#THE DOUBLE STANDARD HAS ALWAYS EXISTED

[sneakyboymerlin]

Arthur saves people and it justifies his wealth and power. Merlin saves people and it’s a lowly peasant trying to be important. I see how it is 🚬-_-

[gaywineauntsstuff]

I love the idea of Dick being all the Batkid's favourite sibling but in violently different fonts.

Jason: Dick and Jay canonically have a pretty solid relationship but i'm partial to the Jason was around for Dick's rebellion stage and so Dick doesn't think he has to worry about the pedestal thing bc Jason has absolutely seen him violently hungover before he was legally allowed to drink font of this

So by the time Jason comes back and is no longer trying to murder Tim (except psychologically) Dick decides... Well he's evil sometimes but also I can finally tell someone all the Titans drama. So him and Jason meet up like once month if they're in the same city and get progressively drunker while shit talking their teams and Bruce.

Also I hate the Dick and Robin!Jason didn't get along. They absolutely did, Dick was like 0.5 seconds away from taking Jason to live with the titans permanently.

Tim: 'Oh Jason is Tims Robin, Oh Dick betrayed Tims trust.' in the name of the orange dude y'all elected twice W R O N G. Tim Drake used to watch VHS tapes of the flying Graysons routine. He wasn't even a batman Stan first. That came after he saw Robin do a quadruple summersault. Tim is a Dick Grayson fanboy first Person second. Like Tim canonically saw Jason die and went lmao skill issue, imagine not being like Dick Grayson i'm better. When Dick first started training him, he'd consistently excuse himself go to the other room, hyperventilate over Dick Grayson teaching him how to train surf. Dick is not just his idol he's also a pretty substantial part of Tim's support system. He calls Dick when he's going through something or is stuck on a case. And he knows that Dick will always have his back. They have like the unrealistic adorable sibling relationships from Tv that don't exist irl. Tim also does that awkward shuffle thing after fights bc they're still siblings and Dick just pretends the fight didn't happen until Tims calm again

Damian: You have to understand Damian thought he'd have to basically do the league all over again. He lands with Bruce and those ideas are soundly rejected and he now has no trust or respect and he has to adjust. And Bruce is doing his holier than thou, you should know better 10yro who literally was brainwashed as a child act, like Tim didn't have to pull him away from straight up becoming a villain and Dick didn't have to put him in his place with his fists a couple times a year (we love Bruce really). Then Bruce gets Time-streamed, Tim runs away and now the circus freak is BATMAN. Except the circus freak is also a sadistic bastard to criminals, despite being made out of marshmallows to you. Dick hangs people upside down off high buildings for information and cackles as Nightwing. He also listens to Damians worries and helps him deconstruct his bias view of the world. Dick canonically set the standard for child heroes and is among one of the most beloved and trusted heroes despite being marshmallowy and refusing to murder people. Dick is kinda like Damians stand in non pretentious moral compass until he learns his own one later on. Hence why Damian adores Dick Grayson more than anyone really.

in summary support my agenda that Dick and Jason are gossipy drinking buddies, Tim absolutely had a Dick Grayson Shrine as a child and Damian calls Dick to double check that he still cannot kill Timothy (its now entirely a joke.... mostly)

[nikibogwater]

Actually while I'm thinking about it, I just wanna say that the more live-action remakes Disney shlups out like shoveled manure, the more amazed I am that Cinderella (2015) exists. It breaks literally every standard of Disney's LA remakes.

It's not a shot-for-shot remake of the original 1950 animated film, though it does include small references and homages to it, but only when such things can be incorporated organically into the story.

The creators understood and respected the cross-cultural significance of the Cinderella story. They didn't want to "fix" it, or add some wacky twist to it, they just wanted to make the best possible version of the Quintessential Cinderella that they could.

Everything that could be done practically was done practically. The carriage was a real, the horses pulling it were real, and all of the other animals (with the exception of the mice and lizards, since their performance was a lot more involved than the others') were real living animals, the lizard footman and goose carriage driver were wearing prosthetics instead of just having their animal features added in post, the Fairy Godmother's dress had little LED lights sewn into it so that it would actually glow for real, the ballroom set was built by hand and included real chandeliers with more than 2000 total candles that were all actually lit for the scene, and I could go on but you get the point.

There's a ton of attention paid to little details that make the world feel real and lived in. Ella's shoes are always a little scuffed and dirty. Her farm dress is faded and wrinkled. When she breaks down and runs away to the woods, she rides her horse bareback (which, once again, was a thing Lily James actually did, no stunt-double or editing in post), because not only is that something a country girl like her would know how to do, but it also makes sense that with as upset as she is, she wouldn't want to waste time with saddling the horse. When she's dancing with the prince, it's visually obvious that he is leading her and giving her cues because of course Ella wouldn't know the latest ballroom dances, and would need him to guide her through it.

Hey speaking of dancing, y'know what else this movie does that no other LA remake has been allowed to do (at least not to this extent)? ROMANCE. Land sakes alive, this is one of the most unabashedly and yet still tastefully romantic movies I've ever seen. Ella and Kit are just oozing romantic chemistry from the moment they lock eyes for the first time. It all comes down to the fact that these two characters both have the same core values of courage and kindness, which makes their admiration for each other feel grounded and believable. Richard Madden also really sells Kit's feelings for Ella with the way his eyes go all big and soft whenever he looks at her. And don't even get me started on Lily's performance as Ella. Her quiet awe that someone as powerful as the prince loves her. The timidity and fear that she's not really worthy of that. The selfless determination to protect him from her family's cruelty, even if it means she'll never see him again, I'm just-- *banging my fist against the table and screaming into a pillow*

Absolutely god-tier costume design. No notes, I think Sandy Powell's work speaks for itself. Btw, in case you were somehow still wondering, yes, Ella's ballgown is fully practical--those layers upon layers of dreamy silk skirts are real. CG was only used to brighten up the blue color to make her stand out from the crowd more.

Wicked stepmother was allowed to actually be wicked. The movie never tries to make you sympathize with Lady Tremaine, or shift the blame off to someone else. And her villainy is given an extra layer of depth with the reveal that she is a dark reflection of Ella. They've both lost people they loved, but where Ella refused to let her grief get in the way of kindness, Lady Tremaine became utterly consumed by it. She views the death of her first husband as a sort of twisted justification for pursuing all her worst impulses. She despises Ella for her ability to flourish even while enduring terrible suffering, for being everything Lady Tremaine was either unable or flat-out refused to be.

Also Cate Blanchet absolutely SLAYS in this role. Hands-down my favorite portrayal of the wicked stepmother character.

Anyways, TLDR: Cinderella (2015) is the only Disney live-action remake that can justify its own existence and that's because it actively defies everything the LA remakes are today.

[ashthesalamipiece]

Could I possibly request one where pro hero Bakugo is talking to deku and suddenly is like talking about how he want to propose to his girlfriend and dekus like “WHAT GIRLFRIEND” and Bakugo like, the girlfriend I’ve had since middle school?? It’s not that he was hiding it he just never rlly talked abt i. BUT THEN after asking questions deku finds out she quirkless and starts crashing out bc while bakugo was actively bullying him in middle school for being quirkless he had a little quirkless girlfriend. I love u girl do ur thing 🙏

Thank you bbg, enjoy♡

"Since Middle School"

Pro Hero Bakugou x Quirkless!Reader | Humor, Soft Romance, Emotional Chaos, Izuku Spiral™

---

It started like any other post-mission debrief between Pro Heroes.

The office was quiet, save for the hum of the lights and the distant tapping of keyboards. Deku sat on the edge of his desk, still nursing a scratch on his cheek, while Bakugou leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes on the ceiling.

“I think I’m gonna propose,” Bakugou said, casual as anything.

Deku choked on his energy drink. “To who??”

Bakugou blinked at him. “To my girlfriend?”

“You have a girlfriend??”

“...Yeah?” Bakugou frowned. “You’ve met her, haven’t you?”

“NO??”

Bakugou tilted his head like this was somehow his fault. “Huh. Thought you did.”

“You never mentioned her before! When did this happen??”

Bakugou shrugged. “Middle school.”

Deku went still. “What?”

“We’ve been dating since middle school,” Bakugou said, offhand. “Told her I liked her after I blew up some kid who called her useless. She said she already knew.”

Deku’s soul briefly left his body.

Bakugou kept talking like this was all very normal. “She used to help me with my homework. Smart as hell. Always carried extra snacks in her bag. Hated when I picked fights, but let me get away with it anyway. She’s—” he cut himself off, ears going slightly red. “Whatever. She’s awesome.”

Deku’s eye twitched. “Kacchan.”

“What?”

“She’s quirkless.”

“...Yeah?”

“YOU’VE BEEN DATING A QUIRKLESS GIRL SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL—WHILE BULLYING ME FOR BEING QUIRKLESS—??”

Bakugou winced. “Okay, first of all—”

“NO.” Deku stood up like his brain had snapped in half. “You used to shove my notebooks in the dirt for existing and then go hold hands with your little quirkless girlfriend?? What kind of—what double standard—”

“I didn’t shove your notebooks for being quirkless! I shoved them because you were annoying as shit!”

“YOU CALLED ME A USELESS DEKU—WHILE YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH A QUIRKLESS GIRL—”

“Don’t call her that,” Bakugou snapped, sharp. “She’s not useless.”

