#and all the interesting ones are too complex

[geniusvenusxxx]

✰ VENUS is more so about what you idealistically want in a relationship and the instant attractions you have to people. It can give a basis of how you fall in love but once in the actual relationship and settled with someone the MOON is more accurate in telling the behaviors of someone in my personal opinion. This is because the Moon shows how we act when we’re comfortable and when we truly care about someone deeply. It’s about the deep emotional connections we create (in all forms not just when it comes to family or friends). I knew a person who dated a guy with a Scorpio Venus and he seemed so deeply in love with her in the beginning but he also had an Aquarius Moon and was quick to drop her as soon as things started getting too serious. He was afraid of the commitment and clearly didn’t love her as deeply as it seemed when they initially started dating.

✰ PLUTO IN THE 3RD HOUSE natives (when unevolved) may argue a lot because they want power in social interactions and have a hard time dealing with anyone trying to have power over them in any way verbally or mentally. They feel like they always have to get the last word in but the evolved ones will have the understanding that there’s more power in dismissing negative behavior than entertaining it repeatedly and will avoid arguments. Although these people sometimes argue a lot though they actually hate confrontation. It stresses them out a lot they just have trouble holding things in and get overtaken by their emotions at times.

✰ AQUARIUS MARS MEN that I’ve met are walking red flags I’m not even gonna lie. There’s few that I meet that don’t live up to the stereotypes and I do hate to stereotype but they really have such a bad fear of commitment because they just wanna mess around and do what they wanna do. They think about them and only them. Especially during conflict they can act extremely impulsive and do things without even thinking. They lowkey scare me when they’re unevolved. This is one of the few placements that always makes me jump when I see it in a chart.

✰ SAGITTARIUS AND VIRGO energy is quite similar to me when it comes to arguments. They both have strong beliefs and aren’t afraid to stand on business when they feel strongly about a specific topic. They’re also both very blunt and say it like it is. When unevolved they both have an issue with wanting to prove everyone wrong and have this weird power over people. It’s this unusual superiority complex. When evolved they can be very great debaters though and are willing to listen to others points of views without being shady.

✰ YOUR 7TH HOUSE SIGN AND LORD can tell what people you feel most drawn to in all aspects of life. This includes close friendships and romantic relationships. However this is also the house of enemies so there can be this quick change of love to hatred when surrounding yourself with these energies. There’s less emotional understanding with this house than some of the others I’ve noticed. Really risky but such an intense connection at the same time.

✰ PISCES ARE OFTEN DRAWN TO LIBRA’S a lot. They’re really compatible, especially when dating. They’re both really romantic and fall in love really deeply when evolved and often have similar interests (usually artistic ones). They also have a lot of compassion and are very forgiving when one of them makes a mistake.

✰ 12TH HOUSE STELLIUM natives are either really great people with high emotional intelligence or really awful people. I swear there’s never an in between. Unevolved ones are very manipulative and will play victim in situations where they’re not the victim a lot and try and twist narratives to have their way. They also use pity to lure in people and have others side with them. Extremely emotionally manipulative people. Evolved ones are some of the nicest and most selfless people you will ever meet though. They care deeply about others and will always sacrifice anything for the ones they love. They also are good at picking up on when their friends or loved ones aren’t feeling well and great at being there for people when they need someone to talk to or vent to.

✰ MOON OPPOSITE MARS is such a hard aspect because there’s often this battle of being overtaken by your emotion a lot and having to force yourself to not react in extreme ways over even the smallest things. If this aspect is at a lower orb especially these people can be very impulsive with their emotions and overreact a lot then after they often calm down and just feel lots of regret about the way they acted. They say things they don’t mean in conflict a lot and make stupid decisions quickly without thinking. This opposition can be worked through and a person can become more evolved with this aspect by having more self discipline and compassion for others.

[croquis-el]

Subtleties of Friendship Designation

Since it's Narumitsu week now, it would be a shame not to talk about them within the framework of my blog, namely, to dig into how they formally designate each other.

For each person, the concept of friendship is different and for each friend there is a different level of trust. The only thing we can rely on is how one person treats another, their personal ideas. The one you consider your best friend may treat you without interest, and so on. This is a complex topic, you understand, I will not go into detail.

Let's return to our stars today.

What "degree of friendship" is inherent in Naruhodō and Mitsurugi. It's a bit awkward, but I don't even know what else to call it.

Initially, we learn that Naruhodō's attitude towards Mitsurugi is rather cool, I would even say there is a bit of hostility (there was already a post about this - Naruhodō's Loyalty). They don't understand each other at all and create the impression of real opponents.

Mitsurugi's brief dossier tells us this directly.

検事局きっての天才検事。

有罪判決のためなら手段を選ばない、冷酷な男。

The most brilliant prosecutor in the Prosecutor's Office.

A ruthless man who will stop at nothing to secure a guilty verdict.

Later, when they find common ground, they begin to try to understand the reasons for each other's behavior and themselves. And when one realizes their own crisis, and the other prefers to close their eyes to it (as usual), their paths diverge again for a while. Naruhodō doesn't even want to hear about that person and mentions him only once (and then, forcedly). In the end, both understand that they are better at working together than trying to move a mountain on their own, and are now ready to define their roles in life.

Let's turn again to the dossier, or literally to their thoughts about each other. This is case 3-5, which is rich in their interactions.

検事局ナンバー1の実力を誇る、ぼくの古い友人。

諸外国の法廷を研究中。

My old friend who prides himself on being number one in his abilities in the prosecutor's office

Currently researching courts in various countries.

古い [furui] - old, ancient, long, since long ago, time-honored

Well, that is, literally

友人 [yujin] friend is a fairly standard, neutral or even slightly formal/bookish word for friend. It is not used as a direct address to a friend in everyday speech.

As native speakers wrote:

"I use 友人 to mention my friend while talking to my teacher, boss etc."

Note that this address is written in the dossier (formally - an official document). Once again shows us Naruhodo's pedantry and that he uses polite speech.

(Fun fact: ナンバー1 is literally read namba-wan)

If we show the dossier about Mitsurugi to Bikini, the following dialogue will occur:

いやー、いいセンパイを持って

シアワセねぇ、アンタ。

Oh man, you're lucky to have such a great senpai.

････センパイ? コイツ、友だちですけど……

... Senpai? This guy is my friend...

I think many people know the word センパイ [senpai], but if not, it's literally senior.

In a personal, everyday conversation with someone, but in an informal setting (in this case, with Bikini), he uses 友達 (友だち) [tomodachi].

If Naruhodo said "yūjin" in a normal conversation, it would sound a little strange, too bookish or even pompous, as if he was distancing himself or trying to be overly polite where it was not necessary. Therefore, the use of the word 友達 [tomodachi]- friend, here is appropriate.

Another dossier that we have available - from parts 5 and 6 (they are almost identical).

検事局長。かつて検事として 法廷で戦った相手。

ぼくの幼なじみでもある。

Head of the Public Prosecutor's Office. An opponent who once fought in court as a public prosecutor. He is also my childhood friend.

幼なじみ [osananajimi]: "childhood friend". Another meaning is "friend since infancy". The word comes from 幼な [osana] (little, young) and じみ [najimi] (familiar, familiar).

幼なじみ [osananajimi] is also a subcategory of "friends", indicating a very specific and often deep, long-term bond based on shared childhood.

So if you call someone your osananajimi, it indicates a much closer and longer-lasting relationship than just tomodachi.

(Someone is incredibly shy about calling someone a friend in front of other people.)

Now let's turn to Mitsurugi. And his dossier on Naruhodo.

小学校のころからの親友。

おぼろ橋から転落して現在、入院中。

My best friend since elementary school.

He fell off the Oboro Bridge and is currently hospitalized.

親友 [shin'yū]

This word means "close friend" or "best friend". It implies deep affection, trust, and often a long history of relationships.

Contains the kanji 親 [shin/oya], which means intimacy, closeness, friendliness, close relative.

Now, let me remind you again that this is his personal file on Naruhodō. His thoughts. So who says that Mitsurugi is one of those who have forgotten what emotions are? His face may not show anything, but inside he will be squealing loudly with delight.

御剣さまは････、あの方のお友だち、なのですか?

Mitsurugi-sama is his friend, isn't he?

････かけがえのない友人です。

... [he is] an irreplaceable friend.

Now let me explain a little about this tricky point and why the sentences seem disconnected. (I spent hours reading about this myself because I didn't understand who we were talking about). If I made a mistake, please let me know!

If we break down Ayame's question word by word, we get the following (I didn't take into account the first word - the appeal to Mitsurugi):

When [は (wa)] follows a name being addressed (for this example - Mitsurugi), it often intensifies the topic or asks a question directly to that person.

あの方 [ano kata]: This is a very polite way of saying "that person" or "he/she". It's used when you're talking about someone you respect or don't know very well. It's more polite than "あの人 [ano hito]".

の [no] possessive particle ["him/her"].

お友だち [o-tomodachi]: "Friend".

