#Not thinking about it too deeply but a lot still doesn't add up lol

[puppy-phum]

Pit Babe Characters x Cartomancy ➣ Part 3: North & Sonic

Six of Clubs: Sharing thoughts and ideas. Offering advice and giving honest opinions. Three of Hearts: Community as a network of support; Valuing and strengthening bonds within a group.

for @pitbabeanniversary week 3 prompts: north & sonic

(more thoughts under the cut!)

disclaimer: i am not an expert in either cartomancy or tarot reading. i did a lot of research on these two sites to come up with these cards for the characters. some of the meanings associated with the cards are still only my own interpretation, so they might not be completely accurate.

i have never before really analyzed north and sonic as characters. they've always felt like the most uncomplicated ones of the bunch, tho i guess that air of simplicity is quite deceiving as i discovered through this. there's a lot hidden behind the playful banter and humor these two add to the series.

north: if in the previous edit i pointed out that jeff is the eyes of the group, then north must be the mouth. he's a chatterbox, someone with words prepared at all times, never afraid to tease someone and speaking with such honesty it's almost too blunt. this made me feel that a card linked to communication and negotiating suits him. he might not always be the most intelligent or tactful of the group, but he isn't afraid to say things how they are or point out problems or possible discrepancies amongst the pack. his words might be light, but he genuinely cares for his pack.

that care is often shown through well-timed (or not) questions and advice. it happens especially with alan and babe who north gives "relationship advice" (leaving that into the quotation marks bc the advice is dubious at best lol) – north meddles bc he is genuinely excited about the possibility of adding new members to the pack and into the lives of those he cares about. he is also one of the first ones to address the question of kim and if they should help him out after he's been taken, plus he's very eager to discuss the question of way despite the rest of the group deciding to remain silent about him and his betrayal.

sonic: i had to think again to pinpoint the core element of sonic's character but eventually drifted towards how he's portrayed as the nurturer of the pack. babe is very obviously the center of the pack with his loud and commanding presence, but i think the warmer, more caring center piece is sonic. he's the one who keeps noticing how the bond within and around the pack grow and change, and he is greatly affected once those bonds start stretching out or break completely.

the importance sonic places on these bonds is then the most obvious during the times those bonds suffer a sudden change. i chose his images accordingly: sonic is deeply hurt by dean's betrayal as it both hurts him and those around him; by babe's heartbreak over charlie's death as he's forced to watch one of them so completely shattered and lost; and by way's sudden passing bc that means a complete loss of a bond that once was so fundamental to the whole pack. i think his care towards the community around him also partly explains why he isn't pursuing a deeper bond with north (he doesn't like things changing too much) or why he is so open to accept ppl like charlie, jeff, kim, and pete into their pack (new ppl offer him new bonds to wrap around himself). sonic is the keeper of these bonds, but at the same time, he is strongly a creation of them and cannot imagine being without them (and i cannot really imagine sonic without at least north beside him either).

as a pair, i think most ppl agree that north and sonic are very healing. bc they're so attuned to everyone in the group and bc they're not afraid to voice both their happiness and concerns, the pack knows when they're doing well and when they should be working on being better. i think the others in the group who are less vocal and show their emotions less freely benefit a lot from these two who are so... loud, both literally and figuratively. it's nice to have this kind of anchor and lighthouse to guide the pack on their hard journey.

(if anyone wants to discuss these two and other thoughts north and sonic might cause, i'm open to hear anything you have to say! i did very brief and surface level analysis on them for this, and probably missed a ton of nuances, so it would be nice to hear different takes on them.)

[dootznbootz]

Big oof guys Odysseus wasn't a cheater he was a victim you soggy feminist retelling enjoying fries. and I don't get them changing that so that "women who have been cheated on by their husbands can relate and know they're valid for being sad" because let's be honest if he was a women y'all would've been treating his situation appropriately. Feminism is about men and women being equal, and do you know how many women (and men) could relate to Odysseus's situation? He wasn't a good person (neither was anyone in Greek myth) but stop making him out to be the bad guy. It's not only insulting to his character, mythology fans but also victims. It can be insulting to male victims for this being erased and treated so lightly. And for female victims who know what that feels like and are (rightfully) disgusted when this sort of behavior gets excused.

And for those of you saying "But he had a choice with Circe!!" Um... not really? He slept with her to save his friends, his brothers. Let's put it this way "Let's say your best friend was being held captive, and the only way to save them would be to sleep with the guy who's holding them hostage. Cheating would imply there was a betrayal of trust between partners, this wasn't done out of maliciousness. This was done to ensure the safety of an innocent person/people who you care about deeply. Any good lover would understand there's a huge lack of choice in a situation like that. Again, if the gender roles were reversed y'all wouldn't have been saying this crap.

If men and women are so equal, a men getting sexually assaulted and used holds just as much weight as a woman. This isn't feminism, this is sexism towards men. And no, it's not justified because "that's what the Greeks did", it's not okay just because you lable it as petty payback/revenge. What happened to be better than your oppressor? As if you were the one's in ancient Greece who had to deal with these things. You are not in a friend group with every woman in history just because you had to deal with "scummy men".

And even if you are a victim, how can you be immature and gross to KNOW what that feels like yet still not care/be ignorant towards one suffering and easily erase it. And just because they were the same gender as people who were asses and creeps towards you or people who happen to be the same gender as you.

Tumblr never fails to disappoint me 😔 I have no doubt in my mind Penelope would beat up all these people victim blaming her husband

"you soggy feminist retelling enjoying fries."

Dear Anon, I love this phrase so much. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Sorry this took a while to get to. <3 I just answered quite a few heavy asks recently and I wanted to give a lil break in general :) You also wrote it all out very well already so I didn't really know how much I have to add or say without sounding like a broken record!

And yeah, like, he's not a good person. Nobody really is, especially by modern standards. But that doesn't mean what happened to him didn't happen. Or that people should diminish it.

I mean, I'm very very sure that Homer even shows Odysseus' PTSD from it all in the Odyssey. How he's so adamant about Nausica's maids NOT helping him bathe, despite that being the custom/culture of the time. Like Idk what other reason he would have to not ask for help, being "older" wasn't something that would've been too outta the norm, he was still exhausted from nearly drowning to death, etc. BUT this is RIGHT after he just escaped Calypso. Gives huge PTSD reaction to me.

ngl, I find it really disappointing in a way that this ancient text feels more respectful of victims and their trauma than more modern books lol. A lot of Modern shit feels like trauma porn ;~;

And you're absolutely right with Penelope. She loves her like-minded fool. She would not blame him. I honestly think she'd be the one to reassure him often because he'd probably feel guilt and/or just...need some comfort from everything.

I really hate the whole "He expected her to be faithful when he was not." Because guess what? He canonically was. He had no concubines officially listed ANYWHERE. People can take vague statements if they want but that's just it. Vague statements. All other "interactions" were against his will and/or it was coercion to save his friends. All under duress regardless.

Like in general, there is so much more potential in writing about about a character trying to help her incredibly traumatized lover. Seeing him as he is still and loving him. Him finally feeling safe again, LEARNING to feel safe again. After finally having clawed his way back into the arms he never wanted to leave in the first place, he can LIVE again. There's something incredibly beautiful in that.

I mean as you said, I find Odysseus very relatable in a lot of ways. His story is really beautiful in the whole "You've been through Hell, You've done some horrible things, but despite all that, you can achieve peace again. You can LIVE again." It's a really hopeful story in a way. And I really love that.

[stewyhosseini-bf]

Hi I am deeply intrigued by your Kendall and Caroline posts and wanted to add a quick thought. My dad is the younger of two boys with an asshole, controlling father but managed to almost completely avoid the poison dripping through (he’s a wonderful father and has lots of healthy interpersonal relationships), while his brother ended up an absolute mess. When I was growing up my grandmother used to VERY CAUSALLY (and in front of my uncle and random strangers) say that once she had my uncle my grandfather got what he wanted, so my uncle was his and my dad could be hers. Honestly Caroline’s interactions with Kendall have always made me think of this. I think she sees him purely as Logan’s, while the other two are also her children (despite not being great at the whole parenting thing with them either). Anyway, sorry for the long as and excessive asides.

