#and also. why make changes to make it worse

[mk-wizard]

FINALLY!! SOMEONE ELSE SAID IT!!

As a mother, it makes me so sad that arcades, play areas and such are disappearing or worse, are being remade to cater more to adults than to kids. It's funny how the adults who complain kids always being on electronics are the same adults who want all children to be locked up.

Well, I ain't doing that. When I do errands or need to go out, I take my son with me unless he is not well and my husband can watch him for me. And my husband does the same thing with our boy. Also, we go on exciting vacations WITH him. We are not going to deny him the right to see the world his neighborhood just because of his age. Children have every right to be a part of the world as much as they adults do. He along with every other child should NOT have to until they are 18+ just to go out. To me, that is a form of discrimination and it needs to change.

I am sick and tired of how anti-child our society has become. It's bad enough that our media treats our children like babies until they are adults. We should not treat them like inmates until they are adults. Heck, I would even argue that our adult media paints children as these demon wretches that ruin your life! And I hate that because it insults not only my son, but my husband and I too. I am NOT miserable and I am NOT sorry I had my son. Not even when he drives up the wall.

He is my SON. The greatest gift the Lord ever gave me.

PS: It is also why our generation of kids are so unhappy and messed up, and why they are in a rush to be adults. And why also their number one after school activity is seeing a counsellor or psychologist. Would YOU like being a kid in this day and age?! I wouldn't, but I'm trying to change that and trying to create a pro-child space for our son.

“kids spend too much time on their devices” well what else are they supposed to do? there’s no corner shops with pinball machines in them on every corner anymore. there’s no malls or stores in small towns for teens to hang out in without being suspected of shoplifting or kicked out for loitering. sidewalks are too broken for them to ride their bikes and there’s no bike lane in the street to make it safe for them. i just don’t understand where they expect these kids to go when they keep taking places away from them. and yes having no safe public places for them is what leads a lot of teens into addiction if they end up at a place where people aren’t truly looking out for them.

[amiableness]

Hockey!James Potter x Lupin!Reader ❆ 980 words | it's been forever since i posted, hope you all enjoy this <3

series masterlist ; main masterlist

James Potter took his birthday seriously—it always had to be loud, chaotic, and completely unforgettable. It suited him. But this year was different. No plans to fly somewhere warm and throw a beachside party, no talk of renting out an entire pub for the night—nothing. 

Just a quiet night at a local pub with his closest friends—nothing more. When Remus and Sirius heard about the lack of celebration, Sirius�� shoulders slumped in dramatic disappointment. He’d already laid out his suitcase, half-packed and ready to jet off to wherever James decided to party this year. Remus, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as dismayed. If anything, he was relieved. Traveling meant leaving you alone, which he was never fond of—and worse, it usually meant playing designated caretaker while the others drank themselves into oblivion.

Being James’ closest friends meant they fully expected him to change his mind. Any day now, he’d come bursting into their shared house, grinning like a madman, rambling about the last-minute trip he’d just booked—or the outrageous party he’d suddenly thrown together.

But none of that happens. And even now, as they sit in a perfectly average pub, Remus and Sirius keep one eye on James, still half-expecting him to announce some last-minute twist. But he doesn’t. He hardly smiles a real smile all night, nursing his beer and casting hopeful glances toward the door—like he’s waiting for something, or someone.

“Mate,” Sirius slaps his hand down on the bar beside Remus, startling him as he waits for his drink. Remus glances over at a rosy-cheeked Sirius, who’s pointing toward James with his drink in hand, as if he couldn’t tell exactly who he’s talking about. Any mention of you always seemed to loop back to James. “Did he invite your sister?”

“Very likely. He probably chatted her up at practice and slipped it in casually,” Remus replies, arching an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Is she coming?” Sirius presses, leaning forward with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Remus snorts. “She’s probably at home reading some romance book.”

Sirius frowns, nodding towards the phone he knows is tucked away in his pocket. “Call her. Right now.”

“Why?” Remus raises an eyebrow. 

“Because, look at that miserable bastard!” Sirius bursts out, his voice carrying across the pub and catching the attention of a group of girls sitting a few seats down. Remus flashes them an apologetic, embarrassed smile.. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off the door all night. I hate to admit it, but this night’s a total bust.”

Remus raises an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a half-smile. “So, you want me to call her so you can have a better night?”

Sirius glares at him, unamused. “No, I want you to call her so he can have a better night. Also, I didn’t get him a birthday present, and I’m pretty sure this would top whatever you all managed to get him.”

Remus glances over at James, and sure enough, he’s nursing his drink, his eyes flicking toward the door before quickly returning to the curly-haired girl in front of him. She seems completely unaware of his wandering gaze, but James, on the other hand, looks entirely disengaged from the conversation. It’s clear to Remus that Sirius is right—if you were here, James’s attention would be entirely on you. There wouldn’t be any doubt about whether or not he was enjoying his birthday.

Remus exhales a soft sigh, grabbing his phone and standing up. Sirius claps him on the back with a grin, muttering praises about making the right call.

You don’t take nearly as long to show up as Remus expected, leaving him wondering if you were already ready for James’s birthday but didn’t quite have the courage to show. His gaze lingers on the soft hue of lipstick glossing your lips, then dips to the denim skirt he’s certain he’s never seen you wear. An amused smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, slow and knowing.

“That didn’t take you long.” He comments casually. You shoot him a sharp glare, pure annoyance as you take the drink from Sirius’s outstretched hand. He ushers you along with a grin, clearly pleased by your arrival.

“I can’t stay long—” Remus hears you start to protest, your voice trailing off as Sirius pulls you through the crowd, undeterred. There’s a slight wince on your face when he cups a hand around his mouth and shouts, “Oi, James! Got your birthday present, mate!”

A few of their teammates whistle, exchanging knowing grins as their eyes land on you—well aware of James’s long-standing, schoolboy crush. Remus watches your expression shift somewhere between mortified and amused, but you let Sirius lead you on anyway. 

James turns away from the girl mid-sentence, a confused frown flickering across his face—only to melt into a grin the moment he sees you. He doesn’t hesitate, weaving through the crowd like nothing else exists. Remus can’t hear what he says, but he doesn’t need to. He knows James greets you with that soft, honeyed “angel”—a tone he reserves for no one else.

Remus has heard it a thousand times, but only when James is talking to you.

He makes a mental note to ask him about it later, but it’s obvious to him now that James kept things simple this year, just in case you decided to show up. There was no way you’d have gone along with the kind of wild birthdays he'd thrown in the past.

And for someone who insisted they weren’t staying long—who told Remus to fuck off, I’m busy when he first asked—you don’t exactly look eager to leave. There’s a soft smile tugging at your lips as you tilt your head up to meet James’s eyes, like you forgot what excuse you’d made in the first place.

Remus knows without a doubt that Sirius did win best present.

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please please pleasae consider reblogging and/or commenting. it keeps me motivated to continue writing and reblogging spreads it to others <3

[shaisuki]

dude I adore ur yandere zayne so so so much

wonder what would happen if MC tried reconnecting with Zayne? We may be able so convince her something is wrong :}

❆ ₊⋆ content warnings. implied emotional cheating + insecurities + heavy angst + ooc zayne + this is a fic, don't go roaring like a wanderer because you didn't like it and sorry for the messy shit, it's 3 am for me.

