#a lot of things I liked; a some things I disliked

[drdemonprince]

if sex is no big deal and just a normal thing like having dinner with someone, how do you square that with the belief that children can't consent to sex? Like idk this whole thing of "sex is a normal act like any other and we shouldn't treat it differently" makes me soo uncomfortable because i feel like it's really obviously not in a lot of situations? Otherwise what's the difference between being told by my boss to have lunch with one of our prospective clients being told by my boss to blow one of our prospective clients? :/

let's take your dinner example to its logical conclusion, because you are on to something here, but I don't think quite in the way that you think.

children are forced to eat food that they this really dislike (due to sensory issues, allergies, or just run of the mill unfamiliarity) quite regularly by their caregivers. they are also sometimes denied the right to eat because they didn't behave the way their caretakers liked, and sent to bed hungry, or barred from eating food that they can handle, and instead left to go hungry because they won't eat food they can't handle.

treatment like this causes a lot of food issues and trauma to children. It exacerbates eating disorders and erodes a child's sense of their own body autonomy. It can also cause children to have nutritional issues and a scarcity mentality around food that can be really damaging to them.

similarly, people are forced to share meals with people who they are viscerally uncomfortable around all the time too, often to extreme negative effects. employees are forced to sit down with clients who debase them or harass them. Young people in particular are forced into sharing tables with relatives who have crossed their boundaries, insulted them, abused them, bullied them, and whom they want nothing to do with. people in recovery from eating disorders are surrounded by co-workers, family members, or friends at meal times who speak about calories and weight loss and comment on their own bodies and other people's bodies in incredibly invasive and triggering ways that often make them feel way worse, and make taking care of their own bodies far more difficult.

when a powerful institution wants to exert control over other people, they also often do so using food. prisoners are given almost no control over the kind of food they eat, and are often given very low quality food that is in a disgusting condition, or that violates their own nutritional requirements or religious beliefs. patients in hospitals and in mental institutions are also subjected to such treatment, and people in poverty are expected to eat anything that they are given without complaint. It is an extension of their dehumanization to control and limit the kinds of food they're allowed to access, and how and when they are permitted to eat.

each of these experiences surrounding food can be incredibly violating and harmful. food is quite frequently a tool of control and abuse. yet it is not because there is some magical quality to food or to dinners that make them uniquely fraught with the potential for trauma. these experiences are traumatic because they involve a violation of a person's body autonomy, and a lack of social power.

sex isn't any different from dinner. we just have a series of cultural beliefs surrounding it that make the pressure involving sex something that's both a lot more acknowledged, and mostly encountered in the private realm.

Sex is treated as an almost magical thing, at once both sinister and sacrosanct, and so people are primed to see the potential for harm in it, and it is frequently used as a tool for harming people because it is so loaded, but that doesn't mean there aren't abuses involving every other mundane human activity that we simply are conditioned to ignore because doing so is so normal.

People's body autonomy surrounding food is violated traumatically all the fucking time. unfortunately because we consider dinner to be a neutral activity and sex to be this incredibly fraught and almost magical one, we ignore the massive amounts of coercion, pressure, and violation surrounding food.

your boss shouldn't be able to force you to get dinner with someone. and people are uncomfortable with discussions about body autonomy that neutralize sex, because it forces them to confront how little freedom we actually have in every facet of our lives.

[summertimesadnessirl]

Do you ever think about the fact that hurricanes and blizzards and rolling blackouts shut down the power in hospitals all the time and solar panels are getting cheaper all the time?

Do you ever think about how if your average guy cosplaying as a farmer doing a podcast with his wife cosplaying as a pioneer housewife can afford a backup generator, hospitals that charge people $2000 for aspirin or whatever can probably afford backup generators?

Specifically I think a lot about what I would do if I was the ghost of J Edgar Hoover running the country via a ouija board. It is both my hobby and my curse. Keeps me up at night.

One of the things I think about a lot is that if you want to keep people from doing a violent revolution and you think a violent revolution is probable based on your strategy of governance but you also don't want to change said strategy, you can do things like make sure that a lot of people would die during a violent revolution.

When I was a kid I had this boyfriend who listened to audio books all the time, and Michael Moore was super popular then. He did this group of letters from soldiers and other government workers that he thought were relevant. I forget if it was a book or just a collection.

One of the letters was from a guy who was in the Army Corps of engineers, and he was super pissed that he had just learned about the Marshall Plan and that he was stuck rebuilding infrastructure in Afghanistan and Iraq instead of using it to rebuild infrastructure in the USA after Hurricane Katrina. He was watching TV

Whenever I see posts like yours, I think of that guy. And I think if I was the ghost of J Edgar Hoover trying to force everyone to keep doing homophobic anti communism American post war atomic cargo cultism forever, I would definitely not want a sustainable power grid which supported itself and I definitely wouldn't make laws requiring all the flat roofed hospitals, schools, prisons, etc. To have solar panels and backup generators. I definitely would try to make sure that most citizens who weren't weird right wing wannabe militia members would lose power in the event of a violent revolution and that the power grid had many easy points of failure that could be sabotaged or blown up and blamed on people I wanted the people to dislike in the event of an uprising.

The idea of a power grid that rarely ever went down because home owners associations required flat roofed homes to have solar panels on them, or local ordinances required big box stores owned by multi national chains to use their flat roofs to generate power and sell back the surplus to the local grid would keep me up at night in sweats.

So... I mean... just saying. Maybe the people responsible for the deaths of those people are actually the ones who keep killing green energy initiatives dead and not the members of your local guerilla force.

But if you don't believe it, you could support one of the movements to train street medics for protests in some sort of initiative to collect and distribute various emergency power banks that could be used to sustain life support machines for people who needed medical care and also attempt to get your local government to support backup generators and solar panels on your local hospitals in case of natural disasters. Idk about where you live, but where I live all the hospitals have flat roofs. There's not really any compelling reason not to slap a solar panel on top of em.

I think a lot about how, if the glorious violent revolution happens, every kid with significant medical needs in a hospital where power gets cut will die.

You can decide you're willing to sacrifice your own life, but you don't get to tell everybody else on the planet that they're acceptable collateral damage.

[justforyourlovee]

Astrology observation -1-

Buy me a coffee (tip)

₊˚⊹ People with Leo Mercury are very straightforward in expressing what they want to say. You will always find them leading something even more so than Aries Mercury individuals because while Aries Mercury handles leadership with aggression, Leo Mercury shine when they speak their mind.

₊˚⊹ Having Capricorn, Sagittarius, and Scorpio in the same chart will create a person that can basically make people hate being around them. Sorry for that, but I’ve met a lot of people with these placements, and it's always the same. They are pessimistic in a sense, blunt, and emotionless, and they want everything to go their way like a 'my way or the highway' type of person. At first, people may fear them, but over time, that fear starts to turn into a dislike for being around them because they tend to release a lot of negative energy at some point. And let’s be honest no one wants to be around negativity.

₊˚⊹ A Cancer with prominent Gemini placements is the definition of a '1000-face' person, frr. These individuals manipulate situations in the worst way possible, especially when combined with Mars energy (Aries and Scorpio placements). They can be superficial and always look for a way out of a problem by playing the victim. The wildest part? They lie and actually believe their own lies. For example, if they stole something and sensed people were suspicious, they would cry their way out of it and genuinely convince themselves they didn’t do it. On the bright side, they’d make great actors.

₊˚⊹ 12th house placements are naturally drawn to solitude, but they have an incredible depth of spirituality. As someone with Moon-Jupiter in the 12th house, I find it fascinating how in tune these individuals are with the unseen. They have a unique ability to perceive things clearly, if that makes sense. If you're ever going through tough times and need deep, insightful advice, you’re better off seeking someone with strong 12th house placements they just know things in a way others don’t.

₊˚⊹ Make sure to pay close attention to which planet conjuncts your Saturn that's your biggest karmic lesson. For example, if you have Mercury conjunct Saturn, you may struggle with expressing your thoughts and communicating effectively, often feeling stuck. Writing might become a useful outlet for you. Also, consider the sign where this conjunction occurs. If it's in Cancer, for instance, you might find it difficult to express your emotions and may fear hurting others with your words, causing you to hold back.

₊˚⊹ People with Taurus Venus love being spoiled they thrive on luxury and comfort. Nothing makes them happier than a partner who treats them, whether it’s paying for a meal or gifting them something nice. They see it as a sign of love and security.