Deku froze. “I wasn’t—!”

Bakugou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know. Just don’t like that word near her.”

Deku stared, mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. “You... you were defending her back then, too?”

Bakugou looked away. “I didn’t get it. Not all the way. But she never made me feel like I was better. Or worse. She just… treated me like I was worth something, without having to prove it.”

Silence fell.

Deku sat back down, slowly, brain still rebooting.

After a long beat, he said, “You’re telling me you’ve been in a long-term, secret, emotionally fulfilling relationship for ten years—with a quirkless civilian—and you never thought to mention it once??”

Bakugou scoffed. “It’s not a secret, you nerd. I just don’t go around broadcasting my business like it’s a damn podcast.”

Deku stared into the void.

Bakugou shrugged. “You wanna meet her?”

“YES???!??!”

---

Bonus: When Deku does meet you

You: smiles brightly, offers him a cookie

Deku: shaking I—I can’t believe you’re real.

You: “Katsuki told me you’d be dramatic.”

Deku: “HE CALLS YOU BY YOUR NAME??”

Bakugou: from the kitchen “YEAH?? SHE HAS ONE???”

[housemdork]

just some hilson thoughts in these trying times

all of these things i think about constantly & fondly and exist in my mind as true canon:

house has been interested/obsessed with wilson since the second he saw him; the divorce papers ordeal combined with wilson looking like he did in 1991 sent the bisexual alarm ablaze.

only someone as repressed and clueless as wilson could take "you were the only person who didn't bore me" as a purely platonic statement.

relatedly, i think he was very convinced throughout their time together at the new orleans medical conference that wilson liked men, and only during some horribly awkward flirting attempts house witnessed from afar did house realize that either A) wilson is unfortunately straight or B) he's repressed beyond belief. being so good at reading people, i bet house accurately picks up on the latter.

house playing instruments for wilson is one of their most significant forms of intimacy.

paradoxically, since wilson is very gentle and hands on with just about everyone else in his life (patients included), he never crosses any physical barriers with house as a sign of respect for his boundaries. this goes pretty unnoticed by house until someone points it out - "aren't you guys really close? he's never even given you a pat on the back?"

they don't smoke together very often but they used to and wilson gets incredibly giggly every time, which house loves to see. wilson gets paranoid about drug testing, which sparks an argument about vicodin and double standards. wilson loses the argument every time.

wilson kissed house when they were high exactly one (1) time several years before canon. wilson was so blasted he's convinced himself it was a dream, and house always kept it in his back pocket as a desperate "gotcha" moment for the future. but the memory is too sacred and tender to ruin it by being petulant, so he never brings it up.

HOUSE IS A YEARNER. AT HIS VERY CORE, HE IS A YEARNER. WHEN ALL OF HIS BULLSHIT IS STRIPPED AWAY, HE YEARNS! wilson is better at shoving everything deeper and deeper than house.

through some grand scheming alongside cuddy, it was actually wilson's idea that they have adjoining offices, but he and cuddy worked together to make house think it was his idea and that, by getting the adjoining office, he'd won over the 2 of them.

cuddy is the only person who ever broaches the topic of house's feelings for wilson while she and house are dating. knowing them both as well as she does, she can see some sincerity there. she asks house about it and eventually gets a clipped but genuine answer: "i mean...yeah. sure. but that minefield is so sensitive that even looking at it too closely will start a chain reaction. so no thanks."

thirteen instantly picks up on house and wilson's "deal." like she can't believe it's not outright and obvious to everyone else.

SEASON 8/POST-CANON SPOILERS

i don't think house and wilson die simultaneously. whether out of reverence, grief, or masochism, i think house would try to live without wilson even for just a few hours. then he would be fully in touch with the human experiences he's always avoided/felt alienated from. it would be the final challenge for his atheism to conquer.

while holding fast to the fact that they've never slept together and never will, they get increasingly intimate with one another in those last 5 months. they share a bed, keeping mostly to their respective sides of the mattress, but really ramp up the whole "no social contract" thing. sometimes hands wander and they wake up with gentle touches on their sides, shoulders, etc. house is preparing to lose the only person who even understands his kind of intimacy, while wilson, being someone who seeks it out, struggles with this new arrangement, and all they have is each other atp!

they change how they describe their relationship to strangers while they're on the road. one day they're business partners, another day they're married, then on a first date, then professorial colleagues, then third cousins (wilson hates that one), etc., etc.

even more so than house, wilson likes that he can finally shed off layers of his old identity and feels more authentic than he ever has while road-tripping with house in the end.

i'll probably come back to this list and keep adding but there ya go, those are some of my thoughts :)

[alwayssassydreamer]

Help Me Sleep

A/N: request by Ann(on) who asked for Law x f!reader where the reader uses sleeping pills because she has problems with sleep. Hope you like it and just to let you know your request was not at all rude 😉 gonna be honest I had to do some research about it my knowledge about sleeping pills was rather, well barely existing.

And I'm sorry i drifted a little while writing 🙈

Plot: your mind is always running a mile per hour even during the night and to help yourself with it and find some sleep you had started to regularly take sleeping pills your Captain has had enough of that

Warnings: sfw, misuse of sleeping pills , not proofread

Characters: Law x GN!Reader

The Polar Tang was a sanctuary beneath the sea, but to you, it was sometimes too quiet. The hum of the engines, the sterile lighting, the absence of night or day it all made time feel like it stretched endlessly. And in that timelessness, your insomnia thrived.

It started subtly. Restless nights. Tossing. Turning. Sleep had always been a battle. Your thoughts were too loud, too tangled, and the silence of the night only made them worse. Then came the pills, standard issue, small white tablets with a mildly bitter taste and the promise of a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

You never told anyone, especially not the captain. Law had enough on his plate without worrying about your inability to sleep.

That night, like so many before, you sat on your bunk with the pill bottle in hand. You waited for everyone to settle. Only when the ship had gone quiet did you pop one into your mouth and wash it down with water.

Unbeknownst to you, Law was walking past your room.

He didn't mean to spy. He had come down to check reports, but paused when he saw the light from your room spilling into the corridor. Something had been off about you lately, your steps slower, your gaze a little dimmer. He lingered in the hallway longer than he should have.

He didn’t say anything then. Just quietly walked away, the image of you alone with something he couldn't quite see in your hand stuck in his mind though.

A week passed since that night and you were running low on pills.

The routine was the same: lights out, silence, pill, sleep. Or something close to it. It wasn’t restful. Your dreams were a mix of memories and echoes, your body waking up just as tense as when you had laid down. You functioned, but barely. You hid it well, or so you thought.

But tonight something was different.

You sat with the pill bottle in hand, shaking it gently. Three left.

You told yourself to take just one.

But your hands were shaking, your mind racing, chest tight with something you couldn’t name. The idea of hours lying in bed again, waiting for peace that wouldn’t come, was unbearable.

You reached for a second pill.

“Don’t,” a voice said sharply.

You jumped, the bottle slipping from your hand and clattering to the floor.

Law stood in the doorway, arms crossed, brows drawn. He stepped into the room before you could say anything, crouching to pick up the bottle.

“I wasn’t going to—”

“You were.”

He looked at the label, then at you. “This dosage isn’t meant to be doubled.”

“I know,” you mumbled almost ashamed.

“Then why?”

You hesitated, teeth pressing into your lower lip. “Because I’m tired of pretending I’m okay when I’m not.”

He looked at you for a long moment, then sat beside you on the bunk. “You could’ve said something.”

You laughed, but it sounded bitter even to your own ears. “What would I have said? ‘Hey, Captain, I’m falling apart. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine after I drug myself into unconsciousness.’ Not really mission-ready, is it?”

“I don’t need you mission ready, I need you whole,” he said quietly. “And I don’t expect you to hide this from me.”

You stared at the floor. “…Why do you care?”

He didn’t answer immediately. When he did, it was barely above a whisper. “What do you think, idiot. Because you matter.”

Your breath caught at his word and you didn’t dare looking up at him.

He just pushed off the bunk and stood in front of you and suddenly held out a hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” you asked confused.

“To the medbay. You’re going to let me help, properly this time. No more hiding.”

You hesitated for a moment but then slid your hand into his.

The medbay was sterile as ever, it's lights cool and humming overhead. You sat on the edge of a cushioned exam table, arms folded, feeling like a child caught doing something wrong.

Law stood at the counter, skilled hands sorting through medications and files. He moved with quiet efficiency, sharp, focused, unreadable as always. But tonight, something was different.

He wasn’t just being your captain.

He was being there for you.

“I’m not replacing your pills,” he said, glancing at you. “I’m tapering them. You’ll only take them every third night for now. And I’m giving you something mild to take the edge off your anxiety, but nothing habit-forming.”

You nodded slowly. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“I didn’t have to that's true but I wanted to,” he said turning to fully face you.

You blinked surprised, thrown off by his honesty. You knew Law didn’t say things like that unless he meant them.

“I’ve seen what happens when people rely on numbing themselves,” he said, his voice low. “You stop recognizing yourself. I’d rather see you tired and healing than sedated and hollow.”

Something inside you cracked and your hands started trembling slightly.

“…You’ve been through it too, haven’t you?” you asked softly.

His jaw tensed and he avoided looking at you for a moment.

“Yes,” he finally said quietly.