お [o-] prefix here is a polite mark.

なのですか [na no desu ka]: This is a question mark that gives the question an explanatory, clarifying, or confirming tone, as if asking "That's true, isn't it?" or "Does that mean...?"

In this dialogue, especially with the particle [は (wa)] and the question mark [なのですか (nano desu ka)], the purpose of the question is not just to get a "yes/no", but to clarify or get an explanation of the situation/connection that has become the topic of conversation.

That's why when Ayame(Iris) formally asks if he and Naruhodō are friends, he doesn't answer about himself. If you dig into the context of his answer: "How could it be otherwise?"

This is where the very pathos and distancing we talked about earlier comes to the fore. He feels awkward and uncomfortable in front of a girl who is obviously well acquainted with Naruhodō. But he, as it were, indicates his not the last role in his life, that he is also important, that he is literally his confidant (and we remember that he stood behind the lawyer's desk only because Naruhodo asked him to. Even if it was risky.)

That he is not just a tomodachi (as Ayame asked), but specifically kakegae no nai yūjindesu.

Localization, by the way, did a good job of simplifying the understanding of the question that Ayame asked here.

What can I say about this - think for yourself, decide for yourself :)

And finally: you can call your 親友 [shin'yū] the word 友人 [yūjin], but not always the other way around.

A person who is your 友人 [yūjin] is not necessarily your 親友 [shin'yū].

You can call your 親友 [shin'yū] the word 友達 [tomodachi], but not the other way around.

Someone who is just 友達 [tomodachi] to you is unlikely to be your 親友 [shin'yū] or be called 友人 [yūjin] in a formal context unless there is a specific reason.

I hope I haven't confused you too much, or maybe I've helped someone else better understand their relationship.

[fawn7ng]

imagine a yandere who can see the red string of fate (and believes in fate).

warnings: obsession, stalking, does this count as manipulation..

➣ red string-seer!yandere who was born with the ability to see the vibrant crimson threads connecting destined lovers. to him, the world is made up of them, the whole thing a complex tapestry of interwoven fates, and he's always believed in the absolute truth of these connections.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who spent his childhood passively observing the strings, fascinated by the way they stretched, tangled, and eventually drew people together. he always assumed his own string would lead them to someone perfect.

➣ and he was right! how sweet.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, upon seeing his own red thread tied to you, experiences an overwhelming sense of validation. there's no doubt in his mind—you are the one.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who initially tries to orchestrate "chance" encounters, subtly "guiding" you toward him, believing he's just helping fate play its part. he'll find out where you live, where you work, what time you go out for a walk, and even that you always buy the slightly bruised gala apples at the very back of the produce section at the grocery store you visit every tuesday because you feel bad for the apples since no one else bought them (which is a little odd.. but it's okay he loves you anyways!). he'll appear wherever you go, always seeming to just coincidentally be there.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who becomes increasingly frustrated that you don't immediately recognize your destined connection to him. he's literally everywhere you are! it's stalking fate! why don't you realize it?

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, despite his growing frustration, is careful not to outright reveal his ability. he knows that telling you about the red string would sound crazy, and he can't risk you thinking he's anything less than the perfect partner.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, when you finally do speak to him, will seem incredibly charming and attentive, almost too good to be true. he's already studied your every preference, so he knows exactly what to say to make you feel comfortable and understood!

➣ red string-seer!yandere who will (not so) subtly try to steer your conversations towards topics that reinforce the idea of destiny, soulmates, and fate. he'll casually mention stories or movies or instances of fated lovers, watching your reaction closely.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, upon seeing the string starting to tangle, begins to subtly sabotage your other relationships, believing they're the root cause for it. an accidentally overheard phone call that leads to a misunderstanding with a friend, a misplaced item that makes you late for a planned outing, or a rumor that causes you to lose someone dear to you. anything to clear the path for your fated connection ♡.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, when you finally start to show some reciprocal interest (even if it's just out of politeness or resignation), feels an immense surge of triumph. he sees it as what it is: fate.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who becomes bolder. he'll start giving you actual invitations for dates or outings, always making sure they align perfectly with your own interests.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, during your conversations, will talk about you both being fated, highlighting all the little "coincidences" that brought you together. he'll frame them as undeniable proof that you were always meant to be.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who will begin to express mild concern if you spend too much time away from him, saying that you seem less vibrant or a bit sadder when you're not together. he'll make you question if something's wrong when he's not around, subtly seeding the idea of you needing him into your mind.

➣ red string-seer!yandere who, as you fall more and more for him, will occasionally trace the invisible line of the red string from his own hand to yours, a look of satisfaction and certainty on his face. fate always wins in the end.

[scribesynnox]

Fool that I am, I totally forgot about expanding the game mechanics part. You know. The bit that got me rambling in the first place.

So! Game mechanics I’m thinking for this. Like I said, in the first half of the game, it's a resource allocation type of game. Spaceloaf only has so much extra energon in storage to go before he runs out completely and offlines (let's say he has a lot because he realized early on that he got lost and conserved accordingly, trying to conserve his energon to stay online long enough to be rescued. Hopefully. Hehe, he ended up getting that rescue in the end though didn't he, although the destination leaves much to be desired). Every movement uses up his energon fuel, so your goal is to try and find an alternative before it runs out. You have a home base where you store the gathered tools and fuels. A safe place where Spaceloaf can rest and conserve his energon while Buran goes out to investigate the Areas of Interest. This limits your search area as you can't travel too far from the homebase, and Spaceloaf himself can't travel that far when being careful with his energon useage. But as you gather more resources, craft more tools and weapons, you can risk going further and further, or find more resources with better equipment in the areas you already searched.

In battles against the other lifeforms in this place, you can either have Buran tank it out, using his own weapons and skills to scare off or kill the alien(?), or if things look bad and you also brought along Spaceloaf for the journey, you can have Spaceloaf help in the fight. However, if Spaceloaf participates in the fight, he will use up more of his energon, and if Spaceloaf decides that Buran is in danger, Spaceloaf will join the battle irregardless of whether or not you select him for it. So you have to pick and choose your battles, decide if it's something you can scare off, or something you can fight, or if it's cheaper to just run away, to try and save as much energon as you can.

Second half of the game! Whatever happens at the end of part one, you no longer have to worry as much about refueling. Now the game is more focused on open world exploration. You are no longer limited to staying within a certain radius of the homebase. Areas that were previously locked to you before are now accessible. If Spaceloaf did not make it in the first half, certain areas are blocked off to you until you get better upgrades because they're too dangerous to fight off alone with Buran's inferior weapons, or because it's a two people area, sort of like how in Little Nightmares, there are sections that require two people to further progress. Depending on which path you decide to take, Escape or Thrive, you would focus on different aspects.

If you decide to try to find a way out, you'd spend the game hunting down the journals of people who had been here. There are journals you can find, here and there. Buran and Spaceloaf never find the authors along with the journals, and at first had assumed that the authors had, you know. Died. But you are able to find a journal that talks about hints of escaping. Entries that talk about how there is a way to escape. And of course, these could be complete nonsense. There is no proof that it worked. But there also isn't proof that it DIDN'T work. Maybe the reasons the two can't find the authors is because the authors escaped. The game becomes an investigative one, trying to piece together all the different journals spread across the place, trying to cobble together a method that could conceivably WORK. Fight off the hostile lifeforms in the areas as you wander around, communicate with the friendlier ones, making sure to stick to the rules you've already learned about them to make them STAY non hostile, and see if they know about the location of more journals, or perhaps if they themselves know of a way to leave.

If you decide to stay here and carve a place out for yourself, it becomes a more complex resource allocation game. Now instead of focusing on finding fuel, you focus on further upgrading your homebase, or relocating to a better area. If you want, you could learn to better communicate with the more friendlier lifeforms of this place and set up a sort of psuedo trading center with them. Work out a system. Eek out a odd little life for yourselves and explore the fascinating world, studying the place and figuring out how it all works, how it exists at all.

Of course, you could still look for the journals so that you can find out more information on how to stay alive in this place. And likewise in the Escape route, you can also learn how to talk with the non hostile lifeforms here to trade with them or collect resources to build better upgrades. So really, the Escape/Thrive routes aren’t really routes, they’re more like Goals. The path you take to get there is up to you.

Oooo, and you know what? The game could also do this fun thing where the longer you stay, the more you're changed by the place. Maybe the lifeforms of this place aren't natives at all, maybe they're the very authors you're searching for, claimed by the Space Backrooms and changed irrevocably by it. With the Escape Goal, this would put you back on a time crunch, trying to find a way out before you change too much and the Space Backrooms refuse to let you leave. With the Thrive Goal, these changes are advantageous to you as it makes living here easier, the rules become more intuitive, the lifeforms that you used to have to try and guess what they're saying are now more coherent to you.

This is now getting way out of hand and is barely about transformers now. But I just!!

Space Backrooms! Apocalyptic-like situation! Two people doing their best to survive in a strange hostile world! Said two people are utter aliens to each other!