OK YES. you and I are shaking hands because I was literally going to make a third addition to that post (but was having trouble wording it so put it in drafts for later) about how I think their relationship is very much marked by the fact that he was always the mini-Logan (the heir, with Logan as his middle-name who Logan got his claws into when he was literally just a little boy) and that's why she 'gave up' on him and struggles to have a relationship with him. I feel like this also makes sense with the fact that one of the warmest moments Kendall gets from her in the show is after the bear hug, when she comes up to him and tells him she doesn't think any worse of him for it and almost seems reassuring.

but yeah truly cannot stop thinking about their relationship i keep rotating them in my mind. its so tragic in a way. the fact that logan groomed him for CEO was the reason she stopped trying with him which only made him cling to that one piece of validation/affection from Logan even more because it's all he had.

also have to say that I don't think it's that she doesn't have any affection for him at all. even in the scene in Return it's clear she loves him but i think she can't love this version of him. like she can love the baby version of him that lives in her head, that still belonged to her (too). but as soon as he was Logan's Heir it was over. there is just such a like. barrier between them. i mean it's apparent even just in the way the scene is set-up in comparison to the dinner scene earlier with roman and shiv. with that they're sitting at the same table sharing food. daylight coming in through the window. while in the scene with kendall it's just the two of them (as it was for a while before the siblings were there.) with him sitting at the table like a kid, half in the dark, while she's standing as far away as physically possible, eating at the counter. and the first thing she assumes when he says he wants to talk is that he wants to accuse her of being a bad mother lol.

[i-heart-hxh]

Do you think Kurapika will die by the end of the series? I’ve seen lots of people saying he will, and that togashi said he will, but i don’t think i’m sold.

largely i just think it would be a poor ending to his character. i don’t think him dying and the Kurta being lost forever would be a very satisfying ending. (although, i trust togashi to make any direction he ends up going in very good.)

i especially don’t think it will happen any time soon at the current point in the story. there’s just far too many loose ends that haven’t been tied up. i sincerely doubt he would die while the troupe is still active or the eyes are still out there.

I think what’s most likely to happen is that we get a technical death, similar to what happened to gon, where he “dies” but is brought back to life due to some dark continent fuckery and possibly some of leorio’s medical knowledge. bonus points if we get a classic scene of dead love ones encouraging him to keep living, lol

as a follow up to my last anon (about kurapika): i think it would be unnecessarily sad to make kurapika die permanently. maybe it would make sense, character wise, as he is totally driving himself into the ground at the moment. but i have a hard time envisioning a way that end could be a satisfying one. it would mark the absolute decimation of the kurta. permanently lost to time, with absolutely no hope of any kind of revival. kurapika is currently the only person with a deep knowledge of the kurta culture and traditions, and the only person who could pass that knowledge on. or even pass on the scarlet eyes. it kind of reminds me of the air nomads from avatar. but it would be like, if aang died in the process of fighting ozai and no other air benders were born after that

Hi anon! It's funny you sent this, I actually was just thinking about making another post about my guesses on Kurapika's fate about an hour before I received this. Good timing! I actually did a poll on this topic a while back and then added some of my thoughts after it finished. However, my thoughts and guesses have solidified quite a bit since then.

I agree with you--I actually think Kurapika is likely to pull through, albeit potentially after a death and then revival or some other drastic near-death situation similar to what happened to Gon. I agree that it's hard to imagine a fulfilling ending where Kurapika doesn't survive (though I have faith in whatever Togashi may have planned, even if it goes completely against my guesses). I have some thoughts to add on why this is my guess as well.

First off, the way Leorio's character is set up. Putting him in the same place as Kurapika while he's training as a doctor, knowing that his largest character motivation is not to lose any more friends... It would be awfully cruel for Togashi to have Leorio go through Kurapika's death in light of that. His role as a doctor needs to be tested and come to fruition, and his character arc needs to come full circle as someone who deeply wants to prevent his friends from dying.

Secondly, the themes of the series. I've talked about this a lot in discussions of Gon and Killua's relationship, but some primary themes of the series are second chances and the transformative power of love and human connection. When thinking about the series through that lens, having Kurapika not pull through after all (and having Leorio lose him), does not feel like it's in line with those themes. Kurapika needs a second chance to connect with the world of the living and find meaning in those around him.

I also suspect that Kurapika's storyline is going to come down to a choice between two things: Life and death, but not just his own. Here's why:

Kurapika, obsessed with getting revenge for the Kurta clan and gathering the body parts of his murdered family and friends, is currently guarding a baby. I think he will be put in a situation where he has to make a choice between Woble's life, and getting his revenge and gathering the body parts of his loved ones. He already had to make a similar choice once, in Yorknew. He had Chrollo in his grasp, he could have killed him, but ultimately he had to choose between doing this and Gon and Killua's lives--and he chose Gon and Killua's lives. He isolated himself from his friends as a result of this, trying to force himself to stay on his path of revenge without letting anyone get in his way (including, perhaps most importantly, himself), but now he's in a position again where it seems likely his plans will go off track when he has to choose between a living child and his people, who are already long dead.

(I also suspect he might find out the Phantom Troupe wasn't responsible--or at least wasn't entirely responsible--for the Kurta massacre and his ultimate antagonist will be Tserriednich, but that's a bit of a digression that I can talk about in more depth another time.)

I think ultimately this is how his character is set up: Will he choose to focus only on what he's lost and those who are already dead and on causing more death (including ultimately his own), or will he decide to protect and focus on those around him who are still living and on finding reasons to live himself (likely in Leorio, Gon, and Killua, among others)? It's true that, if he continues to live, he can bring the memories of the Kurta into the future with him, to honor those he lost, rather than living only for revenge that I'm sure his loved ones wouldn't even want him to burn down his life for. It's a bleak ending for him if he doesn't survive, and the Kurta would simply fade into history forever with him, like you were saying.

So, it's possible he will "die" or very nearly die in a fight against Tserriednich, in order to protect Woble, and then Leorio will have to find some way to get him to pull through--possibly using his training, possibly using something in the Dark Continent, maybe both. It would satisfy both of their character arcs to a certain degree and make sense with the trajectories they're on.

As usual, however, Togashi is unpredictable and he could have something entirely different up his sleeve, or even be misdirecting the audience on what he's trying to do. Only time will tell! But in the meantime, I agree with you that Kurapika's probably going to make it, even with the dire circumstances he's currently in.

[kyouka-supremacy]

What are the things you like or appreciate about shin soukoku? /gen

(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

I like sskk! I like everything about them. I feel like there's just so much to unpack about them, and there's no end to it!! After all this time I'm still finding out new possible dynamics and ways to interpret their relationship, it's so much fun. They're both very very complex characters, and their dynamics together are pretty awesome? There's the whole deal– I hate myself, so I have to hate you, because you're just like me. It's sooo cool. It's nice to see characters who hate themselves so much, but who also try to do better (Atsushi), try to be better (Akutagawa). They're both so so complex individually, and I simply adore what becomes of them when they come together. I think that when they're together, their individual characterization shines the brightest, because they're souls precisely created as parts of the same whole. And I've written about this forever ago, but I really like how their journey goes from hating each other to loving each other to loving themselves, I think it's a very nice concept to explore.

It's just a... Low-pressure ship in a lot of ways? It's something very very comforting to think about for me. As a ship, it constantly feels like saying “yeah, you do kind of suck. That doesn't mean you can't be loved.” It's just such a sweet sentiment for me!! It's not saying one shouldn't try to be better, but sometimes you do feel like you're utterly bad and unlovable, and there's no helping it; and sskk is there telling you “look. Here's two of the worst people on earth. One of them is unlovable by definition. And they still have in them to love, and to be loved.'” It's just :')

I genuinely love how both of them are kind of awful people. I mean, there's probably not a single thing about their moral code I agree with. But for some reason that makes them very compelling to explore? It's interesting to engage with characters that share worldviews so strikingly different from mine. Them having such fucked up ideals, so many flaws and selfish goals, makes them feel terribly human, and also makes them very sympathetic, in a way. They're a true mess, but one that reminds me so much of how sloppy and incoherent humans are like. Them being so distant from me greatly adds to their appeal tbh! Generally, I have a very strong moral code, and I try to do the right thing, while they're terribly selfish and self-survival driven. I'm mostly perceived as a woman, and they are two men with superpowers who fight and die for each other. I like reading about characters I can't see anything of myself in! I already have enough of myself irl lol.

Now that I think about it, I really really love how they don't mince words. Again, it's something personal, but I heavily dislike the habit of using euphemisms to sugarcoat reality. Sometimes things are unpleasant and ugly, and trying to deny it feels insulting more often than not. Sskk are always very direct, and never hesitated to tell what they think to the other's face, even if it comes at the cost of throwing insults; weirdly enough, it's something I appreciate. I think deep down, they appreciate it too.

The perspective of having someone who makes your true nature emerge is nice. Again, instead of mincing words and faking it, it's nice to imagine there's someone who could see them for who they really are, and loves them still. It's compelling to explore the true terror anyone would feel from being completely naked in front of someone else, but at the same time the sort of relief that comes with it? “This is the part of me I've always beaten up and suppressed and hidden. Look! Isn't that deeply disgusting? Yet that is nothing but the real me.”