She came monthly for the check-ups as always.

Yvonne sat at her station. Fixated on the screen in front of her as she monitors every patient's room. As always when Yvonne sees her, she greets her with a smile. Checking her schedule and told her that Dr. Zayne was waiting for her in their scheduled appointment. She thanked her and smiled before walking to Zayne's office.

The walk to his office felt different this time. It was heavy — she can't describe it but something changed. Usually, she looked forward to her check-ups by him or perhaps was the news that Zayne had married you.

Her childhood friend is married.

She knew that it would end up like this since he knew the surgeon was engaged even it was an arranged marriage but it stung her more than she can admit. She thought Zayne was hers in her own way even there isn't feelings involved with his fiancée.

Why would he give all the time to spend it with her when he can give it to you?

She enter the familiar doors of his office and she finds him typing. “Dr. Zayne.” She greets him in the same way. There's a hint of affection in there and Zayne isn't dense not to notice it but he only looks at her the same way he treats his patients.

He didn't even correct her not to call him Dr. Zayne but only "Zayne".

“I received the monthly assessment from the Association and from the results — you're doing better. There's still irregularities and I won't say that there is nothing to be sure considering your condition.” His voice even have the same tone of a physician and the softness in there was gone. It was transferred to someone.

She nods in understanding but her eyes traveled to his desk. It was the same. Neatly stacked documents, his personal computer and laptop in the same position. There was an addition, a photograph is placed besides his PC. A wedding picture — of you and him.

It wasn't all smiles but she can see how Zayne kisses you in that photograph and her heart clenched in a way that she knows it wasn't her condition that was acting up and to make it worse — next to the photograph was a sonogram. Twins. She cannot be mistaken even it's black and white and the two lumps of cells incubating in your belly feels like a slap to her face.

It wasn't only Zayne was married but was also expecting. He's going to be a father soon.

He looks at the man across her. She can't be hurt — Zayne didn't promise anything to her nor said the words she wanted. He was only there besides her but he will belong to you in a matter that even the strongest of gravity in the universe can't pull.

Her primary care physician approach her, activating his stethoscope to check the condition of her heart. She remains silent but as Zayne presses the diaphragm of his stethoscope, she noticed it. The silver wedding band wrapped around his ring finger.

“I heard you got married, Dr. Zayne.” She says in curious manner. Genuinely curious about it and she just needs to hear it even it was obvious and the ring around his finger says it.

Zayne puts his stethoscope down and began to type his recent findings. He didn't look at her. “I did.” He says monotonously.

She sees a brief flicker of revelry in hazel green eyes. The same eyes that looks at her like that too but it wasn't directed to her.

“What happened to you?” She asks

“She happened.” He says indifferently and glances at her. No explanation was need to tell her what really happened cause it was clear he choosed you.

She presses further. “Isn't too sudden marrying her?”

“What are you implying?” The temperature in the room drops. Cold and icy and it wasn't only the temperature but there's no warmth in his voice. “We were bound to be married any time.”

Suddenly, she felt embarrassment creeping up on her face. She said it like it wasn't the most obvious thing. She acted out that Zayne will choose her despite the circumstances and you didn't matter but it was you. It will always be you.

“I think we're done here for the day. I have to go home early.” To her — you mean. Is what she wanted to say but he kept her mouth shut. She only nods and left his office without much of a peep.

Zayne isn't hers anymore.

She met you again.

Zayne wasn't around but you weren't alone either. This time you were with your children, strapped to your chest is your child with Zayne in a carrier. The other is in the stroller. She can hear the distinctive babbles of the other twin while you slowly pushed the stroller as you scanned the displays.

The last time she had seen you in here was you were with Zayne. She realizes the tears in your eyes wasn't cause by allergies but hers. She recognizes that look anytime cause it was you now that is causing the pain but she wasn't crying. The damage was inside.

How painful must it be to you that your husband's affections was once directed to her.

It was wrong of her to be involved with Zayne. Your fiance — although she thought that there were no feelings in both side — you felt strongly. You didn't confront her — didn't told her to stay away from him. You stayed silent for it was better than to make a fool out of yourself and Zayne was no better, kept you at arm's length while they divulged in each other's feeling and then the accident happened.

After that, she didn't exist in Zayne's and they were like strangers again.

The baby strapped to your chest wiggles and coos. She can see how you gently caressed the baby's head, a small smile to your lips as say something and the baby laughs. You check at the other twin in the stroller before continuing to shop.

The sight of her made you freeze before relaxing. She was like a ghost always lingering and you accepted that even though Zayne married you and impregnated you with his children — she will always be a ghost haunting you.

You only got used to her presence.

She wondered. Would things be different if you didn't get into that fatal car crash? Will she be the one in your place? Having their own family and raising children together?

You're good. You didn't flinch nor getting your waterworks opening. She thinks it's the power you held being a mother that even she approaches you, you kept a polite smile.

She take a look to the baby in your chest. The baby looks like Zayne, the same thick, black hair and that eyes. Sharp as ever and even it was in a baby of his. The baby looks at her before it fusses, sensing that she's the one causing the inner turmoil of his mother.

“They're adorable.” She commented. The baby in the stroller waves their arms at her. The toy they're holding rattles and she smiles softly but the bitterness in her chest builds up.

“I told him that he should leave me and be with you.” You started, a smile in your lips but it wasn't mocking or a pitiful one. “He didn't. Never left my side after that.”

“I'm sorry.” You apologized.

Why were you telling her this? Why are you apologizing? She should be the one apologizing for not being able to stay away from him when he have you during the times you were treated like a stranger. Hell, she didn't know you as nothing but the one with Zayne in a arranged marriage until that fateful run in after your accident in the very same store.

You didn't gave her a second look and left.

She should stop chasing ghosts from the last and move on but it does not feel right, it wasn't wrong either.

[mittenkisses]

they're on their period

ft : second years (riddle, ruggie, azul, jade, floyd, kalim, jamil, silver)

a/n : i'm projecting onto them. reader on their period has been done before so why not switch it up!