It's fun!!!

buran looking like a corpse…

also i think it’d be very funny if buran, sparked from an earth vehicle, was super low tech in comparison, but also can consume all sorts of stuff as fuel

casually takes a swig of regular ass gasoline

AHAHAH OH I LOVE IT

Loaf is all high tech alien with cool sensors and advanced technology and also very specific needs when it comes to fuel while Buran can straight up just..drink whatever. Gasoline, oil, weird and highly flammable alien juice the guy doesn’t give a single fuck. He probably doesn’t even have sensors to smell it properly lol

(Not true for the real shuttles btw but judging by Animated - allspark can do whatever it wants when turning tech into mechs)

[polarity-disturbed]

It’s so important that all the main characters in Artemis Fowl are morally imperfect.

We often underestimate young readers. We assume they need clear-cut heroes and villains—good guys in white hats and bad guys in black. But Artemis Fowl doesn’t talk down to its audience. It introduces kids to a world where even the “good” characters can lie, lash out, make selfish choices, or fall short of their own ideals.

Artemis himself begins the series as a villain. Not a misunderstood antihero or a prankster with a heart of gold—an actual, ruthless mastermind who kidnaps someone and threatens their life for ransom. That’s a wild place to start a protagonist’s arc.

As the series progresses, Artemis isn’t magically redeemed—he chooses to change. He learns empathy, connection, and responsibility. He falters, backslides, makes mistakes—but he keeps trying. And for a kid reading that? It sends a powerful message: your past doesn’t lock you in. You can grow. You can do better.

Even Holly Short—arguably the moral compass of the story—isn’t portrayed as flawless. She’s stubborn, impulsive, and quick to anger. Yes, she’s brave, loyal, and principled—but she also struggles with trust, lashes out when cornered, and pushes back against authority, even when that authority isn’t the source of the problem. She’s complex, and that complexity makes her feel real. For young readers—especially those who are often told that girls have to be perfect to be taken seriously—Holly’s flaws aren’t just refreshing, they’re empowering.

And then there’s Butler, Mulch, Foaly, Root—each of them has their own blend of virtue and vice. Butler is stoic and loyal, but he follows orders without always asking if they’re right. Mulch is selfish and cowardly, but he’s also clever, hilarious, and capable of unexpected bravery. Foaly is brilliant and insightful, but smug and petty too. Commander Root is tough and principled, but quick-tempered and resistant to change.

In other words: they’re human. (Or dwarf. Or centaur. Or elf. You get the idea.)

That’s what makes this kind of representation so valuable in children's literature. It’s not just entertaining—it’s instructive. It models resilience, growth, and accountability. It teaches that morality isn’t a fixed identity, but a series of choices you make every day. That mistakes are part of the story, not the end of it.

And it shows that relationships can be complicated too. Holly and Artemis don’t start as friends—they start as captor and captive. But over time, respect grows. Trust is earned. Loyalty forms. It’s messy and earned and full of moments where they disagree or fail each other—and that’s what makes it meaningful.

And that’s exactly what makes them perfect for the audience they’re written for. Because kids don’t need stories that tell them how to be flawless. They need stories that show them how to be human.

And then my mortal enemy Kenneth Branagh took one look at all that rich, complicated, morally gray character work and said, “Nah, that’s not interesting,” and proceeded to hate-vomit out that movie adaptation. Yes, this has secretly been a rant about the movie. Surprise.

[mehrfh]

Misogyny, huh????

So, it is Misogyny to call out ‘love’ whose basis is treachery, dishonesty and scars left by the betrayal? Shisui only needed to be a man to showcase how quickly people would have flipped on that ‘ship'...

Moreover, hardly care who ships whom, I care about narrative distortion and thinking somehow Jinshi, who appears in every volume, is comparable in potential and meaning to someone who largely disappears...And somehow the character would have been a better choice over a man who rewrote half of his kingdom's rules in both political and personal sphere for a woman...

Lastly, KnH is what it is because of its exemplary, complex and intriguing women and female characters....They are badass and formidable and memorable...KnH/TAD would hardly be what it is had it not been for its female-orientation...And Shisui was definitely a complex and tragically beautiful character...And who knows MaoMao and Shisui meet in future (which most likely will be) and I bet it would be interesting...But having said this she did not deserve to be raised at level of a heroine or main character at the expense of others, plain and simple...Narrative has worked, and will work, without her...The fact that Shisui actually kind of becomes a reason MaoMao comes to even become wary of her relationship with women in terms of safety is conveniently ignored...She struggles with Yao and Enen and even gets bitterly reminded of Shisui's betrayal when she thinks Chue betrayed her in that particular sequence of Western arc II...So this is not something that is talked about by the ‘misogyny' folks as how much difficult it becomes MaoMao to trust even female friendships again...

Also, legion of complex, beautiful and intriguing characters waiting to be adapted by manga and anime are far too fabulous and important for me to miss Shisui, I am sorry...So, it will take me even more of developing a blind spot, or worse being in denial, that somehow she was indispensable to the narrative or to MaoMao, and that she had potential to become like Jinshi for her... I have problem with this view not from a shipping context (ship whoever you want, heck I might start shipping Jinshi and Rikuson) but I have a huge problem when people start to IMPOSE their interpretation/ship on the narrative.... And tend to diminish a pivotal character like Jinshi or suggest somehow Shisui and Jinshi's love for MaoMao is same... Well, no, you do not lie to people you love, put their lives at stake for your grand plan (or performance) or reveal everything to them in the heart of rebellion... So, as I said in the beginning of this post, would have been fun to see acts of Shisui being committed by a man and you would have seen the same people talking about misogyny using feminism to discredit the same ‘beloved' ship... Also, given sometimes Jinshi is deemed as toxic for way low level of dangerous behaviors (and rightfully so) and dismissed as a perfect partner for MaoMao, having a manipulating, traumatised, betraying character being painted as love interest is sure the way to understand what kind of healthy love folks want to promote! Hardly an excuse to criticise one person's language of love, while eulogising another's despite both being teenagers caught up in family politics....As I said earlier, may a Love like Shisui's never find me where all I am left with is regret, scars, angst and sense of uncertainty as to what we meant to each other...

Ending this by saying I love Shisui and poetry of her character, her bond with MaoMao and wholeheartedly empathise with her difficult circumstances but, as a reader of 16+ LNs, no way she was with MaoMao what Jinshi had been or became...MaoMao, no matter how much Shisui cared about her, was more or less, a prop in her grand performance (whom she tried to protect by first bringing her to the centre of crisis)... You don't do that to a friend, let alone someone you love... Everyone suffers in the KnH, some have really, really terrible stories, like Rikuson and Chue...While I am completely on-board with humanising the obnoxious villains (prev Emperor, Shisou) and view morality of good or bad actions with a subjective lens (Anshi), what I am against is someone's tragic story becoming an excuse of raising the character to an unwarranted pedestal who gambled on dangerous probables and betrayed a friend (Shisui), and then go on and impose it on the narrative, especially when far less manipulative and less dangerous behavior tends to pull Jinshi down from a pedestal....Also, Jinshi is put on a pedestal not because he is perfect but because he has the ability to see the wrong of his acts and courage to actively change himself for better and courage to actively go against everything that tends to harm those he cherishes, you don't see everyday a crown prince jumping in front of a bullet to save a random soldier... I love Jinshi because in spite of him being deemed as perfect, sometimes too perfect, he knows his limitations/flaws, acknowledges them and remains honest with those he loves and changes what he needs to! It is his acceptance about himself as a flawed human being despite the reverence and importance associated with his station that makes him such a forever favorite character...

[edawgz]

ᝰ.ᐟ OFFICE HOURS

𖦹ׂ ₊˚⊹⋆ TA! gojo satoru x student! reader. ~1.5k words.

❚ ❙ ❘ college au. flirty. innuendos. slight age gap (reader is 20-21, gojo is 25ish). nsfw. suggestive content. nothing super explicit.

: ̗̀➛ You tell yourself Gojo Satoru is nothing more than a flirt with a superiority complex. Until, one rainy night in his office proves that whatever’s been building between you was never just academic.

| masterlist. | jjk masterlist. | rush week masterlist. |

It started with a coffee.

You weren’t trying to impress anyone, least of all him — you just needed caffeine and quiet, and the philosophy building had both. The basement café was half-empty, the baristas too tired to care that your hoodie had yesterday’s makeup on the collar and your socks didn’t match. You were mid-paper, wired and anxious, and Satoru Gojo — TA, heartbreaker, philosophical menace — was the last person you expected to see walk in.

But he did, wearing his pair of too-expensive sunglasses, hair a silver-touched mess that looked more artfully disheveled than it had any right to be, and a hoodie with the department's name half-faded across the front like he wasn’t the most recognizable person on campus.

“You’re in my seat,” he teased, grinning as if you’d been expecting him.

You blinked at him over your laptop screen, utterly unimpressed. “I don’t see your name on it.”