₊˚⊹ Having Moon square Venus is really tough, whether in a man's or a woman's chart. In a man's chart, it indicates that the vision of the woman he wants as his wife is so different from what he wants in a girlfriend, which can eventually lead to cheating. In a woman's chart, it's like she can't express her feminine energy in a way that truly satisfies her she may want one thing but need something different, leaving her stuck between her emotional needs and what she wants in a relationship.

[temporarywelcome]

A Bit of Lunch and Thievery - Spencer Reid

REQUESTED!

The Request: HI! I have a request: What if, kleptomaniac!reader has lunch with spencer at the BAU and keeps yapping loudly about her interests (or her job) and she keeps like taking things from his desk and he keeps slapping her hand away (perchance cameo of some amused BAU members?) -anonymous

CW: light swearing, a suggestive comment, klepto!reader, technically part of my "Smooth Criminal" series but each part can be read as standalone

AN: sorry I was gone for so long lmao lacrosse, school, and depression is rough. also does anyone else struggle writing fics when they're down bad for someone? anywayyyy-

_______

Words: 1.3k

It was a normal day at the BAU office. 

Well, obviously not a normal day considering they were even at the office and not on a jet across the country. The BAU was having a mysteriously mundane day full of filling out and organizing paperwork, so normal and boring that it was almost odd to them.

Of course, the peace had to end eventually. 

Spencer Reid’s phone rang, and he was fishing it out of his pocket immediately. The ringtone for this contact was different from the default ringtone that came with the device, different from the ringtone literally every other contact had. She had took the time to download the ringtone herself, stating he should always know when she was calling him because she was oh-so important.

Well, to him, she was. 

“Hello?” he said simply, leaning back in his chair. He could see Prentiss seated at her desk, JJ standing over her with a coffee complaining about some over-the-top thing her son, Henry, had done the night prior. 

“Hey, babe!” his girlfriend, Y/N, chirped on the other line. She was always so chipper, always so energetic. He was not. 

“You know I’m at work, right?” he deadpanned, though the corners of his lips curled ever so slightly. He could never be stone-faced when talking to her. 

She was used to his dry tone, not acknowledging it, “Why, yes, I do. Now let me in, I brought you lunch,”

Instantly, his eyes brightened, “Wait, you’re outside right now?”

“Mhm. Now let me in before the food gets cold.” 

Within the next six minutes and seventeen seconds, Spencer was back at his desk, but this time, with his lovely girlfriend seated next to him. He quietly ate the Spanish food she had bought as she spoke about her day. It was only 1 p.m., and he was sure she woke up extremely late, but, not to his surprise, she had a lot to say. A lot to say, despite the fact her day consisted of waking up and driving to get Spanish food and visiting him. 

“...yeah, I think we should get a dog,” Y/N said after explaining her run-in with a woman and her large doberman. Being herself, upon seeing the doberman running dead at her, instead of running away, Y/N had opened up her arms excitedly to hug the beast. 

She was lucky it was a nice doberman. 

“A dog?” Spencer’s brows furrowed as he contemplated the idea, “I don’t know…” 

“Well why not?” she pouted, and, not to his surprise, snatched the stapler from his desk. 

“Because I’m barely home,” he replied, gripping her wrist (a reflex at this point), other hand plucking the stapler from her and placing it back where it was before. “You’d be the one taking care of it the most, and that’s not fair.”

“Hmph,” her eyes darted to the stapler again then back to her rice, “I wouldn’t mind,”

Her hand reached for the stapler again and he gently slapped it, not even acknowledging it. See, his beautiful, wonderful girlfriend had her issues. Main issue being her diagnosed kleptomania, a condition that gave her uncontrollable urges to steal objects, no matter how useless and unneeded. 

Like the stapler which she kept eyeing. 

Upon his team finding out about her and her condition, they were all incredibly iffy on her, except Garcia, who was the one who uncovered everything anyway. One by one, Y/N was able to get the approval of each teammate, even Rossi, who had disliked her the most. 

He still didn’t trust her very much, but the rest of the team found her antics quite amusing. 

“Yes you would,” he told her, taking a sip of his drink, “You’d be fine with it for the first month or so, but then you would start getting annoyed with me and telling me I should be helping you take care of our son or daughter or whatever you would like to call it,”

Y/N paused, knowing he was 100% correct. Especially about the son or daughter part. “I think I’m more of a boy mom,” 

“Ignoring the point, I see,”

“Shut up,” she grumbled. 

“Hey, Reid, good afternoon Reid’s girl,” Morgan greeted with his usual smirk, a decent-sized stack of papers in hand, “Food looks good,”

“It is,” Spencer confirmed. Morgan plopped the papers down onto the genius’ desk. “Did you know there are over one hundred, twenty thousand varieties of rice- Y/N,” he slapped a hand down onto the stack of papers as Y/N went to snatch it up. “No,” 

“Sorry,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“You are way too fun and entertaining to want to read those,” Morgan joked before deciding to leave back to his own desk. 

“Yeah…” she muttered, bringing her hand up to bite her thumb nail nervously, “Way too fun and enter….” she trailed off, Spencer picking up his pen in time before she could snag it. “Shit,” she placed her hands onto her lap, “Maybe I should go…”

“No no no,” Spencer took her hands into his own like he always did when she was getting her urges, “I’m happy you visited me. Stay a little longer,”

“I am a kleptomaniac in a federal building, this was a bad idea,” 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, that’s what I’m here for,” he gave her hands a gentle squeeze, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll make sure you don’t leave with anything,”

“A klepto dating a federal agent is so ironic,” she chuckled humorlessly, “How do you deal with me?”

“I don’t deal with you, I don’t tolerate you,” he replied, “Because you’re my girlfriend and I love you. I’m simply with you, because of the fact I love you,” 

“Don’t talk to me like that, I’ll fuck you,” she huffed, pulling her hands away while blushing red. 

“You did not just say that at my place of work,” he gasped, now blushing as well. He swiftly looked around to see if any of his coworkers were listening. He was sure every single one of them were, considering how nosy they were when it came to his relationship.

“Your fault, don’t talk to me like that,”

“Don’t talk sweetly to my girlfriend?” 

“Makes me all blushy and giggly,” she shrugged, beginning to smile as she looked away. 

“I’ll talk to you like one of your directors, I suppose,” Spencer teased gently. Y/N was an incredibly strong dancer, and had her experiences with rude and stress-inducing directors. 

She rolled her eyes and laughed, “I’ll kill myself,” Her eyes met his and she giggled softly, leaning in for a quick kiss, which he returned happily. 

“They’re so cute,” JJ told Prentiss fondly, taking a sip of her coffee, “They’re really good for each other,”

“They are,” Prentiss agreed with a nod and smile, “They’re the kind of people who you would least expect get together, but it just makes sense when they do,” 

At that moment, Hotch entered, a stressed look on his face. JJ and Prentiss exchanged looks, already thinking it was time to pack for a new case. 

Instead, he simply asked, “Has anyone seen my ID?”

Agent Aaron Hotchner? Losing his ID? Something so important, belonging to someone so aware and responsible? A completely out-of-character thing for him to do-

“Uh,” Y/N cleared her throat awkwardly, giving Spencer a knowing look. 

With a sigh, Spencer held out a hand, allowing her to drop Hotch’s ID into it.

[voxslays]

Hello! I absolutely love ur fics and headcannons and I have a request! It’s optional obvi I’m not forcing. Can you make an Alastor smut/nsfw alphabet?

ALASTOR NSFW ALPHABET

Warnings: Power play, breeding kink (during ruts), mention of ruts & mating season, smut, AFAB!Reader. A/N: Probably no more Hazbin fics for a while—maybe not even until season two releases. I just don’t really care about the show anymore—my hyperfixation has ended (and moved to another fandom…but we don’t talk about that!). I just feel no motivation to write for Hazbin anymore. There hasn’t been any content from Vivzie in months either. I’m sorry.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

✮ Somewhat good? He will run you a bath and clean you off, but that’s about it.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)

✮ I don’t think Alastor would have a favorite body part on himself. For you though? Your pretty little neck. He just loves biting and sucking on it.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

✮ Don’t let his fast pace fool you—you’re probably Alastor’s first partner ever. He may not have a lot of experience, but he’s damn good at what he does know how to do.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

✮ Doggy style. He likes the power dynamics.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

✮ Might crack a deer themed dad joke, but besides that, no.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

✮ I think Alastor would have a tough time expressing his emotions to a partner, and during sex it’s no different. He shows you through his actions, not his words.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

✮ Absolutely not. Unless it’s during one of his ruts. If you can’t help him, you’d best believe he’s jerking off in the swamp pocket dimension in his room.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

✮ Power play. Breeding kink (only during his ruts though—otherwise, the thought of reproducing and creating little brats repulses him).

