#alter role box

[abyss-boxes]

[TEXT ID 1: “This alter is a moodbooster”]

[TEXT ID 2: “This alter is a trauma holder”]

[TEXT ID 3: “This alter is a protector”]

Basic alter roles again :)

REBLOGS OVER LIKES

[boxesforsys]

This x holds relationship trauma userboxes! Click for quality

[systiveboxes]

Introject roles - 26

Flags by @disrealities

[xenonarrow]

At last, my piece for the Moon Knight fanzine Lunar Labyrinth (@moon-knight-zine) from last year! This is the first time I work with a zine project and it was definitely a delight.

I had fun with the symbolism on this piece, more info under the crack:

Prompt/Subject: My place in this zine was part of the artists for the 4th chapters, Waxing Gibbous: Order. The prompt was changed and revised through the process, ultimately revolving around the concept of being reborn, rebuilding, discovering each other's strengths and ultimately the chapter's namesake order. I played with the concept of rebuilding a literal set of mirrors as a visual metaphor.

General setting: I chose to feature the MCU version of the character(s) with some elements from the comics since the time of the planning was very close to its release on D+. The scene is set inside one's house as I often use them with the symbolic value of one's personality and emotional state. I chose Steven's apartment from the MCU for two main reasons: 1) It's shown at the end after the events of the series, implying they still use it as home 2) The layout of the set is well documented and also nice and cosy. I used a combination of pictures from the behind the scenes and artbook + a rough scene I put up in Blender as reference for the subjects' placement, perspective and palette

Character(s) There is only one (physical) character in scene that I called "the body" since it's placed in a way so the face is not visible. This is deliberate so to not give away any clue about which alter is fronting - he can be any of them, all or none at the same time - it's just the body. The physical appearance. The medium with which the psyche interacts with the rest of the physical world. The body's clothes were a tough choice but I ended up with Steven's pyjamas since it was what they wearing at the end of the series. Steven, Marc and Jake are represented in the mirror with their Duat sequence clothes (except for Jake's attire for his only on-screen appearance + comics version fake moustache because honestly he feels naked without them) and in a pose reflecting as much as their individual vibe and role as I could in a single image: Steven and Jake are helping the body putting the mirror pieces back together in two different ways, one in a more concerned / affectionate manner and the other is slightly more blunt and direct. Marc is covering his face, as hiding away is kinda fitting for his character on different occasions (hiding memories in an attempt to protect Steven, Hiding parts of himself and his life to his loved ones, running away from his problems etc). Being dramatic as usual.

Mirrors I love using mirrors as visual metaphors. And I love how they used them in the series. I am very normal about it. In this piece the mirrors function as a reflection of the inner self (or selves, in this case): the same body is reflected in three different mirrors (the alters) which are more or less fractured based on the status of their relationship with a specific alter and themselves: Jake has the most pieces missing, since in the series he's the most elusive one to the point of the others not being aware of his existence up until the end despite still being active in protecting them in times of need. The background of the mirrors reflects the pattern of the (head)space as seen in some parts of the Moon Knight (2016) comics while the colours are chosen and assigned based on the box colours used in Moon Knight (2021). The pattern is not following the perspective of the shards on the floor because it's not a physical space the mirror is reflecting but it's more of a "door" to another dimension, the psychological one. The back of the mirrors has a hieroglyphic inscription vaguely inspired by those seen during the first costume sequence at the end of ep 1 (will be back at this later)

The moon dart (that shiny thing stuck in the rightmost mirror): The moon dart symbolises their connection and service under Khonshu. It was thrown diagonally hitting all three mirrors (and causing the fractures in them) and it got stuck in Jake's, symbolising his status as the one in the system still under the god's leash. The dart has also a side, positive connotation: despite the havoc that being Khonshu's avatar has brought, it also started to bring them together and work as a team.

Hieroglyphs: There is a thematic back-and-forth in this segment of the mirror, as the empty sections symbolises a loss of self in favour of being an Egyptian deity's puppet (hence the hieroglyphic inscriptions, vaguely resembling the pyramid texts where a certain hymn features an earlier and more violent version of the god Khonsu being a slayer for the king), but in the same inscriptions (see the second picture) carry a hopeful message: "There is no son who is strong against his father, but you are strong and mighty while Ma'at (personification of order, balance, harmony) dwells on your arms and your Ba (plural) will last forever, repeating rejuvenation like the Moon". I used "father" referencing the comics where Khonshu leans heavier into posing as a fatherly figure as a manipulation tactic, so the sentence can be interpreted as escaping from Khonshu's leash and finding strength and balance among themselves. It also echoes the usage of the moon dart.

Easter eggs: There are two easter eggs in here. Three Ba birds with the alters' faces can be seen over Steven's mirror, it's a little signature detail since a previous drawing with them apparently became iconic in my corner of MK fandom? They are also mentioned in the hieroglyphic text. There's a tiny Dracula hiding under the carpet layer. We can't see you in the finished piece, but we know you're here you big fucking nerd

WHEW that was a lot. Thank you for reading this far!

Here are some other progress pics if you fancy:

[rin-and-jade]

Are You? What about You? Them? : A Post about Differentiating Types of Parts.

We all know that spiderman meme where they pointed to each other because they share similar qualities that confuses their selves;

Like this. Right?

They all sounded so similar that we neither knew which is which at first glance..

And so, at the end of this post you will be confident in pointing out who is who, just like a spiderman who can tell apart from its own multiverse friends, that is. So let's get pointing to the smaller details!

How it works..

We know what it's like to be conscious, yeah? What if i were to tell you that yes, there are varying degrees of consciousness, and that we all can fluctuate on those levels too?

The levels of consciousness can vary from only being aware of its physical surroundings and react instinctually (lesser level), to being able to self-introspect and understand what they like and dislike (higher level). This is all dependent on many different factors and i want to clarify that it takes more than just 'awareness' to tell a fragment apart from an alter for example. But, still important to know what level its at.

This explains why shards, and fragments are less flexible when facing an issue, as they're more limited or not as equipped as an alter in terms of reasoning or level of logic/knowledge. So why is that? It can be from the intensity of dissociation, and other things like how much implicit and explicit memories it retains, this includes experiences.

How to tell them apart..

Sure, theres a spectrum to this too, as every type of part can be a bit different though still can categorized loosely, not meaning it has to fit perfectly to the box :

1. No sense of identity and, or tangible form/shape outside of performing a specific task, or hold a single memory/mood. (Shard)

2. Small sense of identity (a trait that is distinctive/distinguishable), possibly have a less blurry appearance than level 1 and still performs specific tasks, have little to no memories/range of emotions. (Shard)  

3. Mish mash of small qualities, but not enough to encapsulate an identity/personality, may have a sense of existing, and can emotionally react to environment/situation. Usually have a defined innerworld form, and may retain some memories but depends on origin, still fixed on role. (Fragment)

4. Has a developed dominant facet, which can be seen more lively and autonomous compared from level 1-3,, but still a bit rigid and have a narrow/limited view in general. Can distinguish and identify feelings, and have goals/hobbies/interests, self curiosity/exploration to function outside role. (Fragment, leaning to alter)  

5. Has a multifaceted personality in which it cannot defined by one word, fully knows its likes and dislikes, long term goals, morals, and a complex view on life. May have developed purpose outside role job, pursuing self-fulfillment. (Alter)

So in conclusion, shards are not wholly self aware and rely on current implicit memories, from my own system experience shards feels so blank, lifeless, somewhat robotic. Fragments have a partial sense of autonomy, it can rationalize and react to its own accord, reason, and learn/explore,, though had not fully know who they are. Alters are like any other usual people, where it has accumulated knowledge and experience that had shaped then throughout existing, reinforcing a faceted sense of self and purpose.

Growth to perfection..