“It’s there,” he quipped, sliding into the chair across from you anyway. “Just very small.”

You sighed and tried to keep typing. He draped himself across the table like this was his office and you were the guest, one long arm stretched behind his head, the other casually tapping the rim of your coffee cup.

“What are you working on?” he asked, and for a moment it was almost normal — just a fellow student, mildly interested. But this was Gojo, and normal didn’t really apply.

“Paper,” you deadpanned with your fingers hovering over the keyboard.

“Wow. Riveting. I’m turned on already.”

“You’re not even in this class.” You had given up on trying to formulate a thought, at this point the laptop was going to stay open as a safety net between you and the man across the table.

“Sure I am,” he said with a lazy smile. “In spirit.”

You didn’t ask why a philosophy grad student with too many rumors and too much time on his hands was suddenly paying attention to you, a third-year trying to pass your classes without a breakdown. You didn’t need to. Gojo didn’t do normal logic, instead he just appeared — messy, chaotic, and brilliant — and spun everything off course.

That week, he started showing up more. Always at the same table. Always when you didn’t expect him. Once, he brought snacks. Another time, he stole your annotated copy of Critique of Pure Reason, read two pages aloud in a bad accent, then handed it back like he hadn’t just violated your most sacred margin notes.

And somehow, you let him.

You told yourself it was because he was smarter than he looked—because he corrected one of your arguments once, with this slow smile and an offhand quote you didn’t realize wasn’t his until you looked it up later. Because he gave good advice, sometimes. Because he was loud enough to be distracting, but occasionally helpful, like static that accidentally kept your anxiety at bay.

But then, one evening, it was just the two of you. The café lights were dim. Your coffee had gone cold. And Gojo leaned in too close, like he was telling a secret no one had earned.

“You’re really trying not to like me,” he said, voice lower than usual, but not teasing. “It’s cute.”

You didn’t answer. Mostly because he was right, and partially because your heart had done that stupid stutter-step it always did when he got serious. You’d spent weeks pretending he wasn’t getting under your skin. That he wasn’t charming in a way that felt dangerous. That the smell of his cologne didn’t linger in your hoodie after he stole it that one time and gave it back two days later with a note in the pocket that just said, think of me.

“You don’t make it easy,” you murmured.

Gojo smiled like that was the plan all along. “Good. Easy’s boring.”

And then, without warning, he plucked your glasses off your face—if you wore them—or slid your pen from your hand if you didn’t, stealing something small but intimate, as if to say, I already have your attention. Might as well take the rest.

“You coming to office hours tomorrow?” he asked, standing like he hadn’t just short-circuited your entire nervous system. “I’m grading midterms. You can keep me company. Argue with me about metaphysics.”

You swallowed. “I’ll think about it.”

He winked. “That’s a yes.”

And it was. Of course it was.

It was raining by the time you reached the department building — summer heat clinging to the air even as the sky cracked open like a warning. The halls were half-empty, the kind of quiet that felt deliberately orchestrated, like the world had cleared a path just for you to do something you’d pretend not to regret later.

His office wasn’t hard to find, everyone knew where it was — second floor, last door on the left, with the taped-up sign that read “TA, Philosophical Shit, Knock Twice Unless You’re Boring.” You didn’t knock. You opened the door and found him exactly as expected.. legs kicked up on the desk, sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and an untouched pile of midterms stacked beside a mostly empty coffee cup.

He didn’t look surprised, in all honesty you don't think you had ever seen him surprised.

“You came,” he announced like you were the one running late to a plan he made in his head.

“I needed a distraction.”

He raised an eyebrow and let his feet drop to the floor, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk. “I’m flattered. I usually have to work a lot harder to earn that kind of role.”

“You didn’t earn anything,” you replied, slipping into the seat across from him.

His smile pulled slow across his mouth, the kind that made your pulse climb for no good reason. “Oh, I’ve earned something, haven’t I?”

You rolled your eyes, but the sting wasn’t there. It was never really there with him. Because for all the reckless things he said — about your mouth, your brain, your “hotly repressed sexual tension” as he so eloquently called it once — there was something strangely earnest in the way he looked at you. It felt like he wasn’t just teasing for the hell of it, but because he liked watching you fight not to fall for it.

“Is this what you do during office hours?” you asked, folding your arms. “Flirt with undergrads and ignore your grading?”

He tilted his head. “You’re not just any undergrad. You’re my favorite.”

“I’m not yours.” You retorted after a breath got caught in your throat.

He laughed quietly, rough, and entirely too pleased. “No,” he agreed, eyes flicking over your face like he could read the parts of you you didn’t say out loud. “But I think you like pretending you could be.”

You should’ve left at that. You should’ve stood, tossed a sarcastic comment over your shoulder, and gone home to write the rest of your paper in peace. But you didn’t. Because the door was closed, and the rain was tapping against the windows like a secret, and the air in the room was warm and full of everything he wasn’t saying.

“You’re dangerous,” you whispered quietly, almost as if you were trying to convince yourself that you needed to go.

He stood then — slow and deliberate, like every step he took was an answer you hadn’t asked for — and leaned across the desk until the space between you buzzed with heat.

“So are you,” he chimed in. “That’s why this works.”

You didn’t realize you’d stopped breathing until his hand brushed your cheek, soft and shameless. His thumb hovered just beneath your jaw, not quite touching, like he was waiting for you to lean into it. He didn’t move closer. Not yet. Just stood there, watching you, like he wanted to see if you’d run or break or kiss him first.

“I shouldn’t,” your voice was barely audible, the words thin and shaking.

“But you want to,” he whispered.

There were still papers on the desk... there was still thunder rolling in the distance, but in that moment, none of it mattered. Just the weight of his gaze, the closeness, and the breath you could feel ghosting against your mouth.

And then his mouth was on yours — slow at first, coaxing rather than taking.. it was the kind of kiss that didn’t ask permission because it already knew the answerr. You kissed him back harder than you meant to, fingers tangling in the front of his hoodie, and he groaned lowly in surprise, like he hadn’t expected you to kiss him like you meant it.

His hand found the small of your back while yours slid beneath his jacket. His tongue tasted like coffee and trouble and something sweeter, like he’d been waiting for this too long to be smug about it now.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to look you in the eye, his voice rough around the edges.

You didn’t.

[do-what-the-knight-tells-you]

I think some of it comes from folks who haven't worked out how to let messiness and mistakes be part of/enhancement for a character? (Or people, tbh) And/or that it's okay to write your fanfictions while going: I didn't like this bit of canon writing, so I'm leaving it out, and I'm aware of and comfortable with the fact that I'm picking and choosing. "Defense" of a character is, imo, FUN, and interesting, but they are works of fiction who were crafted by other ppl, sometimes well and sometimes poorly.

Like, as a Fellow Steve Is My Blorbo, the scenes that finally sold me on him, and tbh on the show/fandom, were the Stobin bathroom scene and the Stobin captivity scene. I was sold on Steve because of the demonstration of, like, character meat present to engage with as he and Robin talked about his mistakes, his bad behaviors, and as he took a big vulnerable swing with her and was both let down and caught.

Similarly, something I really like and find interesting to write about with Eddie is the potential breadth and complexity of character between "fierce protector of outcasts, potentially unashamedly queer, musical whiz, excellent DM, underprivileged hero who thinks he's stupid because he's not good at school and thinks he's a coward because his heart's too big" and "teenage dirtbag/new adult who probly does too many drugs (which he also sells to minors), has terrible hygiene, is clearly prejudicial in his own way, bullies kids in a way he doesn't consider bullying..." Etc. That makes him a more interesting and fun character to write about.

Sometimes, it's fun or good in a story to explain why actually he wasn't an asshole and it was pretty reasonable that he wouldn't move hellfire, for example, and sometimes it's good to make him apologize and atone for that because that was him being a bully. And sometimes we can move the fuck on and don't need to litigate it.

Similarly, it's not just the cheating-not-cheating that I like to see Jon and particularly Nancy held to account about, or the fact that there's not a good "moral" justification for Jonathan to, once he realizes he's seeing Steve and Nancy Hooking up, 1. Keep watching 2. Take pictures 3. Develop that picture and carry it around. Like. My dude. You had several opportunities to stop where no one woulda known you'd done that, and it could have been a human mistake you made that you thought better of which again No One Ever Had to Know About... (Ugh, and imagine if the wrong folks had gone into that developing room and seen Nancy wheeler hanging there. Coulda been way worse than "Nancy the slut wheeler" on that marquee). But you just kept making choices on that sequence that became less and less defendable as anything other than "creepy" and "violating" (which I've always found super interesting as a counterpoint to Steve and Nancy's actual sex scene, which is one of the few examples of a guy in media NOT "peeking" when he's been asked to turn around, he actually respects that!, and then also that getting to be an element of agency for Her character when she gets to decide that actually she Wants him to look. Good work all).

