#and does really well with achieving clear goals

[sillybillly23637]

I respect your opinion and agree with a lot of it. I disagree with your point about Bill being the type or person who can only change when forced to. I personally haven’t seen a way this is done where it felt satisfying to me. I want to do a little bit of analysis, so that I can further my point. I also want to clarify that my post is about human Bill portrayals and how I feel it falls short as a storytelling tool, I am not discussing triangle Bill handyman AUs. Anyway.

In my opinion, Bill does understand the hurt he caused. He doesn’t need a lesson in it, it would not change his values or the beliefs that he’s identified with for centuries. I don’t think Bill cares too much about the hurt he caused because he thinks its a small sacrifice towards a cause he finds much greater. Weirdmageddon was an attempt to destroy a pre established system he found oppressive, in order to create a better one in it’s place (and find a home for his henchmen, as they were living in a decaying dimension). I’m absolutely positive there were selfish motivations at play as well, but those are his ultimate goals. We learn this in his annotations in Journal 3, as well as bits and pieces from the Book of Bill.

I genuinely think when you tell yourself that the ends justify the means, you get a little trigger happy in the process (or a lot in Bill’s case). And eventually you just enjoy destruction and violence for the sake of it. Or maybe there’s some other deep rooted identity issues at play there, but my point is that his motivations aren’t “wanton destruction for no reason! yay!”. I think his evil is, for the most part, calculated. His normal brand of persuasion is negotiating, like he did with Time Baby, in order to avoid violence. He’s, however, more than willing to get violent. Especially when provoked (which Time Baby did).

And sometimes, he seems to just be violent for the sake of it, like when he threatened to throw Dipper off the water tower. He even left a note, which was unnecessary and cruel. Being willing to extend unnecessary effort into being cruel is what that feels like to me.

So, examples aside, if he understands the hurt he has caused, and if he is capable of empathy, how will those restrictions change his beliefs in any way? Would you hate a dictator or systemic injustice less if you went to prison for violent protest? The inconvenience of being in prison and the lack of autonomy may make you regret your actions, but are you regretting what you did because you disagree with your actions? I find that being mortal and powerless may only reenforce his beliefs, and these are beliefs that were shaped not only by his life in the multiverse but also his experiences from Euclydia. They are integral to who he is as a person.

It wouldn’t change his loose morals. I think at best, it may make you complacent…but I think that’s all that method could really achieve. And since we are writing from Bill’s perspective, it doesn’t feel like a satisfying ending.

I think when we examine Bill as a creature whose unique brand of evil isn’t mindless or without reason, and we try to understand his goals and beliefs, it becomes clear that this sort of rehabilitation may not work. But I can also see where you’re coming from! He does need to atone for his actions, and being put in the position of those who suffered because of him is a good punishment. I just don’t think it would change anything about Bill’s nature or teach him some valuable lesson about remorse. I think being in constant close proximity to members of the Zodiac may bring that remorse to the forefront, especially with the kids, but it isn’t an emotion he’s never felt before. And it wouldn’t make him abandon everything he stands for. He is all-seeing, he is likely constantly confronted with the suffering that he’s caused, but it doesn’t seem like it’s done anything to change his morals or goals. And any rehab method that aims to change that about him feels like a disservice to his character in a way. I think that approach is flawed, as well as trying to approach it as if he isn’t aware of his wrongdoings and isn’t yet capable of feeling empathetic or remorseful. He needs to make up for his actions in a constructive way.

I guess what I’m saying is that I want to see some new method introduced that does not attempt to change Bill’s personality or beliefs while still allowing him to create positive change and atone for his actions. I’ve seen someone create a wonderful story (although it isn’t relevant to the post since it is triangle Bill) where Bill’s rehabilitation method is guiding an alternate version of Dipper and Mabel safely through the multiverse using his powers! That’s awesome! This fandom is so creative and I think concepts like that in fanfiction for Bill allow for much more meaningful change! Maybe there is a way where we could apply that to the concept of a Human Bill, but I’d have to think on that a little bit!

mixed feelings on human bill cipher

i think human bill is a really useful and interesting storytelling tool. i think bill enjoys watching humans, he likes the ethnographic aspect of his job. and i like to think he has a sort of detached fondness, the kind you’d have for an ant passing by on your windowsill. maybe more than that, maybe he keeps ancient petroglyphs and blankets and jewelry and other artifacts from the humans he used to love to terrorize. maybe he still mourns his first human, who died such a familiar death, the worst death. and everything he happened to dislike about humans would likely just reenforce his need to destroy earth and create a “better world”

however, turning him human in an attempt to “fix” bill is something that turns me off from a lot of fanfiction. i don’t like the idea that he needs to be “fixed” for one, given everything we know about him. i also don’t like the idea that this change involves becoming human and losing everything that makes him an individual, his disabilities or deformities, his body, his brain, his biology, the godhood he attained with his bare hands, and even his autonomy. the whole premise of making him human to teach him an emotion he is already capable of (empathy) and proceeding to make the family he traumatized beyond belief take him in and teach him the human way, because you can only be fixed if you’re a normal, everyday human with zero individuality, zero disabilities or deformities, and no trace of radical ideology, complacent and ordinary…it doesn’t work for me. i think the handyman bill au is great, but we can get more creative with it.

[abattre]

Do you think Sasuke was objectified?

i'm not sure if you're asking whether kishimoto objectified sasuke or if sasuke was objectified by the people around him in the story... yes though

idk how well i can articulate this... but while i do think it's clear kishi put a lot of care into sasuke's initial writing, by the end most of it was moot and mutilated to force him into the narrative compliance kishi needed to tie off the series as some sort of black and white good triumphing evil parable that none of its set up was designed to fit. sasuke stopped being much of a character from the 5kage arc onwards.. he becomes this incongruently deranged boy acting completely out of bounds from his previously established characterisation for goals that are increasingly incomprehensible so naruto can play hero to him and vanquish his inner demons by beating the shit out of him. and like.. i don't think it's inconceivable that sasuke would have become more violent or less morally stratified after finding out the truth of the massacre, but kishi's set up of biologically predisposed evil as an explanation for that happening is so egregious on principle it's like. are you really so averse to having to acknowledge and reckon with the moral complexity of the situation that you're going with eugenics of all things.... and it doesn't even work in justifying such a drastic pivot for a character like sasuke, who has been enormously traumatised the entire series and never acted like this.... at the very least it's hard to defend kishi really caring about sasuke's writing as a character after that, he's kind of just used as a prop at the end to actualise the faux happily ever after for everyone else

also i think some manner of objectification is present in every relationship sasuke has. the characters all iconify him in some way & project their own idea of who sasuke is/should be onto him instead of acknowledging him as his own person. itachi does that in his obsession with controlling sasuke's life so he remains.. not so much pure, but at least innocent from when he deems corruption in his truly bizarre standards. more literally, itachi uses him as a tool in his martyrdom, traumatising sasuke into dedicating his life to fulfilling that end for him instead of giving sasuke a choice in how he dealt with the death of their family. to orochimaru, sasuke was a literal object/vessel he wanted to use to acquire the sharingan, and he completely decimated sasuke's agency & life by putting the curse mark on him to achieve that. i think to naruto and kakashi, sasuke becomes someone they project their own issues onto because they don't want to accept the reality of sasuke being someone that just doesn't subscribe to their conventions and values; so his choice in being oppositional to them is instead of a decision sasuke made of his own free will, a result of corruption, or to kakashi a personal failure of both himself and sasuke to keep him from that. and then there's that thing with how sakura and all the girls in the series are pandemically obsessed with sasuke but have no actual interest in his person outside of just getting him to like them.... he's a trophy to them etc etc we know this

[thebluebygracieabrams]

can someone tell me how to keep going if your hardwork does pay off but you don't feel anything when you achieve your goal just relief and numb again

[icecream4starscream]

Spoiler Warning for Transformers One. Please go see the film, it's great.

Something occurred to me when rewatching Elita-1's firing scene:

Right off the bat, she's presented as an absolute unit in the mines. We see her being a very by-the-book character. She's incredibly competent, strong, serious, focused, and an effective leader.

Maybe a little too effective.

We learn that Sentinel goes out of his way to personally take care of any "anomalies" in his system and does so in a way where the blame always gets shifted away from him.

It's why he personally went to see Pax and D-16 after the Iacon 5000 race. He makes himself out to be the open-minded, compassionate leader he's been parading as.

When Darkwing throws Orion and D-16 into sub-level 50, neither bot suspects Sentinel for their demotion. In fact, they beg Darkwing to talk to Sentinel so he can sort out the "misunderstanding".

It's later confirmed that Sentinel never had any intention of talking with Orion or D-16 after their first meeting. When Orion reunites with his fellow miners later in the film, they mention that Sentinel put out a statement saying that they both died from "racing injuries".

Sentinel might've not even openly ordered Darkwing to dispose of them. Darkwing might've been manipulated into thinking everyone was mocking him for losing the race (thanks to lowly miners) making him want to get rid of them.

Subconsciously manipulating someone like Darkwing would've been easy for Sentinel.

Sentinel clearly does not tolerate anyone rising above the station he imposes on them.

So what does this have to do with Elita-1 being fired?

We see her rigidly following the rules, meeting all quotas, running a tight and efficient crew. She's doing her job as a miner, a role unknowingly forced upon her by Sentinel, perfectly.

Shouldn't Sentinel be happy about that?

Well sure...

If Elita wasn't actively trying to get promoted.

We don't get a lot of information about how promotion works in TFOne's mining system, but we do know that in other iterations of pre-war Cybertron, one of the only ways miners could rise out of the mines was by participating in ridiculously difficult gladiatorial fights in Kaon's pits.

In other iterations, this was how D-16/Megatron was able to escape his station and how he grew to be so strong.

So basically, whatever version you look at, the miners are told "if you work really, reeeeally hard, and do your job perfectly, and don't die in the process (which, odds are, you will) you might, MIGHT get a chance to get out of the caste you were born into."

It's BS.

It's an impossible feat. No one is actually supposed to be able to achieve that goal, but it's the metaphorical carrot dangling in front of the work mules so they don't notice the ever-tightening rope around their necks.

But every so often there's someone extraordinary, like Elita, who actually manages to meet this impossible standard and with whom it becomes increasingly difficult to deny this coveted promotion.

So what can Sentinel do about bots like Elita-1?

Simple.

Wait for a screw-up.

It must happen eventually.

A member of Elita's team, Orion Pax, in clear violation of evacuation protocol, goes back into the mines to save Jazz from getting crushed to death.

Despite managing to escape, the closing mine causes a tunnel support to be flung into nearby machinery (which doesn't look critical and could probably be easily fixed).

Then, right the heck outta nowhere, Darkwing drops in, SECONDS AFTER THE INCIDENT JUST HAPPENED, and immediately fires Elita.

No "What happened?" or "Who's responsible?" or "The supervisor wants to see you", he just pops into the scene and demotes Elita, arguably one of the best workers in the mine, to a bottom-tier waste management position.

As if he'd been on standby, actively waiting for a reason to fire her.

"But Elita herself wasn't the one who screwed up!"

Doesn't matter.

"But she told them to follow protocol!"

Doesn't matter.

"But Orion admitted he was the one at fault!"

Doesn't matter.

"But a bot was saved! Jazz would've died!"

Does. Not. MATTER.

Her firing is presented as the typical "one character says thing won't happen then thing immediately happens" joke, but given how so much thought went into so much of TFOne's background details, I can't help but wonder if this was a hint to how broken the system was and how it was always rigged in a way that ensures the miners will never get out.

