#If anyone has any ideas or answers i wouldn't mind hearing them. i think seeing other perspectives would be helpful

[kamabokobun]

A Doylist explanation for ToTK Gondorf's aesthetics I like is that they wanted him to look like a ronin as a way of to draw on the image of a dishonored man, who exists outside of and even in opposition to societal hierarchies.

This however, has fascinating implications, as in modern Hyrule the people who visually have the most in common with Ganondorf, especially when it comes to the choice of weapons, are the Sheikah.

Do you have a Watsonian headcanon as to why that could be the case?

first of all this is a very interesting question!! second of all I feel very under-qualified to answer it LOL (not mad at you at all!!! im very glad you asked me! i just feel bad that i can't answer the question in a way that it deserves)

No I do not. but I figured that I would try to think it out anyway

cut-off because. long ( I do not know how it became this long. I dont even have good answers. )

at least for his sword (and maybe the bow?), maybe he encountered the sheikah at some point before the events of totk. and had weapons custom made inspired by what he saw. this is assuming the sheikah as a race were around during then. (I know the zelda wiki said something about the sheikah being sent by the goddess to protect the royal family. so.)

and the clothing. I'll just say that's how the gerudo chiefs used to dress. It looks close-ish enough to Riju (and urobosa's[?]) attire that it could maybe be the predecessor to it???? (very huge stretch. the only thing really connecting them are the colors, gerudo patterns, and the little bits of jewelry hanging off the fabric's edge. I only say this because I don't know any other reason why he would dress like that)

I would say that he got inspiration from the sheikah's clothes like he might've with the weaponry, but i think this is unlikely because his outfit doesn't look very similar to the sheikah's attire at all. But who knows, maybe the sheikah did dress like that back then and he did get it from them.

also if you're trying to suggest that the sheikah took after ganondorf. I dont know why they would logically. then again I don't really know squat about LoZ outside of botw/totk 😭 so maybe there could be a reason that would make sense lore-wise and I just don't know it?

Or! maybe it's just one big coincidence (worst answer)

these are thee most boring answers I could have possibly come up with but they're the only ideas that I could think of (within reason.?)(this is a bad excuse. sorry)

BUT This is such a good thought provoker!! I agree that it probably has really interesting implications! I simply do not know how to connect the strings. Sorry for the long disjointed post. Thank you for sending me this ask, I really wish I could interact with it in a meaningful way.

[fairuzfan]

Sorry one more thing I wasn't going to talk about but if you had asked me about the binational state/land thing maybe... in 2016, I might have given a somewhat positive answer but I think that since then, Israeli society has become exponentially more racist and anti-Palestinian. Since then we had the Abraham Accords, Sheikh Jarrah, Massafir Yatta, the highest child martyr count in years, and now finally a full blown genocide. Many Palestinians who previously advocated for equality in a single state look at all this, especially in recent months and think "how can I live side by side with these people?"

The vast majority of Israeli society is not against war for the sake of the Palestinians, they're against war for their own safety. They say as much. Hell, look at standing together. The founder guy says "our security is tied in with the Palestinians'". So if it wasn't tied with the Palestinians', you wouldn't care? And I get sometimes you need to introduce people to ideas gently, but their entire organization language emphasizes "shared pain" when there is an oppressor/oppressed dynamic they aren't even hinting at. How can anyone achieve safety if you won't even admit you have power over your Palestinian org members?

Even Brothers in Arms claims to want to "strengthen democracy" but they completely ignore Palestinians have never experienced democracy in "Israel". So what's the point strengthening your own standing when the most disadvantaged still are at rock bottom?? Plus your whole group represents the IOF reservists/members, you have no intention of helping Palestinians when you are the primary oppressors. And this is not an insignificant group in israel!

Not many Israelis are willing to put themselves on the line to protect or even advocate for Palestinians. I mean 7+ months into a genocide and what did israeli society do other than protest *netanyahu*? Hold up flour bags during the flour massacre??? The people serving in the idf are your friends and family and community. Tel Aviv is an hour away from Gaza. Surely you can do *something* physical!! They had people at their Gaza borders starving Palestinians on purpose and people just... watched it happen. Not to mention the IOF, which many Israelis are a part of, participates in the genocide and has been lauded for their "heroism". I look at that and I think "how can I expect you to seriously consider my rights as a person? How do I know you won't miss your old status and reclaim it?"

We've seen Israelis *celebrate* and *ridicule* our martyrs and people. So like where us the good faith in all this? Where can we work with some of these people and think "Yeah I believe they'll respect my inherent dignity as a person"?

Which binationalism relies on this. You need to have good faith between communities for this to actually happen. But when one community won't even acknowledge it's status as an oppressor at the height of oppression? Then what?

Israel as a country has never faced any retribution for its actions for 75 years. No one is holding them accountable. The country teaches propaganda in its schools about the Nakba. There is not serious consideration for Palestinian rights in Israeli society. Why would they suddenly decide to participate in a project that puts Palestinians as equal to Israelis when they learned all their lives that Palestinians are ruthless, unreasonable people who can't be reasoned with, and Israelis are logical, poor victims who are actually the ones who need protection from the Palestinians!

It just is mind boggling because I see people constantly complain about the way they hear things from Palestinians these days like "all Israelis need to leave". And they go on to say "why would you be so hateful/why would you say that" and don't think for a minute they're experiencing a televised genocide of their people (which they could have ended up in their shoes! People forget that Gaza has multiple refugee camps! Any one of us could have lived there!) And conversely are looking to Israeli society for them to do anything and they see nothing. At least think for a moment why they would say these things given the context of the situation. There's a genocide going on! And you're worried about what the people who are experiencing their people's genocide are saying because you're worried for the society conducting said genocide?? Let's deal with the matter at hand first!!!!!!

[hopelessrromantix]

Sending a less intense ask now that I know you didn't disappear. How about Miguel x male reader who's cannon event was losing his husband, his worlds Miguel. (Hurt/Comfort)

Or Miguel, who's afraid to hurt the reader bc his fangs/powers/strength/etc. So reader has to show him that they're stronger than they look. (Angst/Fluff, optional Smut)

Or Miguel and reader having a secret relationship, but it's hard to keep it that way when he's so desperate for your attention all of the time (Smut, cough semi-public cough)

These are just some ideas, but there's no pressure to answer any of them. Have a good day :)

Might write your other ideas too, ngl...

Slightly more angst whoops.... sorry?

The first time you met Miguel had been a very long time ago.

It was a glance at first. Just a random man visiting the doctor's area of your lab. Perfectly normal.

Then it was a conversation. Then a date. Then a proposal, and before long you were married and happy.

You were originally working on a biological project, which was the spider that made you the Spiderman of your world. And though Miguel was nervous, he was supportive nonetheless.

Unfortunately, like all your counterparts, your unavoidable canon had resulted in Miguel's death, something you never got over. No matter how long passed, your heart felt just as heavy thinking about your husband.

You'd tried just about everything to get him back, even if he wasn't the same.

Experiments, A.I., anything that came to mind. But it was never him.

Maybe it had destroyed you a bit.

Maybe you spent too long torturing yourself in your head, trying to cover any sense of loss with the humor so traditional of a spider.

And maybe, just maybe, you missed him more than you could handle.

It wasn't until you swung face first into an anomaly (literally, a wall had basically materialized in front of you) that your life changed again.

Before you could blink, a man in a dark suit had been tackled to the ground. He was forming stone walls around him, attempting to stand back up.

Judging by the large stature of the man behind him, that wasn't happening.

The suit drew your attention first. It looked weirdly like the one Miguel had helped you make years before. Not the same, but close.

Several other people were with him, each one with different but similar outfits.

"Uhhh should I be fighting you guys, or…?" You questioned, looking over the group. You were prepared for a fight, but they seemed too calm to be villains like those you usually fought.

The tall man looked over to you, nodding to a woman next to him, dressed in all red.

"No, but we owe you an explanation."

And they gave you one, explaining that you weren't really as unique as you thought, but in a much more fulfilling way. You were one of many, many universes out there.

They showed you HQ, a place full of slightly different variations of yourself.

And with that, you had one single question.

Is he out there somewhere too?

After that moment the tour was a blur. Your mind was too caught up in running over the ways to ask if you could find your husband. Even just seeing him from a distance. Anything would do.

"Hey, big guy?"

The man in front of you seemed unimpressed, even in the dim light of his workspace.

"What's the rule on going to see people in other universes? Like, you came to my world so shit wouldn't go sideways if I visited someone, would it?"

It wasn't the first time Miguel had been asked that, of course. They all lost someone, of course they'd ask to see them again. The only issue was breaking the fabric of reality. And the fact that Uncles, Aunts, and anyone else really was dead in most worlds.

"No you cannot see dead loved ones."

His mask faded away, a serious look on his face. "We all have canon events…"

He was talking. You knew he was talking.

But his eyes were so tired.

It had been a long time since you'd seen him, but he looked so much less… alive.

But you'd take any version of alive.

You couldn't hear anything he said. You were too busy studying every feature on his face, watching him carefully.

"Miguel?"

He paused. "We know each other on your Earth?"

"We don't on yours?" You asked with a twinge of sadness in your voice, wishing a parallel you could've been happy with him.

"Uh, yeah, hi, I was planning to step in a little sooner but, uh, whoops."

The flash of a woman floating in the air next to Miguel stopped you. Layla, as Spid- Miguel had introduced her earlier.

"Layla I'm in the mid-"

"Shockingly it's more important than whatever you're saying," she huffed. "In Y/n's world he joined the research team that eventually made the spider that bit him, in Miguel's world Y/n had joined a completely different company. You two didn't meet the same way in your worlds."

"Okay?" Miguel questioned, opening his mouth to continue complaining about Layla interrupting.

"Yeah, but on Y/n's Earth-"

"We're married. You… you saved the lives of a family and died in the process."

You could see his heart break for you. For most people, the shift in expression would be nothing. In fact, it was very well hidden. But you knew him.

And he knew loss more than most. And though he didn't know you, he knew what you felt.

Layla flashed away, leaving the two of you in the low light of Miguel's office.

"I'm sorry."

