. Like can you envision a bunch of dads with beers talking crap about foreign policy makers or something? Yeah that’s kinda his thing. He sees nothing wrong with it though

Phobias: Oh dude. He’s so tough… hm, I bet he’s like one of those people who couldn’t handle being made useless in some way. If he knew he was losing brain functionality and was gonna end up in a vegetative state, I think he’d ask his son or someone similar to kill him. Probably his wife actually. He trusts her to do it, and do it when the time is right for it

What They Would Be Famous For: He’s a king, so like…. okay but more specifically he’ll be remembered as a very strong leader. Like in 500 years he’ll still be taught about. He has navigated wars and foreign relations with unparalleled skill, and he’ll certainly get credit in finally securing the alliance with [mainland]

What They Would Get Arrested For: Lol, in modern times? Maybe like some visits from CPS, but nothing would come of that. Maybe assault, if I HAD to pick. But I’ll be honest, dude’s goal in life is to be as legalistic as possible, so it’s tough

OC You Ship Them With: I honestly don’t. He’s married to Heiwa, and they kind of hate each other a little, but also respect each other and similar, and I very much enjoy the weirdness that is their relationship. Ship though? No.

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Hmmm… I mean I can think of some villain OCs, but honestly that’s it. As much as Skye and Marth dislike him, they would never hurt him. Not intentionally. I think when they were first married, it could have been Heiwa, but no longer.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Documentaries, biographies, non fiction type stuff. He’s more likely to go for stuff he can learn practical things from though. Strategies and stuff. He’s a workaholic.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Romance probably annoys him on some level. But anything where the leader character sacrifices themselves for an underling would enrage him. “It’s bad leadership”

Talents and/or Powers: Dude is great with strategy and combat. He’s smart/cunning despite his drawbacks.

Why Someone Might Love Them: He does what’s necessary and doesn’t let Anything distract him from serving his people. He doesn’t shy away from self sacrifice for what he believes is the greater good, and he falls under the ‘a jerk, but he’s right’ very often

Why Someone Might Hate Them: He’s a jerk. His methods often don’t achieve the ends he believes they will, especially in his personal relationships. He’s far too harsh and legalistic, even going beyond what’s necessary

How They Change: Kreig is not a man who changes Much. His biggest change is in the slow shift of how he views his son. As someone who’s worth existing. The fact that this strongly correlates to him physically getting stronger is something of a shame, because really, that’s the smallest portion of what contributes. Though in his own way, he always did care for his son, it just has never and will never be more important than their country.

Why You Love Them: What can I say? He’s got the internal strength of a bear. Dude could saw off his own legs for the sake of his country. There’s something to respect there, especially given he’s not even crazy or anything like most such characters.

Full Name: Cecilia… Ward? (Still deciding last name honestly)Gender and Sexuality: Female, straightEthnicity/Species: Based off an Amazon woman. Dark skinned.Birthplace and Birthdate: In the desert east of mainland, their great enemies. Birthdate is not hugely important. Not even a spoiler to say she’s dead honestly. When she died? Maybe around 27??

Guilty Pleasures: Mm, showing people up probably. Proving someone wrong, that kind of thing. It’s not about being right so much as pulling the rug from under people. This isn’t majorly apparent in her personality, she’s just got a slight chip on her shoulder

Phobias: Word of her wherabouts being sent back home

What They Would Be Famous For: Sadly enough? The fact that she married and had a child with someone of a certain race who is very hated among her people

What They Would Get Arrested For: That marriage if she ever went back to her country, honestly. But by todays standards? Well, could see her getting into a fight and accidentally going a tad too far, even if it was initially self defense. Whoops. But honestly she’s actually very well restrained, but that’s a lot to do with that she moved to a country where people are Extremely racist against her, and she kind of has no choice but to deal

OC You Ship Them With: Leo

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Hmm, of the good guys… uhh? Honestly if she was alive she’d be pretty well liked among those who didn’t care about her race. Which by the time of the story is a lot more people than when she was aroundBut one of the bad guys actually is her murderer so l o lYou know, once upon a time the most likely would have been Dalton (Marth’s dad) honestly?? He’s actuually the least racist dude in general, but man that war was sommething