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 🐚

riddle doesn't let it stop him. a simple biological process shouldn't deter him from getting things done, especially one he has to deal with on the regular. you knock on his door asking to come in, and he almost sends you away until you tell him you have some hot tea for him. you enter the room to find him at his desk, slightly hunched over with one arm wrapped around his middle as he works on an essay. he's clearly in pain, but as long as he's not dying, he sees no reason to break from his studies. you try urging him to take a nap or just lay down for a while, but maybe it's best you leave before he impulsively beheads you.

ruggie plays up the whole thing. he can handle it just fine, but since you're so worried about him, why not take advantage of it? he's just so exhausted and in so much pain, you wouldn't make him work while he's in such a state, would you? he pawns all his chores onto you, and every time you look at him, he groans very loudly and dramatically to remind you how much he's suffering. he's not really trying to make it believable, because he knows you'll do what he asks anyway.

azul finds it very unfair. he never had to deal with this in the coral sea!! if he could, he'd spend the whole week in bed, but he unfortunately has a business to run, and no matter how many times you tell him that it can do just fine without him, he's not budging. he's well-stocked on anything he might need, but if you want to bring him chocolates then maybe, just maybe, he'll indulge his cravings this one time.

floyd, as a moray eel, can change his gender at will; but he doesn't really feel like it, so he'll just suffer. he doesn't make it a big deal, but he hates how his mood swings are so much worse than usual. he becomes way clingier too, which is saying a lot. if you want to visit him, you should make sure you don't have plans for the rest of the day, because he's not letting you go, unless you promise to come back with food.

jade, like his brother, could easily get out of it. in his case, though, he just wants the attention. why go through all the trouble when the chance to have you fretting over him is right there? oh dear, he's so frail and weak, if only there was someone to cuddle and pamper him, he moans as he rests his hand on his forehead. truthfully he doesn't even feel a thing, but you don't have to know that. what matters is that all your attention is on him.

kalim insists he's fine—he's been through way worse than a little period, don't worry! he says as he's writhing on the ground in agony. he requires cuddles but is a pain to sleep beside, because he can't figure out a position that isn't incredibly uncomfortable and he's constantly moving around. cries way easier, so make sure you have tissues on hand. even so, he still likes to curl up in bed watching sad movies, and you're going to keep him company whether you want to or not.

jamil also says he's fine, but unlike kalim, he actually is. mostly. sort of. his solution is to just ignore all the side effects until it's over, no matter how bad they get, because he still has plenty of work to do and time waits for no one. he's been through worse, don't worry, he can handle this easily. he'll brush you off if you tell him to relax, although maybe if you want to take over a couple of his chores, he won't complain...

silver tries to sleep through it. normally this isn't a problem, but his body decided bleeding wasn't enough and cursed him with the inability to sleep as well. he curls up in bed, groaning and trying desperately to keep his eyes shut. he tells you not to come see him, not wanting you to see him in such a state, but of course you don't listen. he thanks you for worrying about him, but really, you don't have to stay if you don't want to...although if you try to leave, he looks very dejected.

[gay-dorito-dust]

HAIII I love ur headcanons I was hoping if I could make a requests of what it would be like to sleep sleep with dante and vergil like what weird cutesy things do they do with s/o next to them like hug them super tight just cute fluffy things like that♡ THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

i'm never beating the 'demons are just big cats' allergations when it comes to these two am i?

dante

dante is an cuddler, there is no debating that.

and in his sleep he's somehow even worse as he's clinging onto you with a vice like grip, tight as anything, his legs are locked on yours too so it's made even harder to escape this man's embrace.

snoring in your ear loudly no less too. yes he snores unfortunely...you poor soul.

if dante isn't griping on to you like you'd dissapear, his hands are more likely shoved up your night shirt just to feel your skin with his calloused fingertips.

not sexual at all it's just that dante likes the feel of your skin against his, it's calming, grounding for him and makes it easier for him to sleep at night as he more often then not has too much going on in his mind.

he just needs reminders that nothing will change when he awakes, that everything will be where he had left them, you'd be where he last saw you before he gone to sleep.

hogs the fucking duvet. seriously he will not give you even a corner of it at all, he's taking it all and will start a tug of war with you should you try and steal some, you'll loose by the way and will have to deal with no duvet at all.

he purrs when he's content, close to you and he's happy that even some demonic like chirps will leave his mouth as he burries himself further into you, smiling as his purrs only relax you futher into a deeper sleep.

kind of like how a cat purr will reduce stress, dante's demonic purrs act in a simlair fashion when he's deep in sleep. it's the best and you will have to record him when he says otherwise upon confrontation.

also why do i think he'd do the demon equivilent of making biscuits like cats do? i can just see him kneeding you without being provoked into doing so, mainly in deep states of happiness, relaxation and just a show of affection but also a territorial thing.

Vergil

at first this man is as still as the dead in their graves, seriously he was so still that you were concerned about him for a while, before seeing the rise and fall of his chest.

you have to put your ear nect to his mouth/nose to make sure he's actually breathing.

he's a silent sleeper, so there's no worries in him snoring loudly.

he claims he's no one for cuddling or anything like that as he sleeps, prefering his space

but he does however subconciously reaches a hand and intertwines your fingers together, holding it close to his chest, just above his heart and keeps it there for the rest of the night.

it's his way of making sure you were still with him as now and then he'd caress the back of your hand with his thumb, as though reassuring himself that you were real and that whatever was going on within his mind was a faberication of the truth.

his tail of his devil trigger comes out to play, it tugs you closer to him until you were resting on his chest, or his tail would cling to your arm, tightening it's grip when it feels you move, as though afraid you'd leave.

and while we're on the topic of his tail, it may rub your back like it has a mind of it's own, or even latching onto your waist if your arm wasn't avaliable. (i personally like this hdc and maybe a little self indulgent but i don't care, i just like his demon tail-)

like dante, he also demon cat kneeds you without realising it, and same with dante it's mainly out of terratorial instinct, affection and happiness, this will be something you will have to prove to him upon confrontation or just keep it as a little secrete for your selfish little self.

vergil speaks in his sleep, but it's nothing you can understand and you feel like you're in a horror movie until he stops, only to pick up twenty minutes later. demons have their own language in my mind an Sparda taught them the basics but vergil picks up on it better then Dante did. in my mind at least that is.

[cameronsbabydoll]

I don't know if you are comfortable with this couse it contains religion, but christian!reader telling S2!rafe she want to wait until marriage

christian!reader telling season two!rafe that she wants to wait until marriage 3

warnings: season two rafe cameron, religious guilt sorta? rafe wants to corrupt the reader

wc: 500 — a/n: hopefully this works! i’m not christian so i hope none of this is offensive to anyone. also i sorta imagined this with my bunny!reader but that’s just how i saw it!

you were breathing hard. back pressed against the passenger door, lips swollen from kissing him too long, too deep.

rafe sat back in the driver’s seat, legs spread, arm resting on the wheel like he hadn’t just had his hands all over you thirty seconds ago. his shirt was rumpled, hair a mess. that smug little smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched you try to catch your breath.

“what’s the matter, angel?” he drawled. “you always start something you don’t finish?”

your face burned. you looked away.

“i’m not—” you swallowed, voice tight. “i’m not doing that with you. or anyone. not before marriage.”

he blinked. for a second, he just stared.

then he laughed. a low, slow, absolutely entertained kind of laugh.

“you’re kidding.”

“i’m not.”

his tongue pressed into his cheek, grin stretching wider as he tilted his head, eyes running over your face like he was trying to see it—this perfect little confession he’d just been handed.

“you’re serious?” he said. “like… bible serious?”

you nodded once, fingers gripping the hem of your dress.

“damn,” he muttered, leaning back with a whistle. “of course you are. that’s why you get all flustered when i look at you too long. why you squeak every time i say something dirty.”

you didn’t respond.

but that just made him grin harder.