Are you also wondering if shards and fragments can grow to an alter? The answer is, yes! Though some can be stuck in a certain stage, which is nothing to be ashamed about, and doesn't need changing.

Though, this takes a really long time and process, i note my own fragments will reach to a stage where it barely matches the loose category of an alter in 6 months, and to be a fully developed alter, it might need a whole year (okay this is my own calculations, other people will have it slower or faster).

To grow a shard towards a fragment category, my theory is that you have to interact with, and let them immerse/exprience the real world by supervision (outside of its role task) to develop more environmental, and self awareness. They will be very limited in terms of knowledge and names so this is a good time to start introducing these, and they may not even realize they exists themselves before sometimes,, try nudging them activities to experiment, and foods to taste, examine emotion wheel.. theres a lot to start from.

To grow a fragment to an alter, start introducing other views and complex topics, the goal here is to create a more developed understanding of life. From my experience, all my fragments have a dominant facet, e.g. angry dog vibes; and slowly let them learn how to be soft, or act more polite,, it will slowly solidify as a new facet, now capable of being kind and not always behaving threatening/i-will-still-bite-you attitude to every situation, as it now can be more flexible which facet it should use depending on situation.

Last words..

So, you are now an educated spiderman who can not only point out, but understand the basics of why,, and how to grow a part to have a better sense of awareness!

Let me know in the comments, i would like to hear why the part you had specifically picked/chose is possibly a shard/fragment/alter from your own reasoning and interactive mini discussion with me,, lets finally put them into real practice yeah?

Also, Happy Valentines, *offers you a free heart chocolate*

- j, your educational fiancée

[alphajocklover]

Like OMG hunty! This is like totes, such a fun little site you have here. Apps, charms, and all that like. So here is like the stitch bitch, I’m this super swishy liberal queen but like I’m also an actor. And I’m up for this part and like I totes don’t know why my agent even thought of it for me. He’s this super conservative, awful straight douche. Like totally obnoxious. Crude. Belittles women and guys like me. And like I said super conservative. And I was wondering like omg, this is silly but is there anyway you could make me fit the part?

I’m glad you like my work, though I’m a little offended at how you put it. Calling it ‘a fun little site’ makes me worry you might not be taking what you’re getting into very seriously. Being transformed is incredibly serious business. You’ll be giving up your identity, or at least a large part of it, to become someone else. And even the safest ways of doing transformations can go horribly wrong. Taking on that risk for a movie role… either you’re a fool, or an incredibly dedicated actor. Possibly both. I’m going to assume it’s just the latter for my own conscience, and because if that really is the case… I’m actually pretty impressed. To go as far as to use unnatural means to alter your body and mind so you can better fit a role… it speaks to a passion for your work that most people never find. So even though I’m still a little offended… I’ll help you. More than that, I’m going to make you one of the greatest actors of all time. This isn’t going to be an easy task. I know you specifically asked for help fitting into this one role, but if you’re going to become a truly great actor, you’re going to need range. Playing only straight douchebags will only get you so far. You’re going to need to be able to change to fit whatever role you’re playing, which means an ongoing transformation. Those aren’t very easy to pull off. There are ways to do it, but my work isn’t sophisticated enough to do those. I’m a decent TF reporter, but actually doing TFs is still fairly new for me. A spell could work, but it would take much more magic than I have. I’m not even sure a talented wizard could pull off a spell like that without a coven to back them up. My next option would be nanobots or something, like the kind the Douchebag Revolution uses. But I’d have to get some from the revolution, and then reprogram them… and I’m not exactly an expert programmer. Programming is hard enough, but programming nanobots? Magically charged nanobots? Yeah that's not happening. I could always ask my Uncle’s friend Nick, the devil I’ve mentioned before, since his magic can do some truly incredible and complicated things, but for something this big he’d definitely want your soul. Even the wishing supernova might not work, as wishes this complicated are incredibly hard to pull off right. None of the other methods I’ve mentioned before would work well either… so if we’re going to pull this off, we’ll have to use something different. Something new. Something like… A potions set! Now, that probably sounds a little strange. I mean, considering how complicated I just told you this transformation will be to pull off, making it work with some magic cocktail probably sounds crazy. The thing is I’m not giving you one potion. I’m giving you dozens of them. In the box you’ve just received are a large amount of potions, each one set to transform you into a different movie cliche. We’ve got one that will make you into a hardboiled detective, one that will turn you into a sports star, and even one that will make you into a superhero. And those are only some of them. Take a potion that's the closest to the role you want to get, and for the next 24 hours you’ll have the personality of that person, all while still remembering your true self. With this, you will literally be the perfect method actor! And with a little extra magic, people won’t even realize you’re doing it. They’ll just think you’re a great actor! With the set of potions I’ve given you, some hard work, and a bit of deception, you just might be the greatest actor to ever live. And when you’re not playing a role, you can always have some fun with the potions in your regular life. Why don’t you try one now? This one looks interesting. ‘The Action Hero’.

Ok… wow. That worked really well. I wasn’t sure it’d be this effective but I guess I’ve got a knack for potion making! I’m glad you like your new body so much. I would too honestly, look at those pecs! And the personality transformation aspect seems to be working well too, considering the hint of superiority in your smirk and how you can’t keep your eyes off the delivery woman's tits. Enjoy being a straight, douchebag action hero. And if you ever need a potion refill or anything specific, just let me know. Now stop flirting with that girl and get going, you’re going to miss your audition!

**I'll admit, I think this one might have gotten a little bit away from me. I've been thinking about potions a lot lately, and the idea of an actor literally transforming to fit a role really excited me. I know the person who sent this probably wanted a bigger focus on the douchebag part of the TF, but I got so excited by the idea. I hope you still like it, and feel free to send in another on**

[swiggity-swexual-i-am-asexual]

DPxDC media story prompt

Okay first off, this sort of thing has been done before, but here’s a different version involving Jazz Fenton.

Popular in DPxDC fanfic is that the GIW have a media blackouts—or whiteouts, there’s kind of a difference, where whiteouts work more like… there is a file, but you can’t edit it or it may be locked out for certain users, or an edited version of events where things are ‘whited out’ like with correction paste, among other definitions.

Point is!

The GIW have a media restriction, and among these is social media, probably with certain words or phrases pinging to location restrict the post. There was probably a phase for a while where the A-Listers tried to get around it, but ultimately failed, and since they could only get information IN rather than information OUT, and possibly still a limited amount of outside information in the first place, social media didn’t take off as much in Amity Park than in other places in the world. There’s still a small local presence, but at this point it’s almost like a city wide chat room than actual social media.

Enter in, Jazz Fenton. She’s chronically behind on trends, so by the time she decides to get on social media, the GIW aren’t being as militant on it. And she has that habit of calling the ghosts by code names instead of their actual names, such as Crate Creep instead of The Box Ghost, or Ghost X instead of Skulker. By pure coincidence of her personal language use and Tucker messing with all of Team Phantom’s phone locaters for easier excuse giving, Jazz manages to dodge all the word censors.

She accidentally creates a whole online story community convinced it’s some kind of altered reality game or role playing game, what have you. Meanwhile, Jazz is letting off steam by ranting online with, of course, made up names of all the people involved. She doesn’t even notice the numbers, and that’s assuming the GIW didn’t just—region lock the ability to see them for whatever reason. The few Amity Parkers on social medias see Jazz, maybe look at a complaint post or two, then move on because this isn’t even an unusual video inside Amity Park’s social media sphere.

Heck, PHANTOM has a social media presence and he’s done several rant videos too! One particularly famous one is him complaining about keeping his boots and gloves white while being chased and one of the GIW agents actually stops and gives him advice before shooting at him again.

Those outside Amity Park, of course, only see Jazz’s videos. And she has no idea that she has an entire online presence and mild amounts of online fame. And again, almost everyone thinks the whole thing is just a fun little game, if oddly detailed.

