#I love a good guy that doesn't understand the gravity of the situation. This is one thing about me

[selfcontainedunivcrse]

throwing around a pair of scp ocs who might end up getting recycled into some original sources. but.

the first is a girl fresh out of college who thought getting a job w/ the foundation would be easy money before furthering her education quickly gets a big head and decides that She's going to become a big-shot researcher. she has a philosophy that nobody who follows the rules gets anywhere in life, esp. not in a place like this, and is cutting corners to ensure that her colleagues stay loyal to her and will support her inevitable promotion (She is just some guy. Average Lab Tech. She's trained on a variety of machines, mostly, just to make researchers lives easier.)

and her best friend, a man in his ~late 30s / early 40s. he used to be a prison guard before having a midlife crisis and a change of heart. surely becoming a security guard for a government-adjacent facility will soothe his morals and will be a lot more chill. It was not! He is actively losing his will to live, but what can you really do. Also, he needs to balance out this little power-hungry fool that he's gotten emotionally attached to, or else she IS going to set the wrong person off and get killed

[bugcatcherkit]

do you. have. shigeo hcs… I need to talk about him he is rattling in my brain like a marble.

KICKING MY FEET. PERHAPS SOME

I assume you mean Shigeo Separately. Which actually, even when I do portray them as a system I still view them as having very blurred lines. Like they have their own senses of self but there isn't exactly a specific point where Mob ends and Shigeo begins and vice versa. At a certain point they just blend together because they share the baseline identity of Kageyama Shigeo. If you didn’t mean separately i am so very sorry

Also, these are all post-canon, because that's where most of Him is, in my brain.

But with Shigeo his identity centres more around "well I know I'm not Mob" and "I know what everyone thinks of me" and "dealing with Extremely Stressful Situations". He doesn't really have much of an identity outside of that. So post-canonically he doesn't really know what to do with himself, he doesn't know what he wants, and he doesn't know how to react to these new and exciting situations (aka incredibly mundane ones). But he also doesn't want to miss out on them so he just kind of lets himself Exist in these "non-important" moments even if he's vaguely uncomfortable or unsure or scared he's making some sort of Big Mistake. he’s still volatile and cautious but generally a bit more Open.

Okay back to bullet points for this one

i like to think he is a low energy guy outside of experiencing his Big Emotions. He likes CHILLING and does not like high-energy things. But at the same time he’s always buzzing with energy also. Confusing

i also think he tries to get his own hobby, but he doesn't really know what he likes so he picks up a bunch. But he gets so impatient when he isn't good at them immediately that he drops them quickly.

He likes when people show their love/support/kindness but has no idea how to actually respond to it and it gets kind of awkward anyway

he psychic power stims a LOT. He is inventing new stims never before perceivable by humankind. Specifically I think he likes low or high gravity related ones. Great for emotional regulation

Ritsu is his BABY BROTHER and he loves hanging out with him so much. He will waltz into Ritsu's room and lay on the floor and not say anything to him at all because he just wants to be there

I think he really likes insects. Shigeo goes "i understand you, beautiful creatures" and he loves them. Type of guy to let a spider live in his room instead of even putting it outside because that's his pet now.

every time i draw him in outfits i base it off a Kid Shigeo outfit. His natural gravitation towards nostalgic things

his demand avoidance persists even post-canonically. Like for example, he enjoys helping out around the house but cannot stand it when he's told to do something or do it in a specific way. He goes "ok" and drops the task entirely and walks away

I didn't mention any of his dynamic with Mob because that is a whole different beast and I would have gotten way off topic. Actually same with his dynamic with any other characters. I'm crazy about them all. Also the way I characterize him is hard to put into words let alone tidbits i STRUGGLED.

[laylanightingale]

Broken-Smitten Parallels

Ok, so we do see how my beloved fits Smitten in the Tower. Devoted, loving, nigh-impossible to talk out of that "delusion". Although the leader-follower position is painfully reversed.

We all know (or may have a hunch) that Fury for the Broken is like Burnt Grey for the Smitten. They're both going through a lot of grief due to having lost their beloved at our hand. The Broken, however, instead of redirecting his anger to just one Voice, calls out the entire gallery ("heathenS"), which could show him as being more emotional and less selective about it (Smitten calls out The Narrator, then the Cold and then the Hero). He also is less confident in this regard, needing a coping mechanism and sending out less than credible arguments ("It didn't even work, it doesn't count." regarding the stabbing attempt). They both hope for their beloveds to be alive to... "salvage things". Clearly not in the best of states, both of them.

Come Apotheosis and the Broken starts defending his Lady ever so vigorously, even disregarding his teammates. He also sounds a lot like Hamlet intonation-wise as he panics ("It's just a fluke, an accident, that's all!") Mate clearly stands with Her, but unlike Smitten, he can at least be convinced that it's his Lady who's bad, not the surroundings or partners. Smitten won't have this nonsense, it's the vile Narrator's fault.

My mind is getting hazy, since I'm about to write the part that I love. Fact is, Broken can't just be convinced that Apo's bad. He understands the fact himself. How do I know this? If we listen to the dialogue before that, my boy sounds like his normal self, squealing slightly higher as Apotheosis wrangles his hooves, but should we choose to [Fight back], after the Paranoid and the Hero have chimed in in their usual demeanors (for the route) the Broken sounds like:

A. He just got the coolest idea ever. In secret.

B. He's proven a hidden hunch to himself.

C. He's finally fed up with Apotheosis' shit.

The sudden change of intonation shows that something inevitable has clicked inside his brain. Like he has understood the gravity of the situation. And I mean gravity, because his voice from there on, countering the physical pain, gets extremely deep.

The Smitten's voice upon Damsel's death gets higher instead, showing that the poor guy has just witnessed a murder (to my beloved's credit, he barely had time to react to his). Hamlet's crying, partially rasping his lines out. In Burnt Grey he turns into a deep grumpy gus... unless he's thinking his beloved's alive. On a physical level.

With the Broken, the gash is much, much deeper. It's mental now, the realization that the one he's been protecting and adoring this whole time would do something worse than hurt them all. To escape alone. Leaving th-- him behind. That is much, much worse than Not Good with Rejection. And it's hella justified. So as Smitten fluctuates from deep hatred to excited chirping, Broken stays down, likely a true bass. Growling like a guard dog ready to pounce any second now.

One final detail I want to notice is that Broken also wants revenge and actually does it, but unlike Smitten, in Her direction. He keeps saying he wants to "show her how we've felt", trying his damndest to keep himself in check, his sanity slipping. The Smitten, on the other hoof, unleashes a barrage of insults, prompting the Hero to be the therapy dog - here though, no therapy is needed. The damage has already been done and the retribution awaits... her.

And as I listen... I notice something weird. Is it just me or Brook is gasping for air the entire time? What's wrong? Is he being super overwhelmed with emotion and holding back a ginormous scream? Or is he... crying? [Was that the breakdown I was looking for?] The Smitten definitely did cry as he mourned his Damsel on the spot and swore revenge to the gallery. Here tho, it sounds much more mise-- no. Forlorn. Betrayed. Abandoned. Bereft. Those are exactly the passions, echoing in the depths of his bereavement that we wanted to hear in the Smitten... we get to hear them here. Like it's the final call. Like it's the end of the line just for them both. She's dead to him. They're through. Forever.

