#and i dont want to know what kind of relationship he has with his subordinate

[potahun]

i'm still thinking about this. like... is it just that kazami has a power to make furuya speak the truth when he asks? the only time it doesnt work is when furuya knows he owes kazami something (the something is: an apology) so instead of telling the truth he goes around it then, but otherwise i cant think of an instance where furuya hasnt answered kazami truthfully when he asked him a question directly?

isn't that kind of crazy considering furuya's character on the whole? like his cute subordinate asks him a question and suddenly mr triple agent super spy is like "let me explain"

?

I just love kazami asking questions away like "why are you going to the vet?" "do you have an appointment after this or...?" "what are you looking at?" "i found make up remover in your bathroom (why is it there?)" to furuya with no thought for whether it could be linked to a confidential mission that he's not privy to. it's in his space and scope of vision so he's gonna ask. if furuya didnt want him to ask maybe he shouldnt be having him in the "able to notice and to ask" vicinity

[lustlovehart]

Hi!! I have never requested anything before, so I really hope that I am doing this right!! So I have been thinking about Scaramouche and reader having a secret relationship. One day they are making out in his office (still kind of sfw) and just before it gets too steamy, a subordinate knocks on the door and they both have to act like nothing happened with flushed faces 🤭🤭

I really hope that you get what I mean😭 It would be very nice, if you accepted this request!!/nf Thank youu!!!!!!!!

A/n: Coincidentally enough, I actually had something in my wips with this same prompt. Also, I may have gone a biiitt away from the exact request, but I think I still kept most of what you wanted!!

Summary: Sometimes the two of you are too absorbed with eachother to notice what surrounds you.

Warnings: Extremely Suggestive but no explicit NSFW, marking, like one sentence of angst

People in the fatui talk, there is no doubt about that in your mind. They don’t exactly try to hide their whispers, nor do they try to to disguise their gossip. All they can truly do is protect what leaves their mouth with the thin barrier of their hand covering what they say. Though, there has been one topic of note that every fatuus has been spouting as of recently,

“Are any of the harbingers in a romantic relationship??”

"Not sure... They seem to be very focused on the work the Tsaritsa bestows upon them."

"You're right... Though, it would be interesting, dont you think?"

Your hand immediately slams onto the harbingers expensive wooden desk, an attempt to catch yourself before you fall onto the hard flooring. Your neck is bent toward the left, allowing the man in front of you easy accesses to the area.

"Kuni.... Could you not wait... Ha... Until you're off the job...?" Your fingers are intertwined with his violet strands, his own hands in turn roaming up and down your body, wrinkling your uniform.

His lips pop off your skin, the feeling of wet salvia being felt. You can't see it, but if you did you're sure it would be extremely noticeable.

"Why would I wait? We can just do it now."

The two of you are only meant to collect paperwork for an upcoming exchange with another fatui branch, you have no idea how this had came to be.

His left arm reachs to your bottom, hoisting you up onto the surface of the table, his other hand wiping any items on the top to the floor, loud clangs echoing through the room.

"Don't you need those? What if they're broken...?"

"Don't focus on that, pay attention to me. Besides, my budget is enough to cover it anyway."

Right, Fatui Harbinger... Rich. His fingers grip onto the back of your head pulling you into him as his mouth immediately connects to your own. You're sure you can feel literal static surrounding the two of you as your lips lock against on another.

To him, though his body might not be human, every feeling you give him is enough to make him feel truly alive. If he had the choice to choose between you and godhood, he's sure he wouldn't know what to pick.

It doesn't matter now though, if he has you, he's sure life for him won't be as pitiful as it once was.

When you try pulling away from the exchange his lips follow you like magnets, it's only when you push away with more force does he remember that you need air, unlike the vessel he holds with a limitless lung capacity.

Your forehead is rested against his as you pant, a thin line of saliva still connecting the two of you, the man's hands is still groping at whatever piece of skin he could reach, a laugh leaving his throat as he looks at the flustered state you're in.

"What? Couldn't keep up with me?"

"Be... Haa... Be quiet..."

"What was that? I'm gonna need you to speak up [Name], my mechanical ears can't hear you."

You were getting tired of his comments, immediately pulling him in for more while his finger rush to take your shirt uniform off you.