Until, that is, a certain young man by the name of Bernard comes in. One of the few who are totally convinced this is real, he tries to also convince his boyfriend—Timothy Drake-Wayne. Who, in turn, finds it incredibly suspicious that it’s this hard to get news and posts from one random town in the Midwest.

[slvttyplum]

જ⁀➴ a line | suguru geto

short “drabble”

you called suguru your “brother.” he was the guy you went to when you needed money, needed an oil change, needed help with classes, everything.

he knew his role and never tried to step over a line that was clearly drawn. you trusted him, and he didn’t want to ruin that.

but one particular night was too much for him.

the two of you didn’t live together, but he let you stay over whenever you wanted. you were there the prior night, so you decided to stay another night.

he never nags you or cares about who you went out with or how late you came back, as long as you were safe.

this night you came home really late; your dress hiked up your thigh, almost showing your ass, but you weren’t drunk.

tipsy? yes, drunk? no.

when his eyes land on you, it’s like he just saw you fall and scrape your knee so badly that it scraped blood.

“you went out like that?” what was he talking about? he never questioned how you were dressed.

obviously, you cock your eyebrow and laugh, thinking he’s making fun of your club attire, but he’s not.

“yup, a little flashy, i know.” even though you were smiling, he was not. why were you dressed like that? who’s attention were you trying to get?

“you like people looking at you like that.” his voice like hot water being thrown in your face, but once again you decide to brush past it.

suguru stands up from where he’s sitting and walks towards you, holding out his hand and tugging your dress down.

“i’m going to bed; watch what you wear.” and with that, he left his room. the next week, it was the same thing.

his whining and critiquing what you wore like an overbearing parent, the last incident before everything went off the rails was a stone being thrown in a glass house.

you were in a tank top and shorts so short you could see the bottom of your ass, bending down and looking through the fridge.

suguru couldn’t help but look; it was like a car accident that you couldn’t look away from.

slowly sliding behind you, he takes both his hands and puts them on your waist, the touch startling you.

“suguru?” your voice low as you’re deep in the fridge pulling out a to-go box, his grip getting tighter.

“why do you continue to egg me on?” those were the last words he said to you before he crossed over the line, altering your relationship.

you were now on the counter, getting drilled by someone whom you thought was your brother. it felt so good, but so wrong.

“you’re definitely gonna fuck him?”

“y’all live together and don’t fuck? bullshit.”

“he’s so fine; i would’ve been on that.”

"girl, fuck him!”

all those thoughts running through your head and your response running through shortly after.

"stop; he’s like a brother to me."

just how easy were you that you were now getting deep strokes from someone who you introduced as a “brother.”

suguru slammed his hips into you with all his might, his head thrown back as he tried to catch his breat

his bang that was hanging low, not stuff on his forehead from the sweat. your shorts on the floor and your panties around your ankle.

even though you never thought about fucking him, this felt better than any fantasy; the way he was hitting each and every spot was heavenly.

his deep voice in your ear every now and then as he pushed his hips up and forward, tapping and pressing on your sweet spot.

“suguru, slow down!” your whimpers are more defined; if he didn't, you were going to explode out in pleasure.

“i… i can’t.” he stuttered out, and with that, he did. pulling out and releasing on your stomach, your legs are twitching with pleasure.

the post, but clarity hit you both like a truck, looking at each other with your eyes bulging out.

“wanna…?” no other words followed after that, yet you said

“yeah… yeah.”

with that, he was no longer your brother, but something more.

[thehollowwriter]

Do you have any criticisms in regards to the official English translation of TWST?

I have many. So many.

Firstly is the unnecessary changes, mostly with Trey's UM and the name of magical shift.

See, the main thing is, a lot of people say "Paint the Roses" sounds way better than "Doodle Suit", which is goofy, and also works as an Alice in Wondeland reference The thing is, though, I'm pretty sure Doodle Suit is supposed to be a goofy name. It's a teenager naming his UM at about 16 or younger (before canon time), of course it'll be goofy. And on top of that, it is a reference! "Suit" is likely a reference to card suits!

The reason I find this change unnecessary is because you can't even say it was a translation complication, not only are the UM names and certain other words written in English in the JP game iirc, but after getting twst myself I CHECKED and they didn't even bother to RERECORD THE LINES. I can still hear Trey say, "Doodle Suit." I'm English when talking about his UM, but the text box says, "Paint the Roses"

The same applies to magical shift, which was changed to "spelldrive." Characters still say "magishift. " It's just such a useless bunch or changes to way too many names and stuff cause it was already right there in English.

Another issue I have with character names or event names that aren't said in English being different than the names fans have translated is that they often sound a lot worse or a bit weird than original. Like Baul and Baur. I think Baul sounds way better, but this overall could just be some fans not having a completely accurate translation? But tbh we have a lot of bilingual speakers who also talk about the strange differences.

My MAIN NUMBER 1 ISSUE IS THE CENSORSHIP

I'm still so mad that they removed that scene of Cater saying he would absolutely date Vil and that they altered lines from one character to another that could be interpreted as romantic or flirty (only to then, in some cases, ramp up the flirt vibes, ironically).

It's just so disingenuous and was definitely not a mistake.

And of course, iirc, replacing describing Vil as "beautiful" with "handsome" instead because we don't want to give the character whose whole thing is defying gender roles a feminine description, no, that's ridiculous/s

Then there's Azul's backstory. As someone who's only access to twst's story was through translations, both because Eng hadn't released and I'm in the wrong country, it was really icky to see how they watered down the things Azul's bullies said to him.

I just... they were calling him a fat, slow, ugly, and stupid octopus, among other terrible things, and then we got to twst Eng where it's just "silly octotwerp" ?????

Like they were either trying to make it kid friendly (even though this is NOT a kids' game) or they didn't want to put emphasis on the fact that Azul was bullied for his weight. If you ask me, in the official Eng translations, it's actually a bit harder to pick up on the fact that that's part of why Azul was bullied and hates his old self so much.

It's something that really frustrates me, because it makes Azul come across more as a bit of a spoiled kid who got lightly teased and held a ridiculous grudge over it (even if octotwerp is still a bit mean) rather than a deeply traumatised teen who's body image and mental state was badly effected by the severity of the bullying he received. He's constantly bringing up calories, Floyd mentioned he barely eats, etc.

I'm sure this can apply to a lot of other chapters, especially Book 4 with Jamil and Kalim, but I'd like to rewatch YouTube translations and then go through twst Eng before I talk about them

Anyway, rant over now fjffj

[super-paper]

"Thank you for such wonderful comedy."

I've been wanting to talk about how MHA plays with the concepts of "fiction vs reality, the characters vs the actor, the world vs the stage" for awhile now, bc I believe understanding how MHA utilizes these concepts is pretty crucial to understanding our Big Bad (and Tomura!) (...and Izuku!) (.. etc!) (y-yeah...!!!) (wooo.....!!!!!)

If this post is more incoherent than usual, I apologize-- I'm just really enthusiastic about stories that play with the fact that they're stories and characters who throw themselves into a fictionalized role as a means of coping. I love the way MHA handles these concepts in particular, so I lost all sense of restraint as usual.

Hori: "I'm Like Dropping Hints That Hero/Villain Personas Are Actually Coping Mechanisms Lol"

"As Tomura Shigaraki and Tenko Shimura, I've got just one wish: the total destruction of everything that created that house." "If my origin as Touya and Dabi was such a simple thing, then... No, there are still things I want to say. Arguments I want to have."

I've seen a few ppl saying that it sounds awkward/strange to have the characters repeatedly asserting themselves in the third person, but imo, the emphasis on real names versus hero/villain names during these particular scenes plays into the idea of the villain/hero identities being "alter egos" that might not actually have the same core desires as the """"actors"""" that are behind these personas.