Not to mention, once Orion, D-16, and Jazz safely escape, she chews Orion out by saying, "If I get fired for this..." meaning this abrupt, out-of-nowhere, baseless firing is absolutely typical.

That's what makes Elita's "I'm better than you" speech to Orion that much more meaningful, because in many ways, she is better than him.

She's a better worker, better fighter, better at completing the task at hand, better at making sure things run smoothly. She is, ironically enough, an efficient and perfectly-running machine.

But had Orion not dragged Elita to the surface, she probably would've spent her whole life obediently following the rules, never questioning why things were the way they were. She was so focused on rising up within the system that she could never look beyond it.

Elita might be the cog by which other cogs turn.

But Orion is the spark that shows them a better way.

That's why he was given the Matrix.

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

It's been interesting coming into Campaign 2 as a newcomer whose been hanging around in the fandom for a minute because it means I'd heard the criticisms of the early campaign as being "directionless", but eight episodes in it's really ringing as untrue? Like the Mighty Nein have had clear goals and motivations the entire time, even if they're as simple as "Caleb wants to visit a large city with a good bookstore" or "Jester wants to find her dad but in the absence of concrete leads (though she does have a ledger of her mother's clients, of which her dad was one) has decided to make it her mission to help Fjord reach and enter the Soltryce Academy" or "Beau thinks the Baumbauchs are dicks so she stole their mail and found herself fascinated by this one contact called 'The Gentleman'".

What I think people were clocking about these early episodes, and describing as "directionlessness" was actually the lack of a big central Plot Goal that all the characters were working towards. The Nein at this stage of their careers aren't working to stop any wars or cults or slavers or sentient cities, they're traveling together because being together is convenient and all their individual goals are pointing them in the same direction (or no direction in particular so might as well stay with the group). Whereas the early episodes of Campaign 1 had the Plot Goal of "find and rescue Lady Kima" and, once that was achieved, "help Kima recover the Horn of Orcus". The individual members of Vox Machina had their own personal motivations that intersected with this common plot goal, but it served as something the whole group was reaching towards. The early Mighty Nein episodes don't have the same sort of overarching plot framework, as Matt opened up the world after the initial run of episodes in Trostenwald and left it to the players to decide where the pursuit of their individual goals would take them.

But every character pursuing an individual goal did give the early Mighty Nein a direction; they were all pulling towards something and making choices in hopes of being brought closer to it, even if those goals varied between the group's members. The absence of a Plot Goal didn't result in the group having no direction. Indeed, as Campaign 3 would later demonstrate, the presence of a Plot Goal doesn't guarantee a group will have direction. It's the ability of the characters to turn motivations into goals and actions that creates this momentum.

[girlyassumes]

“I’ll keep my manifestations small.”

Okay but…you don’t have to. No one aside from yourself is keeping you from going higher and drastically changing your life. If you want to become a famous singer, you can. If you want to date a celebrity, you can. If you want to get 1,000s of dollars a day, you can. Nothing is impossible.

And, let me be clear, this isn’t me saying you should be manifesting big, crazy changes. If you are comfortable and happy manifesting an SP you already know, having a job near you, etc, then keep doing that. Do what makes you happy. What I’m saying is you can manifest bigger things if that’s what you’re going for. If you want something drastically different than what you have or are experiencing in your current reality, you are very much capable of changing that and I encourage you to do so. Don’t you dare think that you can’t and end up settling for less than what you want.

Why do we downplay ourselves?

There’s a lot of people have ambitious goals and either 1) work their ass off to get it or 2) end up settling for something less. Why does this happen? Because we’re told you have to work hard to be rewarded with big things, and if you don’t, “life’s not fair” - you have to go with what feels easier to get or just quit. If a dream or goal seems too “unrealistic,” we’re told to let it go and do something else. This has always felt wrong to me and now I know why it has.

You can work your ass off to try and get it, but that alone doesn't fully guarantee that you'll get it. You also put yourself at risk of burning yourself out, which tends to happen a lot with people who push themselves. Affirming that you already have what you desire is most important. You don't have to do anything strenuous to get what you want. Can giving yourself a push help? Sure. What I'm saying that you shouldn't feel the need to force things to happen. Forcing things can actually slow down and create hardships in manifesting, believe it or not. So, I don't recommend doing that. The only time you really need to take action is if you feel that sense of inspired action or divine guidance.

Speaking from personal experience, the fear of change and not getting what you want is also something that can keep us from going above and beyond. We get so comfortable with where we're at that we don't want to be bothered to change that. I've been a very cautious person my whole life and have told myself on many occasions, "I'm a simple person. I don't need much." But, I would be lying to everyone - myself included - if I said I didn't want more and haven't wondered if the grass is truly greener on the other side. I live a very simple, comfy life. And that's not to say my life is bad or I'm "doing it all wrong," but I feel like I'm worth more and could be doing more for myself, especially since I'm starting to feel bored. I realized I'm chasing that feeling of excitement because I'm tired of the monotony. Now that I know I can get whatever it is that I want, I've started questioning what I've been manifesting, and me questioning that is what's stopping me from getting some of the manifestations I've been wishing for. My brain is like, "You can do more." My sister reflects the part of me that craves excitement (she clubs, she travels, she goes to concerts, she's told me to "think bigger"). TLDR: I've been settling out of the fear of change and doubting it's possible to get the "bigger" manifestations. Don't do that to yourself, too.

[This thing] doesn't seem possible

Referring to my last section, you don't have to take action to achieve your goals/manifestations, which may seem crazy and you may be questioning how it's possible to get things without doing anything. But, it is very much possible for desires and opportunities to land in your lap effortlessly. It's happened many times for many people and there's a first time for everything. I'll give some examples.

Taylor Tookes was not well-known for quite some time. She dreamed of being a model but was encouraged to be an influencer because her being a super model on magazine covers didn't seem possible at first. Taylor is only 5'1" and she had very little experience in the world of fashion and modeling. But, Taylor - someone who wasn't a big name or experienced individual - got recognized by famous models and modeling agencies rather quickly. It didn't matter that she was shorter and had very little experience. Taylor simply didn't give up on herself and affirmed that she'd be on the cover of famous magazines (she even wrote a whole list), which is what got her a career in modeling. She even got the confidence to walk into callings that specified they only want women who are 5'9" or 5"10 and she still got the gigs. Taylor even became leader of a group called "Height Revolution" that creates inclusion for petite women in the modeling industry who don't meet the typical height standards. Taylor made herself the first well-known short/petite model in the industry.

Bobbie, who runs the account House of Highbrations, was someone who was known for being unreliable and made poor decisions. She opens up on her YouTube channel about how she never used to show up for herself, let alone for anyone else. After improving her self concept and affirming what she wanted through things like meditation and scripting, she became a very well-known coach in the LOA community with a ton of money. She lives in a luxurious villa now. She got it even through wavering, simply because she kept writing about the ideal place she wanted. After only about a couple weeks, she had a friend suddenly reach out to her and tell her about a villa she found in the spot Bobbie wanted to move to, which is where she ended up moving.

Also think about the businesses and random people who suddenly blew up on social media (ie. TikTok) overnight just for one video or image they put out that went viral. One simple thing can change your life in an instant. It's already been proven to be possible.

[This thing] would be more difficult and take more time to manifest

Nope. Unless you keep saying this is the truth, then it will be your truth. It will take time and it will be hard for you because you're telling yourself that it is. If you affirm that it is easy and that you already have the manifestation(s), then it is easy and you do have it. It's manifesting the positive vs manifesting the negative.

We also tend to put our desires on a pedestal and certain things are easy to view as "big" changes. I'm not saying it's not wrong to be passionate about what you're manifesting (that's a good thing), I'm saying we need to stop seeing it as something that's hard to get, something too good for us, or something that's unobtainable. Taking the manifestations off a pedestal and putting yourself on a pedestal is what you want to be doing. Tell yourself that you are worthy of your desires and your dream life. Tell yourself you're so good - you have them already. You don't even have to fully believe that this is true, you just have to tell your subconscious that it is what's true. Your subconscious isn't running on feeling - it's producing what you feed/tell it. Sammy Ingram has made the analogy that it's like a printer: You send a file to the printer, it processes it and produces it out into the physical world.

Your subconscious doesn't register an SP you already know as someone who's easier to get than a celebrity SP who has no clue who you are. If you keep telling it that you're with Taylor Swift, then it makes her come into your life to be your girlfriend because that's what you told it. It's that simple. Your subconscious believes that what you say is what's true and makes it so.

I also want to refer to something Bobbie (House of Highbrations) said in one of her recent videos. Think about how much society values money - it's very high up there. It's become such a massive importance in our lives. We're conditioned to value money and put it on a high pedestal. But, what if we conditioned our brains differently? Bobbie tells a story about an ex she had who acted as if money meant nothing - it's just a part of life; something he can rake in with ease. Because he took money off that high pedestal and sees it as something that's easy to get, he rakes it in like it's nothing. He'd invest in stocks and the stocks would raise without him having to do a thing. He'd just start getting all this money. So, it doesn't matter if other people tell you money is this big thing that's hard to get. If you tell your subconscious it's not a big deal and it's easy to get, then you will get it with ease. And obviously because it's already something that's high value in society, then you're still able to buy everything you want with that money even though it's not on a high pedestal for you.

If this is so easy to do and LOA is real, then why do so many people not have what they want?

Going back to what I wrote in "Why do we downplay ourselves," we're conditioned to believe we have to work hard to get what we want and that some of our desires aren't possible to get, plus some of us are just scared to change and feel doubtful. There's also a lot of people who never learn about LOA and EIYPO or don't understand it. That is why people don't have everything they desire. When we're too hard on ourselves and have really negative views of our reality, this can have a massive impact on what happens in our lives.

Now, don't be mean to yourself and say, "Why haven't I tried this sooner or gotten what I want sooner?" Rewiring our minds isn't always easy to do when just about everyone has been conditioned to believe life is hard and certain things are impossible. I know for me, this has been almost 30 years of not knowing about LOA and just now, I'm understanding that I can do whatever my heart desires. Of course it's not a cake walk when it's been that many years of being told, "Life's not fair - get used to it."

Conclusion

Train your mind to not be intimidated. Nothing you desire is "too big." You are limitless and you do NOT have to settle for less than what you want. Get yourself to understand this and relieve stress.

[stellarsagittarius]

🍁✨️ Mars in Natal Chart: The Men you are Attracted To✨️🍁

(Does anyone know the name of this turkish movie/drama, from the GIF.)

Mars in Aries

You love a man who is bold, and doesn't hold back from speaking up for himself. As an Aries Mars you have plenty of energy within you, and you move in a very direct manner regarding the things you want to have. So you really need a man who also has his own set of goals while supporting you as well, but not to the point that he gets in your way. You like a masculine energy that is sure of what they want to achieve and what they are going after. Someone who is very much in touch with their physicality and is always on the go. A person who respects, especially, the fact that you both are two separate individuals and both of your guy's desires matter. You like a masculine energy that can be physically playful with you. Someone who is very loud and clear with their actions, is really gonna give you the butterflies. This man is someone who feels proud when they see you succeeding, and someone who isn't afraid to lead you through life.