He was so much more broken than you remembered.

"I got to see you, that's all I wanted." You smiled, looking over his features with a sense of calm you hadn't felt since Miguel's death.

"Would you wanna take another walk? Maybe I could show you around my world." You suggested. You'd be happy just seeing him, you really would. But you'd be even happier spending time with him.

"You understand that-"

"It's not like you'd have to go back to my world forever. And I would've stayed alone there anyway, I doubt I would be wrecking some happy future life, Miguel."

His eyes narrowed. "But you-"

"You don't know me, it's okay. I'm not asking you to do anything. Hell even this is enough for me. Just talking to you, for any length of time"

"You aren't hearing m-"

"Losing you was the worst day of my life." He quieted a bit, letting you speak. "We all have canon events right? I'm sure you understand how much it hurt, then."

You took a breath. This was more overwhelming than you expected it to be, which was saying something.

"You don't know me, Miguel,.and technically I don't know you either. But we got along pretty well in my world? At least consider being my friend?" You asked, a hopeful look on your face as you stared at the much more tired version of your husband.

"Please, Miguel?"

He stared at you a minute, his eyes softer than they were a minute before. He glanced down at your hand before looking back up at your face.

"You should leave, Y/n."

Your hand dropped slowly as you tried not to let your heart break again.

And you listened.

[toji-fushiguro-is-broke]

Toji proposing to you

Toji proposing to you

It's been years since you and Toji had been in a relationship, You've made bonds with Megumi and Tsumiki and your relationship has gotten stronger over the years. Thanks to you they were able to live a happy life with a complete family.

But years pass, Megumi and Tsumiki are wondering when you'll marry Toji.

Kids their age ask why your parents aren't married. And they don't know how to answer them because it is very complicated.

Ever since, Megumi and Tsumiki kept bringing the Idea to Toji

"DAD, WHEN WILL YOU MARRY MOM?" Tsumiki yelled at her father, thankfully you were out to buy groceries so they can confront him about.

"Why, what's the matter? Me and her are together. That's what what matters." Toji said as Tsumiki hits her with a punch.

"IF YOU DON'T MARRY MOM ANOTHER MAN WILL SEE IT AS A SIGN THAT SHE'S AVAILABLE TO TAKE!!!" Tsumiki angrily yells at the man infront of her.

"Alot of guys kept asking mom for her number and thought I was her brother." Megumi said to stir his mind up.

"SEE?!? IF YOU DON'T ACT NOW, SHE'LL VANISH! HEAR ME??!?? VANISH!!!!"

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE SEES IN YOU DAD YOU'RE OLD AND CRANKY!!!" She huffs at him.

"I doubt anyone other than mom can handle you, SO SEAL THE DEAL!!!" Tsumiki yells again

"Tsumiki why are you yelling at your Dad again?" You spoke as you just got home.

"BECAUSE DADS STUPID! I WANT ICE CREAM!!!" She yells as she runs to you with a hug as Megumi comes in to hug you as well.

You didn't hear what happened but you thought it was just the kids nagging Toji about junk foods again.

"Okay okay, a little bit of ice cream isn't bad." You said as you pulled out some ice cream from your groceries.

"YAYYYY!!! WE LOVE YOU MOMMY!!!" Tsumiki squeals in glee

"Thank you, Mommy I love you." Megumi says as he kisses your cheek.

"I LOVE YOU MOMMMEEHHH!!" Tsumiki yells as she kisses you too.

As they both got the Ice cream, they sat on the couch to watch some movies with you.

After that talk with Tsumiki and Megumi, Toji got to thinking.

He did wanted to marry you but he's worried if he afford a grand wedding for you. He heard that girls like big weddings.

So he's been secretly saving money up, but Tsumiki was right.

You were younger than him, beautiful, smart, energetic. Who wouldn't want you?

He thought should speed up on his plan as he took more missions.

While you on the other hand, were getting worried about Toji, as he kept coming home very very late.

He kept using work as an excuse, and you trust him.

You sighed as you were stressed about your relationship with him.

Ever since you knew he was an assassin you get VERY worried, you had accepted Toji for who he is and accepted it.

But of course you wanted some things to change to have a healthy happy life with him, hopefully one day he'll quit gambling and assassination overall.

*After a few days*

"Tsumiki, Megumi let's go out." Toji said as he was walking to the front door.

"Why?" Megumi asked.

"We're picking a ring for mama" Toji said as Tsumiki butted in.

"Mom should be the one who chooses the wedding ring Dad! It's the new hype these days." Tsumiki said

As Toji just stood there, "I don't get what that means."

"It means what if mom doesn't like the ring? These days I've heard the guys will propose with a ring but later on they'll let the girl choose the ring-" Tsumiki

"Gosh, how hard is it to marry these days." Toji sighed.

"Hard enough that half of the population is still unmarried." Tsumiki crosses her hands.

"Aight, You do it then plan the proposal." Toji said as he hands Tsumiki the money.

"OKAY I KNOW THE BEST PLACE." Tsumiki said as she drags her father and brother out.

At the Mall, Toji was shocked at the ring prices.

"This can feed us for an entire fucking month" He said

"Language Dad, I'll tell on you." Tsumiki said

"let's get over with, mom is going to be home any time soon." Megumi complains as Tsumiki was taking so long to choose.

"It's done." Tsumiki said as she raised the ring up in the air.

Toji and Megumi looked at the ring.

"It looks kinda plain" Megumi says.

"Mom likes plain and elegant jewelry didn't you notice? Of course not you're both boys." She said as she walks to the counter to have it wrapped up and paid.

Tsumiki and Megumi helps alot with the preparations on the engagement.

They were going to surpise you.

Meanwhile you, were getting suspicious as your family is clearly hiding something from you, so after coming home from work.

You decided to confront them, you opened the door to hear balloons popping, Two kids fighting and a lot of groaning from an adult man who's trying to hang designs.

"IT LOOKS HORRIBLE DAD!" Tsumiki yells

"Mom's coming home we better-" Megumi spoke as he got interrupted when he saw you.

"Too late." He said as Toji turned to see you as he lost balance on the chair he was standing on as he fell down.

"TOJI!! Are you okay? That must've hurt." You rush to him concerned.

"I've fought stronger enemies, something like this won't do anything." said still sitting on the floor.

"Still, But what were you guys doing." You asked as you shifted your eyes around.

As you saw a banner that isn't being covered by Toji's body anymore.

-> //Will you marry me?

You gasped and yelled "YES!!!" you immediately hugged and kissed him.

"Ewwww" Tsumiki and Megumi said both at the same time.

"UGHHH THIS ISN'T ROMANTICCCCC"

"Congratulations though mama and papa!" She said as she smiles.

"Congratulations" Megumi said as Tsumiki takes her phone out to take a picture.

"Say cheese!!!"

"Cheese!!!"

[aclowntiny]

Hiii, can you do svt meeting your parents for the first time?

Hiiiiiiiii!!!! My first request, I'm so excited 😁 I so can friend!!!

(To keep it inclusive, I am putting a bit for *if* there is any language barrier with your parents, but if there wouldn't be, then feel free to ignore that hehe 😌 enjoy queens, kings, all my little monarch butterflies 🥰🦋)

Seventeen Meeting Your Parents For the First Time (Gender Neutral Reader)

Warnings: some slight language is all!

S.Coups

♡ He's simultaneously nervous & excited, AKA get ready to see Seungcheol practically bursting at the seams before you walk into your house. You, for your part, remind him that he's a great guy anyone's parents would love & to think of all the fun you two already had in your hometown that day.

♡ He immediately introduces himself so politely, saying it's an honor to meet your parents and you smile, any vestigial worries you had fading away.

♡ If your he and parents don't speak the same language fluently, he may rely on you a little bit to help bridge the gaps, but he really wants to do his best, so he tries to say anything he can himself and make eye contact with your parents. Will absolutely try his darndest to compliment their house, what they feed him, everything!

♡ Seungcheol is so caring and used to managing lots of people, so he immediately jumps in with offers to help or even serve your parents. They thank him, but insist he sit down because he's a guest. Neither you nor your boyfriend miss the glance they shoot you, one that says seems like a keeper to me.

♡ My gosh, we all know he's a family man too, so when they ask him about what he wants in life, if he wants to get married or *hint hint* would you guys give them grandchildren, and he says yes, he'd love that, hopefully three sons and a daughter if he can get (y/n) on board, well shoot, they'll practically help him pick out rings then and there!

♡ He sighs in relief as you guys leave, a big smile on his face. "That went well!" You exclaim, taking his hands in excitement. "I told you!" "You're right, I knew to trust you~" "I think my parents will want to see a lot more of you," you joke. "I don't have a problem with that," Seungcheol responds. What a man!

Jeonghan

♡ Oh you already know this man is going to WIN YOUR PARENTS OVER. He's pretty ready TBH. Honestly, while his heart is beating faster, it makes him so happy to be meeting your parents, that almost overrides the nerves (almost). You're so sure they'll love him, it fills his heart, too.

♡ He comes with a gift for your parents, this generous guy! He brings flowers for your mom and a drink you tell him your dad will like, which they happily accept.

♡ If there's a language barrier, he does his best to convey how thankful he is to them to be visiting the home of your family and how well they raised you. If you have to say it for him, he greatly appreciates how flustered you look repeating his words, barely resisting the urge to pinch your cheeks in front of your mom and dad.

♡ He helps you set the table, meeting your eyes as you lay everything out with a deep gaze because this all feels so domestic and as a loving homebody, it's perfect. Where you guys are almost fades away in his mind until he hears your mother thank him, shooting back up and away from you to look at her once more.

♡ Goodness me this man is an intent listener. He truly enjoys hearing the stories your parents tell and has very clear answers to their questions. He knows what he likes to do and is mature enough to answer with confidence that he wants a committed relationship, a future with their child if you want that, too- which you of course agree you do. He also delights your parents by answering the grandkid question, getting a bit flustered but happily telling them if you were down, he loves the idea of becoming a father of two personally.

