#Why did i choose to be a stem major

[wickizer]

I bombed my Stats exam but I feel good about it?🤡🤡🤡 I saw other people's scores even tho I got an F a couple of people got worse than me🤡🤡.

[cizzyart]

An OC I drew a year back, just wanted to have at least something here while I'm awol and Chem classes are kicking my butt😭🥲

Her name is Maya and she is one of the characters from a Webtoon I want to make when I'm not in the process of banging my head into textbooks....

[frowardthinker]

I have fallen prisoner (it's finals week). In this dark hour, I must exorcize the demons from my brain (deleting social media). I will be released by the week's end, for better or for worse.

Until we meet again, my beloved mutuals, farewell.

[amiharana]

sorry for being so ia by the way i have two exams this week and i’m so behind on all my hw, i will return with your regularly scheduled revalink shitposts soon ❤️

[wikia]

me when i have a idfklmsdfnusojilkm post cancelled this is too much information

[odyssiaca]

odysseus is generally seen as 'morally ambiguous' due to his not always being seen as the best of people- but this is a very modern and feminist take, and whilst nothing is inherently wrong with the idea of feminist takes and retellings, it skews what we have and already know of the myths, and this can be seen most predominantly in the character of odysseus. odysseus is two things:

- not meant to a hero

- not meant to be good

he is written as a man faced with impossible odds, and who loses some- if not all- of his morality in doing so. BUT where does the idea of him being 'bad' come from? the penelopiad by margaret atwood, a woman known for being quite vitriolic towards men of any kind. in recent years, people have picked up on three major things from the odyssey:

- the hanging of the maids

- odysseus cheating on his wife

- odysseus going mad at the end

NOW, to break it into points:

the hanging of the maids is so often seen in a feminist light due to margaret atwood, where odysseus is painted as some cruel, vile, disgusting predator who loathes women. this isn't true to the odyssey AT ALL. in the odyssey it is explicitly stated by the nurse that raised telemachus: 'i shall single out those who betrayed you, my lord' and by one of the maids herself- melantho: 'if we sleep with the suitors, when they become king we will be in favour with him.' and THIS is why he killed the maids. not because he was insane, not because he was bad, but because they had betrayed not just him- but his wife. not all the maids were killed, only those who slept with the suitors. the argument most often used for this is that the women couldn't say no, but this goes against what the maids themselves say in the odyssey when they believe no one to be watching.

odysseus cheating on his wife HE DIDN'T. but he is a man, and as a man, he cannot be raped. he is a terrible man for sleeping with circe and calypso when he could have- as epic decides to say- say no. which is untrue!! these are goddesses. titanesses. circe is the daughter of helios, and calypso is daughter of atlas. they could overpower him simply by looking at him. circe turned his men to pigs, even with the moly she could have easily done the same- or worse- to him. the idea of him choosing to and being unfaithful stems from madeline miller's, Circe which whilst not inherently bad, goes out of its way to put all men in a terrible light, because the heroes deserves no rights in feminist retellings. odysseus wanted to say no, but could not as hermes explicitly told him he couldn't. on the flip side, calypso threatens, ensnares him and only releases him when told to by hermes and the council of the gods. in the odyssey it is literally stated: 'and odysseus stayed on the shores weeping for home before joining the nymph in her bed.' he did not WANT to sleep with calypso, but was left with no other choice but to do so. this is a recurring theme for calypso.

but he is blamed due to his gender, and the idea of 'feminism' and 'patriarchy'.

and now, the real reason for odysseus being seen badly:

the telegony the telegony is a myth written after the odyssey with telegonus- son of circe and odysseus- as the main character. in this he travels to find his father and meet him, but accidentally kills him on the shore. (peneleope marries telegonus, and circe marries telemachus) but this is where the idea of odysseus' insanity comes from. in the telegony, it is stated he went mad after the war, and couldn't survive without bloodshed, and so he went out seeking war, and women, and battle, and went mad in this.

the statement: 'generous to odysseus' is wholly unfair, because he is a man forced to lose everything, assaulted, violated, tortured and imprisoned with no hope of survival. he goes to war knowing he won't return for 20 years, won't see his wife, and won't watch his son grow. he is a man not a god, or a demigod. he's just some dude doing his best.

[byuntrash101]

booksmart

f!reader x switch!mingi smut | mdni 3.1k maybe mingi didn’t make the smartest choice picking a stem major? because the classes proves themselves to be rather difficult especially when mingi as to learn about the female anatomy without having any “field knowledge” on the subject. but as his tutor it’s your duty to help him study, by all means necessary. nsfw tags under the cut

loser virgin!mingi with the glasses (i love him so much it hurts), also switch sub leaning!mingi, tutor!reader, use of anatomical terms (reader takes her tutoring job v srly) + clueless mingi (he's cute), exhibitionism/voyeurism, masturbation (f), oral (f), mingi gets pussy drunk fassstttt, pet names (baby, good boy, babyboy), squirting, cum eating, cumming untouched

a/n: wrote this in a fever dream as i was crawling out of writer's block. i kinda love it did you know i loved mingi? yeah i do. he's cute and im weak for him. enjoy this <3

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Why? Oh why did Mingi have to choose a STEM major? Why didn’t he go towards something that was a little easier or, failing that, at least a little more fun! Like music! He liked music. Why didn’t he go to a more artistic major? He could be learning about different types of harmonies or the life stories of his favorite composers or even the advent of the greatest musical genres. But no, instead he was stuck here in his small student flat, pulling his hair out trying to cram his brain with the reproductive system. Hunched over the thick and worn out second hand textbook.

“I can’t” he said, calling it quits, whipping his big glasses off his nose and throwing his hands in the air in a rather dramatic manner. Which made you chuckle.

Of all your tutees Mingi was easily your favourite. Sure he was one of the most difficult ones because studying didn’t come naturally to him but still he was very endearing. There was something in the way he looked at you with round eyes when he was confused or how his lips curled on his teeth and made an asymmetrical smile when got the right answer. Mingi was just cute without even trying, despite his towering height, his low gravelly voice and his eyes that turned sharp (maybe even cold) when he was focussing. He was just cute. He may look cold but as soon as you get to know him he turns out to be an endearing goofball.

He might even be the sole reason you kept on tutoring this year even with your thesis coming close to the deadline, the research for internships and the immense amount of reading your professors required.

“Yes, you can!” you said pointing at the schema on the yellowed page.

“No I can’t! I’m not book smart!” Mingi said again, this time a little more whiny. “How can I memorize that when I've never even seen this…” he gestured to the anatomical sketch of the female reproductive system. “In real life.” He exhaled, seemingly not conscious of what he had just admitted, taking his head in his big hands.

Your head was spinning with the unprompted confession. And you both sat there in silence for a couple of seconds. Mingi in oblivious desperation and you in speechless astonishment. 

But an idea sprouted in your mind. If this lack of practical experience was the reason behind Mingi’s memory troubles, you reckon nature gifted you with everything that was presented in this textbook. Maybe empirical science would help in this case. The least you could do was try, that was only your duty as a tutor. 

Mingi was startled when he felt you lift from under his bent elbows and close the heavy textbook, making him look up through his fingers. You sighed deeply before continuing softly.

“Mingi,” you started, a kind of heaviness about the voice Mingi never heard before, the contrast with your normal “patient teacher" tone made him finally realize what he had said to you in a fleeting moment of desperate academic honesty. 

Mingi started to stammer, his heart rate skyrocketing, his eyes darting to every corner of the room trying to come up with an excuse to why he still was a virgin loser or better yet a quick lie that would make him appear like a totally cool guy that definitely pulled girls, yes, multiple girls. But nothing came to mind and he was completely silenced when you laid your hand over his thick thigh. 

“Mingi…Do you want me to show you?” you said, barely above a whisper, you felt his thigh tense under your touch as Mingi looked back at you, mouth agape like a fish out of the water and round clueless eyes. So you cleared your throat and talked in a more assured tone. “If it can help you study, I'm willing to show you mine” you said in one breath.

Mingi was no longer agitated. He wasn’t wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans or stammering or looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Now, his eyes were locked with yours, and he was an immovable statue. But it was only because he was absolutely dumbfounded. He was stunned into silence, his thoughts weren’t coming through, they were completely silenced by your voice, this weird combination of words that made the sentence you just spoke infinitely reverberate in his blank mind until he faintly nodded, unable to form a coherent train of thought anymore.

You nodded and smiled softly at him. Mingi didn’t even return the smile he kept on staring in disbelief. Even when you got up and pulled your chair from under his desk and turned it so you would perfectly face him and even when your hands slipped under your pleated skirt and pulled down your underwear. You glanced over at him when you tossed to the side the crumpled up piece of white lace and you smirked when you saw him finally close his mouth to thickly swallow as his eyes zeroed in on the undergarment discarded on his bedroom floor.

Before his eyes snapped back to you when you seated yourself on this chair, your hips scooted to the front and your back comfortably leaned on the office chairback. His eyes followed your every move as you placed one foot on the edge of the desk and the other leg bent and hanging in the air. You took a deep breath before lifting your skirt.

Mingi thought he was going to pass out as he fumbled to put his glasses back on, not even trying to put them on straight on his nose. His face was burning hot and his heart was absolutely hammering against his ribs, and rattling in his ears. He felt the frantic muscle doped with adrenaline pumping blood not only to his brain, making him lightheaded but also to his groin. 