Mars in Taurus

You get butterflies big time when a masculine energy is stable and grounded. You value a man who is very much connected to his physical senses and enjoys a slow and steady lifestyle. A man who is also very much connected to his sacred femininity. As in, he has a healthy connection with the feminine aspects of life such as art or channeling his intuition. You feel energetic when the things around you have a solid future and that you know it'll give you much stability later on. So that's the same you look for in a man. His ability to plan ahead and tackle the physical aspects of life such as managing money or deciding on things like vacations or the home, it's all very important for you. You are also attracted to a man who is interested in the matters of your home, like making sure everything is good quality and that you are well provided for. Someone you can sit and simply relax with, either in a nice spa or baking something together.

Mars in Gemini

You like a smarty pants. Lol, I mean you love when a masculine energy is eloquent in the way they express their words and can explain literally anything in the world to you with extreme ease. Someone who is very good at regulating his words, and you really get the butterflies when a man can flatter you with his intelligence. Someone who is both quick to understand things and also someone who can take their time to strategically plan their way around getting things done. You like playful banters or atleast have this thing for having conversations with your partner in a way that looks like you both are fighting, but is actually very fun to do and is not serious fights at all. Because for you, you are bit of a conversationalist yourself even if you don't have any major placements in Gemini itself. You love a man with whom you can genuinely connect on an intellectual level. Also, I think Gemini Mars women are attracted to men who work with their hands in some way 👀.

Mars in Cancer

You like a man who isn't afraid to show his emotions, and talk about his feelings whenever it's needed. There is a strong sense of being comfortable with one's feminine side, as in him being connected with his nurturing qualities. You like a man who lives a more easy-going lifestyle, someone who is domestic and focuses more on bringing peace in his home. Now with Mars in Cancer, it's not a beneficial placement as the energies of Mars and Cancer contradict each other. So you can be a bit distrustful or closed off with the masculine energies and figures in your life. And with men who appear to be on the sensitive side, you can get attached very quickly. A masculine energy that is not only just a physical provider, but also an emotional provider is what you are heavily attracted towards. Cancer rules the chest and stomach, so perhaps men with a defined chest or a toned stomach can really get you attracted. In short, it's someone connected to his emotions and is much more on the gentle side of life.

Mars in Leo

You love a fabulous man. Someone who isn't just a plain old attention seeker, but someone who actually exudes confidence wherever he goes. You are attracted to men who are quite on the creative side of life, like someone who lives a colorful life, someone who isn't afraid to add their personal touch to things, someone who honors their individuality. Often times you can attract cocky men, or men who are super insecure on the inside, so be aware of that. With your Leo Mars you are quite stubborn and fixated towards the things you want to achieve, and you might move a bit slow, but you make those moves so loud. You need a masculine energy that can sustain this nonstop fire within you. You also like praises, so definitely a man who knows how to appreciate you well enough. You enjoy a power couple dynamic, so the masculine energy in your life should be someone who knows that you both add even more shine to each other's light. You also desire to be seen by your partner, so if a confident man does that for you, it's one major butterfly inducing factor for you.

Mars in Virgo

You love men who knows what they are doing. Men who mindlessly go about their days or don't even know how to do basic tasks, really turn you off. You love a man who is sure of what he is trying to do, while also being able to give you the practical knowledge about that thing. With Mars in Virgo you go about your life quite statistically by planning your moves, and you love a man who does the same. You really are attracted to a handy-manny type of masculine energy, that can make you feel physically comfortable by improving the way you live. Small practical gestures like holding the door open for you or bringing you a glass of warm honey tea at the end of the day, or something, it really makes you feel like you can rely on that person. You are attracted to witty and often sarcastic men. You also need a mental attraction with a person, while also being able to use all that exchange of information into some practical use. You are also pretty attracted to men who prioritize cleanliness and hygiene.

Mars in Libra

You experience a very dynamic yet subtle kind of attraction. By subtle I mean you aren't the type to directly approach the men you are attracted to or be very driven with your crush. Instead, you like the sneaky flirtations, the slow burn that slowly yet gently gets you to understand the other person. You are highly attracted to the classic gentlemen type. Someone who is a smooth talker, a man with a charismatic yet soothing demeanor. You can easily get turned off by men who are overly aggressive or the men who push other people around or the men who cannot hold a conversation without creating drama. With your Mars in Libra, you are attracted to a diplomatic masculine presence. Someone who knows the power of staying still, listening to both sides and knowing when to put their feet into the conversation. The quality of being able to carry oneself with much grace, is something that highly attracts you to a man. On a challenging note, you may happen to attract men who are all talk and no action.

Mars in Scorpio

The way you want a man to be with you is to be completely obsessed with you from head to toe. Honestly it's really that intense and possessive Christian Grey vibes. You love the intensity. You love it when a man holds a certain amount of mystery to himself which can allow you to be completely intrigued. You love to peel the layers one by one, all by yourself. So a man who knows how to keep you hooked, while also being able to reveal himself to you one quality at a time, it's very butterfly inducing for you. You love possessive men, like that's not even something we don't know. Men who are calculative, on the quieter side around people and slightly have a rbf. You are also the type to love the hot-cold dynamic, where there are intense arguments after a session of giving cold stares to each other and then even more intense make ups. Masculines who are in touch with their sexuality are sure to drive you crazy. Beware of manipulators or extremely closed off individuals.

Mars in Sagittarius

You love honest men. Honestly, honesty and being able to say things without sugarcoating it, is your best quality. You like a man who is on the same page of thinking as you. A man who has his belief systems in order, and a man who is good at understanding motives, intentions and meanings behind the things people do, is really someone you would enjoy spending your time with. Your choice in men is quite unique, because you want someone who has a rich way of thinking, a rich way of going about life. At the same time the masculine figures in your life need to be adventurous, both in the physical side of life and also mentally. Someone you can completely connect with on a mental level, and can bounce around ideas, discuss things like law or philosophy. You rarely like a boring man who is all about his boring life. You need someone to be your best friend, as well as your partner. On a challenging note, you may get attracted to men who are just too focused on their own freedom, not at all stable in life, and quite hard to open up emotionally.

Mars in Capricorn

You love when a man is the provider. Not because you can't provide for yourself or anything, but because you yourself are very much of a busy-body, and you know the importance of having a goal and stability in your life. You are immensely attracted to a man who has goals, whether big or small. An ambitious man catches your attention big time. For you it's very important for the masculine figure to be able to provide and be the reliable one. Men who has goals, has a plan, is ambitious, cares about providing for the domestic life. It's not a desire fueled by greed or laziness to achieve on your own, that you would want someone else to do it for you, instead, it's a genuine desire to partner up with a man who knows the importance of actions following his words. You also love to be with a man who knows how to appreciate himself for his work. On the challenging side you might happen to attract someone greedy, unproductive or someone with a directionless life.

Mars in Aquarius

Attraction for you is very much rooted in the fact that you can be yourself around a man. If he's comfortable, then it's super attractive. You love men who have a very intellectual and a forward thinking, open minded mindset. Because for you attraction is also very much rooted in the fact that you can connect on an intellectual level with that man. A man who has his emotions under control, who knows how to stay calm and see situations for what they are, really gives you the butterflies. On the same note, men who are unique, whether it's in the way they think or take action or dress, seem to catch your eye, a lot. Masculine energy that has a certain purpose in life, no matter if it seems childlike, and masculine energy that knows how to create a path forward, are very attractive for Aquarius Mars. On the challenging side, you might happen to attract men who are completely ruthless or emotionally closed off. You might be attracted to men who seem to keep their composure sustained for a long time without getting bothered.

Mars in Pisces

You like gentlemen. There is something so precious about a Pisces Mars, because they are just harmless. You really need a man who matches the same kind of vibe. You like sweet, gentle and easy going men. Because you really can get turned off by dramatic, aggressive and raging men who can't stay still for one moment. Men who are much focused on the pursuit of a deeper meaning in life, and men who are quite sensitive, really make you feel some type of way. You enjoy the presence of a masculine figure that knows how to cater to your emotional needs, and treat you like the soft princess you are deep inside. Someone who isn't overly critical of things, someone who contributes to things in a very creative manner, someone who knows the importance of being gentle with you whether physically or simply emotionally/mentally. On a challenging note you may attract men who are overly lost in their own worlds or men who can just never take anything seriously.

Thanks for reading 💕

[sirenmoontarot]

What needs to be revealed to you now?

Welcome to the sirenian realm… 🦢 here I will go into channeling and see what does the universe wants to bring to the light for you now. Pick the image that most calls you in, or that most resonates with you and let’s dive in🪞🌊 🌙

Group 1

Right now, it is not a time to face the current obstacles in your life, it is not a time to confront the existing limitations, the boundaries that exist right now in your life. Don’t force something you are not yet ready to confront. Know your own limits, physical or mental. Hasty decisions made now in the present will later be regretted. Protect, guard yourself, keep your end goal in your mind but analyze the situation in front of you in order to figure out how to proceed. In this time you have to learn how to wait and be patient. You might also need to be ready to defend yourself very soon! However, luck is coming your way disguised as a challenge. You might not show your true face, goals, and plans to others for this time period. It is a time for you to stay on guard, with your eyes open like an owl before making any actions. Sometimes it is more important to be smart in some situations before proceeding. It is also a time for regeneration and fertilization for you. The runes indicate that after this period, you will get positive partnerships. I sense a very important positive connection with someone will come that will be renovating and enlightening for you! You just have to hold on. And know when it's the time and especially to whom, to give!

Thank you for reading dear group number 1 🤍 see you in next PAC readings 🦢🪞🌙

Patreon 𓇬 Psychic Readings 𓇬 Aura Healings

Group 2

For this group, what needs to be revealed to you now is that you are undergoing a long process, in whatever the topic you are putting all your efforts into. Let’s say career, things maybe aren’t moving forward, you feel there are blocks, obstacles, the energies are heavy right now but it is not because it’s not meant for you or anything, you are undergoing this process as part of your personal life path, you have to learn through this, you will acquire maturity, wisdom, and strength, personal strength which is really important to achieve all of your goals and your purpose in life. Do not get discouraged if things are stopped, stuck, if there are unexpected upheavals, or tower moments come, because after the uncomfortable hail, ice becomes water and makes grow the blooms of the trees and flowers. It is all a process in which you don’t have to give up, in which after a success you can’t sleep on your laurels. You still have to be focused, down to earth, and keep working through this period of apparent obstacles. The results and end goal will come later, now you are building all the necessary skills, qualities, and wisdom that will be needed for your future self. When things are confusing, unclear, the best thing is to let them become clear on their own, and if your mind gets too much, use HEAT, move, dance, do sport, till it cools down and you can see clearly again! Powerful change, growth, and evolution are marked here, with Plutonian influences shown in the cards.

Thank you for reading dear group number 2 🤍 see you in next PAC readings 🦢🪞🌙

Patreon 𓇬 Psychic Readings 𓇬 Aura Healings

Group 3

What needs to be revealed to you now is that you are strong, you are protected, you will have success in a particular enterprise, project, business, activity, or plan that you have put your effort into. The runes assure you will be protected from any danger, and that you are well prepared. You are divinely shielded right now! However, there might be a warning of something you have to be on your guard against: you must have courage in the face of fear. You have to control your emotions, use your energies well, and direct your strengths wisely. New opportunities and challenges will come into your life, sometimes when an opportunity comes, undesirable influences appear as well, so it is important you stand strong and know you can beat anything. This is a time solely for you. The runes indicate you should take time for yourself. Opposition may come your way, however, the promises and oaths you made to yourself and maybe to other people stand strong. Sacrifice must be made sometimes to achieve in our path. Situations from the past that might arise, or that might bring up painful feelings within you, must be dealt with. There is something as valuable as gold in your life, stick to the presence of these wondrous elements in your life. Connect to earth, it is very necessary for you. And also, connect to what is reliable, to what truly supports you. Follow the pull towards what is steady and true for you. Especially when you feel less empowered, you need to grab onto that thing that is your “rock” to remind yourself of the truth and the light!