The whole complementary-in-everything thing hits that specific part of my ocd brain that has me do stuff like organize my posts in a coherent string so that every post is connected to the previous, have every post posted at a round number timespan, count the pixels in every single picture I trim etc. Atsushi is mostly white in his design and Akutagawa is mostly black but the colors are reversed when they use their abilities combined. Atsushi is good and Akutagawa is evil. Tiger & dragon & cat & dog. Blue and red. government-affiliated job and mafia. Healthy and regenerating vs. sick and decaying. Loved & hated. Attractive and hideous. One loves reading and the other finds it unnerving, one knows how to cook and the other is a cooking disaster, one likes coffee and the other likes tea, early bird and night owl, so on and so forth. Then, the fact that when they come together they end up looking so deeply similar is kind of neat, it's like there's some sort of Hegelian synthesis in their love.

Their canon moments are truly great and exciting. I care relatively little about the amount of moments a ship has in canon– an interesting dynamic is an interesting dynamic no matter their screentime, right? And you're free to imagine what the characters interacting would be like in your head any time. And while I still like to believe their relationship would still be very compelling even without the moments they share, wow. Their canon screentime is crazy, it's outstanding. I think the depiction of their dynamics in canon is exceptionally good, and extremely well-written. The “the words of your past are fundamentally unrelated to who you are now”, the Atsushi wearing Rashomon, the “you damn fool // hurry up and go”, the “just the two of us?”– they're all such epic and sublime moments, every time they leave the reader gaping and bewildered and, frankly, wondering if that really happened. And their scenes are so consistently homoerotically charged!! From the “it's been reserved solely for you today” to the “the man-tiger's my main dish” to the “their eyes met. Akutagawa's lips moved, mouthing the words I found you” to the “once this is done, I'm going to teach you things other than ‘killing’ ” to the “as long as I can't deny your very being, I'll never be able to move forward” to the “don't touch me! Disgusting!” to the “I'm sorry”. From Akutagawa piercing Atsushi with Rashomon to kicking him to getting unnecessarily close to his face. From every second they've spent admiring each other to the way they call out each other's names with so much passion. The list goes on forever. And chapters 84-88 are short to a masterpiece. The characters' growth is madly well-executed, how we see them go through it almost step-by-step, and it's all so consistent, and it's all so human.

Finally, the picture that made me go “Ah! There's something about them!” for the first time. It's very dear to me :)

It's got Atsushi being cute and Akutagawa looking at him with a fairly undecipherable expression that yet is distinctively non-hostile, and this precise illustration made my brain go “Wow, what if Akutagawa actually had a soft spot for Atsushi. What if there was tenderness in his eyes.” Then it all went downhill from there ahah

[purble-turble]

Ok, re-asking my question since now I have more details, and more knowledge lol (and space since computer asks doesn't allow much room-)

So, I was talking with a friend about your King Redson AU, and I'm curious what would happen if MK happened to escape him more than once?

I know you've made a few fics of him being caught once (maybe twice?) but what would happen if he escaped multiple times? 3 times? 4?? Would King Red be upset and pissed at any point? If so, would he ever take it out on his darling? Of course not physically (unless?) but at least some yelling?

Would it take a lot of attempts or successes for Redson to start getting peeved?

I’m making an oneshot idea where King Red snaps and ends up making a lot more issues than he intended via anger (don’t worry MK is fine! … Mostly-)

Also side question (just to add on), is there a breaking point for King Red where he would snap and break something to prevent MK from leaving again? (Like a leg or something-) I'm thinking of this being like after a lot of escapes-

Thank you Purble!!

Yeah MK escaping more than twice is definitely a possibility! I mean, so long as his friends are alive and out there fighting for him, any time he gets captured they are going to do their absolute best to rescue him. So Demon King Red getting his hands on MK only for him to be rescued or otherwise slip out of his grasp is almost a given.

When it comes to the lengths DKR is willing to go in order to keep MK by his side, definitely nothing that would cause physical harm to MK.. as much as MK was traumatized by having the tightening fillet put on him, Red Son was also kind of traumatized by in a way too. He loves MK, so controlling him via pain was something he deeply regrets (though he wouldn’t admit as much, because he’s incapable of admitting to anything he did in that time as a mistake due to the warped version of it he’s created in his head)

But as for how far he’s willing to go- well, there’s already the whole “Prince MK” scenario, which is the bad ending of the DKR AU.. In that ending, he locks MK up in an impenetrable tower all by himself. No windows, no exits except for one that only DKR is able to get in through. He has no contact with anyone except DKR, and he is basically a prisoner again… the tower is nice at least… but it still is a lonely, miserable existence for MK.

[emojellyace08]

Lookism Random Headcannons (Because why not?)

Read the recent chapter recently and I am excited about the King of Soul's entrance (if ever)

Daniel watches anime since he thinks it's more entertaining than dramas. At some point he also wanted to become a manga artist but quickly gave up on it. His favorite is probably the classics (Naruto, One Piece, One Punch Man, DBZ, and he also likes the recent ones.)

Zack and Johan used to watch WWE matches together while Mira scolds them that they scream too loud when they're watching Royal Rumble lmao.

Undertaker was Johan's favorite WWE wrestler but thinking about it makes Johan embarrassed since he doesn't want to be seen as an edge lord or "emo or a goth" lol. Zack Lee's favorites are probably Edge, Brock Lesnar, and Randy Orton (idk I watch a little bit of WWE in my free time don't blame me).

Since Jay lived mostly alone in his apartment for who knows how long, he was thought by his butler to cook his own food since he doesn't really want to depend on them fully and make them exhausted. (Plus he's mostly bored, so why not cook and bake?) He almost burned his apartment once trying to fry an egg at first.

Hudson might not admit it but he also binges anime like Daniel. He believes that Makima sucks and the ones who defends her are simps (I mean she's a well written antagonist but her personality is a no).

Goo Kim = Cat Girl/ Cat Boy enthusiast (likes wearing low-budgeted cosplays A LOT for his own entertainment).

Goo Kim had stolen Gun's credit cards for his own shopping spree. Not once, not twice, but MANY TIMES.

Samuel might not admit it but he actually likes Jake and Big Deal. He just keeps denying it because of his ego issues.

Jerry had once owned a winter dwarf pet hamster. He properly took care for it for like 2 years and named her Bisky. But since hamsters have short lifespans, it died later on and he cried and didn't sleep well the following days since he missed her deeply. The shrine of it is still staying still on his backyard and he mostly replaces the flowers everyday or i he's not busy to pay tribute to her.

Daniel wanted to learn how to play the guitar or a ukulele but since his mom was struggling with their budget he cannot ask her to buy him one.

Jay can play drums (and teaches Daniel when having sleep overs!)

Mary can play bass and a little bit of guitar. And she secretly listens to rock, metal, and the alternative style of music since she doesn't want to be teased as emo by Vin the asshole lmao.

Avril Lavigne is the reason why Mary dyed her hair blonde you can't change my mind (not forcing you but listen to her music IT'S SO GOOD). She would like to have a friend (if not a girl friend not a girlfriend) who shares the same music taste with her to start a band.

Zack and Vin Jin used to bully kids on Roblox to boost their ego (Zack stopped because of his character development but probably Vin still does it lol).

Younger Kouji had once ate lots of candies and sweets to be "smart like L" from Death Note but almost got diabetes.

Gun and DG wears lip balms to keep their lips plump and smooth. DG had once teased Gun about being a model while Gun just smirks about it.

Mira SECRETLY LIKES Ayesha Erotica's music because of the edits on TikTok but since it's mostly explicit she's refraining to add her compositions on her Spotify playlists.

Since Vasco is mostly hardworking, there are times that he passes the exams (with the help of Jace and other Burn Knuckle members). But he just cannot push himself more to pass the Mathematics exams.

Eli had once tried to kiss Warren after their fight because of his innocence and curiosity before all the Hostel Drama. (I personally don't ship them but I just feel like it's something past Eli would do). They both cringe when they both remember it.

Doo Lee was once a Twitter influencer but because of his past dramas he was cancelled in social media.

Jibeom accidentally smashed Jihan's face when they were little when they are trying to imitate WWE stunts. Jichang was surprised to see his little brother's teeth getting cracked and falling off and he just didn't cried (it was Jibeom who shed tears because of guilt lol).

Crystal is a big fan of "vintage-core" or everything around the older eras because she believes that it doesn't only represents the beauty and evolution of human pop-culture but it also represents history. She always won on auctions to buy antique stuff and mostly donate it on museums to preserve it's structure while she kept some on her room. She almost got canceled by bidding on an authentic Marilyn Monroe's lipstick but she later on posted on Twitter that she donated it on a museum (which is not a fake news).