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Maan, she’d probably enjoy stupid spectacle movies just fine, but in books go for pretty phlisophical stuff. Like if something was 100% allegory and got mildly, but underhandedly preachy? She’d love that actually.But mostly she would enjoy realistic fiction I think, especially involving humble characters or similar.Without realizing it she’d def have her favs be farmer characters who loved their animals type of vibe. You know the vibe.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Hmm… Love triangles, and probably when the strawman comes and pesters the Innocents and so they just gotta beat up the strawman. No other choice

Talents and/or Powers: Has extra strength due to her race. Has some pretty alright skills with a sword, and basic magic knowledge.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Girl takes about as little crap as you can in her situation. She’s fairly prideful but really sticks to what she believes in, even when it hurts her pride. Even when it leads to her living in a foreign country where she’s hated

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Prideful. At the start, her pride and chip on her shoulder nature can especially override her kind nature.

How They Change: Becomes a lot more empathetic and undertsanding. Doesn’t get very caught up in her own life and is able to see people a bit more accurately. Overcomes some of her own racism. Becomes a lot stronger in a more real way which is less defensive.

Why You Love Them: She’s a very prequel kind of character, but I appreciate that she’s a fairly simple and straightforward person. Like she’s not dumb, she just sees no use in complicating things. Though she sees things a bit skewed and biased at times, she learns and grows and will admit to when she’s wrong. But she’ll stand by when she’s right even when she’s the literal only one who is

Full Name: Kusuma RitterGender and Sexuality: Female, straightEthnicity/Species: Also that amazon based race, dark skinned (you know how to pick em)Birthplace and Birthdate: In mainland. Due to the nature of post story, it encompasses a lot of ages. But basically she’s introduced when she’s 12

Guilty Pleasures: Roughhousing, showing how fantastically awesome she is to everyone, or even just one person

Phobias: People breaking into the house

What They Would Be Famous For: Coolest kid on your block. When she’s older? Maybe coolest guard in the district

What They Would Get Arrested For: Assault lol. Resisting arrest would be tacked on

OC You Ship Them With: None, also due to the nature of post story. Honestly if I did ship her, it’d probs end up being with Soren, but they’re like adoptive siblings, so I try to just let them be siblings (it’s better that way)

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Soren lol, at least when they first meet. Racism isn’t fixed yet me boyos.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Action. No doubt. Bring on the one liners.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Hmm… honestly romance sub plots in general. She hates when cool action stuff has to come to a halt to develop (or more likely fail to develop, but still force awkward scenes) a relationship.She doesn’t hate romance per se, just in these moments especially

Talents and/or Powers: Bonus strength, decent with sword (as much as a 12 year old can be)

Why Someone Might Love Them: Honestly she’s just a cool 12 year old. Half of what sh says and does wouldn’t be out of place with sunglasses. But she’s also a protective older sister. Catch her using her free time to help with baby care

Why Someone Might Hate Them: She’s a bit obnoxious at times. A bit self important and cocky. It can be a bit clear to older peeps that she’s hiding some insecurities. She can hold a grudge and be Too blunt at times, lashing out in frustration when she has to deal with Soren at first (racism right back ya heck)

How They Change: Forgets any of those racist ideas she had, because Soren’s a weirdo, but he’s not evil. Becomes a bit more secure, so her defensive bluntness goes down, though her sarcasm goes way up. Her empathy and general love of people increases, though she also just develops better EQ in general. She can sense when people are eying her funny or talking behind her back, though she never lets it get to her. Honestly she just becomes the picture of confidence. Kinda Flynn Rider acting?? But legit.Why You Love Them: She’s pretty mature for her age despite it all. She steps up when things need doing without hesitation, but all while maintaining her attitude. Despite what happened to her, she never seems super traumatized or any such thing. It’s a bit hidden, but a lot just comes from how she deals with things too. She tends to work through her problems in an actually healthy way without tons of guiddance, though she ends up really thriving with it. But honestly she’s just sassy without being too blind to where peoples lines are, so stops herself short of being annoying with it. A good girl

#Vio Speaks #Thank you!!!!!!#Have I ever mentioned Cecilia before lol #You picked such a newly developed one #though old as Skye in some senses #Have been developing her as recently as last night even

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minsyal · 7 years ago

Text

[My Type, Pipit x Reader]

Summary: ♫ If you wanna be my lover, you gotta ♫ stop playing games with my heart bro like the fuck is wrong with you?