Thank you for reading dear group number 3 🤍 see you in next PAC readings 🦢🪞🌙

Patreon 𓇬 Psychic Readings 𓇬 Aura Healings

[naoke666]

Why is Iruma still waiting for Kirio to come back?

Just some of my thoughts in regards to this question, what I think the future holds for them as well as what their story means to me personally.

This question has been plaguing the fandom ever since 304 came out. To many people the answer is clear: because Iruma is too kind for his own good and hopes to fix Kirio. This is also often followed by frustration: why can't he just give up on him? Clearly this guy is irredeemable, heck, that's kind of his whole point. He is a twist on the tired trope of a villain who has a sad backstory to justify his actions and then gets redeemed through the power of friendship. Why ruin this perfectly good thing?

Thing is, I really get it. I kind of hate this trope too, and I love Kirio as its subversion. I think the nastiest part about this trope is that it reflects a specific kind of mindset that a lot of people fall prey to in their personal lives. Some people who end up in toxic relationships may keep themselves in there for longer than necessary in hopes that they can "fix" the other person, that if they just stay kind and patient it will all be alright. But, of course, such self-sacrifice only leads to more suffering. It's important to be selfish, to set your boundaries and, if needs be, cut the other person out for good. Perhaps because mairu is a manga so focused on positive selfishness that this feels extra frustrating to some readers - not only does it reflect this harmful mindset but they also perceive it as going against its own messaging.

So, I truly get it. In fact, I would also probably share that frustration if I thought of Kirio as one toxic guy in Iruma's life and of Iruma's response as expression of that harmful self-sacrifice. However I personally don't believe that that's what their story is about and look at it from a slightly different angle.

Stories and storytelling generally follow certain rules and patterns. There is usually a protagonist with some kind of goal they want or need to achieve, there is some kind of conflict holding them back, 3-to-5 act structure with set up-development-climax-resolution, yada-yada all that jazz. These rules are not set in stone and you can and should break them, but it's also good to be aware of them and understand how they work so you can break them smart.

To me, mairu is roughly divided into two parts: pre-battler arc and post-battler arc. The reason why I split it like this is because initially the battler arc was kind of the deciding point for whether mairu gets axed or keeps running. (I am a little too lazy to add the source for this, but Nishi has mentioned this quite a few times over the years, so it's possible to dig something up with a bit of search. Or you can just check out my previous irukiri essay. In general, i believe it's a relatively common practice for manga that gets published in magazines). So initially the battler arc was written in such a way as to be a good ending arc and nicely wrap everything up, including thematically. Basically - go out with a bang. Hence the fireworks and school bombing. Because there is a clear ending point, I believe that the first part of mairu follows this logical structure of storytelling really well. The second part starts to go more wide than deep as Nishi is incentivized to keep the manga running for as long as needed, and that overarching structure gets somewhat lost. But the themes and narrative set up in the first part still come back and are deeply embedded in the story. That's why I want to focus on the first part.

To me, the story of Iruma isn't just about him getting adopted by a kind grandpa and proceeding to have a happy and healthy childhood and fun adventures with his friends, but rather about his relationship with the new world and culture he got transported into. The way the Netherworld changes him and the way he changes the Netherworld. I would also claim that the core conflict of the story is between Iruma and the Netherworld. Perhaps the reason why this point is so relevant to me is because 10 years ago I moved to a different country in my teens, then went through a long process of becoming its citizen on documents and am still not quite done in my journey of fully integrating. So getting used to the new place and new culture, trying to grow roots in there while growing up yourself and figuring out what your ambition is are all things that resonate with me deeply.

Our set up is Iruma with no parents to support him, with no friends to be by his side, no normal childhood, no dreams and ambitions, no idea of where he is going, forced to survive and only think about survival. When he gets transported to the Netherworld, he immediately defaults to his flight-fight-freeze response. This new place scares him, the demons scare him. God forbid he lets them know about his true identity, or this place will hurt him and eat him and chew him up. So Iruma tries to run away from his fears, attempts to lay low and avoid attracting attention at all costs possible.

But of course slice of life comedy shenanigans happen that make this mindset backfire on him. And in the process Iruma starts to get more comfortable in this new world. The demonic mentality teaches him to think more about himself, to want things, even if these desires seem greedy to him; to work for those desires, to face the challenges head-on and to enjoy them to the fullest. He manages to connect with the demons he was so afraid of before. Slowly, Iruma begins to accept this world and realizes that perhaps he doesn't want to run away from it anymore. Perhaps he wants to stay here.

This is the perfect moment to test his new resolve. Cue Kirio.

Kirio has these two visually distinct "modes": his normal cute glasses I'm-just-a-little-baby harmless mode and his slicked back half bangs gloves on glasses off muhaha-im-such-a-freak evil mode. Funnily enough I think these two modes represent the duality of his role in the story. On the one hand, he is that final thing that nails down Iruma's desire to stay in the Netherworld. Before meeting Kirio, even though Iruma starts to like this new place, there is one last thing that holds him back from deciding that he wants to stay here and its the fact that he is a human. Yes, if he keeps that a secret he won't get in trouble, and hey, not all demons are bad, and at least some of them will accept him if they found out. But as a human he also lacks a lot of things that demons have. Horns, tail, wings, and most notably, magic. And even though he has his gluttony ring and grandpa's mana, it's, well, not his own. In the end, he is still an outsider. So can someone like him really belong here?

In Kirio Iruma sees himself, but also the ideal version of himself, that could live in this world. Because, even though Kirio is technically a demon, he is also an outsider for his lack of mana. But he has things he is passionate about, he has his own ambition, and that ambition involves creating ways to help people like himself level the playing field and be able to walk along everyone else. Kirio is a kind and supportive senpai that instantly makes Iruma feel accepted and understood. In that, Iruma sees an ideal to strive for, and not the Ameri kind of a perfect role model, but rather a more down-to-earth, relatable "this could be me" kind of role model.

It's kind of why I think he looks so Kirio-like in this chapter (214). He is getting closer to embodying his ideal of a kind and gentle senpai figure who can guide others and make them feel like they belong and are accepted.

Because of this, Iruma realizes that maybe he can be one of the demons. He can belong to this world and he can even work to make this world more welcoming to others like him. It's okay for him to want to stay here. It's also perhaps why, after conversation with Kirio, for the first time in his life, he thinks about the future.

Perhaps it's not the most ambitious vision of a far future, but it's a big step for a guy who until recently could only think about day-to-day survival.

But there is the other side to Kirio, perhaps his most important role for the story. It's to test Iruma's resolve to stay in the Netherworld.

To me Kirio is not just one toxic guy that betrays Iruma because he is intrinsically evil. Rather, he is the representation of the worst and darkest parts of the Netherworld. He serves as a vehicle to make Iruma face his biggest fears and to make him see not just the good but also the bad about his new home. It's no coincidence that he is not just simply evil, but specifically a demon returning to his origins, to the state all demons used to be in and have capacity to revert to. What's wrong with Kirio is also what's wrong with the Netherworld as a whole.

Please note Iruma's thought process here:

It's not "oh no I can't believe this guy turned out to be evil and betrayed me". It's "oh. I realize now. This is the DEMON world. These are DEMONS." Paradoxically, Kirio is both a character that makes Iruma feel the most familiar with the Netherworld, but also the character that represents the unfamiliar, the most foreign kind of mentality to Iruma.

The resolution to Iruma and Kirio's conflict in this arc reflects the resolution to the overarching conflict of the story so far.

"Even though there is danger in this world, I have grown to deeply care for it and still love my time here. So I won't give it up - not even its scariest parts."

(sowwy I don't have a scanner)

So here we have a very beautiful and elegant structural storytelling. We start with Iruma who is afraid and who only thinks about avoiding danger and running away and through a series of meaningful developments and final confrontation we end with Iruma who now has things and people he cares for, who has found his home and family and because of that can face his fears and dangers head on.

This brings us to 303 and 304.

As I mentioned earlier, in the center of this story stands the relationship between Iruma and the Netherworld. The first part of the manga mostly deals with Iruma accepting the Netherworld, and the second part of the manga is sort of both about that but also very much about the Netherworld accepting Iruma.

Over the years I've seen a few folks express the theory that Iruma won't actually become the Demon King in the end. This manga loves to go against the reader's expectations, and also, as evident from the Many Ears arc, he seems to be more interested in becoming a Babyls teacher than a King, is the claim. I have even seen people claim that there is 0 foreshadowing for Iruma becoming the Demon King. Due to my thoughts expressed in the paragraph above, I have a hard time agreeing with this view. There is a back-and-forth between Iruma and demons that is evident from the very beginning of the manga. Iruma is becoming a better person by embracing demonic qualities, but demons around him are also becoming better by embracing human qualities and concepts. Time and time again we are shown that even though Delkira improved the Netherworld a lot, there were some things he failed at, and Iruma is doing these things better. So, Iruma becoming a Demon King is simply a natural conclusion of this running narrative to me. Or, to put it better, I think that in the end Iruma will change the Netherworld in a major way that will resolve many of its current problems. I can see the story pulling the plottwist of Iruma not becoming the Demon King, but instead creating a whole new political system; I can't see Iruma saying something like "You know, I don't really care about all this politics stuff, I just wanna take it easy, become a teacher and chill in Babyls forever :)" In the Many Ears arc, Iruma refuses to become a King specifically because he very correctly identifies the root of the problem and understands that to resolve it he shouldn't become another person to rule them, but rather teach them to rule themselves.

So, I think Iruma's and Kirio's conversation has a lot to do with their respective visions of the future of the Netherworld.

In 303 Kirio expresses his vision: a Netherworld fully plunged into chaos and despair, with every demon reverting to their original animalistic state, every improvement and system made by Delkira undone and broken. It's a world that will reject Iruma, the human, completely. A world so hostile to him, that Iruma will literally come crawling to Kirio, who is the only one who will offer Iruma anything close to acceptance - by hurting him, by eating him, by chewing him up. Kirio, once again, fulfills his role of making Iruma face his worst fears by literally reciting them from the recording of his trauma during the Harvest Festival.

And in contrary to the popular perception of Iruma being too soft towards Kirio, Iruma is actually ready to just straight-up murder him. He almost does it. Not out of self-preservation - Iruma knows that Azz will accept his identity should he find out. He does it because he wants to defend his own boundaries, his right to tell when he wants to.

And in 304 Iruma shares his own vision. Opposite of Kirio's world of ultimate rejection, Iruma wants to create a world of ultimate acceptance. Where he, as a human, can co-exist with everyone, where everyone will accept him - even someone like Kirio, even someone who represents everything most unfamiliar and demonic and evil about this place, even someone who literally wants to eat him up. And not only he will be accepted, but everyone can feel welcome and like they belong. So to Iruma it's certain that Kirio will return to his rightful place - it's only a matter of time.

Iruma is not saying that "he can fix this guy". Iruma is saying that "he can fix this world."

And that's a little different.

[jarofstyles]

Let It Burn

Hey….. now this is unhinged and dark but I figured why not give you a bit of crazy H AND Crazy Y/N 🤭

Check out our Patreon for early access and 180+ exclusive writings

WC- 2.5k

Warnings: whew… dark Harry and dark y/n, toxic relationship and other elements, mention of murder, blood, mention of an abuser (not h), theft, they are not stable lol, breeding kink, rougher sex, tattoos, a hint of anal… it’s a ride :-)

Obviously this does not depict any real people or events!