Tomura and Touya invoke both their real and villain names while asserting their respective wishes. Himiko also invokes her villain name, though it's less obvious to english speakers because she uses her real name as her villain name (in the raws, "HIMIKO TOGA" as a villain name is written using katakana-- and this is what she uses when asserting her wish). MHA plays with the idea of "fiction"/"Alter Egos" as a form of escapism and as a coping method, and at this point in time, the Dabi/Tomura/"Himiko" identities are still being utilized as a crutch/mask by these three very hurt individuals.

*loud, terrifying chanting* PEAK FICTION PEAK FICTION PE--

Ochako's fight being like the second most thematically important fight in the whole series still makes me unreasonably giddy btw.

To contrast, Ochako uses her civilian name alone when asserting her wish-- and imo we're meant to read this as Ochako wanting to save Himiko as herself, not as Uravity. Saving Himiko is not something she can accomplish as her alter-ego-- Ochako is able to save Himiko by stepping off the stage and becoming a "real" person, while also acknowledging the person behind "Toga Himiko (villain name)".

Izuku hasn't had his "I'm Izuku Midoriya"/"I'm-saving-you-as-Izuku-not-as-Deku" moment yet-- instead, we see Tomura intentionally making that distinction between the-hero-and-the-true-self by constantly referring to Izuku by his real, full name. And I'm pr sure Izuku is also the only one he does this to-- we see him referring to all the other heroes he encounters by their hero names alone, or by insulting nicknames (l-lol). Correct me if I'm wrong, tho!

(side note: Tomura switching to calling Izuku just "Hero" in the aftermath of Bakugate is actually a big step backwards imo-- it reads as Tomura trying to push Izuku away by shoving them both back in the hero/villain box and doubling down on enforcing their respective "roles." Not that I ever expected mister doomdere to make things easy, but, woof. Good Fuckin' Luck, Izuku ( ´･ω･) )

TL;DR The final arc has mostly been about tearing off the hero/villain masks to reveal who is hiding underneath— MHA's careful use of names and monikers plays heavily into that and its distinction between "alter-ego"/"true self" a lot. Which is... probably one of the many reasons why All For One still doesn't have a given name, as someone who has all but completely lost himself in his character.

Anyway! That brings us to the meat of this post: how does MHA take the concepts of "reality vs fiction" and "the character vs. the actor" and apply it to All For One (...and Tomura) (and Izuku--)?

"Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain!"

"If you refuse to submit, then I'll just rewrite the story." - it's amazing how all of this coulda been avoided if someone had just introduced AFO to Demon Lord x Reader fanfiction. (/j)

AFO fancies himself as the author of MHA's greatest tragedy (the desecration of Shimura Nana's legacy via the sacrifice of Shimura Tenko), while simultaneously inserting himself into its overarching narrative and treating himself as the leading villain of the story-- it's self-indulgent and intentionally invasive in the way that most self-insert fanfiction tends to be invasive, with him going to extremes to make it seem as though the whole story revolves around him. AFO wants to be both the author and the leading character and the leading antagonist. This greed is typical of him, but it also establishes him as a character who's more caught up in (read: trapped by) his relationship to "fiction" than anyone else. Again, MHA explores the use of fiction and alter-egos as an escape from a painful reality-- so, it's entirely reasonable to assume that this applies to AFO as well.

To me, so much about AFO reads as an escapist fantasy of someone who is utterly terrified of being put in a position where he is truly seen. The idea of being vulnerable, of being naked, of being "human," is intolerable to him. But by not allowing himself to feel and "be a human," he has effectively cut himself off from what he wants most. The character of “Shigaraki Tomura” is as much an escapist fantasy for AFO as it is Tenko-- It's just another (younger, prettier) layer of skin he can hide his true self in.

"so basically you're saying that AFO is a never nude" yes, actually :)

AFO dehumanizes Tomura through his attempts to turn the boy into his personal comic book character, but he also dehumanizes himself by desperately trying to insert himself into that “character." It's only fitting that Tomura’s innate humanity and capacity for feeling ends up rendering AFO himself painfully, painfully human-- and ultimately causes AFO's carefully constructed character to start crumbling.

If All the World’s a Stage, Then Let’s Destroy the Stage

"That stage is gone now. The theater's knocked down. How much longer can we afford to be spectators on the sideline?" "Once upon a time, a man named All Might showed all of us how to be a hero. But somewhere along the way, people forgot about the heart and soul that made the man." -MHA, Chapter 325

Tomura is attempting to destroy the stage, because without the stage there can be no "Shigaraki Tomura" (Or "All Might," or "All For One," or "Endeavor," etc etc etc). Without the stage, there are no more "characters" and no more tragedies. But-- without the stage, there are no more stories period. There are no more tragedies, but there are no more happy endings either. The world never recognizes the actor behind "Shigaraki Tomura" without the stage. The stage is not inherently a bad thing, so long as people can remember that the actors on the stage still exist outside of it.

But Tomura himself cannot imagine what happens after the curtains fall, and all that's left is Shimura Tenko. He is stuck in a role that was written entirely for someone else, but remains convinced that the role was always his and that the role defines him.

Tomura rebels against the story the only way he knows how--against an "author" who *LITERALLY* views him as a spicier self insert, and against a "setting" that treats his death as a happy ending-- but even so, Tomura still can't picture an ending that doesn't end in tragedy. His rebellion is not about him trying to wring a happy ending out of a miserable, mean-spirited book-- it's about burning the whole damn library down so he never feels let down or hurt by a story again.

Basically: Tomura cannot act outside the confines of his "character" in a way that will truly save him. Even as he rebels, he's rebelling in a way that is painfully consistent with the way his "character" is written-- and that's why AFO (the author) still poses such an enormous threat to him. Destruction cannot save him from this story when he was explicitly penned to destroy.

The only way to break this narrative is to act in a way "the author" doesn't expect, and to tap into all the traits that AFO desperately attempted to "write out" of him-- Shimura Tenko is someone who has always rebelled against his writing, his author, and the unfairness of this story with his kindness and his willingness to accept those that no one else will.

AFO cuts off Tenko's own power at the root by reinforcing Tomura's belief that the world will always inherently reject him, without fail, always and forever-- so he should just reject the world, too (and I've talked at length about this before, but this is why a story that ends with Tomura dying or locked away from society is an ending that fails in its goal to save Tomura). The more Shigaraki Tomura rejects everything and the more Shigaraki Tomura is rejected by everything, the more he distances himself from his root and the source of his power-- and the more Shimura Tenko gets lost in this character.

While AFO is terrified of someone seeing behind his mask, Tomura longs for it. Tenko has been there since the beginning and has been begging for someone to finally see and acknowledge him (both in-universe and out of universe).

"I’ll Be There, Changing Fate by Your Side."

AFO: "Blah Blah Blah Do you still believe myths can save you? Foolish creature. Let me be clear: every version of the story ends with you being slaughtered yadda yadda yadda :) :) :)" ENTER, MIDORIYA IZUKU WITH A STEEL CHAIR.

Izuku's role is that of a completely average boy who gets pulled into a narrative ''that wasn't for him"-- he has no heroic lineage, no hidden powers, and no connection to the centuries old conflict that drives the plot. He's just a boy who did the right thing at the right time and was rewarded for it. Izuku is someone who was "never supposed to be a hero" the same way Tenko was "never supposed to be a villain" per the "rules" of their world-- and Izuku, like Tomura, is someone who exists to destroy those rules and the expectations of their narrative, completely changing the ending.

But rather than burning the book and ending the story forever (like Tomura wants to do), Izuku believes that the story and characters can still be salvaged. There's always something worth saving. It doesn't have to be a tragedy, they can still change the ending. They can talk specifics after Tomura's crazy ass puts the lighter down.

