#I lack both guilt and most morals

[manicali]

Occasionally I wonder if people are right about me. That I’m not particularly that bad.

Nope, still right!

[emmafrostyyy]

y'all sleeping on Astarion/Lae'zel bc this moment is so...the way the flippant demeanor drops and he doesn't hesitate to call her out for sticking with her version of Cazador like their relationship is so underrated fr...

sitting down writing this bullshit like let me peel it like an onion a bit and elaborate why this pairing is fascinating to me

It's really interesting how during the most cathartic, life-altering moment in Astarion's questline, the reactions of the other companions are more about the moral wrongness/guilt of sacrificing innocent lives. Lae'zel doesn't do that and instead relates to his hurt.

She knows what's he's feeling, the lack of control, the unfairness of being powerless for too long. This is a woman who just found out her entire life purpose was built on lies, discarded and hunted by her own people after outliving her usefulness, and groomed to basically die for an insane power-hungry lich queen. She knows all too well that power isn't always real freedom. Her first instinct is to empathize with Astarion to steer him away from his hate and resentment.

Astarion/Lae'zel is so interesting to me because they're such a classic "can we make each other worse or make a better person out of the other?".

They both have genuine appreciation for violence and respect each other's ruthlessness. Astarion was used as a weapon of seduction while Lae'zel was of warfare. Sex with people is meaningless and not real intimacy for them, and while both have little understanding/experience of interpersonal relationships beyond the physical, they still feel and love very deeply. They have no frame of reference for things like friendship and warmth, but they badly want all of that and more, even if they don't know it yet.

In-game they can sleep with each other, which is basically the foundation of the normal Tav/Astarion romance. Lae'zel saw him during combat and got horny, who knows. Astarion who's used to luring people with his charms, takes up Lae'zel's blunt offer because she's a strong hardened warrior that can provide protection and be a worthy ally, and he doesn't know how to say no. Navigating the complications between one who wants to be seen beyond as a sex object, and one who comes from a totally alien culture with no concept of love/family/connections and only sex is honestly really compelling to me. It's a transactional, mutually beneficial thing with no emotional expectations. Once you get past the skeevy rockiness of their early relationship, I really like the idea of them slowly seeing something past the exterior and realizing they may have harshly misjudged the other, an unspoken friendship blooms, and in comes the realization that they are essentially loners longing for kindness and a comforting touch in the most desperate of situations.

Lae'zel is prideful, direct, has no sense of courtship talk, and doesn't hold back her thoughts the slightest--she's not sweet/agreeable and what you see is really what you get, which I imagine would be disarming for Astarion who's used to vacuous flattery and has difficulty trusting others. But she's also insanely protective, passionate, loyal, and an initiator-- every romance scene is triggered by her first and she's always showing effort towards her relationships, which would mesh well with Astarion who does need someone to nudge him.

She doesn't purposely suppress her feelings, she's just simply at loss at how to express them sometimes due to her wildly different upbringing. She stops the sparring match you agree to and an easy vulnerability slips instantly out of her: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you, and for you to protect me." and "Thus far I've taunted you, devoured you, battled you. Now I want more than anything to soothe you." are romantic as fuck and Astarion of all people really needs to hear that tbh.

Astarion is also someone who struggles with reinforcing his boundaries, and a key theme in Lae'zel's romance is that she encourages and wants you to challenge her and learn to stand your ground. It's not gentlest method, but hey, relationships are about having to make an effort to learn each other's language.

I think he also would take pleasure "educating her on the matters of Fay-run" (I believe there's a whole banter with him teasing her and teaching her pet names) and would get a kick out of coaxing Lae'zel out of her shell with her shyness at showing public affection, and making her blush. Also it simply would be fucking funny to see Astarion who's used to easy seduction, trying to pass a persuasion check just to get a smooch and generally having to work to earn regular kisses from Lae'zel lmfaooo

Lae'zel also initially struggles to see her chains as chains. When she learns about Vlaakith's betrayal, she copes instantly through denial and shuts it down. Astarion is NOT having it and calls her out, he knows her well enough to recognize that she would value blunt honesty above all.

I imagine he also despises her lack of self-preservation, the way her entire identity is tied to duty and being in service of others, and doesn't understand her desire to still help/liberate the people that want her dead and are hunting her down. He wants to make this duty-bound soldier realize that looking out for herself, and putting herself first may not be the worst thing in the world.

They're so similar to each other but are also polar opposites in some ways that make a more equal, balanced romance I think. It's not a simple, one-sided, feel-good "she/he can fix her/him" fantasy because both of them have to earn each other's love, actually cut through the other's flaws, and actively motivate each other to be better versions of themselves.

They're not at all the other's ideal guiding hand. It's rough, jagged, and imperfect, but that's how healing goes. It's so far from being the healthiest relationship -- but even if their belief systems differ, their moral compass does often align. I imagine it's a slight relief for them to have a partner where there would be less shame and judgment when they expectedly, occasionally slip up and fall into their bad habits.

Also, man, the "You showed me the betweens and beyonds. Beyond war and peace, beyond passion and obsession, most importantly, you showed me freedom.", "First you were my wound, now you were my cure.", "But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.." lines really hit hard when applied to them.

Of course, they can also make each other worse, feed into the other's negative traits that will bring out the worst part of themselves. It's this duality of their pairing that is very interesting to explore, the way it can steer in either direction because it's an intense, fraught relationship at its core.

[clairdelunelove]

itadori "wear what you want because I can fight" yuuji

he's not a violent person. well, most would claim he isn't. people tend to put him on a pedestal of fairness and morality due to his typical charm. the magnetism of his broad grins and upbeat compliments. always the comedic relief when situations escalated, and feelings were far from composed. and he'd agree that they weren't that far off with their assumptions. he views every individual as a holder of wills and dreams. the desire to strive for the value of life is enough motivation for him. he's a firm believer of sacrificing himself for the greater good– a selflessness that most couldn't fathom.

but by a rare stroke of luck, when the two of you began dating, yuuji noticed a drastic change in the perception he had of himself. he could be jealous. and in hindsight, it sounds silly because of course, there's nothing wrong with your partner being a bit insecure. it's human nature and happens to the best of us. but yuuji didn't lack self-esteem. no, he was just protective over you. guarded, vigilant, and careful about everything that involved you in some shape or form. and perhaps the inkling of keeping you all to himself has run through his mind more than once. these strong sentiments scared him, initially; rattled him enough to where he would ponder if it was normal. guilt was the typical consequence he dealt with and often confided in his mentors about it. conversed with them by using his large, expressive eyes and knitted brows. and when they hummed that his emotions were valid, well, it was like putting a soothing balm over an injury. he was as good as new.

so it isn't surprising when his nose crinkles at the abominable sight before him. he leaves for a minute, literally, to pick up the syrupy milkshake the two of you ordered beforehand. it's filled with candied toppings, a concoction that made your mouth drop in awe and caused him to immediately buy it to make you happy. and there's a bounce in his step when he waltzes over to your table. he's in pure bliss. just euphoric due to the fact that the both of you could spend the day together and it's been a dream come true. he'd taken you to the bowling alley, gotten some impressive strikes, and even snuck in a couple affectionate kisses. it's the equivalent of the cheesy romcoms that he watches when he misses you.

until it isn't.

because there's a guy chatting you up in yuuji's absence and okay, yuuji takes a deep breath and reasons that it's not a crime to talk to you while he's away. but cut him some slack, y'know. he almost feels bad when you catch his stare and a wave of relief washes over your features. emphasis on almost, however. his mouth twitches in response, plastering on a half-smile as he gets closer, until he has the misfortune of hearing what the stranger was adamantly uttering to you.

"you don't have to be coy, 'course you're dressing like that to get attention," the guy pointedly gestures to your outfit with a smirk, "you got mine, for sure."

and yuuji sees red. an intense burst of emotion that licks up into flames of animosity that drive him to the brink. it's instantaneous. scarily so, when yuuji's calloused hand seizes the stranger's before he can sleazily reach to pet at your clothes. because how dare this stranger feel the need to say that. yuuji recognizes the telltale sign of your brows drawing together, your self-confidence diminishing the more this situation goes on. so he snaps.

"what'd you just say to my girl, asshole?"

he doesn't even recognize the gruff, harsh voice that leaves his chapped lips. there's a huff of alarm from the sheer power of his grip on the stranger's wrist and you swear you hear an unnerving crack. you let out a distressed gasp. the blushy haired male doesn't verbalize the same sentiment, though. just blankly stares up through his brows, an ominous and haunting intent in his actions. and yuuji's a completely different person now. you note a muscle in his jaw that twitches. gone is your sweet, doting boyfriend. he's placed by a man with innate concentration and murderous intent to protect your honor– to defend you. the contrast is startling.