“shoulda known,” he went on, cocky now, eyes gleaming. “little church girl. all sweet and quiet. probably been prayin’ for a guy like me, huh?”

you looked at him then—genuinely startled.

he smirked. “you didn’t think i knew how to play nice with girls like you?”

“i don’t want you to play anything,” you snapped, even though your voice shook.

“oh, i know,” he said smoothly, leaning over the console now, voice low and dark. “you don’t want me to touch you. don’t want me to make you feel anything you can’t confess on sunday.”

you opened your mouth, but he was already there—his thumb brushing the corner of your mouth like he owned you.

“but see, that just makes it worse,” he whispered. “'cause now i want to. real bad.”

his breath was hot against your cheek.

“you say you’re saving yourself, and all i can think about is how pretty you’ll look when you finally stop pretending you don’t want it.”

your eyes fluttered shut. you hated how your stomach flipped. how your thighs pressed together, instinctively.

“i’m not pretending,” you said, barely above a whisper.

rafe tilted his head, watching you like a hawk.

“no?” he smirked. “then why are you still in my truck, sweetheart?”

you didn’t have an answer for that.

and he didn’t push it.

just leaned back again, grinning to himself like he already knew the ending to this story.

“you keep saving yourself,” he said, flipping his keys in his palm. “i’ll be right here when you change your mind.”

and the worst part?

you didn’t tell him to take you home.

[stardust-falling]

do you think shen jiu is redeemable in Canon?

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: It really depends on what's meant by "redeemable" and what's meant by "canon."

Because while we don't know everything, we do at least see the conclusion of his story in canon, so we know that he does not find redemption, nor does he think it possible:

“Has Shidi ever considered that, if you hadn’t treated Luo Binghe like that in the beginning, everything that unfolded today never would have happened?” Shen Qingqiu burst into laughter. “Why does Zhangmen-shixiong say such ludicrous things? What’s happened has happened! I’ve already ‘considered’ it hundreds and thousands of times! There is no ‘if,’ no ‘in the beginning’—there was never any chance of redemption!” (Chapter 24, 7S)

Shen Jiu did what he did in canon, and even at the end of his life claims there is no redemption for himself and there never was.

Without significant canon divergence, Shen Jiu is not redeemable.

That doesn't mean that at times his actions aren't misunderstood or misrepresented, of course-- as we know, he didn't kill the men at Qiu Manor out of nowhere, and the accusations regarding his cold-blooded murder of Liu Qingge we also know to be false, since Shang Qinghua implies he tried to help-- even though his help didn't prevent Liu Qingge's death (and may have made the situation worse due to the animosity between them and Shen Jiu's own emotional instability-- though that's just headcanon). However, in regards to his treatment of Luo Binghe, there's really just no chance or way for him to be redeemed in the canon timeline.

And that brings me to another point-- my general dislike of the idea of villain "redemption."

It's way too nebulous of a term. What would constitute redemption for Shen Jiu? Never abusing children to begin with? He wouldn't need redemption then. Making things right later on? There's no real chance to, and even if he was given a chance, say, by Luo Binghe after he returned, Shen Jiu is the kind of person to double down, not to repent and apologize-- we already knows he views apologies as useless. What's done is done.

I am 100% convinced that Shen Jiu always knew in the back of his mind that, as long as Luo Binghe or any other victim survived, he would die by their hands. While the extent of the violence and torture he might not have expected, he was basically recreating his own childhood, putting himself into the role that Qiu Jianluo once held, and he knew very well how Qiu Jianluo ended.

Unlike some abusers, Shen Jiu does not have the delusion that he is a good person, or that his actions are good. He views himself as scum, so he acts like scum. He probably even thinks himself worse than he actually is-- no one hates Shen Jiu more than Shen Jiu himself. That's another thing that makes the idea of 'redemption' difficult for him-- because he knows he's in the wrong, and continues on that path anyway because he just doesn't see any other option.

So, what Shen Jiu would need is not so much redemption, but a paradigm shift. It would require rewriting his entire worldview, his perception of himself and his perception of others-- and that is very, very difficult, and especially difficult for someone who really doesn't think it's possible. Entrenched beliefs are entrenched for a reason, and a fully-established worldview is not easily changed, especially when it is so incredibly self-sabotaging.

However, let's just imagine for a moment that Shen Jiu actually did get the chance to heal, and that worldview gradually began to shift. I don't think he'd be the best teacher even then, but he at the very least might be able to keep from taking out his childhood trauma on the kids under his care. The difficult part would be getting him to the point where he actually had healed enough to facilitate that paradigm shift.

Basically, Shen Jiu first and foremost needs healing, not redemption or atonement. If he were able to heal, then he might not even need redemption to begin with, and without that healing nothing would change from the canon timeline. But at the same time, the circumstances of canon, along with Shen Jiu's own self-sabotaging viewpoint, do not provide a space for that necessary healing, thus, he can only be "redeemed" through canon divergence.

Shen Jiu is a product of his environment. As much as the choices he makes as a peak lord are his own, they are also shaped by his experiences. Without different experiences, he would never make different choices-- and so, Shen Jiu's fate in PIDW can never be changed.

There are many ways, however, that canon divergence might change things-- for example, my ongoing attempts at a Shen Jiu redemption/character development story in SVLPO where he returns from death and tries to change the future (it's really long, but if you haven't read it yet, it's basically a 400k word character study into Shen Jiu's psyche and will pretty much tell you how I feel about his worldview and how that affects any 'redemption arcs'), or fics in which Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan are different incarnations of the same person, and how Shen Yuan's kinder background enabled him to become a different, kinder person.

I think that there are plenty of ways that Shen Jiu might end up a better, less-tormented person, and that if the circumstances were right, it wouldn't necessarily be OOC-- and so if that's the true question here, then absolutely, yes, he can be redeemed.

Even the deepest wounds can heal, even the most deadly injuries can be recovered from-- the chance may be infintesimal, but it still exists.

In the end, that's what fic is for, isn't it?

[mahi-wayy]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒...!

• General • Relationship [ both sfw and nsfw ]

☆ note : the gif is MINE. credit me if you wanna use it!!

▪︎ General..!

Dean likes to appear nonchalant about everything but he's very very sensitive. Even the smallest look from someone can make him self conscious.

He's a heavy stress smoker, started it in like late teens when John started sending him on solo hunts.

Avoids it infront of Sam because his baby brother always goes on about health issues and shit.

Speaking of health issues this man right here he definitely has a love relationship with food and atleast one eating disorder.

My man also has ADHD. It's like written all over him, open your eyes sheesh.

He gets complimented about his looks, he knows he's handsome AND beautiful but he has hard time seeing it as more than an asset to slid his way in and out of trouble.

His constant one night stands and hooks up come from his touch starveness.

Has a habit of clawing at his arm or leg when he's in a tight space, it triggers trauma of John "training" him about locked up in tight dark spaces.

He has frequent panic attack that he will die before he accepts. It started when he had his first one when he was very young and saw fire for the first time after night of Mary's death.