Mingi had never laid eyes on anything more beautiful ever. You were so perfect he couldn’t describe it but he didn't want to look anywhere else ever again he wanted to keep on staring you right between the legs until he eventually died from thirst, hunger or sleep deprivation. He wanted to keep looking forever and ever.

You cleared your throat once again and ignored both the tingle in your lower stomach as you felt Mingi’s scrutinizing gaze on your most private part and the tent he was visibly pitching his jeans by now.

“See here is the labia majora” you started, making your voice as steady as possible. You looked up at him but it seemed like you were speaking to a brick wall, Mingi was entranced and wasn’t listening to a single word you were saying.

“Mingi!” you called his name firmly and his eyes snapped to yours. “Focus!” you scolded him.

“Yeah… s-sorry” he apologized sheepishly, his cheeks and ears going to an even deeper shade of pink.

“As I was saying, this is the labia majora and here is the labia minora.” you said as neutrally as possible trying to overlook the need that was bubbling in the pit of your stomach the more Mingi looked at you.

“M-majora and minora” Mingi repeated as diligently as possible.

“Good! Let’s take a closer look” you said before spreading your lips with both hands, offering Mingi a breathtaking view on your entrance. 

Mingi had to repress a gasp. He felt himself twitch as he saw your pink hole being spread open, he could quite literally see inside you. And as you did so some translucent liquid oozed out of you. He was pretty sure that wasn’t part of the anatomical drawing that was in his textbook. He never saw that even in the porns he had watched. All he knew was that the sight made his cock jump inside his tight pants and he bit his lip to keep a low groan behind his teeth as his pants were rubbing on his sensitive cockhead.

“And here-”

“Ex-excuse me” Mingi interrupted you hesitantly, “what is this liquid?”

Fuck.

You did your best to overlook the excitement and arousal that came along with the exercise and the way Mingi was eyeing you down, devouring you with each look and trying so hard to keep his hands at his sides. But your body eventually betrayed you. 

“That’s a lubricating fluid that is secreted by the Skene glands to facilitate coitus,” you said as steadily as possible. “That happens when a woman is aroused.”

Those words hit Mingi like a truck launched at full speed on the highway. You were aroused? Like right now? You were enjoying showing yourself like this to him? You liked having him look at you? He was feeling dizzy. He couldn’t imagine you (even if he was in fact witnessing it with his very eyes) getting hot and bothered because of him. That was all a dream. It had to be.

“Aroused?” Mingi repeated, more to himself than anything as he fixed his askew glasses pushing them up the bridge of his nose absentmindedly.

“There are other signs too” 

Mingi’s ears perked up. 

“Other signs?” He swallowed thickly. “C-can you show me? P-please” The last word was soaked with desperation and dripping with such despair, he sounded like a parched man begging for the sip of water that was going to save his life and when his eyes met yours you realized he was also looking the part.

“O-okay” you said, failing to maintain the self assured tone.

“When a woman is aroused more blood is pumped to her private area which causes swelling and changes in color.” you said drawing a sharp gasp as your fingers dipped to your entrance to spread your wetness over your folds. “See, right now” you pulled on the skin of your pubic bone, pulling on the hood of your clit, uncovering the swollen bud. “My clitoris is swollen”

“Fuck” Mingi let the whispered curse slither thought his teeth as he looked at the swollen bundle of nerves being revealed to his very eyes. At this point he felt like his cock was going to rip through his jeans but still he behaved accordingly and refused to acknowledge the poor member's pleas for attention.

“I have a question.”

“Y-yes” you breathed out, spreading more arousal on your touched starved pussy.

“Is it true that girls get the most pleasure from their clit?” he stated in one surprisingly coherent sentence. 

“Yes” you replied simply, your breathing becoming uneven. 

“Can you show me that too?”

Mingi was ready to risk it all. At this point he wasn’t thinking about tomorrow anymore. To be exact he wasn’t thinking at all anymore. He only knew he liked looking at you. He wanted to keep looking. He wanted to see it all.

“Okay” you started. “I’ll show you how I make myself feel good”. Mingi thought he was going to explode, spontaneously combust in front of you as he heard those words coming from your mouth. 

You started to draw small and slow circles on your swollen clit and Mingi could tell the enigmatic little nub loved the attention because you elicited a moan that hit him right in the chest. A sound he will never forget. Nothing like the pornographic high pitched screeches he was used to. This one was lower, more sultry and slower. Like the sound caught in your throat but eventually made it out into the world against your will. And you bit your lip right after, your eyes growing heavier, hazier. You looked so beautiful.

He looked at you rubbing your pretty pussy and drawing out all these beautiful sounds out of yourself, more slick gushing out of you as your pretty pussy pulsed and tensed. He was mesmerized, completely entranced by you 

“Does it feel good?” he asked as his eyes went back up to your pretty face being contorted by intense pleasure. 

“Yes, it does. I like when you look at me” you confessed looking up at him with hooded eyes.

“Fuckkk” he sighed, his weeping cock twitching between his heavy thighs. “I like looking at you.”

You moaned again and picked up the pace, dipping to your entrance again to gather more wetness and dragging it up to your throbbing clit. The patterns you were drawing on your pussy were quicker and tighter, making you moan louder.

The squelching wet sounds erupting from the act made Mingi dizzy. How bad did he want to bend down and taste you, how bad did he want to get his tongue on your cunt, feel you throb under him as he lapped at you clit. He wanted to see you cum. He wanted to make you cum.

But he didn’t dare to touch you when you hadn’t asked. He didn’t want to make you uncomfortable so he stuck to the script. He didn’t even succumb to the desire to take his own cock out to stroke it as he looked at you and to be completely honest he was scared to be distracted from the breathtaking show. Even for a single second he didn’t want to take his eyes off you.

“See how my pussy… mnph… is clenching?” you struggled to say, short of breath, your hand not slowing down. Mingi nodded quickly, his eyes darting from your cunt to your face back to your pussy. “That means I’m close to climax” Mingi’s eyes grew twice their size as he nodded again, expectantly. 

“When a woman orgasms… oh f-fuck… the vagina spasms” you said, inching dangerously close to your release. “if you want you can put a finger inside and feel it”

Mingi was not about to turn down such a generous proposition and nodded hastily. He hesitantly approached his hand, he didn’t really know what to do though so you took his wrist and guided his index through your fold, coating it in your juices and jolting at the contact before pushing his digit inside your tight heat with a low moan, it was just a finger but the stretch made it that much more pleasurable and you went back to rubbing your clit.

“Fuck… yess” you breathed. “Don’t move it”

Mingi couldn’t believe how warm and wet and tight you were, your pussy was lightly clenching around his finger everytime your fingers circled your clit.

“Do you feel it?” you asked, a little squeaky. Mingi nodded again.

“Yes. Y-you’re throbbing” he said peering at you over his large glasses you smiled.

“Yes it’s cause I’m very close” you kept on teasing your bundle of nerves. “Some women squirt when they orgasm” you started.

“Can you do that?” Mingi asked hurriedly, his eyebrows arching on his forehead, curious eyes close to bulge out.

“Y-yes.”

“Fuckkk… Can I please drink it?” Mingi blurted. “Please I wanna taste it so bad” He couldn’t stop the question that burned his tongue. He had been curious about that ever since he first saw it in a porn video and to see you do that. He couldn’t let his chance pass.

Seeing him like this, begging you to have a taste of you almost had you crossing the line but you held on.

“Yes, come closer” Mingi threw himself on his knees without thinking twice. “Open your mouth baby” Mingi bent over you, opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out, his dick twitching again at the novel term of endearment. You entangled your fingers in his soft locks of hair and pushed on his face until his lips were pressed against your folds, making him moan against your cunt, his finger still stuck inside your heat.

“Such a good boy. So eager to learn” you praised and Mingi started to instinctively buck his hips against nothing, the wet patch in his boxers growing larger with each pathetic and useless thrust.

“Fuck” he said, finally getting some of your juices in his mouth as your fingers rubbed your clit and occasionally brushed on his tongue. “Tho kood” he said, keeping his tongue out of his mouth, patiently waiting. 

“Fuck keep looking at me touching myself for you babyboy” you grunted, pulling on Mingi's soft hair. The dull pain made him whimper against your soaked little cunt, urging him to rutt his hips faster.

“Fuck I'm gonna… fuckkkk… m’cumming” you said, finally slipping over the edge as a powerful stream of translucent liquid spurted out of you making Mingi instantly wrap his lips around your folds and drink as much of it as he could as he continued to pathetically hump the air. The wave of intense pleasure radiated your whole body making you shake and moan under Mingi’s hungry lips, your cunt taking a vice grip onto Mingi’s finger. You continued to circle your clit until the pleasure wore off and you finally came down from your high, out of breath but utterly satisfied. 

When Mingi emerged from between your thighs he was disheveled, dazed. His face was a mess: his lips were swollen and his glasses were crooked and spotted with droplets of your release. He was completely dazzled but he looked content.

“Are you okay?” you asked hesitantly, closing your legs and flipping your skirt back, sitting back up straight.