The abused finally stood up to the abuser. No other party wants to see each other no more. Especially, the abused. Nothing even to tell her in return to her apology, because never will it ever be accepted. It's over.

I... can't but bring my condolences to my best Voice as a recent divorcee and... that's exactly where I see the deep, profundo beauty in him.

Discussion open. I apologize for the wall.

[thicctails]

I am so intrigued by your different form different time au. 👀👀👀 tell us more (if you want to ofc)

moar DFDT au info + art for you anon ~(0w0)~

The Axolotl, once he's recovered from the shock of getting ripped from their godly form, decides that he'll go by Axel for now, since they know their true identity isn't known in this dimension. (He was tempted to go by "Frilliam", but decided not to)

Bill has no such plans and keeps his name. Calls Axel 'Frills, Ax, Pinkie, Big Guy, Stupid Salamander, ect'

Axel has he/him + they/them pronouns, with no preference for either. Bill goes by he/him.

If you've ever seen the movie Step Brothers, then you can get a good idea of how Axel and Bill's relationship develops. Very much a slowburn enemies to friends situation.

Axel starts off being very kind and cordial to Bill, but rapidly devolves into hating his guts for a while since he has almost zero emotional regulation, even less than Bill, since he's used to having very subdued emotions. Being stuck with the former demon in a shitbox Yugo going across America really tests his patience. Hands are thrown many, many times before they get their shit together.

Bill is trans because the genocidal little monster deserves 1000 period cramps. He doesn't understand why his meat sack betrays him once every month, and Axel is of no help because they don't know either. Both are convinced Bill is dying the first time he gets his period. It teaches him empathy and regret for inflicting pain far better than the Theraprism ever could.

Axel's secret shame is that he desperately wants to eat various insects. Alive. Cipher must never know.

Bill is like Mabel in that he changes his outfit every single day. He will not hesitate to rob a store for a new outfit, although he finds that he actually really likes making his own.

Don't try and take Axel's hoodie. It will not end well for you.

Autism 🤝 ADHD solidarity

The end of Axel's ponytail looks like his true forms' tail. If you look at it right, it shimmers. Bill's remaining eye glows slightly when he's emotional.

Both of them struggle with being human. Bill does everything he can to avoid sleep, because he is plagued by nightmares every time he falls asleep. Axel swears he can feel their body dying. They feel heavy and awkward now that they are bound by gravity. Hunger, fear, tiredness, hygiene, thirst, sunburns, and emotions make adjusting to their new lives incredibly hard.

Both of them tried swimming once, convinced they'd be able to do it with ease, only to end up almost drowning. The fear of death is real with these two, and both of them refuse to have baths, only showers.

Bill absolutely adores his metal attack barbs. They make warding off people who can't take a hint a breeze!

Axel loves being able to talk to people, but he's not very good at it. He gets mad jealous of Bills social skills, until Cipher inevitably fucks it up by being himself.

[sunnycanvas]

Lost Cause

Baldwin iv x Fem!reader

Warning: agnst

"Please Baldwin" you cried so much that your body and mind begged for mercy. "Please don't do this, I can't live without you" "You are my everything". You were crying so much hoping that this was all a nightmare. Your heart hurt so much. The pain was unbearable. It was more painful than any other injuries you suffered

"My love, please understand". "The High court won't accept you as my queen. Hence they won't accept me as king unless I divorce you". You grabbed his arms trembling and said "There has to be a way" "You can't end our marriage just like that" "What about our vows and about our promise till death do us apart" "Don't you love me?".

Baldwin iv sighed and didn't dare to look at you because he knew if he saw you crying and he will crumble under your gaze. "They gave me choice between my duty to crown and my duty to husband to you"

"And you choose your crown" you screamed at him crying

Baldwin iv sighed. It was painful for him too. Even though he had leprosy which made him immune to physical pain. It didn't make him immune to psychological pain. However Baldwin iv wouldn't admit it. He can't leave his country especially when they are is no one suitable to replace him. He always dreamed of happily abdicating his crown once a suitable successor comes by and living a lovely peaceful life with you. Alas, fate had something else stored for him. His first brother in law William of Longsword died. Even though Baldwin iv wanted to abdicate in his favour his brother in law refused knowing he lacked support of barons. His second brother in law was even worse. He had to stay in crown for the sake of unity of Kingdom. He didn't think that high court would have problem with you. He suspected his brother in law guy de lusignan was behind it but even if he is, there is nothing he could do

"You really are your father's son" you growled angrily

Baldwin iv finally snapped "Don't bring my father in to this". "It's just annulment papers all you need to do is sign it" you scoffed hearing his response and Baldwin iv suddenly felt sorry. He knew that he was very much like his father but this is the first time he felt extent of it.

"Thank goodness I don't have children with you, otherwise they too would have been snatched from me" that pierced Baldwin iv's heart.He always wanted children. Especially with you . One of the reason why he adorned his nephew. Baldwin iv sincerely loved you. Sure he wouldn't hand over his kids since having children despite having leprosy would be huge blessing. One that wouldn't happen again but that doesn't mean he will completely cut them off from your life

"I will make everything right I promise" "Once my sister annuls her marriage from her husband guy de lusignan I will appoint proper successor" "I will abdicate and come back to you" "We can remarry and live happily ever after" you laughed hearing this and Baldwin iv was suprised. You replied "Your sister understands her vow in marriage and wouldn't leave her husband no matter unlike you" "Also don't expect me waiting for you with open arms accepting you back" Baldwin iv was shocked and realised gravity of his situation. He fell on his knees and was greatly upset. He lost the woman he loved for the sake of crown. There was no way he could keep both and he choose crown. He now realised that things will never be same. The life he always dreamed of having with the woman he loved will never happen.

[elliwiny]

TLDR The Musical Chicago Taught Me About The Terrible Societal Pressure to Perform Gender Way Before I Really Understood What That Even Was

So it's Pride Month! And I've been listening to Chicago basically every day because it's exactly the length of my commute right now so I wanted to write about it.

I didn't grow up questioning my gender, and I guess my sexuality was 'I'll worry about that when I'm older' - until I got to my 20's and hit the 'oh shit, I haven't got the feelings I'm supposed to have, is something wrong with me?' phase of my existence.

Bringing it around to Chicago - I mean, look at her! It's Catherine Zeta Jones! Everybody is a little attracted to women, right? They're supposed to be hot! That's just how it is!

Hahahahaha.

But other than my hilariously delayed lesbianism I think Chicago stealthily gave me a primer on the fucked up ways our society enforces gender performance. Because you don't have to be trans to be in a situation where your life depends on giving 'em the ol' razzle dazzle.