Classes were cancelled and nearly everyone on Skyloft knew it. The students, knights or not, rejoiced as they fled the campus to run amok around in the town square and surrounding areas. Groose and his gang fled for the Lumpy Pumpkin, Zelda had dragged Link off somewhere, Karane was supposedly training, and even Fledge had plans. You, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to do. Nobody asked you to go anywhere, nobody invited you to anything, and that left you alone.

The only other person on campus, who wasn’t a professor or school staff member, was Pipit. He strolled through the halls emitting a melodic whistle followed by the soft pitter patter of heeled shoes against the stone floors. The windows were cracked allowing a gentle breeze to flow through the hallways causing the drapes strung through the rafters to sway slightly.

You sat cross-legged in your room. It wasn’t the typical bedroom in the Knight’s Academy. With rooms all filled up, you had to settle for a small extra sectioned off from a large closet upstairs. Luckily, it was originally added to board children. Though, it supposedly hadn’t been used for that purpose in years. Your wall was a stack of storage crates decorated with muted red and gold sheets. A small desk was positioned across the room from your bed, a golden lined chest was set at the bottom of your bed, and a few shelves were nailed to the wall above.

“What’s going on in here?” A familiar voice echoed into your room, a friendly face appearing in the doorway. A small smile spread across his freckled face as your eyes met. He moved so that his entire body was inside, a hand coming to rest on his hip.

“You’re not out with the others?” He said.

“No invitations.” You shrugged, moving your book from your lap to the bed side table.

“Then let’s make plans.” He suggested, taking a few steps inward. “I’m free all day.”

You and Pipit had an odd friendship. It was filled with hours of awkward sexual tension and even more hours of mindless flirting, but neither of you ever acted on your feelings. You’d go to one another in times of need and would sometimes spend nights stuck in deep conversations. When he patrolled the campus, you’d follow him around complaining of your day about how absolutely tiring school was. He used to discuss crushes he had, but stopped talking about things like that recently.

Nonetheless, you had a great friendship and a long one too. Even though he was a few years older than you, you couldn’t recall a time that you hadn’t been best friends. When he was promoted to knight, he started doing all he could to get you ready for the next ceremony.

“What plans then? What’s there to do that we haven’t already?” You swung your legs over the side of the bed and began tugging your boots on.

“Well,” he was biting the inside of his mouth, “we could go catch lunch at the Lumpy Pumpkin.” “No thank you,” you looped the laces around your ankles and started tying a knot, “Groose and his minions are there. You know I can’t stand them.”

“You know, I think Strich likes you.” He smirked, “Possibly Groose too.”

“Gross!” You sent a pillow hurling toward him that he easily caught. “They are most certainly not my type! Bug boy and the mustard giant are not on my radar.”

He suppressed a laugh, “Understandable. How about we go explore the bazaar? Maybe Sparrot has a new fortune for us?”

“Last time he told us I’d come across a small fortune.” You rolled your eyes, “I’ve yet to find that and I’m still struggling to pay for this school.”

“You and me both.” The bed sunk under his weight causing your body to slump towards him. “What if we go grab some sweets and hang out by the waterfall?”

“You really know the way to my heart.” You said while pressed against his arm. “I can never pass up sweets.”

So with a small bag of sweets in hand, the two of you made your way over to the clearing just on the other side of the waterfall that drifted off of the island. Not being the most agile person, you relied mostly on Pipit to go first and catch you on your way over.

“I didn’t make the cut last time so what makes you think I will this time?” You nudged him, urging him to take one of the powdered sugar covered sweets. The candies jostled around in the bag, mixing together as he leaned over in search of a specific flavor.

“I’m training you and you’ve remembered all the vocabulary and techniques. I know you can do it.” He stuck his gloved hand into the bag and removed it with a small piece of orange candy that he plopped into his mouth.

“Yeah? Well, I hope I can. Classes have been boring since you left.”

“You’ve still got Link, Zelda, and Fledge, right?”

“Just not the same, I need you there so I’m not distracted the whole time.”

He narrowed his eyes as the corner of his mouth upturned in a smirking fashion, “Wouldn’t I be more of a distraction? You never stopped passing me notes when we had classes together.”

“And now I never stop sleeping. I swear, the professor yells at Link and I nearly every day for not paying attention.”

“So that’s all the more reason you need to win the next ceremony.”

“What if I don’t want to look like a loser, like you?” You poked at his floppy yellow-dyed hat positioned on his head. “How does that thing even stay on?”

“Excuse me,” he swatted at your hand, “but this uniform is very important! I wear it with pride and when you eventually do, you should as well. It’s highly respectable and… why are you laughing?”