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

✮ The bedroom.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

✮ Prefers to give. He loves tasting your sweet sweet juices.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

✮ Very fast and rough. You and Alastor don’t have intercourse (as he likes to call it) very often, but when you do—you can’t walk for a few days.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

✮ Heavily dislikes them. If you’re going to do it, why not do the full thing?

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

✮ 3-4 rounds. If he’s on his rut though…? However many rounds you can fit into 72 hours (because that’s how long deers mate for some reason??? Like what?? 😭)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

✮ Prefers not to use them on you or himself.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

✮ Will tease you with his fingers and tongue only a little bit. Doesn’t want you to suffer too much while waiting for his cock, unless you’ve been a brat and need to be retaught how to behave.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

✮ Very very low. For nine months of the year, you two fuck once in a blue moon. However, during the fall? Basically every day. Alastor needs you to help with his rut, afterall!

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

✮ Sleep…what’s that?

[witchthewriter]

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤.

⤷ female, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: The reader is Daemon's daughter

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

𝑫𝒂𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏

・He would have a very layered reaction.

・If the match was for political reasons, then he would be happy/fine with this outcome. Because House Stark have a lot of value as an ally.

・However, if Daemon's daughter were to marry Cregan because she loves him - then he would be happy for his daughter...possibly tease her for it.

"Dragons are not meant for snow ..." he might say at the dinner table one night.

・Either way, Daemon would find it difficult to let his daughter go. Because of his pride and his possessive nature, he wouldn't like to see his kin be so far away from him.

・Which means ...he'd have a lot more trips to Winterfell. To House Stark's dismay.

・There’s a large chance - almost a certainty that Daemon would challenge Cregan in some way. Possibly through a couple of ways; combat, wits or intimidation. All of it is to test if Cregan is worthy of his daughter.

𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒚𝒓𝒂

・Unlike Daemon's reaction, Rhaenyra would be more diplomatic and thoughful in her response

・No matter how the marriage came about; it still solidifies the Stark's alliance. And therefore, she would fully support it.

・Rhaenyra would admire Cregan. For his honour, his strength and would entrust him to take care of her.

・She would be like the rest of the family - mourning the distance. The North is far, it is cold and very harsh.

・She would give some advice though:

"The North is not like the South. It is harsh and unforgiving. But if anyone can tame a Stark, it is you, my love."

𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒆

・When he first heard the news, he would nod and instantly be on board.

・Jace has already started looking at the world as a political landscape, and having his sister and dragon be linked to the North would greatly benefit both his mother and his reign.

・Since both Jace and Cregan have already bonded; they have a friendship due to the Pact of Ice and Fire. So, Jace would be the most supportive of the match.

・Jace would definitely laugh and clap Cregan on the back.

・He'd tease his sister, but also remind her to be careful.

・But Jace is very protective of his family and would no doubtedly threaten Cregan with brotherly protectiveness.

"If she is unhappy, Stark, no pact between our houses will protect you from my wrath."

𝑩𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒂

・You're her sister (doesn't matter if she and Rhaena are your full blood or not; they love you all the same.)

・She would have the strongest reaction. You and the Dragon Twins are very close.

・Baela's first words would be a shocked laugh and a witty, "My dear sister? In the North? Oh, what have they done to you?"

・If the match was political, she might dislike it, believing a dragon should not be 1. so far from family 2. in the cold

・HOWEVER, if her sister chose Cregan, Baela would support her 100% Much like her father...she might even threaten Cregan at the wedding, "Break her heart, Stark, and I will burn Winterfell to the ground."

・She would miss her sister terribly, I'd say they are both free-spirited, and the idea of being tied to a Stark's duty-bound world might feel like a loss.

・But in the end, Baela would support her. She’d promise to visit, and she’d make damn sure her sister never felt alone.

𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒂

・Lovely Rhaena, would be a bit more wistful.

・At the moment she struggles with finding her own place. So, seeing her sister married to a strong and honorable man, would give her conflicting emotions.

・Although she would do her best to give you a smile and hug, you would feel her drift from you a little

・Rhaena would envy you, while still wishing her sister happiness.

・And yet, she would be the person who sends you letters and updates you on all things while you're gone.

・She would gift you a figurine of a dragon and a wolf, to show that she holds no ill will and wishes you the happiest of lives.

𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒚𝒔

・Rhaenys would be the most practical

・Seeing this as a great alliance

・And would watch Daemon closely for how he reacts - because if he does not like it, then it will not go to plan

・Rhaenys might have even had a hand in bringing you two together

・As a person, she respect strong yet honorable men.

・Knowing you would be safe due to your dragon but also Cregan; that would make her see that the war can be won.

・She would sit you down and give you some harsh yet wise truths.

"You are not marrying the court. You are marrying the North. It will demand things of you that no Southern woman can teach you."

"Never let the wolves forget you are a dragon."

[thatone16216]

The few reader-inserts I've tried writing and have saved drafts always have a sprinkle of my personality in it. Mostly in terms of humor and how they get along with the people around them. I do that for every character I write, whether it be a reader-insert, OC, or an actual fandom character (though obviously I keep the fandom character true to their actual canon self it's more just some reactions to things and such), but I've been told I have a big personality, and there are so many layers to it that I sprinkle small bits of my own self in depending on the story and who the character is.

My first story I wrote (and so far the only one I've completed) was a Slytherin fanfiction. The OC was named Sabrina, and the way I had made the group of people she was friends with act and associate with each other was a lot like how I myself had acted with a group of friends I had a while ago.

I have a Eustass Kid x reader book in the works, but I'm trying to figure out how to give the reader a likable personality and make her into your average girl, both with physical descriptions and how I describe their extracurriculars and likes/dislikes. Girl is a rich cheerleader who wants to be more than just a rich cheerleader kind of thing. Reader is honestly, right now, a basic white girl and I'm trying to change that because I know that's probably not what most people want to read.

Even recently I read a one shot that was Katsuki Bakugo x Reader and the trait of the reader and the plot point of that story was that the (female) reader is afraid of horror movies and Bakugo comforted her. There was so much hate aimed at the fact that the reader was made to be afraid of the movie even though that was literally the entire point of the story. I honestly felt bad for the author at that point with how much hate I was seeing. Especially because even though it may not have identified with everyone, I identified with it, especially as someone who hates horror movies 😂

Its honestly kind of what makes me occasionally turn a x Reader story into a X OC story because I begin to turn the reader into a version of a person that not everyone would like. I write one-shots that are x Reader and they're generally well-received, but there have been a few people who have told me that the version of the reader I wrote is inaccurate and I may as well make them a whole different character because it is so off from that specific person (even though these one shots were either something I came up with while bored or something someone suggested to me)

Came across another post that talked about reader inserts needing to be a blank slate. So after blocking said user I have things to think about and say hmm.

[mismatched-ideas]

Okay. So I don't think this is going to be groundbreaking for anyone, but I need to get the thoughts out of my head.

I, like everyone, loved this so much:

But, it has made me think too hard about Shin's need for attention and validation.

The "you're actually pretty useful" line is obviously a sign that for the first time, at least in a while, someone is praising Shin for his telepathy. I'd be willing to bet we'll get more of that in future chapters.

We know from earlier that at this point, he really dislikes his ability even though when he was younger, he insisted Asakura shouldn't be upset about Shin's powers.

(That said, I think there could be some retconing happening here since I don't think the ages would match up, but Suzuki didn't give a specific timeline for the scenes in the lab flashback, so I could be reading it wrong. It's been 11 years, though, so Asakura also could not have a perfect memory/be condensing things. Regardless....)

My read on him saying "aren't you even happy about it" and "your research isn't stupid" to Asakura is not just because he's always supported his research, but also because now his wanting to reverse it feels like there was something wrong with him. What it seems like he's really saying is "aren't you even happy to have me around" and "I'm not stupid."

He's also a kid who obviously wants attention. Growing up as the only kid in a lab of adult scientists probably had something to do with that. Then, on top of that, there's the alienation because of his telepathy.

I feel like younger Shin, to some extent, didn't really think that a blood relation was the only person who could accept him. More, I think he convinced himself of that after feeling rejected by the people in the lab.

Like, talk about attention seeking behavior. He tries to provoke a reaction from Sakamoto any way he can, even if he fully expects that reaction to be negative. I'm sure in his time away from the lab his alienation and loneliness has only grown given he now has nobody.