Izuku, like Tomura and so many other characters, throws himself into an alter-ego in an attempt to redefine himself and escape from pain ("Nobody's been saved yet. Don't be the worthless old Deku who can't save anyone" 😬). He almost loses himself in the role of "OFA's torch bearer" the way All Might did-- but just as Izuku managed to find Toshinori Yagi and helped in convincing him that his life as Toshinori has meaning, Izuku ends up getting saved by his friends who couldn't care less about OFA's ~protagonist power~ and know that Izuku is just a goofy, awkward, human boy who needs help.

Like.... If we explore quirklessness as like... a narrative stand-in for characters that the story typically views or dismisses as irrelevant extras/npcs, then AFO's barely restrained anger at Izuku and Toshi (and possibly Yoichi if we're being honest) for daring to ''act beyond their roles'' becomes even funnier. AFO can't stand the idea of his power/the protagonist role being passed on to someone who seems so utterly unworthy, unremarkable, and plain. He can't stand the idea of someone without a quirk/"role" standing up to him, the leading character. Dude really is a toxic comic book fan to the core.

afo really said "I didn't like how things were going so I stopped reading and just wrote a better ending to the story :^)" like...... @mhareddit that's u buddy...........................;

Anyway...........!!!!! AFO is someone who cherry picks what he likes about a story while ignoring the actual intent/message of the work (#theabsolutestateofthemhafandom), but he has no intention of breaking down the dichotomy between heroes/villains and instead actively enforces it (.............#theabsolutestateofthemhafan--). He just wants to flip what side wins in the end.

Tomura wants to break the narrative because he sees that as the only way to escape from his pain (but in doing so, he permanently cuts himself off from being a part of a story with a happy ending). He wants to destroy the dichotomy between heroes and villains because heroes and villains "will never understand each other and never stop creating each other" (lol. lmao, even).

Izuku wants to break the narrative because he's realized that there's something more to this story than your standard "Hero versus Villain," "good vs evil" affair and that he cannot explore what lies behind those masks and labels without tearing them down, first.

These three work together well as a narrative set of Fucking Nerds, and AFO works well as both Tomura and Izuku's villain for all of the above reasons (& also bc he's the only one who is actually benefitting from their current society) ((which basically offers him an endless buffet of hurt and angry children he can exploit on a silver platter)).

Anyway! Kick his ass, Izuku.

[abyss-boxes]

[TEXT ID 1/2: “This alter/user is nonverbal”]

[TEXT ID 3/4: “This alter/user follows commands”]

Hope you enjoyyy!!

REBLOGS OVER LIKES

Credit is appreciated but not required!!

[phoenixgrl1412]

DPxDC Idea - Parents and Dead on Main

This post is more setup/background info for what could be a larger story. If I ever write more of this, I'll link it back to this post.

For clarity, I do use the term 'human' to refer to those who are alive and don't live in the Infinite Realms. I am sorry there is so much worldbuilding and so very little Dead on Main

-----

Danielle (nicknamed Ellie because Dani would be way to confusing and she is her own person) starts to destabilize again, but the cure from before doesn't work. It's beyond what Danny can do on his own, so he takes Ellie to Frostbite.

Frostbite tells the duo that basically, Ellie's core formed incorrectly. Her core has been struggling to keep her alive until now, but it can't hang on any longer.

But! There is a solution! They can take Ellie's core and basically force it to revert to a pre-formation state. They'll then be able to artificially generate the conditions needed for Ellie's core to begin forming correctly on it's own. At that point, Ellie will be able to grow at a normal rate, but they won't be able to artificially age her up.

In simpler terms, they can de-age her to an itty bitty ghost egg (or whatever you want to call it, maybe embryo?), and then trigger the change that makes her an itty bitty baby halfa. She'll have to age normally after that.

It's to save her life, and without it she'll turn to goo and she's running out of time, so they do it. Ellie becomes a baby! A baby halfa!

It's important to note that a baby ghost is not the same as a human baby. The term "baby ghost" refers to two things. 1) newly formed ghosts and 2) child ghosts who may still "age" and alter their form to match that of an adults. When a new ghost's core is fully formed, that's when they stop being a baby ghost. The time it takes to be fully formed can vary from ghost to ghost.

Following this definition, after the de-aging, Ellie is a baby ghost. At the start of the show when the portal had just opened, Danny was a baby ghost. At some point, his core finished forming (more on that later, possibly in a separate post), so he isn't a baby ghost any longer. Box Lunch is a baby ghost because not only is she newly formed, but she will, presumably, age into an adult form. Youngblood is not a baby ghost, because even though he is a child, he has determined that he will NOT age and take on an adult form. Being child sized is his adult form.

When it comes to the question of who will raise Ellie, there are complications. Ordinarily, Frostbite and the Far Frozen would be happy to raise her, especially as a favor to Danny. However, Ellie is a halfa. She needs to be able to spend time in the human world and amongst living people, not just ghosts in the Infinite Realms. Vlad isn't an option for obvious reasons, so Danny is it.

It helps that, in the years since Ellie was created, he'd taken on a parental role towards Ellie. So, even if he wasn't the only option, he would have been the best option anyway.

So, Danny is a dad now. I'm imagining him at 20-23 years old, so he's going to have that I'm-a-new-dad-and-I-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing energy like, all the time now.

But here's the thing about baby ghosts, and it's not any different for baby halfas. They form a bond with the ghosts around them, literally a bond between their cores. They rely on those bonds to know they're safe, as the baby ghost's core isn't developed enough to protect them. Baby ghosts feed on emotions until they can process ectoplasm, so they also rely on these bonds for nutritional reasons.

These bonds are familial in nature and will carry into adulthood. The bonds can always change, but it's a lot harder to change the bonds when a baby ghost is involved. Not only because a baby ghost may not be able to communicate very well, but also because changing a bond is stressful on cores that aren't fully developed.

It's also important for a baby ghost to have lots of bonds. The parental bonds they form will be the most important, but having other bonds is a key part to the development of a ghost. As they get older, these bonds can influence who the ghost becomes as an individual, much like how living children are influenced by those they spend a lot of time around. A baby ghost is most influenced by the ghosts they have parental bonds with.

A parental bond doesn't mean a biological parent, though it can be. Using Box Lunch as an example, she'd have parental bonds with Box Ghost and Lunch Lady. But, parental bonds can be formed with adoptive parents or mentors, and there can be more than two parental bonds. Ghosts tend to stop forming parental bonds once they reach adolescence, but it's not a firm rule or anything.

A ghost with only one parental bond, however, is going to be almost solely influenced by that parent ghost, especially if they are an actual baby like Ellie is. And in the case of a baby halfa whose only parental bond is the person whose DNA she's based off of? Yeah, she's going to end up to be almost identical to Danny, which isn't what anyone wants.

At first, Danny thinks it isn't a problem. Jazz, Tucker, and Sam are liminal enough that even if they don't have true cores, they can form the bonds that ghosts do. They are also living, so they'll be beneficial to the development of her human half. One of them can form a parental bond with Ellie, they're going to be big parts of her life anyway, problem solved!

Or not solved. When Ellie was de-aged, she kept the bonds she'd already formed. She's got a parental bond with Danny, but aunt/uncle/niece bonds with Jazz, Tucker, and Sam. And as previously mentioned, it's awfully difficult to change the type of bond a baby ghost has with someone.

And so, Danny needs to find another halfa, or someone human but liminal, to raise a child with. Danny has been living in Gotham, and the most liminal person he's met is a hot guy who makes death jokes and goes by the name of Jason Todd.

Is dating his co-parent required? No, but Danny is not going to pass on hitting that. Jason Todd is the most attractive person Danny has ever seen.

-----

Jason: *walks into the batcave, holding a tiny sleeping child in one arm*

Batfam: *stares*

Jason: *moves around as evenly as possible to not wake the kiddo*

Batfam: *stares some more* *realizes the kid has black hair and blue eyes*

Jason: *digs through a pile of old gear without a sound* *makes calming sounds when the kiddo shifts around* *does what he needs to and leaves with the sleeping kiddo*

Batfam:

Stephanie, probably: Damn, I bet on Dick. Who put money on Jason inheriting Bruce's adoption problem?