Gun doesn't eat too much fast-food products because he believes it's unhealthy and has chemicals to make the customers' crave for more (Goo teases him about this by dramatically eating an order of a large McDonald's French Fries in front of his annoyed face).

Ryuhei never kissed a woman in his life because of his nervousness. He secretly was weirded out by it so he lies that he had slept with many women to not be bullied by other people.

Vasco doesn't know how to properly wear a watch and a belt (ngl same I'm that stupid). He also doesn't know how to tie his shoe lace.

Jace prefers dark-chocolate rather than milk or white chocolate. Because he believes that since it has more cocoa content it can boost more of his energy and sharpen his mind and focus especially when taking his exams and quizzes.

Sally's favorite color was purple as she planned to dye her hair with her color of choice with a mix of indigo. But since she's afraid that it won't suit her, she changed her plans and went on to dye her hair with strawberry pink. She didn't expected it to look magnificent on her since Warren complimented her, so after that her favorite color was switched to baby or strawberry pink.

Mitsuki thinks that K-Pop music is cringe but she secretly has BTS, Twice, and Blackpink on her Spotify playlists. Ryuhei found out about this and she was pissed off up until this day lol.

Doo Lee once had a girlfriend who uses him for the money. She later on cheated with a new "handsome and charming" guy and when Doo found out he was FURIOUS. He later on was captured on camera beating the dude and when people found out he was canceled again on social media (pretty privileges never ends). He later on begged Daniel and Duke to make an apology video for him which looks so weird and scripted since Doo was pushing them. But luckily the drama heated down.

Magami Kenta's favorite vape flavors are watermelon, strawberry, and coffee.

Joy is very talented and skilled with nail art and she sells her products in a decent price even if it's REALLY DETAILED and well-crafted.

Sinu Han is a COMIC BOY FAN. Whether it's DC Comics, Marvel Comics, or even manga he's going to buy it. He later on posted on Twitter about how Gojo shouldn't have died since he relates to him so much (he was later on bullied by Samuel that he sounds like a weeb lmao).

[misc-obeyme]

To 🦊 I wrote the ask just as I woke up so yes my natural Satan-like tendencies were harder to mask lol, sorry about that! I do prefer the term partly deaf. There are a lot of reasoning behind it but it doesn't really matter and it's my own personal preference after all, so usually I ignore how others say it... Unless unhinged... Speaking of which, CC, I have A LOT of thoughts about NB. At first it was hinted that MC lost the memory of who they are and what happened, and then it was glossed over as if MC regained it, and then there was the card from Raphael where he said "I remember you helping Lucifer in Cocytus but I know it can't be" or something like that which makes me think they will add a big chunk of drama in upcoming season, and Barb helping mc out with the piece of grimoire but not going with them just because Dia wanted some special cake was... Actually it was pretty in character. I also really, really, liked that we saw Solomon being Dia's butler for a day. Give me more of your unhinged posts! 🐆

LOL! We all get a little Satan-like at times, I think! I also get that way when I first wake up. Probably because mornings are the bane of my existence. But anyway! I also think it's perfectly reasonable to request people use the term that you prefer!

I am so confused about what the characters actually "remember" in NB.

I mean, all of them are like oh MC's room has a special feeling and there was a daily chat from Luke about how doing stuff with Simeon and Solomon felt right or something and a few other such instances that I can't remember. It just made me think that this wasn't actually the past we were dealing with.

I have some half theories about it being some kind of alternate reality created with magic (half because I never thought about them deeply enough to figure out if they make sense), but then they also talk about the "time soup" and all that sorta thing makes it sound like somehow the characters know stuff from the future?

If I think about all this stuff too much, I start to get angry because I think they really should've just left all of that out entirely.

Time travel is annoying to begin with, but then they're just gonna explain it all away with "time soup?" That concept means that none of the time travel actually matters at all. It has no rules and anything can happen and that makes it completely useless as a storytelling technique. Why include any of that at all, then?

If they really wanted us to experience the brothers in the past, they should have dedicated themselves to that storyline. Make it so that MC goes into the past, potentially has an impact on everyone they meet, and then travels back to the future. No time soup. The past brothers suffer because MC leaves them. The future brother suffer because MC was gone. This then changes the future because now the brothers remember MC from the past. OR potentially say that the brothers don't remember MC from the past at all, but MC does. OR it could just be a magical simulation and MC experienced how it was for them the past, but they were never actually there. I mean at least all of these options have some kind of sense and rules, even if they're still a little murky. But time soup?!?!

Okay, see, this is what I'm talking about. I start thinking about this stuff and I just spiral into nonsense.

I definitely loved that Barbatos had to stay behind to make a special recipe for Diavolo, that was exactly in character. He was like okay I can help MC and make the Young Master his requested dish all at the same time... and look, he did it because he is Barbatos and there is nothing that guy can't do! lol I love him.

Oh I forgot about Solomon having to help out at the castle to make up for his transgressions, I think it's pretty funny that Barbatos was okay with that. Of course, he was still there to supervise, can you imagine if he left those two alone?

Anyway, this is admittedly just the tip of the unhinged iceberg, but the whole NB plot has the potential to trigger rants from me lol.

I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, so I'm still hoping that the next season will clear up some of this stuff for me. The hope is at about 50/50 right now because they don't exactly have a great track record with this stuff imo.

[whentherewerebicycles]

Whenever I ruminate on having a baby on my own I always think, through time there have been millions of children who are born into dual parent households and then one of those parents ups and leaves and doesn’t look back. Having a partner doesn’t mean no single parenting. Think of all the women out there parenting alone with a partner and parenting their husband too. You have known all along that you can do this, and you can. Whatever is coming next will settle in as the gentle present!

this is so true!! and like you said, i think lots of people parent together but are not in very supportive or healthy relationships, which i am sure adds an additional layer of stress. i know i can do it and i know i will be able to figure out the hard parts. and also i am really trying to lean into the winnicott "good enough" mother philosophy... i don't have to be perfect, i don't have to parent in the most optimized way, i don't have to fulfill every single need. i just have to be reasonably stable, loving, and available. i think coming home this weekend just made me feel a little panicky because like... idk first of all it's starting to feel quite real (7 weeks to go!!) and second of all i just... come from a social world where virtually everyone i know is raising children within a two-person straight marriage in a house they bought with their dual incomes. and everyone is being so deeply kind and loving about me doing it differently!! the norms of this particular social world have shifted since i was a kid and people seem to be so much more relaxed about this kind of thing now. but also like, they're not doing it my way, lol. they're still doing it the other way. and that's totally fine! people make different choices. but i think when your choice looks a lot different from everyone else's around you it's hard not to sometimes subconsciously be like am i doing it wrong??? did everyone do it this other way because it's objectively the right and best way to do it?? i think i also feel some weird feelings around like, well if i were having a child and my partner left me or died tragically, then single parenthood would be read differently and i would not be to "blame" for any financial or practical or emotional struggles i encountered. but because i am choosing to go down this path it feels like there's more pressure to have all the financial and logistical stuff sorted out in advance because i should've thought of that before i decided to have a child. which idk... i feel like this reveals a lot about my internalized norms/biases doesn't it!!! a lot to wade through!!!

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR rambles PT 4

Over explaining the decisions in my own comic once again. UwU

Smth fun about these pages is ZELDA. My lady.

Something I'm not sure was how well this portrayed that this was shortly after they put the sword back (like maybe a year at most?)

I kind of like to think for FSR at least, they were all around 13-15 during the events of the manga (This isn't my opinion tbh, though in the bonus pages they buy child tickets for the theme park so they aren't canonically adults.)

Link's old enough to drink in FSR so he's at least 21.

(I've never really liked the idea they're YOUNG kids during FS it just lends itself better to FSR specifically. I really write them however old I want for whatever scenario I'm writing because Link's as fluid as a Vocaloid when it comes to making fan works and cannon is my bitch. Writing them as adults during the events of the manga usually lends itself to MORE writing opportunities but not for FSR. I don't really give a shit what other people decide to do when making fan works either.)

You'd also notice the 7 years it takes FS Link to pull the sword is a reference to the seven years Link misses during OOT.

Anyways onto the page itself: Zelda's a sweet girl who cares deeply about her childhood friend. Link means a lot to her and she makes time for him. He waits for her too. Zelink shippers I got you lol.

Something I always found WEIRD was how Link doesn't talk in the pages after he reformed. That's so odd to me. The fan "theory" It's basically cannon in BOTW/TOTK at least Link's selectively mute. That Link's mute is also something I took inspiration for FSR Link.

So Link doesn't respond to Zelda verbally but she still makes the effort to talk to him.