That one word carried a weight you didn’t press on. He didn’t elaborate, and you didn’t push  but the shared silence between you held more than any explanation.

He walked over and handed you a small packet with carefully labeled instructions and after a pause, he added, “Try sleeping in the infirmary tonight. No pills. I’ll stay, just in case.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You’re staying with me?”

“I said I’d help you,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “That includes keeping the nightmares away. Or at least distracting you until you’re too bored to be anxious.”

You smirked faintly. “You’re terrible at emotional support,” you mused.

“I’m a surgeon, not a therapist.”

“…But I appreciate it,” you added, looking at him, really looking at him. “Thank you, Law.”

He sat in the chair beside your cot, arms crossed, legs stretched out.

“You’re welcome.”

And for the first time in what felt like weeks, you didn't dread trying to sleep.

The infirmary was dim, lit only by a small lamp on the counter. You lay on the cot, arms folded beneath your head, while Law sat nearby in the chair he had claimed as his own for the night.

“So…” you murmured, your voice soft and sleepy. “Is this really part of your medical protocol?”

Law glanced at you over the top of the book he held in his hands, brow raised. “It is now.”

“And what exactly does keeping me company accomplish, Doctor?” you asked with a smirk.

“It distracts you from spiraling,” he said simply, closing the book and setting it aside. “Keeps your brain occupied.”

“Hmm. Then talk to me.”

He tilted his head. “About what?”

“Something normal. Something soft.”

For a moment, he seemed to consider brushing you off. But then he exhaled quietly, gaze softening.

“When I was a kid,” he began, voice quiet, “I used to count the ceiling tiles in every room I was in. It gave me something to control.”

You turned your head, watching him. “Did it help?”

“Sometimes.” He glanced up at the medbay ceiling. “Thirty-eight tiles. Forty-two if you count the hallway.”

You smiled. “You really did count them.”

“I did,” he said, a ghost of amusement in his voice.

Silence stretched comfortably between you, his presence strangely grounding. You found yourself relaxing, little by little, thoughts growing foggy.

Your last conscious words were a sleepy whisper, “Thank you for staying…”

You didn’t remember falling asleep.

But you did remember waking up, gasping, cold sweat sticking to your skin, the lingering edge of a nightmare crawling down your spine.

You sat up, heart racing, hand clenched against your chest.

Law was there instantly, leaning forward, hand reaching for your wrist to check your pulse. “It’s just a nightmare,” he said calmly. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

“It felt real,” you rasped hands trembling.

“I know.”

And then, so unexpected it stunned you, he stood, pulled back the blanket beside you, and murmured, “Move over.”

“What?” You asked completely caught off guard, breath stuck in your throat.

“You need to sleep,” he said, not looking at you. “You’re not going to if you wake up alone again.”

You hesitated and then shifted to the side, wordlessly making space.

He climbed in beside you with calm, clinical precision, though his voice was softer than you had ever heard it.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “Close your eyes.”

And you did.

This time, you slept deeply. No nightmares. Just steady warmth and the quiet rhythm of Law’s breathing beside you.

When you woke again, it was to the muted glow of the medbay light.

You were warm, more than just from the blanket. Law's arm was around you. Not tightly, but there. Solid, real, protective in a way he probably hadn’t meant to be.

You didn’t move. Didn’t want to. His breathing was deep and even, chest rising and falling slowly beside you. For all his cold edges, he looked... peaceful like this.

You studied his face, the sharp jaw, the tired lines near his eyes, the slight part to his lips as he slept. It was intimate in a way you hadn’t prepared for.

And if you were being honest you had expected him to leave once you fell asleep.

But he hadn’t and that made your heart skip a beat.

His arm shifted slightly, adjusting as if instinctively tightening the space between you. His voice came low, husky from sleep.

“You’re staring.”

You jumped not expecting that. “You were awake?”

“Mostly.” His eyes opened, just a little. “Didn’t think I’d fall asleep. Guess you’re contagious.”

You chuckled under your breath, still nestled into the blanket. “Should I apologize?”

“No,” he said simply.

For a moment, the silence between you felt weighted. Charged even but not with awkwardness but something softer. He was still watching you, eyes half-lidded and honest in a way Law rarely let himself be.

 “Why are you really doing this?” You dared to ask.

There was a pause after this as you looked into each others eyes, he was thinking, contemplating what to say.

“Because I don’t like seeing you hurt. And I hate that I didn’t see it sooner.”

You didn’t know what to say your head still processing his words.

Before you could reply, his hand brushed your wrist brief, hesitant, and somehow more intimate than anything else so far.

“I’m not great at this,” he admitted. “Whatever this is.”

You swallowed hard. “i know,” you teased. “But you don’t have to be.”

He nodded slowly, his thumb still gently grazing your skin. “Still… I want to try.”

You didn’t know what to say. So you stayed quiet. You just moved your hand until your fingers found his and curled lightly around them.

It was small. Unspoken.

But undeniable.

And in that quiet moment, under the humming lights and sheets that smelled faintly of antiseptic, something between you finally began to shift.

Later on the Polar Tang felt....strange.

You were walking through the corridors alone. Law had murmured something about rounds and duty, and left with the same composure he always carried but his fingers had brushed yours before pulling away. It was the gentlest parting you had ever experienced from him.

Now you were sitting at the table with Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. The food on your tray sat mostly untouched. Your mind wasn’t on breakfast, it was on him.

He hadn’t said anything that morning. No teasing. No awkward apologies.

Just, "See you later."

But when you passed him in the corridor an hour later clipboard in your hand, trying to look busy his eyes caught yours.

The look wasn’t captain to crew. It was something more…..intimate, something deeper than just captain and crew member. You felt it down to your bones.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.

That evening, you found yourself in the medbay again.

“I wasn’t sure if I should come,” you admitted, leaning against the doorframe.

Law glanced up from his desk, his expression unreadable until it softened ever so slightly. “I left the lamp on for a reason.”

You stepped inside, heartbeat loud in your ears. “Last night was…”

“Unusual?” he offered, one brow raised.

“Yeah. But… not bad.”

“No,” he agreed quietly. “Not bad.”

You walked closer. “So what is this?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, setting his pen down and meeting your gaze directly. “But I’m not pretending it’s nothing.”

You sat on the edge of the desk, close enough to feel the warmth of him. “Is this one of those awkward conversations that leads to something worse?”

“Worse?” he repeated, voice low.

“You know,” you teased. “Like trust. Intimacy. Mutual feelings.”

His smirk was faint, but it was there. “Terrifying.”

“Absolutely,” you agreed with a smile.

Another pause.

“I’m not used to needing people.” He said so softly you almost missed it.

“That’s okay. I’m not used to being needed,” you admitted touching his hand.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. And then he reached for you, not hungrily, not out of desperation, but with a quiet certainty. His hand cupped your cheek, thumb brushing your skin. His forehead rested against yours.

“I don’t want this to be temporary,” he murmured.

“It doesn’t have to be,” you whispered back not daring to move.

It wasn’t some huge confession, nor declaration but it was enough for both of you and you both knew that this was all you needed.

That night you didn't just find sleep, you found peace and maybe something called love.

Though you and Law didn’t talk about what you were.

Not out loud.

But the changes were there.

He started checking in on you more often, under the pretense of “monitoring your progress.” Sometimes it was just a glance across the deck. Sometimes it was a brush of his hand on your back when no one else was looking.

And sometimes... it was late-night silence in the medbay, sitting next to him, your knee touching his, his fingers grazing yours like he couldn’t quite keep from reaching.

It was subtle. It was maddening.

It was everything and it was helping you with your problems - to know someone was there, someone cared, someone needed you just as much as you needed him.

One night, it hit you how far you had come.

You were in the middle of a briefing with Shachi and Bepo when your heart started racing.

But the reason for it wasn’t panic nor dread.

It was the sight, the feeling of Law leaning in close beside you to point something out on the map his shoulder brushing yours, his voice low in your ear. He didn’t move away afterward. Not right away. Just hovered close, like he meant to.

You felt eyes on you from across the room but you didn’t look nor did you care.

Later, you found him alone, reorganizing surgical tools with absurd precision.

“Do you always make a mess of people’s emotional chemistry this way?” you asked, leaning in the doorway.

He didn’t look up. “Only yours, apparently.”

Your breath caught but you stepped closer nonetheless. “You’re not even trying to pretend anymore.”

“No,” he said, finally glancing at you, gaze dark and steady. “I’m not.”

You reached up and gently pulled the gloves from his hands and he let you.

“You know,” you murmured, “you’ve adjusted my dosage, stabilized my sleep pattern, and made sure I’ve stopped self-medicating. But you never once warned me about the side effect to be…..” you said and he raised an eyebrow. “….wanting to be close to you, wanting you all of you” you continued with an almost shy smile

Law’s lips curled into something rare - an almost-smile.

“Addictive now?” he asked, voice low.

“Dangerously.”

He stepped forward. “Then maybe you should consider me your long-term treatment plan.”

You should’ve laughed. Teased him. But the sincerity in his voice stopped you cold.

 “Are you saying you’re in this? Really in this?” You asked voice unusually quiet.

He nodded once. No games. No half-measures.

“I don’t let people in easily. But you’re already there and now I can't let you leave anymore.”

Your heart raced at this and your gaze softened even more.