“I came in my pants” Mingi declared, looking down at the dark blue wet patch on his jeans. “You looked so hot, you tasted so good… I- I-...and you called me a good boy… And I- lost it. I’m sorry I-” Mingi stammered again and you chuckled. You weren’t wrong about him. Mingi was definitely very cute.

“I hope you learned a lot today” you said, smiling warmly at him, and Mingi felt like his heart was going to fall out of his chest. How can you look so heavenly, so undoubtedly innocent when two seconds ago you were pulling his hair, shoving his face in your wet pussy and making his virgin ass cum without even touching him?

“Yes. I learned a lot. More than I ever hoped for”

“Maybe next time we can practice what you learned today. Okay?” you smiled again, but there was a mischievous glint in your innocent doe eyes.

“You mean we-” Mingi started but you cut him by jumping onto your feet, grabbing your purse and heading to the door of his room. On your way you bent down and picked up the white lace panties before throwing them at Mingi.

“That's a little gift for you” He caught the undergarment and looked up at you through his wet lenses just as confused as ever. Classic Mingi. “Use it as study material okay?” He nodded again, without saying a word and you headed out the door.

“Class dismissed”

a/n: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. MINGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. thats it.

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[thalthanmadanus]

Draco is THE antagonist of the story and I'm lowkey sick of people diminishing his character's importance in the story and to Harry's character development. so I'm writing an essay about how Draco as a character is fucking important especially his antagonistic arc

💅

1. The crumbs:

First of all, and this doesn't get mentioned often, Draco is the first magical kid Harry meets his age.

Not only that, he is our first glimpse at two major upcoming conflicts in the series: Blood Supremacy, and Hogwarts houses.

Draco plays the important role of the narrative foil to Harry. (even wikipedia references them in the "foil" page)

Draco's main function as a character is to showcase Harry's best traits, through being his most worst. Unlike, Snape and Voldemort, Draco is more concerned with creating internal conflicts for Harry than external ones.

He is the character that says mudblood the most, with the frequency decreasing every book. He is the character that plays with/teases/bullies the psychological vulnerabilities of the trio (specifically Ron and Harry). He is one of the few characters that give rational criticism (against Hagrid, calling out the trio dynamic..) that, taken outside the keyframe imposed by the author, can showcase the flaws in Harry's views and his bias. He is also the only character that shows moral self-reflection that isn't motivated by either a reward or "love", which not only serves as character development for Draco but for Harry too who grows to sympathize with Draco, a small breakup from his fixed binary morality.

Draco is also a very active character. His actions and choices affect the plot. The majority of the first book literally happens because of his dumbass. In the second book, he is our first introduction to the word mudblood, he's also the main suspect to the two main mysteries. If Draco wasn't such a bitchass, would buckbeak gave been in said place for Harry to use him to save Sirius?

He is important narratively but what interests me is his importance to Harry's arc.

What separates Draco from other antagonists is that he creates internal conflicts that stem from his personal conflicts with Harry, because of Harry as a person. Not because Harry's the chosen one standing in his way, not because Harry's lily or James's son. Because Harry's Harry. and this exchange is mutual.

Their personal dynamic is set up in their first meeting. Harry, upon hearing two sentences from Draco, reacts negatively because of deeply personal issues (Dudley). I don't think Harry reacts personally to any other characters the way he did with Draco? Considering that Draco wasn't even hostile in his first sentences.

While Draco targets both Harry and Ron, there's a clear difference in how Draco bullies them both but also how Harry and Ron perceive Draco.

Draco is crueler on Ron. And his bullying doesn't feel personal, just apathetic, humiliating and mean. It feels like Draco is more cruel on Ron because Harry chose Ron over him and it shows by Draco coming back every now and then searching for Harry's compartment, trying to egg him, to look for a way that will make Harry regret rejecting Draco.

About Harry & Ron perception about Draco, it's showcased in the second book by the two main major events Draco was suspected in

1. Opening CoS. It was Ron who suspected Draco for this, not Harry. Ron suspects Draco for an action that affects everyone in the school.

2. Sending Dobby. Harry suspects that it was Draco that sent Dobby to prevent Harry from coming to school. Harry suspects Draco of an action that targets him specifically, and his reason of suspect? "because Malfoy hates me". It's personal.

Another instance of Harry making every issue personal with Draco: In the fifth book, after the sorting hat's song about houses unity

'And it wants all the houses to be friends?' said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table,where Draco Malfoy was holding court. 'Fat chance. '

I'm also pretty sure the reason why Harry chooses not to be in Slytherin was 50% because Draco got sorted into Slytherin. the other 50% being Hagrid telling him that Slythering are eviiil. Btw a conversation that wouldn't have happened if Draco hadn't brought up houses in their first meeting.

Like I said, most of the plot in the first book goes back to Draco.

My main point is that the relationship between Harry and Draco as characters is beyond goals, motives, obstacles, moral causes bla bal bla, and is on the spectrum of "I took that personally".

2. the main plate:

Draco transitioned in the sixth book from an antagonist to a "side character" with a life. His role as character no longer functioned by his connection to Harry.

and this is where a flip of dynamic happened, where Harry became the antagonist to Draco's arc.

He's the one following him. He's the one egging him on (in the first 5 books,it was always Draco starting conversations with Harry, but in the sixth book, it's mostly Harry who started conversations with Draco) He's the one hurting him (Sectumsempra) (even on accident). He's the one trying to create obstacles to Draco's goal.

and why is that? why was Harry so obsessed with Draco?

If it were because of a moral righteousness, then why not focusing on Snape who's probably more suspicious? like who cares about Draco.. yeah he's sus but Dumbledore says it's not important..

This line of thought is more Ron and Hermione because they don't share the kind of deep personal issues towards Draco like Harry does.

so why is harry so obsessed?

"Harry, knowing and loathing Malfoy, was sure the reason could not be innocent."

This line in the sixth book explains it. Harry knows and loathes Draco with more emphasis on *knowing*.

Harry admits that he knows Malfoy, of course the fruit of labor of staring at Draco for five years, but why does he even stare in the first place? Because Harry is curious about Draco.

In comparison with Snape and Voldemort, our other antagonists,  Harry doesn't show the same enthusiastic curiosity for them. At least not the same way he does with Draco. Most of what we know about Snape and Voldemort are shown through external ways. Either their memories of memories of other people about them. Their character arcs happen outside Harry's vision,  either in the past or in a memory. It's not Harry who seeks those information. They come to him.

Draco, on the hand, most if not all of his character development happens in front of Harry. From his bullshit in the five years to him crying in the bathroom, him lowering his wand, him lying in the Manor. even the visions that Harry sees through Voldemort about Draco torturing Rowle, are happening in the present. Draco's character development is laid bare in front of Harry. 

but back to his obsession in the sixth book, it's because Harry knows Draco so well that not only he's right about him being a DE, but "Malfoy being up to something" is not something new to Harry, it's actually a normal thing that kept happening for 5 years of his life. Malfoy was always up to smtg. It's this idea of a normality that fuels like a new purpose in life for Harry after being wrecked by Sirius' death. Not only the mystery tingles his detective neurons, he knows he's right about Draco which only fuels his persistence. Draco being a person he hates also downplays the guilt/shame Harry could feel while stalking him. like I'm sorry but Harry was shameless and embarassing the whole year. The way Hermione and Ron looked at him sometimes so funny, also Hermione distancing herself from Harry when he talked to McG about Draco like "idk this person". Harry was kinda giving pre-HBP Draco vibes lowkey.

This shows that Harry himself is motivated by personal feelings (though negative) as an antagonist to Draco's arc himself.

And the important point here is the flip of dynamics. Draco is not just a mere side character in Harry's life. If anything, the moment he tries to become a side character with his is own arc, Harry is forcing himself in it. Because they're both foils to each other. It doesn't work on just one side.

The dessert:

The dynamic completely evolves again with the end of HBP as Draco gains a moral sense and Harry watching Draco's character development unfolding gains a more nuanced view than his old black/white one.

In DH, Draco and Harry are not antagonists anymore to each other. Draco and Harry are kind of heroes to each other?? as they both try to save each other like two times.

A lot of people downplay Draco's lie in the Manor, comparing it to Dudley's "You're not a waste of space" as "character development" moment.

bruh.

Dudley said that after Harry saved him. Draco literally was the one who took the initiative to lie, expecting no reward, literally had more to lose by lying, he was literally acting against his own interests, his family's life was in danger!!! Harry saved Draco after Draco saved him.

also Draco's character development started with him lowering his wand.

but back to being each other heroes. Our other comparison is Ron who is in both situations where Harry saves Draco but he's the one reacting negatively and complainig about them saving Draco, not Harry. Which is funny because Ron says "we saved you" but in both cases it's Harry who's doing the saving and Ron is  just there witnessing, and again I don't think he still realizes what was happening since the sixth year. He thinks his hostile feelings towards Draco are the same ones Harry has. That they're similar. Ron.. Harry literally almost risked your life to save Draco.

It also speaks of character development from Harry that he's not reacting negatively anymore towards Draco. He grew out of it. Like Draco also was starting to grow out of his toxic ideologies.

They're both growing up simultaneously.

And Draco was The first wizard kid Harry talked to (with no precognition or insidious motive)

Draco was the first character who he flew with

Draco was the first character who he dueled with

and so in DH,

Draco was the first character who tried to help Harry with no selfish motive

Draco was the first character that flew with Harry on the same broom (at least I think so?)