He molded his whole personality around John's need or Sam's requirment which makes him a "obedient son" "good brother" and "perfect hunter" but if you strip it away he doesn't know what he is.

Example : his music comes from John, his sleeping habits are centered around Sam. So if you strip it away, he had no idea what music he would like or why he spent three night awake straight when he finally had his room.

He also has a habit of not being bothered by breach of privacy mostly, like sure bathroom and shit is alarming but anyone he trusts can wander in his room at any time of day and most reaction that would come would be "Oh. Hey."

He wears a perfume that has some resemblance to John's scent of burning wood, which is covered with motor oil smell with how often he works on Baby.

Over the seasons this changes and he wears the scent he personally likes, with some kind of earthy tone ( a little of wet soil ) and of course the motor oil smell is still here.

Can and has gone days without food. He has no issues in skipping meals or giving over his food.

First time he did it he was around 12 and Sam wanted something other than Mac and cheese, so he skipped his dinner and handed him his burger he got. Last time he did was when he was like 40. Sam wanted something to munch during late night research and only snacks left in bunker were cracker he was planning to be his midnight snack. he did go for groceries in morning.

Has a habit of omitting details of his injuries and shit because "He's fine and can take care of himself and Sam doesn't need to worry about this too."

He has a journal, tucked under his mattress in the bunker ( sam found it way later ) it starts from events of s4 to the day of barn scene. He has written apologies to Sam for some of his behaviors and his own thoughts of himself and other feelings.

When he can't sleep he likes to read books which is why he just knows shit. He reads. Just not the lore because most of the time it comes with memories attached and nope.

His spiral started getting worse somewhere around s9, Mary didn't help much, Sam suspected which became confirmation in s14 and by the time Dean accepted that maybe he needs help 15x20 was just around the corner.

▪︎ Relationship..! [ sfw and nsfw ]

He will make the first move - flirting, buying drinks and pick up lines - you'll have to ask him out on a serious date.

His first instinct is to push so HOLD. ON. his bullshit won't last more than 2 months. So just be patient.

Once he has swallowed the fact that someone wants him for more than his looks and body. He'll freeze ( like in relationship sense )

This is the most fragile time, he's not pushing and self sabotaging but he's not quite there yet too so BE CAREFUL one wrong more and he'll slip right through you fingers.

Guide him, for all the teasing and leadership in a hunt. He's a follower in relationship, especially the romantic kinds.

Drop him hints or speak directly your choice but for a good portion you'll have to guide him on this. This is new territory the man is panicking even if he's saying his smoothest line to you.

He likes to buy you flowers and gifts whenever he can, he also likes the same efforts ( he deserves it to so watch it )

In bed, he's a sub. I have discussed it - written about it too. So you know my thoughts about that mostly.

He doesn't like getting his hands cuffed or tied given how many times he has been held captive and shit.

He won't say no to it, I willing to bet he won't even notice the panic he feels when you handcuff him but I suggest using something soft and smooth if you plan on tying that man up.

The older he gets the more freaky he gets. Do with that info what you will.

He enjoys being a service top to, just listening to you tell him what to yet not even lifting a finger to help the poor man does something to his brain. Something good.

He's not a groaner. He moans and whimpers and whines and a grunt here and there.

He gives the impression of fast and hard, all quick and good but he prefers slow and deep and just savoring it.

KISS THIS MAN AS FREQUENTLY AS YOU CAN OKAY. HE LIKES IT. HE NEEDS IT. HE DESERVES IT.

Once he's past the initial self sabotaging and pushing away man just wants a home with you, couple of kids and retirement from hunting doesn't sound bad anymore.

tags : @bluemerakis @deansbeer @daylighted @soldiersgirl @h8aaz @titsout4jackles @bejeweledinterludes @littlesoulshine @mostlymarvelgirl @jmoonk @yawnzshit @mayakimayahai let me know if I forgot you or you want to be added or removed!!

[theredcuyo]

I know Qi Rong was already bad before he died but do you think death and becoming a Ghost made him worse?

We don't even know exactly why he lingers on, i think it might be related to his desire to be powerful and recognized and out of his spite for Xie Lian, but there's not much in the books-

It's also interesting to compare him to Hua Cheng and He Xuan in that aspect, Hc stayed for love, to protect, Hx stayed for hatred, to get revenge

Bai Wuxiang is... Uh... Yk-

But Qi Rong? He is by all means just- like a little kid (Even if he's the second oldest calamity)

You know, why does he eat people? To emulate Black Water eating other ghosts, why does he hang corpses? To emulate Crimson Rain's rain-

I find it interesting that you could argue him having always a escape route and being "only good at staying alive" by having multiple bodies paralels White no face/Jun Wu, because you know, how it was all coming out of him, even if Qi Rong didn't know about it

Fuck, did Qi Rong know Jun Wu was White no face? The guy who destroyed his home? OUT OF HAVING BEEF WITH A 17 YEAR OLD?

Qi Rong also went from idolizing Xie Lian to hating him with passion, there's also something to say about Xie Lian refusing to kill him even after all the shit he pulls, even if it'll make his life easier, he just can't do it

And then there's his trick, the thing that supodsedly marks him out, the lanterns, that turns out to be a cheap trick but- do you know what little flames remind me of?

Baby ghosts, particularly during that one arc, and now that i think about it... Is it possible at all, that one of those flames that had been following Hua Cheng around because he was a powerful one between them was Qi Rong?

Was he also trying to imitate that trhu the lanterns?

It also paralels Xie Lian during his calamity arc with all the souls following him along from the battle field, actually-

It would seem like ghosts naturally just tend to follow more powerful ghosts, save for White no face, we see that the other calamities have followers, there's Ghost city, there's Black Water's fish, and even Qi Rong has people following after him, doing as he says because he is a wrath after all

See, that's the thing-

Qi Rong seems to be doing something that little kids often do, which is to copy everything others do to learn, and then the one thing he does without copying someone else, can you guess what it is?

Protecting Guzi

And what does he get out of it? Die, apparently-

It's hard to say if he really changed at all thanks to the kid, i wouldn't trust our unreliable narrator Xie Lian on judging that one, but i do think he didn't keep Guzi just to be praised, i think that although he's very gone he can still recall somewhat of his past and he sees himself in the child not just because of the abuse but because Guzi also latched onto and praised endlessly the person who helped him, just like he used to do with Xie Lian-

Maybe he saved Guzi because he cared for him, or maybe out of spite for Xie Lian again, because see that usless cousin? He can and will save the kid, unlike you who left him to die!

I don't know, i think trying to understand Qi Rong is like trying to teach a dog algebra, but it's fun anyway

[solarusofsun]

I think it's time for me to show this

WELCOME TO THE FOREST AU!

Before I even begin adressing stuff there is some things I wanna clarify:

First: English is not my first languague, that means some thing can be bad writen or with bad grammar, sorry for that, it will happend again.

Second: Even if my AU is serious, the writting won't be, mostly cuse Im dumb and I prefer to be informal over formal.

OK, NOW LET'S GET INTO THE EXPLANATION!!!

This is gonna be long

-> What is TheForestAU?