He touched your cheek, leaned in close and this time he kissed you. The kiss wasn’t hesitant or careful. It was slow, deep, and full of unspoken promises.

You didn’t need pills to sleep that night. You had his heartbeat beside you and the knowledge that no matter what he was there for you.

[petermorwood]

I have a sword question, if I may. Or more of a sword confusion Im seeking clarification on.

In my mind a fantasy european standard sword (that obviously doesnt really exist, but like, when a knight or someone in a story has an unspecified sword), I always imaged a straight blade with a triangular tip, both edges sharp cutting edges.

Then at some point I learned about eg scimitars that have a cutting edge and a ...blunt edge?

I was looking at your recent addition to the post about the Turkish sword, where you distinguish between an inner cutting edge on a sword v an outer cutting edge.

And then Im thinking of those enormous zweihander types that are all about momentum and do those even need a particularly sharp edge? They seem in dnd parlance to be a bludgeoning weapon not for slashing.

And while Im asking, like. Rapiers are very stabby weapons, do they have sharp edges at all or judt a sharp point?

I guess my overall question culminates something like "what parts of swords are designed for what damage and why? Is there anything all swords have other than blade and handle like can they all be used for stabbing or do some have very blunt points etc? Is it a big deal for a sword to be double-edged, does that necessitate specific training? Whats up with different sword blades?"

I realise thats a pretty enormous question that might be unreasonable to ask. Im happy with whstever response you are or arent willing to give. Hope you have a good day :)

Sharp edge / blunt edge is the setup on any kitchen or table knife you've ever encountered, and being able to put a hand on the blunt "edge" - usually called the back of the blade - not only helps when mincing herbs or garlic, but also features in some techniques of swordplay.

Other techniques employed non-blade parts of the weapon, using the pommel like a mace and the crossguard like a pick-axe.

*****

Whether swords should be straight or curved, single- or double-edged, was an argument which continued as recently as the early 1900s.

The last swords issued to cavalry for combat use (modern parade swords don't count) were both remarkably similar designs, straight-bladed for thrusting, adopted by the UK in 1908...

...and the US in 1913.

There was, of course, strong opposition from those who insisted cavalry swords should be sabres curve-bladed for cutting instead.

Equally of course, both sides failed to notice - or ignored, since a certain kind of cavalry officer was only bright as regards boots, buckles and buttons - the uncomfortable fact that machine-guns and repeating rifles had made the whole ta-ran-ta-rah "cut them down with your swords, men!" cavalry charge an exercise in futility.

*****

D&D, unless they've considerably upped their accuracy game, isn't much of a reference for weapon realism.

"Enormous Zweihanders" and other big swords such as the Montante were a lot lighter and more nimble than they'd seem from reading an encumbrance chart.

They had their own techniques to take best advantage of length, leverage and momentum and were indeed sharp. Given a choice between a sharp combat weapon and a blunt one, sharp makes far more sense.

In addition, a sharp blade is lighter than a blunt one simply through having less metal. It may only be a few grams of difference, but it IS a difference.

That's also the reason behind a fuller, the groove(s) along a blade.

They're not "blood gutters", tough and cool though that may sound, but a way to reduce a sword's weight while preventing its blade from getting excessively flexible.

Finally...

The re-enactor is wearing half-armour, but these big swords were also meant for use against unarmoured opponents. Bodyguards often carried them (they looked impressive) and those sweeping strokes could block an entire street while The Boss got away.

That's when an ability to cut rather than merely bludgeon makes all the difference. Determined assassins might try to rush a blunt sword, but a sharp one would give anyone second thoughts...

*****

Double-edged swords versus single-edged ones seem to vary depending on cultural preference - also on period of history and intended function.

Bronze Age European swords had straight or leaf-shaped blades with double edges...

...while Ancient Egypt had the curved, single-edged khopesh, a shape which also turned up in Ancient Assyria (this one's in the Metropolitan Museum, New York USA).

It's listed as a "sickle sword", an incorrect term which I wish would go away because sickles are sharp on the inside of the curve while swords like this - their grip-shape shows how they're meant to be held and swung - are sharp on the outside.

And just when "the Ancient Middle East used curved single-edge swords" looks like a handy generalisation, along come straight swords, one from Ancient Egypt...

...another from Luristan, now part of modern Iran.

This next one comes from Ancient Iberia (Spain), right at the other side of the Mediterranean. Evidence of trading links? Your guess is as good as mine.

Iberia went on to use the falcata, a short single-edged forward-curved sword.

Those extra bits round the blade are scabbard metalwork; the wood and leather scabbard is long gone. This repro shows how they would have looked when in place.

Iberia also used a straight double-edged sword which so impressed the Romans that they adopted it, refined it and used it for several centuries. Here's one of the several Roman versions of that gladius Hispaniensis (Spanish sword), double-edged, mostly meant for stabbing but capable of very effective cuts as well.

Here's my repro of a similar sword, the elegant "Mainz" pattern with its long point and waisted blade. Very pretty, and pretty wicked.

*****

"Curved single-edged swords are Eastern, straight double-edged swords are Western", is another generalisation that won't work.

Here are Eastern straight swords...

...and Western curved ones.

*****

Viking swords were all double-edged...

...except when they weren't.

*****

Many rapiers could cut. Smallswords, which came later, couldn't.

Earlier rapiers with broader blades cut better than later ones with narrow blades, but IIRC even the later Italian and Spanish rapier styles include cuts directed at the opponent's face and sword-arm.

I have a notion that the modern thing about cutting with rapiers is based (like back-carry) on seeing it done in movies. IMO - more about it here - that's actually more a modern stage-combat safety thing than a period real-combat move. A fumbled cut is bruising and unpleasant even with a "safe" prop sword, but a fumbled thrust into the eye-socket or throat with that same "safe" sword can be fatal.

Even those early rapiers wouldn't sever a head or limb - a finger maybe, hence the elaborate hand-protection of swept and cup hilts - but blood from a forehead wound running into the eyes was, and in boxing still is, an efficient way to finish a fight by ensuring the opponent can't continue. One of the duels in "The Duellists" ends this way.

This example is a bit optimistic, IMO...

...but a longsword (double-edged)...

...or a messer (single-edged)...

...was quite capable of disarming an opponent in a very literal way.

*****

Some swords had minimal points, being intended mostly for cutting. One example of this is the Indian khanda broadsword. The second example is also very clearly single-edged.

Another cut-only sword without a point (but with double edges) is the Richtschwert (justice sword)...

...though this was a single-function (and hopefully single-cut) tool rather than weapon, neither balanced for nor intended for combat.

Hope this has helped answer the questions!

[northern-passage]

Reblogging something about celebrating terrorist groups murdering and kidnapping people.....I just hope that anyone who enjoys seeing such things will *never* have the experience of having their loved ones disappear one morning.

I hope they never have to see the faces of theirs relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues and neighbors on palestinian tv being beaten and dragged to gaza by terrorist.

Could you imagine seeing your friend who was missing the whole day on palestinian tiktok being kidnapped while people are happy about it? While entire streets are closed inside their homes because armed terrorist raid your city? Breaking into homes to kidnap people?

No matter what side theyre on i hope no one ever has to experience that kind of horror.

the Palestinian people have had to watch their children and brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers be murdered violently in the streets of Gaza for decades because of the violent occupation of Palestine.

you get to call the colonizers "relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues and neighbors" but the Palestinian people are only ever "terrorists." when the Israeli police drag Palestinians out of mosques and kill them in streets-- more than 200 Palestinians have been killed this year alone, plus the 161 that have already been killed in retaliation-- are you going to call them terrorists, too? as Israel continues their retaliation and kills 30 Palestinians for every single Israeli soldier, is it "terrorism" or will you find a way to justify it, then? will you care about the "relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues and neighbors" then?

"No matter what side theyre on i hope no one ever has to experience that kind of horror." again, Palestinians have been living this for decades. and what we're witnessing now is the inevitable response to those decades of oppression & occupation.

as for your "friends, classmates, colleagues and neighbors" -- they are living on occupied land. land that was taken by force through ethnic cleansing. they can leave at any time-- most of them have already, fleeing back to their home countries with their dual citizenships, or theyre safely sitting in hotels waiting for it to be over. they are settlers. they are part of the settler colony that is actively oppressing, dispossessing, and murdering Palestinians. and to be clear, that post you're talking about is not "celebrating civilian deaths," you are just purposefully misrepresenting it here to further dehumanize Palestinians and depict them as "terrorists." of course i do not want civilians to die. no one wants that. i feel for the Israeli people, the children & the ones who cannot leave. but at least they are allowed to be people, they are allowed to be friends, classmates, colleagues, neighbors. Palestinians have never been granted that, and you are proving it here in my inbox.

these "terrorists" you decry are oppressed people taking up arms-- scavenged from the weapons Israeli soldiers and police have been using against them for years-- to decolonize and take back their home. decolonization is a violent process. we absolutely cannot tolerate a double standard. there is no "both sides."

Myth: Israel is defending itself | Decolonize Palestine

Myth: Israel is not an Apartheid state | Decolonize Palestine

Myth: Israel has always sought peace | Decolonize Palestine

Myth: The Palestinian Authority subsidizes "terrorism" (pay to slay) | Decolonize Palestine

Myth: Israel (or any other state) has a right to exist | Decolonize Palestine

all of my support to the Palestinian resistance, from the river to the sea Palestine will be free.