But he doesn't get any negative reactions from Sakamoto which, at first, frustrates him. But, that then leads to the greater satisfaction of the positive reaction he receives later.

Before that can happen, though, he finally finds his father. At first, he acts like he doesn't even know who Shin is.

If this panel didn't absolutely crush you, I don't know what to say.

Then Sakamoto rescues him and even though his thoughts reveal he wasn't thinking that was (that said, we know Sakamoto, and seemingly other skilled assassins, can pretty easily hide his thoughts from Shin, so who knows if that was just him trying to remain detached) I think for Shin, it was still a meaningful connection, something he hadn't had in a while.

Now! My point to this is, for me, it really recontextualizes a lot of Shin's actions in the present.

He craves attention and validation. Not just from Sakamoto Taro, either.

When he feels he isn't useful enough, he apologizes.

There are definitely more recent examples of this, too, but I need to stop taking screenshots at some point.

All of this culminates into what I think is even sadder upon second reading, when Sakamoto tries to go to Thailand alone.

He is so hurt by this. But even after Aoi has to help Sakamoto realize he's just scared of losing the people he cares about (again), Shin still feels bad, like he did something wrong.

He's still such a kid, looking for validation from the father/older brother figure he's wanted his whole life.

I could go on about how I think there's something to the idea that being a telepath from such a young age could also mess up someone's ability to judge other people's feelings. After all, outside of people like Sakamoto and Nagumo, Shin has no trouble knowing what the person is feeling.

My final thought is, given all of this, my heart is breaking thinking about Shin first learning Sakamoto has retired and, it seems, disappeared. How much did he know? Did Sakamoto leave any note? He's not the most emotionally developed person (I mean, he had no parents and it seems like he was basically raised to be an assassin, so I don't blame him). Not to mention he would've been wary of creating connection and so, consciously or not, may have downplayed his and Shin's relationship.

Shin would've been 15 or 16 when Sakamoto retired. Can you imagine how that must have felt? I'll just remind you of this:

I'd be willing to bet Shin blamed himself when Sakamoto retired. After all, what did his dad say?

Why did he leave the lab?

And, in the end?

[scaramionee]

A long rant about something that's been eating my mind from the inside out so here we go (TW: Might be Controversial)-

Sometimes, I'm just very normal about James Potter and Lily Evans but then I'm not. So growing up, I watched the hp movies first so I never quite had any interest in their relationship, they just seemed like a tragic straight relationship to me so I never bothered with it. But then I read the books and I went immediately like this- "No wonder James Potter worshipped Lily Evans, I would too." Like, this woman is the legit reason why the whole harry potter thing started, and to see the fact that most of the time she's just blatantly ignored or being stripped out of her original identity to be a strong independent lesbian (I don't have any problem with her sexuality, people can imagine her with whomever they like but it kind of ridicules Lily's motherhood in some way) who absolutely either hates James Potter or Insults him for fun just bcz he has a crush on her or being a side chick for James's steamy cheating romance flings hurts me more than I think it should.

I get it, the marauders fandom wholly embraces the fanon so dearly to them like a warm blanket because of many obvious reasons, but sometimes I think we just totally miss the point of this whole franchise. It's obvious that jkr sucks at writing romances which is why most people don't get the spark of canon ships like romione, hinny and remadora but completely missing the point about Lily being a mother figure in Harry's life and as a lover figure in James's life truly pisses me off a lot. Even though everybody is allowed to dislike certain ships because not everybody has the same taste, but I think we miss the fact that Lily was always more than just a mother and a wife in a way that molded her into what she wanted to be.

The reason why I'm completely enamored by Jily is not because it's just a canon ship which literally started Harry Potter, but because the way Lily Evans just had an effect on everyone who crossed their paths with her. Professor Slughorn himself was so besotted with her, Professor Minerva McGonagall teared up at the news of her departing because who wouldn't like her? She's so brave, so full of joy and laughter that she always forgot her own pain in favor of sucking the pain out of another. James was indeed quite taken aback by her beauty and charm, but I'd like to think it developed into something more after seeing the way she treated her close individuals. Lily was the younger sibling, and because she was a witch, she constantly faced harsh behaviors from her elder sister for being a "freak" according to her sister's standards. She may have had an inferiority complex, and she also hanged out a lot with snape, despite facing discriminations in Hogwarts for being friends with a half-blood poor Slytherin. She was willing to change snape, always defending him left and right but it never worked out in the end. Which left her feeling very defeated, she gave up because she felt like she was not worth it, maybe those bullies were right and she really was just a mudblood. And James, developing a crush on her while continuously harassing snape didn't help either. But if we analyze James's character, knowing that he literally took in Sirius just so that he could escape his abusive family, he knew that Lily was downrightly getting used and snape was taking advantage of her kindness and her stubbornness, he knew it because Sirius was in Lily's place once too, always constantly reminded of how they were never enough, so he wanted to save her ( in his own pathetic loser way ofc ) I think there are many hints of Lily noticing James quite a lot because if you really claimed to hate your enemy then why were you so bloody obsessed with the way how their hair looked like after playing quidditch hmmm 🤨🤨

But not just that, let's also talk about how she literally single handedly MADE THE JAMES POTTER, the absolute arrogant toe-rag quit bullying and hexing people for fun, knowing that he's been like this for the most of his life, but he decided to change for her just like a snap of a finger! Not only that, but she also quickly befriended Sirius in a way that he literally turned out to be her future son's Godfather and the secret keeper. The absolute hold she had on the marauders really needs to be studied!

The love James and Lily had for each other was an act of rebellion in it's own way, because back in that time, muggleborns were seen as scums of the earth and inferior to the wizarding society. But James literally went against every single pureblood tradition just to be with someone he loves and believes with his whole heart. That was always the main point. The reason why both of them were so cherished. He literally went up against Voldemort without a wand not just because of his son, but also for Lily, who he absolutely trusts with his whole life, the only person worth loosing the pureblood title for, the only person worth taking the risk of taking the Avada curse to his heart, he just loved her so beautifully, just like the way she always deserved. And Lily, oh lily, always saw the good in everyone, but saw the best in James, decided to sacrifice her life for their one and only son out of pure love and devotion. And the sacrificial love was so strong that the strongest dark wizard of all time succumbed to his own curse and it tore apart a piece of his soul in revenge of separating the two soulmates whom were always destined to find each other and get woven together in every single timeline. It changed the tide of the entire war. She ended it single handedly.

Yes, she was depicted as a girl who was just a close friend of snape, as a sister who's facing discriminations from her own elder sister's profound jealousy, as a lover and wife of James Potter, as a mother of Harry Potter- the boy who lived. But I think there's so much beauty in every single role she was depicted in. It gives us a glimpse of how much impact she had on everybody around her, how much she meant dear to everybody who cared for her, of how much diverse and forgiving person she was, of the way she was always a reassuring shadow around harry even though she was no longer present in the mortal world. No, motherhood doesn't make her one dimensional or boring, it only enhances her ability of loving people the way they deserve. It makes her so complex, but so powerful at the same time. She was a proud mother, and a lover, a friend, and a woman.

Lily Evans, what an absolute Goddess you were. And you'll always be. No other fictional character ever had a hold so strong on me the way she has.

[draw-n-vent-with-imani]

Dammit, this resurfaced again and I wanted to hold off on mentioning something before I write my essay on peatb but to hell with it-

Part 1: A Positive Feedback Loop

PEatB set itself up to fail the second Elmyra was made to be their human companion. I'm not saying this because I dislike her character (I didn't watch Tiny Toons); I'm saying this because I would have killed for a show that threw a y/n character and just went all the way with it.

Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtually effectively does the same thing, having you inserted into the dynamic of 2 already established characters, and I have a soft spot for the game because it at least tried to make some kind of chemistry between the three of them.

What I believe a lot of people have a problem with is character interactions in peatb. A positive feedback loop forms whenever a third character is introduced into the scene and I'm gonna dig into it here:

Brain is unhappy with their situation,

Pinky doesn't mind it all too much because he gets to play and this annoys Brain,

Elmyra comes in and plays with them and this infuriated Brain, therefor leading him to hate his situation even more.

Most people are not happy when they watch a character get punched down for not real reason other than "that's the show".

Here is what could have happened to prevent this:

Brain is unhappy with his situation

Pinky/Elmyra try to cheer him up by showing how he can improve his situation

Brain gets inspired to make a plan

The plan fails but Brain gains a new experience, so the whole ordeal wasn't a total loss (Think of "Yule Be Sorry" as a slightly passable example of this)

I understand the reason for reverting back to a status quo but there is no reason a main character can't still learn something and apply it in future episodes.