-----

Ellie falling asleep on Jason while he's Red Hood, and he can't do anything because cat rules apply for tiny, sleeping baby halfas.

-----

Jason showing up with baby Ellie around the batfam, who have no idea why he has a kid or where she came from. Jason isn't going to tell them shit, so he refuses to say anything about her and might have taken it too far.

Baby Ellie: *sneezes adorably* *accidentally shoots an ectoblast at the wall of Jason's safehouse because she can't control her powers*

Dick: I get that you don't want to talk about the kiddo, but can we talk about the fact that she has meta abilities and that you now have a hole in your wall that's still smoking?

Jason: what are you talking about? what hole?

Dick: The one right behind you?

Jason: oh, that? been there for weeks, keep meaning to fix it but haven't gotten to it yet

Dick:

Dick: I literally watched the kiddo shoot a green blast at the wall just now

Jason: *wiping Ellie's nose and then picking her up so she can rest her head on his shoulder* what kid?

Dick: *screams internally*

-----

Tim coming up with conspiracy theories as to why Jason has a kid that sometimes has Lazarus green eyes. His theories become more and more wild the longer he goes without sleep.

Tim's current theory is a mass, drug induced hallucination because Jason never confirms that there is even a child, even if he's holding her.

Jason comes home and tells Danny all of Tim's new theories, just to make him laugh. Not only is Danny's laugh one of the best sounds, but when Ellie hears him laughing, she starts laughing too even though she doesn't know why one of her dads is laughing. Jason would do anything to make sure his two favorite people always have a reason to laugh and be happy.

[systiveboxes]

Introject roles - 25

Flags by @disrealities

[decolonize-the-everything]

hey, just wanted to thank you for your blog, it really helps to see someone write and share so many well written takes and useful posts about all the things that are going on but also like, it's nice to see someone with consistently good positions and without compromissions

Thank you 💗💗

Watching that scene with Valerie and her letter from V for Vendetta altered my brain chemistry as a teenager, esp in the context of the protagonist being tortured for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let me dig it up for y'all because its just. Lemme show u, words won't do it justice.

But like this is why I don't compromise and can't ever see myself doing it, no matter what.

Tw: fascist violence, homophobia

Transcript under the cut

I'm never ever compromising who I am or what I believe in, it's the only thing they cant take from us. Fuck fascists, I will love my siblings even if it kills me.

"I know there’s no way I can convince you this is not one of their tricks. But I don’t care. I am me. My name is Valerie. I don’t think i’ll live much longer, and I wanted to tell someone about my life. This is the only autobiography that i’ll ever write, and – God – i’m writing it on toilet paper. I was born in Nottingham in 1985. I don’t remember much of those early years. But I do remember the rain. My grandmother owned a farm in Tottlebrook, and she used to tell me that God was in the rain. I passed my eleven plus, and went to a girl’s grammar. It was at school that I met my first girlfriend. Her name was Sarah. It was her wrists – they were beautiful. I thought we would love each other forever. I remember our teacher telling us that it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew. Sarah did. I didn’t. In 2002 I fell in love with a girl named Christina. That year I came out to my parents. I couldn’t have done it without Chris holding my hand. My father wouldn’t look at me. He told me to go and never come back. My mother said nothing. I’d only told them the truth. Was that so selfish? Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us. And within that inch, we are free. I’d always known what i’d wanted to do with my life, and in 2015 I started my first film: The Salt Flats. It was the most important role of my life. Not because of my career, but because that was how I met Ruth. The first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but hers again. We moved to a small flat in London together. She grew scarlet carsons for me in our window box. And our place always smelt of roses. Those were the best years of my life. But America’s war grew worse and worse, and eventually came to London. After that there were no roses anymore. Not for anyone. I remember how the meaning of words began to change. How unfamiliar words like “collateral” and “rendition” became frightening. When things like norsefire and the articles of allegiance became powerful. I remember how different became dangerous. I still don’t understand it: why they hate us so much. They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I’ve never cried so hard in my life. It wasn’t long until they came for me. It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place. But for three years I had roses – and apologised to no-one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch. But one. An inch. It is small and it is fragile, and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that - whoever you are - you escape this place. I hope that the world turns, and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may not meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you: I love you. With all my heart. I love you. -Valerie."

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yves's opinion on my other OCs

Part 2/???

Tw: afab/fem reader, mentions of incest, suicide

part 1

If Yves could kill your brother, he would. And he absolutely could in a heartbeat, but you love him too much.

He tried filling that romantic spot in your life, while you initially reciprocated, your stupid brother had to get in the way and try to fight him.

Yves survived more assassination attempts than you could count. At first, he respects your brother because he actually has the riches, the means and the wits to pull things similar to him. But it gets annoying when his men and methods are as harmless as a fly to Yves. Yet, your brother never thought to change up his ways, hoping that one day Yves would just fall for it and die.

Yves sees your brother as a half assed version of himself. While he has the guns, he doesn't have the knowledge to use it; in other words, that boy does not keep records like how Yves does. He is careless and casual in his notes, Yves would scoff at it because all it contains are the things you liked and the most basic of habits. Where is your genome sequencing? Does he know at what luminosity do you like your lights at? Could he even tell when you're cranky? Could he even tell what was making you moody? Yves doubts that he knows how to make you kick a bad habit by talking to you, let alone with the use of reality altering tools.

Your brother is selfish and self centered, there were numerous instances where he did things that he assumed you liked. However, you were clearly showing signs that you didn't, and it doesn't take a maniac like Yves to tell. Like your grandiose eighteenth birthday, the excessive public display of affection, the large quantity of gifts, being unable to keep the peace between himself and your parents, treating you as if you were still five, so on and so forth.

Yves looked down at the fact your brother wasn't putting you first and foremost. His own needs and wants are the priority, not yours. How disgusting of him.

Your brother is so dramatic and embarrassing to be around. Whenever you're with Yves, he would be there too, whining about how his precious baby sister is leaving him to rot alone. No matter how much you tried to reassure him that Yves isn't stealing away from you, your brother still continued bawling his eyes out pathetically.

Yves would simply sit on his chair cross-legged, quietly sipping his tea.

You know incest is wrong. Yves knows it and so does your brother, at least, on the surface. This is how Yves boxed him into that platonic brotherly figure for you, because your brother would have needed to admit he had such forbidden feelings towards his little sister in order to effectively rid Yves from his romantic standing. It wouldn't be a good look as your role model since birth.

He is predictable. Yves knows he wouldn't need to do anything except to control his own irritation. Your brother would only escalate if your boyfriend fought back, as shown in his relationship with your father. Yves would be cold but polite, only replying if needed in short, detached answers.

This frustrates your brother to death, if he threw the first punch especially when Yves was merely silent and not doing anything condescending towards you, your brother would look really crappy in your eyes. What does it take to rile Yves up? It seems like he's a monk who has attained nirvana with his level of patience and collectiveness. Perhaps it was that coolness that drew you into Yves.

He would go ballistic whenever you chose to sit next to Yves instead, hysterically crying and lamenting that he has been replaced. Yves would only observe, smiling sympathetically at you whenever you try to apologize on his behalf. He wouldn't say a word or move a muscle, other than to sip his tea or take another bite out of his meal. Men like these will just tire themselves out.

And in the end, your brother did. It's just like screaming into the void when it comes to Yves. Nothing seems to work, he couldn't be killed, the smear campaigns against him were ineffective in making Yves look bad in your eyes, your boyfriend didn't want his riches so he couldn't be bribed to leave and there is absolutely zero information about Yves whatsoever.