Draco was the first and only character whose wand Harry dueled with against Voldemort and won.

I wish I could write more. About Sectumsempra. About wand connection. but I'm tired.

[songsofadelaide]

"Lives have grown roots around each other. We both know the truth is, we don't really care to find any room to doubt each other. We're tied by the roots of whatever we share."

Zoology major!Laios x crim student!reader who were introduced to each other by your mutual friend, physics major!Marcille, whom you took general education subjects with. You and Laios couldn't be any more different from each other, but you unexpectedly clicked after going on one coffee date together. He is a pretty lively character who is chronically online, and his Instagram is filled with his fascinations— reptiles and amphibians. He mentioned that he wanted to go for a herpetology masters degree when he graduates.

Laios was equally interested in your aspiration to become a lawyer, and eventually a judge. You told him that your pursuit of justice stems from a deep-seated desire to see something happen— and you joked that it was a long story for another coffee date— which he quickly agrees to. (When asked about your date, he told Marcille that you were cute. You said the same thing. Marcille felt like an accomplished matchmaker. She asks you guys to tell her more about your next date, too.)

Your different majors meant different class schedules, so you two try your best to meet up whenever you can, especially when you both have your vacant hours. You follow each other on Instagram now, and he posted a photo of your coffees and sandwiches and his mysterious, faceless date with the caption "🦎��🦎", to which his many friends and followers blasted likes and comments on.

"Oh, Marcille just texted me. She said this is a... soft launch? Does she mean soft lunch? Sandwiches are soft and light, after all."

You laughed. And Laios swore the sound was sweeter than his coffee.

Your friends and blockmates are both baffled and amused by the handsome zoology major frequently showing up outside the Faculty of Law building on campus with your favourite snack and drink onhand. Likewise, Laios's blockmates are puzzled by your presence in the College of Science building, usually just to drop off some energy boosters for him. (You bring him orange eggs and fish balls every once in a while since you both like them, but you always remind him to eat well and eat full meals.)

Laios made your supposedly grueling days in uni much more fun than you anticipated. Criminology wasn't for the weak-hearted and you had your challenging days, too. But Laios was so full of life and his carefree smile was something you wanted to protect, along with the rest of society. On your second anniversary, he gifted you a very detailed bearded dragon plush. While his major required him to be on the field most of the time, he always made sure to call or message to update you on his whereabouts and what he and his blockmates have been doing. Most of the time, you don't hear him say how much he misses you when you fall asleep while on video call.

You did not choose to call it quits when the time for majors came. Laios wasn't one to give up on something he adores— he loves— so why would you? His pursuit of knowledge for his favourite cold-blooded creatures brought him to James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, while you continued your pursuit of justice as a law student in one of the finest schools in your very hometown.

Laios returns home to you after three years in the Australian outback and marshland— taller, tanned, stubbly and still so lively. He was still the same dreamer you met so many years ago, and you're suddenly filled with dread that you might be holding him back from a life that suited him more. When he noticed how withdrawn you became, he was suddenly filled with dread that he might be too much of a distraction to you as you continued law school. Marcille wasn't having any of that, though, and carefully orchestrated a way for the two of you to bring your concerns to the table, just like how she orchestrated your first meeting.

"I love you," he said, but it's not his words that pull at your heart, but the way his eyes lit up when he gazed at you. He held you in his arms as you cried.

"I know. You still look at me like I'm made of starlight even though my glow has been dulled by so much cynicism."

Laios slept a little bit too deep that night, obviously relieved to still have you in his life. You always did like how honest he was. It was the very thing your profession required but not everyone in the field had it in them. You lay on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief yourself. You may as well be talking to the moon, but you needed to let him know how strongly you felt for him too.

"You are every good in this unforgiving world, and I know it will never forgive me for holding you too close to my heart. This world needs a spirit like yours— warm, curious, forgiving— to heal itself from its curse of indifference and unkindness."

"—come acclaimed and internet famous herpetologist— a reptile lover, people! In case you don't know what that is— wildlife educator and conservationalist Laios Touden! We're glad to have you with us today!—"

"—sure is all mine! Glad to be he—"

"Oh, turn that thing up, Falin!" You excitedly stepped out of your bedroom and found your sister-in-law Falin humming to herself as she helped herself to a glass of juice in your kitchen. She reached for your TV remote and turned up the volume.

"That interview's today, huh? Are you going to watch all of it? You have a trial to attend to, right?" She asked you with a small smile on her face.

"Just seeing his handsome face already cheers me up so much," you replied to her with a dreamy sigh. "But anyway, you're right! I should head court now. That's what he'd want me to do."

"I'll look for links to the interview online if you want."

"Thank you, Falin!"

The young woman left at home in her brother's house turned her full attention to the interview this time, an amused smile on her face as she watched and listened to his television interview.

"—you know, my wife is a Supreme Court Justice, one of the youngest ones, too! And I'm really proud of her for that. On her first day on the job, she reopened a cold case relating to the deaths of several environmentalists from 200X. It was such an old case, but it was important to her, and to me, to an extent. Her family was par—"

"—nly able to do my job, happily at that, is because of her will to protect environmentalists and put those responsible in jail—"

"My, he sounds so eloquent. I suppose a certain judge helped him with that," Falin laughed to herself. "I should call Marcille and tell her about this interview, too."

[sphnyspinspin]

OMG TFONE HEADCANNON/REVIEW TIME LETS GOO‼️✨💙❤️🩷💛✨‼️

[B-127]

I just want to say I FUCKING LOVED TRANSFORMERS ONE!!! It has officially won a special place in my heart that I’ll cherish fondly until the end of time.

Okay, now I just HAVE to talk about some of my headcannons that theorizes some things that a certain review that—may or may not have irked me the wrong way—has gotten me thinking about. Like, for example:

Is B-127 really just there for comedy relief?

HELL. NO. You know why? Because he was forged to be a yapper, that’s why. He’s a storyteller. He might not be the most mature one in the gang, but he’s the type of immature that stems from being repeatedly outcasted and ignored to the point of not understanding other people’s boundaries or a majority of social cues.

And let’s just face it, everyone is their own type of immature.

His yapping tendencies can actually play a big part in some potential development as more than just a bystander. BY BEING A STAND-BYER! HEY-OH!

I think that B-127 is going to be the one to spread the true narrative about his three other friends during their long trek across Cybertron and their beginnings. Because he was there… he was always THERE.

He was there when Orion Pax and D-16 found the SOS message from THE Alpha Trion. He was there when Alpha Trion was discovered—and was REVIVED thanks to HIS pocket energon. He was there when Sentinel’s allegiance with the Quintessons was revealed. He was there when he, Elita-1, Orion Pax, and D-16 were given the T-Cogs of the deceased Primes. He was there to see D-16 rally the High Guard after beating Starscream for the first time.

And he was there when Sentinel Prime violently carved the face of D-16’s idol into his chest while parading around that same idol’s T-Cog right in front of him… In front of the both of them…

I’m not even going to try to repeat the wise banger that Alpha Trion said about how the T-Cogs are the physical embodiments of their race’s freedom to choose what they become and stuff, because I genuinely can’t remember any of it. I’m so sorry. But I know for a FACT since D-16 and B-127 were both there when he said it they immediately made it a core memory for themselves—therefore they BOTH knew the downright gruesome implications it meant for Sentinel wearing one as a trophy after murdering the Prime it belonged to.

That also means B-127 was able to see what Orion Pax and Elita-One weren’t able to see right before D-16 was about to murder the guy. Yeah, they were able to show all of Iacon all of the shitty actions he did BEFORE he captured B and D and half of the High Guard, but none of what transpired in that torture room was ever broadcasted to any servant class workers, or civilians in general, or to Orion Pax and Elita-1.

But B-127 saw it. He saw ALL of it. He was THERE. He was the only other friend that D-16 had in there, the only other friend of Orion Pax and Elita-1 that was in there. The High Guard didn’t count, they haven’t seen any of what Sentinel did through the lenses of B-127.

Through the lenses of a friend to the inevitable Optimus Prime.

So here’s what I’m imagining. B-127 is going to play devil’s advocate, one way or another, whenever there’s a time when the subject of a conversation would be Megatron related. He would be able to recollect their time together in that room with Sentinel and the rest of the High Guard—waiting to be tortured and framed and EXECUTED in front of the WHOLE CITY OF IACON. B-127 and D-16’s HOME.

He’d most likely be able to sympathize, maybe even EMPATHIZE, with Megatron’s motives. Unlike Orion Pax or Elita-1. Of course we all know that Optimus was friends with Megatron for way longer than B-127, but again he didn’t see what B-127 saw. And… now that I’m thinking about it… B-127 is a little bit like D-16. In a sense.

I think we all saw how eager he was to use his knife hands as often as possible after he discovered them. Kind of like how D-16 became real attached to his canons, both in and out of his alt-mode, when he got them. Oh my god, I could seriously go on and on about so many minor character parallels between D-16/Megatron and B-127 if I could. Like I’m just now thinking about how B and D could’ve gotten along a lot better if they actually got to know each other. The main reasoning why they’d understand each other a lot:

They both know what it’s been like to face the unjust consequences of the system they were unknowingly forced into.