Covering your mouth you shook your head side to side, “You get all preachy, Mr. Prideful. I’m joking. I actually think it makes you look quite…” You were cut off by sudden footsteps hurrying in your direction. Looking up, you noticed Karane approaching with a hopeful, almost urgent, look on her face. If she was here, you knew your day with Pipit had come to a close.

“Hey guys.” She said happily, despite knowing that she was about to steal away one from the pair. Pipit’s normal playfulness dissipated and was replaced with a nervousness that you only saw when he had a crush. While he hadn’t spoken of Karane in a while, you knew he still had feelings for her.

“Hi Karane.” Pipit responded followed by a simple “Hey” from you.

“I hate to do this to you [Name],” No you don’t. You thought as she clasped her hands in front of herself, “but would you mind if I stole Pipit for a short while?” A short while? The words rung in your head like the many times prior. It was obvious and you knew that she meant no harm but you utterly loathed her presence in situations like this nonetheless.

With lips pulled tautly and shoulders tense, you replied, “Yeah, that’s fine.”

A wide grin spread across her face as she thanked you and motioned for Pipit to follow, who complied without giving it a second thought. As he left, he patted you on the shoulder and gave you a reassuring look.

“I’ll talk to you later, yeah?” He watched your eyes, waiting for a response.

“Yeah.”

He left as fast as Karane showed up, trailing behind her as they made their way across the rocks and back into town, leaving you in the grassy field alone. Maybe it was time to move on.

In the days following, classes picked back up, the professors yelled at you more, and Pipit was spending a lot of his free time with Karane. It had been rumored that the two had become a couple, but without confirmation from him you chose to take it as a grain of salt.

Three weeks passed with no interaction with Pipit. Either he was avoiding you, or possibly you were avoiding him. If he and Karane were truly dating, you didn’t want to interject yourself in the middle of it and cause some sort of scene. You found yourself waking too late for breakfast and sometimes missing lunch. Zelda had urged you to come sit with her, Link, and Fledge when you did make it. According to her, she desperately needed another woman at the table.

While it was nice to sit with them, it wasn’t the same as before. There was no impish bickering, no mouthful laughter, and no flirtatious kicking of feet under the table. Instead he sat with the seniors, seemingly stuck in intriguing conversations concerning flight tactics and drills. Is this the after effects of graduating that you had been desperately fending off in hopes of saving a friendship?

“You’ve been quiet lately.” Zelda leaned forward from her spot next to you at the table. Her plate was half empty while yours was nearly filled except for a few missing carrots and pumpkin slices.

“I have?” You questioned, picking your fork back up to push the contents of your plate from one side to the other. Looking around the table, the other two nodded in agreement.

“Yeah [Name],” Fledge said, “are you alright?”

“What? I’m fine guys.”

“Are you sure?” Zelda flashed you a worried look before lowering her voice, “Is it a problem with Pipit? I’ve noticed you two haven’t been talking as much.”

“Pipit?” You scrunched your nose up before turning to glance in his direction. He was nodding to something someone else had said, clearly having a good time. “We still talk occasionally. He’s just busy right now.”

“Did you hear that he and Karane are a couple now?” Fledge added, unaware of your feelings for the boy in question. Zelda shot him a quick look, to which he closed his mouth and focused back on his plate. She never outright said she knew how you felt for Pipit, but from the small hints she gave every now and again it was obvious to you that she had figured it out.

“I did. He hasn’t mentioned it, but it seems like they’re happy together.”

Quickly changing the subject, Zelda got lost in a conversation with Fledge about upcoming tests and possibly starting a study group in order to prepare. You continued to mix your food with your fork, watching as it slowly mushed together and became undesirable. Eventually, you lost your appetite. Politely excusing yourself, you assured Zelda you’d be back in time for the next class. Then swiftly picking up your plate you rushed to the trash barrels, scraped it clean, and gently laid it in the sink for Henya to care for later.

Upon your exit, you nearly ran into the body standing in your path. He turned awkwardly and, while rubbing his hands together like a praying mantis, looked as if he had something to say. It was Strich, the last person you wanted to speak to at the moment. On his other side was Cawlin, urging him to speak. It was rare to see them without their pack leader, but with a simple turn of the head you could see him practically harassing Link and Zelda back in the dining hall.

“Oh, hey [Name].” Strich finally spoke.