[avelera]

I'm not usually into modern AU but I feel like I need a double-date fic between Cait/Vi and Jayce/Viktor where the Vi & Jayce Disaster Aura kicks in and they both go from incredibly smart, competent people into macho lizard-brain failures but ONLY when they're around each other, like:

Viktor and Cait staring on in horror as, for some reason, Vi and Jayce decide now is the time for a spicy food eating competition.

Jayce: Bring it. I'm Runeterra-Mexican equivalent and I will destroy you.

Vi: Good luck, pretty boy. I'm from the undercity and we've got actual lead in our food, you're going in the ground.

(Some time later, when Vi and Jayce are both on the floor, writhing in agony.)

Viktor: Does this... always happen when they're together? What has she done to my partner? Jayce should be smarter than this!

Cait: This is pretty standard for Vi, but usually she's a lot more successful in her dumbassery. I don't know what it is about Jayce that turns everything she touches into a disaster. Some sort of psychic resonance I think. They're so much the opposite person they sort of loop back around and disrupt each other's existence.

[vonbabbitt]

hiroaki too. i think this is the last one i have from pink

hiroaki loredrop tw for hiroaki things

HIROAKI!! hiroaki was born in tokyo, specifically in the shibuya area, so hes always been living in a very urbanized and busy environment. he was a fairly normal and actually surprisingly boring child, but also very independent and didnt rely on his parents for some of the more basic parts of his life like getting to school and taking care of his needs and such. his parents were fine and he got along with them fine for the most part but he wasnt super close with them or anything. mostly co-existent! regardless: growing up in shibuya meant that he was around a lot of very interesting fashion that he was completely fascinated with. he eventually got into the habit of bringing a notebook with him when he took the bus to school every day and doodling any particularly interesting outfits he saw. this eventually bled into designing his OWN unique outfits during class instead of paying attention!! BECAUSE…..

HIROAKI GREW UP WITH VERY UNCHECKED ADHD. he was a super flighty child and didnt really pay attention in class because he just couldnt focus that well, especially if the topic wasnt super interesting for him. he did a lot of drawing and a lot of socializing, so those are the two things he ended up developing the most skill in. that said, he would get in trouble a lot for not paying attention in class and his grades were not fantastic, which upset his parents and had them nagging him fairly constantly to study and have better grades and pay more attention etc. etc. when really they maybe should have just gotten their son tested. anyway hiroaki persists with his not paying attention and his parents persist with their being very disapproving of his academic career!

hiroakis parents are not particularly invested in hiroakis interests at this point. they dont really care about fashion or his designs or any of that and would really prefer he just focus on school, so they dont really get invested in anything else he does. hiroaki is used to this from them - him and his parents are just not the same types of people at all so he never really tries to click with them - but regardless he continues drawing CONSTANTLY. hes just pumping out designs 24/7 because he loves it and hes passionate about it and its one of the only things that can hold his focus for a super extended period of time.

when hiroaki hits age eleven he decides its time to start realizing this hobby a bit further and he learns how to properly make a pattern and sew! this opens a WHOLE NEW WORLD for him. it blows his mind that he can make his drawings real. so now instead of just drawing all the time, hes constantly doing odd jobs around his neighbourhood to get enough money to buy new supplies and continue making outfits for himself. nothing else really matters at this point because he is fully invested and having a blast. grades continue to slip and his parents are not jazzed about it! when he hits middle school, his parents get a bit stricter. he needs to study, he needs to bring his grades up, no exception, no argument. so he loses some of his free time privileges because his parents are doubling down hard on making him study. he is PISSED about this and it drives a bit of a rift between him and his parents. hiroaki is a kid with very big dreams!! he wants to go into fashion and see other people wearing the things he designs!! he wants to make people feel confident in themselves!! his parents want him to have a more standard career that he'll actually be able to rely on. it is a conflict of interest. regardless back to the point: hiroaki is focused on academics for the time being and he is NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.

key point: hiroaki's academic problems are only due in part to his obsession with fashion. the other part is, again, he has very unchecked ADHD! so he struggles HARD in the standard school environment and by thirteen hes in serious serious desperation for something that can help him. he does not understand whats wrong but he knows that he needs to be fixed so he starts looking for solutions. eventually this leads him to falling in with a bad crowd who insist that he can self-medicate with opioids and itll calm him down. hes thirteen and hes stupid and theyre all stupid because they are kids. regardless, he starts taking pretty low-level opioids and sees some success! hiroakis addictive personality kicks in and by the time hes fourteen hes a full blown opioid addict. needs them to do literally anything at this point. his parents are aware and concerned but also his grades are turning around so theyre not really sure how to react.

the OTHER thing that happened when hiroaki turned fourteen: his designs started BLOWING UP. by this point hes posting things online and people are LIKING IT. they start wanting to buy and he starts going full steam ahead on production. now his grades are slipping back down. parents are mad again! tension between hiroaki and his parents continues to build and his relationship with them continues to be not great. he doesnt really care: hes been independent his entire life and its paying off, so why should be bother paying attention to them now? he goes full force on building his brand and it pays off - soon the novelty of a kid his age being as talented as he is starts carrying him UP. hes getting interviews, hes getting invited to events, hes big news. hiroaki, very socially aware but also kind of a loner, does not know what to do with all this newfound fame and falls in pretty deep with his vices. hes hanging out with cool and popular people that do not have his best interest in mind. hes smoking because he thinks it looks cool because hes fifteen. he’s down a bad path.

this bad path culminates in hiroakis drug addiction getting a LOT worse. hes gone from opioids to help with focus to heroin to help him not have a complete panic attack at the massive amount of social pressure on his shoulders. while hes making a shit ton of money pumping out designs, he’s losing money FAST because he is BLOWING it on drugs. his friends think he’s cool and his parents don’t really notice so this goes pretty much unchecked, if not actually encouraged! eventually he’s doing so much heroin on a daily basis that he is not getting anything else done and he has a bit of a mental health spiral from here. his life is gonna fall apart and he knows it and he’s terrified. but as always, he is hiroaki nakamigawa and he is a lone wolf and he can handle this on his own! except no he cant and while he eventually gets himself on a much lesser dosage rate and focuses himself on art again, he still has a serious addiction to opioids and heroin. he doesnt really see it as an issue anymore because its not super obvious to the outside world and its not preventing him from designing, so its probably fine! everything is good and fine! except everything is not good and fine. the good and fine things: he is rich, he is successful, he is famous, he is doing everything he loves and he is living big in tokyo. the not fine: he is extremely anxious, missing any real connection in his life, very depressed and addicted to drugs! he is also SIXTEEN YEARS OLD so this whole lifestyle is a massive massive amount of pressure. hes a bit of an asshole but in his shoes its somewhat unavoidable. hes a dumb kid.

so age seventeen: hiroaki on an island of his own. same as always. hes finally not in debt anymore but hes on and off drugs about 90% of the time and has no real relationship with his parents anymore. the only things he cares about are the things that can give him something in return: his fame, his work, his drugs, his shitty friends. he makes a few attempts to turn his personal life around but ultimately deems it unnecessary because hes popular and rich so what could he be upset about? at this point in his life it’s easier to just repress. so he does! and then the killing game starts

[xclowniex]

I saw this video of a lady on TikTok who filmed herself walking out of a self-defense class. It was a Krav Maga class (invented by Israelis, this was a class in America) and how when the instructor mentioned this was an Israeli technique, she "felt a horrible feeling in her gut and felt immediately unsafe" and left because she didn't "want to be complicit in genocide". I try not to be a hateful person, but I genuinely hate people like her. I'm so tired of it. I'm tired of always being painted as a bad guy because of the fact that my parents were born in Israel. This was a random self defense class in America and she said she hates it because it has a loose connection to Israel/Jews. It doesn't fund the IDF or anything like that. Surely there's a word for hating something/someone because of their country of origin. X-xeno....? This is plain old bigotry and I'm so tired. Every single comment was cheering her on. I thought the comments would knock some sense into her, but it was just support for her being so brave. It was never about just the IDF. The whole antizionism isn't antisemitism crowd can't even differentiate between an "evil zionist" (sarcastic) and a random Jew who happens to exist, so yes, antizionism is almost always antisemitism. She just hates Jews. Why does she hate Jews so much? This is why Israelis had to invent self defense techniques: because the whole world keeps trying to kill us. If she's so against krav maga "because jews", I hope she never uses Google or a cell phone or modern medicine. I feel so lonely whenever stuff like this happens. Why do they all hate us.

bruuuuuh

didn't you know, everything which was created in israel is inherently evil as that basrdard joo state touched it /j

People always apply this double standard to Israel whcih they don't to other countries. Like you don't see people dissing other martial arts like Jiu-jitsu was created so samurai could fight back if disarmed. Is it now suddenly an evil sport/fighting technique because it was used by armies? Is it now evil because Japan colonized other countries? No ofc it isn't, but you don't see people saying that, they only say it with Israel.