But there was one last thing he hadn't tried. Which was to threaten suicide in front of you.

Yves wasn't having any of that, he predicted that he would be stupid enough to do this already. So a day before this happened, he paid your foolish brother a visit in his "top secret headquarters". It wasn't hard to find it at all, and his security system is... unbelievably shitty.

This would be the only time Yves would raise his voice at him, calling him all kinds of unfriendly terms for even thinking of traumatizing you that way. Yves would tell your brother to grow up, stop being so immature and be there for you. Unfortunately, no matter how Yves wished he would just evaporate out of existence, you need him.

Your older brother couldn't stand a chance against him in a physical fight, no punches landed and Yves didn't even have to try. All he did was restrain his wrist as he thrashed and snarled like a rabid dog.

Yves also seized the chance to sit down with your brother and discuss various compromises. It took your boyfriend a while, because your brother would be sobbing uncontrollably upon realizing what he would have done if it wasn't for Yves's intervention.

It's like dealing with a child. An idiotic, overgrown child with too much money and power in his possessions.

Yves had to wait for him to settle down, drumming his fingers against the table to show that he was impatient.

When your brother finally decided to talk, it was all insults and hatred towards Yves. Hissing and spitting in his face, not sparing a single nasty thought about Yves. He would sit there, as graceful as ever as he gets showered in his spit. Staring blankly at this manbaby.

Eventually, your brother would run out of spunk and need to catch his breath. His shoulders visibility sagged after expressing everything he wanted to say to this thief.

"Are you finished?" Yves would ask, pulling out a wet wipe to clean his face from your brother's saliva spray. "Did you get everything out of your system?"

Predictably, your brother wouldn't respond, he would just slump himself against the chair. He had spent all his energy being angry at someone who isn't.

Good, now Yves can say his piece. He starts off by saying that his frequent outbursts are stressing you out, you shed more hair per day and your sleep cycle is disrupted. Yves pulled out a report that showed the results of your blood test, heart rate and breaths per minute at any given time. There were extra observations that he made, showing a shift in your behavior and an increase in self-soothing gestures. Yves wants your brother to get that under control, or it will do much more serious damage to your health in the long run.

He started tensing up and shouting again, freaking out about how Yves is a stalker. Your boyfriend shut it all down by injecting a sedative into his thigh. It's strong enough to incapacitate him, but not enough to knock him out cold. He needs to be awake and speaking.

Yves continued talking, he kept his negative opinions about your brother to himself, only focusing on your wellbeing. He knew that by telling your brother you actually do not enjoy being treated like a kid, it wouldn't improve the situation at all. He would only become furious as he is that deep into his delusions.

So he stayed on topic about your brother's violent and extreme displays of distress whenever you chose Yves over him.

Yves made it clear that he isn't leaving you and he expressed his understanding that your brother would never let you go either. So, he is willing to negotiate and compromise.

Your boyfriend is such a considerate man, he extended the olive branch by allowing your brother to be with you five days a week. While he only gets two. However, you must have free access to your phone and have at least one means of contacting Yves whenever you want.

Your brother mumbled that he should be getting all seven days if Yves didn't meddle in the first place. This caused the dark haired man to remind him that he can't have everything in the world.

Your brother is suspicious as to why Yves is letting him take up most of your time.

"My beloved values the... unique bond you shared with her." Yves pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You are still... family. I would want my in-laws to have a more... positive opinion of me." Yves tilted his head and frowned, disliking seeking approval from your brother. But he wanted such domesticity, monster-in-laws come with the package.

Your brother stared at him in disbelief. He doesn't know what to say.

Yves is definitely different. None of your boyfriends or girlfriends had this much dedication toward you, the most they did was compliment you on your looks before your brother chased them all away. He's apparently fucking immune to all poisons and gunshot wounds, Yves was nothing but caring and loving towards you.

He could have taken the easy way and disposed of your brother like mere trash, but Yves didn't. Instead, he paid attention. He puts in the effort to be diplomatic and willingly keeps your brother around for your sake. This boyfriend of yours truly has your best interest at heart and also considered your brother's feelings; something that was never done for him before. This was actually the first time your brother felt seen and perceived. It made him feel... naked but genuinely respected for once.

Yves sacrificed a lot just to save the 'friendship' between the two men. Your brother couldn't imagine himself doing what your boyfriend did, with that amount of power? He would have kept you for himself.

It is so bizarre, that a man like Yves, is this generous and selfless. However, this is the only man your older brother is even considering approving for you. It's not like he really has a choice since he just can't get rid of him.

Your brother struggled to regain control of his hand, only to give Yves a thumbs up. Your boyfriend closed his eyes momentarily, annoyed. He calculated that he would agree after five minutes of pondering, but he caved in three minutes earlier.

After that day, you would find that Yves would be busier with work. But if you called him, he would always pick up and entertain you as long as you're willing. Strange that your brother wouldn't interfere, he would be breathing down your neck, but he wouldn't hang the phone up for you at all.

You're shocked that your brother lets you choose who to go home with, instead of attempting to kidnap you back to his penthouse. Obviously, you would choose Yves, who's your boyfriend, and soon-to-be fiance! Plus, it's weird to be sleeping with your brother at this age.

You could see that your brother would be hurt a bit, but in the end, it appeared that he had changed. He wouldn't throw a tantrum if you decided to cuddle against Yves, he would just join in. So now you're sandwiched between two men, one who is openly crazy and the other who seems normal on the surface.

It's... awkward. You asked if Yves was okay with it, and all he did was remind you that your brother is family, smiling and pressing a kiss on your forehead.

Your brother got jealous and began planting numerous kisses on your face to 'clean' you from Yves's filthy kisses. Yves wouldn't interfere if you're enjoying it- opting to read his novel instead, he would tell him off and stop him if you're uncomfortable though.

Your brother would grow to respect him and maybe see him as his first true friend. Why wouldn't he? Yves is attentive to what he likes, gives your brother advice, and isn't afraid to set him straight with a firm hand. Your boyfriend has nothing to gain or lose by being kind to your brother, he's just doing this because he wants to.

Yves would work with you to throw your brother's birthday parties. Not the extravagant, ballroom types with a thousand guests attending, just a simple dinner with the three of you. Yves would cook your favorite meals along with his, you never knew he liked that dish. Your brother never told anyone either.

His gifts to your brother are meaningful, something he would use daily and in his favorite color too. If it's something he wears, it's in the right size, the right style, and the right texture. The best part of his gift was a picture calendar of you, taken in a professional shoot with immaculate lighting. Dressed in different costumes and in different settings, no one else is in your portraits.

Yves would merely watch your brother slack his jaw in disbelief when he opened the present. You're sitting on your older brother's lap as he flips through the personalized calendar with trembling hands. He praised and cooed at you for being so beautiful and gorgeous, you will receive all the kisses from your brother as Yves watched the two of you with a stoic face.

It comes to a point where Your brother would vent to him about his grievances in his life. Yves would patiently listen to him pour his heart out, and give him words of encouragement or solace. He knows your partner is much older than he is, hence he is wealthier in experience. Your brother would come to him for help regarding work, or life in general, and Yves would guide him like how a stern but loving father would.

Your brother didn't know when did he start to become fond of Yves.

Perhaps it was this one time when your brother broke down in front of Yves, wanting to kill himself due to years of suppressed trauma coming out from daily therapy sessions with your boyfriend. Telling him that you would be better off with your deranged brother six feet underground, Yves is much more capable of taking care of you than him. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, and deeply guilty for subjecting you to years of his fucked up obsession.

Yves didn't offer any kind words this time. Instead, Yves grabbed him by the collar and slapped him across the face so hard, that his ears rang and nose bled. Your boyfriend scolded him for thinking that way, you love your brother, and need him in your life. He thinks the self-degradation your brother is going through is foolish, he is a crucial figure in your life, and Yves fucking hates quitters.