"she can wear whatever she wants, whenever she wants," yuuji moves to grasp onto the front of the stranger's shirt and forewarns him with a couple shakes, each word emphasized with the movement, "'cause she's with me."

and the blushy haired male rattles the other grown man like he was nothing. just a speck of dust that happened to get in yuuji's way. a nuisance that he'll willingly dispose of. naturally, the stranger is reduced to trembling and cowering in fear. the sleeves of yuuji's sweater are rolled up to showcase his solid forearms and rippling veins that are only more apparent in how tense he is. hysterical excuses leave the other male's mouth; mentions of who- or rather what- you were dating. how this wasn't right-minded or moral for him to be acting this way. this was just supposed to be a light-hearted 'joke.' but yuuji's not interested in listening. he casts a rather neutral glance to him, the kind where his brows drop in conviction. locked onto his prey and stopping any means of escape. his golden eyes are as sharp as daggers. a manifestation of the stranger's night terrors and much more. there's hostility evident in how yuuji shoves him to get lost and, as quick as the stranger appeared, he vanishes.

and after the whole ordeal, yuuji's busy scratching the back of his neck. the image of modesty and faultlessness being captured by how he tilts his head to the side while he watches the stranger retreat.

he even has the audacity to mumble an innocent, "gee. what was that guy's deal?" like the pink-haired male wasn't just playing violent mind games with him or how he wasn't just the sole embodiment of the harbinger of hell itself. all as an effort to protect you.

your heart skips. breathless, as you're engulfed in warmth that exposes your deepest desires. and you think that yuuji knows; well, with how he leans to press a tender kiss onto your forehead and eagerly takes your hand in his. how his casual display of strength melts you into a puddle. but when you're left flustered, heart pounding and mind racing, you realize that you're the one that's struck speechless on how effortlessly attractive he is. but it dawns on you that this is just how yuuji innately is. after all, he vowed to be yours; in every aspect there is. his commitment to you is unmatched. and it's the utter devotion that yuuji unveils to you in times like this that your love for him only grows with each passing day.

[immodestly-marina]

So Soaked

A/n: Y’all are so patient oh my goddd, I totally forgot this one has been in my drafts for like a week. I hope you enjoy, and fingers crossed I remember to post more this week!! xx

Summary: With Sam lacking all inhibitions and sense of morality, he suggests an exciting new way to pass time with you. His brother’s girlfriend.

Warnings: Unprotected sex, cheating, slight dubcon? (Sam somewhat coaxes reader into having sex with him) manhandling, spanking, creampie, oral (F receiving), degrading kink, praise kink, fingering (F receiving), hair pulling, marking, Sam’s an asshole *Marina shrug’s*

“He gives you any shit, clock him. Y’hear?” Dean stands in the doorway glancing at you as he heads out, you give him a nod before chuckling to yourself.

When Sam returned from hell (as one does), his soul somehow managed to separate from his body, therefore he’s been different. He still has feelings, and memories, but the Sam part in particular is still out of reach. Needless to say, he’s been somewhat of a nuisance since he’s been back.

You’ve noticed his attitude towards you has particularly shifted, of all other things. You’ve always known Sam as the sweet, gentle giant that he is, but most importantly he was respectful. That Sam never wanted to push the boundaries you had. Now, all of those morals seem to have just gone straight out the window, because less than an hour ago he said: “Hey, surely that mouth can open wider for something other than talking, hm?” in response to when you criticized his proposition for your current objective. You backhanded him immediately after.

With Dean gone, you both sat in silence cleaning your guns and organizing your materials, every so often glancing up at Sam, expecting something at least half morally correct to come out of his mouth.

Eventually you gave up, and just focused on cleaning out the barrel of your sawed off.

“I want to fuck you.”

You blinked. And then again. And then once more, before shooting a glare his way. He just sat there looking down at his rifle as he absentmindedly scrubbed away, not a word.

“Excuse me?” You responded through gritted teeth. He barely looked up, all you got was a small shake of his head.

“I’m bored, I wasn’t planning on doing this the whole time he’s gone so I thought we could do something fun to pass the time.” He fucking shrugged. You scoffed and slammed your gun on the chair beside you before huffing and heading into the small bathroom of the motel.

He wasn’t trying to be an asshole, he just didn’t see honesty as being a bad thing anymore. He was attracted to you, he always has been. He just lacks the shame to hide it right now.

You groan at the sound of a knock coming from behind you, waiting for more of Sam’s vulgar suggestions for how to spend your little time together.

“I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.” You tilt your head at his apology, finding it odd that his first approach would be an actual apology- “The offer’s still on the table, though…”

Oh. Wonderful, you think to yourself. Swinging the door open, you shove past him to grab your bag. The last thing you want is to spend the next few hours arguing with Sam on how to behave around women, let alone spend the next few hours fucking him and dealing with the overwhelming guilt of cheating on his brother.

“Oh, come on-” Sam mumbles as he follows you out of the room, catching you by the elbow before you can reach the motel door. You yank your arm back, but to no avail. He’s way bigger and way stronger, though his grip doesn’t let up, it’s still surprisingly loose.

“Just wait a second, just wait-” You scoff and tug your arm free. He sighs calmly, “Look, I know you want this too. You don’t have to try to hide it anymore, I’m giving you the opportunity to satisfy it while you can.”

He cocks his brow as if to ask ‘Well?’

You shake your head, crossing your arms and looking away. He steps back into your line of sight before continuing. “It’s a win-win, is it not? I get laid, you get to live out this fantasy without any trouble-”

“What do you mean without any trouble? I’m not cheating on Dean, your own brother!”

“He wouldn’t have to know.” He interrupts. “I’m not gonna say anything if you don’t,”

You grit your teeth, but deep down you’ve contemplated the idea before. You feel god awful about it, but something about Sam has always been a little bit captivating to you. His eyes don’t leave yours as he watches the cogs in your head turn. Sam steps closer to you, tilting his head down and showing off his pretty puppy eyes that remain even without a soul.

He leans in beside you. “You want this…” Sam whispers into your ear.

“So take it.”

Your breath catches in your throat before you reach up and pull him down by the head to crash your lips against his, to which his hands move to grip your ass before hoisting you up by the thighs. You whine against him and tangle your fingers into his hair as your own falls into your face. With one hand sliding up to wrap around your back, his other pushes the strands of hair back before pulling it all into his hand, yanking it back to drag his lips across your neck as he walks you to the bed.

Your back hits the shitty motel mattress as he pulls his shirt off over his head, immediately tossing it and crawling over you to remove yours. As the pile of clothes takes up more space on the floor, he takes his place in between your thighs to toy with your underwear. His palms smooth over your hips, before forcefully pushing open your legs wide enough for him to dive straight towards your clothed cunt.

Sam nips at your clit through your underwear, looking up at you as you let out a quiet mewl at his teasing. He stops then, before moving down to just below your entrance and licking a rough stripe from there to your clit, flicking his tongue against it once more. Your hand flies to his hair to bring him closer, but he catches it and slams it against the mattress, mumbling a “Stay still” against the material over your pussy.

He continues these administrations for mere minutes, before pulling back to yank your panties down your legs, tossing them as soon as they leave your ankles. With that, he lays back down on his stomach, and roughly sucks your clit between his lips, his teeth threatening with soft grazes before soothing them with his tongue.

His large hands hold your hips in place before they can buck or grind against his face as he licks and drags his tongue across your folds rapidly.

Your eyes want to squeeze shut, but doing so would rid you of the sight of him like this: between your legs, his eyes hooded, huge hands holding you down, mouth alternating between being closed around your clit to dragging across your entrance with his tongue.

His hand soon leaves your hip, replacing it with his other arm as it moves down to your sopping cunt, toying with the peachy wet skin, before teasing your hole with just the tip of his finger, slowly giving you shallow thrusts before softly caressing your hole, and going back to teasing you with almost nothing.

Your whines increase in volume, and he takes that as a cue to give you what you want. He inserts his index finger to the knuckle, curling it before pulling it from you and thrusting it back in. He eventually adds his middle finger, and then another, before roughly fucking you with his fingers as his tongue flicks feverishly at your clit.

You feel Sam grunt against you as your moans come out louder. His speed increases until he feels your cunt baring down harder against his knuckles before removing them completely, giving your pussy one last, long, slow lick.