While Orion was, from a shallow perspective, a rebellious punk who was always putting himself in these whacky situations to get what he wants, where D-16 would have to come and save his aft, while he’d suffer the consequences later on. Though Orion was able to subdue D-16’s wrath with calming reassurance, D-16 would still continue to be the “understanding type” from Orion’s perspective as long as he was able to be forgiven after another one of his stunts, that sometimes, he even brings D-16 into against his better—more cautious—judgement.

And Elita being the commanding type, incredibly determined at any given task she puts her mind to, like Orion, she too faced the consequences of Orion’s actions, like D-16. But then again, her strong headed attitude and overall ability to get back up and immediately put herself back to work to accomplish her goals, is what separates her from the rest of the gang; by being responsible for herself and herself only, and when ORION’S actions got HER demoted, she’s rightfully upset and makes it well-known to Orion and holds him accountable.

But B-127 isn’t headstrong like Elita, and he isn’t rebellious like Orion. He’s his own in-depth unique thing that has a slightly more similar comparison with D-16 than the other two. It’s definitely hidden well. But not completely invisible. He’s more complaisant when it comes to facing consequences, especially when he doesn’t have a choice in the system he grew up in.

And so is D-16. He literally said he deserved it when DARKWING of all bots decked him in the face for defending Orion.

As I was saying, I genuinely do believe that B-127’s progression through the story would be him being a kind of devil’s advocate to Megatron, with him being able to better comprehend the events that were put into play and how they conspired into D-16 killing Sentinel, cementing his role as Megatron. And how B-127 would be the one to be the metaphorical dampener when it comes to any misinformation that’s potentially passed around when it comes to Megatron’s “descent into madness” and be able to back himself up with the proof that’s up in his noggin.

He’ll be able to SAY something.

He’ll be able to say that D-16… that Megatron is worth sympathizing, is worth UNDERSTANDING, even when what he did was horrific to say the least.

.

.

.

And imagine how much of a downfall it would be if Megatron were to be the one to tear out B-127’s very instrument that was one of his main tools in saying ANYTHING that could’ve brought a bit more understanding to HIS story… From an up-close and personal perspective, outside of his own.

To show is to inform, to communicate is to educate.

Without his voice box he can always just let someone project his memories onto a screen… but to sit back and not give any verbal feedback of his personal feelings about it, would be less than ideal to the interaction-starved mech we know and love. Especially since he was one of the mechs that played one of the biggest roles in history that could wholeheartedly understand Megatron’s origins more than anyone could know.

[museofthepyre]

MAJOR CHNT FILE 33/34 SPOILERS. LIKE MAJOR MAJOR.

Sydney’s mode of death has been wracking my brain lately. So I’m here to ramble off my thoughts. I think the biggest clue is this line from Elijah.

“Died tenderly on the clean sheets it was gifted”… I was a fan of the drowning theory, but this is pretty solid evidence against it. Drowning is messy, whatever Jedidiah did was discrete and clean— also, possibly in some sort of hospital bed? Cabin… bed? Gifted clean sheets… whatever that means. Anyways drowning or not, the respiratory distress/ hypoxia themes are HUGE and INCREDIBLY RE-OCCURRENT so I cannot overlook them. The theory that Jedidiah may have just pulled the plug is also enticing, but I’ts not as directly linked to those specific “can’t breathe” themes… so.

There is a certain discrete and rapidly lethal poison which causes tissue hypoxia... and that is Cyanide. I found these tidbits interesting.

Sounds kinda similar to a certain someone’s current “mystery condition”. Anyways

Most important things here: Cyanide poisoning presents as respiratory distress/ hypoxia/ “trouble breathing”. longer exposures can result in a coma, long-term neurological issues, and obviously death. Exposure can be through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal routes. No mess. It’s often used in murders/ su!cides for these reasons.

So. That is! Certainly something! Just a theory, but very interesting! I also find it funny that most people think of apple seeds when they think of cyanide. Boy oh boy, I sure hope there isn’t anything dangerous inside this here apple. Like a teensy bit of cyanide… or a centipede.

To the drowning theory’s credit. Hypoxia, again. Themes of not being able to breathe. Sydney’s first described dream with Adam being set under water. Jedidiah throwing the necromancy’d rabbit into the lake after disassembling it. Sydney’s hydrophobia (though that may stem back to childhood). Jedidiah being averse to this years lake day all of a sudden (which is noted as uncharacteristic). Probably some other things that I’m forgetting… but that “died tenderly on the clean sheets it was gifted” line is pretty hard to refute.

Also also I think regardless of where Sydney DIED, he was RESURRECTED on the camp grounds. I could speculate on how he got to the campgrounds in the first place… but I’m almost wondering if… so yknow how when treatments are failing and it looks like a patient is going to die, they’re given the option to a) stay in hospital and keep going with the treatment, despite the risk of dying there… or b) embrace fate and spend their remaining days comfortable, at home and with loved ones? Sydney had fond memories of the camp. Sydney didn’t have a home to return to (besides maybe Lucille’s house but I doubt he’d choose that). So I wonder if, in that scenario, he would’ve chosen the camp. If he’d been gifted a room to stay in for however long (they thought) he had left. Which would be why Elijah knew where to go interrogate Lucille later on… if he’d followed them there initially. This bit is entirely speculation btw, major guess. The timelines are hard to string together atp so take this with a grain of salt.

This is driving me to madness

[heartbreakprincewille]

Marcus, And Why The S2 Love Triangle Worked (For Me)

Okay, so I had thoughts since a LONG time about why I don't mind the S2 love triangle as much I thought I would, but I never had coherent thoughts to articulate them into a post.

I'm personally not much of a fan of love triangles in media, because there is a trend in media since quite a long time where the good-hearted second love interest gets their heart broken by the protagonist, who chooses "their true love", or the first love interest because they are "the one". And I feel really bad for the one who gets left behind for reasons they have no control over.

But I did not expect to not mind the S2 love triangle. And actually the more I think about it, Simon needed something like this to realize the depth of his feelings for Wille. Simon needed an upend of emotions in order to achieve a satisfactory balance in his and Wilhelm's relationship. He needed to realize how much being a prince affects Wilhelm's life as much as Wilhelm needed to realize Simon's need for autonomy in their relationship.

As for Marcus, I personally think that what sets Marcus apart from a typical, cookie-cutter third wheel is the fact that Marcus's presence represented Simon's expectations from a relationship, rather than heightening Wilhelm's flaws.

Marcus represented not only what Simon craved from his relationship with Wille, but also the things he thought that he needed, when he actually doesn't. Simon wanted to enjoy normal moments of happiness with Wille in public but he couldn't, like the karaoke scene with Marcus, or Simon bringing Marcus as his date to the ball, or Marcus kissing him publicly. All these moments tell something about Simon's true desires from a potential relationship with Wilhelm, or any person Simon genuinely wants to have feelings for. Marcus was more like a placeholder for the time being, since Simon was really angry and heartbroken over Wille. Marcus did not bring something new to the table. He was just someone who grew up in a similar family background as Simon, and whose ideas of hanging out with a crush aligned with Simon's. That's it. Just because they have similar ideas about something, it does not mean they will also align as people. Plus Marcus is also not a one-dimensional "nice guy" just like August is not a one-dimensional "villain". He also has flaws and shortcomings that ultimately doom him in the story and does not let him realize his own part in his unsuccessful attempt to date Simon.

A cookie-cutter third wheel also has a defining feature- they exist in the story to emphasize on the first love interest's flaws, which makes the protagonist reconsider their love for the first love interest initially. Yes, Marcus did things for Simon which Simon wished he could do with Wille, but they don't represent Wilhelm's character flaws. His inability to have normal dating experiences with Simon stems from him being literal royalty, and no matter how much Wilhelm wants it too, he is not able to give that to Simon. And a major part of Simon's arc (in connection to his relationship with Wilhelm) was realizing Wilhelm's delicate and stifling relationship with his position. And although Simon is still not fully aware of what it entails to date a royal, atleast he has developed the empathy to understand it all.

And it also makes a difference that Simon is not the protagonist, he's actually the deuteragonist. Usually the protagonist is the one who has to make a choice and we only have access to their thoughts and feelings, not the other two. But here, not only our protagonist (Wilhelm) is one of the choices here, we also know exactly how he feels about Simon, just like we got to know how Simon feels about both Wille and Marcus. Wille still has flaws, but he also works on them and displays great accountability, something Simon actually needed, way more than karaoke dates and everything (although them enjoying the little things in life is something that can be so endearing to me). Simon chooses Wille because Wilhelm takes responsibility of his flaws and mistakes and tries to put in the effort their fragile relationship needed.

Not saying Marcus was not hurt in the process, but the burden of the doom does not lies entirely with Simon. Marcus has as much of a hand in dooming their fling as much as Simon. Overall, Simon and Marcus were a good match on paper, but Simon eventually realized that there is much more meaning to the text of his life than he ever imagined.

[purpleyoonn]

Dance of Time 3

D A N C E   O F   T I M E

��A love like that was a serious illness, an illness from which you never entirely recover.” -Bukowski

Summary: You were finally back in the hometown you left right after graduation, researching the mysterious manor that laid outside of the town limits. Your family was acting weird, and the owner of the manor seemed to know more about you than he should. Everything changed when you entered the manor, and you weren’t sure your dance with time was going to last very long.