♡ They can see as you sit together how much love Jeonghan looks at you with. It just totally fills up his eyes and the way he turns to you. So much so that when you go over to where the dishes are being washed, your father having been chatting with the two of you, she tells you she's never seen someone so loving with you. When you tell your boyfriend how he touched your mom's heart, he almost tears up, but instead settles for just about yanking you into the house and cuddling the heck out of you. He also thanks you for the experience, it was very sweet even if there were awkward moments at first.

Joshua

♡ "Meeting the parents is always the hardest part!" Joshua exclaims, though his tone sounds half-joking, not despairing. You chuckle at him, leaning a bit closer. "Be for real, Joshua, have you ever had problems with people's parents?" "No," he admits, "they usually seem to like me." "Then don't be worried," you tease him.

♡ Joshua knows a little bit of a handful of languages, so while the chances of a big barrier are sort of small, if it's there he'll probably ask you how to say all the most basic and polite things so he can properly let your parents know he's grateful to them for opening their home to him.

♡ And that's exactly what he does, says thank you before introducing himself, and right away you see your dad is pleased you're in the hands of a polite young man. He says their house is pretty, too, which your mom never forgets ever.

♡ When it's time to eat, Joshua pulls out your chair for you, leading you to flash a victorious grin to your mother, who looks down and chuckles, giving an amused little head shake. You're so proud of this one.

♡ Eloquent and calm of a speaker as he is, Joshua doesn't seem nervous as he gives explanations to what his parents want to know and describes how he enjoys playing the guitar, some of his favorite experiences he's had with you, like the time he took you skating, and even his favorite parts of living in LA and how it compares to Seoul. The whole time, though, one of his hands has reached for yours under the table and is gently holding it like you're his little anchor.

♡ "Why couldn't you have done this the first time?" Your parents joke to you, a message you surreptitiously relay to Joshua. "Your streak remains intact," you tell him. "So I'm a keeper?" He asks, eyes shining at you like you were a trophy he'd won. "I knew that without them," you shoot back, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips, "but now my parents know it too."

Jun

♡ Jun's nervous, but also finds meeting the parents super endearing, so he has some extra energy buzzing as you get ready. He can't wait to see if you look like your parents up close and personal and if their mannerisms are like yours. People have senses of how they are similar to their parents, yet they can never see it all. The way you guys move, the faces you make, all of those are things Jun can't wait to see.

♡ If he has any trouble communicating with your parents, he'll probably get inquisitive, like asking them what they call things or checking with you to make sure what he says is right. May accidentally slip up and call something by its Chinese name in a moment of confusion, but everyone has a good laugh, even Junhui itself.

♡ He tells your parents he can see where you got your good looks from :)))

♡ They ask him questions about his hobbies and work and stuff, so he ends up showing your parents some really impressive dance moves, getting shy when he sees the surprise on their faces, but it gives him some energy. Soon, he's doing impressions of other Seventeen members, giving a colorful picture of his bandmates that makes them laugh.

♡ Something they enjoy about Jun even more is the stories he tells about his little brother. They can tell he's caring and could be a family man: someone they could see themselves trusting with their child. He loves his mother, too, which is clear in the adoring way he talks about her. Definitely a few son-in-law points for Jun lol

♡ You can't help but tease him after you get back in the car. "Oh, you've done it now." Jun's face falls. "Did I make a mistake? Was someone upset?" "No, you love your mom so much my mom's really going to want you as her son now!" "O-oh." Jun blushes, but he can't stop smiling and showing you affection all night, whether it's holding your hand in the car or giving you a hug as you walk.

Hoshi

♡ Mr. Kwon Soonyoung wants THE FULL CRASH COURSE. He'll want to know things your parents like, any pet peeves they have so he can avoid doing them, this man will be studying like it's final exam week! You laugh after a while at all the effort he's putting in considering how to bring up your dad's favorite sport or the movies you guys love to watch. "Don't worry, you're a total people person, Soonyoung. And don't try to pull the introvert card on me, that's different!"

♡ A language barrier would put a slight damper on everything just because all his little tips and pointers he gave himself would be that much harder to bring up, but his desire to connect with people and energy shine through and through no matter what! He probably finds an excuse to give your parents a dance show hehe

♡ He takes such good care of you, all but hovering over you which your parents think is cute. The whole meal you guys share, he's making sure you're getting enough and asking what your favorite is both to make sure you get it and to try a bit himself :)

♡ When talking, Soonyoung stutters a fair bit, but manages to slip in a few of the mentions he wanted, making a reference that lights your parents' faces up with joy and yours with pride. Points scored, tiger!

♡ After dinner you guys start playing a game at your boyfriend's suggestion; he wants to get some of his energy out, his leg having been bouncing all dinner. Plus, if your parents ask him a ton of questions he might pass out. Games are more fun! He suggests your favorite game because he knows how much you like it, giving you a knowing look that your parents catch and smile at.

♡ The game seemed to be a good call of an icebreaker, you and Soonyoung strolling out of your parents' in high spirits. You're holding onto the tall frame of your boyfriend, who's waving brightly and enthusiastically with that adorable grin you loved so much. "Looks like you had a good time." "Yeah, but did they?" "My mom texted me and called you cute, so I think you won some points." Soonyoung leaps in the air, then grabs you and kisses you joyously, giving a whoop. "Your studies paid off," you giggle.

Wonwoo

♡ Wonwoo is naturally a more reserved person, so he worries that it's hard to grab the spotlight in social situations, but you reassure him. "Are you kidding? Think of all the boisterous people parents meet when their kids are young. I'm sure my parents will be refreshed by you- you're smart, reasonable, kind..." "Yeah, that's true, I am huh?" You just laugh, head falling onto his shoulder.

♡ Just as you said, you have an intelligent boyfriend, so even if he isn't able to fluently speak to your parents, he did some research and can pick up things to say to them pretty quickly, especially if you do any on-the-go translations.

♡ Your parents ask him some questions, naturally, like what Wonwoo enjoys doing. Their eyebrows raise at first when he says he likes to play games, but when he starts talking about reading, they look pleased.

♡ Like duh they are, this guy actually takes care of himself and manage living on his own like an adult and has an international driver's license and can handle interacting with them almost like a peer??? King.

♡ He makes an offhand comment during dinner to reassure you about something and that's when he really sees your parents light up because this man knows and understands you deeply- it's a subtle thing about you that others haven't picked up on or worked with and there he was getting it like it was nothing.

♡ "I think they're happy with you," you commented when the evening was over. "You think so?" "Yeah, they cut the questions and got into deeper stuff pretty fast. I could tell they respected you. My guess is they call me tonight or tomorrow and tell me they're glad I chose you." "Well, I have to say I agree with them there, too," Wonwoo tells you with a smile and a quick hug.

Woozi

♡ "What if they don't like me?" Jihoon asks, shooting you a nervous glance. You just laugh. "Jihoon, everyone likes you. Have you seen any of your members lately?" "Yeah, I guess they do, but I'm not dating any of their kids. They don't even have-" Resting a hand on your shoulder, you give him one more firm reassurance. "Trust me, don't try or anything. Just be yourself and get to know them."

♡ If Jihoon and your parents speak different languages, he may rely on you a little bit, but the last way he wants to come across is too dependent on you, so he may push himself further out of his comfort zone than he usually would.

♡ He's extremely polite, almost to the point of being formal, so you take the reins of the conversation at first to loosen him up, telling him things about your parents that he can bond with them over or even straight-up hyping him up to them.

♡ Of course, you inevitably bring up music, enjoying the smile that breaks across Jihoon's face, shyly at first at the praise and spotlight, but soon he relaxes, passion flooding into him as he forgets himself just a little. Your parents have their own styles of music and favorite artists, so of course they want to know if your boyfriend ever listens to them. They're impressed to learn how many songs he really writes, that his group has a producer within it, not just singing whatever they're given. Your heart swells with pride as Jihoon gets more in his element.

♡ Your dad and him get chatting, just sort of going down a rabbit hole, but it makes you laugh because they sort of have similar temperaments??? They just sort of shoot the breeze after a while, you guys chilling after you ate with anything you wanted to drink, sitting on the couches.

♡ Jihoon still wasn't sure as you guys left what your parents were thinking. "You did fine," you told him, "they were relaxed, which is a good thing. They felt at ease." "You could tell?" "Oh, yeah, they weren't being fake at all. They stopped feeling weird when you did!" "Well, that was thanks to you." "And you! Believe in yourself, darn it!" Jihoon just laughed, shaking his head. "That's why I love you."

DK

♡ "I want them to love me! (y/n), how do I get them to love me?" Shaking your head, you smile. "Just be yourself, Seokmin, that's all you had to do to get me to love you."

♡ All Seokmin's nerves manifest in the form of giddiness and awkward humor, so you try to still him as he cracks semi-self-deprecating jokes in the car by holding his hand and telling him to trust you, that you wouldn't have taken him home if you thought it would go badly: heck, most people wouldn't even stay with their partner if they thought it would go so bad at home!

♡ With the possibility of your parents speaking a different language, he'll definitely be extra nervous, but try to say as much as possible. He tries to work in as many jokes as he can and be extra expressive in other ways to get his point across, which is pretty much how he is naturally anyway. No matter if your parents and him speak the same language or not, they'll be laughing a lot together!

♡ One thing you can tell your parents appreciate about Seokmin besides his natural joy and humor is that he's attentive to you; he serves you once your meal is ready, gets you your drink, and makes sure you're situated before lifting a finger for himself. Your parents are visibly pleased by the way he values you.

♡ A member of the 'hey, let's play a game :)' squad because what better way to lighten the mood and take pressure off of everyone talking and performing, right? Will absolutely let your parents pick what game, though, even if he's never played it. "What's parcheesi? ...I mean, yes, that sounds great!"

♡ He pretends to faint when you leave, and as you laugh and play along, "picking him back up", you ask him how he honestly felt. "I had a good time. Do you think they did, too?" "Well, they laughed a lot. I think your story about Hosh at the pizza place really got them hooked. I told you, remember? I was confident your lovable ways wouldn't fail." At that, your boyfriend blushes. "If it wasn't for you, I totally would have spilled your drink everywhere and probably wouldn't have shaken your dad's hand." "Yeah, but they didn't see either of those things, so you're good."