The protagonist, Roxy Hart, is an asshole, a murderer, and kind of a ditz. Most of the criminals are right assholes, some are more sympathetic, and one is even 100% innocent! Aside from the innocent Hungarian, the thing the prisoners have in common is that they were boxed in, and were driven to violence after being pushed too far.

Whether 'too far' is justified is immaterial to the point. They became outlaws, and must perform womanhood to win over the court of public opinion and earn their 'not guilty' verdicts. And it's not just the kind of performance where you have to color inside the lines to not come off as weird, it's the kind where you dance and contort for the entertainment of the people who get to decide whether you get to live or die.

In Roxy's case this is kind of awesome. She's always wanted to be a star and with the power of hot-headed cold-blooded murder, she's stumbled ass-backwards into an unexpected avenue of fame and attention. She's determined to do this well, not for her survival (she doesn't appreciate the gravity of the situation, yet) but for a way to launch a career as a singer.

I mean what's Roxy's other choice? Go back to Amos? The guy who affectionately puts her on the same level as a housecat in his song? He's not the one who 'pushed' her, poor guy can't push anybody to do anything, but that's not even an option she entertains. I used to think he was one of the few good people in this movie/show, but it became pretty clear to me that devotion isn't the same thing as love.

Anyway, enter Billy Flynn, famous lawyer and expert ringmaster. In the song where he talks to the press, they do this cool thing where the reporters' initial questions don't follow the melody at first. As Billy crafts Roxy's story they quickly fall into the structure of the music, too. They draw the conclusions he wants them to, too. "Understandable! Comprehensable! Not a bit reprehensible, it's so defensible~"

Roxy's cover story is absurd, by the way, but it ingeniously plays to her type. She's a ditz but she's not naive, she has incredible natural instincts for the game she's playing. (Well, when it counts. She is resistant following the script, which sometimes gets her in trouble)

Roxy's innocent veneer plays contrast to the Hungarian, who becomes the first woman in the county to be hung for murder. She can't speak the language, literally, which locks her out of being able to play the game at all. In the framework of Roxy's imagination, we see the Hungarian's death as another performance... Because it is!

If you cannot perform, a narrative will be assigned to you and we will cheer for your pretty corpse. The metaphor could not be more clear. This is when shit gets real for Roxy, too.

Velma Kelly is also a good performer, who knows the game, but she has a disadvantage to Roxy. Her story just isn't as good. Nobody really believes she didn't do it, she's already so entrenched in the circus of jazz and liquor and sin that sentencing her is the least interesting outcome. I think that's why she gets away with shit like 'oh I blacked out I can't remember a thing' and getting her charges thrown out in exchange for her testifying against Roxy.

After all, she can't do it alone ;) if she didn't suck up her pride and embrace the pivot to playing the heel in Roxy's story, I bet she'd be hanging, too. Or at least, destitute.

They're both discarded by the public as soon as the verdict is passed and there's fresh blood to gawk at. The only way they survive as independent women cast outside the protections offered as stifled housewives is to embrace the world of Jazz, liquor, and sin... and most importantly, the narrative of the rivalry that they perform for those roaring ding-dong-daddies.

And it's not so bad, because that's what they both wanted, anyway.

[gravity-falls-daily]

TWO THINGS FROM TODAY’S EPISODE:

(Note: Thing One is so long I’m sending Thing Two as a second ask because the tonal whiplash from the two things I noticed when watching the episode today would be horrendous)

Thing One:

Holy smokes- I forgot how this episode really dove into the issue of when a girl can’t say no to a guy despite being uncomfortable. I’ve been in Mabel’s situation many times, and needless to say that story is incredibly personal to me.

But also, like, the idea that Mabel, OUR Mabel, the one that fell for several guys in the span of just a few days of being in Gravity Falls, knew for a fact she wanted to only be friends with Gideon. If she wanted to fall for Gideon, she totally could’ve.

But Mabel had her priorities set, and Gideon decided to take advantage her using the fact that he was a prominent public figure. I mean, for crying out loud, he gets the first date by asking for just one to give him a chance. He gets the second one by asking in front of people in a very busy, fancy restaurant. He then gets the third one by showing an elaborate display of affection with fireworks.

Gideon knows how to manipulate people. He even manipulates his own father… like when he yells “I can buy and sell you, old man!” and that’s seen as a valid argument for Bud. Then, there’s the other time where a whole contract between two whole adults is torn up because the child is throwing a tantrum over losing Mabel.

And that’s in THIS EPISODE ALONE.

We also get to see Dipper being the world’s best twin brother ever. He at first doesn’t comment on Mabel having a friend, because who is he to butt into who Mabel wants to hang out with, but when she brings up the date, Dipper casually says that, as a guy, Gideon was going to fall in love with her. He was being upfront and honest, like Dipper does. Then, when Mabel said she wanted to say no later that night, Dipper advises her on how she should just say no. And lastly, when Dipper realizes Mabel couldn’t do it on her own, he offers to do it for her. It was, like, the perfect way for Dipper to handle things.

If Dipper had taken the relationship into his own hands at any point, it would’ve played out like how Gideon saw it- that Dipper was simply getting in between them and that Dipper was being too controlling over Mabel. Instead, Dipper tells Mabel what could happen, advises Mabel on how to handle it, LETS her have a chance to do it herself, and asked to step in when Mabel was distressed.

Good for Mabel for gaining the confidence at the end, but I’m also unbelievably happy with how Dipper supported Mabel throughout the whole relationship.

this is SUCH a good read on mabel & gideon's dynamic and the way dipper supports mabel :] i don't understand the people that say shit about mabel taking advantage of dipper sometimes tbh. like they're siblings, dawg. siblings don't always agree but that doesn't mean they don't care about each other!! this episode is such a good example of the ways in which they care about each other, both with dipper doing his best to help in the beginning and then mabel helping out at the end... truly the siblings of all time <3

[mostowa]

Post Traumatic Ship Disorder

Ok, hear me out. This is going to be a long post.

I am grieving and I will be grieving for several reasons. I am grieving for Lucy. I have been broken up by guys like Tim with a mindset that Lucy's had. And, let me tell you, this s u c k s. I believe, she is left alone with a feeling insufficient, with more questions than answers, just like I was. She is left alone with deep insecuirities and not understanding what's going on. Why the guy that only a few days before confessed he loved her suddenly walks away. Why is he making a choice for her? Why is he acting like a 15 year old high school boy? She is clueless and she is hurt. Lucy has been so badass for the whole series that I don't want her to end up with a guy that doesn't treat her like a partner.

I am grieving for Tim Bradford. Because he acted like a huge dick. He shut down Lucy after being the one saying "Unless it is". And he went through with the promise so well for so long and now he... gave up on the fight? He is just na ass. I'm sorry, but he is. I know he is in pain and I know he is stuck in his mind, but that is not a ticket to hurting people you claim to love. It is not.

I am grievieng for Chenford. After a break up like that I kind of don't want them to get back together. I think there might be way for them to come back, but unless he doesn't work this through and doesn't say he's sorry then it'll feel like she's just weak (SHE IS NOT) and he gets what he wants (and he's never been [written] like that). Tim needs to make up for his mistakes and show consistent support and change and repair his communication style. But, even then, if I were Lucy I wouldn't be so quick to let him back in. He betrayed her on so many levels here. He broke their bond, their mutual trust, their partnership. He just ruined the most important relationship of their lives.