Because also though, I find myself grumpy on Jon's behalf about a chunk of S3 when, yeah. It would turn out that wild scifi bad stuff was afoot, but until that turns out to be the case, there's just a lot (in my recollection) of Nancy not only not taking into account that Jon is in a different fiscal demographic than she is and NEEDS to keep his job in a way she's privileged enough not to, but also when he Does bring this to her attention, I still never felt like she (or the narrative) really was held to account or meaningfully changed based on that.

Like. I personally think it makes her, sure, less a paragon of virtue, but a much better character to have her make mistakes like that, be blind to and inconsiderate of certain privileges she has and harms she does, because of her otherwise admirable personal drive.

That's frankly a gift to fandom! That's stuff we can work with!

...

And yes, it would be eminently satisfying to actually see people like her and Jon held to account, or even better Personally Realize and hold themselves to account, for those kinds of mean but human wrongs they've definitely done.

Shower inspiration hit me for a scene between Robin, Eddie, and Steve, talking about how Steve never received (on screen) an apology from either Nancy or Jonathon. For ANY of the shit that happens between the three of them in seasons 1 & 2.

So I am making note of it here before I completely forget.

Because I do believe that both Robin and Eddie would get upset on his behalf. Because Steve is honestly far too fucking forgiving considering he was cheated on - Nancy and Jon sleep together before she has an actual conversation with Steve about them breaking up, she comes back from Illinois essentially already in a relationship with Jon before the clarification if Steve and her arguments meant the end of their relationship. It is Steve who tells her "it's alright" but it really isnt - had compromising pictures taken of him too and where as he has actively apologised and made an effort to actively make up for being an asshole, the other two have not. So yeah. I can see Robin and Eddie saying something to Nancy and Jon calling that out, especially if one of them makes a comment about how much of an asshole Steve used to be.

I also ponder what Will and Mike would say if they knew. Especially now they are almost the same age as the older three were.

Just a Steve showerthought.

Edit: PLEASE don't come at me as a Nancy ot Jon hater here. I honestly do like their characters, but I will admit this is a massive personal peeve of mine with the way their characters are written. That being said, they were all teenagers, and I am not naive enough to think they knew any better/knew how to cope with everything they were dealing with. That doesn't make it okay. But it DOES give critical contextual understanding to their actions. Same goes for Steve and his actions by the way even if he is my blorbo.

[doubleslashkarma]

watching lukey's conversation with ace and i can't help but wonder how much he actually believes any of what he's saying. ive spoken about this with moon before, but lukey's favorite defense mechanism for stressful situations is to turn up the god complex to 100. the number of things he's said in those sorts of situations (in conversation with zam, with the high keeper, with ace) that either doesn't line up with or outright contradicts all his other characterization is sooo fascinating. he projects a confidence and speaks about himself and his ideals in a way that we NEVER see reflected in any of his other actions or conversations.

the "getting to choose who lives and dies" is about the opposite of "[im helping you] because i can see you're hurting", the ego is the opposite of the asking if he's a burden- it almost feels like he thinks ace would respond better to a madman on a power trip than any sort of emotional appeal, and so that's what he projects, maybe even subconsciously.

thats not to say some of those traits arent there to lesser degrees, i do think he can be a bit distant, a bit too analytical. he has a skewed moral compass, an ego, but ultimately i really think if someone asked lukey WHY he wanted to end the world, why he was putting this much effort into a goal that seems to nigh oppose his previous stance, his answer would have to be "because pangi aksed me too". an exception, rather than a rule or a pattern of behavior. because as we've seen over and over, as much as lukey likes to SAY he's an evil mastermind, a manipulator, giving evil speeches about being a puppet master, this is the first time he's ever actually made any kind of serious move entirely out of selfish interest.

i don't think hes a GOOD person, for sure, but i dont think hes as cynical and cold as he makes himself out to be when hes in a tight spot

anyways all that to say, bro is talking mad shit and i dont think ANYONE, himself included, is buying his schtick. talk shit eat shit yk. lock in or get cooked. he has exactly one more interaction he can fumble before ace just kills his ass

[astrophysician]

Do you have any advice on designing a Sonic OC? Loop is so cool and unique, and I feel like when I try it comes out feeling more generic

(Love all your art btw)

hey thanks so much! that’s very sweet of you 🩵 i hope you’re ready because you’ve activated my trap card by putting “character design” and “sonic” in the same sentence. here we go!

this is based on my own observations of the sonic style and my previous experience designing characters.

designing a memorable character is equal parts shape language and design philosophy. my advice boils down to this: figure out what your character’s most important traits are and do everything in your power to make that as obvious as possible. but how do we do that? here’s some methodology.

in a cartoony style like sonic’s, shapes and silhouettes play a huge role in how characters are perceived. look at canon character designs and take note of what elements are consistent across the style and unique to the character.

sonic is the blueprint! he’s got a combination of round and pointed lines with the areas of interest being head, hands, and feet. these are the areas you want to pay attention to. he’s fast, so he’s got spines that shoot back and shoes that stick out in color to draw your attention when he’s on the move. see how much is conveyed with such a simple design? it’s all in the shapes! (protip: the easiest way to make a character feel less generic is to choose a body type that’s different from sonic’s. 90% of sonic characters look like this— anything that goes the way of big, vector, a robot, or even tails in some cases is going to automatically feel more unique).

think about what kind of character you’re creating. are they cool, with an ego? a rival type? consider having them mirror sonic’s silhouette, like shadow or jet. spiky shapes like triangles are great for that. are they kind and soft-spoken? rounder shapes will create a more welcoming vibe.

loop is primarily made of two kinds of shapes: rounded triangles and rounded rectangles. by building everything from one or two shapes, their whole design has consistency. triangles and rectangles on their own can be blocky and sharp, but the roundness of these shapes softens their edges and shows loop’s personality: someone who’s bubbly, but exciting too! (also i didn’t outline it in this image but even the light trails are rounded rectangles!)

sonic characters are also LOUD. everyone has one or two traits that shout who they are. figure out what ability or trait you want to stick out and make that the most important part of their design. for loop, it’s their skates. tails can fly, so his tails are exaggerated (but he’s also cute and younger than sonic, so he’s got big eyes and cheek fluff!). big is big! charmy can also fly, but he’s got a bit of an aeronaut vibe to set him apart. blaze is a pyrokinetic princess, so she has elegant clothes, while her hair and the fluff around her wrists and ankles evoke fire-like shapes. jet is brash and cool, so he’s bright green and has cool clothes to match his gear. you can use the traits of the type of animal you’re basing your character on to accentuate these elements, too. species can tell us a lot about a character!

here’s even more examples in the form of IDW characters (and Gemerl). try examining them for yourself!

ok, so you’ve looked at shape language and decided what your core characteristics are. once the building blocks are in place, it’s time for ✨details✨

now, just because sonic characters tend to look simple doesn’t mean there’s not room for detail. what matters is how you apply it. details can be as little as a buckle on a shoe or as complex as a fully outfitted combat cloak. the key to executing this effectively is to have the details compliment the larger elements, and ultimately, help us understand who your character is.

tails’ details come largely in the form of his fur shapes. he’s so fluffy! big has stripes and a detailed belt and sandals to solidify the fishing vibe (i’d also call his gloves details here). the stripes on his pole even mimic the stripes on his fur. blaze has jewelry and a gem on her forehead, as well as pointier eyes to contrast sonic’s. surge has metal bits all over her clothes to catch electricity and give her a punk look. you might be noticing something: some details provide a look as well as a meaning. the more you can weave your details in with purpose, the stronger your design will become.

let’s take another look at loop. pretty much every aspect can tell you something about their character.

since the most important part of loop’s design is their skates, they have the most concentration of detail. i wanted them to look high tech and cool in a skate-y way, so i tried to mimic rollerblades with the plasticy elements and bold stripes. this shows that loop has a lot of capability while also looking cool! i made their gloves big and floppy to make it seem like they’re just a bit of a rookie, with the simultaneous purpose that they’re heat-absorbent to prevent loop from getting burned by the skates. they wear athletic clothes because they’re always ready to do something exciting. they’ve got cute bangs and a big ponytail (whose shape i intentionally picked to mimic sonic and other characters, with three elements each) because they’re cute and kinda feminine. with their hair tied back, they’re ready for action, but with a bang covering their eye they’re still pretty loose with it. the markings around their eyes put emphasis on their eyes which makes them seem cuter.

the rest is just design philosophy. because they’re a ringtail cat and i wanted to hammer home the “ring” motif, they’re covered in stripes and even have a little ring design on their clothes!

a little disclaimer: i definitely don’t come up with all these details before designing a character. they’re things that come naturally as i draw them and explore the design. so i guess, draw your character a lot and don’t be afraid to experiment and change things up :)

the last piece of advice i have regards names. sonic characters often have names that describe what they “do” or what they “are.” blaze. shadow. sonic. silver. jet. even amy rose is a cute name for a cute girl. the name is the final icing on the cake, the ribbon that ties it all together. who is your character, and what do they do? but that’s just a suggestion. at the end of the day, you can call your character whatever you want. no matter what you choose, just make sure their name is a special one!