Shadow Link is very disapointed he can't get hugged by the princess. Because as he stated earlier in the comic he loves her. Zelda addressed him too so she tries to include him.

This page shows off just how gradual the curse was: So funny enough at the START of the comic it was actually going to be explained how Link utterly deteriorated but I decided to add that later. (Wanted to get to funny shenanigans with the boys so I put it off)

It started with him just hearing whispers, then full voices then the what I call "Headspace" fully appeared.

Blue mentions liking Zelda's hugs Haha "Where's my hug???"

Vio just says Zelda's name, Vio's relationship with Zelda is something I'd love to expand upon later down the line.

Green's more focused on food oof.

Red's just happy to see Zelda.

Green was right about being hungry, so Zelda invites him over for DINNER-

Shadow Link's still just vibing.

Zelda lifting Link up in this panel just shows she's there for him.

Link is just dealing with the fact he can hear them by himself. Also dad is still alive.

Lol he's actually making his dad proud which was something he didn't do often before the OG book.

Zelda hanging out with Link and his father kind of shows them as a family.

Shadow Laughing in the bg but he's away from the rest.

So the captain died in a fight, and Link blames himself for it because he can't think straight when there's 4 people constantly talking.

Daddy's demise was really the start of the snowballing downhill for him.

Lol. So Vio's daddy issues are apparent for the SECOND time in the comic. He was uncomfortable even bringing up Link's dad before and this is partially the reason why:

Vio's the only one not crying or overtly emotional about their dad dying.

But something to consider is if he's truly talking to Link or himself in that panel. Because the man is still SHOOK. We have the liberty of SEEING Vio here, but Link doesn't.

So he takes this statement very poorly because:

Well, Vio's seeming "no shits given" attitude is unsettling enough coming from an outside source but that IS apart of Link.

A part of him, seemingly doesn't care his own father kicked the bucket and that's scary to him.

I think anybody would have lost it at this point.

Too bad Zelda saw Link screaming his lungs out at his father's grave lmao. Poor man.

Bro can't do anything but plead for Zelda to help him at this point. She's really the only person he feels he can turn too anyway.

Our girl comes in clutch with them hugs.

This was the conformation Link was actually not speaking in the comic Felt like I had to outright state it cause I wasn't sure if people would notice it otherwise.

Something I REALLY wish was a thing in Zelda manga:

Zelda and Link BOTH lose their parents. Usually their mothers.

And we never get any sort of bonding over that. And I find that a complete waste of potential.

I'd like to dive further into that with FSR or some other Zelda work I do because: HOLY SHIT THEY COULD BOND OVER THEIR LOST PARENTS????

Also Zelda's unfortunate phrasing here with "You can talk to me" she means just, that he can confide in her in general lol.

He's still struggling to actually speak. Poor guy.

While keeping him from doing knight duties kept him PHYSICALLY safe it was just another thing he lost to the curse Vaati laid on him.

So the obvious: Zelda had to watch the person she cares about most completely fall apart before her eyes and she couldn't do shit.

They weren't even aware this WAS A CURSE from Vaati mind you. They were completely in the dark trying to solve this.

Something horrific about this situation you might have also considered:

Not only did Zelda have to watch Link deteriorate but so did Shadow Link.

Shadow Link couldn't even offer much comfort. Zelda could offer physical comfort and attempt emotional comfort but Shadow was completely fucked.

And with the new context of "Link was mostly mute" the fact he wasn't actively TALKING to Shadow Link makes a lot more sense.

Still didn't make that fact any less painful in the moment.

Shadow literally could not participate, was isolated and lonely and had to watch someone else slowly get isolated and lonely and couldn't even help.

Link and Shadow Link literally felt the same way and could not help each other even though they were right next to each other all that time.

Also with the new context of what Link was going through, Shadow's persistence to be there for Vio starts to make a whole lot more sense: He can actually DO something now.

Vio's just stating the obvious at this point and his broken record nature really pissed Link off.

I'm sure you noticed what he wore color wise matched his emotions lol.

Vio technically is 100% right: They think Gannon is in the sword. It would literally be INSANE to pull it knowing that.

But Link's kinda at the point of not giving a shit.

Zelda would get hurt no matter what his "solution" to the problem ended up being.

Shadow Link trying to cheer Link up by reminding him he's there is so sad. Mghhhh

And for the first time in the flashback we actually have Link fully acknowledge Shadow Link's presence.

Vio was outright in denial the man was still alive and didn't want to acknowledge his existence so Link fully embracing Shadow Link here was a big moment between the two of them.

Shadow Link started to figure out what the man was planning but couldn't do squat about it. (He also couldn't communicate with the 4 or HEAR THEM.)

Link shows up in the head space! :D

His words imply he wasn't SURE he could properly communicate with Green like this alone...Which is no surprise considering Vio thinks how odd it is they were able to do that in the first place.

I kinda scrambled to think of what to have him look like hah. Ended up with him wearing white. Since white is the lack of color, white reflects all wavelengths of light so it literally kinda REJECTS color. (Apposed to Black which absorbs light, which funny enough his pants are black...)

And it symbolizes rebirth, peace stuff like that.

It can also symbolize death but we're ignoring that one lmao.

His nails are all the colors + Shadow Link too.

Lmfao when you gaslight yourself.

Okay in all seriousness the Link lays down just how DIRE the situation is since the other 3 don't seem to be quite aware.

And the "Promise" Green made to Link is what had Green so shook at the start of the comic for.

And the weight of the line "Can I trust you?" really sinks in as we'll see.

Link's kinda spooky haha. You can tell he wasn't sure Green was going to help him but that's quickly overtaken by how overjoyed he is Green is for sure on board.

One of my favorite panels from this batch is how happy he is. He's so relived he can finally just rest.

Green can't though. The crushing weight of keeping everything "Okay" is a heavy burden to bare and Dark Link spits those words right back into Green's face, and just holds him.

Green doesn't seem to hate the hug as much as Vio did hah.

Green doesn't even seem to acknowledge his presence while Vio not only NOTICED but was actively terrified of him to the point of trying to grab his sword.

He also mocked Vio more throwing Vio's own words back in his face, but just repeats what Link said to Green.

How. Odd.

And that's all for this batch. Hope ya come back to read my rumbly thoughts about my own comic.

[malleleothreesome]

So I scrolled down and just met you through your stage sex fic and scrolled through and couldn't find the pt.2 and it has been a month but I only met you today and I haven't read anything else just yet but I will but my question is will there be a pt.2 cause you have me frothing at the mouth for him and if I have to commission u to do it I will!

Hi!!! Thank you both so much for your interest in my fic. @starshiningsirius ahaha I'm truly honored that you would consider paying me for my work 😅💖 It means a lot to me! Unfortunately, I have not started working on part 2 yet. YET!! I promise I'll get it out to you, I still have interest in finishing it. I'm feeling just like a little... blocked on it.

I think it's because I'm unsure of how kinky to make it. I think there are two camps—people who want 3rd years in the audience, and people who don't. Ever since it was first suggested to me, I think having 3rd years in the audience is a really fun suggestion. Tbh, if it was up to me (which I guess it IS adbjasbdiu but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll go through with it)... I think it would really tie into the story if I had 3rd years forced to sit in the audience as they slowly turned into wood 💀 But I know that's like an extremely kinky thing (and really morbid) to do and theres a lot of ppl who would be like 'ew Erica wtf is wrong with you?' (Also if I have Lilia turning to wood I guess he can't film the show for Malleus so like 🤔🤨🧐)—See I have lots of varying ideas.

I also thought about making a separate post that was like "How would 3rd years react to seeing you on stage having sex with Fellow" and that would give all 3rd years a chance to shine while also keeping things separate for people who don't want to read that. I don't know!!! Please feel free to comment or send me an ask with your suggestions! I mean, I'm even open to the idea of including more than just the 3rd years (I know the Tweels are very beloved characters even though I myself am not into them) but I know that creates even MORE of an ick for other people.

My fear is: now that we are getting deep into the smut of it all, I know everyone has very specific tastes, wants, needs, & icks when it comes to sex, so I'm filled with trepidation when trying to come up with the rest of the plot. Since I separated it into part 1 and part 2, I'm kind of afraid of writing something that will ruin part 2 for people who enjoyed part 1 and were eagerly anticipating part 2. Does that make sense? So I'm thinking about it too deeply, and therefore, I am feeling blocked on starting because I want to come up with something that will please everyone.

Like, if I had just released the whole story from the start, people could have chosen not to read it at all if the content warnings weren't their vibe, but noooow... people who read it already are invested in the outcome of part 2. Ah, the pressure! 😩

Realistically, I know I can't please everyone, but I'm still very new to writing (I've only been posting on here around 2 months now!) and I still have that eagerness to want to strive to make everyone happy. So, I guess it's something I have to work through and get over as a writer.