With his pants already discarded on the floor, Sam palms his dick through his boxers, giving it a few tugs before freeing it from the restricting material. Your hands instinctively reach out for him, Sam chuckles and slaps them away as he strokes himself in front of you. He makes his way back over you, leaning down to mouth at your neck once more. You feel his teeth nip at your sensitive skin, before sucking it between his teeth. It isn’t until he soothes the mark with his tongue that you realize, he’s marking you up for his brother to see. You push Sam’s face away from your neck, and his hand immediately grabs it and pins it by your head.

“What?” He huffs above you. “Don’t wanna remember this? Don’t wanna be reminded about how you let your boyfriend’s brother fuck you, hm?” Sam tilts his head down at you as you let out a quiet whine. His eyes fall to your chest, as his lips curl into a smirk. “Or is it that you don’t want your boyfriend to know…” He leans down to your ear,his breath ghosting over your neck as he whispers, “how you let his brother fuck you?”

Sam flicks his tongue against the spot just below your earlobe, before nipping it to leave just the smallest mark, Dean could easily miss it, surely.

You relax against him when his fingers drag along your thigh, moving towards your hip to grip it tight. Sam sits up to fist his cock with his other hand, spreading precum across his tip before nudging himself towards your core. He watches your face for any negative reaction, not in the mood for dealing with the repercussions of you not feeling comfortable. When he sees your subtle nod, he rubs his tip between your folds, gathering your wetness to slick up his cock before nudging his tip at your entrance.

He slips past your folds, your pussy welcoming him inside within seconds. It’s not long before he starts fucking into you at a rough pace, hands gripping your hips as he slams his against you.

Your hands scramble to reach his shoulders, nails digging harder into the tough muscle with each mean thrust of his hips. Sam ducks his head into the crook of your neck as he lets out a low grunt, his pace slowing down to grind into you, hard. He keeps that pace for all of five seconds, before giving you a rough thrust that has your eyes rolling back and your lungs huffing out a choked moan. He lets out a breathy groan that fades into a dark chuckle, “That’s a girl, fuck… that’s a good girl, good girl, holy shit…”

His hips move faster again, the tip of his cock bullying your cervix over and over as his teeth find your neck again. Oddly enough, he nips you ever so gently, before soothing the spot with a swipe of his warm tongue. Sam sucks another bruise onto your jaw when his calloused fingers find their way to your still puffy clit. He brings his face above yours as his thumb circles your sensitive bud, his lips ghosting over yours while you pant into each other's mouths.

The room is filled by the wet plap, plap, plap’s of Sam’s hips rutting into you, and your soft moans drowned out by his deep grunts and groans. His fingers speed up their assault on your clit and your voice jumps up an octave or two, moans becoming almost pornographic. Sam almost loses it.

He leans down to capture your lips in a rough kiss, hand leaving your pussy to grab your chin and hold it aggressively between his fingers. He pulls his lips off yours by barely an inch, eyes opening to lock into yours as he slams into you harder.

“God, take that fucking cock- so fucking slutty for me, hm?” When he only gets a whimper in response, he squeezes your cheeks between his fingers and gives you a single hard thrust to grab your attention. “Tell me how fucking good it is, I wanna hear you admit how fucking good you feel right now.”

Your eyes nearly cross from his assertion, and you nod quickly when you do as you’re asked. “H-ahh- feels- s’good! Feel so, so good, Sammy!” Your fingers dig harder into the tough flesh of his shoulders, legs wrapped tightly around his hips. He nods, still holding more than half your face in his huge hand. “Yeah, s’right… and who’s making you feel that fucking good baby, who fucks this pussy the way you need?” He brings your leg around his hip to rest on his upper arm as he plows into you at an even deeper angle.

Your eyes widen at the feeling of the new position, shocked you’d never tried this with Dean before. Dean, shit. This was a fucking terrible idea… but honest to god, it feels so good. It almost feels right. You zero in on his blissed out face, your mouth falling open to answer his question with a whine. “You are- ohmygod… Sam, you are- you do-” You’re cut off with a moan as his hand holds your throat as he sits up on his knees to fuck you faster.

Sam grins a little with the increased pace and your loud reaction. His unoccupied hand comes down to smack your ass, causing more whimpers to leave your lips. Each of his new ministrations bring you closer, and closer to your orgasm, which he can tell is rapidly approaching by the look on your face and the blush trailing from your cheeks to your chest, as well as the way your cunt is fluttering around him. “M’gonna-”

Knew it, he thinks to himself. He spanks you again, gripping your thigh with a rough grip. “I wanna hear you fucking scream my name as you come on my cock, dollface.”

It wasn’t long after the words left his mouth that you felt your orgasm rip through you like a tidal wave, your back arching off the bed a little as you quiver around Sam’s dick. His name leaves your mouth over and over, turning it into a mantra within seconds. You fight to keep your eyes from squeezing shut when his pace doesn’t falter, let alone slow.

It’s not until tears brim at your eyes that Sam pulls out to flip you over, and he’s not gentle about it. He presses your head into the pillow below you, then hoists you up by your waist and hip to hold onto you as he sinks back into your glistening pussy. As soon as he’s buried to the hilt once more, he continues roughfucking you into next week, yanking you back by your hips with each pump of his hips. Loud grunts leave Sam’s throat as he chases his own orgasm, his fingers bruising your hips as he grips you harder and harder the closer he gets.

With a few more thrusts, Sam stills and chokes out a long groan as he spills inside of you. His hips buck into you weakly as his cock throbs against your walls, his head falling in exhaustion as he gives a few more slow strokes to draw out his orgasm.

He lazily rubs your hips as he pulls out of you, before leaning down to watch his come leak out from your abused hole. Thick globs of white roll down your pink lips, but are quickly swiped by Sam’s fingers and pushed back into you. His other hand steadies you by the hip while his fingers work his come deeper into your cunt with obscene sounds.

He eventually pulls them out and smears the remaining fluid on your folds, chuckling to himself at the sight.

“So dirty, fuck… knew that would make time pass faster.”

[raccoon-in-the-danger-room]

Sometimes I see reviews about D&W where people think Worst Wolverine's backstory is super lacking. That they expected something epic like how Mysterio tricked Logan to slaughter everyone in the Old Man comic run.

But that plot, at least to me, doesn't make The Worst Wolverine. It probably makes the Most Tortured Wolverine -- the story of a man slaughtering his own family with his bare hands because he was mind controlled. Which inevitably created a power vacuum so gigantic that the world basically collapsed as supervillains take over the world.

But the title of Worst Wolverine should belong to the Logan that completely abandons his most important moral value: to be the protector.

Sure, he tends to be nomadic and at times self-isolates, but at his core he truly knows what it means to be a pack animal: to be a part of a cohesive family unit, rely on others, be a guardian for the weak.

In a literal sense, a common backstory for him was that he just fucked off from human society after he mutated to live with a pack of wolves. He turned feral, but they also taught him about the importance of community.

Even if you aren't a fan of the wolf background (which I AM because I think it's funny and dramatic as hell), there's other stories where he got taken care of by the Blackfoot Tribe and Lord Ogun before somehow winding up in the Weapon-X Program. Then, the Hudson family rescued him and helped him gain his humanity back after the adamantium experiments. He joined Department H, and sometime after, he found his place with the X-Men.

My point being that past or present, Logan has always belonged to a family. He needs it -- his human AND animal side both need it. He's not meant to be a creature of solitude. When he is, it's a form of punishment that he inflicts upon himself because he doesn't feel worthy to be around the people he loves or he's worried about hurting them. Or it's something inflicted upon him -- aka he's been captured and is being experimented on.

So what does all this tell us about Logan's moral code? He cares deeply for others because it's in his nature to be a part of a pack and he will do anything to protect them.

He's very caring towards animals (ex. looking after wolves that took care of him, mercy killing a bear in The Wolverine, and saving the horses in Logan). He tried to save Silver Fox's life when Sabretooth attacked her. When his wife Itsu was murdered, he relied on the advice of Lord Ogun to get vengeance for her with the Muramasa Blade. He joined Department H and Alpha Flight because he owed the Hudsons so much after re-acclimating him to society. He stayed with the X-Men because Charles gave him a home, family, and purpose outside of being a weapon. He enabled him to be the good man that he is by not only using his powers for the good fight but also being a teacher for the students.

As a character, Logan was created to reflect the archetype of the cowboy/samurai with the morals of honor, integrity, and justice. He's also not afraid to be judge, jury, and executioner for the people he loves. He's a man of action.