The Forest AU is a Alter Universe which it's inspired by those legends about creatures living in the woods. In this AU, forests are alive, maybe literally, with all type of spirits and entities which hide from the humans and only those chosen by The Forest can see them.

Basically magic stuff.

-> What is the plot of this AU?

For now, none. This AU is one of those AU where the characters are chill and don't have anyone constantly threatening them. Im planning of doing a bunch of comics about how the characters meet echaother and do world building. I love world building and this AU is basically that.

Maybe in a future I will make a more deep plot.

-

CHARACTERS

Now I'm gonna talk about the human cast of this AU, yeah, human cast.

I decided to separate all the characters between two groups, human and non-humans. I would be doing another post for the other cast, cuse there are more non-human characters and that needs more writting.

HUMAN CAST

-> Peppino Spagetti

He didn't change a lot, he's still a messy bag of anxiety, only thing is that I made it worse.

In this AU, Peppino was able to buy a local kinda far from the city, but for a really good price! And, of course, the place was near a forest. Peppino didn't notice anything wrong, open his restaurant and everything was going alright, until a bunch of weird things started to happend around him and his place, that end it up leading into insomnia and nightmares. Of course this was not good, not only for Peppino, but also for the bussiness. What could be the cause of Peppino's misfortune? It probably had nothing to do with that forest, who somehow it's feels like it's calling him everynight.

-> Scott Stick

He's practically the same lol, I give him a casual fit just so I dont have to make the suit, cuse I dont like suits very much.

Scott is an inventor who tries to sell his products everytime he gets an chance, much are not a lot. He also always looks for an chance on making easy money, that's why he work with Theodore and the reason he bring him to Peppino's Restaurant, since that place is mostly where he sells/trys his inventions.

-> Theodore Noise

Ok, now we finally have a more drastic change.

In this AU, Noise is not a TV star, but a cameraman. Apart form that I didn't change a lot of his personallity. He likes to film things and always want to film something interesting. Meet Scott after Theodore film one of his inventions and find them intresting, since then they became business partners. He likes to go to Peppino's restaurant to annoy him cuse he also like to annoy people.

-> Phillip Pepperman

HUMAN PEPPERMAN JUMPSCARE!!!!!! Yeah, I make him human cuse it would make more sense, plus I didn't know what creature should a pepper be, so he's human now.

He preserves the same personallity as the original, I didn't change it a lot. He's still a painter, but it's more focused on mythology. Since he was a child he was in love with the idea of mystical life, all his paintings have something to do with the subject.

-> The Vigilante

THE VIGILANTE IS ALSO HUMAN OHDEAR

Vigilante actually doesn't know who's Peppino and the rest (at least for now), he lives in the forest and was raised by his grandparent. He is one of the choose ones of The Forest, so that means he can see the spirits and creatures living in the woods. He is also the protector of the forest, that's why he's still has the name of The Vigilante.

-

PART 2 OF THIS

-

OHGOD

That's everything for now, I spend like two hours writting this and I only cover up the simple characters. I will show the rest of the characters later

Also, this post works as an incentive to make me work on the comic, I need motivation and showing stuff makes me wanna draw more about it

Again, sorry if something is bad written or if it's written weird

But yeah, Welcome to my own Pizza Tower AU ^^

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Yeah I'm gonna talk about the Andor rape scene.

First, disclaimer, I don't watch Andor, or any Disney Star Wars show. I did watch Rogue One, and it's probably the best thing Disney Star Wars ever did, which isn't saying much. So if you want to dismiss what I'm saying because I didn't see the scene and don't have the "context" or whatever, go fuck yourself because the only context I need is that there's now a rape scene in Star Wars.

Which is bad. It's stupid and retarded and it changes Star Wars forever for the worse. Star Wars isn't Game of Thrones. It isn't a dark, gritty, realistic portrayal of war and tyranny. It's a space opera, and while some space operas do "go there" with regards to rape and graphic content, it's not required, nor is it the norm. Star Wars was one of the space operas that didn't go there. It never needed to. You understood that the Empire was evil because Darth Vader was torturing people and they blew up an entire planet. The empire were the bad guys and the good guys were defined by standing up to the Empire. And even with that simplistic concept, the movies were still good. No one went to see Star Wars and thought "well, Vietnam just happened so I don't really think I can believe this portrayal of war unless some villages get napalmed and some women get raped". They said "oh wow Luke Skywalker is awesome he blew up the Death Star!" or "laser swords? Awesome!"

The idea that everything needs to reflect reality is such a braindead concept, but I'm not surprised that's the defense the showrunner is going with. Everyone involved with Disney Star Wars at every level has shown that they don't understand Star Wars at all. Not from a storytelling or character standpoint, or a meta, cultural standpoint either. "It's for kids" is never an excuse for bad or lazy writing, but it is a reason why explicit scenes aren't included. For decades, the most explicitly violent thing in Star Wars was Ponda Baba's arm getting cut off in the Mos Eisley cantina. That happened within the first half of the first movie, and the series never felt the need to try and top that because explicit content was never the point of Star Wars. It never needed to resort to cheap emotional ploys to get you to feel for the characters. Which brings me to my next point:

Aside from stories about rape, rape is never necessary in fiction. In fact, I say 95% of the time it's a crutch bad writers use because that's the only way they know to evoke a visceral emotional reaction. It's lazy and uninspired. It lowers the quality of whatever it's in. If you can't get someone to hate your villain without making them a rapist, then you're a bad writer. But this rape scene in particular is actually damaging to the original trilogy (as so much of Disney Star Wars is). Because the explanation is that you can't have a story about war and resistance without rape. Which means that the Empire is now known to have rapists in its ranks. Andor takes place in the same timeframe as the OT, which means that the same Empire that tried to rape that woman is the same empire that had Princess Leia captive on the Death Star for at least a few days. Do you see where I'm going with this? If your assertion is that rape must exist in the Empire to portray war and resistance accurately, then Princess Leia had to have been raped while in captivity, because the same Empire that captured this woman also captured her. But that never happened. We know that never happened because it was never so much as hinted at. She was tortured for information, but she was never raped. No female captive in the entire Star Wars saga, both the real Lucas stories and the fake Disney "canon", was ever raped. So by the directors own reasoning, the only Star Wars property to ever portray a realistic (where "realistic" is seen as good and "unrealistic" is seen as bad) version or war is season 2 of Andor. Which is massively insulting to every other Star Wars movie and show ever made. Even The Acolyte, which is objective trash, doesn't deserve to be implicitly slighted because it didn't depict rape. Star Wars is not about reflecting reality. It's about the fight between good vs evil. It's about family and belonging and standing up for what's right. Universal concepts that anyone can understand even if it's nothing like what you read about in the news everyday. And that's what it should always be.

Goddamn I hate that Star Wars is being ruined like this. I hate it so much.