Artwork is not mine, credit to owner

———

“Did you find him?” Fingers slid over the back of his wrist, alerting him to the woman’s presence behind him. “Look surprised to see me.”

Following instruction, he put on a believable show of raising his eyebrows, letting the smile take over his face before he brought her in for a hug. Playing a role was something the both of them felt increasingly comfortable in each and every time they did it. It should be habit by now, 3 years into it.

“I did. He’s down here, red tie in the second booth to the right.” A stealthy swipe of the button of her purse, he slipped the key inside of her bag. “It should be clear when you go up there. The combination for the safe is in your notes app.” Returning to full height, he leaned his hip against the bar. His voice spoke clearly now, letting the bartender overhear his words.

“It’s been so long since we caught up, hasn’t it? How have you been?” He flagged the man down, giving a charming smile. “Can we get the lady a vodka sprite, please? Thank you.”

“It’s been ages, hasn’t it?” She giggled, playfully swatting his chest. Like they hadn’t seen each other naked in the rumpled sheets of the bed just this morning before splitting up in order to achieve the goal they’d been working towards. “I’m so glad you reached out. I didn’t know you’d be in town.”

Creating an alibi wasn’t really difficult, all things considered.

In all fairness, so was this life of crime. The natural skills they possessed had led them to this moment, led them to one another and bonded them at the seams. A couple infamous and yet unknown, their stories told all around. The wealthy clutched their pearls at their names while sitting at the same tables as them, sharing appetizers. It gave them a sick sense of satisfaction each and every time.

“It was a bit of a surprise. I had hoped you’d still be here.” He moved a bit closer, letting the heat sizzle between the both of them. It was always like this before they completed their goal. ¾ths of the way there, their finish line was so close they could almost taste it. “We do have some history, hm?” Biting his lip, he stroked over her hip. It was always difficult for him to keep his hands off of her- his one true weakness.

“Oh, stop.” She let out another fake giggle and pushed his chest. It took everything in him not to laugh too, considering she was definitely milking it now. Realistically no one was probably listening in to their conversation, but if they were? They didn’t want to leave any room for questioning. “We do. And you know… it’s been a long time considering I’ve been divorced.”

“Oh?” A roleplay of sorts. Harry always leaned into these, smirking down at her. The sparkly eyeshadow glimmered in the low light of the bar, mascara coating her lashes with a slight smudge on her lowe lashline- giving him a glimpse of his future. He loved when she got all dressed up just for him to ruin her. Make a whole different idea of art on her face. “Well, I did hear that through the grapevine. I was hoping you’d be single again.”

Y/N shivered at his gaze. Just one look and he could eat her alive, they both knew it. They were each other's world. Their only weaknesses. A package deal since the day they’d met, there had never been a connection quite as strong as theirs and they both knew not to take it for granted.

In reality, if Y/N wasn’t single it wouldn’t matter to Harry. He’d claim her anyway. Take her again and again in the same bed her husband slept in if need be, because there was no universe that they wanted to exist in that they didn’t belong to one another. It was something a psychologist would probably deem unhealthy, but considering their professions and personalities, they didn’t plan on seeing any of them anytime soon.

“Well I am.” Running a manicured finger down his chest, she stepped into his space. Not uncommon for bar spaces, people getting closer and alluding to what would happen once they reached privacy. “Are you interested?” The coy look through her lashes went straight to his cock, a reminder of the night they’d met. It had been instantaneous, like a moth to a flame. No one else existed in the room once they’d caught eyes for each other, but they played cat and mouse in their banter. It had ended in her coming to Harry’s place and never leaving his side.

His playboy days ended the day they met. No other cunt would feel as good as hers, no one would moan as pretty, and certainly no one would be as filthy as she was. Letting the passion overrun them, letting her nails dig into his back and opening her mouth for his spit, he had met his match in the back of his car where round one of four that night had happened. Meeting each other, kissing, fucking, being partners in crime? It just made sense.

“More than.” The energy crackled between them, igniting his stomach as she brought the little red straw between her lips and sipped on the drink. “I’ve got a room, if you want to go talk up there. It would be a bit more….’comfortable.” And he did have a room-

One booked under a fake name, under a fake identity that wouldn’t be traced back to them. But they both knew Y/N wasn’t going to go straight to his room.

“I think I’d enjoy that. Will you pay the bill so we can go?” Dragging her French tipped claws down his pale skin and tiny thatch of chest hair, she sent the saucy smile up at him before letting her eyes fall down to his lips. “It’s a bit too cold down here for me. I think I’m going to warm up.”

“Go ahead, Angel.” He nodded. “Room 308, when you’re done.”

——

“You are so fucking sexy.” Harry panted, the bag of jewels and cash off to the side. His hands were too busy running over the arch of her back as she ground herself over his lap, fingers tugging his belt off.

“Yeah? How sexy am I?” She purred, head falling back as his lips ran over her sensitive throat. Teeth grazed it, making her inhale sharply before working harder to get him out of his damn trousers.

“The most beautiful… alluring… sexy…. Sensual… evil woman I’ve ever come across.” His words were kissed into the skin, both palms finding her ass and dragging her dress up to bunch over her waist. “And I own you. You belong t’me. You’re never getting away from me.”

The promise would probably turn most people off, make them scramble off his lap and ask what he meant- but for Y/N, it only made her more aroused. Being reminded that there was nothing and no one that would come between the both of them was reassuring, a welcome sensation as she managed to fish him out of his pants. “Fuck me then. Prove it.” Her taunts always worked. Y/N knew how to push his buttons, as he did hers, no surprise in when he flipped them over and pinned her down, giving little time to prepare before lining himself up with her cunt and pushing in.

The groan between the both of them was loud, but their frantic need was overcoming the need to be quiet. “Fuck you?” He cooed. “Every time I’m inside of you… I-own-you.” The last sentiment was emphasized by thrusts that jostled her body. Her toes curled as her legs fastened against his lips, the feral smile on her face growing as the hand not holding her wrists together ripped the top of her dress down to expose her tits.

“Yes, you do.” She hiccuped. “And I own you. You’re mine, and you’re so….” Her words stuttered as each deep thrust got into her stomach. “You’re so obsessed with me. You’ll never let me g-go.” Her last sentence was hissed out. “I won’t let you.”

“Never.” He snarled, rutting into her poor cunt like he was crazed. He sort of was, to be honest. Every time they did another little mission, he got increasingly turned on afterwards. Knowing they pulled it off, they they were richer, that unstoppable feeling only made his cock harder and his need more desperate each and every time. “Never going to let you go. I’d kill someone before letting you go…” he let out a crazed laugh, connecting their mouths for another kiss. “I have, haven’t I? Fucked you with their blood on my hands and you fucking loved it, you crazy bitch.” The word wasn’t an insult, but the highest praise.

Y/N moaned, nodding at the accusation. There was no way either of them were sane, not in the slightest, but they were smart. They were practiced and cunning and no one had a clue who they were. Equal obsession with one another had only resulted in a secret empire of wealth and blood that they would be craving forever.

“I did. I love when you’re mean.” Her cunt was slick and hot, clenching around him as he thrust into her with a fervor that was only matched after their missions. “I love when you hurt people for me, Sir. I love when you fuck me in their blood, I love when you-“ her neck fell back and she arched her body as he shifted and hit the spot she had been waiting for. “Oh- fuck. I love you.”

“Yeah, you do. You love me so much, don't you? Think it even compares to how much I love you…” the man panted. “Got your name tattooed right above my cock so you can see that you own it. Get it wet with your cream every fucking time….” He wrapped his fingers around her waist, pulling out momentarily to flip her over. “Let me see it- let me fucking see it.”

Y/N’s face buried in the mattress, she shakily put her hand back to ride up the dress and show the stamp above her ass marking his name. “That, Sir?” She cooed, knowing it was exactly what he wanted to see. The script that marked her ass as his as he fucked into her weeping hole, his intensity moving up as she felt his thumb trace the outline of it.

“Yeah- that’s what I want. Never going to forget who you belong to, hm? Who owns your heart, your body, your soul. M’nothing without you.” His tone darkened, spreading her ass open and spitting over her hole and pressing his thumb inside. “You’re never allowed t’leave me. I’ll follow you anywhere, I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you. There’s nothing I want without you.”

As toxic as the words were, it sent her over the edge. Hand slamming against the duvet, curling her fingers into it as she sobbed out his name, the white hot pleasure rushed over her body and shook her core. Slick dripping from her cunt and both holes clenching around the intrusions, she felt her eyes roll back as the bullying of her pussy continue.

“That’s my girl. Cum around my cock again.” He commanded. “Can’t fuckin’ wait until I can knock you up. Want you full of my babies, all the fuckin’ time.” Considering their lifestyle the babies had to be put on pause until they amassed enough wealth to feel comfortable stopping full time, but Harry had been dreaming about getting her connected to him in that way for ages. “Full of me. My cum is good, but it isn’t enough. Need to own you that way.” He was crazy, yes, but he loved her.

“Soon.” She gasped, feeling as his thrusts got harder. That talk always made him more aroused, and based off of the pulsing she felt inside of her it wouldn’t be long. “I’ll let you do anything you want to me. Gonna be the b-best. You’ll take care of us, won’t you?” She panted into the air, face turned to the side as he added another finger into her ass. Her eyes flashed with colors as he pounded into her, surely making her sore for tomorrow but neither of them cared.

“I’ll burn down the world for you.” He promised through his grunts. “For you and our little family. Watch the entire thing go down in flames like that one time…” the first time they’d realized they were as crazy as one another. When he had set the car on fire with her abuser inside of it, and she had kissed him for it. “I’ll do it again, and again, and again… fuck, I love you.” Harry’s voice strained as he felt her clench up around him. “Give it to me, baby. Give me your pleasure. I’m so fucking close.”

They needed to get the fuck out of there before their signal blockers ended and the security team caught on to the looping footage. Before the bastard they’d stolen from realized the riches he had brought with him were gone. But neither of them could stop themselves from making their own fucked up version of love before they finished and got into their getaway car.

Y/N could feel how wet she had gotten him, feel the knot in her belly expand as he bullied that one spot in her channel over and over again, each pound making her get closer and closer to the edge. “H-Harry…” she plead for him, putting a hand back for him to hold. Immediately he took it, squeezing her hand in his own.

“I know, baby. I know, you’re creaming all fucking over me. Let it go. Let me fill you up the way you deserve.” He pleaded, fucking his fingers into her as his cock followed the rhythm. “Give it to me, my perfect girl. My pretty little wife, cum on my cock.” The coaxing was low, the headboard smacking against the wall and the sound of their sex obnoxiously loud as she came.

“Oh- fuck!” The man growled as he felt the splash of her cumming on him- squirting on his cock as he fucked into her, his thrusts getting sloppy. “That’s what I wanted, you dirty slut. I am so in love with you and this perfect pussy… fuck me.” He wheezed, feeling the crest of his orgasm wash over him. “Take it, take it all.” The sloppy thrusts turned into short, rough ones. Fucking his load into her, little grunts leaving his chest as he pretended it could catch.

One day it would, and that would be the day their dangerous fun on the road would be over, and they’d begin their lives all over again.

[no-name-omo]

I like the crush post for Miyabi on the reader you did so I’m requesting something kinda similar for Belle and Yanagi. Head cannons centered around it being accidentally revealed to the reader that they have a crush on them. For Belle it would be Wise who does it while with Yanagi it’s Soukaku.