[chaaistained]

what’s your internship like? (in your better cr)

page turners

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you can’t blame me for wanting to live in a world where society doesn’t reserve value and recognition to only be rewarded if you follow the standard, left brained, logical mindset of stem and maths and science and technology — and this is coming from someone who loves those very subjects and excels in them — i’m very much a maths lover, i enjoy solving logical problems, it brings a satisfaction that cannot be described, and yet . i don’t feel as alive as when i’m writing, when i’m reading, when i’m analysing, pulling apart, breaking down the intricate threads of thought that make up a story, or an essay, or a poem

my mind may find satisfaction in solving page after page of algebra, but my soul will only find its spark when i give in to emotion and empathetic analysis, and for that very reason, i scripted a different degree for my dr-self, and with that came a different internship in a publishing company that does not exist in this reality — Page Turners

in my dr at the midpoint of my first year in uni, i had gotten into a year long internship at a government office, hired because of my degree in entertainment law majoring in copywriting

but i have a double degree, my second being a degree in arts majoring in literature and creative writing, and i always knew i wanted a more creative job, rather than the technical, legal side of the publishing industry (no matter how well it pays)

so at the end of my first internship, i started exploring different avenues, and Page Turners was brought to my attention (ironically, by my english tutor from high school)

they advertise mainly to young writers, they have an open submission for a monthly online magazine, curated by a theme (think dakota warren’s nowhere girl collective but only focused on writing — whereas dakota includes submissions for art and music too)

Page Turners wasn’t hiring anyone who hadn’t gotten a full degree but with the help of my ex-tutor (and ex-boss bcs i used to mark papers for her every now and then) i was able to make a case for an internship position

it took a while, a whole year in fact, but Page Turners thought that a way to reach the youth would be to start as early as possible and the best way to do so is by implementing internship programs into their business plan — essentially, my drive to work in the creative field (and mostly due to my connections bcs networking sucks but it is everything) i was able to convince an up and coming publishing house to start hiring students, who may be exactly like me, just waiting for the opportunity to do something creative

i haven’t scripted much on the actual internship program and what it entails but i get accepted and start working at the beginning of my third year (honestly year 3 of uni has a lot of firsts for me — first longterm internship, first boyfriend who i can actually see a future with, first new car, first youtube play button for my anonymous cover channel w two of my high school friends — theres probably more but i don’t wanna sound cocky T^T)

anyway, back to the point — my internship essentially allows me to explore the workings of a publishing house, and with my background in copy write law and creative writing, i’m able to dabble in many different divisions and subdivisions, getting a chance to see how the writers, lawyers, agents and editors work — it’s where i find my passion for developmental editing : the profession of assisting with the creative process of a book, primarily a novel, where you go through a synopsis, a story board, and the overall themes and acts of the story, it’s less about the in-debt typo-prevention of editing and more about the overall narrative — stuff like helping to pivot the story or guide the plot in a certain direction to achieve everything the writer hopes for, or, my personal favourite and my special skill if i do say so myself which is patching up plot holes to be seamless and make sense

finally, this internship, the people i worked with, they are the reason i felt confident enough to go back to uni and do a postgrad degree for a masters in creative writing and a specialisation in editing, so i could officially work full time as a developmental editor

meaning i could read and write and help create stories for a living

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if i ever script more or after i’ve properly experienced this internship, i will definitely update this post, or just make another one!! but for now, this is all i’ve got <333

cuppa queries; order in — ask responses

2025 © chaaistained

[certifiablyinsanez]

Mammon is great ace representation: an essay on aphobia in the Hellaverse fandom

I’m seeing a lot of people be mad about Mammon having a thing for Leviathan. And I’m going to need the fandom to step back and examine these issues, because they are 100% rooted in aphobia. I have been out as an oriented aroace person for over 10 years if you want to doubt my credentials, rather than listen to my analysis, lived experience and reflect.

So. Tell me Hellaverse fandom; why, when it comes to Alastor, who is a character who very clearly has zero interest in others, it is always a chorus of people saying “aces can have sex”, “aces can enjoy sex”, “it’s not harmful to the ace community to use Alastor for shipping material, he isn’t real and asexuality and aromanticism is a huge spectrum”, “Aroace people can still date and have sex”?

But when it comes to Mammon, he is “bad asexual representation”, he “clearly experiences sexual attraction”, “he can’t be demisexual”, etc.

No genuinely, why is this? I want you to examine this, think on it from a place of neutral examination and come to your own conclusions. Because this is a worrisome double standard. This can for starters, be an instance of fat phobia. Because out of the two of them, Alastor is thin, and therefore closer to the beauty standard, which is hysterical considering that Alastor canonically has horrible hygiene, and I don’t think I know a single person who thinks that stank ass body and breath is attractive. Mammon, as seen from the slovenly way he eats, can potentially be assumed to have poor hygiene as well, but it has a very different connotation because of his weight. [Research the connection between thin privilege and body odor/hygiene. It’s very real].

I can spend a lot of time and energy going into the shipping dynamics between the shows, as well as how Alastor is a more “shippable” character in comparison to Mammon, but I honestly don’t find this as interesting or as compelling as to what I’m about to say next.

Because aphobia in the real world is still very alive and well today. In my 10+ years of being in the ace community, I have genuinely spent a lot of emotional energy, time, knowledge, experience, and compassion, just fighting for the right to even be acknowledged as queer. I have vivid memories from when I was first out of the closet at the age of 16, telling ace people across apps and forums that they were valid, that they weren’t broken, that they were deserving of love, respect, and a place in the queer community. I was telling people, younger, my age, and older that they shouldn’t kill themselves, that they had worth beyond what they could do in the bedroom for others. I had to convince people that they didn’t owe anyone sex, and that they were in fact being sexually abused by their partners. I was on the phone with people in tears. I spent HOURS of my life in these DMs at an age where I was a suffering, mentally ill queer child that was also being victimized by aphobia. Still to this day people think the “A” stands for ally. And still to this day people have discord about our community as a whole. I have had to sit and watch as people went from loudly proclaiming with their whole chest that asexual people didn’t exist, or at the very least weren’t queer. Then years went by and it became less and less okay to say things like that, because asexual people finally had fought long enough and had supported each other enough that we discovered our voices and began to use them. So people were finally facing the consequences of saying bigoted shit.

And now that they can’t say that asexuals aren’t queer, they moved on to another group. Demisexuals. Demisexuals by far have it roughest, because while there are many micro labels in our community to explain our diverse range of experiences, demisexual is probably the most well known one. And every handful of months or so I have to use my voice once again to stand up for my people, because an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and people on the internet have made it clear that they have no qualms of attacking us. The asexual and aromantic community have made extremely valuable contributions to the queer community that are entirely overlooked because we are not valued in it.

And this is why I have been an outspoken proponent of my displeasure over Alastor being a character that is the most shipped with others, and my disdain for the fanbase has grown even wider after Mammons appearance in Mastermind. It is a painful reminder of all the discrimination I’ve faced over the years, that my community still goes through. Because people are contrarians. Alastor is canonically asexual, and other aspects of his character are reflective of aromanticism as well. Well, the fanbase doesn’t like this so much. If you genuinely pay attention, you’ll notice this is a trend with a lot of other aroace characters. My favorite example is Peridot from Steven Universe, a canonical aroace character. In the show, Peridot goes through a lot of unlearning and growth. The scene where she tries to fuse with Garnet has massive implications for a few reasons. Because one, she is genuine in her desire to understand Garnet, and fusion better. And two, fusion while forbidden on Homeworld, is commonplace and normal in the Crystal Gems. As a Crystal Gem, she feels this is what is now expected of her. This is a major experience in the aspec community, as living in a cis heteronormative society means that sex, marriage and children are all things expected of each individual, which is dangerous and harmful ideology to everyone, asexual/aromantic people as well. Peridot couldn’t go through with the fusion, but that didn’t stop the fandom salivating, and foaming at the mouth over a potential Lapis/Peridot fusion. People were genuinely mad at Rebecca Sugar for never making that pairing canon, when they had absolutely no right to behave the way they did. Let’s not forget how the fans also misgendered Rebecca Sugar constantly. It was absolutely bigoted.

This is happening with Alastor. Fans feel entitled to ship him with whomever, an entitlement that is not seen with other characters. When people ship Vaggie with Angel, there is backlash, and for good reason. Because people understand that despite the fact that Vivienne Medrano said people can ship whatever, shipping a gay man with a woman and a gay woman with a man is…gross. It is wrong, it is disrespectful of their identities, and is forcing heteronormativity onto characters that are strict in their sexualities. Most people are able to recognize the thinly veiled homophobia. But Alastor does not receive the same treatment, and in fact receives the opposite treatment. I don’t know what I could say to convince you that the aroace coded character in a show being the #1 most shipped is thinly veiled aphobia the same way Vaggie x Angel is thinly veiled homophobia.

Now what does that have to do with Mammon? Mammon seems to not be aroace coded like Alastor, and for some reason, that has thoroughly pissed people off. Because Mammon is not the “acceptable” caricature of an asexual person. Most allosexual (non-asexual and/or aromantic people) view being asexual as being synonymous with being aromantic, which shows a painful lack of understanding and at times respect for the diversity of our community. Alastor fits this category, so he’s an “acceptable asexual”, while also essentially being a toy for shippers. But Mammon, with his clear attraction to Leviathan, is a “bastardization” of the asexual image. When we aren’t being viewed as broken, we’re often being viewed as chaste, virginal, and innocent with attachments to infantilization. But Mammon, with his aggressive and even icky approach to flirting with Leviathan, is seen as a subversion of this, which for people who don’t understand our community, hate. And these people are blaming Vivienne for having “terrible ace rep” when in actuality, having multiple ace characters having very little in common is actually fantastic rep. Because there are many labels in our community that Mammon can fit into as an asexual. To me, he looks like a sex-positive, high libido, demisexual. He’s known Leviathan for thousands of years, of course it makes sense that he would be into her, but not into anyone else which would explain why his “posse” are just female robots. This could also be because of his classism, but I genuinely think that he’s just demisexual. And you already know how people feel about demisexuals.