PHEW that was fun. i hope that was helpful! i feel like i always have more to say on the subject, but i think this goes over my main ideas while providing a lot of examples. lemme know if you have any questions, and happy designing! y’all better show me your OCs!

[jupit3r-lvr]

Chrollo thoughts.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the one mischaracterizing Chrollo - but then I think again.

First of all, this isn’t hate. I’ve read many blogs on Tumblr where Chrollo is portrayed that way, and honestly, I don’t mind. In fact, I often enjoy those posts - I wouldn’t read them otherwise.

So, now that that’s clear, I’d like to share my opinion. If you don’t relate, feel free to stop reading here.

Chrollo is an intelligent, incredibly cunning character - and above all, emotionally detached.

He tries to hide his emotions (the opposite of Hisoka, which is why I like their dynamic: Chrollo is someone who goes to great lengths to suppress or conceal his emotions. Hisoka, on the other hand, is all theatricality. He’s expressive, chaotic, and seemingly ruled by impulse - but underneath that flamboyant exterior, he’s emotionally hollow. One hides something behind nothing, and the other disguises nothing behind everything.)

Back to Chrollo’s emotional detachment: I highly doubt he’s ever been interested in anyone romantically or sexually. I’d even estimate his body count to be zero. It simply doesn’t fit his character to expose himself to that kind of vulnerability - no matter the reason.

And what about his kiss count? I’d say the same. Chrollo probably doesn’t feel comfortable, safe, or stable enough to engage in those kinds of intimate acts. Besides, some people consider their first time (or even their first kiss) special, and I highly doubt Chrollo would want anyone to have that “special first” with him. Not that he cares, but it’s more about what it represents.

What I’m trying to say is this: Chrollo is a complex character, often mischaracterized simply because he’s good looking. It’s never implied that he uses his looks to manipulate anyone, just that he’s handsome.

If you look at the Yorknew arc with Neon, he acts like a bodyguard. Not once do you get the sense that he’s romantically interested or has intentions beyond stealing her ability (like intercourse). He doesn’t flirt with her or anyone else in the entire series (manga included), and he never initiates personal conversations beyond what’s necessary to steal abilities.

No, Chrollo does not actively charm Neon or anyone else in canon. If anyone feels “charmed” by him, it’s purely incidental, not intentional. He doesn’t use his looks to seduce anyone - not in the anime, not in the manga. The idea that he seduces or charms people for their abilities is pure fanon.

Sex seems foreign to Chrollo. He doesn’t see the use in it. He doesn’t want anyone to see him that vulnerable - physically (being naked) and mentally (since intercourse isn’t just physical). The same goes for kissing, though I think he might see it symbolically - maybe a forehead kiss as a goodbye. (Not a casual goodbye, but as a last farewell when someone dies.)

Romantic acts and sex involve direct physical and emotional vulnerability — two things Chrollo actively avoids. He doesn’t want to expose himself that way, not even as a tool.

Sleeping with or kissing someone for an ability would be deeply out of character. He’s too detached, too in control, and sees his body as something to master, not leverage.

(I love yandere stories and want to write some in the future, so that would be the exception - but only then. If Chrollo ever wanted someone as his “darling,” it would take a lot of time for him to come to that point. Romantic acts would happen, sure, but he will need time for this since it’s completely new for him. Chrollo only ever read about intimacy — never lived it — because he’s never seen the appeal.)

For me, Chrollo is probably the least likely person to ever sleep with someone - not just for abilities or information, but in general. He’s read about it countless times, and that’s been enough for him. If he were ever desperate or pent-up (which would be rare), he has his hand.

He’s not cold just for aesthetic reasons - he is deliberately inaccessible, emotionally untouchable, and probably uninterested in traditional intimacy or connection.

Authors note:

Phew, quite the text. I guess it’s clear that Chrollo is one of my favorites. Please, if you have any questions about my thoughts - feel free to ask!

-jupiter

[wendichester]

Idk enough I dont wanna be offensive or hurtful but the dude is incapable of liking something a normal amount lol he always has something in his mouth. he makes whats into who's. pie is his safe food. I just learned this word so idk if its legit but echolalia? He's like lapis lazuli in her mirror form when she wants to respond only able to mimic things shes heard other people say dean speaks like completely in echos !!! theres more but im def yapping at this point

getting back to this ask .ᐟ i'm putting on my sam winchester googles and start presenting my arguments on this topic──

🧩 ARGUMENT 1: “dean winchester could absolutely be autistic.”

look, no one is saying canon waved a diagnostic flag. but if you squint through a neurodivergent lens, dean winchester becomes suspiciously relatable in ways that feel a little too spot-on to ignore.

echolalia & scripting: this boy speaks in quotes. he communicates through pop culture references, movie lines, and catchphrases. it’s like he keeps an internal library of approved responses and swaps them in to make conversation easier — which is exactly how scripting works for many autistic folks. and when things get too emotional? he defaults to those scripts, often to avoid vulnerability.

special interests / hyperfixation: pie. cars. classic rock. the very specific way he maintains the Impala. his devotion to hunting, despite how much it breaks him. these aren’t just preferences — they’re anchors. intensely focused passions that provide identity, comfort, and control in a world that constantly spirals out of it.

sensory needs & routines: dean has rigid habits and comfort objects (leather jacket, Baby, burgers, specific guns). he reacts intensely when his space is invaded, his car is messed with, or his routine is thrown off. change makes him visibly glitch.

difficulty with emotional expression: he’s emotionally intelligent, yes — but deeply repressed. he has trouble articulating how he feels unless it’s through anger, humor, or deflection. he often misreads emotional cues or misses subtle interpersonal shifts. he masks like crazy, especially when it comes to vulnerability.

the masking is real: his whole "tough guy" persona? arguably a mask. dean learned very early on that the world doesn’t respond well to softness, so he built an identity that protects him. but you catch him in quiet moments — and the mask slips. he’s gentle. awkward. sincere. and so, so tired.

add it all up? and it’s not a stretch to say dean winchester reads like a neurodivergent man, especially one who has spent his whole life trying to pass as neurotypical — under trauma, under pressure, under john freaking winchester.

🙅‍♂️ ARGUMENT 2: “dean winchester is not autistic — he’s just deeply traumatized.”

okay, let’s ground ourselves. while it’s tempting to analyze fictional characters through modern psychological frameworks, intent matters — and supernatural never wrote dean with autism in mind. most of what’s being interpreted as autistic traits can be traced back to complex trauma, not neurodivergence.

rigid routines & food comforts? that's survival. dean grew up poor, on the run, hunting monsters and raising his brother. you don’t develop flexible habits in that environment — you develop coping mechanisms. pie isn’t a safe food, it’s a reward. a comfort. a rare joy he clings to in a brutal world.

emotional repression & avoidance? again: trauma. dean was parentified at four years old. his father drilled into him that emotions were weaknesses. he wasn’t born unable to express feelings — he was punished out of it.

quoting pop culture constantly? that’s cultural literacy, not echolalia. dean grew up glued to a tv in a motel room, absorbing everything. quoting movies is his way of relating, sure — but it’s not necessarily autistic scripting. it's how he connects with people, how he masks pain with humor.

social awkwardness or misreads? he’s actually quite socially adept — charismatic, witty, can manipulate or charm when he needs to. he knows how to read a room. when he fumbles, it’s usually tied to emotional stakes, not baseline communication deficits.

the show’s tone: supernatural was written for a mainstream audience, often with very shallow psychology unless the writers needed pain points for drama. projecting neurodivergence onto dean might be more about viewer interpretation than authorial intent.

so in short — dean’s behavior may resemble certain autistic traits, but it’s more accurately chalked up to generational trauma, neglect, toxic masculinity, and the brutal reality of a hunter’s life. he’s not neurodivergent. he’s just so, so damaged.

⚖️ FINAL THOUGHTS:

at the end of the day? both readings are valid. if autistic!Dean helps people feel seen, it’s a beautiful lens worth exploring. and if you see him as a deeply traumatized neurotypical man shaped by survival — also fair. he’s a complex character who wasn’t written with perfect psychological realism, so there’s room for layered interpretations. you don’t have to agree with the autistic read to respect it. and you don’t have to accept trauma as the only explanation, either. fandom is a playground — not a DSM manual.

[yellowf1nch]

Minors do not interact

Hmm..

Thinking of Date Everything characters but it's set in (vaguely) 1920s urban America.

Most of this inspiration comes from imagining Eddy and Volt as speakeasy/small bar owners, and while Dorian does have canon bouncer energy, I think his personality better suits a police officer or the doorman/security for a hotel. The player I think, could fit well into the role of a courier or newspaper delivery person, since that kind of job has you going around speaking to people and could really employ anyone (I can't imagine there would be many requirements for such a job, but there would be quite a bit of physical activity involved).

Skylar would be a well known socialite who owns a flat at the hotel (or maybe it's a complex) Dorian works for, her job is just to make connections with and for people, and her assistant Phoenicia got her start in advertising before the two met at a gala for the opening of a new storefront.