Also, I've been having fun ignoring my Stage Sex Part 2 anxieties by writing completely different prompts for my writing event going on right now lol. However, I think I'll rip the metaphorical band-aid off starting next year (aka like in a few days lol) and just start writing part 2. Hopefully my blockage will melt away and I'll be able to come up with something I'm happy with! At the end of the day, my main goal is to make reader x Fellow have AMAZING sex, so I guess I'll start with that and see what other things I want to add to spice things up at the end.

Again, thank you both so much for your interest, it means the world to me. I hope to get Part 2 out to you ASAP and I hope I can write something that you really enjoy!

[oddinary4bts]

Tw (su*cide and self harm, depression)

I'm actually supposed to sleep right now but for some reason I can't and I keep thinking about cashing cars, even though I want to think about the next story I'm gonna write, lol. So, I'll just write this to get it off my chest, so maybe I can sleep after 😂

Ella, I love you and you've created another masterpiece that evokes so many emotions 👏🏾 I commend you so much for talking about mental health, heavy and sensitive subjects 🤧

I wanna add my two scents of this, because as I've told you before I really relate to Jungkook a lot. What he did in the end of chapter 13 hurt, and it surprised me a bit, but I think I understand his behavior. He has showed and proved that he's depressed and deeply su*cidal, I don't think he slept with Lisa because he really wanted to but because he actually wanted to hurt himself. I'm speaking a bit from my own mental health here, but I think in this moment, when he just wants to end it all, he's lashing out, but towards himself. Like he hates himself so fucking much. He wants the bad feelings to go away, why not seek a moment of bliss with someone he knows? Only it doesn't do anything but hurt him more (and even oc). He wants to hurt, because he wants the bad feelings to go away. He feels very destructive, and that is because of his underlying depression. I think. Just my thoughts and theory.

He doesn't want to hurt oc because he truly does love her, but mentally, he's not sound, and he can't speak to her about these things because he hasn't opened up to her, maybe he's even scared she'll run away from him, but in the end, I think that will be his salvation, because if he truly told her what's going on, I think she would understand. He's asking for help. Yes he's flawed, but he needs a hug. Yes he fucked up, but he's hurting. And yeah, oc is hurting too, but she isn't depressed. All of this is a lot for JK 🤧

I still feel like it would be impossible for them to be together, because the bridge bwteen them seems too grand, but I can't wait to see what Jungkook will do, because I do think oc will fight for him anymore after seeing him and Lisa. And boy did that hurt 🤧

To be honest, I don't even know if I want them together... I just want them both to be happy (and if thats when they're together, that's fine), but mostly, I just want Jungkook to get the help that he needs in therapy, to learn to speak nice to himself, not be destructive, to speak his feelings as he has them, to be kind to himself and not hurt himself like this 🥺🥺🥺 I relate so much to him because I've been there, and I just want him happy and healthy! I want oc happy and healthy too, but she seems so much stronger than him, which is why my focus is more on JK. I feel like she would be able to move on, even though she said she wouldn't (the line about her future kids asking who the love of her life is, and it probably wouldn't be their father) with this line, she has said that she can move on, even though jl will always be in her thoughts. I'm afraid that JK will not do as well as oc in moving on 🥺

Anyway, I'm rambling and I think I wrote you and essay 😂 I'm sorry!

I love you and I hope you don't let all the asks get too much too you. As you say, and something that everyone could do well with remebering: it's just fiction ✨💜

(sorry for any typos and whatnot, I wrote this in bed and my phone is falling out of my hands. Goodnight, or morning to you I think 😂)

You’re good bby yahaha

And yeah I agree with you that Jungkook would not be able to move on from her at all whereas OC would move on in time🥺 I hope you like them together once they get together tho🥹

[destinyc1020]

the article with denis and austin was very cute :(( but it's sad that them joking around couldn't even be taken in the right sense. people have a lot of qualms with method acting, and we know that austin infamously took to that only for elvis. but the fact that on twitter "variety" included method acting into the headline for a conversation where neither denis nor austin ever brought it up is just so low considering austin already gets a lot of criticism about it for elvis. now people genuinely think he's crazy and that he had to "refrain" himself from killing everyone on set. which is just so??? considering the conversation around austin's character was the contrast between him and feyd. i mean the whole cast has gushed about how kind he was and how generous he was. we have the whole cast saying how absolutely lovely he was when denis called cut, that despite how scary and imposing he looked he always went and made sure everyone was ok. i love when léa said that he almost looked like a baby because of how sweet he was off set. or when stephen mckinley henderson had a medical emergency, despite there taxing scenes together austin would go out of his way to make sure ask if he needed help or ANYTHING when the cameras weren't rolling. there have been so many just lovely stories about austin behind the scenes that will never ever be considered because of that headline pushing a narrative that doesn't exist. that for one makes me so deeply upset for austin because he genuinely has the sweetest soul, and the fact that he's perceived in such a negative light with people calling him pretentious and a douchebag, when he's so far from that is just heartbreaking.

kindness usually wins in the end, but never the less the negativity surrounding such a gentle soul still makes me irate.

Hey Anon! Thanks for this. 🥰

I'll be honest, I haven't even had time to read Austin and Denis' interview together in the LA Times yet. I've been so busy! 😭

people have a lot of qualms with method acting, and we know that austin infamously took to that only for elvis. but the fact that on twitter "variety" included method acting into the headline for a conversation where neither denis nor austin ever brought it up is just so low considering austin already gets a lot of criticism about it for elvis. now people genuinely think he's crazy and that he had to "refrain" himself from killing everyone on set. which is just so???

Oh lawwwd.... I didn't see the Tweet Variety did on "method acting" either.... So I'll just have to take your word for it. 🤦🏾‍♀️

But anyway... I know Austin got a lot of flack for how he approached the whole "Elvis" prep thing, and maybe he himself admits that he went a little "method" for it and got too immersed into it...But I think that as an actor, you live and you learn from your mistakes? 🤷🏾‍♀️

I just think he was under an enormous amount of pressure (not just from Hollywood) but also the pressure of wanting to do the Presley family justice, not to mention also the pressure of feeling like this was his "one shot" to really prove himself in the industry, and if it went badly, he might never work again lol. Add on top of that, Baz was making him jump through enormous amounts of hoops for the role... before Austin even knew he got it lol. 😅🤣 Supposedly, Baz originally wanted someone else for the role of Elvis?

I don't think Austin should be eternally crucified for that...especially when he already has said that perhaps that method of immersing himself completely into a role may not have been the healthiest for him. 😔

We as Z fans even saw how INTO Euphoria Z got when she was filming the first season lol.😅 I think she was just really eager to prove herself and shed the 'Disney Kid' persona and maybe the role of Rue kind of engulfed her a bit as well?? I think it happens! More so than many actors might care to admit. It's okay. It happens.

We have to allow people grace sometimes.

Austin actually comes across as being quite smart, and a deep thinker, and maybe he overthinks sometimes? Just by observation, he also seems like he might suffer from anxiety at times? Again, these are just my outsider's observations....nothing concrete, cuz Idk him personally. I just think sometimes people don't understand certain people, or they WANT to see someone fail, so they rag on them.

I also highly suspect that a LOT of the nasty rumors surrounding him after "Elvis" came out stemmed from bitter V stans who were mad at him for the Aunessa breakup. JMHO 🤷🏾‍♀️

considering the conversation around austin's character was the contrast between him and feyd. i mean the whole cast has gushed about how kind he was and how generous he was.

EXACTLY Anon. I've known of Austin for years, and I've only EVER heard nothing but GOOD things about him, and he's always seemed like a sweet person to me. 😊

that for one makes me so deeply upset for austin because he genuinely has the sweetest soul, and the fact that he's perceived in such a negative light with people calling him pretentious and a douchebag, when he's so far from that is just heartbreaking.

I understand Anon. But I think at the end of the day, we as fans just have to learn how to observe our Fave, and IGNORE all of the other nonsense (ESPECIALLY on Twitter) which are just for "clicks", "viral attempts", or "attention". 🙄 We can't control what people say or tweet. We can only continue to observe with our OWN EYES that what they're tweeting is complete nonsense lol.

I too was baffled by the "pretentious" and "douchebag" claims about him that were coming out after the "Elvis" movie dropped. I'm like, "SERIOUSLY?? Are we talking about the same person??" 🥴

Austin is actually one of the most HUMBLE actors I've seen in the industry lol. Dude is just happy to be in the room most of the time lol. 😅 And he's CONSTANTLY saying how "honored" and "appreciative" he is to even be where he is right now. From what I've personally seen, Austin has always been a very sweet guy.