So what is the antithetical? A man who dishonors himself by not taking his job seriously. A man of inaction who abandons those he loves. A man who doesn't seek justice but wallows in regret and guilt.

And what did the Worst Wolverine do?

He let his fondness for drinking harm his work. While he was drinking at a bar, a group of humans invaded the X-Mansion and killed a large part of the staff, students, and X-Men. He entered a berserker rage where he murdered the invaders AND innocent people. He tarnished the legacy of the X-Men.

The title of Worst Wolverine doesn't go to the man who got brainwashed and killed without knowing. The title goes to the Logan who killed indescriminantly and didn’t want to stop.

He chose to walk away when they called out for him. He went into a beast state that made the public completely turn against the X-Men in just one night. Instead of making up for his sins, he just went back to the bar -- the very thing that killed his family. He did everything he could to go against his morals of honor, integrity, and justice.

He was a man who failed his family.

THAT'S what makes him The Worst Wolverine.

[luveline]

hello jade! you are so talented and i love how you handle Miguel, so here comes my request: miguel overworking himself and tinkering on stuff and fem!reader pretending a accident happened, just to lure him away and force him to rest, while someone else takes over

thank you!! and thank you for your request ♡ fem!reader x boyfriend!miguel

Miguel's eyes are the kind of dry where you can actually physically tell from the edge of the platform you've just yanked yourself onto. His undereye area is sunken and dark, and his lips are pressed together tightly as he breathes in. He has some strange technology in his hand, a screwdriver in the other. It's unusual to see him working with physical tech these days, and whatever it is has been keeping him busy. 

"Hey, Miguel," you say finally, breaching the quiet. Margo looks up from her desk at the sound of your voice, and something in her gaze says, Oh, good, you're here. Fix him. You nod tightly. "Miguel?" 

He looks up for a split-second, if that. "What?" 

"What are you doing?" 

"Calibration." 

He doesn't explain the tech beyond that. You're a Spider, you should be able to guess what it is that he's working on. You've created web-shooters yourself with extremely complicated and delicate makings, but the longer you look at it the more confused you feel. 

"Do you need anything? Water? Something from the cafeteria?" You edge into the room, footsteps measured. "A nap?" 

"Nope." 

You frown and approach his side. He's sitting down, so there's that. The most important thing is that he's resting in some capacity, but the second most important thing is that his hair is in hand's reach. You put your hand on his shoulder to test the waters. Miguel doesn't react. Pleased, you push your fingertips into his hair and scratch gently at his scalp. His hair is a little dirty. He isn't taking care of himself, and this deep into a project it's unlikely he will be anytime soon.

You decide it's morally okay to lie. "I need a favour," you say gently. 

He looks up, finally noticing your hand in his hair. His head tips into your palm, his eyes softening, his crows feet wrinkles erased ever so slightly as he asks, "What do you need?" 

"I smashed the window in my room, and it's really, really cold, and I can't find a vacuum," you say, setting a false shame into the line of your mouth and eyes, your brows pinching up at the starts. "I'm really sorry, I don't know what to do." 

It's your apology that finally tugs him out of work mode. He lets the doohickey he'd been tinkering with plink flat onto his workbench, a rare but not uncharacteristic kindness in his voice. "Don't be sorry. We'll get it fixed. I know where everything is." 

"I know where everything is," Lyla says. 

"S'what I said," Miguel says. You know he laughs to make you feel more comfortable, and the guilt for lying to him festers. 

That guilt quickly wanes on the walk to your room. He's yawning and blinking the entire trek, big hand over his mouth to hide it. The Spider Society is really shaping into something amazing, and more and more Spiders arrive everyday. They've started construction on a dormitory for worldly visitors and refugees, but you've been lucky enough to get your own room near Miguel's. It's hard work for him to undertake such a huge project. He doesn't realise he's not doing it alone.

"How'd you break your window, anyway?" he asks through another jaw-cracking yawn. 

"You know me," you say, laughing nervously as you open your door and reveal a lack of both a broken window or smashed glass. 

Miguel squints through tired eyes at the room's cleanliness. "The smashed window?" he asks. 

"What do you mean?" you ask. 

"You know what I mean, the– you smashed a window? You wanted a vacuum?" 

"Did I?" you ask. 

"She lied," Lyla says, blinking in and out of view.

"I gathered that, thanks." 

"Okay, I'm sorry, I did lie. I just want you to take a break," you say, sitting at the top of your bed in what you hope is an enticing display, hand rubbing the empty space beside you. "Come and sleep, Miguel." 

"I can't," he says gruffly, then less so, "I can't, I have things to do." 

"Just for a bit," you say, eyes wide and pleading, your very best approximation of puppy dog's. "Please, baby. Just for an hour." 

Miguel stares at you for a moment, his shoulders sagging, before he closes your bedroom door and wastes no time in lying down next to you. You're startled at his willingness to do as you asked, but then you notice his flushed cheeks, tanned skin darkened by a rosy blush. 

You open your mouth to say something smug. He senses it, and says, "I can't sleep if you're talking." 

Your lips snap closed. 

Miguel lays motionless for a while. His breathing evens out. Sure he's asleep, you lay down beside him and dot a chaste kiss against his temple. 

His lips flicker. Not smiling, but almost. 

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock, would you please explain the differences in your husband rotation when they're in a "normal state/character" compared to when they exhibit yandere tendencies/ are extremely yandere? I'd love to read your thoughts🖤!

this was such an interesting question that i've been thinking about it all day HGETJNKR

speaking in general terms, even when writing 'non-yandere' versions of the husband rotation, i still make them a lil weird. just a dash of unhinged. what changes depending on if they're yan or not is how willing they are to consciously impede on the reader's wishes for their personal gain. now, getting into specifics...

my take on non-yandere and yan chrollo

there are a lot of little specifics that change depending on the variation of the character i'm writing for, but we'd be here all day if i got into that. so, i'll be focusing on the most prominent differences. regarding mr. lucilfer, i consider the most pertinent changes to be: him divulging his identity to reader and how out of his way he goes to rope reader in.

yan chrollo holds off on revealing that he's the leader of the phantom troupe, but is eventually fine with you finding out. it serves a dual-purpose. first, you're Extra cognizant of the power difference, thwarting any potential shenanigans you might get up to. second, he can unapologetically be himself. non-yandere chrollo's fine expressing his apathy toward the plight of others in small, socially acceptable increments. he's less blunt about it overall because he doesn't want you to drift away from him.

then there's his manipulation of outside variables to scooch you his way. yan chrollo accepts subjecting you to some traumatic things as a 'means to an end,' whereas his non-yandere counterpart values your mental well-being more. thanks king. regardless, they're both going to stalk you to varying extents, utilizing morally ambiguous methods without any guilt. they're also both going to make liberal use of lying by omission.

non-yandere and yan gojo

i am physically incapable of writing gojo being normal toward reader. it'd lack the pièce de résistance. that being said, non-yandere gojo is weird and yan gojo is weird with malicious intent. i'm not sure if that makes any sense, so allow me to elaborate.

they're both not the best with respecting boundaries, although in non-yandere gojo's case, that'd improve slightly with age. i always write reader as having attended high school with him because that's the dynamic i find most intriguing. in both cases, gojo in his teenage years is going to be obnoxious and unapologetic about keeping your eyes on him. non-yandere gojo deviates in his ability to mature by trusting you enough to believe you when you say you're not going anywhere. yandere gojo always has that gnawing fear that he'll end up with no one who can truly understand him if he isn't vigilant.

either way, you're not locked up in some dungeon where you'll never see the light of day, which is a boon. they're both content to let you interact with geto & shoko in your high school years, as well as their students into adulthood. selfish as yan gojo can be, his dream of the next generation usurping the status quo is paramount. he believes your influence too invaluable to deprive his students of. they both complain about how much you dote on megumi though.

non-yandere and yan scara

... ahem. the differences here are less pronounced. a driving factor behind scaramouche's character is his fear of abandonment, along with the resentment from the betrayals he previously experienced. they're both not the easiest people to be in a relationship with (or the healthiest). there's always going to be some level of codependency with non-yandere scaramouche. his yandere variation just cranks that to the highest setting.

the key difference lies within your ability to steer him away from being a weirdo. there's a skill ceiling for yan scaramouche, you can only make it so far. non-yandere scaramouche, on the other hand, has a sliver of hope. it'd require a mind-numbing amount of patience and forgiveness, but it's technically possible. everything comes down to how much you love him at his worst. should you accept him, albeit with some conditions (such as him being more honest with his feelings), he will make a legitimate effort to reform himself.

anything else nets you a bad end. he's emotionally volatile and prone to callousness. it isn't like yan scaramouche wants you to hate him — he's driven by paranoia. compounded by your understandable distaste for his new, restrictive behavior, he ends up saying things he'll later regret. tl;dr scara is eevee and will evolve into a slightly normal partner or yandere depending on your stats.

non-yandere and yan blade

somehow the most normal from this lineup?????? not that that's an achievement, since that bar's in hell, but it's still kinda funny.

unlike the other weirdos on this list, non-yandere blade could come to accept if you loved another. it isn't inconceivable or a reality he'd seek to alter. if anything, non-yandere blade would find your romantic interest in him far more perplexing. he's a jaded, immortal weapon who guiltlessly sheds blood. he knows you deserve better and that you're likable enough to find another partner. said partner would be subject to his scrutiny, but he wouldn't be vehemently opposed.

yandere blade thinks a similar way. what changes is his self-restraint — or lack, thereof. would you be happier with another? yes. can he love you the way you deserve? absolutely not. that doesn't remedy the incessant urge to possess you. you don't even have to like him back, per se, just having you around satisfies him. you quench this hunger that his non-yandere self ignores (with great difficulty).

here's to hoping this makes any sense 😭...