[princelysnape]

a marauders analysis (or why i don't give a shit james potter died)

WARNING: this post does not have the pretension of convincing marauders fans that their faves have shitty personalities. if anything i say comes off as rude or insensitive, it was intended that way. you can stay, or you can kindly fuck off.

i honestly can't believe i have to do this, but here we go. my two cents about the four little pricks.

let's start by acknowledging that the marauders had a clear hierarchy of power and influence within their own group. whether it was ever officially stated or not, we know james potter was their leader and main perpetrator, followed by his lapdog sirius black, the forever-cowardly remus lupin, and the rat.

and it's no coincidence they're arranged this way. potter and black are the pureblood heirs of two of the richest and most powerful families in the harry potter universe. their surnames enter the room before they do, every time. meanwhile, lupin and pettigrew are nobodies, merely their shadows.

keeping that in mind, it's easy to see how they turned out the way they did. there's an arrogance and entitlement that can only come from money and the certainty that you're untouchable. dealing with them meant dealing with their families. which means that, despite their many pranks, continuous bullying, an episode of sexual assault, and infamously, an assassination attempt, they were never expelled.

imagine being lupin or pettigrew throughout all this. they're definitely not innocent—but if they ever tried to cut ties, who's to say potter and black wouldn't have turned on them? no, it was safer to have their protection. and in lupin's case, their secrecy. not very brave or honorable of them, though.

so first point: they were privileged, rich assholes.

they were also cruel and downright abusive to anything they considered "other." And I do mean severus, yes, but also evans (constantly harassed by potter for most of her school years), kreacher (whom sirius always treated like shit due to his servitude and his death eater brother), slytherin house as a whole (though probably targeted half-bloods and muggleborns more, since attacking a pureblood meant fucking with their family), and the unnamed victims referenced in the books.

always good to remember that potter and black grew up being spoon-fed blood purity rhetoric and anti-muggle sentiment, ideas that define wizarding society. even the "progressive" characters say shit sometimes. so it's not a stretch to say they redirected their hate toward more palatable victims to keep their moral high ground intact.

and whether their victims "deserved" it or not, it's disturbing how much glee they took in humiliating people. the other two less so (as far as we know), but they were complicit. black literally used lupin's condition to try to get another student killed—proof he didn't give a single shit about consequences, or about exposing his so-called friend to imprisonment or death.

so second point: they were prejudiced, sadistic, and always covered up for each other's fucked-up behavior.

which brings me to the third point: they had pack mentality. you know that one male friend group where one guy is clearly satan in a varsity jacket and the rest just nod along? or worse, follow his lead? the kind of group that makes you cross the street frantically avoiding eye contact? that's the marauders.

if harry potter wasn't written for a younger audience, i'm convinced at least one of them would have a rape allegation. but their friends would vouch for them, and the victim would be dismissed.

some might argue they "changed" or "grew up," but that's just not true. potter pretended to change for evans, but he was still bullying severus behind her back. black never pretended in the first place, and neither did lupin or pettigrew. then potter died, black went to azkaban, lupin disappeared into the ether, and pettigrew lived as a literal rat for twelve years. not a lot of room for personal growth, if you ask me.

so yeah, arguments like "he asked dumbledore to save lily, but not her husband and kid!" or "it’s his fault harry doesn't have a father!!!" don't really move me. good riddance. getting betrayed by his rat friend was exactly what he deserved—no more, no less. It's a shame a kid got caught in the crossfire, but honestly, how would harry have turned out if he were raised by potter? probably insufferable.

that's it. a word of wisdom from your prince.

[madamspellmans-met-tet]

so I’ve had this older woman friend for many years, let’s call her cult milf. We have a bit of a complex history but while we only see each other like once a year we’ve somehow always remained friends. I used to spend the night at hers for the first semester of med school since I didn’t have my flat in the city yet. She doesn’t have a lot of room so she let me sleep in her bed. Now, due to being ill it’s been like 2 years since we last met up. I’m chronically touch-starved and could really do with a friendly face and would like to catch up with her. So upon chief’s encouragement, I asked her if she was up for it like a month ago. She was happy and offered that I could stay at her place this weekend. Problem a) I’m on my period which means I feel a lot worse than I already do on an average day. Problem b) she lives like an hour train ride away plus tram and I’m really concerned about fainting on public transport and in general I’m just not in a good place. But at the same time, my sanity desperately needs some human connection and a change of scenery. Also, she is single as far as I know and has nothing against wlw and has always been very comfortable around me to put it mildly so maybe just maybe I could try my luck. We’ve been completely platonic before and I don’t mind if it stays that way but I just miss intimacy in any shape or form whether that be platonic, romantic or sexual. Just some gentle kissing and cuddling would be nice. Idk why I’m putting this here just need to put my thoughts somewhere and mull things over before I can make a decision.

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

oh brown i needed therapy years ago

NEW POSTER IM YELLING

[black-rose-writings]

But what I’m wondering is: how is it that we Darklina fans are okay with the toxic nature of Darklina, but not with the toxicity of Malina? I mean, aside from the vibes between them, what exactly makes us think the Darkling should’ve been a morally grey character instead of a full-on villain? Because honestly, there are moments where I really saw how horrifying his actions were. Like when he hanged Alina’s loved ones from the trees, or how he tried to return to his body no matter what after his death, or what he did to Genya, or when he wounded Alina’s shoulder, or when he told her, “In the end, I’ll kill everyone you love so that you have no one left but me.” So I’m really confused—why do we still find the Darklina dynamic more appealing than Malina? Especially when Mal changed in the third book, what still made you not like him?

Oh, look, I've been blessed by the "Definitely not an anti" spam nonny. Hi.

So, first things first, I'm not really a Darklina shipper. I appreciate the aesthetics, but Alina needs to do some growing up and shed at least some of her prejudice and naivity, before I'd consider her a worthy partner for Aleksander.

Next, the Darkling is NOT a full-on villain as you've put it. Not by a long shot. Sure, he's not 100% morally pure, but that's what makes him interesting and also able to actually do shit, unlike the protagonists who care more about not doing anything wrong than doing anything right.

As for his "horrifying actions", he could have and should have done worse, actually. He's too nice to Alina and co.

Now, your points, one by one.

In terms of the toxicity of Darklina and Malina, there are two layers to it. Well, three, but two that are actually important, the third is just vibes.

Firstly, Darklina's toxicity is fake, while Malina's is real. What I mean by that is that most of what makes Darklina toxic is things that aren't really possible in real life. There's not many shadow wizards who want to use your magic powers to bring about world peace whether you like it or not. There's plenty of Mals around. From Aleksander's side, most of his "toxic" actions to Alina are done in service of the greater good, while Mal's (much more realistic) toxic actions are done in service of his ego.

Aleksander's toxicity is fantasy - it's magic and intrigue and the crushing weight of responsibility against the wishes of the heart. It's things that will never happen, and the toxicity is just kind of a spice.