Part 2: Insert Character Name Here!

This realistically should have been my dream series. Do you know how many times I've inserted myself into world domination schemes?

Fans would have eaten this up if the human character being inserted was someone relatable. Have the girl still be a kid. She can even still be an animal lover. But make her vulnerable in a way that Pinky and Brain can see and help with. They can occasionally help with homework. They can use her in plans that require the height or an extra hand. I know some of y'all liked Brain having softy moments in the og, spin-off, AND the reboot; there could have been some in here where he helps teach a life lesson (He's pretended to be a teacher so many times and loves explaining shit, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HIS ELEMENT!)

And like @xalodaxa mentioned, it could be a season long arc. They stay with girl, improve both of each other's lives to a certain extent, and then depart having changed over the course of the season. For Brain, it could be as simple as having more plans to revamp the educational system when he takes control. I suppose Pinky doesn't usually have to change much, maybe just opening up more about how he feels or something. And the girl is overflowing with confidence in herself.

Conclusion

Executives dropped the ball with this one and it left the writers unable to put much into salvaging the concept. It didn't have to be this way.

So in the end, we're left with this sad, annoying show that could have taken the mice in an experimental direction.

I am planning on writing a essay on the entirety of the series and will hopefully make it into a video essay in the future

hmm oh

[racoon3lizabeth]

Art critics at work: part two

part 1 | part 2

summary: remus dislikes a lot of things. not just the teachers lounge but the cafeteria as well. But what he didn’t know is that someone else is using his secret place to eat.

notes: this was sort of rushed and not as well written as the first part. I’ve been having a lot of writers block so that’s why. but next part will be longer and much more well written! buuuuuut I hope you like it either way!!

remus lupin x fem!reader

Eating lunch at school should be illegal if you ask Remus. At least as a teacher. Not only does he sneak into the art classroom to print papers, which he had completely forgotten to do when he stumbled upon the new teacher, he also tries to sneak away during lunch to eat in peace. Hence as to why he always brings his own lunch.

Sirius and him usually eat together. Sometimes outside on the benches or in Remus' classroom. But that’s why Wednesdays are the worst. Their lunch breaks are normally at the same time but unfortunately not in the middle of the week. So he’ll have to eat alone because there’s no chance he’s eating in the cafeteria.

With his salad in hand he walked out the front door, turning right to continue down the path which leads down to three couples of tables. The wooden tables are all rectangular with two bench seats. Lightened up by the yellow spring sun.

It’s still in that early phase of spring where the sun shines the brightest but offers the least of warmth. Not even his dark brown leather jacket and red scarf could save him from the chill air.

Remus is once again too caught up with his own thoughts. If he hadn’t been repeating the lessons he’ll be holding later today in his head he would’ve been able to stop before you saw him.

“Remus?”

The professor looks up from the ground at the sound of your voice, only a few metres from the benches, stopping in his pace when he sees you. “Hi,” his lips curled into a quizzical smile. “What are you doing here?” He questions. Even though it’s obvious due to the sandwich in your right hand.

You regard him with a nervous twinkle in your eye. You’ve only talked once, about a week ago and you’ve only seen him in the hallways since then and once during a meeting. Always sending each other subtle glances as you walk past each other.

But you haven’t truly spoken and the mere thought of sparking another conversation sends a chill down your spine.

“Eating lunch,” you explain, raising your shoulders in a half shrug. “I’m too nervous to talk to the other teachers.” You add, letting out an anxious chuckle. Taking a bite out of your sandwich.

Remus takes your words as an invitation to sit down with you, which it also was. It’s not like he’s any more confident than you, he’s just as nervous at the thought of having a conversation. But he hasn’t got anywhere else to sit. There’s two other tables but he obviously can’t just ignore you and choose to sit at another table.

That’s like experiencing the teenage drama that’s happening around them everyday.

He could also go back to his classroom and eat his lunch in peace. But he needs some fresh air. The stuffy air in his classroom can get a bit too much sometimes, even if he tries opening a window. There’s always someone who complains about the cold or noises from outside since a few of his students always stayed behind.

He settles down in front of you, placing his salad on top of the table. “Most of them are alright,” the cold wind blowing through his curls. “Sirius is nice.” he remarked. Observing her with a gentle gaze as he opens the plastic lid to his food.

Your eyes flick back and forth over his face, studying him as you raise one of your eyebrows. “Who’s Sirius?” You inquire, voice not over a whisper, embarrassed by the fact that you don’t know who he is.

Remus pauses in mid action, fork just above his lips. “Mr Black?” Tilting his head to the side. “Music teacher?” He questions, lowering his hand to rest on the table.

Your mouth forms a small O shape as the realisation dawns upon you. You had actually seen Sirius talk with Remus multiple times. Perhaps you had just been too busy peering at the handsome history teacher to notice Mr Black. “Right,” you snicker. “Yeah I know who that is.”

The history teacher starts to eat as you talk. Having a hard time concentrating when you’re just sitting there in front of him looking effortlessly radiant. “He’s one of my best friends,” he elaborates when he finishes chewing. “I’ve known him and two other blokes since we were eleven.”

“Really?” You raise a curious eyebrow. “How come?”

“We went to school together.” He explains simply. It actually wasn’t more complicated than that at all. They all met when they were eleven and very mischievous. Though he doesn’t have to tell you about the number of pranks he pulled through his youth. Maybe he’ll tell you one day, on the first date. Or maybe that’s more of a third date thing?

His heart rate goes from normal to abnormally fast at the thought. Immediately regretting his stupid daydreaming. He barely even knows you.

“That’s nice,” you responded, your beautiful voice causing him to snap back to reality. “Weird coincidence that your friend Sirius also works here.” You comment, lips twitching into a small smile. Taking another bite of your sandwich, the cold breeze makes its way into your thin jacket, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Remus quickly finished his salad, placing his cutlery inside of the box before he closed the lid on top. Chewing on his lower lip as a grin spreads on his face. “Not really,” your eyes meeting for a few seconds before Remus peers down at the table. Crossing one leg over the other. “I worked here first and then my mate Sirius needed a job.” Remus recalled.

You manage to nod slowly as you observe him. His chocolate coloured eyes turn more hazel as the sun shines down on them. A small, almost unnoticeable scar stretching from his right eyebrow down the slope of his nose. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, not that you’re complaining, but you can see his pretty face much clearer.

“Are you going to that teacher parent meeting tomorrow night?” You questioned, changing the subject since the small dusting of freckles on his nose had made you completely forget what you talked about in the first place.

Remus drums his fingers against the edge of the table, your piercing although kind gaze making him restless. “Yeah,” he confirms. Running a hand through his hair. “Are you?” Not knowing if you’re aware that those meetings are pretty much mandatory since you just started working at the school.

“Yeah,” you echo, finally finished with your lunch. “So I’ll see you there?” You ask, eyes lightening up just by the thought of it.

Remus clears his throat, folding his hands in his lap. “Yes.” He replies, tugging at his scarf that suddenly felt extremely tight. The cold wind didn’t feel so cold anymore. His hands had even started to grow clammy due to how fast his heart thumped inside of his chest. “I’ll save you a seat.” He adds, chuckling nervously as he realises what he just uttered. Why on earth does he always tend to make a fool out of himself?

Your entire face reddens, turning crimson as a flush creeps up your neck. “Great.” You only mutter, not really trusting your voice at the moment.

“Great.” He repeats, voice cracking slightly.

Based on your reaction it wasn’t that out of place for him to say. Maybe just a little.

—————————————————————————————————

tags: @amatoanima @po3tbbygirl @lettertovera @allformoony @ladyaida

[venusonvellum]

If you don't mind sharing, as you stated in your comment that MCU!MK shares similar tidbits from Comics!MK, what details have you notice from the comics corresponding well with the series? For each Marc, Steven and Jake? Granted we only got 6 minutes of Jake but I'm interested to see what you think about that too, since MCU!MK fans tend to be more freeform with Jake's characterization for the screentime he had.

Hey! So I'm actually really glad you asked this because it's something I've wanted to dive into in-depth since I decided to watch the MK series!

So let's start with Steven. In the comics, we see Steven Grant as a suave millionaire investor and entrepreneur. As part of the Moon Knight system, it's Steven’s job to make money to fund Moon Knight's activities, and to utilize Steven’s high society connections to gain information to aid in Moon Knight's quest for justice and vengeance that can only be gleaned in those circles. He's charming, intelligent, smooth-talking, and well-connected, described repeatedly as a philanthropic playboy who cares for others and is generous with his money. Khonshu describes him in the Bemis run: “Steven Grant is a good man. Though narcissistic and decadent, he manipulates the system to benefit the disenfranchised.”