Mingyu

♡ Get ready for charming guy! Mingyu isn't worried about meeting your parents. Well, there's a small, little teensy tiny part of him that worries he'll do something embarrassing, but he's confident in himself.

♡ If you didn't know your boyfriend so well, you'd be surprised at how boldly he just goes up to your parents and greets them, like wow, so... professional???

♡ Mingyu views a potential language barrier as a personal challenge, something he wants to put work in to overcome. That's probably one of the first things he'll say, in fact: that he wants to work on being able to speak well to your parents for everyone's sake.

♡ From that fear of embarrassment, the closest thing he does to anything like that is just a funny misspeak, and though he blushes everyone laughs so it's really not even all that!

♡ The thing he impresses your parents with besides being outgoing and respectful in his greetings is that Mingyu can cook! As you guys eat dinner, it's something he can bond with your parents over and gain an extra few points of mother's approval with because who doesn't want their kid to score a man who knows his way around a kitchen? Plus your mom mouths to you when he's not looking that he's handsome, lol.

♡ Mingyu gets a huge grin on his face the moment you leave. All you can do is smile and roll your eyes. "They liked me, didn't they?" "Well, if you could tell, of course I could! We both knew they would. You're the most outgoing and mature person I've ever brought home!" "And I cook, too~ What a keeper I am~" You smack his shoulder, but also kiss his cheek because what can you say, he's right? You wouldn't have brought Mingyu home otherwise.

The8

♡ Minghao doesn't usually care what people think, like he is who he is and he's secure in that, but hey, no one wants their partner's parents to hate them you know? 🤷🏻‍♀️ he doesn't make some grand plan or worry about establishing a pretense, but just hopes they can see how much he loves their child, too.

♡ If there's a language barrier between them, Minghao puts his all into listening and being intentional with how he interacts with your parents, but he also appreciates that you don't leave him alone with them forever if that's the case, keeping the line of communication open.

♡ He gets kind of shy and smiley because you start hyping him up, reminding your parents what an amazing artist and all around talented man he is, asking if he would show them pictures of things he's made.

♡ Hope your parents have pets, because this man will absolutely melt everyone's hearts with how sweetly he interacts with them, holding them so gently if they let him and giggling at anything adorable they do!

♡ Your boyfriend also has the sweetest view of the future, like the way he talks about his own parents and how their love story really inspires how he wants to live, and of course your own parents love that. He is able to come across as the kind, mature person he is, and no parents can be mad about that!

♡ He also manages to make them laugh with a few choice impressions of the other Seventeen members, and when you leave you congratulate him on how well he did, that you could see how your parents relaxed and enjoyed spending time with him. "I think they're really sure now I'm in good hands. But warning: they'll probably try inviting you around whenever they can!" "That's alright with me. I want to get close to the people who raised you into who you are." How did you get so lucky???

Seungkwan

♡ Seungkwan looks like he wants to throw up on the way to your parents' home. Volunteering to drive was clearly a good call. "Sweetheart, you're amazing with people, what are you so worried about?" You chuckle, grabbing one of the hands he has folded in his lap. "Well, I've heard stories about your mom, and-" "My mom didn't like my last boyfriend because he was a dick, ok? He barely would talk to her. You're going to be leagues better." "That's true, I still can't believe how he treated you," Seungkwan comments, gripping your hand now that he's successfully distracted, "If I ever saw him, I'd-" "Yeah, yeah, save that, my mom'll love that, she still hates him."

♡ If there's any language barriers with your parents, Seungkwan is an amazing boyfriend to have. Even though he's nervous, he immediately smiles and does his best to communicate with them. He'll try using any amount of your parents' language he knows and isn't afraid to repeat things they say to him to learn. He even makes jokes about his own mistakes or just starts talking in gibberish when he's confused, so that breaks tension and lightens the mood too!

♡ His usually affectionate ways stiffen and fade, though, at least at first, because he doesn't know how his parents will react if he touches you, even though he prefers innocent affection like holding your hands in his, putting his arm around you, or giving you a hug from behind. He just doesn't want them to beat his ass lol

♡ Just as you called, Seungkwan is such a naturally outgoing and funny person, he has your parents laughing with the way he tells stories and listens to them intently too, smiling and interjecting little things like "oh really?" and "wow!" so they know he's really giving listening his all.

♡ The moment you guys finish dinner, he starts cleaning up without any discussion, and though they make him sit back down, you and Seungkwan can both tell how much your parents appreciate it. He tries to still make things easier like collecting and stacking dishes he can reach from the table, which makes your mom especially smile.

♡ The one time you bring up your ex in talking about somewhere you went with him, Seungkwan manages to throw in a small shade, his expression contorting hilariously as he does it, which your mom does in fact love. They have a mini shade session and that's how you know Seungkwan is in. You make sure to tell him that when you guys leave. "See? I told you, you're amazing, my parents are open-minded anyway, there was no way it would go badly! They'll probably want to talk to you now whenever we call." "That's alright with me, your parents are fun to be around. I see where you get it from," he comments, wrapping his arm around your shoulders now that your parents can't see.

Vernon

♡ He's wide-eyed the whole drive, lowkey looking like he's on another astral plane. "You ok?" "Yeah, I just...can't believe this is happening. It's kinda crazy, I've heard stories about your parents, but now I'm going to really see them." "They'll like you," you tell him, a joking smile crossing your face as you elbow him, "they'll be happy I'm finally with someone chill."

♡ If your parents have pets, Vernon totally becomes immediate besties with them, which endears your parents to your boyfriend that much more. He's quiet and gentle with them, and showing a respect for life is a good sign in their eyes.

♡ He'll know already if there's any potential of a language barrier. It intimidates him, especially since he's already a pretty quiet person, so he may do a lot of talking through you, but everything he says is sincere. Probably tries to make a joke to make up for it.

♡ Vernon is one of the more inquisitive ones, asking your parents questions, too. Not interrogating them like they'll want to do to him lol, but he wants to know what they enjoy, how long they've lived where they lived, just little things like that to help him understand them. I mean hey, they're strangers too, you know?

♡ You're different around your parents. More relaxed. You lived with these people for how many years, after all? Vernon smiles, feeling like he's truly seeing you in your element now that you're home. You crack some super goofy running joke you have with your family that has him in stitches, and it finally helps him shake off some stiffness and formality. They may be your parents, but they're also people, you know?

♡ He gathers info about your parent's humor and interest, probably finding a meme or something he read that breaks the ice a little more so he can relate to them. They love it if he already knows anything about their interests. When you and Vernon finally take off, he tells your parents how nice it was to meet them and thanks them for having him. You tell him as you guys pull away that he did good. "You were so easy, they'll love you for that. No shmoozing or anything. I can tell they had fun." "Well," Vernon smiles, "I did too."

Dino

♡ This man right here??? Is absolutely DETERMINED to make your parents love him, whatever that takes. You'll probably have to remind him that trying too hard and showing off will have the opposite effect. "Trust me, my first boyfriend was like that. It didn't work," you told him with a laugh.

♡ Chan wants to overcome any potential language barriers, so he'll probably keep things concise but as charming as possible, like interjecting small jokes and compliments when he can just to make your parents smile and show he's making an effort.

♡ When they start asking him about goals and passions, that's when he really lights up. In his mind, that's his time to shine. He tells them that he's still learning, but working to improve himself and grow every day, explaining that performing is his life, but he never wants that to come at the expense of neglecting their kid either! He wants to take care of you! If you have to translate this, my gosh he'll have you getting shy and blushing, trying to keep down his own satisfied smile at this because he doesn't want to seem cocky.

♡ He'll probably be another one to suggest playing a game with your parents to help break the ice, making everyone comfortable and releasing some of the interrogation pressure.

♡ This particular game you happen to beat his ass badly at, which honestly just gives your parents that much more to be proud of you for and laugh at so Chan can't even be mad, he just joins in! Your joy is infectious, negating his competitive side...for now. The next game, it's so on. He probably teams up with your mom to take down you and your dad, which they have a lot of fun with.

♡ "That was fun, right?" "Yes," Chan sighs, arms falling around you, "but I'm kind of glad it was over." "Uh oh." "What?" "I hope you won't be disappointed if they want to do this again. They're going to want to be close to you, you know." Chan puts his hand under his chin, pretending to think. "Well, if it lets your mom and I get revenge for that cheap move you pulled, then I'll do it!" "There's the Lee Chan I know," you grin.

[shineonyoucrazyyandere]

I've finally managed to start reading Purple Haze Feedback recently and was hit with a flashback of how shitty Fugo was seen by some people in the fandom(at least people I was around at the time).

Like- yeah, it was kinda disappointing when he left the other instead of also going to go betray the boss, but shit I wouldn't wanna go either! He was still young and had a lot to live, i don't blame him for not wanting to go on a suicide mission!

Also, going in a more fanfic/yandere centered idea here, I always thought it would've been a lot funnier if more authors wrote the Reader also deciding not to join the gang to go defeat the boss instead of just following along

Bruno: We're going to betray the boos, so as soon as you enter this boat, you will be considered a traitor! I won't pressure or force any of you to do it, so enter at your own discretion!

Reader: Wow... that's a very difficult decision ...well, good luck to all of you!

Bruno: Yes ,thank- wait, you're not coming?

Reader, the moment they heard "betray the boss" leave Bruno's mouth:

*

Another idea that always comes to mind when talking about Fugo is the fact that at first, he was going to be a spy amd would betray the gang (If i remember it correctly).

I always thought it would be an interesting concept to have Reader working for Diavolo since the beginning (bonus points for angst if the gang ends up finding THAT out in the worst moment possible lol)

Reader, messaging Diavolo every few minutes to update him on the gang's behavior:

(Narancia probably just got stabbed by Fugo for the third time this week)

Note to self : be careful to not burn myself out on answering asks next time. Took the week off, just because I was that stuck. It’s good advice in general for anyone else that has a blog here 👍

It’s a rather tall order to ask some sixteen year old teenager to casually betray the whole mafia and specifically the most powerful man on top who they have never met before. I’d like to think Fugo was thinking over every unknown they weren’t guaranteed to find out. Let alone if they even had a chance to even fight at all. I never personally blamed the dude for peacing out personally.