Celia could be the mayor of the city, or she could be the CEO of the leading chain store in a certain block radius, essentially ruling over the streets with her investments and withdrawals. Florence, of course, is still her secretary, coming from a small town but saw a job listing for someone who had fast and neat penmanship, could use a typewriter, and was fine with long hours.

Tony could be a repairman, but maybe he's a construction worker (as I'm fairly certain is his game inspiration), and Wallace would either be a worker, too, or perhaps the foreman. A Scottish immigrant, first generation, while Tony comes from an immigrant family. Though they are contractors, Tony (if not Wallace by association) somehow knows everyone, and always "knows a guy (I would add gal/person here but I feel like Tony uses guy as a gender neutral term)" when you ask him about something.

Jerry would own a flea market, proudly taking any and all types of items, Cam started working there when he was kicked out of his family house. Penelope regrettably took on a job here to help manage inventory and organize the store, the secretary position she was eyeing for filled in before she applied. Hoove is a regular customer, maybe a bad habit to buy all kinds of odds and ends, but his deputy-ship for Maggie's inspection agency pays well enough, and his little city house was a little too empty when he moved in.

The local theater company sports a few different acts; Chairemi in a solo variety hour (she has vaudeville training), the acrobatic team Washford and Drysdale (who were independent circus contracted acrobats until they met and eloped), composer and performer Keyes (who became a famous pianist in Italy before she moved to the states), and Chance who records a live radio storybook, where the audience can participate. Johnny auditioned for a slot once, but the theater turned him way, which is why he frequently has a spot at Eddy and Volt's club. The Hanks do escape acts, and travel around the city. Rainey used to perform at the theater, but was involved in some kind of accident debilitating her vocal chords/hearing. She has been able to perform at the (Breaker) Box club with quite a bit of success despite the circumstances, and even draws significant crowds on the nights she performs.

Beau, Artt, Gaia, and Teddy are all professors at the local university (or they live here, but commute for work making their presence more seasonal). Beau is an anthropologist, having studied in a few different countries in South America . She still takes her top students down to one of her places of study where there is some crossover with archaeology. Artt is, of course, an art professor, though I think he would be a Modern Art instructor (the class is centered around discussing works of the current contemporaries, and where the art world stands between social and political life). Gaia would teach language, Dorian would have saved enough and taken an interest in her class since he has to deal with many different dialects in his day to day, and Gaia would be pushing the school for grants to travel abroad. Teddy would either be a counselor, or perhaps a psychology professor. He's been facing less popular attendance from students for speaking against the rise of post-war nationalism, and how different groups are still excluded from that national identity.

There are a few places to eat in town, Mitchell Linn's premier restaurant following a very well-received food critic career being the best. Freddy and Daisuke both work in the kitchen, both wishing to have their own businesses but need to start with enough savings. Koa runs a small kitchen at an inn, which is owned by Betty. The inn also hosts entertainment in the form of Ben-Hwa, Stepford, and Betty herself, doing cabaret-style performances in the drawing room and perhaps taking customers to their rooms for the night. Lux used to work here, but was spotted by a very wealthy, old money Bathsheba who saw potential in him as a proper escort and fashion icon. Abel is a small-town carpenter who ran into a young, knowledgeable Cabrizzio, and after a few years the two met up again and moved to the city primarily for more people to help (as opposed to financial gain). Dasha, an immigrant from Russia, decided to work for them and impressed them with her ability to work with lumber.

Mac is an engineer, and a calculator (I would go so far as to say potentially a savant). They primarily get their money through city grants, and with the newest technology available, is the one planning out the updates to the city's grid. They've met Phoenicia a few times at various city planning events, and the two are very cordial with one another. Mac is also well acquainted with Sofia (who is a regular customer at Betty's inn, and has even worked out temporary contracts for her own desires) and Monique who is an incredibly well-established accountant and financial advisor for many high class parties. (Suddenly I feel Mac and Monique would be a fantastic pairing). Timothy could do very well as a stage magician, however I feel he probably runs a high-end jewelry (mostly pocket watches and wristwatches) store, beside which is a high-end tailor where Clarence and Barry work. Amir could work with either or both, his charming personality, attention to detail, and good looks bring in many wealthier patrons. Across the street, a few blocks down (but within line of sight) is the Laundromat run by Winnifred. Harper works here, and maybe Dirk is Clarence's vagabond twin, a split personality, or maybe Clarence saw Harper around town and put on the disguise of Dirk since his clientele would think his courting Harper is too low-brow.

Tina is a self-made socialite, and instigates Drysdale's affair with Dirk. Kieth is a conman. I feel like he could do very well with spiritualism. Memoria is a psychic (who is actually legit, but no one really believes her) and maybe Kieth thought she was convincing enough to hire her/go into business with her. Parker runs a local set of game booths, like a carnival but with just the ball throw and ring toss games. Jacques is a fisherman, occasionally working at a lighthouse during winter months, and is convinced he's found pirate treasure (which he took to the university to get appraised, where Beau told him it was just junk). Beverly works at the Box club, but dreams of having her own bar (despite prohibition). Sinclair could either be an insurance salesman, or I would peg him as an editorial journalist. Conspiracy theories and mad ramblings that are only allowed for the newspaper because they bring so much patronage. Lyric is a librarian, but has tried to write his own books to little success.

Tidus is the head of the police; Luke her deputy after returning from the first world war. Bobby and Rebel are two homeless punks who do all kinds of mischief, and are the most wanted by the force. The two don't really work together, but often meet and chat at the Box club. Dunk is an on-the-rise athlete, Kristoff a Swedish Olympian who immigrated in hopes of finding a more diverse array of challengers. Shelley is also a well-known local athlete, and works part time for Abel and Cabrizzio. Holly works a number of jobs around town, including part-time work with you at Valdivian Express, a delivery company. Windolyn is your manager (who hates her job but loves her employees), Curt and Rod the store-front faces, and you, the top delivery person in town.

Edit with more:

Telly is breaking into the new movie scene with talking pictures, and does an impression act at the Box club every now and then. My first thought for Dante was either a coal miner or a train conductor, but I'm not sure if those work very well. Fantina probably works for the government, odd jobs like overseeing election day at voting locations, helping to log the census, etc. Hector is a repairman, he likes to go to Betty's inn (except its just for the food and decent pricing for a room) between jobs, and has met with Tony on multiple occasions for building inspections. Jean-Loo is actually a decent poet, but he spends his time walking the streets in protest and being politically active (so he doesn't have much of a solid career in the arts). Farya immigrated to the States to get practical training in nursing, and with the rise of many well-paying jobs in the medical industry. Along the way, she meets Arma (a volunteer firefighter), and the two become good friends over their shared morals and desire to act as first responders.

Daemon would be an escapee from a mental asylum, laying low and living on the streets. Nightmare could be someone who is rumored to practice shady business, not necessarily a kingpin or mob boss, but certainly someone who enjoys catching people unawares. Rongomaiwhenua is an activist, and runs a well-funded orphanage and soup kitchen. Scandelabra self-publishes a lengthy, weekly-updated pamphlet of everything he hears around town. Diana (queen) also works for the Valdivian Express, but she's the one who has to collect and process all the orders and invoices, make sure everything is tallied up, and often has to go out like you do to make deliveries. Windolyn, Curt, and Rod (though they treat both of you well) are very uninspired by working here, and tend to leave the dirty work to the two of you (and Holly, when she's around). Stella got caught up in working for Kieth as well, she suspects he's full of it but Memoria certainly seems to be the real deal. Course, ghosts aren't really her style, but the few businesses she's applied to have turned her down. Mateo works for the city pound, but does all he can to try and find homes for all the wayward animals (and occasionally will take them home or release them if there's no more space).

(I tried to get as many as I could, at least of the ones I've met, but I can add other parts if ideas come to me)

[vegaseatsass]

New discussion if you'll indulge me:

What's the worst trait in each of the boys that's none the less compelling and endearing.

Mine:

Chi Cheng: absolute loser who just has a cool aesthetic that he is playing up. Guy has no friends and likes snakes. IRL he's just be the weirdo no one talks too 🤣

Guo Chengyu: where to start? Maybe the humiliation complex? Going back to where/who humiliated him again and again? My guy, you gotta have more self esteem

Wu Suowei: his ability to not only jump to insane conclusions, but have the narrative support them. Texting his future mother in law as a 'stalker' warning her about her son's perverted ways? Again. My guy. What's up? Do we need to talk?

XiaoShuai: ok listen I love this man. He's the best. And for someone so smart, he is such a dumbass who succumbs at the shadow of a possibility of getting gossip.

They are all idiots. But I really like them far too much 🤣🤣🤣.

I LOVE THEM ALL this is such a good list!! It's so funny what a loser Chi Cheng in particular actually is. So much loser behavior can be disguised by height, wealth, and a certain spark of violence in the gaze.