[billysgun]

loyal

billy the kid x cowgirl!reader |requested!|during the fight against murphy, you find out you're pregnant with billys child, and now you see where his loyalties lie |

you felt numb as you stared into the outhouse's seat that was swimming with your vomit like you did every morning while the gang went out and you were too sick to follow. but, you didn't let them know that.

because you aren't just sick, you're pregnant.

you know from the lack of blood in your bloomers -which would've been red 2 weeks ago, but it never came.

you think back to billy. the night where he drunkenly thrust in your with a raw cock. you both were whiskey-filled idiots and decided to fuck like you've been doing for months.

and now you're gonna have a baby.

and, in the middle of fighting the house. you're too sick to ride, can't stand the scent of gunpowder even when you used to soak in it, you have no chance of being here.

but billy? he isn't going to stop fighting for some mistake child.

you're on your own.

that night when they returned, billy snuck into your room and kissed up your neck

you tried to push the guilt aside and enjoy the feeling of his fingertips running up your thigh, your hormones begging for more touching but your morals drowning you in your shame

billy looked up at you right before he was gonna lay you on your bed, seeing the way your eyes were glossed over and brows twisted in not pleasure, but pain.

"darlin' whats wrong?" he immediately stopped as his eyes widened and hands cupped your face

"no, nothin' billy! don't worry" you quickly whispered, cursing at yourself as his worries grew

"is it the fight?" he asked, and you nodded, but he didn't seem satisfied

"nah, somethin' else in on your mind. you can tell me, love" he whispered, and you couldn't keep your tears in as they gently rolled down your cheeks as you whimpered a breath

"I'm pregnant, billy" you admitted and his eyes widened

"what?"

you let out another sob as he moved back from you

"I'm pregnant" you repeated and his fingers ran through his hair

"h-how long?"

"a little while-"

"before we joined this?" he asked and you quickly got defestive as you rose from the bed with furrowed brows

"no billy. not before" you sternly said and he turned away from you to hide his teary eyes

"why didn't you tell me- this is why you haven't been ridin' right? 'cuz you..." he paced around the room and you felt like a child who broke a vase as you stood with your head down

"I can't let you get hurt" he says walking up to you while grabbing your hands softly

"I can't let you get hurt, billy" you quickly add and he just shakes his head, your palm brings his face back to you

"this baby needs its father"

"not as much as it needs its mother, I'm not the kind of father a child wants" he whispered, tears brimming his eyes as you shook your head

"no, that's not true. they're so many rotten men out there, you're not one of them. you're loyal, and kind, and selfless-"

"I've killed people" he emphasizes and you just stare at him, backing up slowly once his eyes reveal the thing you worried most

"you're not leaving tunstall, are you?"

"...Y/n, I made a promise-" "what about this baby? you think fucking land is more important than a child you made?"

"I didn't fucking choose this!" he snaps and your eyes are wide as his words soak into both of you and he's quickly shaking his head as he moves toward you "I didn't mean that. I'm just sayin' I didn't-"

"what about me? you chose me first. what if I decide to stay and go with-"

"you're not doin' that. you're out of fighting." he sternly says but you just laugh

"I can't have you two gettin' hurt" he adds

"oh so now you care about the baby?" you ask, and he presses his lips together as you two are no longer talking and just fighting. with no response, you grab your shoes as you leave the cabin, leaving billy behind.

part 2 is: here

an: BILLY WHY???? haha but, hi guys!! & thank you for requesting!! <33

[iiannabxth]

unpopular opinion, i guess, but despite the fact that nicole claims to be a sociopath, i really don’t think she is. (that being said, she still isn’t a good person.)

throughout the game, she does express empathy and sympathy for characters like jecka, ari, or even jeffery, but will actively choose to ignore her wrong doings in order to peserve her own piece of mind- something that most teenagers do. in each of the endings, nicole will reflect on the actions she took to end up where she did. her reactions can range from denial to her own faults to a realization of what she really did.

though it’s a comedy game, so everything is incredibly exaggerated, nicole is clearly depressed and extremely suicidal. she’s addicted to drugs to distract herself from her own thoughts, which allows her to feel better, even if just temporarily. i think her numbness and recklessness probably come more from her disregard for her own life, rather than for a desire for entertainment. she also has no positive role models, as her brother is slobbish and lazy, and her mother is abusive and irresponsible.

nicole was implied to be a relatively normal person before the events of both games, having become popular in her other school once she became pretty. she also talks about what it felt like to be considered an outcast and to be left out. during the game’s opening, she says she used to be nice and and friendly to people, but she ends up changing her tune just before the events of the game begin, choosing to decide not to care about anyone but herself. she even explains this to her mom during one of the routes.

from what i gathered, her dad was a nice person who was constantly taken advantage of by people (including nicole’s mom), which led him to kill himself. nicole was probably traumatized from watching her father’s suicide, and decided after watching it happen (and having the only words on his suicide note being “nicole’s fault”) that being nice wasn’t worth it.

for example, after the whole school turns on her in the suicide ending, nicole describes how hopeless and miserable she felt. she says how she learned exactly what people wanted from her, which was sex more often than not. she spends the entire route being friendly to people (mostly boys) she doesn’t like for the sake of “being nice” and getting them to like her, only for it to blow up in her face because she didn’t want to sleep with them. she feels taken advantage of, just like her dad, which drives her to suicide.

regarding her apparent lack of empathy, she is said to feel sorry for what she did to ari, though she chooses to ignore it because guilt makes her feel bad. as jecka pointed out, ari didn’t really do anything wrong, which makes nicole feel upset because she knows she messed up. it’s clear that nicole has a morale code, though it’s a bit twisted. she hates people who are homophobic, racist, sexist, etc. (she makes a few odd comments throughout the game, but my point still stands). her lack of remorse comes to people like kyler, who nicole hates because he is a known rapist and misogynist.

as i said before, jecka, ari, and jeffery are probably the best examples of nicole feeling bad for others.

jecka is nicole’s best friend and the person she cares most about. a key moment in the game that shows this is when jecka gets mad at nicole and they temporarily end their friendship. after realizing she’s in the wrong, nicole goes to apologize by getting herself stuck with the counselor (a man she openly hates) all year so that jecka can smoke in peace again, which was something she’d previously complained about.

ari is important because i think she represents nicole’s own sexuality. while nicole is overly harsh and abusive towards her in one of the routes, in the other, she supports ari at first, telling her that even though coming out might seem tough, nobody cares and that most people would be fine with it. i personally believe nicole is gay herself (based on her respective interactions with jecka and emily) and i think that how she chooses to treat ari is based on how nicole feels about herself.

regarding jeffery, nicole probably sees a bit of herself in him. therefore, since nicole hates herself, i think it led her to immediately hate him too. (that’s not to say he isn’t weird and annoying, of course.) jeffery is the school loser that everyone either ignores or abuses. nicole says in the opening that she used to be that kid too. in jeffery’s deranged texts to nicole, he says a lot of the things that nicole had said herself. in one of the routes, nicole can choose to talk jeffery off of the ledge, which leads him not to kill himself nor shoot up the school. (i think jeffery has schizophrenia, so there’s that.)

but like i said, just because nicole isn’t exactly a sociopath doesn’t mean she’s not a bad person. she’s still pretty awful and makes dumb and harmful decisions. i think she’s lowkey a well written character that’s really funny, but has a moments that actual inspire reflection.

anyways, i wanna know what yall think. i could be wrong, and she really could be a genuine sociopath or have sociopathic tendencies, because as i understand, sociopaths are made, not born.