Pairing: Vampire BTS x Human Reincarnated Reader

Status: Coming Soon

Genre: soulmate au, reincarnation, yandere themes, possessive boys, angst, fluff,

Warnings: smut, violence, tempers, mentions of death, murder, some explicit descriptions of violence, blood,

Chapter Warnings: more flashback scenes, yandere boys, major discoveries, not much 

Taglist:  @psychosupernatural @carolinexkpop @strxwbloody @strawberry-moonpies​ @dustyinkpages​ @iamkookiesforyou​ @anaspectoflife​ @btsw1fe​ @yoongisgirl69​ @toughbook​ @yoongibabs​ @mageprincess7​ @dahliasbouqet​ @wittyreader​ @peachandmomo​ @sinceritythatcouldntbedelivered​ @m1sss1mp​ @yourleftsock​ @skyys-universe​ @cryingpages​  @drissteele​ @dustyinkpages​  @crushedblackroses​ @fluffy-canada-pancakes​ @blaaiissee​  @iiitsmaria​  @azazel-nyx​  @g-h-o-s-t-b-a-b-i​ @knjkitten​ @kleirielk​ @foreverweareyoung7​ @lachimolala22019​ @namuficxs​ @94z-93​ @kimgmzmc​ @thenaverse​ 

Masterlist // Chapter 2 // Chapter 4

————————————————–

Previously on Dance of Time:

You were a little confused, why would he choose to pick you up when he lives at the manor? Isn’t that out of his way to come and get you? It didn’t make sense. Plus, how did he know where you lived? Yeah, you lived in a small town, but even you didn’t know where most people lived in the town. You tried to question Mr. Kim about it, but you never received another email before you fell asleep to the sound of the wind blowing outside your window.

It was the next morning, and you were waiting to hear a car pull up the road. It was getting close to nine o’clock, and you were waiting on the front porch. You were excited about getting to tour the manor and had been ready since seven this morning.

You sat against the old porch swing, your camera bag and backpack sat next to you as you wrapped your jacket tighter around yourself. Your grandmother and uncle had yet to wake up, leaving you to relax into the silence of the morning.

You were nervous.

You had a weird feeling about today, probably stemming from the weird dream you had. It was almost incoherent, a series of flashing images you couldn’t make sense of.  When you did try to make sense of them, your head started hurting, a pounding headache taking over until you had to try and take some Tylenol, hoping to have some relief before the day.

But that didn’t happen, as your headache became pounding and then your vision blurred.

The market was beautiful today as you walked slowly throughout the grass. You had tripped one too many times on it already and you knew your mother would surely punish you greatly if you were to rip the fabric of the gown she made you.

You couldn’t help but to move closer to the necklaces, a simple locket catching your eye as you stood in front of the vendor, a couple who seemed to be with child.

“That would look lovely on your neck, Miss.” You smile over to the woman, Mary, as she stood closer to you. She held it up to your neck and while her husband, Nicholas, held a mirror up for you to see.

“Indeed, it would, darling. If only our dear nurse had someone to capture her heart so, making the locket well within her heart.” Nicholas gestured back, noticing the ever-growing smile come across your lips.

“if only.” You turn around to see a man, his features blurred as he held his hand out for you to grasp as he bows a little in your presence. Your hurry to curtsey back, Lord… was surely not bowing to you.

“Please, Lord… do not worry yourself over a simple nurse.” You gesture softly for him to stand up, but he only continued to hold his hand out for you. His dimples bright against his cheeks as you finally placed your hand within his grasp.

“You are anything but a simple nurse, milady.”

“Y/n, are you alright?”

Your vision returned to see Namjoon; his hand held out to you in the same way the man in your vision was holding his. It shocked you a bit, your body frozen as it tries to determine if you were still hallucinating.

“Y/n?” Only when he asked again did you snap out of it. You quickly took his hand as he helped you off your front doorstep.

“I am so sorry about that. I haven’t been sleeping very well, you know? Sleeping in your childhood bed after so long can do wonders on you.” You chuckle, hoping he took your words as the joke you intended, letting out a breath when he laughs.

“I bet. Well,” He looks at his watch, a simple silver band that seemed to be engraved. “We should be going. I told my brother we would be there by nine.” You lean over to glance at his watch to see it was only a couple of minutes from nine o’clock, meaning you were running behind.

“I am so sorry.” You apologize as you lean down to pick up your camera bag and backpack, which Namjoon proceeded to take from you and move over to his car, placing them in the trunk.

“Please, Miss Jacquess, do not worry about it. I bet that once my brother sees you, all will be well.” You tilt your head a little at his words, not quite understanding why the sight of you would appease his brother but decided not to think about it.  

Namjoon comes back around when you get close to the car and opens the passenger door for you, his hand resting on the small of your back, sending tingles and other feelings down your spine as he helps you into the car.

When you are buckled, you look up to see him looking towards your home, a small smirk barely visible on his lips. You turn to see what he was looking at only to see your grandmothers small frame peeking through the curtain behind the window facing the garden. Her eyes were hard, but you could see the worry shining through, the fear tugging at her lips as the car was pulling out of your driveway.

“Now, Y/n, my brother can be a bit…boisterous. So, I do apologize in advance.” Namjoon looks away from the road for a quicks second to see a thoughtful look cross your eyes, your fingers tapping against your jean covered thighs.

His own fingers squeeze the material of the steering wheel, the smell of you so intoxicating that he had a hard time controlling himself. It had been years since he had been in such close quarters with you, and he could help but be relieved that this would be the first of many that he would spend in close proximity with you again.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry, Mr. Kim. My uncle can be the same way.” Was your only response. You couldn’t seem to get yourself to focus on anything, like the wind was blowing its song through your ears.

You were having major déjà vu, and it was making your heart race and flutter as you listened to the man driving speak about his property.

When you did finally arrive at the manor, you were quick to notice the tall man leaning against one of the pillars in front of the manor, holding up the beautifully crafted balcony. Your mouth almost dropped in shock as you looked at the man.

He was almost as beautiful as the house itself, the pout on his lips speaking for itself as he begins to walk down the stairs and to the car. As you move to open your door a hand stops you, fingers on top of yours, sparks shooting up your spine as you look into the dark eyes of the man from before.

“A woman should never open her own door.” His voice was soft, as if talking about the breeze blowing through the large pine trees in the front of the property. His gaze was even softer, and reminded you of something with which your brain couldn’t grasp.

“Y/n, this is my brother, Seokjin.” Your mind counted the way he called the man his brother, your soul not buying the relationship said by the man. It didn’t make sense to you. Your hand that was still in his grasp was now held, his hand bringing your hand up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your hand as he looked at you through his lashes.

“Please, dear, call me Jin.”

There it is. Another name that sends shivers down your spine causing you to pull you hand back into your chest, a nervous smile on your lips as the two men glance at each other.

“Alright, Jin. Thank you both so much for allowing me to join you on a tour of your family’s manor.” You push yourself out of the car, not wanting to be enclosed in the space longer than you had to. The day was starting to feel darker than you had hoped, and your mind kept telling you that something deeper was at play here; telling you that you needed to leave while you still could.

Jin could see the difference in you once you heard his voice. He wanted to smirk, the shivers down your spine the only indication he needed that you were back with them. He knew that you were ready, and that you were remembering them slowly.

Only when you stood a couple feet away from them, your camera bag in hand and your backpack on your back, taking photos of the manor did Jin turn to Namjoon.

“You are late.” His tone was clipped as he stared at you, your focus on the manor you didn’t even know was yours.

“I know. I showed up to her having a vision. Her eyes were white and I didn’t want anyone to see it.” Jin’s eyes flashed red for a second before turning to their normal black. He hummed in response, knowing that if the visions were returning this fast and this numerous that the gods truly meant this was their time.

“Eden realized too late that I was there. She peered through the window to see our darling already buckled into my car. I couldn’t help but smirk at her dejection.” They both let out a low laugh at the woman’s own fate being dealt to her.

“She should have known that we would intervene at some point. After pushing you to pursue school elsewhere, finding that stupid witch to place a cloaking spell. Well, it was time.” Jin growled out before shifting his demeaner and moving towards you, Namjoon following suit of his elder mate.

“Alright darling. Are you ready for the tour?”

-*-*-

The manor was beautiful, you couldn’t believe the amount of history you were standing in, contending with the likes of Stonehenge and Athens. There were hundreds of paintings lining the walls, gorgeous landscapes and portraits of probably past family members looking back at you as you walk with Namjoon and Jin, their voices echoing off the same walls.

“Now, Miss Jaquess, the history within these walls is as important to us as the blood within our veins.” Jin spoke softly as he stopped in front of the entryway. You could see a grand piano peeking past one of the walls and grew intrigued. You also noticed a couple of different things.

“This is our legacy.” Jin continued his probably prepared speech as you walked around, feeling Namjoon behind you as you saw the small, full garbage bin that remained next to the couches, their cushions rumpled as if someone was rolling on them. But what caught your eye the most was the fingerprints littering the keys of the piano as you neared closer.

For a vacant historical manor is sure did look lived in. You thought, writing your thoughts down in your notebook as you walked, following Jin as he spoke about the original floorboards that had yet to be restored.