Pretty different from what we see in the TV series, right?

Well, this is where we have to delve a little deeper into what we see of comic!Steven on the surface in order to understand where TV!Steven comes from. First, we get glimpses of comic!Steven being nerdy: one of my personal favorite moments in that vein is when he jokes with his long-time comic-verse love interest, Marlene, about using their alone time at the mansion to get freaky and dress up in their Star Trek costumes. Temperament-wise, like TV!Steven, comic!Steven dislikes violence, doesn't like to get his hands dirty, and is very obviously out of his element when it comes to the crazy situations Marc deals with on the regular.

The way I see it, these traits align with, or are at the very least congruous with how Steven is portrayed in the series: as a thoughtful, sweet, and intelligent guy who enjoys gathering information on the things he's passionate about – Egyptology, unsurprisingly, being among them. As for why Steven is in London, living as a timid man working at a museum where his co-workers treat him like shit instead of living in luxury off at some estate somewhere? My personal theory is that the story we see in the TV series cuts in somewhere after some serious shit went down surrounding the circumstances of Marc obtaining the scarab, which fractured Marc's relationship with his alters and induced some sort of amnesia. If you squint, I believe something similar is alluded to in the series when – I think it was Marc – said something about there once being a wall between the alters, but now whoever is fronting is stronger (I wish the writing had been clearer here because I still can't make sense of it). As for the narcissism and decadence described in the comics, those traits are noticeably missing, but all in all, I can absolutely see comic!Steven ending up in TV!Steven's situation under the right, albeit unfortunate, circumstances.

Next, we have Jake. Described in the comics as an “affable dirtbag” and “avuncular scoundrel,” I think Jake's characterization in the TV series is severely lacking. Aside from his scene with Harrow, we only get one or two (I've only done one watch-through of the series which is why I'm a bit fuzzy on the details) scenes where we see Jake fronting – or rather, the results of it: cut-scenes where we go from Marc or Steven's POV to some people ending up dead, and both Marc and Steven deny responsibility for it. And in the scene where Jake is finally fronting in the flesh, Jake shoots Harrow without hesitation in the backseat of his car after Marc's refusal to kill him.

Naturally, this leads to a lot of people characterizing Jake based only on the one-dimensional portrayal of him in the TV series: as an cold-blooded killer who is willing to take violence to debatably evil extremes to accomplish what needs to get done. However, this clashes with the characterization of Jake preferred by many people familiar with him from the comics: as a kind, loving, gentle, down-to-earth guy – the polar opposite of the ruthless, “evil” killer we see in the series. And, as could be expected, this has led to a fair bit of fandom controversy surrounding the character.

But when you really dig deep into Jake's characterization in the comics, one thing becomes abundantly clear: that both of these characterizations are true. Both of them coalesce in equal measure within the man we know as Jake Lockley.

Comic!Jake is a multi-faceted, nuanced character containing both the best and worst parts of Marc Spector as a system. As a New York cabbie, Jake is a man of the working class, making friends and connections all throughout the darkest, grimiest parts of the city. Describing himself as "friendly" and “mild-mannered,” one of Jake's trademarks is that every time he sees his friend Gena when he visits her diner, a frequent haunt of his, he asks how her kids are doing. The little ways of showing he cares matter to him: details to which we don't see Marc or Steven paying any mind.

But this aspect of Jake juxtaposes sharply against the other side of him: the guy who deals in the “grimy leftovers,” as Jake describes himself. In the Moon Knight system, when things get truly ugly, the buck stops with Jake: he's the guy who gets the job done when it involves the things Marc and Steven can't do: killing those who Marc won't kill, and dealing in circles of society and dishing out violence that Steven Grant simply isn't capable of. Sometimes that involves doing evil things, but Jake himself (mostly) isn't an evil man: rather, he's a man shaped by trauma, who has an intrinsic understanding of the way the world works, and what is sadly sometimes necessary to survive in it.

Now, why did I say Jake “mostly” isn't evil just now? This is where we touch on one of the central themes of the Moon Knight character, and the life and past of Marc Spector. This is a theme that the comics circle back to time and again: Marc's innate lust for violence, and the self-hatred he suffers from as a result of it. Marc and his alters, in their heart of hearts, are good men. They believe in justice, in kindness, in doing right by others. But Marc always enjoyed violence. Raised by a peace-loving rabbi, Marc's relationship with his father was fractured by everything from his enjoyment of war games with his brother as a child to his getting into school yard fights, taking up boxing and joining the Marines as an adolescent and young man. He laments that violence is the only thing he's ever been good at, and he hates that about himself.

Circling back to Jake, it seems fair to me to deduce that Jake is the alter that helps Marc's brain compartmentalize the worst of the worst of himself: the extreme violence he engages in, and the pleasure he feels dishing it out. And, almost as if Marc couldn't bear to have those parts of him exist in one personality by themselves, we find the best of him within Jake, too: the kindness, the caring, the deep love and genuine good-will towards others. Regardless, at the end of the day, Jake is a deeply complex character and deserves to be seen for everything he is, including all of the seeming contradictions that make him whole.

Now, lastly, we come to Marc. Marc's characterization in the TV series compared to the comics is, in my opinion, pretty dead-on. From his New York accent to his weariness, obstinance and grief at being put through the ringer once again thanks to his obligation to Khonshu, we see Marc in the TV series as every bit of the man he is in the comics: the tormented product of a career in professional violence, honed in the depths of the international criminal underworld. A man who has loved deeply and cares for others, but who has been burned for it by his own actions and his own nature: his violence, his selfishness, his tendency to overlook things in his personal life and take others for granted. And if he couldn't escape that nature in his youth, he's now bound to it by the bargain he made with Khonshu: to save his life in exchange for devoting the remainder of it to him in servitude, doing what Marc is best at – the very same thing he hates about himself the most.

Finally, I want to give props to Oscar Isaac for giving all three of these men life in the series, and in spectacular fashion. I was skeptical going into the series, but Oscar absolutely blew my mind with how skillfully he pulled these roles off. He was literally playing three different men, and I came away from the series with a new respect for the art of acting thanks to him.

And that's all I've got for now! I really enjoyed writing this up and I love talking all things Moon Knight, so for anyone who enjoyed this and wants to get into the TV series and comics some more, just drop an ask!

[thhouseofblack]

robert AND rhaegar are BOTH horrible characters 🤮🤮🤮

absolutely disagree. their attraction to Lyanna Stark is the only reason these two characters are even comparable.

Robert Baratheon is so awful a character that his closest and one of his oldest friends, the one who is practically half in love with him, is like "woah this guy sucks" (Ned Stark, by the end of AGOT).

Meanwhile, everyone (apart from Robert) has nothing but praise and wistfulness when speaking about Rhaegar Targaryen, about the good man he was, and about the great king he was meant to be. Even Ned Stark.

A lot of the fandom's negative views on Rhaegar comes from two things: First, the Elia Martell side, which has always been silly to me because first of all, they are in an arranged marriage, which we see time and time again in the asoiaf series, is portrayed negatively (the only exception to this being Ned Stark and Catelyn Tully), and her death was not even his fault.

There are a great many people who you can blame for Elia Martell and her children's death - Aerys Targaryen, Tywin Lannister, Gregor Clegane, Amory Lorch, Robert Baratheon. Rhaegar not dying would have PREVENTED her death (not to mention the kingsguard debate which i will get to sometime soon).

Second, is Lyanna Stark and her age. Now this has always been confusing to me because ASOIAF's world does not work on the same sociological settings that ours does, so you have to suspend some of your moral understandings if you wish to immerse yourself in westeros (Which i personally dislike doing).

The whole "Rhaegar is a groomer" thing doesn't even make sense because Lyanna Stark was meant to marry Robert Baratheon a few months before she and Rhaegar vanished. At that time (282AC), Rhaegar would have been 23, Robert would have been 20, and Lyanna would have been 15. If Rhaegar is a grommer and a pedophile then what is Robert? (canonically has slept with and has fathered children on very young girls, to the point that Ned Stark was sickened when he found out).

But I digress, the point of this being that in Westerosi society, noble women getting married at the age of 14 and above isn't really wrong because it's a societal norm. But somehow no other character recieves this criticism except for Rhaegar.

At the end of the day, I do think there's a lot to Rhaegar's story that hasn't been revealed yet, but putting him on the same footing as Robert Baratheon is such a disservice to his character and is a truly sad misreading of the books. GRRM actively paints Rhaegar Targaryen as a tragic romantic hero.