[lgbtlunaverse]

One underdiscussed aspect of the bone-deep lack of mutual understanding during the nieyao stairs scene is that Nie Mingjue doesn't know - and can't know - what he's actually asking of Jin Guangyao. Not because he doesn't understand how his father treats him, or how tenuous his position is. But because he has no clue Xue Yang is a demonic cultivator.

Remember: Nie Mingjue is still alive, which means the position of chief cultivator doesn't exist yet and Jin Guangshan is facing heavy pushback for suggesting it. Most of that is coming from a fear that the Jin will try to become the next Wen. So having an outer disciple murder an entire clan and then not even punish him properly? This is a collosally bad move politically! You might as well be waving a red flag around yelling "I want to kill other sects with impunity!" There's a reason that years in the future, the moment Jin Guangyao becomes acting sect leader, he will immediately order Xue Yang's death (He doesn't actually die, either by accident or on purpose on jgy's part. But the point is that as far as the public is concerned he had Xue Yang executed.)

From Nie Mingjue's perspective, Jin Guangshan just shot himself in the foot politically for some random outer disciple. It's morally wrong, but it's also incredibly fucking stupid. In his eyes, he is asking Jin Guangyao to do the glaringly obvious right thing, even when exclusively looking at the Jins' self-interest. The thing that surely everyone else in the Jin also wants Jin Guangshan to do! Jin Guangyao can say that he has no influence on his father all he wants, but it is obvious how much work he does and so, as much as his father may not respect him, he clearly at least trusts Jin Guangyao's competence. Nie Mingjue has already tried shouting directly at Jin Guangshan during the trial and it seemed to work, but then Jin Guangshan went back on his decision like a complete idiot. So now Nie Mingjue is asking the guy who is famous for being good at rhetoric and convincing people to convince his donkey of a father to do the obviously correct thing with minimal downsides because again, to Nie Mingjue, this is all about some random outer disciple. It makes sense to ask this! It's a pretty reasonable request! Jin Guangshan can't possibly care that much.

Except of course he does. Because Xue Yang isn't some random outer disciple. He's the only good shot Jin Guangshan has at recreating the yin tiger tally. And Jin Guangshan reaaaaaally wants the yin tiger tally. So bad that he is fully willing to tank an ungodly amount of political goodwill to get it. Jin Guangyao is fully aware that not only will Jin Guangshan never kill Xue Yang, he isn't planning on keeping him locked up either. In fact, after Nie Mingjue is dead, he'll free Xue Yang and strongarm Chang Ping into denying the guilt of his family's murderer. Jin Guangshan cares a lot about keeping Xue Yang in his employ.

And Jin Guangyao knows this. But he can't tell Nie Mingjue that! Because then he'd have to admit they've been doing demonic cultivation. That the fucking ghost geneal is in their basement. That, oopsie, they actually also killed a whole other entire clan just a while ago after framing their sect leader for an assasination attempt and then used their bodies as fodder to make more fierce corpses. You know, in case one mass murder wasn't enough!

So obviously he's not gonna say that. Which means Nie Mingjue has no idea what he's demanding from Jin Guangyao, and therefore no idea why he absolutely can't fullfill that request.

I get why it's not mentioned very often because there are a lot of other problems which are both more obvious and more fun to talk about. (Who doesn't love a little overcomplicated trolley problem?) But I think it adds just another layer to the chasm between them in this scene. They're not just disagreeing, they're having completely different conversations.

[snarksalon]

In Defence of Tsuyu....

The Hospital scene is, I think, one of the most misinterpreted scenes in the series and it fuelled a lot of Tsuyu hate. The scene is written clumsily, but the underlying point that Tsuyu is making isn't naive. Tsuyu is commenting on the separation between law and morality and demonstrating that the two in many circumstances may not overlap.

In Hero Society, both heroes and Villains exert force over the general population. The distinction is that Heroes are authorised to do so by law and submit themselves to a regime of laws that designate when they are permitted to exercise their powers. Heroes effectively operate in a similar vein to cops, soldiers, et cetera. In Hero Society, Heroes form a branch of the criminal justice system, which is important to note. Restrictions on Cops, Lawyers and Judges exist to ensure that the rule of law is respected and maintained. Often, nebulous moral questions arise. Take for example a police officer who decides to obtain evidence illegally due to their own belief in the guilt of a defendant. Even if the defendant was guilty, the police officer has exercised substantial impropriety and interfered with the defendant's opportunity to receive a fair trial.

There are also instances where a breach of a legal rule is indicative of criminal conduct. Many might claim that it is morally correct for a parent to lie on the stand to prevent their child from being convicted as parents generally have a duty to protect their children. This does not negate that the conduct is criminal and misleads the court. Obviously, there is substantial nuance here, but the point is that Tsuyu is highlighting the fact that a disparity exists between moral and legal obligations.

In Hero Society, Villains disregard the law. Of course, laws exist on spectrums and Jaywalking cannot be equated to Robbery (I do agree that Tsuyu is making a massive false equivalence in the panel). I think Tsuyu saying this post Stain Arc, is a realistic reflection of how she would feel following Stain's ideology becoming widespread. The Stain arc, demonstrates that some heroes are corrupt and directly calls into question the commitments of Heroes to moral good. Tsuyu makes this statement at a time when public scrutiny against Heroes is ESPECIALLY high, and where the boundary between Heroes and Villains is being contested. Later in the story Tsuyu's position on the matter changes, but this perspective was not an unreasonable or ill-conceived conceptualisation of the distinction between Heroes and Villains.

It is also reasonable that Tsuyu advises against taking action. One failure of the Kamino arc is the lack of consequences. Yes, All Might loses his powers but I think letting all of those who go to rescue Bakugo get away unscathed seriously lowered the stakes of the story. Class 1-A are first-year students and are relatively untrained. Even if they are being evasive, they should struggle against the leadership of the League of Villains. Out of all of Hori's writing failures, Kamino has always stuck with me. The rescue group put on objectively terrible disguises and Bakugo manages to hold his own quite successfully.

It is easier to critique Tsuyu's words because of a lack of consequence. If a member of the team had died or been seriously injured, no one would have taken issue with her objections. I think Kamino was a missed opportunity to raise the stakes in the Manga and to build upon the ideas raised in Stain's Arc. This is why Tsuyu's words fall flat, and why her subsequent rant makes little sense.

This scene feels futile and pointless because there are NO consequences for their breach of the law. There isn't even a close call. Hori could have directly linked All Mights Demise to the rescue team messing up or being in the wrong place at the wrong time or generally being inexperienced. OBVIOUSLY, Tsuyu makes an incorrect equivalence but it is something which contains an interesting point and is completely mismanaged by Hori.

Tsuyu isn't wrong to criticise a decision made by her classmates, it is a decision that is reckless and could have endangered others. The rescue team knew nothing of the pro-heroes strategy to recover Bakugo and could have jeopardised that mission entirely. She also isn't wrong for reminding them that as Professional Heroes they are obliged to follow the law and may only use their powers when authorised. Though her delivery is blunt, and the equivalence is clunky (I blame Hori's writing here), she is making apt commentary on the limits of power.

[thearcaneblog]

I just want to talk about Jinx and her character arc.

I love her character arc. I love her character. I’m usually not a fan of characters that are chaotic for the sake of chaos, but I absolutely love her.

Season 1 is all about her decent into chaos. Act 1 of season 1 introduces us to a timid young girl who needs help, but wants nothing more than to help and be connected to her friends and family. She’s extremely intelligent and a great shot, but her age and lack of experience creates problems for Vi, Vander, and her friends, ultimately leading to the deaths of her friends, Vander, and the disappearance of Vi. It’s at this moment that we see her base needs of connection. So when Silco finds Jinx, her immediate reaction is to connect with the person giving her attention. Now her inadvertent role in killing her loved one’s, followed by Vi’s subsequent rejection, plunges her into a deep-seated guilt and abandonment issues which set us up for Act 2.

Act 2 opens with a grown up Powder, but now she is going by Jinx. We still see flashes of Powder beneath this façade of Jinx. In the years between the end of act 1 and the beginning of act 2, based on the interactions between Jinx and Silco, Silco has become another surrogate father figure, teaching, caring, and even nurturing Powder’s transformation into Jinx. He goes as far as to baptize her in the river. We see her go down, but we never see her come up which means story wise, this baptism is incomplete.