You were at the foot of the grand staircase when you noticed a dark coloring on the floorboards. You stood to take a closer look when your vision blurred again, a quick image of blood spilling and soft moans filling your head before you were standing back up. Namjoon and Jin acted as if they didn’t notice anything, walking up the staircase as you followed suit.

Red eyes peered at you from behind the staircase, longing filling their body as the noticed your vision turn white at the spot where he first tasted your blood, where he first brought you to woes, your fingers curling into his hair. He couldn’t wait until you remembered him, remembered the way you felt about him.

You were welcomed by an opening that held several fainting couches and a nice Victorian rug as the centerpiece.

“This is where our ancestors would rest after their long days, their wife even having these ‘fainting couches’ made so she could loosen her corset.” Namjoon pointed to the layout of the opening before moving down one of the hallways.

The home was large, three separate floors not including the basement or the attic. It was one of the biggest buildings north of Sacramento when built, and it’s legacy continues today. You couldn’t help but be amazed by the history of the manor, hoping that your recorder was capturing each and every detail that both Namjoon and Jin were telling you.

Through the windows on the north corridor you could see the large garden, reds, blues, and purples shining brightly within the sunlight falling onto the property.

“Okay, so I do have some questions that I would like to ask, if that’s okay?” You speak for the first time since the tour began. The boys share another quick glance before Namjoon nods.

“Of course. What tour would this be if there were no questions to be asked.” His words had you calming down a bit.

“Okay. First question. Can you tell me why this manor was nicknamed the ‘Weeping Manor’?” You were still walking as you had your pen pressed to your paper, ready to write down whatever their answer was.

“I think you will actually find the answer within the last room.” Namjoon gestured to Jin who opened the door at the end of the north corridor.

The door opened into a large room, shelves filling the space as you looked towards the right, books with pages spilling out just calling your name as your mouth opened in awe. Right in front of you was a large oak desk, the top of it covered in your books and articles, you could even see some pieces highlighted or underlined as you slowly walked closer.

You felt nervous, the entire atmosphere shifting from joyful and playful to dark and eerie. You turned behind you to question Namjoon or Jin but they were gone. The door now closed and the room’s only light coming from the slightly open shades on the window behind the desk.

Your eyes flittered across the space, looking for the two men who seemingly disappeared into thin air, wanting to leave and be done with the tour.  You didn’t like the feelings you were having, the cold air brushing across your skin coming from nowhere.

“Mr. Kim?” You called out, turning back around to the door only to have your eyes catch sight of a large family portrait.

It was a painting of the property, dating back to 1838 when the manor was originally built, even before the town had an official name and place on the map. Seven men resided in the front of the portrait, sitting and standing in a line just in front of the large pine tree that resided to the right of the men.

You moved forward to get a closer look at the portrait when the tiny description just below caught your eye.

“The Kim Coven. Ca. 1838.”

Coven? What did that even mean? Your confusion didn’t end there but grew into shock and something like horror when you finally looked up to the faces within the portrait.

The man standing within the middle of the painting was a spitting image of the man who gave you the tour. The same man who met you at the local diner and exchanged emails back and forth with you.

To his right, and to your even deeper horror, stood Seokjin, eyes almost staring at your shaking from beneath the paint.

You took a step back, your hand covering your mouth in fear as you tried to back away from the painting when you bumped into someone. A whimper leaving your lips as you tried to quiet your sobs.

“Please…please.” You began to beg, knowing you were done for.  

“Oh, darling. Please don’t cry.” The man behind you coos, a hand moving up to move your hair away from your neck as a small kiss is pressed to your skin.

“You’re finally home.”

“Taehyung, love, I know you’re excited but you’re scaring our baby.” A voice from your left sounds out, the echo of his voice ringing in your ear as the man’s embrace on your abdomen slowly tightens.

“She seems more scared of Namjoon and Jin right now.” The man holding you hums, his nose pressed to the skin of your neck as you try to stop shaking. You couldn’t stop your tears now, even as you tried to force yourself to breath evenly.

“Please, I promise. I won’t say anything. I’ll never come back. I-I won’t write this article. Please.” You plead with the men, seven in all as they begin to move from behind the same shelves you were in awe of earlier.

You felt lied to, like a lion hoping for a meal only to be met with an audience wanting you to jump. Your brain began to connect the dots, pieces coming together that led to this moment.

“The sudden agreement to a meeting.” You begin to voice your thoughts aloud, receiving a humming in approval from Namjoon, who knew what you were doing.

“The table in the corner of the diner, where you didn’t eat anything.” Another hum, this time from the man who spoke to the man behind you.

“Moving the meeting to today instead of after the weekend. Almost like an urgency.” Jin couldn’t help but to roll his eyes at this one, knowing it was your grandmother’s fault for this point, not theirs.

“You knew my name before I even introduced myself. Recognized me despite not knowing what I looked like.” You looked up from the floor to see Namjoon standing in front of you, his portrait figure looking at you from over his shoulder.

“I—I don’t understand.” You let out, your brain missing some pieces still, unable to fully connect the dots. Your brain couldn’t comprehend the outcome without knowing who they were.

“You always were so smart, Y/n. Even then.” Before you could attempt anything else, your vision blurred again, for the third time that day.

“My love, I don’t understand how you can understand all of this.” His hair flew past his shoulders as he playfully threw your anatomy book from your lap. He instead took its place, his head flopping onto the material of your underdress, a smirk aimed at your affronted gaze.

“My love, why don’t you study my body instead?” A pillow hit his face before he could continue. Laughter bubbling from your lips at his scrunched up features. His hair now all over the place as he turned his gaze back to you.

“Oh, Yoongi. If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask.” You leaned down to place your lips on the man’s lips, moving to pull away only for his arms to trap you against him, smiling into your lips.

“Ellie, you are too smart for your own good.”

Your vision returned, this time the men were all stood in front of you, watching your vision return to normal. Your quickly caught sight of the man in your vision, Yoongi, you assumed. You touched your lips as if you could feel his lips, plush against yours.

“Who is Ellie?” Were the only words to leave your lips as sobs started to sound out instead. Their eyes seemed indifferent to your words, despite the sparkle of happiness glittering within.

“You.”

[jade-lop]

Another bittersweet episode.

Shouma’s mother was the major and important influence that prevented Shouma from turning into a dark, anti-hero.

She did not want him to grow up full of resentment, so she likely tried hard to teach him kindness despite their suffering.

For one second, I felt sorry for the twins.

Regardless, even if they grew up loved, they would still looked down on humans.

I could not tell if Lango and the others cared for the twins or not.

I kind of wish Jeep was the one dead. We had too many women died to motivate the male characters and Shiita became one of them. However, if Jeep the one who died, we would get a ‘woman who ignored everything in pursuit of vengeance’ trope instead.

I had a feeling Jeep going to be Bitter Gavv.

I guessed this was the reason why his monster form was a wolf. Gavv carried a subtle canine motif in his design, so it was fitting his dark counterpart was a wolf-themed Granute.

I was right about Shouma’s emotion affecting the power of his Gochizo.

I wondered if his Final Form going to be produced in this way, or he would receive it from external source instead.

Shouma finally got his own proper minions. He finally had a home to return, and a loving person to welcome him back.

Nevertheless, the pain of losing his mother would forever haunted him.

Hurting his siblings hurt Shouma too. But he still choose to protect Sachika and humans from his family. If he fight, he suffered. If he did not fight, he still suffered.

I wondered how Hanto would react when he realised he was indirectly responsible of his mentor’s death. If he was not so obsessed in trying to find the monster who kidnapped his mother, his mentor would have not died so tragically. Then again, originally, Hanto’s pursuit was motivated by a tiny, uncertain hope that his mother could still be alive.

Shouma’s power stemmed from happiness. But the emotion Suga and Orange Stomach stimulated in Hanto was rage and hatred.

I wondered if they were trying to figure out which emotions would produce the best result.

[loveandleases]

I feel like the major difference between Chris and Jade is that Chris was raised to be self centered and narcisitic, and Jade just happened to be that way. Chris feels similar to Jade in the way that they both refuse to take accountability for their actions, but the difference is how they deal with guilt. While Jade simply feels free from guilt since she literally CANNOT fathom ever feeling remorse for something she caused, because in her head, it was inevitable, or facing the consequences of her actions. I feel like Chris sort of expects their consequences in that sense, but is surprised nontheless when they come, they are also very capable of feeling guilt, but like Jade, decides to simply make up reasons in their head the other party is in the wrong, why the other party is inherently worse and whatnot, since that's EXACTLY what they do to Mc's who choose to pursue Cam for example, they refuse to face guilt, or simply feeling bad about something that passed. Chris knows what they do wrong, they just seem like they're in heavy denial, stemmed from the way their parents raised them to be, a perfect angel, unlike Jade who refuses to aknowledge she could ever be a villain in someone else's history, she's not in denial, because denial would imply she realizes what she did wrong.