[A/N] I know you said "kind of similar" but I did wanted to add the how they develop the crush too so I hope you still like it and thank for your request (ooc for Yanagi just a little and Soukaku just because I don't know much about the blue child of course I did a little bit of research)

[Type] Imagine

[Summer] how they develop their crush on you and how someone reveal their crush to you

[genre] fluff / crush

[Pairing / Characters] (separate) Belle x reader / Yanagi x reader / (Wise / Soukaku)

Belle

Ever since you achieved a flawless victory over her at God Finger in a street fighter type game, she became more determined than ever, making it her second Life goal to settle the score.

This motivates her to spend more time with you, especially when you're at the arcade, playfully teasing and joking around, though nothing too serious. Over time, what began as a friendly rivalry has blossomed into a genuine friendship.

She also started to notice just how increasingly sweet and caring you were, whether it was helping a stranger with her bag, offering assistance to Enzo when his mechanical arm was acting up, or simply showing kindness to those around you. Your genuine concern and helpful nature did not go unnoticed, and her gaze couldn’t help but be drawn to you more and more each day.

There was just a warmth in your actions and over time, she found herself more captivated by your caring personality and the effortless way you made everyone around you feel special.

Her friendly feelings towards you gradually deepened into something more tender and heartfelt. What once were playful pushes and gentle punches transformed into warm, affectionate hugs, and she couldn’t hide her excitement whenever you were around. Her gestures became more meaningful, revealing a growing affection that went beyond mere friendship, making her feelings unmistakably clearer well annoyably not to you

"HA!" she exclaimed triumphantly as victory flashed on her screen, jumping up with her arms raised in celebration. “I finally beat you!” she declared proudly. You rolled your eyes with a playful smirk, teasing her with a comment about how many times you’d won... so many, in fact, you’d lost track. “It doesn’t matter,” she replied cheekily, planting her hands on her hips with a grin. “All that matters is that you lost and I won,” she finished with a giggle, clearly enjoying her triumphant moment. As her brother watches from the side noticing that she became more happy if that was even possible and ohhhh you two must be dating

Watching you and Belle together, it was clear to Wise on how comfortable and natural you both are, how easily you make her laugh and how much she talks about you. It’s obvious you’re dating, but Wise wonder why Belle didn't mentioned it? Or maybe she did while he was lost in he phone reading the Inter-Knot, nodding along and pretending to listen. He really should cut that habit if she is going to bring something like that up, but he can play it cool; he’s seen you around and knows how kind and genuine you are. He genuinely believes you're a good fit for his sister, so he doesn’t need to give the typical older brother speech—after all, that’s not really his style anyway. Still, he needs to remember: you two are DEFINITELY dating.

As Wise was closing up the place, sweeping the wooden floor as it grew late, the doorbell rang, and in walked you and Belle, returning from your movie date—he guessed. Belle’s face lit up as she exclaimed, "That was so much fun!" she said, "I don’t usually go to the movies," she added gesturing to all the videotapes around her "obviously". with a playful smile, clearly excited. Then, her expression brightened even more as she looked at you and said, "Thank you so much." Suddenly, she paused, seeming to remember something. "Oh! Wait right here, I’ve got something for you." Without missing a beat, she hurried up the stairs, leaving you and Wise standing there.

Seeing his sister disappear upstairs, Wise took the opportunity to approach you, clearing his throat to get your attention. He began softly, "Thank you." Noticing your confused expression, he added, "For being there for my sister. Ever since you came into her life, it’s been clear she's been happier." Realizing what he meant, you tried to brush it off as no big deal, but he gently placed a hand on your shoulder and insisted, "It’s a big deal. You're good for my sister, so please take good care of her." Now you're back on being confused, feeling something different in his tone. You hesitated and asked what he meant, to which he replied, "Well, she's your girlfriend, after all." Your face immediately flushed red, and you quickly denied it, caught off guard.

Wise, puzzled, began to recount what he had observed to you, the way she brightened at the mere sight of you, how she couldn’t stop talking about you, and the subtle hints he had noticed. With each revelation, unintentional to Wise it wasn't meant for you, you started to realize what had been going over your head: Belle had feelings for you. As the pieces fell into place, it became clear that what Wise thought you two dating, it was just a crush. Suddenly, he sensed a dark presence behind him—an ominous, murderous aura. Closing his eyes in resignation; (dog closing its eyes looking at the sun meme; if you know you know) you look behind him seeing Belle with a close eyes smile.

Yanagi Tsukishiro

As the newest member of Hollow Special Operations Section 6, you have made it your personal goal to forge stronger bonds within your squad, not just through formal formations but by genuinely connecting with each member, a dedication that Yanagi has clearly noticed.

She noticed how much effort you put into effortlessly connecting with everyone—encouraging Miyabi to fulfill her responsibilities, convincing Harumasa to stay focused, and displaying remarkable patience with Soukaku’s childlike attitude, which, given her age, is understandable.

Initially, you and Yanagi, as the two responsible members, began spending more time together—at first, it was purely professional, but gradually, that shared time fostered a genuine friendship.

What Yanagi didn't expect was how attentively you noticed her, you noticed her clumsiness outside of work, often making light-hearted comments, and found her adorable when lost in thought, her face would flush whenever you spoke, making her increasingly aware of her growing feelings.

Yanagi always strives to stay on top of everything, but like anyone, she’s only human and sometimes neglects her own health. Fortunately, you’re there to remind her to eat, drink, and take care of herself, often stepping in to distract Soukaku whenever she needs a moment to breathe. She truly appreciates your care and hopes she can return the favor.

Yanagi was busy in her office, sorting through papers and trying to organize the upcoming mission when suddenly, "Ah! So cold," she exclaimed as a chill pressed against her cheek. She was utterly confused until she heard your laughter, she huff that carried no real anger. "That was quite rude; I was in the middle of—" she started to protest, but you interrupted, gently informing her that she needed to take a break. She looked at her clock and, realizing more time had passed than she thought, hesitantly sighed and admitted, "Going to take a break."

You let out a chuckle as you shuffle a chair behind yourself, sit down beside Yanagi and hand her a red bean bun. "Thank you," she says softly before you place a can of peach tea in front of her, which she immediately regards as her cold enemy. "Hm? I’ve never tried this flavor," she comments, reaching for the can. You mention that the pink color reminded you of her, and the simple comment made her face flush just like her hair. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise, and she responds with a soft, "...oh." and this was witnessed by the blue oni, Soukaku

Soukaku continues to observe the two of you, noticing how Yanagi’s gaze and manner of speaking to you are markedly different from how she interacts with the rest of Section 6. While Yanagi is never unkind to anyone of course, there’s a subtle but distinct warmth and familiarity in her tone when she speaks to you—something Soukaku can’t quite put into words. She wonders if perhaps you’ve become Yanagi’s favorite, but she’s not entirely sure. What she does know is that you’re incredibly kind and cool, which she genuinely appreciates. However, the way you treat Yanagi feels different—more personal, more special—and that difference doesn’t escape her eye... She should probably just go ask you yeah that's a good idea.

You're relaxing in the break room, lying on the couch and savoring a sandwich when Soukaku’s familiar voice suddenly interrupts, calling your name repeatedly: "[Reader], [Reader], [Reader]!" You calm her down, then take a bite of your sandwich then question her on what she needed. She responds straightforwardly, "I just wanted to ask you something." You hum in response, signaling her to continue as you chew. Without hesitation, she asks, "Are you going to marry Yanagi?" The question catches you so off guard that you nearly choke on your sandwich, startled by her directness and the unexpected inquiry. She adds, "Harumasa says that’s how you two interact—like a married couple."

Internally, you curse Harumasa for planting such thoughts, but the idea of marrying Yanagi—no, you really shouldn't think like that about a coworker. You shake your head, about to respond to Soukaku's question when the door of the brick room opens, revealing Yanagi. she greets you with a gentle smile, softly patting Soukaku's head in a motherly gesture as she asks, "What are you two talking about?" Before you can answer, Soukaku blurts out, "Are you two planning to get married?" Yanagi’s demeanor shifts instantly; her hand pauses, her face flushing as a single word escapes her lips: "...oh?"

After a brief moment of silence, Yanagi asked softly, "What made you think that?" and immediately, she regretted her words—because what followed was everything Soukaku had seen and heard: how much Yanagi seems genuinely happier when you're around, her unspoken affection evident in her eyes, and her theory that you're her favorite. Then she mentioned Harumasa's comment about how you two interact, almost like a married couple, revealing her awareness of the bond between you and hinting at deeper feelings—an unintentional revelation that left the air thick with unspoken emotion and how much of a fool you are don on you.

A/N: I wanted to try making the colour words smaller just to see how it looks if this doesn't feel right to you just say so I'm just trying to figure my style out

[ivesambrose]

OCTOBER 2024 MINI MESSAGES 🧡

1. 2. 3.

How is spooky season treating everyone so far? ✨

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

Services offered

Reviews

Thanks for the tip

Picture 1

its likely you might feel as though you're pushed to the forefront and are in the limelight or have finally decided to be brave about it. You'll be focused on your public image, long term career goals as well as the friends you keep associating with. Do they really empower you? Stand by you? Encourage you? Or keep filling your head with their own projections that deter you from your growth. You can look forward to a better community for yourself it may not come through fully this month for some of you, but sometimes having the awareness that this is the vision and reality you see for yourself does more than half of the work for you. You'll feel inspired to travel, pursue certain goals or see the earlier roadblocks slowly clear out for you. Keep in mind not to overwork yourself or be manipulated by someone to stretch yourself thin for their sake with little to no benefit of your own. There are some people namely at a higher place of authority than you are who are scared of your success and your ability to be authentic, cultivate friendships or be a good leader by yourself and they'll try to bring you down to 'show you your place' it's far from the truth. This month might end on a note of a new and better opportunity being presented to you, a gift, a sudden increase in finances or an idea that if nurtured will lead to something a lot bigger and fruitful. Know that you're in charge of your reality not the people who are bystanders in it.

Picture 2

so much to learn and so many ideas and thoughts to communicate this month. Write them all down and share them either with a trusted person or maybe even the world. Write and speak so you can heal and undo the knots in your heart. Cry if you must it's okay to let go of the burden of keeping a brave demeanor. You'll be having potential breakthroughs this month, almost overnight ones. You're about to do something unconventional in the long run but that too will require a certain discipline from your side so it becomes a daily ritual for you and then your lifestyle. You'll be really focused on your health and health goals as well. Some of you might get into a commitment with someone or will be soon or someone wants to be romantically involved with you for the long term. They compliment your energy will, someone whose willing to water you to see you bloom. Be wary of overwhelming yourself with too much content or information. You really don't need all that. Allow your subconscious to only absorb what it is that you want in your reality. The habits you cultivate this month will set the tone for the coming months too. You'll end the month on a note of getting better at something or achieving a goal that you have spent the most of the year on and celebrating it finally.