He forced your brother to see how far he has come in his journey to improve as a person. Yves had proof, evidence, and numbers to convince him that your brother was far from being hopeless. He didn't put this much effort into raising him just for your brother to throw it all away.

Yves's gone through much, much worse, yet he is still here, caring for you and your brother by extension. It's no wonder why the idea of giving up enraged him so much, he couldn't even afford it back then. He isn't giving the luxury to your brother either, Yves does not want to clean up the mess he would leave after committing suicide.

Your brother got an earful from him, Yves will not accept this type of defeatist mindset. Apparently, his subliminal messages did not work on him, he needed to drill that necessary confidence into his thick skull through more direct means. So Yves yelled the pessimism out of him, shaking him back and forth until he was green in the face. Only then, did he let go, just to envelope him in a bone-crushing hug.

He cried on his shoulder like a little boy and momentarily let himself actually relive a childhood that was robbed of him. Your brother felt guilty soiling his expensive turtle neck with his blood, tears, and snot, but Yves assured him that it was fine. As long as your brother promised to be there for you.

Eventually, he becomes... docile. He wouldn't be paranoid that you would abandon him for Yves. Even giving you and Yves space at times, which was a major breakthrough given your brother's history. Of course, he would still be unbearably affectionate towards you, spoiling you with gifts and love. But it has lessened to a reasonable degree, you wouldn't have to worry about dealing with an excess of shoes anymore, he stops his touches as soon as you feel upset. He learned how to read you more and Yves's calmness is rubbing off him.

Your brother wouldn't beat your dad to death anymore nor would he devastate your mother's self-esteem unprompted. He would become classier, either ignoring the infuriating comments made by your parents or looking to Yves to handle the situation calmly.

You were astonished when he would invite Yves over to hang out as a trio, he wasn't doing this out of malice, but out of genuine want. It was explained when you saw how your brother looked up to Yves, with such respect and admiration for him. As if it was a boy looking up to his strong, heroic father.

Yves is pleased with his work. He didn't have to ask him to share you anymore, your brother would willingly present his darling baby sister to Yves while he fucks off to do something else. He made sure not to get too greedy, though. Yves has to give you back to your brother at some point, or else he will start to get antsy and lose his allyship.

Yves is happy to learn that your brother is following in his footsteps. The reason why he gets to himself is because he is setting up his own data vault. He isn't going to spoon-feed your brother though, if he wants to dabble in this new hobby of his, he has to do his own research and recordings. Yves can give him tips and tricks, but he would never freely supply information about you just like that. Your brother has to earn it.

He could cross-examine and confirm or deny the data your brother collected, but that's all he's willing to do for him. He wouldn't let him step foot into his extensive underground library despite hinting to your brother about its existence.

The reason why he isn't stopping your brother is because Yves knows he will never be as good as him. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have a backup protector, there are times when Yves is swamped with work and can't effectively take care of you. He trusts that your brother will step up and take his place temporarily.

He knows your brother wouldn't betray Yves. He had cemented himself as the paternal figure he never had but always badly wanted. Your brother is constantly seeking his approval, he knows he would rather die than make Yves disappointed.

Yves took him under his wing because he didn't feel threatened. As your brother's love is unconditional but platonic. Yes, there might be some undesirable feelings he harbored toward you, but carrying it out and openly admitting to being an aspiring sister-fucker is greatly frowned upon. By both you and Yves.

Your brother wouldn't do that anymore. Not when he has everything to lose.

Yves thinks he's Alright. He appreciates the effort he puts into you and himself. Yves does see your brother as a junior, a son of sorts because he saw the potential. There is definitely some parental love that Yves held for your brother.

But, with that being said. Yves wouldn't hesitate to shoot him dead if your brother managed to defy his predictions and become a traitor. You are Yves's number-one priority, so if he hurts you, your brother has to go immediately.

Even if it means Yves has to shed a couple of tears of grief while carrying his lifeless body to his autopsy table. He was such a good kid, why did it have to turn out like this? When you're not with him, Yves would spend every second researching what went wrong, examining slices of his brain, and rechecking if there was any underlying illness that caused him to destroy such a great thing. He just has to know.

Why? Where did he go wrong?

Luckily though, that scenario has almost zero chance of happening. So the three of you could go on enjoying existence as an inseparable trio.

Your older brother is finally feeling fulfilled with you and Yves in his life.

[rin-and-jade]

Job Roulette.. or Not: A Post about Alter Roles

Roles like Hosts? Protectors?.. maybe a Cleaner? an Academic?.. why is there an alter who comes out only for driving?! What about these other alters who don't really do much--they got to have one right??

--Are probably what you might be thinking when this topic comes up. But, there's something more into it,, it's not all about what job or how the role is assigned to an alter only.

Well, for this post, lets talk EVERYTHING about how roles work, what kinds exist, why it's there?? And especially, why are some more task specific, multi-role, or even... none? Bowl straight to the point, let's roll out. Haha punny

Ok J, spill. What are they?

Hold on. Im pulling out this dictionary definition of it--ah!

"defined positions that are associated with given responsibilities and are usually allocated according to the position or ability of each person."

To put it in system terms, it's how different parts can do something that others couldn't, or, feel a sense of responsibility in one particular aspect. That's making sense right? But oh.. you still want to know why they're there at the first place. Fine, follow me!

Yeah, show me why!

As aforementioned, this disorder boxes up our different parts of selves with amnesia and weaker bonds of connection which really sets us back on easing our 'modes' for different situations.. not only that, a part's moods and state/personality can greatly affect what kinds of jobs they get, it's not so random as you'd thought.

So, thing is, because some alters have a distinguished ability capable in doing something, depending what fragment or pre-existing knowledge/experience it holds, that can become it's very own job task.

They can be hereditary (upon split or formed), gained (fuse or passed traits), or even learnt (by its own commitment, without any prior skills). Roles come from many origins, and none of them are so different.

But, some are more complex..

I get it, some can have more than one, have ultra specific ones, or literally just don't have any. Now it makes you think--if it was from predisposed strengths each alters naturally have, then why are some more niche? or like, anything else? I know why:

Our brains are complex alright. We both can think maybe we can do (even if we don't like it) and not do something, and these are all compartmentalized in each alters, so basically its part feelings, part acceptance of such trait, and part commitment as the formula. Even confidence or the call to action affects this outcome!

This can apply to who can handle more than one jobs, or for those who are more specific or lesser known roles. In fact, roles do not have any limits, they are specifically tailored for your functionality so don't fret if you have an alter who's job is only to sleep, or anything else 'silly' !

What about the ones without.. roles?

Do you think it feels wrong to not have roles? While it is true that roles are needed, they're not actually a required standard for everyone to have a job task. Mainly, ANP's are the one who usually have roles, but EP's can too.

If they do not have a role, they might be disinterested or think they don't have any potential, or sometimes they're only there to hold memories / don't have the qualified skill sets, and thats okay! You can take proactive action in anyhow you'd like, just remember, every parts aren't forced to contribute, you know? It doesn't make them useless, maybe more on passive support/back ups.

I've also seen some systems who don't really have roles because the alters are all well-rounded, as in pick up other's tasks and that they're not assigned/compelled to do a particular job at all times, like being flexible. everyone's different!

Make sense, anything else?

Well, that we are not bound to roles, they do not define us, and that we can lose, or change roles according to our growth. Have anyone ever mentioned that?

Im aware that we tend to put too much emphasis on having jobs and being contributive, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that we all in this together, and to help each other, in a way or another.

Never forget that you're more than your job! Maybe try to enjoy other parts of life, yeah?

--

Thats the end of the post. What will you do if you find a new alter with no impressions of having a role? How do you see roles in your own pov? What's the first thing you'd do if you were to be free from your job task, if any? Feel free to let me know, i hope this has been informative, im willing to add anything if something's missing!

- j