I am grieving for the show. One of the reasons I've found The Rookie so special is how they've treated relationships. Until S6 all of the relationships developed organically and were based on mutual trust and willing to be together. It was refreshing to watch, when the drama came from work and not from stupid personal decisions that ramp up the views. And then they just decided to give that up with Tim and Lucy. When you say you love someone like Chenford did in 6x02 you don't hop off the train on the bump. You stay, you work it through. That's what Wopez did with far worse situation when Wesley acted like a scared gazelle with Elijah. And now they just decided to throw this out of the window, because of "the trope". It is such a dick move. And such a male perspective that they did.

I am grieving for myself. Chenford has been in a way deeply personal for me. It's one of the few ships I've boarded that made sense because they were so good at communicating problems, in what I deeply believe. My husband stole my heart, when he said once "Relationships are not supermarkets, you are not in and out whenever you wish. When I'm in, I'm in all the way". I cried so hard after that because of happiness and relief that I finally found someone like that. And so far I thought Tim and Lucy were a couple like that, too. Despite their problems and communication misfits, they were honestly trying and making it work. But now it feels like another couple on another soap dramedy, I grew up with (all the broken hearts of Grey's Anatomy please connect).

I am grieving, but I am a little bit curious how they are going to resolve this. Now I am sad, I am mad, I am frustrated and I don't trust the process anymore. But the promo for 6x07 looks kind of interesting and I hope that they know something I am not seeing because of how much I am in hurt now.

I guess Gravity brought Tim Bradford down for now. And I can write a very angsty fanfic now, which I love to do.

[kukkakisu]

*sPLODES*

Hello! I’ve been digging around your oc lore and I’m curious, Is Nate gonna be ok? I can’t imagine very slowly being infected by something incurable is all too good for the system, mentally or physically. Does CC notice at all? Does anyone?

Also, I can’t imagine The Conductor is going to be too happy when CC brings his human guardian to the manor one day. I can only imagine that would be, at the very least, very awkward for everyone involved. Like a kid brings over their stepdad to meet their other dad who hates the other. (Although, that presumes any interaction would happen in the first place, which it might not given Nate's schedules, but I thought it was a funny thought, but also ignore me if this is cringe as I don’t know them well enough)

Any other notable oc interactions? I still wonder what early Naava lore is like. (I still think it’s so cool that it grows usnea, especially since usnea is a valuable medicinal herb great for being a natural bandaid, and idk that feels pretty in line with Naava’s whole deal.)

Carmine. Please let him be okay. Someone get this employee some cookies and a blanket.

Lastly, just a quick ty for the little comments/support on Vela’s post :) <3 I hope they can be friends with your ocs… or uh, (looks at Vultur trading lives for a cookie) some of them. They would love Naava, but I can’t imagine their getup is particularly approachable looking to brackens, least of all one that does not like humans to begin with.

Hii! Yippee! Thank you for the questions! Nathaniel keeps things hidden well very much on purpose. He doesn't want to bother others with the concern of his illness or for them to pity him because of it. Copycat has seen what is going on with his body but doesn't understand the gravity of the situation since Nate hasn't explained it to him. He's stubborn and resilient so regardless of what his fate will end up being, he won't give up without putting up a fight. He's determined to find a cure. Whether he will survive or not-- well. Ahahah! Next question! (I will be drawing or writing something relating to it later, so you will find out eventually!) Naava has met Nate but only watches him from a distance whenever he interacts with CC. They don't want to go close, and somewhat respect CC's decision to be friendly with the human. As long as the human is friendly too, it's fine. They will be watching closely regardless. Just in case. If something goes wrong, they won't hesitate to run in and end his life. Conductor has in fact also met Nate. It does not like him but lets him be because Naava wishes so. Might have tried to fight the poor guy once and got scolded by the Bracken afterward. So now whenever Nate visits the interior of the Moon he usually gets to go about his business in peace. Not that he's there any longer than he needs to be. 30 minutes at most. Conductor will still very much throw nasty glares at the medic whenever it ends up running into him, though. Copycat likes just about anyone and anything that he can interact with without blowing up. If it isn't actively hurting or threatening him? Friend! Someone he hasn't seen before? Friend! Funny looking plant? You guessed it, friend! Gets along with others easily, though human employees are understandably sometimes a bit off-put by him. What comes to other interactions, I will be putting them under a read more so this post doesn't become too long! There is a lot!

Carmine is still dealing with the traumatic loss of his crew, but he is learning to love and find joy again.

He is in a much better place now. At first he was very timid and unsure but warmed up to the others quickly. He's a scaredly cat, even more so than CC, but will grab his shovel and defend his friends if he has to. He also gets along great with Nate. He feels calm around him and is grateful that there is someone who can guide them through scary situations without faltering. It's still hard for them to be around CC, but he's taking his time and slowly getting used to the energetic Masked who keeps bringing him plastic fish. He thinks it's cute, even if the mask still startles him from time to time. Has seen Naava once. Got so startled he ran away screaming. Naava didn't chase him. None of the Brackens he runs into do. They can probably tell how scared he is and leave the poor man be. Or perhaps they can sense something else. The waters of Gordion do have a distinct scent of death, after all.

Nate and Vultur dislike each other. They have history and very opposing views on their research. CC doesn't know why they don't get along but can sense the tension between them and has learned that Vultur is one of those people he shouldn't get close to. Something about the way they stare at him through the helmet's visor is enough to send shivers down his spine.

Paradox is a name I haven't mentioned in a while, but her interactions with the others are very limited and not kind. The Jester sleeps and is usually dormant for long durations at a time. It wakes up during eclipses and that is a dangerous time for everyone on the Moon. While Paradox isn't that interested in eating Brackens or Nutcrackers, Masked have a similar scent and taste to that of human employees. So. You can probably see where this is going. Both Naava and Conductor are on high alert during this time, making sure to keep a very close eye on CC. It would be preferred that the little Masked wouldn't even be on the moon during that time, but it can't always be prevented. They've had few encounters with the hungry Jester. She's not one to listen during her hunt, so the best they can do is to hold her back or find something else to feed her. Once it's full, Paradox will sink back inside the box and sleep until the next eclipse arrives. She has a neutral opinion of others (everyone is mice to it) but is a lot more docile after it has eaten.