“Hi.” You said blankly, confused as to why he wouldn’t just move a foot to the right and be out of your way. Your body was half in the room, half not, and you didn’t plan on sticking around a moment more than you needed to. Especially not with the two of them. Who knows when the mustard giant would give up on the other two to rejoin his group.

“Are you busy?”

“Right now? Yeah.”

“No, I meant later.” He corrected himself, “Possibly after class?”

“Why?” You had an idea as to why.

“I was thinking we could go somewhere.”

“Like on a walk?”

“Like on a date.” He finally sputtered out, earning a hearty pat on the back from Cawlin.

“Uh,” you pondered. Did you really want to go? No. Were the options for suitable men on Skyloft running out? Yes. “Sure. I’ll see you later.”

Pushing past, you mentally slapped yourself as you made your way up the back staircase to your room where a comfy bed was waiting. Flopping onto the sheets, you rested facedown for a moment before rolling onto your back. Your hands ran down your face, tugging slightly at your skin causing it to stretch then snap back into place. What have I just agreed to?

The date was apparently right after class before nightfall. He planned on taking you to dinner at Pipers. While you did love a good meal from the town’s chef, you didn’t particularly look forward to dining with Strich. He’s a nice guy, just not your type.

“Are you ready for the upcoming exams?” You attempted to make conversation. He looked up from his bowl, nodded, and then returned his attention to the dish.

“Cawlin and I have been helping Groose study.”

“Oh, that’s awfully nice of you.”

The rest of the dinner was composed of you struggling to find common interests while he gave short responses unless he was discussing some sort of bug he liked. On your way back to the academy, he would stop to point out a grasshopper or butterfly that had settled down in the area. He even explained that he had some island where he had all the types of bugs he could ever want. Leaving out details about its location, he did mention that he’d show it to you sometime specifically saying, “maybe on our fifth date, only after I can trust you.”

When you returned, it was night and most everyone had settled into their respective rooms. Strich left you at the front gates after you said you needed to run home real quick to grab something. In reality, you just didn’t want to have to walk to your rooms together. Sitting down on the steps, your face found your hands as your body hunched over. What a nightmare this “date” was. He needed somebody who had shared interests, not someone who found certain bugs to be weird and kind of gross. You needed somebody that wasn’t him.

“You know it’s not keen to be out so late.” Pipit appeared from thin air, coming to sit next to you on the step. A lazy arm strung around your shoulder, tugging your body closer to his.

“What’s wrong?” He asked once realizing your foul mood. “I heard you and Strich went on a date. How was that?”

“How do you think it was?” A firefly spiraled around the two of you before flying off in another direction. Maybe it was a spy sent by Strich to watch you, with his odd connection to the little critters you wouldn’t be surprised. Its neon glow disappeared into the night air, flashing a couple of times as it made its way into the distance.

“Bad?” He jostled you, shaking your frame slightly.

“Pipit, he only talked about bugs. Bugs!”

His shoulders shook up and down as he suppressed a chuckle. “Why’d you even go on it?”

“He was the only option.” You shrugged. “All the other guys in Skyloft are taken.”

“What am I then?”

Drawing your eyebrows together, you raised your head. Eye wandering, they eventually met his. He looked frustrated. His head was tilted to the right and his eyes were flickering from the ground to your face. It was apparent he wanted to say something, as his mouth would open then close.

“You’re dating Karane.”

One of his brows raised, “I’m not dating Karane.”

“Everyone is talking about it.”

“[Name],” he grasped at your shoulder, “I didn’t take you as one to believe rumors.”

“I’m not! It’s just- just you and her. You used to like her. I remember you telling me about it. Then you kept leaving to go spend time with her. I just figured…” your voice began to trail off, “I figured it was true.”

“Well, we did date for a short time.” He started, “A few weeks ago, actually.”

“You’re not dating now?”

“She’s not my type.”

“Then what’s your type?”

“I know it sounds cliché,” A light hand reached up to catch the stray hair falling in front of your face. He tucked it back behind your ear, his hand lingering for a moment leaving behind a burning sensation on your skin. “You are.”

I always loved Pipit and he never got as much love as I wanted to see. Actually, Skyward Sword never got the attention I wanted it to. IT’S A GOOD GAME LIKE COME ON. Anyway, be prepared for more Pipit stuff in the future

#Pipit x reader #pipit #skyward sword #loz #ss #fic #fanfiction #x reader

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