So being Yandere I could absolutely see him do just about everything to get you to hesitate to go with Bruno and the others. He’d bend over backwards to do so, especially if you were hesitant yourself. Like sure there’s a chance you and the others by some miracle could defeat the boss, but depending on how he utilizes his organization and stand users against you, it would get ugly real quick. He even insists it’s just not worth getting hurt/killed over.

It’s likely his selfish desire to keep you to himself talking but he won’t back down in trying to keep you there with him. I always felt like Fugo could make a very compelling argument too, it’s almost scary how convincing he’d likely be. (That’s if you were unsure which way to go, if you didn’t want to go with Bruno and the others I’m certain it’d be much easier for him to take advantage of)

Spy! Reader with a Yandere Diavolo would be fantastic, almost scary in a horror sense. As you can easily doom the gang with your extra intel and knowledge with hanging out with all of them. Not to mention any calls or eventually bumping into Doppio would lead to some very interesting interactions. I can already hear the “dearest y/n” at some point once you succeed on sabotaging the Bucciarati gang.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Wait wait. You said 9 PPL are aware that Isabella is Ray's bio mom. Who are these 9?

And do you think Emma and Norman would figure out this fact all by themselves later?

[Related posts]

This is something that Shirai recently confirmed in the 8th anniversary Q&A on the Yakuneba community website, specifically here in the second batch of answers released.

I love how exact he is with this answer without elaborating at all lmao

With the way it's translated, I'm unsure if "know" means everyone who ever knew this information or characters who are alive at the end of the story and are aware of it.

These ones are for sure:

1. Ray 2. Jessica 3. Matilda 4. Scarlet 5. Sienna

So that leaves four others.

If it's characters who are alive and people can mean anyone, then the Grace Field Demon Boss might count since his fate is unknown after chapter 177. The last we hear about him is that the royal demon guard arrested him after his head was lobbed off.

I also default to Mike Ratri knowing as the head of the Ratri clan with access to the database containing all the information related to the cattle children:

(Chapter 7 | Chapter 22)

I talk about this here, too, but it seems like Krone brought a dossier with information about the plant #3 children with her in order to confirm the veracity of Ray's bait note implicating Isabella's assistance in their upcoming escape due to knowing Ray was her biological son. If Krone had access to information like that, I don't think it's out of bounds for Mike to have it as well. Even if he isn't aware of it at the time the children arrive in the human world, if he's a point of contact with the cast to help them settle into the human world initially, I wouldn't be surprised if delved deeper into information regarding children of note like the full score trio.

If we're including characters who have died, then the list looks like this:

1. Ray 2. Isabella 3. Grandma Sarah 4. Krone 5. Jessica 6. Matilda 7. Scarlet 8. Sienna

With the ninth person being up in the air, though as of right now I settle on Mike for angst in my own silly little headcanons and AUs.

Interestingly, there's also this line from the second chapter of the mystic code book:

"The farm authorities didn't want Isabella to suspect that Ray is her biological son" makes it sound like this was common knowledge among the upper ranks of headquarters (and something I like angsting about in posts like this one. If Isabella is off limits from being eaten due to being the youngest and most capable Mom the farms have ever seen, then eating her son is theoretically the next best thing).

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 and Chapter 7 Q&As)

But again, I'm not sure how much of this is tied up in the translation and how much of this is Shirai being potentially contradictory after a decade of being involved with this story.

Do you think Emma and Norman would figure out this fact all by themselves later?

I appreciate how you word this because I'm of the mind there is absolutely no way in hell Ray would ever willingly reveal this information to anyone without prompting from outside forces until his very late teens/early twenties at the earliest (see here for an extremely indulgent AU of mine that incorporates a throughline they discarded in S2 where Isabella goes after the kids as an extreme version of an outside force).

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 6 Q&A)

If he has any say in the matter, he's taking this information to the grave.

However, that doesn't mean Emma and Norman can't discern things on their own. After the events of the escape arc, if a fanfic author runs with the idea that Emma and/or Norman picked up on this but remain quiet on the subject because that's Ray's secret to keep or reveal (something I've seen before), I think it's reasonable, though I think it's less likely for Emma to rediscover after losing her memories and assuming she never regains them.

I'm also someone who likes to overthink about this panel from chapter 174 and Norman's incorporation in it. It could easily just be due to knowing Ray had a unique relationship with Isabella due to being her spy for years…but why not throw more angst in with him knowing the extra layer of gravity in this exchange between the two as another reason for his knowing and somber expression? (You could also extend this to Emma, but I focus on Norman just because we can see he's looking back at Ray whereas Emma's still looking in the general direction of Isabella). He had over a year in Lambda to reflect on his time at Grace Field and pore over all the oddities he noticed between Isabella and Ray but chalked up to other things at the time…and isn't that so incredibly like Ray to keep that kind of conflict and pain to himself, either to spare others or because he loathes pity. There's a sad fondness tinging the thought.

I also like to entertain the idea of Peter and Norman interacting more because it's one of the least explored protagonist and antagonist dynamics in the series. Even if it isn't prompted by having a familial connection with Norman that I touch upon here:

This is already long but a tangentially related conversation to this eventually comes up with Peter asking about Emma and Ray. On the surface, it's to connect with Norman and learn more about his life at Grace Field, but the ulterior motive is to see if there's any information he can glean about these kids to find and capture them quicker. Norman will give it to him for having the tact not to slip and refer to them by their numbers like he's sure he wants to do, but he's still incensed at their names in his mouth. There's also the chance that Peter might reveal a crumb of information himself about their status (because Norman can't see why he would be asking unless he had something to gain from it, so that has to mean their escape was a success and they were all alive. The alternative would kill him), so he entertains the conversation. --- #also it might seem counterintuitive to kill Emma and Ray if he wants to engender love for him in Norman #but the sentiments are Norman would have eventually outgrown them anyway so it's fine and he'll get over it lol

The full score trio are kind of like celebrities among demon nobility and humans at headquarters.

(Chapter 1 | Chapter 80 | Chapter 76 | Chapter 152 | Chapter 156 | Chapter 159)

So I could see Peter asking Norman about them to gain information, and maybe one of the things he brings up is Isabella's connection with Ray, possibly bringing up the note if he somehow managed to be privy to that information (maybe Sarah told him, maybe he stumbled across the note in Sarah's office during the transfer of power from her to Isabella as Grandma since Isabella most likely came across it among the treasures Sarah collected over the years, like the embroidered map of headquarters in the second light novel/Krone's bonus chapter, lots of contrivances to work with) to both see how Norman reacts to it and as a means to evaluate how trustworthy Isabella is in her new role.

Something I imagine for that earlier mentioned Isabella Raids the Bunker AU, but I think it's transferable to other scenarios as well, is Ray divulging that secret to Norman in light of the circumstances, and Norman revealing he put the pieces together because he had a lot of time to think at Lambda, citing a few instances that made more sense to him because of it, and in an echo to their exchange in chapter 13/S1 episode 5, Ray responds with something along the lines of "I really can't get anything past you, huh."

Norman's intelligence is one of the many reasons he's fond of and cares for him, how capable and attentive it can make him, but there's bittersweetness and grief tinging those words due to the situation in general and at the thought of him having been obvious about things back at the house that all circle back around to him loathing the idea of pity directed at him when roughly sixty of his siblings at Grace Field plant #3 suffered a worse fate under Isabella's care, a few of them as a direct result of his choices.

It's the self-loathing that makes his mind interpret his friends looking at him with pity when what they're offering him is understanding, compassion, and love.

[barracuda-shark-games]

Why there's no option to say "no". I know that without it, the story could not go further... But Mc makes it too easy for these asshole.

And bullshit of the king about your choice makes me 🤬🤬🤬 "Oh yeah? How about 'no'!" I wonder what he would say to that, heh.

Honestly, I thought it wouldn't make sense for the MC's character for them to outright refuse at this point. Consider: the MC has been fighting their father's war, one they don't really believe in or understand, for over a decade now. They've had virtually no support from the king or other nobles, but they still continue out of some sense of duty, comparing themselves to a mindless machine. That's where they've been for their entire adulthood so far. I thought it would be a bit out of character for them to suddenly grow a backbone even when they are resistant to the idea. But I suppose it could make sense as being a sort of catalyst for the MC.

I've considered adding more opportunities for resistance, and I think they'd have to be conditional to personality checks if I were to include them. However, they might be controversial and hard to stomach. It gets pretty heavy, pretty fast. I planned to kind of build more towards exactly the kind of hold the king has over the MC instead of laying it all out in an explosive scene.

Under the cut is a blurb for what it would look like if the MC persisted in their refusal to marry. If this is something players want to see in the story, I might consider adding it.

SEVERE TRIGGER WARNING for anyone who has had an abusive parent.

"No," you say. "I won't agree to this marriage."

You hear a choked gasp come from the field marshal as the duke lets out a weary sigh. You notice Eda's face grow paler, as if she's going to be sick. Even Ailbe looks surprised by your answer.

For his part, the king's expression remains unchanged.

"It would be prudent for you to reconsider," Duke Clairmont suggests, rubbing his temples.

"I don't need to reconsider," you insist. "My answer is 'no.'"

"Please," Eda starts, but you cut her off.

"This is my life and my decision," you snap. "I will not agree to this, and I am not changing my mind."

"This doesn't only affect your life, child," the duke remarks scornfully.

"Speak plainly, Duke," you challenge him.

"This decision would end the war. You understand that, don't you?"

"More than you do," you snap, "considering I'm the one who has been leading this fucking war, without any help from the likes of you, or the king, or the princess."

"Yet you would condemn your country, the men and women who fight under you, to further death and bloodshed for the sake of your own petty pride?" the duke challenges. "Would you face them right now and tell them their lives don't matter to you, and they won't be going home to their families because you don't have the stomach for fulfilling one of your duties as the [prince/princess] of Arevikland?"