This is what I was saying the other day about the Zendaya and Timothee video on the red carpet. People can see the SAME exact video/interview of someone, and draw two totally wildly DIFFERENT conclusions from it.

I personally choose to believe things from his co-stars, people who have worked closely with him, and fans who have had personal interactions with him.

I think people make up stuff for kicks Anon. You just have to ignore it. It's par for the course when you're a celebrity unfortunately.

Like you said, kindness usually wins out in the end. And I always say that an actor's work will speak for itself. 😊

[fishyviolet]

(no worries about a fast response! it's also late for me lol, and this'll be kinda long. +kinda comes with the hc territory, but tw for discussions of trauma, death, and suicide) i want to start this by saying i'm not trying to like demonize you or be argumentative! hc is a special interest of mine and i love analyzing the themes of it. and i definitely agree that vincent and charles have a deeply toxic and unhealthy relationship in canon, and personally i think it's really weird for people to just portray them as uwu soft gay boys in love because it really just romanticizes a dynamic that isn't good for either character

however, i do also think that boiling it down to "toxic scary horrible for each other forever" kinda doesn't fit with the themes of the series, and i don't think charles and vincent are always destined to be toxic and horrible. one of the main themes of hc to me is how circumstance impacts the healing of trauma and mental illness, and how that goes on to impact relationships. almost all the characters in hc are deeply mentally ill & traumatized and prevented from coping with this as they're retraumatized again and again, with no access to help, a big part of the true realm which translates to the largely metaphorical false realm - charlotte is destined to be the abused heroine, anri lashes out at everyone in self defense, charles dies and tortures himself in his own afterlife, vincent dies feeling deeply alone, etc. the characters deeply yearn for connection - vincent asks charles to be present for his last moments, charles and anri enter a relationship, etc - but this is distorted by their circumstance. charles' mental health restrains him from opening up, anri is too guarded to truly be vulnerable, vincent's view of life is heavily distorted by his delusions, etc

and while ep 3 does end on a more optimistic note (it isn't happy, but charles acknowledges a lot of his own flaws and moves on from the house, with etherane's commentary especially implying that it's the start of a healing journey) the main hc series is still largely deeply tragic and depressing. i'd like to add some text from near the end of hc3, when charles is discarding a vincent vessel and discussing him, as i feel it speaks to his self awareness with vincent in particular:

q84: Weren't you supposed to keep him safe?

charles: ...Yeah. I really messed up. In the end, all I did was postpone the inevitable. No matter what, there's no way I could've helped him. There was no way of "fixing" him, either.

q84: Well, duh, you can't go around trying to "fix" people. There's no way of doing that, anyway.

charles: I knew that somewhere on a subconscious level, didn't I? That's why the House is the way it is. Were I convinced I could change him, or anyone... They would've ended up being the brainwashed, unnaturally happy versions of themselves. Never once have I wished for that. However, the images of people I knew still became distorted in this place. Especially Vincent's. I was so fascinated with the idea of him that I failed to see him as a real person. That's why in the House, he's all but an empty shell. An imaginary construct.

before laying him to rest. it took putting himself through horrible cycle after horrible cycle to acknowledge the flaws in his own life, because he clung so hard to every coping mechanism he could.

but heaven's gate is noted to be a much quieter (and in my opinion, softer) visual novel - it examines a world where the most harsh aspects of hc aren't present (scarlett isn't there, nobody dies) and while the characters are still in bad circumstances, they're allowed to connect much more, especially with vincent and charles meeting earlier

but this doesn't mean hg is happy, just less intense. the characters are still in bad circumstances and still have deep amounts of trauma. but hg presents the characters an opportunity to heal from that trauma, even if by the end of the game, they're still in bad places mentally - it isn't a happy ending, it's a world where they someday have the hope of one. vincent is alive and interacts more heavily with charles, charles has less stress, and anri doesn't move away. even before the end, charles and vincent get more direct opportunities to bond, especially in sharing their works - in particular, i think of the scene where vincent says he has something to show charles, and when charles asks if it's a love confession, vincent says "almost" and shares aether, a work about how isolated he feels. he may not connect to charles, but he's willing to expose a vulnerable part of himself - a deeply personal act that he isn't shown to take with any other character, even ones he makes an effort to be friendly with.

the main point where i disagree with you is that the ending scene is representative of why they're so bad for each other - because while i agree it calls out how toxic both sides of the relationship are, i also think it's less a moment of "oh, we're bad for each other, we can't be friends/together" and more a moment that can start their healing journey. it's a scene that explicitly parallels other moments in hc, but it ends on an undoubtedly optimistic note.

the ending scene is one where charles and vincent truly open up and recognize the flaws in their relationship - charles accepts that he highly idealizes vincent and has trouble seeing him as his own person, and vincent admits that no matter how much he wants to, he's never been able to connect with other people and craves a sense of control. they have extremely different reactions to their trauma - charles desires to become one with another person, to lose his own individuality, and vincent is so walled off from other people he isn't even sure who he's supposed to be outside of an idealized view of himself that he projects to other people.

the difference from the main series is that nobody dies, and there's hope in the future. vincent admits to charles he tried to kill himself, and that he wants to connect to others but finds it nearly impossible; charles admits he hasn't been treating vincent fairly and hasn't been trying to get to know the real him. the ending text in particular i feel is poignant. an excerpt:

Neither of us can find comfort in each other's words. Neither of us know what to do.

"I want you to live," I croak out, not to a corpse, not to an imaginary construct, not to a vacant shell, but to Vincent Fennell himself.

History repeats. I can't see his face.

"I see," Vincent says simply. No tears, no surprises. That's how Vincent Fennell is. Yet, his words sound almost thankful. Vincent gets up and extends his hand to me.

"Congratulations on graduating, Charles." I reach out and accept his hand.

The future still remains uncertain. Yet, I feel like I'll be able to fall asleep tonight. The sun rises. A new day has come.

this parallels old scenes in multiple ways - the entire scene, charles keeps repeating that he has a sense of deja vu, that he's been here before, mirroring vincent's suicide scene (also on a high location where he has his first true heart to heart with vincent). charles outright echoes frei's line on love and individuality - he wants to lose his own sense of self to connect to vincent due to his own self loathing. and most vitally, he echoes the scene of charlotte and c in hc2 where c asks charlotte to kill herself with him - both of them beg vincent/c not to die, not because they can convince the other to live, but because they want the other person to be in their life. "i want you to live." it's a selfish wish, but a wish born out of some form of care and connection.

at this point, their relationship isn't healthy. charles is just admitting that he really doesn't know vincent at all, and vincent is just admitting how distant he feels from everyone. but with the ending of hc3 being so heavily focused on moving on and healing (with etherane explicitly talking about how it was related to their own mental health journey), and with the ending lines of "yet, i feel like i'll be able to fall asleep tonight. the sun rises. a new day has come," i can't see this scene as just a pessimistic confirmation that the two are bad for each other.

to me at least, this scene signifies that though they've had a very rough and toxic relationship, vincent and charles are willing to acknowledge that, want to change, and in opening up to each other and confronting their flaws, their relationship can evolve. charles is accepting that vincent isn't the idealized person in his mind. vincent is accepting that he can't project a perfect image to everyone forever. they can never forget their past, but they can help each other heal from it

in conclusion because i know this is long as hell, i don't disagree that vincharles is a deeply flawed and often toxic relationship, but i also don't necessarily think it's inherently a cannibalistic and self-destructive one - i think hc tackles a lot of themes of uncontrollable circumstance hindering healing from trauma and mental health, and those things impacting interpersonal relationships, and the end of the series is largely about confronting those issues and trying to heal. and i think another big part of the series is that relationships that may be unhealthy due to unresolved trauma and mental health issues may not always be that way - and that hurt people, even if they aren't in a good state now, can help each other heal, even if the journey is hard.