Mal isn't just spicy toxic. He's abusive, and not in a fantasy way, either. He's a man who can't handle his girlfriend having a life of her own, a position higher than him, having options other than him (before they even started actually dating). He sleeps around, but slutshames Alina for having a guy look at her, for daring to be desired by someone. He treats her (nearly nonexistent) relationship with Aleksander as a permanent stain on her that he bravely and selflessly overlooks. He whines when she doesn't take time off from her very busy and demanding job to be his armcandy. When she's going through immense stress and also having (what she thinks are) halucinations, he's gets mad at her for refusing to be intimate with him. Alina won't confide in him about that, because the other guy is involved and Mal turns into a territorial idiot at the mention of him. And he solves these issues by getting wasted on the job, gambling and getting into fist fights, and cheating on her. And while Alina only witnesses one such incident, it's likely this was a regular thing for him. He's part of her guard, meant to represent and guard her, and he goes out of his way to embarass and humiliate her and is too wasted to notice her running off into the city to do a performative suicide.

As for his change in the third book, I'll just state that I don't buy it. I've almost certainly gone into it before (and if not, @stromuprisahat certainly has, I know you've been spamming her too, so go check out her anti-Malina posts). Big reason for that is that the entire change of heart occurs off-page and he's generally been able to act nice(ish) for periods of time while their lives were actively in danger, which they are for essentially the entirety of R&R. There is nothing that makes me believe he won't slide right back into being careless of Alina's well-being at best and abusive at worst once they get settled into their old-new life at Keramzin. In fact, the epilogue of R&R suggests he does exactly that. Alina is being ostracised by the community, a shadow of herself, and he doesn't notice or doesn't care, going on about his happy, rich, popular life as usual, because that's how he likes her. The "Old Alina", sickly, weak, overlooked, dependant on him. Yeah, sorry, that's just kinda regular shitty guy behavior. Fuck, my grandparents' 30 year, 4 child marriage broke apart because Grandma started outearning Grandpa and his ego couldn't handle it. These kinds of relationships happen all the fucking time in the real world. And TGT basically uncritically supports that kind of relationship as "true love". Yeah, fuck that.

Compare this to Aleksander, who loves to see Alina shine, both literally and figuratively. Even when he's an antagonist, when he's being "toxic", he constantly pushes Alina to improve, to be her best and most powerful self. Mal called Alina Darkling's whore for daring to have a guy look at her. Aleksander proposed to her and offered her a throne after she tried to kill him. Those are two very different types of men. Does Aleksander like Alina being powerful for external reasons (being more useful as a weapon in his plans)? Yeah. He wants her to be his equal, his queen, and when she refuses (on second-hand information), he does the necessary thing and ensures he still has access to her powers, with the belief that she will eventually understand his point of view and ally with him willingly.

Basically, Aleksander wants Alina to be his queen, Mal wants her to be his donkey, and I'm not gonna apologize for finding one sexy and appealing and the other off-putting and bad. Would you pick a guy who wants you to be his donkey? I don't think so.

The other level is the narrative. Darklinas, by and large, acknowledge that Darklina is toxic. It's part of the appeal, like eating spicy chips. Corruption and redemption stories, power couples, the aesthetics... the narrative, both in canon and in fanfiction, doesn't shy away from the "ugly" or "toxic" parts of their relationship. They're messy and complicated and generally, the people who write Darklina fanfics are well aware of that.

Meanwhile, the books treat Malina as true and pure love, when it's one of the most textbook abusive, codependent relationships possible.

And the third point is purely vibes, which is that a lot of people just prefer the tropes and vibes of Darklina (lightXdark, opposing sides and narrative foils fucking about it, ageless magic men and women) than Malina (childhood friends-to-lovers with an average fuckboy who drags his girlfriend down to be mediocre with him).

As for the Darkling's "horrifying actions":

"Loved ones" is a strong term for teachers, and her shitty ass cult-leader of a mother figure.

I don't know about trying to return to his body after death, I hadn't read the Nikolai books and I'm not planning to either, but I'd call that being a survivor. I would assume you would also prefer to not be dead.

Genya betrayed him. She was given a direct order and disobeyed it, letting an important prisoner escape (which made no sense, btw, but that's a post for another day). It's a pseudo 19th century army, he's a general, she's a soldier. Without magic, she probably would have been flogged instead, if not outright killed. But I suppose the fandom would prefer if he used a sword, so to speak.

The nichevoya bite on Alina is mostly a power play, against, mind you, an enemy. Alina is a deserter, she has sabotaged his plans, and she's tried to kill him before. He's trying to strenghten the bond between them, hoping to make it more stable and gain the upper hand, so she would stop getting in his way. Like, wow, a general wounds a deserter while capturing her, what a horrible thing that never happened.

I don't remember the whole context of the "no shelter but me" line, but again, Alina is his enemy. One he already treats with way more grace than she deserves. Alina is also super damn naive and ignorant about the state of the world she lives in, about the stakes of her actions. She's sheltered, massively so, especially for a fucking war orphan. Aleksander is constantly trying to goad her into growing the fuck up, and that line is in some way a part of it. He's trying to force her eyes open, to face reality, and to do so where he can assure she won't come to any long term harm.

I have said before that Darklina, especially the show version, would work much better as a father-daughter situation than a romantic relationship, because a lot of what Aleksander does comes of as (genuinely caring) tough love parenting. He knows the world sucks and he's trying to rip the bandaid off, take the blindfold off, before something much worse does it for Alina. In their very first conversation, he explains the situation of the Grisha around the world to her, after she'd almost been assassinated. But Alina remains blind. Over and over, she refuses to mingle with the other Grisha, looks away from their pain, refuses to see the world for what it is. So, yeah, I don't blame Aleksander for getting frustrated with her and going for harsher methods.

TL;DR: Darklina is spicy, Malina is bland and poisonous. I hope that helps

[diz-eaze]

Hi!! Hope you've been doing well and taking care of yourself!

May I ask, what do you think yan scaras reaction be if he found out reader is bi but leans to girls. As if to make matters worse she's really REALLY friendly with them and stuff.

YOUUUU !!!!!! 🫵🫵🫵 you ruined my life with this ask, anon,,, (affectionate) !! you actually inspired me to start drawing fem scara bc of this :3

scaramouche already tweaks out enough times seeing you interact with a man, but to learn that you're also into girls? yeah, he's gonna have to lock you up inside the apartment i fear. while i haven't read the series myself, i think he'd pull something similar to chae yul from 'secret alliance'. in which he'd dress up femininely and try to pass off as a girl, it's not a hard task for him honestly, considering that he's canonically considered to have soft features.

there must be a reason why you lean towards girls more, right? it's a challenge, but he'll manage for you. he'll join you on your shopping trips, get piercings, put on make-up, try out your favorite 'girl' hobbies, hell he'll even help you pick out which panties and bra to buy - just leave your girl friends and only be with him, that's all he asks. sure, he may not have the anatomy of a girl, but if you just pretend hard enough, maybe you can convince yourself into believing he is one.

and if you're into more soft masc women, that's fine too !! scaramouche has an androgynous face that he certainly uses to his advantage in this situation. he'll change up his wardrobe in order to fit into your preferred style, and change up his every mannerisms down to the way he walks or talks. i'm not kidding when i say that he feels as if his identity and appearance is useless if it doesn't appeal to you at all. it's a dangerous territory he threads, yet he still plays into it regardless.

if all else fails, if you still cling onto girls, then you're truly forcing his hand by resorting to his last plan: forced isolation.