Field Marshal Adalbern speaks up now. "Knight-commander, you should know that the other officers and I would not support you in this decision." You look him in the eyes and are struck by the profound disappointment behind them. "You and I both know how much has been lost to this war. I would urge you to reconsider. The war would be the least of our concerns; many of the soldiers would rebel if they knew their commander was willing to throw away their lives for this."

[The player gets a choice to double down or not.]

If the player doubles down:

"I've heard enough," says the king. "You have made your point clear, and you are correct: it is your life. Now allow me to make myself clear: if this is your final decision, then you are declaring your life forfeit."

Your heart lurches in your chest. The entire tent descends into silence, save for your sister, who you now notice is stifling a sob. You face her and see tears welling in her eyes, pleading.

Seconds pass that feel more like eons, when you finally croak out, "What?"

The king responds slowly, enunciating each word. "If you do not agree to this marriage, then your life will be forfeit. You will be executed for treason. Is that clear enough for you?"

"You can't be serious," you begin to protest, but the king interrupts you.

"Oh, I am very serious, Knight-Commander," he says. "But you've made it clear you have very little regard for the lives of your people. What's one more life?"

"But--"

"Do not dare protest like the spoiled child you've become," he bellows now, pushing himself up from his chair. He slams his palms onto the table and jabs his an accusatory finger in your direction. "You disgust me! And you have shamed me enough this evening. I will not hear another word from you unless it's to tell me you've had a change of heart."

[IF THE MC HAS LOW BOLDNESS/RUTHLESSNESS]

You feel yourself shrinking beneath him. It has been years since you felt so small, and you remember now how only this man has ever had the power to bring you so low. You could curse yourself for the tears now spilling from your eyes, but you're too afraid to care.

The king laughs bitterly. "Oh, so now you care? It matters not when its other lives on the line, but now that it's yours, you decide to care? How fucking pathetic."

[IF THE MC HAS HIGH BOLDNESS/RUTHLESSNESS]

"I've SHAMED you?" you retort. "And where have you been for the last decade, while I've been fighting your bloody war? I've CARRIED this war for you. It would have been lost long ago if it weren't for me."

The king lets out a wretched laugh, bereft of any actual mirth. "Oh, you're happy enough to kill and die for your kingdom, I know that much. Maybe it even makes you feel powerful. Is that it? Do you feel big and strong when you're slaughtering people? Yes, you'll happily murder and pillage for your kingdom but, oh, you draw the line at a political marriage; nevermind that it would guarantee peace for your homeland. I wonder how your soldiers feel, serving under someone so bloodthirsty and selfish and cruel."

"If I'm cruel, what does that make you?" you respond bitterly.

"I am your king," he responds. "And unlike you, I know my duty."

[raphaellight]

Insane, untrue, don't know why it even came to my mind?

Sera is the one with Alastor's soul on a leash.

Here, I said it. Also reussing this frame, because her face is just 'cheff's kiss'. Although Emilie's face wouldn't be this happy hearing this one.

Had to get it out of my head, because if by the sheer miracle I get the twist of the show, I then will be able to say "GOT THEM" Here is the reasoning why I would think that:

Sera is the Machiavelistic character, without a clear boundaries not to break for a "greater good". She agreed for extermination, owning a soul isn't beyond her.

Can't tell that with certainty, but she seemed quite well informed about hell's business, in a sense that she never showed any sign of being taken a back by anything. Can be just her general personality, but take Vaggie coming to heaven with Charlie. Sera had to know she is a former exorcist, it's not rocket science, it would be perfectly reasonable to think she got informed an exorcist had been casted out. Yet she shows no sign of suprise to seeing her come with Charlie to heaven, like it's not news to her who is engaged in that project, like she has more sources of info that we know of.

She clearly mentioned "hell uprising". Extermination was one way to keep hell at bay, but it's possible she took more steps to ensure heaven safety, including espionage.

Now for Alastor:

This dude is not only one of the most powerfull beings, but also one of the most intelligent people in hell. Person above him has to be not only as powerfull as him, that person would also have to possess insane power to even have anything to offer Alastor that he couldn't possibly get himself (unless we go by my previous theory about Alastor deal, but these two don't exlude themselfes)

Right as I started listing points about Alastor, my playlist jumped to "Insane" :D

Alastor is weirdly protective over identity of his owner. Of course it's a reputation thing, he doesn't want his enemies knowing he can't control himself, but even to himself, he never says who he owns his soul to. Maybe part of the deal is that noone is suppose to know, because that someone doesn't want to be known for owning Alastor (which, let's be real, if anyone in hell owned Alastor, that person would spend all his time flexing that fact, I know I would).

Whoever owns Alastor is clearly letting him preety louse. As far as we know, the only thing the deal does, it makes Alastor weaker (unable to enter his full power), which would be weird for demon, but in character for an angel that wants someone on inside for specific tasks, not full time servant

Alastor immidietly upon arrival took down powerfull overlords. It's been played as him being crazy, but what if it was to break hell's power and create power vaccum to cause chaos.

Just when hell is emptied of most overlords, Alastor dissappears, then returns when it is once again under control of semi-fincional goverment of overlords (and right as angel dies in the extermination day)

Zestiel alluded that Alastor fell into "heavenly hands". Maybe someone saw Alastor dissappearing into angel's portal and this created the rumor.

I won't really defend this idea, I know we have to little information for any definitive answer. We have at least two seasons to go and I don't even think next one will be the one to resolve who owns Alastor soul. But please, let me know, if I'm crazy, or IS this just as weirdly fitting both all plotlines we know so far and character we encountered so far as it seems to me. Follow for more crazy posts like this one.

[one-piece-aus]

Whumptober Day 17

Kid x Reader

Ahoy! Remember that angsty Kid story I wrote last year for Whumptober? I saw you guys wanted a sequel so I decided to write the prequel to that from Kid's POV! (I do have the idea of making this a series but I need more motivation) Anyway, if you can read the other part to this HERE

Enjoy the story! ^-^

"Kid, you've been acting different lately," Killer said as he stood beside his friend.

"You don't have to remind me," Kid growled, shifting his stance while keeping his arms folded as he leaned against the school's gate. His eyes were fixated on a group of friends walking by... no, he's only looking at one person, you.

"It's the girl, isn't it?" Killer stated, following Kid's gaze.

Kid grumbled in response and averted his eyes from the group to glare at the ground. Even with you out of sight, you weren't out of his mind. You haunted his mind and wouldn't leave, ironic because you didn't exist to him before Ms. Makino paired the two of you for an English project this year.

"When are you gonna tell her?" Killer asks turning back to the redhead.

"I don't plan to."

"Why not? She gets along with us just fine," Killer pointed out, which is seen as a good sign in the Kid Gang since most of the girls who try to run after them have a distaste for most of their members.

"She's probably already dating that goth freak."

"Who is?"

Kid and Killer turn to see Law approaching them.

"Fuck off Trafalgar!"

"I came to ask a favour, I thought I was going look for a way to bargain but it looks like you need information." Law smirks.

Killer glances at Kid who is already growling at Law, "Kid, if you don't want to ask her directly to find out, this is the next best thing."

"I know," Kid growls, loathing at the thought of asking Law for something. "Fine! Do you know if [Y/n] is with that freak Hawkins?"

Law shook his head. "I've seen Basil hang around [Y/n] but he's not dating anyone. He says romance is nothing but delusions and a distraction in high school, maybe you should heed his words Eustass."

"I don't ask for your opinion Trafalgar!" Kid flipped him off.

"Well you did ask for information, and now you gotta pay up."

"Like hell I will after-"

"Do you know if [Y/n] is with anyone?" Killer asked for Kid, figuring if they get more info Kid will help Law without a fuss.

"I don't, but if anyone in this school would know, it's probably Basil," Law shrugs. "He knows her the most, probably the only one who knows her. Not even Strawhat or his friends know about her, and that's hard to find these days."

"I know her."

"Sure you do Eustass, but I suggest talking to Basil."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You wish to know if [Y/n] is single?" Hawkins questioned, closing his locker door and turning to Kid.

"That's what I just asked."

"May I inquire why?"

"I just want to know," Kid told him, folding his arms.

"To answer your question, no, she is not with anyone at the moment," Hawkins stated. "However, if you're wanting to pursue her, I would advise against that."

"Let hell you'll stop me!" Kid shouted, side-punching the locker beside him.

"I'm not saying I will," Hawkins said. "But I think you should reconsider."

"What do you mean?" Kid asked narrowing his eyes at the blond.

"Knowing [Y/n]'s past, it's clear that you're not suited for her."

"And what? You are!?"

"No, our relationship is as she once stated 'loners who stick together', but you, on the other hand, are a bit more complicated now that you've developed feelings for her."

"That's none of your business!"

"Perhaps not, but it is [Y/n]'s business and as someone who has known [Y/n] for quite some time now, I can't help but be concerned about her well-being," Hawkins states while maintaining eye contact with Kid. When the redhead doesn't respond, Hawkins walks past him to go to his club when he stops. "There's more to [Y/n] that you haven't seen. If you're serious about this, I suggest you find out before you go any further."

Kid stood there, hearing Hawkins' footsteps echo further down the hall.

Did he really not know you? Sure, Kid might not know your childhood or the other schools you went to, but he didn't think that'd be a big deal. He hasn't been to your house yet either but most families wouldn't want a member of a gang in their house... No, that's not an excuse. If he's going to get to know this side he hasn't seen, he has to set that aside.

Kid decided that the next time he sees you he'll take you around town to see if he could take a step closer to knowing you. At least, that's what he wanted to do, but you were making it hard to do.

You no longer stayed in your shared English class, always asking to study somewhere else. He never saw you in the halls, not even when Hawkins walked by. You were nowhere to be found at lunch, and if you were in a club at the end of the day, Kid didn't see you in there because he checked every club meeting to find you.

Two weeks passed since this started, and Kid normally didn't like assuming these kinds of things, at least not when it comes to his friends, yet his mind couldn't stop whispering this thought to him.

You were avoiding him.

Tag: @gnarlycrys @roseoftrafalgar @bookandyarndragon

[arkhammaid]

Hi, I hope the writing has been going fine.