// anonymous submission

Everything below is my thoughts/comments

Oh i absolutely agree w your points! I never really meant to imply that the ending scene of HG was meant to be purely pessimistic or that i was viewing it as such; obviously, admitting one's faults (Charles acknowledging that he wasn't seeing Vincent as a person) is the first step to healing them, and in this case specifically he goes a step further and makes an effort to amend that fault (indeed speaking to Vincent Fennel himself). I was more trying to reinforce how insane it is to me that some people see their relationship as being way more genuine than it actually is Despite context like this. like I personally completely forgot the dialog of the exchange you cited between charles and q84 just because my memory is shit (and i probably need to reread hc at some point soonish). im sure plenty of others are also just as forgetful as I am in this regard. but the ending scene in heavens gate is literally the climax of the story so it's a lot easier to internalize and remember and factor into interpretation and such. thats why i brought it up in specific: when this is the climax of the story, how can one forget that charles is completely deluding himself in regards to how he sees Vincent?!?

i agree that the climax of heaven's gate is very optimistic. I think if vincent and charles worked hard and had the desire to do so, they could theoretically enter a deeper relationship, whether that be a true friendship or a romance or whatever. i liek heavens gate

also re: the Daydream rpf bit that was mainly a joke LMAO i absolutely agree that what vincent represents in The House is far deeper than that! i just thought the connection was funny :] your thoughts are super awsome i will be rereading it if i ever wanna think abt hc agai yayyy

[maya-matlin]

I'm embarrassed to even admit this (and am thankful that you have anon on!) but I actually like Lucas Scott more than Dan Humphrey. Please don't think I'm disagreeing with anything you wrote in that Jess vs Dan vs Lucas vs Jughead analysis, because it really was brilliant and totally on target. But Dan kind of desperately wanting to be accepted by the snotty high society Upper East Side crowd even while judging and mocking them (and apparently secretly stalking and humiliating them all as gossip girl lol) just bothers me and for me isn't at all something Lucas - or Jess or Jughead- would care about. Lucas is a lot of not great things, but he's truly not into status, pretentious or desperate for acceptance. And as you've pointed out, Lucas is actually a decent and generally honest human being outside of his romantic relationships---I just can't ever see him playing a secret 'gossip girl' type role in OTH or even caring enough about gossip to constantly read and write about it. Even if we pretend Dan wasn't Gossip Girl, which he shouldn't have been for several reasons, he's got more of a Julian thing of caring more about status and popularity than Lucas, Jess or Jughead imo. I still like Dan and think he's a great match for Blair---I just also think he's a little more deceitful, hypocritical and into status than Lucas, Jess or Jughead...but then again he's a character on Gossip Girl, where pretty much everyone is fairly terrible in that way :) As for Lucas---yeah, he's indecisive and lies to himself and therefore others about his romantic feelings, and the center point in any love triangle always justifiably grates on everyone's nerves lol. And like the other three guys mentioned here, he can definitely be judgy and self-righteous. But there's a lot I like about Lucas too---he's smart and cerebral, he's brave and protective, he's very insightful (except when it comes to himself lol) and I really do think he cares about people deeply. But I get that that doesn't excuse his flaws :) Thanks for reading this - I have no idea how or why it's so long!

Aw, you don't have to be embarrassed! I respect your privacy, though. It's funny I gave the impression I don't like Lucas. The truth is, I like him a lot and spend most of the show actively enjoying his character. Seasons 1 and 5 were pretty terrible (though season 1 at least gave him a solid foundation compared to season 5's constant fuckboy behavior). I bash Lucas because I genuinely care and get so frustrated because I know he's capable of being better than he ends up being. His whole arc went to shit because of multiple love triangles and the bizarre idea that he needed to be "in denial" over his feelings for Peyton, multiple times, rather than just owning up to the fact he had complicated feelings for multiple women at the same time. And unfortunately, this behavior manifested itself in multiple instances of cheating because the dude was desperate for love and needed validation when it came to his love life. Anyways. Needless to say, I also prefer Lucas to Dan simply because I'm way more invested in One Tree Hill than Gossip Girl.

I appreciate the compliments. 💙 It really wasn't anything. Just random thoughts I threw together LOL. Your critique of Dan is fair. The thing about Gossip Girl is that the morality is upside down. Everyone screws over everyone and it's generally accepted that the wealthy elite can do no wrong. Dan doesn't quite fit into this crowd yet benefits from much of the privilege due to attending the same private school and later becoming Lily's stepson and eventually, Serena's husband. So he ends up being an honorary member of the core group, though he grew up in a very different environment, meaning it's much easier for Dan to be judgmental of the other characters. I think I just ignore the "Dan is Gossip Girl" reveal? There's no real way to make sense of it or to claim everything adds up based on what we saw on screen throughout seasons 1-5. It was a mistake for any character we saw on a regular basis to be revealed as Gossip Girl. But if I'm forced to acknowledge the reveal, you're correct that none of the other three would ever in a million years do such a thing. This implies there was a part of Dan that was so desperate to belong and to fit into the upper east side that he schemed, manipulated, stalked, gaslit and essentially pretended to be a different person to keep up the ruse. It's very dumb, as is the idea that everything was actually a secret love letter to Serena, someone he'd stopped seriously loving years before. To be fair though, I still haven't seen the final season of Gossip Girl. Your point about Dan being a Julian type is probably accurate. The thing about comparing those four characters is that it doesn't 100% add up. They're similar archetypes, but don't necessarily play the same roles on their respective shows. Dan was never presented nearly as heroically as Lucas was. By the time season 2 premiered, it was pretty clear the morality of the show had shifted with Chuck Bass becoming the male lead. The focus shifted to awful, privileged people doing underhanded things while looking beautiful (and Ed Westwick was there too) rather than viewing these characters through the eyes of the less privileged Humphreys. I mean, it was always a stretch due to Rufus being a rockstar, but in Gossip Girl world Dan is the poor one.

I have nothing to add to your thoughts about Lucas's strengths, but I 100% agree. Lucas has a lot going for him and is truly good at heart. He just doesn't need to be in a relationship until he gets some therapy. Unfortunately, he masked his problems by rushing down the aisle and starting a family. At this point, I have to assume he and Peyton are divorced, but that's just my wishful thinking.

[sapphire-weapon]

Hey, I'm the original 25 y/o anon and respectfully, I feel that you may have misunderstood my ask. The comparison to narcissism is a bit uncalled for, though maybe that wasn't your intention. I don't 100% agree with everything you've said, but I do understand where you've come from. I do still firmly believe that no, there is no official timeline. That's silly in my eyes. Not everyone is handed the same deck with the same privileges, experiences and opportunities. Everybody also faces curveballs too and many of them. Does that mean that they can't achieve happiness and make the best of themselves, despite arriving later to things compared to their more privileged peers? No, of course not. I've done the work and proven that to myself this year. Despite the poverty and years of trauma, I'm finally going to college to study something I'm deeply passionate about and learning to value myself and seek out healthier relationships. I'm my own evidence to prove that life doesn't have to become jaded and meaningless, just because age may be unconventional accoridng to stereotypes and capitalism. With respect, I'm sure you weren't intending to invalidate others nor throw out insults! I'm sorry to hear about your friend and her issues with having children. That's a very unfortunate thing to happen to her and I hope she finds fulfilment elsewhere if necessary, I just wanted to clear up any misunderstandings if there were any and I wish you a wonderful weekend. I really enjoy your blog and RE takes + information! Thanks for taking so much time to answer questions for newer fans.

Also, just to add, I don't accept being painted as naive. My life has been LONG lol and I've learned a lot the hard way. I am an experienced adult, but I may have wrongly misinterpreted you too! No hard feelings at all, just clearing the air and I hope I haven't accidentally brought negativity to you or your ask box, it wasn't my intention. Just wanted to share my new found lease on life, which I think everyone is deserving of.

So, just as like a blanket statement: if I'm responding to an ask, I'm only directly addressing the asker. My "it's narcissistic" comment wasn't meant to retroactively apply to you -- only to the person who left the ask implying that having a worldview that's anything other than "you can do anything at any point" is pessimistic.

In truth, I don't know why you sent the original ask or what you were responding to, because I've long since made peace with where I'm at in life and the opportunities I've missed, which is why I only talked about the saying in a general sense instead of having a more pointed conversation.

The "no official timeline" thing is something that I think is good to have in the back of your mind when you're looking in retrospect/reflecting on your life. It's not a good thing to carry around with you pre-emptively. "So you got to shit later than society thinks is normal lmao w/e who cares, you did the thing and that's what matters" is way different from "You don't have to do this right now, fuck it, there's no official timeline" -- and the latter is the mindset that I was addressing. It does encourage learned helplessness by reinforcing someone's avoidant tendencies. That's why I don't like people reaching for that as a platitude by default.

And that's also why I made it a point to say I was using a generalized, ubiquitous "you" in my response to your original ask -- because I don't know your story, so I wasn't responding/can't respond to your situation specifically. All I could do/did do was respond to the impulse to tell someone "don't worry about it, you don't need to do a thing right now."

My response to that will always be: If not now, when? And if there's actual barriers to entry for a thing, my follow-up question will be: Are you making a good faith effort to break through those barriers, or are you just building up a wall of excuses that you can hide behind and feel safe?

I will always encourage someone to act rather than wait, because I have watched too many dreams fall apart and had too many friends get saddled with regret as a result.

I don't really wanna eat up any more real estate on my blog with this stuff, though.