I think my worstbest traits would be something like -

Chi Cheng: Only interested in people who are fucking with him. His only relationships are Chengyu and now Suowei (and Yue Yue who also fits the pattern). Takes the snake lover thing way too far. Was Wang Shuo also a snake of a guy? What's wrong with people being honest or direct with you, man? Why is that so much less appealing than snakeboys injecting you with their venom?

Guo Chengyu: Where to start indeed? I really do love that he seems to think it's "safer" to move through the world as dishonestly as possible, oblivious to how much that is a setup to sabotage your relationships before they even begin. I really want to know if he became a snake to match Chi Cheng or if he started out that way and was perhaps even the ORIGINAL snake Chi Cheng loved <3

Wu Suowei: What a perfect example of a character who is so so smart and so so stupid at the same time <3 I love that he has such a busy mind and notices so much that happens around him, but comes to such ridiculous conclusions with all of it, especially when it comes to other people's reactions to him. It took him how long to realize his horny boyfriend was jerking it on the phone??? BUDDY. Or actually believing Chi Cheng cares whether he's reading comic books or Jane Austen???? LMAO. Definitely the dictionary definition of a person who needs to spend more time outside of his own head.

Jiang Xiaoshuai: I think an underrated (to everyone but Guo Chengyu) bad trait of his is his underlying viciousness, impatience, anger. We see a bit of it in the first few episodes where he's just so gracious and patient and sweet with patients, and then as soon as they're out of earshot he throws their gifts away or rolls his eyes at their fawning lmao. It's really interesting that Guo Chengyu instantly brought that side of him out because idt Wu Suowei even sees that as the "real" doctor, despite literally begging him to mentor him because he witnessed him tonguelashing Chengyu. But it is! It's part of the puzzle and it's so so sexy <3

[moonys-bf]

debunking babel 1 star reviews

because i did get angry enough to do this. to preface - i am chinese american. if that matters <3

it’s too heavy handed with white people = evil

going to pull another reverse argument here because for centuries and centuries, the literature that was taught in class was people of color = evil, sneaky, underhanded, literally everything you can think of. this - people of color writing about white people in this manner - is a NEW phenomenon. there are many, many other pieces of literature that you can look to for #whitepeoplepower, but i don’t think you’ll want to tell people where you found them.

yes, even i can admit it was heavy handed, but one can even make the argument that everything MUST be heavy handed in order to make white audiences understand. rf kuang was not wrong about the idea that white people are automatically unable to put themselves in positions of people of color - this is likely the only way it would’ve gotten through to white people who pick up this book. which i would argue, is the point. 

this complaint goes hand in hand with the “every single white person is evil” complaint - this is a NEW literary phenomenon!! i have never seen a piece of literature that has done this, ever. there’s always a “good” white character who does things in a white-savior esque way. but the fact that there was none here was refreshing tbh

the characters are given no real personality outside of:

robin [reacting to racism] - UNTRUE!! robin has the most complex character development, one could argue, because he goes from being complacent in the system due to reaping the benefits to realizing that he cannot have the best of both worlds. robin’s martyr complex / self sacrificing tendencies get called out so easily and often, and eventually when everyone else around him is gone, he chooses it anyway. and we are not allowed to see if this is the right answer or not - i think that’s insanely interesting to his character. especially given that the ultimate sacrifice is not just him relieving himself of his guilt like the others were, but an ACTIVE STEP to bringing down the institution he was so hesitant to go against in the beginning of the book. AND! robin is a prime example of the model minority myth. being complacent to the system is assimilation, a tactic extremely prevalent in asian american communities, but also a tactic that is known to get us nowhere, because no matter how much you assimilate, it won’t make you white. 

letty [racist girl] - UNTRUE!! letty has a personality. she was funny. she was close with the group (or at least believed to be close to the group). they genuinely cared for her and it was proven multiple times over, and her being white is NOT the only basis on which they did not trust her. it shows up multiple times in the book that she a.) didn’t notice the casual racism towards her friends b.) made strange fetishistic / racist comments towards her friends c.) refused to listen properly when confronted about all this racism d.) made this confrontation sympathize with HER because SHE didn’t know instead of taking active steps to undo her actions. not just because she’s white. this is just a thing white people happen to do. wonder why. 

victoire [being perfect and unable to do anything wrong] - UNTRUE!! the ending is extremely important for her because she represents joy as a form of resistance. her realizing that she didn’t want her death to be a piece in a revolution / framed as a token martyr was so important to me personally and struck me hard. she wants to live!! she wants to be selfish!! and that’s okay!! her unwillingness to take the revolution as far as robin shows her humanity in the same way robin’s complicated journey with babel shows his. both these characters are there to demonstrate how people of color are not just people Of Color, but People of color.  

it’s giving people of color a victim complex

…. is this possible? i mean it’s definitely possible, i’ve seen it before with my own eyes, but that’s neoliberalism, not a victim complex. babel is so extremely well recognized because it’s pretty much the first of its kind in so many aspects - i highly doubt One Book is going to turn the tides of social standings so intensely that this is an actual concern. 

the reality of this world is that colonization has had an insanely huge ripple affect across generations and generations, and if you don’t already understand that, that is a problem. just because the majority of the world has realized racism is wrong does Not mean it does not still exist, and it does Not mean that the structures and systems set up by racism are not still harmful. especially in today’s political climate, we cannot afford to brush even casual racism off, because the more people stay silent about it / the more people think it’s a “victim complex”, the more white people are going to feel braver and braver about calling it so. and it is extremely different when these white people are the white people in power of our government and our rights and our borders, etc.. 

YES. does it suck that we all have to be so heavy handed and on guard and nitpicky? YES. but there is no other way in a world where white people are so terrified to be called racist, because there is no other possible way it can be eradicated societally at this point. systematic education doess not work, because people have and will complain about that, too. this performative wave of amplifying POC voices means we have to take this opportunity to do something like babel or write something heavy-handed or be nitpicky with casual racism, because it is the only way to start a conversation with people who will never be able to physically relate. 

no, i do not like this all the time, but i’ve come to understand that being silent about it is worse. brushing it under the rug is worse. because once you open that door for white people, the entire building collapses. 

[shona22]

Sterek fic recs that are ongoing and preferably over 90k? I’m trying to give myself things to look forward to and want fics that are still updating ❤️

Hi nonny! I don't have many, but here are some of my subscription list so far, I don't think it covers all the criteria but I'm sure some of them can be over 90k as they are WIPs.

my blood never tasted like wine By Melpomene (Aconitehart)

Summary:

Peter looks up and frowns. "I'm busy, nephew."

Shit. Stiles peeks over his shoulder and, sure enough, there's Derek Hale. Dark hair, pale eyes, stubble carefully sculpted and contoured. He looks older now, more solid, with a hint of grey at his temples. He's wearing a suit, like every other mobster werewolf in existence. Stiles stares, open-mouthed, for a moment before he realises that Derek is glaring at him. Mortified, he turns away, his heart banging against his rib cage.

Sugar Alpha by dirtymuse

Summary:

Downtrodden friends, Stiles and Isaac, wallow in their shared misfortunes. At least, Stiles thought so. But when Isaac disappears and turns up weeks later with a new wardrobe, rosy round cheeks, a full belly and a few other accoutrements Stiles never thought his friend would adorn, including a collar, Stiles can’t help his curiosity.

Sensing Stiles’ interest, Isaac invites Stiles to The Club. A one-time invitation to see if Isaac’s alternative lifestyle is something Stiles might want to experience. Little does Stiles know, he’s stumbled into a world much more complex than a prestigious sex club, a place where its patrons hold secrets far beyond his comprehension.

Unveiled by Dexterous_Sinistrous

Summary:

Stiles’ hands were shaking as he took a handful of his veil, though he wished he could act bravely and just tear the material off. He slowly began to lift the veil, his heartbeat racing as he continued to look at the Alpha through the material.

'There isn’t another way', Stiles reassured himself.

His veil felt heavier than it should as he lifted it over his chin.

Calloused hands grasped Stiles’ wrists in a tight hold.

Stiles was startled, his actions halted. His veil was hanging just below his lips as he observed the Alpha.

perdí mi ojo de venado by dutch (itsevanffs) (mind the warnings!)

Summary:

One thing Derek Hale has never been, will never be, is redeemable. No, he's too broken, too fucked up for that. There's too much blood on his hands: an amount that several lifetimes of baptismal water won't wash off.

One thing he is, however, is lonely. And a man who convinces himself he can't get better can only get worse.

call it off by endversed

Summary:

“You kissed me,” Stiles says.

To that, Derek says nothing. His gaze does not leave Stiles’ mouth.

“But you… you’re straight,” Stiles carries on.

And still, Derek says nothing. His fingers twitch harshly around his grip on thin air.

“You have a girlfriend,” Stiles whispers.

Derek is on his feet in an instant.

Stiles is the gay, terminally-single loser of Beacon Hills High. Derek is the straight, cheerleader-dating jock he should have been smart enough to stay away from.