Also I am so happy you noticed the neat little usnea thing! It is intentional and Naava often uses it to aid their injured friends. The specific kind that grows on them is not only an antiseptic but also an anesthetic. Correctly applied, it can stop the bleeding of most wounds and quicken the recovery process. It can't do miracles though, so if someone is too far gone there is only so much Naava can do to help. Their past is still a bit of an unknown territory for most of the creatures, but they do know it came from the earth itself. Naava often talks about the importance of being kind to others, because in the end, the earth will swallow them all. And in the belly of the earth, nobody is anything and everyone is everything. None of them understand what they mean but in time… I'm sure they will find out :)

And aaa of course! Vela is so delightful! I'd love for them to meet some of my babies! While Naava is naturally cautious of humans and would definitely find the eyes on the helmet a bit threatening, they're a lot softer on people who are anxious, in distress, and/or considerate of others. So I think Vela would be safe! Nate and CC are usually the friendliest toward pretty much anyone and anything. Carmine is timid and it takes him time to get used to new people but I'm sure he'd love to have a new friend as well! And well, the questionable experiments and dissecting aside, Vultur does have a softer side to them. It's just very hard to get through their shell. They've lost a lot and openly caring about others is a type of vulnerability they try to avoid in fear of losing something they love again. They do like doing embroidery on the suits of their crew though so there is something in common with them!

And like, even if characters wouldn't technically get along it's always possible to think of silly interactions with them! It's a lot of fun! Always feel free to drop by my messages if you want to chat about them more!

[gossipgirloff1]

about the kelly and max relationship discourse:

the whole "magical night" thing is very problematic and kelly does deserve to be called out about it but equating the relationship to the clearly abusive relationship that max and jos have is taking it too far. we don't know these people and we don't know what really goes on in their lives. and max is not a little child, he can definitely handle himself and does not need people on the internet to fight for him. yes, his issues with his parents must have scarred him and warped in perception of healthy relationship but he clearly chooses to surround himself with problematic people and is not forced to stay in a relationship (let's be real even if it was pr, max verstappen, three time world champion doesn't need kelly piquet to be relevant or cultivate an image. his brand is not going to be hit significantly if they break up tomorrow because his image is not fully based on that relationship but the relationship is just an aspect of it. and again he can probably get into a new relationship just as fast if he wanted to.) he himself is a bit problematic (his support of piquet snr, using a nationality as a slur) but it just isn't talked about much anymore. also before anyone calls me a kelly supporter, i genuinely do not care for that woman, she is a fascist and racist person who deserves every bit of criticism. the way she made fun of the chinese during the covid pandemic, supports bolsanaro, is a performative activist is so disgusting to me and on top of that she puts her child's privacy in danger by constantly displaying every moment of her life in social media. kelly is an adult who probably knows about the dangers of exposing young children on social media and actively chooses to ignore them. and if the allegations are true, then it was very predatory of her to be in groupchats with young teenagers who probably did not understand the gravity of the situation and were just happy to have access to max's personal life. i really feel for the child because it seems most adults in her life seem to exploit her for their own gains (I'm giving kyvat the benefit of doubt because to my knowledge he hasn't posted her online much and generally stays away from publicizing her every move but I could be wrong too so please correct me). and max too is to be blamed, though not as much as her parents and immediate family. as an adult in her life he too should be a bit careful but he's not her father or step father so it's not his job.

and the alex thing that gets dragged through hell every week is getting a bit too old guys. she has a public tiktok account, I don't think she is asking for privacy or anything. the reason she privated her Instagram is because of the crazy fans who jump on the wags like sharks. it's no big deal anyway. it's different on her tiktok because mostly people look at her to get style inspo (love her or hate her, she does have a very Pinterest-y style and people are influenced by it and I know I'm gonna get hate for this but I have to say, she and to a certain extent carmen are the wags that can actually be called influencers because they actually influence and people actually imitate their style etc.) anyways, the privacy thing is such a non issue imo and I don't think it really needs that much discussion.

also while we're on style can I just say that I don't like kelly's style and I don't understand how she's considered a style icon? maybe it's because I'm a lot younger, gen z person but her style seems so mismatched and matronly to me. i don't like how she wears a blazer with every damn outfit, it's giving corporate dude. i love carmen and kika and alex's style though. also i loved flavy's looks in monaco, they were really good.

also do you know about this crazy article in Spanish that was calling charles "woke" just because he has a dog and not a child? like what the actual fuck. i saw some screenshots but basically it was like how he's not "manly enough" because he adopted a dog and did not have a child at the big age of 26. crazy people

also (I'm so so sorry that it's so long) I read once that you would love to engage in fashion discourse and I have so many thoughts on the topic. and also driver market discourse especially after Checo's signing ( i again do have thoughts)

ciao

-fashion girlie anon(??)

Hi 👋🏻

Thank you for sending this ask I love reading people’s thoughts ❤️

I didn’t saw Charles article if anyone has it can please send it to me?

Who cares if he is not a “real” dad it’s his choice

I forgot I was gonna do rating outfits of wags 🤦‍♀️ we should do that sometime I wanna hear your thoughts too ❤️

How about this Sunday we do the ratings ? After their paddock walk yeah I will try to be free that day👍🏻

[arcplaysgames]

Oh Teddie. Buddy. I saw how you sucked face with Kanji, you can't fool me.

Rise, do you..... not..... have a gaydar? Rise, do you not know? What else don't you know, like, do you not know about Chie and Yukiko? Oh, girl. Are you our token straight? I think she might be.

Also, I don't thing i can find the caps, but Rise constantly negs Kanji in combat. She can't seem to have a chill interaction with him. It's funny but also a bit aggravating. Like, can you kids play nice?

What am I saying, of course not. These kids are incapable of it lmao.

This dumb fucker hurled himself in on purpose knowing we'd bail him out, I just know it. If smug was a motorcycle, he's a fucking Knievel.

Naoto's little corner of TV land is a secret laboratory out of some Man From UNCLE classic spy stuff.

It has, without a doubt, the worst exploration music in the game so far. Jesus christ.

ALSO TEDDIE IS... IN A CHEERLEADER UNIFORM. okay. sure. I got cool clothes for everyone. I like Kanji in the Tatsumi Textiles work clothes, and Reverie is dressed as an ouendan member! OSU! goddamn i love those games.

Cuties. Everyone is adorable.

ALSO CHIE CAN DROP BY MID-BATTLE TO SLAM HER SCOOTER INTO AN ENEMY AND KNOCK THEM OUT OF THE MATCH? Amazing.

oh my LORD.

Naoto's Shadow is kind of amazing. One, the VA performance is great, swinging between a very sad child constantly on the verge of tears to a VERY over the top theatric rendition of a mad scientist. The oversized floppy sleeves are a fabulous touch on the physical design. This one is something special compared to all the others.

pops gum loudly

This bit is very good.

Admittedly, it's very interesting to reach Naoto and his shadow after hearing about the whole thing secondhand for, at this point, over a decade. I'm not going to bring anything new to the topic and, frankly, I'm waiting to see how Naoto's social link plays out to get a full read on what's going on here.

Because, obviously, surface level read of the whole this is more than moderately disappointing. The gender essentialism and the repeated idea that you cannot change your gender is more than a little eye-roll-inducing. And it chafes pretty badly against Kanji's entire SLink, which I finished after this dungeon and will recap later but does revolve around eschewing the simplicity of labels.

I'm kind of struggling to pin down why I'm not that mad at this handling. Part of it is obviously that I've set my expectations low for Persona as a whole so that I can have a lot of pleasant surprises when it exceeds those expectations.