[rochenn]

DOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKUDOOKU

AHAHA! YES!!!!

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I've gushed to you about Disco Elysium a lot and, MAN, Dooku's mental gymnastics must be something to behold. What I wouldn't give for a DE style political intrigue game where you just get to CRAWL through his brain and all his deepest most fucked up mechanisms. I NEED HIM AS A FUCKED UP, LARGELY UNRELATABLE PROTAGONIST. IT WOULD BE SO GOOD. Like. A game about his time right after leaving the Order and starting to work for Sidious. Pure gold. He's no Harry Du Bois but whatever he's got going on in his noggin can be its own little freak show. Ya know??

cut here for the other questions

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

I don't talk about this often, but I really like his relationship to Qui-Gon. The guy doesn't seem to behave like anyone Dooku - prim and proper as he is - would ever respect. And yet, Dooku raised him and let him be that way. He always loved him. He's so proud!! Qui-Gon was the one person he wasn't (consciously, intentionally) ready to betray, and you can really tell how that messed with him. Ten years later, and he's still indirectly seeking that validation from Obi-Wan. "See, I loved him so much, and you loved him so much, we loved him the same, so join me." It's just crazy. He did NOT get over it.

Generally, all his relationships with his students and student-prospects are incredible. Idk what they put in Lucas' water when he made Dooku this way but 1) they should've put in more and 2) I CAN'T GET ENOUGH

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

LOVE LOVE LOVE PUTTING HIM THE FUCK DOWN. ON HIS KNEES. OR IN A PUDDLE OF HIS OWN BLOOD. Idk, just any situation where he ain't high and mighty. You've seen it. He thrives down there. He's so entertaining like that.

On the other hand, writing him competent and scary and smooth is just... *chefs kiss* as well. He can do both. He SHOULD do both. He's terrifying and powerful and so so so hurtable. It makes my brain foggy. I'm normal

there's nothing i dislike writing about him idk he's just perfect like that

26. What's something the character has done you can't get over? Be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

oh. So Goddamn Much. Slamming my head on the table. Breaking it into splinters. Picking the splinters out of my forehead and eating them etc

Where do I start? Betraying Sifo-Dyas. Betraying Asajj. All of that is so haunting, and the latter especially because we SEE him getting that order... his eyes... he didn't want to, but he did it anyway. It's just so AAAGHHH. Him falling to his knees after killing Yaddle. OUGHH

But honestly, basically everything Dooku ever did falls in this category. One underrated thing are his zoom calls with Rush Clovis, I think - he's having FUN with that. You can just tell. He knows he's dealing with a naive, ambitious little rat and he's trying out his grandpa charm, he's toying with him. "Come, come by boy :D" ok old man. I love you. Manipulate that bastard <3

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES BUT: HAGEN FROM THE NIBELUNGENLIED BABY!!

Backstabbing old cunt? Knight of some sort? Tall? Intimidating? Graying? At some point played by an actor with endless brown eyes? Incredible swordsman? Nobility? Manipulator? Goes against a prophecy that can only end in his own doom? Gets beheaded with his own sword while on his knees under humiliating circumstances? Hell fucking YEAH.

Only difference between them is that Hagen managed to talk shit before he died. And he didn't betray the people he loved most. AND he has canonically huge tits 🫡🫡🫡 What a legend, rest in pieces

23. Favorite picture of this character?

The one and only and the monumental serve <3

[scribbing]

Veilguard Review and Final Thoughts

All in all, I enjoyed myself well enough while playing this game and I've replayed it a few times all the way through and haven't had a drop in enjoyment while playing. Its a fun little popcorn playthrough.

I will say I think that a lot of balls were dropped. There were choices made that absolutely were at odds with previous games (ie: Crows are just fun and family led freedom fighters) and the absolute lack of the right tone or atmosphere for a Dragon Age game.

I also have a major issue with Rook. Namely that Rook is not the main character of their own story. They're the water guy on the sidelines of the team just there to shout praises and prop up the actual players. This was something that did irritate me early on, that lack of being anything but The Nice Guy with no real ability to push back/challenge/disagree or do anything really. You are just...a nice guy (or gal). But Rook to me had zero substance and never rose up out of that situation. Why is Rook in charge? Why isn't Harding? What about Rook is special enough to make everyone divert to their leadership? In my opinion, absolutely nothing. Rook has no real meat to them at any point in the game. Rook is overshadowed in their own faction by whatever companion comes from it. Rook has nothing special other than I guess Solas being trapped in their head which is absolutely not enough to hold a game's main character. Not to mention, I have no ability to make Rook stand for anything, make a statement on anything or various other options.

Now that's not to say that I don't enjoy more solid 'this is who they are' RPG characters because Commander Shepard of Mass Effect absolutely is Shepard, regardless of what I do. But even in that I feel more in control and more like this character has a viewpoint, has beliefs and has the ability to not be liked by everyone and make bad choices and refuse to be sorry for them.

Not to mention the companions....were not it. All of this 'they're going to be the most flushed out companions! It's all about the companions!'....no? Baldur's Gate did it a thousand times better. I was allowed to disagree with my companions, dislike them, hate them even, argue with them, have them 1000% disagree with me and hate me. Veilguard? If you talk to them they like you at the end of the conversation. If you bring them with you, they like you more regardless of what you're doing. To do a side quest is to make them love you. It's not good and it absolutely is not great character writing.

Also some choices were just....why? Why is Bellara falling over herself every other conversation to be depressed and sad and feel guilt for everything? In my mind I'm guessing that its meant to be sort of unresolved trauma from blaming herself for her brother but I'm not going to lie it started to get too much too quickly. Her needing to 'feel guilty over the gods, over the elves, over Solas and the Titans, etc.' was just more than I could take at certain points. Taash? Taash was not well handled in my opinion and there was SUCH a story to be had there. So much opportunity for nuance and raw emotion. As a mixed child of two completely different cultures? Heck yes I can identify and understand the story of struggling with the parent figure and learning to find yourself in a world that demands you pick one or the other and doesn't allow anything else. That was an AMAZING opportunity even without all of the extra options Taash had going for her and yet...it falls so flat. We don't get to tell her who she is...but actually no we will tell her who she is...multiple times.

Neve? Holy shit Neve had so much POTENTIAL!!! I'm literally foaming at the mouth at all the things she could have been!?! A literal Sherlock Holmes/Noir Detective going around and solving cases? I love mysteries and I loved Neve's baseline character design...in honest playing though it just...was meh. And at times almost...stupid? Which should never be something attributed to a character design like Neve's? (Her pretending to be a venatori will forever be the most eye rolling and pathetic dialogue scene ever). But also Minrathous? So many opportunities?!? Slavery, mages abusing power, politics, etc - and instead we get...none of that? No issues with elves or QUNARI?!?

Don't even get me started about the lack of Andraste and all that? We get a scene 'did we just disprove all of Andrastrianism?' and then immediately get 'oh but we should keep this to ourselves because you know they might hate on elves' like what the actual hell?

Davrin and Emmerich were perfect. No comments there. Just kidding, would have loved to delve more into their own situations and belief systems and just more? Emmerich's fears regarding death, Davrin's belief system and his need to have a cause and his connection and distance from his own roots. So many options!!!

And Lucanis...Lucanis. The guy I thought I'd love the most and I really can't tell him apart from a piece of soggy bread. His romance option was so painful, you're throwing everything at him and he's just ignoring you. Past that he's just...silly? Even not as a romance option he's a CROW, he's THE CROW...but oh its more important to know how he loves coffee...and how he cooks I guess? And Spite....WHY DID THEY MAKE SPITE THAT WAY?!!?? Spite had so much potential to be a threat, to be dangerous, to be something. Instead he's a joke. Lucanis is a joke. The whole thing with his pathway is an obvious joke. I'm still salty.

Also, I would have loved more Solas. More interactions with Solas. More engagement with Solas. And I might be a minority but less 'Solavellan' because there's something that irritates me that a strong, powerful, secure woman like the Inquisitor spent what ten years moping about a crush? They were never in a real relationship, he cut it off before that. TEN YEARS?!?! And she's still simping after this guy and willing to give up her own world to help hold his hand and pat him on the head? No. That needed to have been handled so much better. Plus Mythal. You tell me Mythal is this wise, ultimate judge and then you give me....none of that. Why was Solas so loyal to her? We needed more, we needed SO MUCH MORE to make it work.