One of my most favorite works of yours is of girl Charles, have you ever thought about how would you go about writing a girl Max of you ever tried to? Honestly Max's life would be 100 times more difficult as a woman, people would have hated too much on his blunt and no-nonsense nature (something which they already do)

Also how was Deadpool and Wolverine, going through a movie burnout right now do you think I should try watching it?

hi there anon! sorry for taking some time to answer this. i haven't written so much the past few days, i just enjoyed the time being back home :) but i do hope it will go well once i properly start writing again!!

it has become a bit of a yap fest answering this ask so, more below the cut!! please excuse any grammar mistakes, i've been typing this on my phone

and as for fem!max... yes i have but i have no particular plot line/ship in mind yet. the idea didn't... dunno, grab me properly like fem!charles, not yet. i hope one day it will, because i know i could write something interesting.

while yes, i agree to what you said, i also have to disagree. fem!max would have her father throwing his weight around, a man who has many contacts, including the schumacher's. fem!charles had none of that, not even jules could've brought her so far like a father who is established in the motorsport world would have.

and of course, fem!max wouldn't be very different from actual max but do you really think red bull would just not do anything? they would be the team, who have the first woman who won a race, won several championships (later), they would invest in her and they wouldn't just idly sit by and watch everyone rip her apart

red bull would invest in her because 1. they see her talent, they see what she can do and they don't want that to go wasted, because they also see she can use that talent, 2. getting a woman like fem!max as a driver would fit their mentality, the motto of red bull. they advertise their drink not with typical advertising, they do it with world records and crazy attempts in all kinds of sports. it's their essence, it's captured in the "red bull gives you wings". having someone like fem!max would fit perfectly. 3. now the former two reasons, make up the third one. red bull does NOT want a pr perfect athlete/driver, like charles for example. they want someone rough around the edges, someone bullheaded, so with fem!max, they don't want a blond princess. considering max's personality, it's perfect (in some degree) for them, because they don't have to fake the toughness!!

rb pr would work so much harder to show who fem!max is. to show the world that max is an athlete, one of her kind, not just any woman within motorsport, she is THE woman. she's blunt, does not lie, values honesty and hard work (because she does it herself), is absolutely obsessed with racing and cars, and has some weird quirks like everyone else! red bull pr doesn't want a humble female driver, they want someone who represents their brand, so everyone immediately associates them with their driver, when they just hear the driver's name.

does this make sense? i really hope it does 😭 if anyone has any questions or wants me to elaborate (because i cut it down a bit), send me another ask!

and now, finally, deadpool and wolverine! yes, i can only recommend the movie. if you like deadpool 1&2, you will like this movie. if you like wolverine, you will also like this movie. and if you like marvel but think the mcu fell off ever since endgame, you will probably also like this movie 🤭

[velvetvexations]

I find your reading of Kipperlily really interesting and valuable (even when I don't agree). But I think it's not accurate to suggest that Brennan is setting up something more complex and nuanced with her and it hits on something that's very frustrating for me with the Dimension 20 fandom. I love Brennan. I think he's a great storyteller with very interesting ideas and a generally empathetic attitude toward his characters. But he gets all of the credit for D20s storytelling successes, whether he deserves it or not, and none of the blame for its failings, even when he deserves it. And I think suggesting that he's trying to do something awesome with Kipperlily that the IH are ignoring or not picking up is massively overly generous to him and massively unfair to them. He built her to trigger the reactions he's getting from them, and he set up the jealousy reveal to make them angrier at her. I think there's a chance that he could end up leaning into something more sympathetic because of her age at the end (although the idea that D20 doesn't treat minors as villains is one fandom has been batting around for a while that I really don't understand: Biz Glitterdew? Anyone?). But I think suggesting that Brennan is trying to do anything other than make her hateable is way off-base. That doesn't mean your reading of the character or situation is wrong. Sometimes the best stories aren't what the writers intended. But it feels frustrating to me to see him once again credited him with something he's not actually doing. And the rest of the IH getting criticism for something he's equally a part of (Especially when he was the player dodging nuance left and right when Aabria tried to do something actually interesting with the "villains" of Burrow's End)

I understand your point. I think a lot of the collaborative storytelling in TTRPGs like this is what the players choose to follow up on, though, and players aren't like, necessarily wrong for not missing or ignoring some things. Brennan signaling that Kipperlilly's story can be engaged via empathy isn't much difference than saying a dragon can be fought or you can answer it's riddle. It's like, you can do the gunfight if you want to or you can sneak in the back but on a grand scale that can only be done in a TTRPG.

I said he's "desperately" trying to signal it to the players because I'm a little bothered about the intensity of Ally and Siobhan's reactions to KLCK and the way it feels like none of them are even hearing it, but ultimately there's very little I think any of his players could do that he wouldn't try his best to work with and I agree he does not necessarily consider this absolutely essential.

The only time I can think of him seeming to have actually had an emotionally rough time with was the climax of Mice & Murder. I normally really dislike pouring over every frame of every microexpression like that because it's usually in the service of "everyone at the table is constantly seething at Ally" conspiracy theories, but I blame BLeeM much more for that going down as it did than Rekha and he doubtlessly did too with none of his potential frustration actually being aimed at her. Other than that, it's his nature to roll with where the players want to take their characters, so I don't think he's like, banging his head against the wall trying to make the IHs understand she's sympathetic or that it's the only possible solution to anything, it's just a part of what he's constructed.

I'll say though about things he's also doing, I also don't like that his presentation of KLCK digging up Euegenia was threatening to destroy her grave and not like, digging up her corpse in order to "find the rogue teacher". So he does seem to think of her as more actively sinister than I do, at least in her current state of mind which is not necessarily the end of the discussion.

Also, about the villains in Freshman Year, that was a very, very long time ago and everything was a lot rougher and so even was Brennan as a person back then. I don't think it's farfetched at all that he's gotten even more empathetic and dedicated to praxis than he used to be and is less willing to have a bunch of underage villains get slaughtered like any other enemy and go to Actual Hell for their sins.

[iizuumi]

Why do you ship Gen and Reno? Genuine question, I don't mean to sound rude at all. Sorry if it comes off that way.

I recently caught up with the manga (haven't read B-side yet) and there weren't any interactions between them.. is it just that they look cute together?

Thank you if you answer, I love your art- am just wondering 🍪💕

It really did just start off with me thinking they're the most pretty characters so they should kiss LMAO

but since then I have spent a lot of time thinking about them so let me present to you some of my findings on why they would work so well together!!

that i will put under the cut because i'm shy

a lot of this will make me sound like i am this meme but hear me out okay i've thought about this B-Side spoiler for the first one! but i have to mention it bc it's like my favourite part of them and also probably the one that makes most sense lmao skdjfhs It touches on a part of narumi's backstory so skip it if you don't want the spoiler!

shared backstory/ trauma!! I think with both of them knowing what it's like to lose their family and grow up without anyone around who really cared for them they'd be able to understand each other better than anyone else understood them before. I feel like they both possibly never had a place in the world where they really belonged since losing their family (with narumi always being pushed from one person to the next and reno's grandmother seemingly unable to really give him a good home) so in my mind they finally find a place in the world by each other's side because they get each other! They've been through the same shit! They'll finally help each other heal after all these years of not dealing with it!! Also it's really interesting how they have the same/similar pasts but both deal with it so differently. Narumi being all childish because he never got to have a proper childhood and Leno being so mature & caring like he wishes someone cared for him ;;

We know that Narumi is all about strength, all about results so who better to catch his eye than Reno who is getting better and showing results so quickly!! starting at 8% release force and then getting up to 43% with a numbers weapon after not even that much time??? Pls there's no way Narumi doesn't see the potential!! Also just the fact that nobody has ever been able to use 6 before like I'm sure that's already enough to turn everyone's heads but tell me narumi wouldn't be curious about this little prodigy who got their strongest weapon!

I just think squishing humanity's strongest together with the strongest numbers weapon user is a very sexy combination like just the sound of that sounds correct to me yes

They can bring out a side in each other that they otherwise don't get to show much? I feel like Reno is always taking on the responsible adult role lmao he's always worrying about everyone and taking care of things and narumi is such a silly little childish goober if he can't help reno unwind and allow himself to be a bit of a kid again then who can!! Reno is just a little guy, sit him down and make him play video games like everyone else his age!!

Looking at how Reno deals with Kafka's Kaiju transformation shenanigans I believe Reno would be very good at putting up with Narumi's shenanigans as well lmao but also he is such a polite little guy!! I think the combination of Reno being very much polite towards Narumi but also not taking shit from him is just very much amusing to me.

Reno's whole character arc is built around him trying to get stronger and strong enough to stand by Kafka's side but like if he keeps getting stronger and stronger where will he end up?? As the strongest. Which currently is Narumi ofc. So i do like the idea of Reno maybe idolizing Narumi a little bit ,, seeing how strong he is and being like yeah that's where I need to be. and ofc it's all about being strong enough to protect his loved ones but who says narumi can't be included in that by the time he gets there!!

@acystreia told me about this one but apparently electrical currents move a lot better through air than through ice? and isn't Narumi's whole ability with 1 built on him seeing electrical impulses from the brain to tell what someone is going to do next?? And Reno's whole ability with 6 is centered around the ice thing? which means Reno is the worst possible matchup against narumi in a fight???? I think this alone is reason enough for them to make out immediately. I don't actually remember any physics so this might just be me talking out of my ass but if i'm wrong i don't want to know let me live in my delusions i'm happy here

that's all I can think about right now .... I'm sorry for the long post LMAO but i hope you see my vision at least a little bit 🙏 and if not that's okay too c: still thank you for being interested in them!! ♥

[bubble-popping]

day 47! start your day right with more angst :D (this is all I have written for the au atm bc someone gave me too many ideas and now im working on ANOTHER au.....)

Punz slumped, stared unseeing at their untouched cup. Their heart ached at the new information, mind spinning from the insinuation. Eventually, their gaze wandered to the vibrant bouquet. "Where is he now?" They asked quietly. "I buried him at the flower forest. I figured he'd like it there." "Could you take me to him? Please?" "Of course."

They stood up when Techno did, tea forgotten as the two went to the front door. Punz waited while Techno donned all his winter gear, anxiously fiddling with the straps of the mask. The second the door opened, a harsh wind whipped against their faces.