Act 3 of season 1 is by far the most important for Jinx’s character arc. It isn’t until Jinx is near death after her fight that Silco saves her and brings her to get help via shimmer being pumped directly into her veins. After that the façade is really more than that, it’s almost a complete identity. She kidnaps Caitlyn, Vi, and Silco and has a failed communion. Silco is killed once again completing the very cycle that Jinx fears so much. It is at this point that her final transformation into Jinx the person occurs. She had given Vi the opportunity to take her back as Powder or remain as Jinx. The baptism in the water shed Powder away, the shimmer established Jinx as an identity. Story wise, she was never going to pick the Powder chair. Powder had been washed away. So she accepts the identity as Jinx. This is taking place in a little room, and like a womb Jinx becomes a person and walks out of the tunnel like a birth canal and is now reborn as Jinx, this manic agent of chaos as she fires fishbones at the council in Piltover.

Season 2 is, ironically, a struggle for identity, and redemption.

When season 2 begins, all characters are dealing with the consequences of Jinx’s actions. Jinx is in hiding and picks up a shadow. In stories, the purpose of a shadow, Isha in this case, is to show duality and reveal repressed qualities. By becoming a mentor and older sister figure to Isha, we see how Jinx is a complex character with morally grey areas-she’ll kill people, but she will protect this young child-and bring out her desire for a sister figure. By taking care of Isha, and then her later reunion with Vi, Jinx is forced to confront her buried emotions and the remnants of her former self, Powder. When Isha dies, Jinx is once again forced to reconcile how her previous actions have caused the deaths of the people she loves. She hates herself. After escaping the prison cell, she no longer wants to be Jinx. She no longer wants to be alive. Her hair is cut, which is another baptism. Into who though? Powder is gone, and she’s done being Jinx the persona, so this identity is something new. During the battle she has yet again, a new haircut. Signifying another baptism. This identity has transcended both Powder and Jinx. Interestingly enough her hairstyle matches Vi, signifying that they are together again as sisters. We know this last haircut is one that transcends all other identities because of her selfless actions in the battle, specifically her sacrifice for Vi. This is also a reason I think she is dead. Her sacrifice is the culmination of her finding her identity and reconciliation with her past.

Jinx's death is necessary for the story because it brings closure to her arc and creates a poignant emotional beat for Vi and the world around them. Vi's relationship with Jinx has been a central thread throughout the series, and Jinx's final act is a powerful form of reconciliation. Through Jinx's sacrifice, Vi is given the opportunity to understand the true depth of her sister's pain and the lengths she was willing to go to, not just to prove her worth, but to protect the people she loved.

Moreover, Jinx's sacrifice underscores the broader theme of sacrifice and change that runs throughout Arcane. It highlights the devastating consequences of unchecked power, the emotional toll of conflict, and the possibility of redemption even for those who seem beyond saving. By dying, Jinx serves as a tragic but necessary agent of change-her death provides the emotional weight the story needs to move forward and ensures that her legacy will be one of both destruction and salvation.

I have heard the other theories, but I feel like it would do her character growth injustice if she didn’t sacrifice herself fully. I have no evidence against those theories though, and as a fan of the character, I do hope she’s alive.

But that’s my two cents about Jinx’s character.

[thechibilitwick]

As an honorary Shidou apologist, I am breaking my silence. I’ve finally decided to go on a rant on why I don't think Kirisaki Shidou is an organ harvester.

(fair warning I like absolutely suck ass at organizing my thoughts, so if some of this is incoherent or if it seems like i'm repeating myself my bad 😭 I mainly wrote this for fun)

So, I'm aware that this theory is the most popular consensus when it comes to Shidou (and tbh, I think part of it is because a lot of people kinda look over him? Like at least a tiny bit more than the others, considering a lot of people also don’t realize how his main victim was probably his son and not his wife, but I digress) (plus I think all milgram characters are looked over to a certain extent). While I do think parts of it are probably accurate in some way, I don't think he was a full-on organ harvester (as in he actively stole from patients through illegal means. emphasis on actively) and that the theory in and of itself is flimsy at best. He's morally questionable, yes, but it’s more in the sense that he’s a somewhat apathetic guy who lacked understanding on how his own set of morals and values (i.e. pushing for organ donation) could be seen as wrong. So if he were an organ harvester, wouldn’t he be aware that it’s illegal? That’s what confuses me whenever people bring it up. I don't actually doubt that he may have done something illegal for his family's sake, it’s just that I still highly doubt it was something he actively did. And that seems to be what a lot of people think when they refer to the theory. (if i’m wrong please forgive me, i just assume organ harvester shidou = people think he did it as a job)

Anyways, more under the cut for those interested (it's a bit lengthy my apologies)

It then kinda trickles down to how his guilt stems more from the consequences of his actions rather than the actual action of taking organs. The root of his guilt comes from the realization that basically asking families to pull the plug and use their loved ones' organs for donation is a very, very hard decision; one that he kept pressuring for. If he was an illegal organ harvester, and was aware that his actions were in fact illegal, why the hell would he feel so guilty to the point that he’d start having suicidal ideations? That’s the key difference between his profession and his possible criminal activities; one is a burden both emotionally and morally, the other is more or less a literal burden. And based off of Shidou's character, he seems to be much more emotionally affected. That's also why I think a lot of people jump to the conclusion that his guilt stems from his actual actions rather than their effects. (does that make sense oh lord i am going ☝️🤓 so hard rn)

I get that some parts of his MV or lyrics seem to be suggesting that, but also it’s important to note that Shidou has a very strong bias against himself and definitely painted himself in a negative light. I mean, that's why he thinks every single preceding patient before the final incident is a victim to him, why he shows himself staying professional in a professional setting as apathetic (minus the pressuring part), and why he literally equates his job to STEALING. Not only that but, imo, it's also a little too unrealistic and might not actually fit the criteria of Milgram. Milgram is for crimes that are in a morally grey area. So if it really was organ harvesting, is it really in a grey area? (though I guess you could say that doing it for family's sake would be, but that's only for his family. He'd have no reason to do it otherwise). Plus, it'd make more sense and fit the theme of touching upon social issues (i.e. abortion, bullying, societal standards, mental health, etc.) if shidou’s entire dilemma was in regards to (albeit questionably done) organ donation, a complicated ethical topic in Japan.

Throw Down actually gives a pretty good rough idea of Shidou's thoughts towards his crime and his feelings in regards to it. He felt like he was blinded by his own values, and that inadvertently caused him to be unaware of the suffering he caused through his job. It really does shock me that he somehow was able to pull-off getting a forgiven verdict in T1 because he certainly comes off as cold and uncaring in regards to his work.

I think the final bridge in Throw Down kinda summarizes his entire mindset, actually.

​​Now slowly close your eye, put your regret on display Wishing you for someone else's sake With the same expression no matter who comes I don’t feel scared because I don’t know

Shidou doesn't quite understand the feelings of his patient's families, and therefore he acts remorseful and sympathetic more than he actually feels. Why? Well, because he didn't know. Up until that point, he never understood the weight of his actions, and focused on his role as a doctor. "This is an upsetting subject, yes, but it's for the greater good, right?” A braindead person has little to no chances of living, so why not use this as an opportunity to donate their organs? Moreover, as a doctor I believe it’s typical to be "emotionally detached” (for lack of a better word) since I’d assume becoming emotionally connected with a patient would make things at least a bit messy.

His mindset comes crumbling down though, presumably because he experienced the same or a similar situation. This part remains muddy for me, since we don't know much about what the actual cause for Shidou's guilt is. There are several possibilities, with the most plausible ones being:

he lost his own family member and had to go through with the same decision,

he tried to save a family member using donated organs, but failed, making it seem like everything he has done as a doctor was in vain

(a secret third option would be him making someone he cares about make that decision but it's very unlikely and also requires too much mental gymnastics)

But no matter what exactly he did, it all trickles down to the validity of his morals. After realizing the pain of losing a loved one, the struggle of trying to save them, and the unfortunate failure which left all efforts practically pointless, Shidou would understand the actual weight of his actions and why all those families were so reluctant to let go of their own.

This is even more evident in his T2 voice drama, Asclepius.

"In order to save the life of someone you don't know, please let me kill your family," I told them. It doesn't even take much thinking to realize how cruel that is, but… I didn't realize it until the very end.