But also, the entire Naoto thing is a very sticky situation. Because I think that the Western audience for these games doesn't understand the gravity and density of the sexism in Japanese society. And I'm not an expert in this! But lets say that I do know a thing or two from a friend who does understand it. And it suuuuuucks. Naoto is entirely right to be torn up about this duality.

The people he works with would 100% absolutely no question discard his opinions if they saw him as a girl. Yep. I fully believe that and the weight of that anxiety on Naoto is crushing, clearly moving him to tears. But on the other hand, presenting as a man to avoid that pitfall, the other anxiety of "mimicking those same men" and having to justify their bullfuckery is also incredibly heavy.

Naoto has no clean solution. And if we posit that his reason for being a guy is rooted in that fear, that's... a bad reason to go fulltime Guy Mode. When you opt into your gender, it should be out of love for the thing, in my opinion. There should be something like relief in "yes, I am this gender!"

I don't see that here. But, on the flipside, as soon as this fight is over...

I could reach through the screen and slap you, Rise. This stung me like hearing someone getting misgendered. It fucking SUCKS. Not just everyone swapping to "she" but the feminine diminutives, that's genuinely hard to hear and I personally hate it.

Anyway, back up.

I love this moment from our other team member who thinks a LOT about gender. Kanji being like "listen, just let this shit play out so Naoto has the healing process we all got too, we'll handle the battle part." LIKE!!!!! Fuckin'.... queer solidarity means saying yes, you will beat the shit out of the superpowered facade of a friend's gender demons. THAT'S what it means, baby!

ah shit out of images again brb

[sprinklethetangerine]

Life Update: I'm dying lmao

Well, not really, but I am still very much not okay physically. Mentally? I was never okay mentally.

To really understand the gravity of the situation, you must first understand that I NEVER, and I mean NNEEEVVVER get even a MILD fever. I could be dying on the floor, and I assure you my temp would be a perfect 37°C (Farenheit freaks, you guys can Google what it is for you, I'm not ur mom) not even when I was ACTUALLY dying of like a really really bad sickness that almost killed me did I have a fever. I used to say, "The day I have a fever is the day the world ends." That's a lie, but I would've totally said it a lot more often if I knew this would happen simply because it would be so fucking funny.

So now that you understand how I literally NEVER get a high temperature like ever, let me tell you what exactly happened.

Yk how I said I was sick before? Well, when I went to school today, lovely, beautiful school, my cold went from a 6... to a THIRTY EIGHT. For the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE, I had a fever. And not even a mild fever it was BAD. Like the nurse looked so concerned when she read it, she didn't even tell me what it was. She like called my mom, and she was so urgent about me going home immediately before it gets worse. She said like "Hopefully, it'll get better, but if it doesn't, uhm..." and I'm just there like... what happens if it doesn't get better... bestie... bestie, what happens, whyd you stop... BESTIE? That was the most terrifying pause of my life. Sixteen years of life without a single fever, and now I get this. An almost hospitalization. It's a good thing it didn't get worse.

[sig-was-here]

OK SO

me and my partner really didn't like S1 Amber cuz the "she knew all along thing" BUT I RECENTLY HAD A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON IT AFTER WATCHING S2 EP3 and it made me love S2 even more

I think that the reason Amber was acting the way she was, despite knowing he was a superhero, is because she had no clue what being a superhero actually entailed for him. And she based her expectations of the relationship on that incorrect perception of his job.

The one time she did see him fighting the android creations, she didn't get to see them at their strongest. Instead, she saw Mark Grayson leave her to get people to safety while he goes to fight the big bad guy. (I do think that there is an element of her being irrational as well, since well, he did genuinely save William)

And consider what we know of the public perception of heroes as badasses, strong and celebrities. She, with her current perspective, has no reason to be sympathetic of his job. At this moment in time, she's upset at his dishonesty, and his inability to give her time and attention without good reason - because she doesn't know the absolute gravity of his situation, and how that constitutes a REALLY good reason. To her, he has to choose between his job or her, because she hasn't yet got the context of how he is kinda.. forced into saving people, or else. She's assuming he can make a choice that he can't.

SO her switch to suddenly being okay with his superhero work in Season 2, ESPECIALLY the "you never need to apologise for saving lives" is due to her SEEING what happens when Invincible isn't there- when a superhero DOESN'T fight back- seeing it affect real lives in REAL time rather than "ooh aliens fight the city and oh it's over now". Seeing and experiencing the mortal peril that Mark fights to prevent every day. She got to see that day when Omni-Man killed thousands of people, and Mark fought him off. She gets that insight and understanding of Mark's life! and its what brings them together again, alongside the trauma and the need for closeness with another in a time of change and healing.

OH ALSO BTW THIS IS JUST ME EXCITEDLY SHARING STUFF INCASE IT HELPS YOU LIKE AMBER MORE its not me disregarding any criticism or trying to explain it away!! im very genuinely passionate

I know I'm supposed to hate Amber given the whole mess from S1, and while I agree that the way they handled the identity reveal was dumb and made Amber come off as pretty awful, I'm not made of stone damn it! Mark and Amber dynamic in S2 is legit cute and fun to watch. Hell, I'm rewatching S1 and she's a enjoyable character there as well who has a great dynamic with Mark. The show just dropped the ball with the whole "Amber knew all along" angle. The crew were trying to be clever but it completely backfired

[gogolstoelicker]

Oh sevens, i love your work keep it up hunny uh maybe a request about twisted wonderland, a chuuya like MC ?

Honestly i wonder how he/she/they interact with riddle

Dorm leaders with a Chuuya!MC

Warning(s): none

notes: CHUUYA NATION LET'S GOOOOO‼️‼️‼️‼️I WOULD LET THAT MAN CRUSH ME WITH GRAVITY

You're a temperamental and a rather arrogant, blunt individual. You revel in fighting, happy to show off your combative ability, and taking great pride in your reputation as the mafia's strongest martial artist.

For as hot-headed as you may seem, you're not impossible to reason with. In fact, you're rather reasonable when no one is pushing your buttons. Fierce in your loyalties, you find betrayal intolerable and treat your subordinates quite well.