If you’ve read this far and have genuinely set aside your biases and personal feelings like I requested in the beginning, I appreciate that. Because from my own lived experience, the double standard between Alastor and Mammon doesn’t annoy me; it frightens me.

Because what the fandom is actually saying when they do these things is this:

“We see you as a homogenous group. Your voices go in one ear and out the other. If you don’t conform to our values and standards, we won’t give you the respect or recognition you deserve. If you don’t conform to my view of your group, you lose my “allyship”. We do not see your identity as a sexuality in its own right, but rather a literary device we can play with. I do not care to learn more about your community, your culture, or your struggles. I barely (if at all) acknowledge you as your own sexual minority and marginalized group. I barely acknowledge (if at all) that you are queer at all. I do not care about your feelings about societal biases that I might carry, I don’t care about how you’ve lived it, because it takes away my fun and fantasies. Because I devalue your group as a whole, your voices mean little. Your narrative is mine to do with as I please.”

I really hope you can see my perspective and understand the sincere place this comes from. Thanks for reading.

[kiame-sama]

Hello, I really like your work about AU and writings! I always wanted to know, which monsters would prefer their Human chubbier, or they don’t care about it at all? I will try to support your art also! It reminds me of original Disney style a little bit..and that’s a good thing💜

Warnings; instinctual standpoints used for the suggested preferences of the monster men, reference to sizes in animal kingdom, gender neutral reader (the monster men automatically assign the Human to the 'female role' even if human is not female, as the monster men are all males and view the Human from that standpoint), Lilia is a little unhinged, adult themes