This is the gist of Shidou's crime, or at least part of it (considering he says "Well, about halfway" when Es asks if their judgment was right). Again, this tells us that Shidou's guilt comes from the act of the effects of organ donation rather than the literal action. And this also implies that his "murders" did in fact have to do with being in a medical situation, it's just the way he went about it was at the very least morally questionable.

I will also acknowledge that he says he killed for selfish reasons, which most likely relates to trying to save his own family member. Here he could possibly have actually done something illegal such as tampering with patients or illegally taking their organs (latter is a stretch imo). Plus, his distorted T2 voice trailer line is literally "You're in the way, hurry up and die" which would only make sense in the context of waiting for a patient to die. But it could also just be him continuing to pressure for organ donation, but now with his own selfish motives.

Going back to the "halfway" comment, while I personally believe it might have to do with how Shidou views his crime as more than just taking organs, it more likely implies that something else happened that Shidou would consider murder. That being the actual death of his family member. It's implied through Throw Down that he was trying to save someone but failed, which he was responsible for. Then from there it'd make sense to assume that he would feel some form of guilt for the rest of his patients, either for the reason of failing to actually utilize donated organs even with the opportunity of being able to save them, or for just realizing the what it actually feels like to have to give up on your loved one. (does. does that make any sense.)

So yeah, I don’t think he’s an organ harvester due to what’s known regarding his crime, the reasoning for his guilt, and with the way he is as a character. The most I’d personally believe is that he decided to harvest organs for the sake of his loved one, but even that seems like a stretch to me. Thus, that is why I believe Kirisaki Shidou is not an organ harvester.

Anyways I’ve rambled on long enough, thank you for reading if you did and remember to drink water and vote shidou innocent in trial 3 because i will shit my pants if he doesn't get inno

[zal-cryptid]

So what happened with Jan's victims after she disappeared? .... And her parents for that matter actually.... I assume that most people thought she abducted Tammy and killed her then either killed herself somewhere super remote or became a serial killer or something like that but what did everyone close to that do going forward?

Jen doesn't believe in killing. She's like a non-lethal version of the Jigsaw Killer. Oh, she could kill if she had to, but she's never found herself in that position. She wants her victims to suffer and feel pain. Jen has (for lack of a better word) a funny morality. I would compare her to one of the Erinyes. All that abuse and Catholic guilt she grew up with? She thinks she broke free of it, but in truth, it still influences her.

Anyway, Jen's victims survived just as Jen intended them to. A search for Tammy and Jen was conducted, but they were never found. It remains a mystery to this day, much like the disappearance of Harold Holt (except not as popular). One theory is that Jen kidnapped Tammy and took her to the Outback to end both their lives.

[thevindicativevordan]

Given that the original version is your second favorite superhero: Any thoughts on the Nu-Ultimate Hulk, if you have any? Especially in the light of Ultimates #6 connecting him to Iron Fist bs.

Hurts to see another evil version of my guy, but I must admit he is a compelling contrast to both the 616 and 1610 Hulks.

With Hulk a question that writers have loved to ask, especially in recent years, is who is the bigger monster: the Hulk? Or Bruce himself? After all, Banner made the gramma bomb and was totally fine with the military using it. He only turned against the creation of gamma weapons once one said weapon blew up in his own face. Took feeling the negative effects of gamma upon himself for Banner to grow a conscience. Hulk meanwhile is usually a child in his morality. Yes, he's powerful and scary, but all he wants is to be left alone as he repeatedly states. Hulk typically doesn't set out to hurt anyone who hasn't done him wrong first. In that light, does Bruce not come off worse? Especially when you remember that some of the most evil Hulks, such as the Maestro, are Hulks where Banner is controlling the body completely.

Ultimate Hulk of Earth 6160 is in keeping with that line of thinking. He is a Hulk who has found peace, where Banner has seemingly mastered his alter ego and his inner rage. And he's all the more evil for it!

1610 Hulk also sought out Buddhist monks to find a way to control his rage. Difference between 1610 Bruce and 6160 Bruce, is that while both of them are bad guys, 1610 Bruce did feel guilt and shame over what he had done. He lacked the inner strength to make amends or even improve himself morally, but he possessed a conscience. Contrast that with this Hulk. NuUltimate Hulk refers to Gamma Island as "sacred ground" and is angry that the Ultimates "disturbed" his experiments there. He feels no shame or regret or guilt over what he has done. He's embraced the neocon mantra of "peace through strength" wherein you justify atrocities as part of the greater good. Detonating gamma bombs over innocents resulted in the creation of the Hulk, which resulted in a strengthening of the Pax Factoris, the Peace of the Maker. Therefore all the moral lines crossed were retroactively justified because the end product was a reinforcing of the status quo of "peace".

Nevermind that Hulk himself admits in Ultimate Invasion that this Pax is an illusionary one. Critics of "Peace Through Strength" have pointed out it frequently results in Peace Through War, which is exactly what the pre-Ultimates status quo for Earth 6160 has been. A never-ending rotation of false flag conflicts meant to quiet the populations within each territory from rising up against the Council.

616 Hulk is a case of the military-industrial complex creating a monster which turns against them. 6160 Hulk is the military-industrial complex embodied. With the Maker indisposed, Hulk has stepped up to lead the Council and crush the Ultimates before they pose a serious threat to the status quo. Complete contrast with 616 Hulk who is currently wandering the Earth as a long haired outcast, and prior to that was planning to overthrow the status quo in Immortal Hulk.

Of all the Maker’s Council, Ultimate Hulk is the one who has been twisted the furthest from what he is supposed to be. I'm excited to see how his story ends, I reckon the Ultimates are going to have to undermine his self-control in order to beat him.

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

I've been trying to find the right way to word this for a few days, but it's a really big pet peeve of mine when discussions of Fuuta and Kotoko and them as a duo that's narratively foiling is watered down to just their crime and comparing which of their murders are more justifiable, which usually leads to the same conclusion of "Kotoko is more right and completely justified in her murder, Fuuta was wrong and bad for his murder, #girlboss #slayhimqueen". And to put it bluntly, I find this conclusion to not only be lacking in nuance, but does a massive disservice to not only 0310 as a duo, but them as respective characters as well, and is missing a huge piece of why they are so fascinating The thing about this argument is that, to an extent, it's right. Kotoko killed an adult man who kidnapped and abused a child with the intent to kill her, and that child is now saved thanks to Kotoko. Fuuta helped lead a harassment campaign against a middle school girl who did barely anything to deserve it (not that anyone deserves to be harassed, but you get what I'm saying), and it led to that girl committing suicide. When you look at their murders side-by-side from that description alone, Kotoko's does seem like the more virtuous murder compared to Mr. Twitter User over here. But that is exactly the point. There is a very good post by @weather-cluddy and very good discussion below it detailing what I'm about to talk about, but to put it shortly: Fuuta is portrayed as a lot more physically violent and unsympathetic than Kotoko is in their MVs. Both are portrayed as physically violent, but the way it is framed through their lense and portrayed to the audience differs from the other. Fuuta is not just portrayed as violent and brutish, he is portrayed as pathetic. Kotoko is not just portrayed as violent and brutish, she is portrayed as cool while doing it (which I mean, she is cool, but that's not the point. Well it is the point but-) Fuuta's violence is aimed towards an innocent child, so it's deemed as repulsive and unjustified. Kotoko's violence is aimed towards a child kidnapper so it's deemed as justified and girlboss. Fuuta is portrayed as a wannabe hero, Kotoko is portrayed as the long-awaited hero. I could go on, but I think you get my point. Fuuta is portrayed in a much worse and harder to sympathize with light than Kotoko is, which also highlights how they themselves feel about their murders (Fuuta's guilt and Kotoko's elation). There is a very big reason as for why Fuuta was not forgiven in Trial 1 meanwhile Kotoko was the most forgiven. Because Fuuta's murder is generally thought to be worse. But here's the kicker: I think people are missing the point by putting focus onto which murder is 'worse', because that's not what makes them so comparable. What makes them comparable is the fact that they share a mindset. A mindset of vigilante justice, of a hero complex, of eliminating the bad people in the world in a faux revolution. And that mindset is exactly the one that got them into this place in the first place. And that's why it irks me when people put so much focus into deciding which murder is worse / who is more unjustified, especially since the majority of people I see this from are Kotoko fans. Your girl is literally doing the same thing you're criticizing Fuuta for in this very prison, and you aren't giving her the same amount of flack for it !!! Like- I don't know. I think putting Kotoko on a pedestal of being "morally better" than Fuuta is not only a really boring way to see things, but it misses a big piece of their characters and why they're so often paired up in the first place.