Picture 3

Your imagination does indeed create your reality and you'll be shown proper evidence of that this month. A lot of heightened awareness, intuition, prophetic or symbolic dreams that in turn fuel your creativity. You'll be self soothing a lot this month there's also a focus on your gut health and habits as well that you'll be changing. You'll also be receiving an opportunity through your creativity to travel or learn about different cultures, people and places. I also see you feeling closer to your mother or a female/maternal figure or a friend in your life. I feel like some of you have been hyper independent for so long and have burned so many bridges that when tenderness or loving connections knock on your door you refuse to see it. Please bring your awareness and intention to finally receiving what you've long asked for. You'll be receiving the love, friendships and opportunities you have asked for, I really suggest you remove the part of you that is hell bent on being an 'avoidant' because that will lead you nowhere but to the same state that made you so low to begin with. This month ends on things gaining momentum for you, like whatever you started is progressing to the next phase, launching something or even foreign travel. Things are set in motion. You will, inevitably cut through your obstacles. Rest assured.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Flat & Round Characters

Flat Characters - Consist of only a few features (usually based on clichés). They’re generally static characters meant to serve the story.

Round Characters - Have depth. They have weaknesses, strengths, flaws, fears, tastes, and dreams. They are well characterized in order to seem real. They're dynamic and change over time. They feel affected by the story’s events because they suffer their consequences and learn from them which makes them more realistic and believable.

The use of flat characters

Flat characters are often used in TV comedies (30-minute sitcoms with canned laughter) because comedic stories usually focus on the anecdote and the joke.

Thanks to their commonplace situations and characters, sitcoms are able to transmit a sense of familiarity to the spectator.

Flat characters also have a supporting role in stories with round main characters in order to achieve one of these effects:

Fast recognition: You need your readers/audience to easily recognize the type of characters you are presenting.

Contrast: Flat and/or static characters can highlight the internal or external evolution of round characters.

When to avoid flat characters

Unless you’re specifically looking for one of the previous effects listed for flat characters, it’s best that your characters (especially the protagonists) are round in order for your readers to identify with them.

Creating round and deep characters

Consider the following:

1. Internal Changes

Do your characters undergo any internal changes throughout the story?

Think about their situation at the beginning of the story.

Is it the same as it is at the end? It shouldn’t be.

They can be worse or better, but the story’s events should have affected them in some way.

2. External Changes

Do the external circumstances surrounding your characters change throughout the story?

Just as their personalities suffer variations, their external conditions should as well.

For example, one of your characters could be a farmer at the beginning of the story and then become a warrior by the end.

3. Goals

What do your characters want?

They should have a conscious desire – something that moves them into action.

4. Wishes

What do your characters need?

Regardless of what they think they want, there’s something they need at an unconscious level – something different from what they consciously desire.

That contradiction will bring depth to your fictional heroes.

5. Achievements

What do your characters attain?

Do they achieve any of their goals?

How does that affect them?

If you have the answer to the last question, you’ll have a clearer idea of how the story’s events have changed their way of facing life.

For instance, if they achieve what they wanted at the beginning of the tale but that’s not what they really need, they can learn from their mistakes and try to correct them.

However, they might also give into frustration.

6. Weaknesses

What are their weaknesses?

Everybody makes mistakes and has fears and flaws, so if you want your characters to be more believable, they’d better have weak points and see themselves in need of facing them if possible.

Your characters overcoming these weaknesses or not depends on the story you want to tell and on the type of evolution you want them to experience.

Some overcome them and progress while others don’t and fail. The contrast between them is what makes the story more believable.

7. Strengths

What are their strengths?

Apart from weaknesses, your characters can have strong points they may or may not know about.

Sometimes, they discover them and learn how to make the most of them.

Other times, they do not know, and it leads them to failure.

You, as a writer, should be clear about those strengths and so should your readers be in order to better understand your characters.

8. Conflicts

What’s your characters’ inner conflicts?

Once you’ve answered the previous seven areas of question, you’ll find this one easier to answer.

Every good character must deal with an inner conflict throughout the story such as a mental debate between what they need and what they want or a moral struggle between what they’re trying to attain and what they consider correct.

This type of dilemma makes your characters interesting, and their experiences can turn into life lessons for your readers.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Goals & Motivations "Well-Rounded Character" Worksheet ⚜ Conflict ⚜ 170 Quirks ⚜ Flaws

[bishovapls]

⚠️ MAJOR THUNDERBOLTS SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

I’ve taken a moment to collect my thoughts, so this one’s a bit more organised than just me screaming about how much this movie destroyed me. I’ve got a few of these little rants sitting in my drafts, honestly not sure if I’ll post the rest but here’s this one because...Alexei Shostakov is not a good man and I hate that (some) people seem to think that he is.

Spoilers below the cut!

Alexei is not some bumbling, well-meaning father who just made a few mistakes. He’s not misunderstood. He’s not the comedic relief with a heart of gold buried under the bluster. No. He’s a coward. A narcissist. And worst of all, he’s a willing participant in the very system that destroyed Yelena and Natasha from the inside out.

Let’s be clear: That motherfucker gave them to the Red Room. He knew exactly what that place was. He chose to hand over two little girls, two children who trusted him, to a man he knew would brutalise them, rip away their identities, their agency, their futures. And he did it because it suited his goals. His comeback. His glory. That’s what mattered to Alexei. Not the children in his care. Not their safety. Just the chance to wear a red suit again.

And when he sees them again after all those years? He doesn’t apologise. Not immediately anyways. One of the first things out of his mouth isn’t regret, it’s a rant: “I could have been more famous than Captain America. Then he buries me in Ohio. Three years! Boring me to tears. Then prison for the rest of my life.”

As if he was the victim. As if he was the one who suffered most.

No accountability. No acknowledgement that he ruined their lives. No acknowledgement of the scars they carry, the memories they can’t speak aloud. That he was the one who tossed them straight back into Dreykov’s hands. Just ego. Just bitterness.

And when he does talk about the girls? It’s not with love. It’s not with pride in who they are. It’s pride in what they became. “Yelena, the greatest child assassin in the world.” “Natasha, not just a spy...but an Avenger.” He doesn’t see daughters. He sees achievements. Killing machines forged by the very system he sent them into. He doesn’t see the brutality, let alone take responsibility for it. Because in Alexei’s mind, it worked. That’s all that matters.

And then… suddenly he flips? At the end of Black Widow, he starts trying. He says sorry. He wants to be forgiven. And the thing is, he even seems genuine. But it’s not earned. Not even close. Because barely an hour earlier he was whining about being stuck in Ohio.

Then we get to Thunderbolts, and somehow, he’s meant to be this goofy dad again. Rolling up in a limo, talking like he’s here to save the day, when in reality he hadn't spoken to Yelena in over a year before she shows up desperate, barely holding it together, practically begging him for some sense of permission to stop. And he uses it as an opportunity to talk about himself again, about how he’d love to work for Valentina. Still, it’s about what he could be. Not what she needs.

Yes, in Thunderbolts, he tries. He gives a speech. Seems to care, is genuinely trying to be supportive. And okay, fine, he’s not completely useless. He does make an effort.

But even during that big speech when Yelena breaks down, he says he doesn’t see Yelena’s mistakes. And on the surface, that’s kind. But dig deeper? It’s just more of the same. Because to him, her “mistakes” weren’t mistakes at all. She did what she was trained to do. She killed. She was efficient. That’s what matters to Alexei.

The films want us to forget what he did. They want us to laugh with him. To see the warmth. The effort. But they’re asking us to ignore the damage. The betrayal. The fact that he let his daughters burn, and only now wants to hold the ashes like they still belong to him.

And here’s the part that really fucking kills me: Yelena accepts it.

She’s not angry that he gave her to Dreykov. Not angry about the years of torment. No. She’s angry because he didn’t call. Because after pretending to care in Black Widow, he just disappeared again.

And that's even more devastating for her. Because she’s been hurt so many times, by so many people, that even Alexei’s bare minimum, his delayed, fumbled attempt at showing up, is enough for her. She’s been taught to expect nothing, and she’s learned to be grateful for scraps. She’ll take whatever little piece of warmth he offers, and call it love, because she doesn’t know what love without condition looks like.

He was never a father. Not in the way that matters. He was another person who broke her, who gave her away and never looked back. And now, he wants forgiveness. He wants to be seen as someone worthy of redemption.

But forgiveness without accountability is meaningless.

And Alexei? He still doesn’t understand what he did. Not really.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

In one of the HP analysis posts you mentioned that Draco doesn't have as much Slytherin in him as he wanted. Could you eleborate on that? Ty

Hi 👋

I think I mentioned most of it in the drarry post, but sure. I mentioned here how I usually go about sorting and thinking about who fits what house. And I will add the disclaimer that I'm not a Draco fan. I don't hate him, but I don't particularly like him either, so I am biased.

I always saw Draco as a character who was taught to value Slytherin house and its qualities. Who was taught that he should be cunning and ambitious. Who wants to be a Slytherin so bad, but just, isn't. Not really.

And the regular sorting questions I ask, kinda show him as someone who'd be sorted into Slytherin, but who isn't particularly ambitious or cunning.

1. Problem Solving - what is the go-to method of said character to solve problems in a situation that isn't a life-and-death threat. Both without a time limit and on a time crunch.

We don't see Draco problem-solve in a situation when he isn't in danger too much since his mission to kill Dumbledore came with the threat of death and torture looming over his head. But if we look at the sort of things he does to achieve his goals at school - bother Harry, for the most part, he has a clear pattern.

When Draco gets information/a situation he can use, and he uses it immediately. There is no waiting for opportune moments, no thinking ahead. It's all about immediate gratification.

We see it in how he sets up the fake duel, in how he bothers Harry over every Prophet article immediately after it's published. He isn't strategizing and coming up with good plans, he goes for the first thing he can, immediately.

He is bold, straightforward, impulsive, and employs zero cunning when problem-solving in a limited time (immediately). So he gets a Gryffindor point.

The dementor disguises at the Quidditch game in 3rd year, and the Potter Stinks badges, show the other method Draco has for problem-solving when he has more time — work his ass off.

It's kind of surprising that for all that he's spoilt, Draco is not lazy, on the contrary. I think he put a lot of effort into the Potter Stinks badges. He actually bought and charmed all of these badges just to annoy Harry. That's some hardworking dedication right there.

Basically, he's a Hufflepuff in the problem-solving when he has the time to work. He works hard and is surprisingly fair since he actually puts in all the effort. He works hard, not smart.

2. Problem-solving under threat of death - when the situation gets really dangerous, how do they deal with it?

When he is put under threat of death and torture, he tries to be Slytherin about his solutions. Sneaking around and slipping Dumbledore a poison is a Slytherin move. Buying a solution to your problem if you can, would be a Slytherin move.

If he could pull it off.

Draco's problem was that he wasn't clever or cunning enough to pull it off. He knew poison could kill a person, but he isn't a strategist. So he didn't come up with a good enough plan on how to get the poison to Dumbledore and it all fell apart. Same with the necklace.

His plans were so crap they harmed other people and he was lucky Dumbledore really wanted to keep him in the school.

The plan that finally did work for him, is the one Hufflepuff plan he had. He spent long hours working his ass off to fix the vanishing cabinet so someone else could help him. Getting help could fit all the houses (except Gryffindor) depending on the context, but the fact Draco didn't even foresee the Death Eaters attacking students and thought they'd only go after Dumbledore shows a lack of cunning on his part. His ability to work hard on something that seems futile is a Hufflepuff moment, and he makes it work.

He also lacks that Slytherin ruthlessness that even Harry possesses. Draco doesn't have what it takes to kill Dumbledore. And even when he's trying to save Harry, he can barely hold his lie together:

“Well, Draco?” said Lucius Malfoy. He sounded avid. “Is it? Is it Harry Potter?” “I can’t — I can’t be sure,” said Draco. He was keeping his distance from Greyback, and seemed as scared of looking at Harry as Harry was of looking at him.