"This won't be easy. It's a decent ways away from here," Techno grunted, as if that could deter them.

Although they shivered, Punz stood strong. "I don't care. I need to see him."

Techno watched them with something very sad in his gaze, something melancholic. Callahan had done the same thing when he gave them the book from Dream. It was starting to piss him off.

"Suit yourself," he finally said after a long silence. A silence that returned as they began their journey through the snowy fields.

No words were exchanged for the entire first leg of the trip. The quiet followed them past the tundra, past the spruce trees, past the oak and the birch and the wide open plains. Punz had nothing to say, rarely did if they were honest. The last three or so weeks made it crystal clear he was no people person. Having to speak to every single member ended up more taxing than they could possibly imagine, especially when they got the same goddamn answer every time.

"Yer the only one, ya know."

The blond glanced to him, giving a confused hum in response.

"No one else has come to ask about 'em. Doesn't seem like anyone cares."

"They don't," Punz spat. Their fists clenched under the cloak, trembling as they glared at the innocent grass he trampled. "They threw a fucking party."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah. Practically held a fucking parade. Cheering and chanting up and down the Prime Path about his death."

"Who?"

"Who do ya think? All those L'Manberg assholes. Tommy and Tubbo, Fundy and Quackity, and Ranboo? For some reason? Yeah, they all celebrated like Christmas had come early. Fuckin' fireworks and all. Could hear 'em from the top of my tower."

"What about Dream's other friends?"

"What other friends? If you mean George and Sapnap, they're worse. Not a single word from them since Dream's death. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a party of their own."

Though it seemed he had more to ask, Techno wisely dropped the conversation from there. Once more, silence blanketed the pair. This time, it persisted until they arrived at the sea of vivid colors and sprawling shrubbery.

It looked so wrong. Stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the vibrant life surrounding them. Punz slowly trudged closer, each step harder than the last. As he approached, he could see the faint outline of a smile carved into the wood.

They spotted it instantly, the headstone: a plank of dark oak wood stuck into a patch of disturbed earth.

"This is what he wanted?" They asked quietly, stopping just a foot from the edge of uncovered dirt.

"Best I could do for 'em. Didn't ask for anythin' else."

None of this matched what Punz knew. It didn't make any goddamn sense. Dream wouldn't just... give up.

"So, his body is really down there?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Techno raise a brow at him. "Uh, yeah. No where else to really put it."

Finally. Without warning, Punz dropped to their knees and started digging at the grave. He finally found what he needed and now all he had to do-

"Woah, what are ya doin'??" Techno lowered as well, grabbing their wrists to stop them.

"I need to see him! I can bring him back!" They growled, only realizing what they'd said when Techno's gaze went wide.

"What?"

His mouth hung open, slightly labored breaths passing through from the sudden burst of energy. "I... Just, trust me. I can revive him."

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

*Define Cultural Impact*

Taylor stans: " Well it made a lot of money and it charts."

I pray for them to understand the difference between commercial success and cultural impact.

And dressing like her, RIGHT NOW isn't impact either. She's one or the biggest popstars at the moment. Of course some gonna cosplay as her. Talk to me if anyone does this 20 years later. I can GUARANTEE you no one will be doing that.

And OF COURSE businesses will try to captilize of her name. As if they wouldn't suck up to her to gain cash.

What impact has she DONE with her MUSIC? Her ART? Has she done ANYTHING that hasn't been done before? Did she push any boundaries? Did she risk anything?

Preach-

You have no idea how stressful I find it that most- if not all- young people are consistently conflating the idea of material success with cultural impact.

Capitalistic Hellscape American Dreams are literally rotting out the core of the human experience-

Not to be too overly dramatic- but Taylor Swift is literally the poster child for the vapidity of conflating materialism with cultural presence.

To be honest- now that it has been roughly 6 months since TTPD release- I don't really see much impact from the album at all.

In fact- I barely hear it played on anything except the most obnoxious Tik Toks you've ever heard in your life. Do Swifties think that having an impact on Tik Toks is the equivalent of making an impact as an artist?

I wonder- about this a lot since I've been reading so much on dialectical materialism, ancient aesthetics, and Marxist philosophy-

It's getting weird inside my brain.

It is an interesting question at least- to wonder, are we culturally influenced by the most vapid, shallow aspects of capitalistic music production; or is art mainly beholden to aesthetics?

Does the modern pop music captivate us for aesthetic purposes? or does it captivate our impulse towards distraction in an era of increasingly short attention spans?

Either way- I am rather sick of the banality Swift is propping up as "genius"

I don't know- I fell down a rabbit hole the other day at the crosshairs of neurobiology and aesthetics-

Some scholars of Ancient Greek plays argue that the unique rythme and prosody of employed by the playwright had the ability to affect the mind- and further our ability to empathize, think critically, and engage with reality. Some of the theories relate- of course- to the Aristotelian idea of catharsis- so imagine my surprise when I realized there is a real neuroscientific basis to that ancient theory.

I really enjoy thinking about this stuff- if you can tell; mainly because I know that Taylor Swift was aiming for classic Greek Tragedy aesthetics and missed it by a mile, simply because she is not a good enough writer to employ the tactics of catharsis in her work.

Not that I want to fall into a neo-fascist trap of glorifying past art as the pinnacle to which we should all aspire because it represents some past "pure" age- free of corruption. I do, however, think that we live in an interesting era- one which nearly demands that we pay attention to what slips past our attention, and what is missing from our periphery of attention:

What is missing from art? Where are the neurobiological cathartic impulses- the aesthetics of critical engagement? Where did it go? Is it actually missing- I think, at least, for some more mind-numbing music (like Swift's) it certainly is.

And, of course, a follow up question from people who would no doubt play devil's advocate with this topic: Should we even bother with emotionality and cognitive engagement for the purpose of creating good art? Does good art have to make people think or feel? Is that the purpose of art?

Relating it all back to cultural impact vs material success- Why do people think that material success is indicative of any further artistic depth? I don't have an answer- it is actually confusing to me.

You pose a really thought-provoking discussion in your ask, and I thank you for it.

I will be returning to writing about aesthetics- I am sure of that.

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings (Stockshop. I know you have good headcanons there!)

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately 

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

Lots of asks for a wonderful writer and better friend!

❄️ ⇢ What's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

Man, I do NOT know. I think whatever theme/plot I get really into, I'm gonna write it best, right? Because it's in my brain a certain way. Which is not to say "I'm the best at writing anything," more like, sometimes the most satisfying a fic can be is when you write it for yourself.

🍓 ⇢ How did you get into writing fanfiction?

Uhh I don't remember exactly, cuz there was a lot of stuff it could've been, but I think I discovered "xReader" style fanfics on DeviantArt and wanted to write them better. Nobody was writing xReaders I could like, relate to? And also there was this bad habit of describing what the "you" character looks like, which is obviously gonna make it less fun to read. And tbh I was like, twelve, so mine were also terrible, but at least they made me laugh and I had fun writing them, so y'know!

And tbh to this day I looove writing fics in second person POV, I have to do it more often....

🥤 ⇢ Recommend an author or fanfic you love.

Oh we could be here all day. For you specifically Cel, I don't really have any recommendations, we've both read all the Stockshop stuff, we're reading each other's stuff in general. But like for anyone coming across this ask... let me check my bookmarks..

OH ACTUALLY I KNOW. DO ANY OF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THE GAME DINO RUN. DID ANYONE ELSE PLAY THAT. THERE IS A SERIES OF FICS CALLED "AND TOGETHER WE WILL RUN" ABOUT TIME TRAVELING DINOSAURS TRYING TO SAVE THEIR PRIMITIVE ANCESTORS FROM THE METEORITE AND IT'S SO POETIC AND SAD AND IT WRECKED ME. AND IT'S SO FUN.

Ahem. Yeah and i think anybody can read it regardless of if you know anything about the game, just know you're playing a little dino running away from the crashing meteorite. The fic kinda provides a wider concept and it's great. And by coincidence it's also written in second person POV! :D

🍄 ⇢ Share a headcanon for one of your favourite ships or pairings (Stockshop. I know you have good headcanons there!)

Sigh. Well, you do have me pinned on that front, hehe. What's one I haven't had a chance to share yet, hm...

I think that both of them would detest the idea of being soulmates, or of being meant for each other. For one, it takes away their autonomy and choice, but also... If Bishop hadn't been abducted and if Baxter hadn't been kept alive against his will, they wouldn't have ended up together. So calling them soulmates implies all that pain, all that torture, had to happen. It was always meant to happen and they couldn't stop it. Which is a horrible concept to them, I think, that there is supposed to be like deep meaning in their traumas.

🦋 ⇢ Share something that has been on your heart and mind lately.

I recently FINALLY blocked a shitty ex-partner, and I keep thinking about blocking my other two exes from the same polycule too. Can't decide if I want to cut ties with them this way or at least say my goodbyes, though. And there's probably not a right answer, so I keep going back and forth on it :/ the three of them are still dating and whenever I think about it for too long it pisses me off, which sucks ass /lh

🦴 ⇢ Is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?

Ohhh not a singular one but most often it's music, yes. Every so often I will hear a song and so clearly see a story in it, and then I have to go and write it, or draw it if writing takes too long. There will be multiple future chapters of Taking Pawns that are inspired by different songs, and I have a small Zixx fic idea based on Kaisarion by Ghost.

🐝 ⇢ Tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them!

Ahh well of course there's you, my Stockshop brainrot buddy, but I'd like to compliment you on like, being willing to ask questions about stuff you feel you don't know about. Never stop doing that, I think everyone should be allowed to ask about stuff they're new to, and it's important to be able to do it.

There is also, of course, @violetvulpini, The Bishop Guy™, who I deeply appreciate for bouncing a ton of ideas off of. One of, if not my biggest enabler.

The real biggest hype people though are @awzominator and Axo (who I don't think has a Tumblr..?) who are almost ALWAYS there when I post any of my bullshit, whether it's art or fics, and I loooove them. Absolutely delightful. I hope to be as much of a hypeman to my artist friends as they are <3