Riddle:

stop picking fights with everyone that provoked u, will u?

he's having a headache

he have to collar u so many time

it may have stopped ur ability but it won't stop these foot‼️‼️

like dazai, he can probably stop corruption

only if its strong enough that is

i mean corruption is literally some god's power, how is anyone gonna cancel that unless they're really strong

but let's say he can bc i have some favoritism towards Riddle

then good for u!! he's now ur new partner in crime!!

like if there's an overblot and you're using corruption to defeat them? ace and deuce will bring riddle

you're insecure abt how u looked? riddle got yo back

he's not the best at comforting but he can try!!

riddle also tried to stop u from drinking alcohol

and from smoking when you're stressed

esp if you're underage, he would literally snatch that bottle or cigarette away from u and go 😠😠😠

^u got a very long lecture from him btw

overall, you guys got along great!!

u appreciate that he cares abt u so you're pretty loyal to him!!

u treat him pretty well, tried ur best to look out for him and help him in some ways

like hm? he says smth abt these guys not listening to him no matter what? well no worries, u can fight!!

he used u to fight some guys whenever there's those who's brave enough to go against him again and again

Leona:

was probably abt to fight him at the botanical garden when yall got interrupted

thankfully

looks like they could kill you and could actually kill you duo

you're probably his new rival or smth

all bc u accidentally stepped on his tail one time

u, on the other hand, also sees him as one just bc you're not one to back off a challenge

probably caught ur ass drunk one time

??where did u even got some alcohol???

oh well

now he always talks about the time u got drunk whenever u guys had your daily tongue fight

i meant bickering, not making out. sorry folks

u guys can make out with him in a different situation tho

and then u go 🤨😮😠

almost got into a fist fight when riddle stormed in like😠

so now you're 🕴and Leona's🙄

BUT AT LEAST HE STOPPED THE FIGHT YES⁉️WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED IF THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN

Azul:

almost got beat up by you multiple times but u got held back by ur friends the same amount of times

saw ur gravity ability and so suddenly he's glad ur friend held u back

u probably used that gravity power against the twins at the coral sea

unfortunately, floyd thought the situation was interesting so his unique magic uh interrupted(?) yours?

they complained to azul after btw

azul went *pushes glasses👓 up*

"i see"

^his knees are shaking btw

from excitement that he wants ur ability? or from fear of that ability? he doesn't know

he genuinely wants to know more abt that ability of urs

oh dw he def don't have any ulterior motives abt it!!

😁

u probably don't click well?

bc from my understanding, chuuya doesn't like dazai bc of his strategic personality or smth

azul is pretty much the same

except he probably have more morals and emotions than dazai /hj

well he's added to ur dislike list ig?

Kalim:

starry eyed looking at you

kenji 2.0 ig

you've accidentally adopted him? congrats?

like you're literally his idol now

chuuya mc dancing to blackpink or twice HELPPP

ahem back to topic

whenever he saw u fighting, he's just so???? amazed???

who cares if you're kicking ass, you're just sO COOL

teach him some martial arts pretty please😊

you took HUGE pride in it so ofc‼️

jamil looking from the sidelines like🕴😐

well at least he doesn't need to deal with kalim's shenanigans since he's busy training with you

he would say he trust kalim in your hands if its not for the fact that you're literally a walking fighting machine who likes alcohol

yeah don't lie to him, both him and kalim caught u drunk one time too yknow😐

when jamil overbloted, u probably have this small feeling of 😠 esp for kalim's sake

DW U KNOCKED SOME SENSE INTO HIM FOR KALIM‼️LETS GOOO‼️‼️

Vil:

he really likes that you care about your appearance and tried to improve them each time🤗

look at the students in nrc who barely fit the bare minimum

and now look at u who tried to look ur best everytime

even so, he dislikes that you picked fights so easily

someone pisses u off? a foot is shoved in their face

anyone and literally anyone who pisses u off will have a foot shoved in their face

vil was probably almost one of the target

he's strong

BUT YOU'RE STRONGER LET'S GOOO💪💪‼️‼️‼️

IT'S LIKE A DRAGON BALL SCENE

don't ask me why an i comparing this to a dragon ball scene

but it's like 👊💥💥🦶

we can already guess who is who

for those who have an android, that's a foot btw

Idia:

finds out you're a clone for a god or like a god's vessel from listening in through the cctv since he's kind of curious about ur ability

(idk if cctv can do that i suck at technology but if cctv can't do that then let's say it's smth idia trampled with that made him able to listen in??)

now he's even more curious

God's vessel?? corruption?? clone??

looks at ortho

jkjk

he's really interested in how they made a clone that's so human like

but he doesn't really wanna go up tp u and socialize about it

he's not good at socializing so uh

he just gotta watch ur movement and pray for the great seven to suddenly make him confident and strike up a conversation to research about u???😊😊

whenever he saw u beat someone up from the cctv, he winced and felt a tiny bit of bad for the student you're beating up

probably caught ur ass drunk too LMFOAOAOA

he just finished gaming and instinctively look into the cctv

he's an empath

he can see u, drunk.

u fell into the fountain and mumbled something that he can't hear

it's his core memory now

Malleus:

aren't you a brave one, child of man?🤗

u probably picked a fight with him once u heard that he's THEE malleus draconia

like you know youre strong, he and u know HE'S strong

so like to test who's stronger, WHY NOT FIGHT IT OUT??:D

was kind of excited at first but then realized he shouldn't faught a human bc humans are fragile being

u going "I AIN'T EVEN HUMAN😠"

malleus:😮😃😄

SO THE DUEL DID HAPPEN‼️

damn u both crazy strong

lilia had to step in bc you both were so lost in the moment

all ur friends were shaking in their timbers

half of the training ground(?) is probably destroyed

you two are more than satisfied tho

ended with u two being best friends

u even brought ur wine to him‼️

where did u got that wine? hehe 😊

idk if malleus drinks tho

he probably became another responsible friend after riddle to watch u as u slowly go drunk

[tomatograter]

Do you think Dirk saying that he doesn't like to label himself as gay means he has internalized homophobia? Or does he really just don't like to put labels on himself? I've seen ppl saying it's homophobia but there's ppl in real life that don't feel comfortable with labels so I'm a bit confused honestly, cus we are talking about Dirk and he's... Dirk after all

Easy answer: Dirk is Gay.

Prolonged answer: I think it's kinda weird how some fandom discussion around "Dirk dodging the label in One pesterlog" has largely spiraled way outside of its original context to be talked about in a vacuum, especially when that context is crucial to understanding what is actually being said, AKA — it belongs to a deeply awkward conversation between Dirk and Roxy. One of Many they are implied to have had about the subject of Roxy's sustained, unwelcome, and oft drunken advances towards Dirk (& his splinters).

I'm going to reproduce it plus another bit of text down below, for the sake of comparison.

(To prevent the trickster text from looking like absolute shit, I have altered the background. Read the original here, if you're nasty: https://www.homestuck.com/story/5754 )

Now that we've been reacquainted with how and where that sentiment is expressed, let's try to break down what Dirk is doing here.

He is not receptive to Roxy's early advances, and spends most of the 'intro' for this conversation (not pictured) ignoring when Roxy flirts with him, until she gets upset at how 'boring' he is being right now.

Dirk is the one compelled to apologize.

He proceeds to shut the scenario down as an unwanted probability, eliciting further guilt-babbling from Roxy over how Dirk never wants to play along with the perfect traditional family fantasy, until she finally blows up and says it's because he's gay.

"I mean, yeah, that's what I thought."

Dirk, rather than saying I Am Not Gay, since he looooooves changing a conversational subject, claims that "Gay" is not entirely historically appropriate for this situation, given the non-negligible passage of time and the wildly dystopic circumstances* they find themselves in.

Dirk reassures Roxy he does still care about her.

Dirk is absolutely terrified of a similarly inclined (and intoxicated) Roxy up close. This is the most exclamations he's ever used.