(DH)

(He was also a bad liar when it came to lying about his arm being broken, this is consistent with his character and relevant to all his problem solving)

For the moment when he saves Hary's life (problem-solving under threat with a time crunch), I'll give him another Gryffindor point since it's bold and impulsive for sure.

3. What they aspire for - what do they want to accomplish for themselves. Be it an ambition towards a job or something they want to just be better at.

Draco doesn't have a solid ambition, as in, he doesn't have something specific he wishes to accomplish. I think he wants to be praised and be thought well of. He wants to make his parents proud and be admired by people in general — basically, Draco wants glory and recognition. Which could go either toward Slytherin or Gryffindor, so we'll give him a Slytherin point for ambition toward glory.

“Very good,” murmured Dumbledore. “So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you. ... A clever plan, a very clever plan ... and, as you say, right under my nose.” “Yeah,” said Malfoy, who bizarrely seemed to draw courage and comfort from Dumbledore’s praise.

(HBP)

He really doesn't really care where the praise comes from.

Though, I'd hardly call Draco Ambitious becouse these aforementioned goals, aren't really at the forefront of his mind when it comes to his choices and actions.

4. Motivations - why do they do the things they do? What gets them up in the morning?

As I mentioned above, I won't call Draco ambitious, because his ambitions rarely are what motivates him. Yes, he wants to be praised and admired by, well, everyone who's willing to say something nice, really, but it's not that he goes out of his way to pursue it. I mean, he peacocks around and brags about the stuff he has, but we don't really see him doing anything for the purpose of getting praise. Even in Potions, we don't see him raising his hand to get Snape's praise and attention like Hermione does. Draco's grades are probably good, but he doesn't go out of his way to be the teacher's favorite the way Hermione or Tom Riddle did. Sure, he loves the position of power of being a prefect, but he didn't exactly pursue it. He lost house points and got detentions, it's not that he has a perfect record.

Draco is mostly motivated by immediate satisfaction throughout the books (this changes post-DH, probably). And this makes sense. He is a rich brat, born to parents who probably gave him everything he always wanted. Hell, Lucius bought the whole Slytherin Quidditch team brooms for Draco. So it makes sense Draco acts for his immediate wants and what brings him joy/satisfaction in the moment.

Now, I'm actually not sure what house I would correspond with this behavior pattern, can go either Gryffindor or Slytherin, really. So, I'll add both points.

5. Defining trait - if you need to choose one trait to define them, what would it be?

This is a hard one. I don't feel like an expert on Draco's character, but I think I'd go with Hesitent.

Draco is cautious and weary. His self-preservation (especially in the early books) is his most Slytherin quality. But his hesitance goes beyond that.

He hesitates before killing Dumbledore, so Snape does the deed instead. He hesitates when fighting Harry in the bathroom because I don't believe Harry can say "Sectumsempra" faster than Draco can say "Crucio" unless Draco is pronouncing the spell as slowly as he can. he spends the entirety of Deathly Hallows in a state of indecisiveness. Not wanting to kill Harry, but then going with Crabbe and Goyle to capture him. He brags about being a Death Eater in HBP, but he spends the year crying in the bathroom. He speaks big game about violence, but probably went to throw up after being forced to torture Rowle.

I 100% believe that if Draco finished casting that Crucio on Harry, the spell wouldn't have hurt Harry at all because Draco didn't really mean it.

This hesitance actually is a Slytherin quality though. This desire to know what to do to get the best outcome so you're worried about making a move. That's Slytherin, so he gets the point.

6. Valued trait - if they had to pick their favorite trait about themselves, what would they pick?

I think, if Draco were to pick his best trait about himself, he'd probably say how clever he is, even though he's more book-smart and hardworking than cunning and clever in the Slytherin way. I think Draco is very wrong about his perception of himself throughout the books, and that at some point, post-DH, he'd figure himself out (he starts throughout DH).

But I will give this point to Slytherin since he really does value Slytherin cunning, even if he doesn't really possess it.

7. Values - what traits do they completely despise in others? What traits do they appreciate in others?

I think this one is another point to Hufflepuff, honestly.

There aren't many traits Draco really despises, I think, and if you ask him, he'd say something like: "oh, all these idiots who risk themselves for others, I mean, how stupid can you be,"

But we see him doing just that. Risking his own life for Harry and his parents. So, no, I think what Draco actually dislikes in people is shockingly the lack of empathy.

Draco is a very emotional and empathetic character. He hates causing pain or witnessing pain. He is surprisingly empathetic and is constantly stopping himself from being as empathetic as he actually is. He even warns Hermione in the World Cup in GoF (albeit in a mean and roundabout way, but still. If he really wanted her hurt, he wouldn't have told them to hurry along):

“Language, Weasley,” said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. “Hadn’t you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn’t like her spotted, would you?” He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them. “What’s that supposed to mean?” said Hermione defiantly. “Granger, they’re after Muggles,” said Malfoy. “D’you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around . . . they’re moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh.”

(GoF)

So, I think sadists who lack empathy like, say, Bellatrix, are the kind of people Draco actually dislikes the most.

8. And finally, which house do they want?

As I said in my previous house sorting post, the "what they want question" matters more about why they want a certain house and less about what house. Say, if they wanted Hufflepuff so they would appear more trustworthy, I'd send them to Slytherin.

Now, Draco wants to be a Slytherin so bad. He wants his parents to be proud so bad. Since, this desire is one born of an ambition, a goal he wants to pursue, and said goal is praise and glory, this point goes to Slytherin.

Tallying up the points:

G - 3, S - 5, H - 3, R - 0

When we tally it all up, he would clearly go to Slytherin, I can see why the hat placed him there. His sorting isn't a mistake, it is where he should go. And yet, he isn't particularly cunning, ambitious, ruthless, or resourceful. He is a Slytherin who isn't really a shining example of any of Slytherin house's traits.

[gffa]

TALES OF THE EMPIRE wound up being a mixed bag for me, there was a lot I enjoyed but there was a lot that just felt really unfulfilled. Morgan's episodes were very pretty to look at but I couldn't help thinking--the entire time I was watching, even--that Filoni's not great at creating new characters that can carry entire episodes like this, none of this felt particularly necessary or like it was fulfilling a void that I wanted to know more about. It doesn't help that I still think her arc in live action was badly handled, that if she was meant to be a Nightsister from the beginning, her first episode should have dealt with that, instead of springing it on us later, so when filling in the background of her on Dathomir in TOTE, it brings all that up for me again.

Morgan's first episode was so pretty and it was interesting to potentially get more Dathomir lore (even if it's incredibly thin and I felt it was too close to the "we see others suffering in the galaxy, but we don't want to get our own hands dirty by fighting for other people or getting involved in helping others, btw we're morally better for that :)" trope for me personally) but everything on Corvus just felt superfluous to me and I spent time trying to figure out why I felt that way. If they had done her story this way or that way, would I have enjoyed it more? If they had included this or that, would I have thought it more necessary?

And ultimately I just kept coming back to that I don't really care about Morgan Elsbeth enough that I wanted three animated shorts dedicated to her, when I could have had so many other characters get fleshed out better. I appreciated that they were showing two characters on opposite journeys, that Morgan was falling into the dark step by step, while Barriss was slowly clawing her way out of it, but that's about all that I appreciated of Morgan's story (other than the beautiful animation).

But I'm not sure I feel like Morgan's motivations were all that well planned out. It's clear that she's looking for revenge and trying to find a new family at the same time, but it's not really clear why she's working with the Empire or how she thinks this leads her to her goals. Grievous is the one who murdered her village, how does working with the Empire (as the Separatists were folded into the Empire, too) achieve that goal? Who or what is her revenge focused on? Is it that she just wants the whole galaxy to burn, because if her village burned, so should everyone else? I feel like that's probably what they were going for, but that it could have been more coherently written.

Barriss' episodes hit a lot harder, where I'm glad that she at least got an arc, but I feel like it just missed so many marks, like why even have Vader there, I'm all for gratuitous Anakin cameos, he's my trash can man and I'm always excited to see him, but absolutely nothing was done with him, despite that he was looking Barriss right in the face there. Not even a moment of showing the audience, "Oh, his soul is so far into the dark of fear, hate, and rage that he doesn't even care about her anymore." Just nothing there, like there was no connection at all. How do you go to the lengths of putting Vader in a scene with Barriss and then treat it like there's no history between her and Anakin??? So completely unsatisfying!

And then it's another series where other guest appearances would have made sense--Barriss has a whole unfinished story with Ahsoka and you don't include her here? I'm as tired of Filoni putting Ahsoka in everything as anyone else, but here it would have made sense and would have brought that relationship full circle on-screen, Barriss' betrayal of her and her clawing her way back to the light after all the trauma and hurt, there's so much she and Ahsoka would have between them. And then nothing.

Or Barriss' relationship with Luminara, TCW never really got into how that must have felt for Luminara, to have her student betray the Jedi so profoundly, for her to fall to the dark, there's such a well of potential there and it's just entirely ignored. She mentions Luminara once and it was a lovely mention, but there's no sense of resolution or completion to that arc.

I did enjoy her story with Lyn and I try not to compare what the show wanted to do with what I wanted the show to do, but I couldn't help it. During all those scenes, all I could think was that this could have been so much more powerful and complete if it had focus on Barriss' established relationships and characters I already care about, because a new random Inquisitor is just not going to hold the same weight for me as my pre-investment in Ahsoka and Luminara. (On the other hand, with the way they butchered Luminara in the last season of TCW, maybe I dodged a bullet!)

For all that negativity, though, I really loved that Barriss found herself in being a healer again, that she found the light again. That's all I've wanted for my girl!!!! (That and put a headdress on her, ffs.) I legitimately took in a hard breath when she said, "Then you have one more Jedi to deal with." because Barriss is still working through too much to fully come back to clarity re: the Jedi at that point , but when it really came down to it, when she really saw what the dark side really was, part of her still was a Jedi. And the way she spoke of her time as a Jedi, once she had a clearer, lighter head again, was sweet, I was so surprised that we got that much from her, but I'm so glad because, if nothing else, Barriss herself deserves to be in the light again.

The way she was settled into her own skin by the time she confronted Lyn on the icy planet, the way she genuinely wanted to help her, but wouldn't let her hurt innocent children, the way she could sidestep Lyn's predictable moves and could stop the blade with just a hand held out, she found her path and what she wanted to do, and oh it was so lovely to see Barriss finding herself again. I loved so much that her unshakable compassion did reach Lyn, it was such a satisfying arc for Barriss to reach that place after all the people she'd hurt. I loved so much that Barriss getting back to this place does a lot to remind us that her foundation is a compassionate one, even if she was lost to the dark for awhile.

I just wish that there had been acknowledgement of those she hurt, the people that died because of her, the betrayal she stabbed people in the back with, rather than just "sees the dark side is bad, walks away, finds the light again", which goes back to that this feels like a generic story that's mostly impactful because I'm filling in the gaps myself because I already know Barriss as a character, rather than that it continues the story that was previously told about her.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed it and I recognize that I'm being a little unfair in how I'm saying I wanted this, this, and this, rather than digesting what the show itself wanted to do, but when you're crafting two stories that are specifically about showing us the journey of two characters that originate elsewhere, you're drawing on the stories from those other origins--except TOTE decided to only halfway do that. There's a lot to love in these shorts, the animation was incredible, the voice work was incredible, Barriss' emotional journey was incredible and I'm so thankful that they even gave her any kind of compassionate resolution. But the specter of how much the shorts ignored hangs over it too heavily for me to say that they were anywhere near what they could have been imo.