And i'm not ranting just to make a point about how Jade is worse for possibly having Npd, or how Chris is better because he doesn't and is simply a 'misguided soul'. Nope, i'm not hopping in that bandwagon in which all neurodivergent/people with personality disorders are evil villains who need to be stopped. I'm just pointing out what is, and in the end of the day, they're both awful for what they did with Mc, i just think their egocentric behaviour stems from different places and i'd like to point that out

Thank you for coming to my ted talk, and that was: Chris and Jade slander

Pt 1. here

You would be right in the belief that Chris would/ feel guilt while Jade not so much. There was a scenario ask a bit back that kind of shows that part of Chris, I'll look for it to put it in so others can see the other side. So yeah, Chris was raised that way and others seem to treat them that way to. Very much a golden child. Their behaviors does indeed come from two different places.

[rabbiitte]

Character analysis #2

Ray's Self-Destructive Spiral: Unveiling the Repetition Compulsion.

We previously talked about how Mew can be associated with the idea of "control", today we'll talk about how Ray can be associated with the idea of "repetition". Specially, Ray can be associated to the idea of repetition of traumatic experiences. But “Why would anyone want to repeat a traumatic experience?”, you may ask. I've been asking myself that question since EP2, since that episode contains the bases and fundamentals to understand two of the most complex characters in the series: Top and Ray. However, today we'll concentrate on Ray and his tendency to repeat self-destructive patterns rooted in his mother's death. I'll share with you my study about the repetition compulsion concept within Freud's psychoanalytic theory and how it can be related to Ray. We'll also address the concepts of acting out and transference. This is going to be extensive, but if you are interested, keep reading and join me as I delve into Ray's intricacies!

1. Unearthing the Patterns: Ray's Repetition Compulsion.

We all go back to doing what gives us pleasure. It could be something like watching a movie that makes us happy or something deeper. Do you remember when we talked about Top's need to be rewarded? This repetitive behavior of constantly asking for rewards obeys the need to be recognized and appreciated. When we are rewarded (we get the reward itself but also) we know we did things right and feel appreciated, which provokes pleasure. According to Freud, when we repeat actions/situations/patterns that give us pleasure, the repetition is positive and when we repeat actions/situations/patterns that don't give us pleasure, the repetition is pathological. In the series, pathological repetition can be seen reflected through Ray.

I think the vast majority will agree that Ray's alcoholism takes a new meaning after learning that his mother died from alcohol consumption (and perhaps due to other substances too). Why does Ray repeat his mother's alcoholism if he knows that it led to her death? Why do parents repeat the unhealthy patterns they experienced when they were children? Why an individual tends to choose friends who mistreat him/her after being mistreated? According to the psychoanalytic theory, this is due to the repetition compulsion.

Repetition compulsion: The repetition compulsion is a psychological concept introduced by Sigmund Freud. It refers to a person's tendency to unconsciously repeat past experiences, often traumatic or distressing ones, in their present behaviour or relationships. This repetition can occur despite the individual's awareness that it may not be in their best interest. Freud believed that this compulsion stemmed from an innate drive to master or resolve unresolved issues from the past, even if doing so is painful or self-destructive. The repetition compulsion can influence various aspects of a person's life, including relationships, choices and reactions, often leading to patterns of behaviour that seem illogical or counterproductive.

As stated, the repetition compulsion includes both positive and negative patterns of behaviour. But, when an individual unconsciously reenact harmful or destructive patterns from their past and these repetitions result in negative or harmful outcomes, we're talking about destructive repetition.

Destructive repetition: refers to the repetition of harmful or self-destructive behaviours. This can include self-harm, substance abuse, or engaging in relationships with patterns of emotional or physical abuse. Destructive repetition often reflects unresolved psychological issues and can be an attempt to gain control or find meaning in past experiences.

That's why parents repeat their parents' parenting patterns, to gain control over the traumatic experience. That's why an individual will unconsciously choose friends who mistreat him/her, to gain control over the traumatic experience. And that's why Ray repeats his mother's addiction/s, to gain control over the traumatic experience. Ray's choice to engage in alcohol consumption despite its destructive consequences mirrors the destructive patterns associated with his mother's death. In other words, Ray may be unconsciously repeating the addiction his mother experienced to try to make sense of her death, in a context where he feels a false sense of control over his own alcoholism.

In addition to being a case of destructive repetition compulsion, Ray's repetition could fall into the following categories:

Repetition of Traumatic Events: Individuals may unconsciously recreate or reenact traumatic events from their past in an attempt to master or make sense of them.

Repetition of Self-Sabotage: Some individuals repeatedly engage in self-sabotaging behaviors, such as substance abuse or destructive habits, despite knowing the negative consequences.

Repetition of Childhood Experiences: People may unconsciously repeat patterns or dynamics from their childhood within their adult lives.

Based on the scene of EP4, in which Ray asks Mew if he thinks he'll end up like his mother, I'd say there's a chance Ray is aware of his destructive patterns of behaviour. He has the self-awareness but he doesn't have the will to change. Perhaps because he thinks he deserves it? However, it seems that Ray is still trying to understand and gain control (it's interesting how we always come back to this idea) about his mother's death. At the same time, he seems to be also interested in discovering his role or influence on it.

2. Ray's Inner Turmoil: Acting Out and Suicide Attempt.

The nonverbal way in which the destructive repetition compulsion manifests itself is through acting out.

Acting out: refers to the expression of emotions or internal conflicts through impulsive and disruptive actions rather than expressing them verbally. It can manifest itself in behaviours such as tantrums, defiant behaviour, verbal or physical aggression, or even self-destructive behaviours. "Acting out" is often an attempt to communicate emotional needs that are difficult to put into words, but it manifests itself in disorganized and disruptive ways.

With this in mind, in the opening scene of EP4, the "acting out" would be Ray's impulsive and disruptive action of taking an overdose of pills, which is a self-destructive attempt and a way of expressing his emotional conflicts in a non-verbal way. In that time period, Ray might have been struggling to express his need for affection and his feeling of loneliness, prompting him to act self-destructively. Had he died, he would have died in the same way his mother died: consuming alcohol and drugs.

The moment of acting out shouldn't be confused with the nervous breakdown Ray suffered. Acting out is related to the presence of disruptive behaviours in a nonverbal way as a form of expression of internal conflicts. While the nervous breakdown (in this case, it happens after the acting out moment) is characterized by:

Uncontrollable crying: the person may cry intensely and for a long time without being able to stop.

Feeling of despair: the person may feel overwhelmed by sadness, fear or anxiety, and may think that there isn't a solution to problems.

Loss of emotional control: a person may experience a feeling of emotional lack of control and feel that the emotions are out of reach.

Isolation: The person may withdraw from others and seek solitude as a way to cope with the crisis.

Expression of negative thoughts: the person may express negative thoughts about themselves, such as feeling worthless or guilty.

(a nervous breakdown may include physical symptoms too but only the visible symptoms present in Ray's scene were shared).

This is Ray's way of manifesting his inner conflicts based on unresolved traumatic experiences through destructive behaviour.

3. Ray's Unresolved Emotions: The Impact of Transferential Patterns on Romantic Choices.

Let's keep talking about EP4, but this time focusing on Mew's importance (because it's impossible to talk about Ray without talking about Mew) and this line: “she never hugged me like this, you know?”. According to Ray, in this scene, Mew provided him with something his mom didn't: affection. However, Mew didn't provide that solely in this scene. Mew provides affection, comfort, support, security and discipline on a regular basis to Ray (even today).

These features are typically associated with a mother figure and, as we explained in Mew's analysis, these are features that Mew has. Here the idea of “Ray isn't in love with Mew, he's in love with the idea of Mew” becomes relevant because everything suggests that Ray could be projecting onto Mew the caregiver and support figure role he didn't have in his relationship with his mother. But guess what? Sand also possesses these characteristics.

So it's no accident that Ray becomes romantically involved with the only two people who can provide him with what his mother couldn't, it's a pattern.

This could be Ray's way to look into adult relationships for what may have been missing in his relationship with his mother during childhood. This kind of search for relationships that fill emotional voids from the past is a common element in the transference theory in psychoanalysis.

Transference: refers to the reactivation and projection of unconscious feelings, desires and attitudes towards an authority figure or significant person in an individual's life. This often occurs when an individual develops strong feelings, positive or negative, toward their therapist or significant person, which are actually related to important figures from their past, such as parents, siblings, or significant others.

It's possible that Ray, with time and personal work, may come to terms with the fact that his unmet needs are, in fact, unmet needs. This would be an important step towards emotional maturation.

The emotional maturation process involves recognizing and addressing past emotional wounds, learning how to healthily meet emotional needs, and developing more balanced and fulfilling relationships. This may require therapy, self-reflection, and self-work. Each person has their own rhythm in this process, but awareness and the desire for change are positive steps towards emotional maturity.

However, as long as Ray doesn't stop projecting his unconscious feelings onto his partners, he may continue to experience difficulties in his relationships. Ray's relationships may be threatened by instability and unhealthy attitudes (like codependency) as a result of expectations and unresolved needs that can be difficult to fully satisfy through partners.

It's possible to interpret that Ray is trapped in behavioural and emotional patterns that reflect unresolved wounds from his childhood. His constant search for mother figures in his romantic interests and the repetition of these patterns could indicate that he's struggling to overcome his childhood trauma and feels trapped in his emotional childhood. It's as if Ray is frozen in time, still searching for answers about his mother's death and the affection he lacked as a child.

If you liked this analysis and want to read more, click here to read Mew's analysis.