Now, *These circumstances? The loss of 99% of the human race, including their society, customs, culture, and prejudices. (ALLEGEDLY.) It's important to remember that from Dirk and Roxy's side of the timetable, troll culture has been pushed as "the norm" for actual fucking centuries. HIC tried to recreate the caste system by artificially coloring human blood, leading to the death of billions. Faygo came out of the water tap, not water. Troll slang was incorporated into the English language. Humans ceased to organically reproduce. They were actively Discouraged from reproducing, since that's not something HIC could have total genetic control over; rendering traditional marriage and the concept of the nuclear family pointless.

You could also argue that same-gender relationships are not uncommon in Alternia, making "gay" altogether unnecessary by proxy, and that's true! But my point is this one: any union (or at least our society's holy concept of it) between straightie humans would be by definition undesirable under HIC's rule, too. She is the church, the president and the governing body. The population is only as good as they are assets for her to do whatever she wants with, including mass murder.

But wait! While that tracks… Roxy clearly still holds onto very 'conservative' definitions of romance for most of Homestuck. We see this multiple times. Dirk, as proved in conversations with Jake, uses 'gay' as an ironic pejorative. Suddenly it's not Historically Inaccurate anymore, Jake's interests are just gay.

Does this mean the context above is basically worthless, since they don't seem to have internalized it? No.

What must be kept in mind is this: Dirk and Roxy's only "active" link to de facto humanity is our society as it was in the early 2010's. Those glimpses they get by talking with jane and jake. They have all that dystopic context, yes, but the reality that seems the most "unfucked" to them for a grand majority of their lives are the halcyon years before the Condesce's rise to power: back when weed was illegal, BlogSpot was popular, movies sucked, MTV was still a hip channel, and gay generally meant something real bad. The wave of homophobia as a punchline or fear mongering tactic was at THE HEIGHTS. Marriage equality was a hot debate topic. Those were the dayz.

Dirk is keenly aware of the taboo implication the word "Gay" as a self-denomination carries. He's no dummy. But he's rarely direct with his intentions either. He's slippery as a bar of soap. (He's never "straight about his feelings", if you prefer.) And for a guy that cares so much about his reputation and maintaining a curated sense of utter coolness, he wants to avoid outing himself as any sort of weirdo no matter the cost.

But that's not all. I think the gravity of just how much Dirk believes he *owes* Roxy simply for existing as the last human in the same timeframe as her is a severely underplayed aspect of Dirk's core character, together with how much he tries to avoid her sexual advances only to end up feeling like absolute shit over it, because — if they truly are the last people on god's blighted earth, isn't he being "selfish" and "irrational" about not feeling shit for Roxy, in the grand scale of things? Is Roxy not his only friend in tangible reality, even if he avoids the mere suggestion of visiting her? Even if she gets black-out drunk and tries to push him into indulging her, regardless of how many times he's already said no?

(Spend enough time here and you realize how it directly mirrors the jane/jake experience.)

Dirk cares a lot about each and every one of his friends.

He pointedly adapts his speech based on whichever one of them he's talking to in an effort to express that investment. May it be reassuring Jane, fooling around with Jake, or trying to prevent Roxy from falling into a total catatonic doom-spiral; he avoids telling them anything that would be too crushing to hear. That's not what he's trying to do here. Not to say that he isn't bitchy sometimes, but that’s far from the central thing he does. The Epilogues have retroactively led people to believe that Dirk abhors and despises every single person he's ever been close to before (god forbid) LIKING them, and I think buying too much into that assumption ignores the foundations of his canon text, as well as the central motivation behind 99% of his actions in the story. This is the guy that grew up on Friendship Is Magic, has a picture of rainbow dash shamefully glued to one wall and a rainbow poster of Jake's symbol stapled to another, and everything he does is a little cringe attempt to demonstrate his worth by showing how much he cares about people, even when he's punching his actual feelings down instead of up and saying them.

Which brings us back to the load-bearing part of this question: Admitting to Roxy that there is absolutely no fucking way he will ever agree to having her babbys because he is gay is precisely the opposite of what Dirk wants to say, if his intention isn't pulverizing her. So he doesn't. And his worry on this regard is such that it prevents Dirk from even telling Roxy that he does love her, in the platonic sense, as a friend and hell-earth survivor, because he knows that specificity is what that would disappoint her greatly. (He only ever confesses this to Jane, on the death slabs.)

But also I think this is a really funny visual of Dirk's relationship with the word gay, to put statements into perspective:

[kat-z-edition-art]

A Fight Scene Rant

To create a good fight scene you need to let your audience know 3 primary things that without a fight falls apart.

1 is stakes, we need to know what's at risk in the fight, be it personal and/or physical, in the physical side the classic stake would be the world ending and a good story uses that stake to create inner personal conflict for the protagonist, such as all friends and family dying, their home getting destroyed, etc, and shows them not only understand this before hand but also characters act like the stakes are that high. This is why having a character be joking should not be advised if you want the reader to take in those stakes, if the protagonist whose world is at stake doesn't care why should we? More personal stakes are things like wanting revenge, trying to prove something to someone or themselves, a bad personal stake ussually is related to a character lacking characterization or having no connection to the enemy, if these characters are just action figures fighting because one is evil and one is good and we get no explanation further than that it makes it boring no matter how visually impressive.

2 is feats. We need to know previously what tool kit our protagonist is going into the fight with. If a story has a guy who can run faster than a gunshot you gotta keep it consistent and not just make him fight a guy with a gun, make antagonists who counters the protagonists abilities (note the villains do not need to have their moveset designed fully before the fight but we do need a basic jist of what it is or else you get what people call an ass pull.), because by not being consistent with previous character feats it takes a lot of weight out of the fight because the reader now knows the fight is meaningless because logically it should have been over before it started and you're trying to create tension out of thin air. ALSO make sure if you're going to make a character have the same abilities and strenght don't make the answer be just getting stronger, make it them recognize their own flaws and work to attack those same flaws on the other person.

3 is setting. Unless you establish a reason as to why the setting can't change the setting should be constantly changing and/or adapting due to the fight. Put two characters in a Playground? Have them use the play structures to try to get an upper hand. In a Jungle? Using vines, trees and general wild life to create traps, distractions or use them as a means of escape via hiding. In a space station? Using the lack of gravity to try to disorientate your enemy while utilizing the 100% pure oxigen to create a bomb. Of course the way characters enter these situations are purely up to the writter and they should have a pretty clear image or the scene and everything that could be used in it. The setting and variations of said settings forged on the characters abilities are litterally only limited by your creativity so stop using a setting as just a backdrop to only use guns or just punch and have the setting be an important ever changing aspect of a fight.

Without one of these all the other points fall flat and this is why most of the fight is already decided before it starts, yeah guess what the anime quote villains use to flex actually has sense considering most the fight has already been laid out previous to the fight. A good writter should know what every single one of these things are previous to a fight and should try to bend them to create an engaging fight that isn't decided until the end.

By the way this is a very shallow exploration of fight scenes and I would honestly love to cover more of it but who knows this is a long rant.

Also still making more emotes :)