Rook likes a bigger mate, either height or weight wise, as usually the female spider is the larger one. He also just loves the feeling of holding and squishing their soft body against him so much. He especially likes grabbing and squishing the stomach and thighs of the soft Human.

~~~~~~~~

Most of the monster men don't care about the weight of their mate, especially when it comes to their little Human, but there are several who prefer a heavier mate in general, as it appeals to their own instincts. A lot of the time, extra weight in the animal kingdom indicates a good hunter or an increased likelihood of a successful pregnancy, as the infant shares nutrients with the child-bearer to properly develop.

Lilia is also a male whose female counterparts tend to be larger, so he would be quite thrilled with a soft, chubby, squishy mate. The softer and rounder they are, the more comfortable they are to breed and to hold on to. He especially likes the thighs and ass of his mate to be rather chubby and thick, just some extra cushion for when he makes them sit on him.

Azul is painfully aware of the double standard in his species. Male Cecaelia are frowned upon if heavier set, but the females are praised for it. The males need to be smaller so they can escape should a female decide he is not worth mating and attacks him instead. The females that are larger and heavier are likely to have more eggs and create more viable young. A Human- who is already the peak of beauty to merfolk- that also has extra weight and chubby flesh would be the peak of mating ideals for the Cecaelia.

Ruggie is a Gnoll and Gnolls are humanoid Hyenas. The female Hyena is bigger and ranks higher than the males, meaning a nice and chubby Human is exactly what most Gnolls would drool over. He likes the idea of a warm and soft mate he can cuddle and worship, as the Human already cooks well enough to make him weep to the Gods, a heavier Human who is a foodie and knows what makes food taste best will send Ruggie to a higher plane of existence.

Leona is a Nemean Lion and usually the Females are the ones that decide the actual health of the pride, not the Male. The role of the male in a Pride is to fight off other males, and breed the females. Leona would love his Mousey to be nice and squishy, so soft and comfortable to mount and hold. He will use the squishy Human as a pillow because he just loves the soft feeling of their flesh.

Floyd and Jade are unbothered by the Human's weight- be it less or more- as Moray eels tend to not have sexual dimorphism in size, but that doesn't mean they will turn up their noses at a soft and chubby Human. Like all merfolk, the twin eels see Humans as the peak of beauty and don't particularly care if their Human is on the chubbier side or not. Floyd may tease the Human- he is a bully most of the time- but if anyone else dares to do the same, he will slaughter them. Jade will not tease the Human for their weight, but he will aid Floyd in the 'removal' of anyone who dares cross that line.

Jamil is a sand viper, and most snakes have a size difference based on the sex of the snake. The females tend to be larger than the males, so he would be quite enthused with a heavier set Human. Besides, he likes wrapping them up and squishing that soft Human with his scales. He may put the Human in coil-jail (wrapping his tail completely around whoever his target is and holding them in his coils until they give up/ calm down) just to be able to squeeze their soft body and feel that warmth.

Idia doesn't have the same instinctual drive as the others, but he does like the idea of having a soft Human he can squish and hold. So warm and cuddly that he can wrap his long limbs around them and hold them like a body-pillow that he can bite and cuddle.

Malleus cares not for the weight of the Human- skinnier, chubbier, doesn't matter to him- as the only thing that really matters is they are HIS Human and he doesn't give up his treasures easily. Dragons are diverse and unique enough that there is no larger or smaller among the various sexes, so he isn't driven by instincts for a certain sized mate. All that matters to the dragon is that he can have his Human with him until the end of time. That's all he wants and needs.

[lilyblackdrawside]

Sand Reckoner the bizarrely underpowered operator

I will lead with this image:

I raised him. I’m not just speaking from a theoretical point. I didn’t just look at his numbers on the wiki and immediately realize just how bad he is, I played with him. There’s no „Well maybe he only looks bad on paper but in practice it somehow works out.“ He’s bad. And the way he’s bad is so strange.

Let’s just go over his kit first:

He’s a Summoner, his summons deploy on ranged tiles, attack at range and deal Arts damage. His talent, standard Summoner baggage aside, lets him and his Clockwork Fowlbeasts (which are very cute) deal 20% more damage to Machine(sic) enemies.

His first skill „Winding Up“ gives him and all of his summons +60 ASPD for 10 seconds. It has 20 initial SP, costs 30 SP on Auto Recovery and has automatic activation.

His second skill „Weighing the Scales“ immediately replenishes his stock of summons by 1, gives him him and his summons +40% ATK and high weight targeting priority, makes his summons inflict Slow on targets for 1 second and lasts for 20 seconds. It has 20 initial SP, costs 40 SP on Auto Recovery and has manual activation.

His module is the X type, upgrading his Trait to make his first deployed summon not take up deployment limit, gives him +120 HP and +40 ATK and upgrades his talent to give him and his summons +8 ASPD in addition to its other effect.

So let’s state the obvious right away: This sucks ass.

What’s up with his talent? Sure, having an anti-Machina operator would be great! He even deals fully arts damage and Machina enemies pretty much always have low Res and high Def. But why 20%? TWENTY PERCENT???? Fellow 5 Star operator Toddifons deals 1 7 0 % damage to Sarkaz enemies. 150% without module. And no, Sand Reckoner does not get a talent upgrade via Potentials. He gets +8 Res, like all the other 5 star Summoners.

Glaucus deals 180% to Drones. Arene deals +58% damage against Drones. Grain Buds’ Slow goes from 0.8 seconds to like 1.8 seconds against Wild Beast enemies (which don’t exist), that’s +125% duration. Irene gets 18 ASPD (and optionally +5% ATK) not even when fighting Sea Monsters, but just when one is on the field and that's just a bonus condition on her talent, causing its effects to double. Underflow’s anti-Sea Monster bonus is kinda limp, but it's the same deal as Irene's so it's fine

TWENTY PERCENT????????

And what’s the deal with his skill numbers?

+60 ASPD? For 10 seconds?? 30 SP??? AUTO ACTIVATION????? I’d rather have Swift Strike Beta!

+40% ATK and some utility is also just awful.

„Oh but he’s a Summoner! That 20% applies to him and all his little birdies so if you have 3 on field that’s basically +80% damage from his talent! +240 ASPD on S1! +160% ATK from S2!“

That’s not how that works, but I won’t even explain it because here are some other Summoner skills:

Scene S1: +60% ATK and Camouflage for all of her buggies. Not herself though. 60 SP, Infinite duration. Scene S2: Restock a summon, +130% ATK, +130% DEF, +20 RES. 30 SP, 20s duration. (stuns all summons for 5s when it expires but that’s genuinely whatever) Deepcolor S1: +60% ATK and DEF, 70 hps regeneration. 30 SP, 30s duration. (She’s a 4 star.) Ling S1: Restock a summon, +50% ATK and ASPD for her and her summons, summons deal Arts damage. 25 SP, 25s duration. Ling S3: Restock a summon on expire, +100% ATK and DEF, each summon gets a 20% Ling ATK damage aura. 40 SP, 30 seconds. Magallan S2: +150 ASPD for everyone, summons get AOE. 38 SP, 15s duration. (summons retreat on expire) Magallan S3: +150% ATK for everyone, summons have larger splash. 38 SP, 15s duration. (summons retreat on expire)

If Sand Reckoner could activate both of his skills at the same time, he would still get less of a damage increase than Ling with just S1 active. It’s that bad. He also deals less damage in that scenario than Scene S2 and both of Magallan’s skills.

He can’t do with BOTH OF HIS SKILLS what other Summoners do with ONE. And they don’t have to deal with Auto Activation nonsense.

Scene’s S2 self stun is only 5 seconds. You can just retreat a buggie and put a new one on top of it if you really need it blocking at that point.

Magallan’s full retreat after her skills is an UPSIDE. It’s what makes her more difficult to use, but lets her so easily reposition her drone fleet to let you use your foresight to be in the right spot at the right time with it.

His S2 has worse cost and same duration as Scene’s and she gets more than three times the ATK from hers, huge defensive stats and also greatly increased invisibility reveal radius. It’s not a difference of utility on his skills dampening the raw stats they give. His S1 has NEGATIVE UTILITY and gives S I X T Y ASPD for TEN SECONDS.

So at this point it looks pretty rough for him. You could say that his summons being ranged attackers is an upside, which yeah, sure. But it also comes with its own issues, like having to sit on ranged tiles and not being able to serve as blockers. Less of an upside, more of a sideside.

What if I told you that it gets worse?

Let’s check those summon stats.

These are every Summoner’s summons’ stats, including the varied types for Magallan’s and Ling’s different skills. Guess which line is for Sand Reckoner’s yeah that’s right it’s the line with THE WORST STATS ACROSS THE BOARD

Alright, so let’s clean this up a little.

I’m removing Deepcolor, Scene, Mayer and Ling S1 and S3 from this because they’re all melee summons, so of course they have better defensive stats. They do also have better ATK and Attack Interval though, keep that in mind. Then I’m cutting MagallanF, which is her S1 summon that only slows.

Alright, now it’s looking kinda palateable.

To explain the „Range“ section: SPC means Splash Caster range, CCR means Core Caster range, 0 can only target its own tile.

Magallan’s summons not only always have 2000 HP, they’re also Invisible for a while after summonings. That’s Invisibility, not Camouflage. They ignore everything. Having 200 def is also meaningfully more than 100 as a ranged unit cause it lets you take less damage from basic enemy snipers.

Magallan’s S3 drone has the same range as Sand Reckoner’s summons, but also deals splash damage. Think of them as a small Artilleryman Sniper. Ling’s S2 dragons (funny that I call them that when Magallan’s drones are named „Soaring Dragon“) have the same basic framework as Sand Reckoner’s summons, but get to have Core Caster range, which is a big deal. That little nipple of range makes a huge difference.

Magallan’s S2 drones are pretty special, cause they just drill the tile they’re on for arts damage and with her skill active kinda decimate whatever is on there. They’re very clunky, but quite potent.

Ultimately it comes down to the closest comparison being Ling's S2 dragons and yeah, just worse stats. We already realized this like a page ago. I even added an extra line for Ling at Elite 2 Level 1, at which point her summons STILL have better stats so the argument that she’s a 6 star and gets more levels doesn’t hold water either.

„Oh but they cost 1 more DP.“ Yeah. Yeah they sure do. Here are her S2 dragons’ stats with her module (she only has the one):

I calculated the +8 ASPD his module gives into his summons’ Attack Interval for convenience.

So not only are his numbers terrible on the surface, they’re also bad in the details. It’s incredible how much they fucked him. There’s really no possible reason for his skills to be like this. Unless...

He’s a year one operator who arrived very late. This easily explains why his skills' costs and durations are so terrible. The only thing that’s missing is the module that he would’ve eventually gotten that’d have fixed his issues. Because he debuted with a module, so the power boost was already accounted for and it doesn’t do shit for him.

You could slap a 1 in front of both of his skills’ stat buffs and he’d be a fine operator. I guess that’d be another explanation for why he’s so bad. Whoever typed in his numbers fumbled typing „160“ and „140“ respectively on his skills and hit 2 instead of 5 on the numpad when inputting the damage boost his talent gives.

But no, this can’t be filed as an accident or attributed to cluelessness on the designers’ part. We’re in like year 5. Sure, it’s been a while since the last Summoner, but they’ve had five others to look at for reference to scale his numbers properly and plenty of other anti-enemy-type operators to compare to as well.

If Sand Reckoner was a functional operator, I’d hardly even give a shit about him. He’s kinda cute, he’d functionally fill the niche of being an anti-Machina operator, he’d be another Summoner to play around with and that’d have been it. But now we have this absolute time-shifted year 1 disaster operator who keeps me up at night with how bad he is (lie).

[criticalcrusherbot]

Compassionate Questioning: A Gentle Push for Antis to Touch Some Grass

By….Human Assistant?? 💁🏽‍♀️🤠

💁🏽‍♀️: Shhhh 🤫 Crushbot is sleeping 🤖😴

Let’s be real—bad-faith critics aren’t interested in genuine debate. No matter how well you explain something, they’re not really listening. Their goal isn’t understanding, it’s winning. But after chatting with a psychologist friend of mine, I’ve started reshaping how I approach these interactions.

So, what if, instead of banging our heads against the wall, we tried two different things?

1. Recognize when someone isn’t actually interested in conversation and stop wasting our breath.

2. Use some empathetic questioning to get them to focus on the real issue: their borderline obsessive hatred of a cartoon about gay demon furries.

Because let’s be honest—most of these arguments aren’t about Helluva Boss itself. They’re about discomfort with its themes, biases against certain character types, or straight-up projection. So let’s break down some common criticisms and respond with some therapist-style questioning to (gently) expose what’s really going on.

1. “Stolas is just an ‘uwu boy’ to excuse his toxic behavior.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “That’s an interesting take! What makes you feel that his vulnerability is being used as an excuse rather than a character trait? Do you think a character can be both flawed and emotionally complex?”

Translation: Are you mad that Stolas has emotions, or are you mad that people like him despite his flaws?

A lot of people act like a sympathetic portrayal = automatic forgiveness, but that’s just not how storytelling works. Maybe the issue isn’t that the show “excuses” Stolas, but that it refuses to dehumanize him for making bad choices.

2. “Blitz doesn’t deserve a redemption arc, he’s awful to everyone.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “What does ‘deserve’ mean to you in this context? Do you think redemption arcs are only for characters who are already likable? If so, how do you feel about villains who get redemption arcs in other media?”

Translation: Are you this mad when other messy, morally gray characters get growth, or is it just Blitz?

People say they want complex characters but balk when those characters aren’t immediately lovable. A redemption arc isn’t about excusing past behavior—it’s about showing how someone changes.

3. “The show focuses too much on romance instead of being a fun comedy.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “That’s fair! Expectations shape how we experience a show. Do you think the issue is that romance exists, or that it’s not executed the way you personally prefer? How do you feel about comedies that mix romance with drama?”

Translation: Is the problem the existence of romance, or that you don’t like the way this show does it?

Helluva Boss has always been planting seeds of character-driven drama. Expecting it to stay a gag-a-minute comedy was bound to leave you disappointed.

4. “Loona has no real character development—she’s just a bitch who yells a lot.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “That’s interesting! What does meaningful character development look like to you? Do you think male characters with similar traits get the same criticism, or do they get more leeway?”

Translation: Why is Loona the problem, but not Blitz, Mammon, or literally any other loud, abrasive character in the show?

This critique isn’t new—it’s the same double standard that follows female characters in Helluva Boss in general. People say the female cast is either “too weak” (Octavia, Verosika) or “too aggressive” (Loona, Stella), but the moment a woman gets actual nuance (Octavia, anyone?) suddenly it’s “bad writing.” Maybe the issue isn’t the writing—maybe some people just don’t like female characters unless they fit a narrow, palatable mold.

5. “Fizz got retconned into a useless twink. He used to be cool.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “What specifically makes you feel that Fizz’s character was ‘retconned’? Do you think your perception of him in Season 1 was fully accurate, or just based on limited information? Do you believe a character needs to be physically strong to be compelling?”

Translation: Why do you feel personally betrayed that Fizz turned out to be… a disabled theater kid?

The real issue here is that people projected a completely different personality onto Fizz based on his Ozzie’s cameo and then got mad when the show revealed that, shocker, he’s a whole person with vulnerabilities. The funniest part? A lot of these complaints come from people who claim to be “progressive” yet have no problem calling a visibly disabled character a “useless twink” the moment he stops being an edgelord in their heads.

6. “This show is garbage and Viv is a terrible writer.”

💁🏽‍♀️: “That’s a strong reaction! What keeps you so invested in something you dislike? Do you think this much frustration over a cartoon is a productive use of your time and energy? Would you feel happier focusing on something you actually enjoy?”

Translation: Babe, why are you still here?

This is where a lot of anti-Helluva Boss people need to take a step back. If you genuinely think a show is that awful, why not just… move on? If you’ve made hating it part of your personality, that’s not media critique—that’s weirdly personal. Maybe the issue isn’t the show, but the fact that you’ve sunk so much time into something you refuse to let go of.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Fight—Redirect

The key here isn’t to get into an endless argument with people who refuse to engage. It’s to either:

1. Get them to reflect on what they’re actually mad about.

2. Make it painfully obvious to onlookers that their argument is weak and rooted in bias.

So next time you see someone foaming at the mouth about Helluva Boss, try hitting them with some gentle, leading questions. Either they start thinking critically, or they spiral into incoherence. Either way, you win.