And Harding? It's hard for me to say something bad about Harding but also hard to say something good. Harding is just...there? I don't know why she fell so flat for me when back in Inquisition I literally looked forward to seeing her at the opening of each new area and even had my Inquisitor romance her a time or two? But DATV Harding is just...meh?

So for a game so concerned with the companions and so hyped up about them - absolutely none of them really held up to the hype? Is there plenty of space for fanfiction? Yes. Is there any real volume to it without it? Not really.

Also, Elgar'nan and Ghil? The most bland bad guys to bad guy. That Solas spends so long warning you about them, Elgar'nan in particular, and then that's the final battle - that's the dude...I'm staring into the distance with an absolutely unimpressed look.

[merirat]

I am overtired and high on caffeine and seaweed snacks, so I'm about to blather on about Hazbin Hotel things for no reason.

I have been seeing many Thoughts™ floating around online about Alastor's self-reliance, the reason for it, and how this might affect future Seasons and it gave me Other Thoughts regarding Alastor and Vox that ate my brain.

Under a cut to save dashes in case I can't shut up.

So... there are a lot theories around about Alastor and Vox went from friends to two hissing cats in an alley, a lot of which are centred around the Stayed Gone line "He asked me to join his team. I said no and now he's pissy, that's the tea." and yeah, there's probably something to that, especially with a compact eight episodes per season, but...

Suppose for a minute it was something a lot more insignificant than that. Not in fact, but on the surface. You get someone like Alastor who is — it has been amply pointed out — self-sufficient to an almost dangerous degree. And yeah, he has the background: mixed race, only kid raised by a single mom, had to work his ass off to get to where he is, very unlikely to be getting help or hand-outs, just as likely to be fucked over if there ARE help or hand-outs, prompting a rejection of those. Just... the whole nine yards.

His interpersonal relationships kind of reflect this too. He's friends with Mimzy, who's probably as unreliable as hell, but doesn't pretend to be anything else, which must be refreshing. Hell, she's probably even come through for him on occasion when he's least expected it simply because he knows not to expect it. He has a relationship with Niffty that can be described as father/daughter or mentor/mentee, but it's definitely one where he is in a position of authority and he'll ask her to do things within her purview, but no more and no less. Rosie is a peer and, at the heart of it, transactional. You can more or less depend on someone who's getting something out of you.

And then there's Vox.

It's often noted that Alastor prefers the company of women, but that doesn't mean he dislikes the presence of all men. There's some speculation that Alastor played mentor to Vox too, and that's quite possible. Here's this new media-personality type around with this newfangled visual approach and since Vox was middle-aged and died in the 50s, when television was only JUST becoming The Thing, he would have a more than reasonable knowledge of radio as well. Like maybe Alastor started out as kind of a mentor figure, the guy Vox went to for advice and assistance, but damn... this is a genuine peer.

But, like... you can't just go trusting people, man.

Alastor's trying to keep it transactional as with Rosie, but Vox isn't about that. He's the "we're all in this together" guy. If you're genuinely bonded, he'll back you up. He's got you. And that's just... not something Alastor can believe.

When enough people let you down, you can't even trust people with the small things, never mind the big things. When enough people don't show up for you, you start to expect it to the point where you don't even give them a chance. You ask for a small favour and when it isn't miraculously done in an arbitrary amount of time that your brain just suddenly decides has been Too Long, you assume you've been ditched, do it yourself, and never ask them again.

Who the fuck is Vox to break that?

And Vox gets it. Sorta. I don't think you can really get it unless you've been there and he's never been. But okay... Alastor's got trust issues. That's fine. That's a thing. It's not going to go away overnight. Vox can handle that. He just has to keep proving that he's there, that he's got Alastor's back. He tries to make it official... Let's join up. Professionally or personally, doesn't matter. Let's do it. You and me against the world. I totally mean that.

And Alastor can't. He just can't. And that's fine. You can't right now. That's fine. Door's open.

But, you know... it makes Alastor think. Vox is someone who's willing to put his money where his mouth is. Beyond transactional. He's willing to bet a formal alliance.

So Alastor is still in his Overlord hunting phase and he really fucks himself over. Maybe it's Zestial. Maybe it's someone he beats, but he fucks himself up doing it. Like, he's in a bad way. And cell phones aren't thing yet, but they do have radio. He could... He could call Vox. Right? He could do that?

Right?

So Vox, nascent Overlord trying to get his studio up and running, is having the worst possible day. Like, every bit of shit that could hit the fan has hit the fan and is spraying everywhere. And he gets a radio transmission from Alastor. Alastor needs him and it's... well, kind of urgent.

And here's the thing. When you don't trust people to show up for you, there is no difference between "broke my leg, but probably won't die in the next hour" urgency and "I'm bleeding out, this is life or death" emergency. Hell, even admitting urgency is a bit much because when you routinely (if unknowingly) sabotage any attempt to assist you, putting that kind of onus on anyone fucks with your worldview.

So Vox is all, shit... I have all this and Alastor too. Well, it's urgent, so I'd better wrap up and get out there.

And he does. Pretty quickly too. Let's say it takes him about forty minutes. Forty minutes with a broken leg is horrible, but honestly... with travel and no cameras all over the city to zap around... understandable.

Forty minutes when you're bleeding out is a death sentence. Even if you can regenerate, I don't imagine it would be pleasant.

So Alastor waits, trying to first aid himself. Five. Ten. Okay, fifteen minutes and things are getting bad. He starts to find new ways to stitch himself back together.

Twenty minutes pass and what he's always suspected is true:

If you don't do it, no one else will.

So Vox shows up just after Alastor has finished helping his own self and gets the coldest reception ever recorded. What took you so long? I thought you had my back?/Hey, I came as soon as I could. You said it was urgent./Well, I needed you right away./This was as fast as I could get here short of an emergency./Well, it was an emergency./I didn't know it was an emergency! Why didn't you say it was an emergency?/You should have just been here. Obviously you can't be trusted./WTF? I dropped everything for you, you prick!

Etc.

Vox thinks this is very unfair. Very unreasonable. And it is. It's very unreasonable because it's very irrational. But also, Vox can't see the extent of the damage. Alastor won't show it now. The window for that kind of vulnerability is long gone.

Hate is love gone to seed. You hate in equal measure to what you loved. Alastor's hate is cold and disdainful. He just mocks Vox at a distance. The more cameras show up around Pentagram City, the more places he has to be condescending.

Vox's hate is hot and volatile. More so because he's confused. He's being shut out for being too slow because Alastor was hurt, but aside from a bit of blood around the place, the bastard was walking around and acting just fine. What the hell is this treatment? WTF? WTF? WTF?

They do dust up at least once — where Alastor almost beat Vox (and I contend he just up and left the fight) — but most of their fighting is just via video. Vox jeers from the screens and Alastor smirks into cameras.

And then the failed extermination happens. And Vox is thrilled when Alastor gets his ass handed to him. Like, genuinely. He loved enough to hate that much. He's genuinely pissed when Alastor gets away. Very much so.

Except, sometime later, when the Vees are making a play for the hotel, or otherwise trying to consolidate power, he gets one up on Alastor. Maybe they fight and Vox has him at his mercy. Maybe he gets captured and Vox is just lording over him. Whatever. And Vox notices that Alastor has kind of a lot of blood on him for what's been going on. For the kind of fight... For being tied up... Whatever.

And he just... needs to know. Because it's off. It's not right. And what he finds out is that the wound Adam gave Alastor hasn't healed. Not completely, or maybe not at all. Alastor's stitched it together with wishes and prayers and those don't hold so well.

And Vox wants to keep hating, because hate is addictive, but what you see through a screen and what you see in front of you are two different things and... well...

Vox... kind gets it.

Not really, because you can't know unless you've been there, but it's like... If Alastor's been walking around with this gaping wound, acting like nothing's wrong, what was he hiding back then? How much did Vox not see? It doesn't make Alastor's approach any less unreasonable, but... If he's got an angelic wound ripping him open and he doesn't feel he can ask Princess Unicorn Kisses for assistance, what does it mean that he asked Vox?

And Vox just... takes care of it. Not with any expectation... just because he didn't know back then and now he does. It's years, maybe decades too late, but he knows what he was needed for now. He couldn't be there then, but can be there now, and his side is closed. Whatever Alastor wants to make of that is whatever Alastor wants to make of that — no one's going to get over pathological levels of self-reliance in a night — but there's peace on one side.

So yeah... a bit complicated for eight episodes per season.

But holy fuck it would be hilarious if two media demons blew up their relationship over a lack of communication...