Once he had taken it off, he didn't seem to care where it landed, only throwing it somewhere random in the open space.

His hands creep up your legs, ready to undo whatever you were wearing down there as well.

Since you had only expected to grab some documents, it seemed the thought of locking the door had completely escaped you.

"My Lord! The Regrator is currently asking for you-"

Your hands immediately fly up to save any dignity you have left of yourself, Scaramouches arms doing best he can to cover your body.

"Out."

It seemed the soldier was in shock, as his eyes could only keep between the two completely embarrassed individuals, one of them being half naked.

"Did you not hear me? I said leave." You're sure the subordinate saw him in a horrifying light, but looking at him up close you could easily tell just how red his face is, even despite having no blood circulation.

"Of- Of course my lord! I will be waiting outside!" He immediately dashed through the door a loud slam bouncing off the walls.

When you look back at him as his fingers pinch the his nose bridge, an obvious agitated look spread across his face.

-----

"Were you not taught by your caretakers to knock on doors before you open them? No... Maybe they're just as incompetent as you are."

Though your clothes were haphazardly put back on, you still stood by the harbingers side as he demeaned the fatuus, smoothing out any wrinkles your uniform had.

"Forgive me my lord..."

To be honest, you wouldn't have gone with the man, if it weren't for the fact you're sure he would obliterate the soldier if you weren't there.

"So... Are you and [Name] together-?"

"Continue talking if you wanna be sent back home in a coffin."

Though harsh words keep leaving his esophagus, you can still notice the vibrant red spread around his face when he replies.

------

"Good job not electrocuting the guy Kuni."

"Who says I'm not gonna do It on another date?"

"If you don't we can pick up where we left off when we get to my house."

"Ha, if that's what you really want."

[starcurtain]

hihi sorry to rant in your inbox but i hate when people use aven's line about jade that says her kindness comes with a price to make their relationship seem worse than it is. while the ipc is. well. the ipc i dont thinl it would benefit her to harm him like theyre both stonehearts AND hes her subordinate. personally i think the price he mentions is like, testing him like she did in her social media post with the ores. it certainly would be less incongruous with her want to guide those that come after her..

I think that people really struggle with Jade. They took one look at her dommy mommy appearance and her status as one of the top three in the Stonehearts and they just want her to be unrepentant evil soooo bad.

Don't get me wrong, she is definitely a master manipulator and she definitely has a specific personal goal she's working toward using the IPC as her vehicle to do so. Her overall idea of creating an endless vortex of desires that can't ever be sufficiently met is very Voracity-coded and not really the kind of idea a very well-adjusted person would be espousing. We have no idea how loyal she really is to the IPC's goal of aiding Preservation against Destruction in the War of the Aeons.

But she's also, over and over again, been painted as having "True Neutral" moral alignment in-game. She's literally xxxHolic's Ichihara Yuuko with a bad case of capitalism: She always demands a price, but never asks more than is fair.

It's literally Fullmetal Alchemist's first law of alchemy: Human kind can not gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.

All of Jade's exchanges are equivalent and none of her customers enter into a bargain without understanding the price they are paying. In fact, she won't even let Firefly try to make a deal at all without doing her research in advance to truly realize the extent of what she is asking for. Jade is inherently an honest businesswoman.

The issue is that greed is all-encompassing. The ability to have any wish granted is a temptation that virtually no one can escape in the end.

Therefore, I think the best way to understand Jade is as the Honkai Star Rail equivalent of Mephistopheles. In the legend of Faust, the eponymous Dr. Faust longs for more in his life--he is endlessly pursuing knowledge and power, but has hit the limits of his own ability. He meets the devil, Mephistopheles, who agrees to enter into a pact with him: Mephistopheles will fulfill all Faust's wishes while Faust is still alive, but then Faust's soul will belong to the devil when he dies. The deal is fairly presented. The terms are not unclear: If Faust agrees to the bargain, he knows what will happen to his soul in the end.

Mephistopheles doesn't trick him or force his hand when it comes to this bargain. Faust could say no. He could resist. But he doesn't. He agrees, because human greed and pride are simply that overpowering. He thinks he's smarter than the devil; unlike the thousands of others who have come before and suffered damnation for their deals with the devil, Faust thinks he is different, better than others, more deserving... The actual temptation doesn't come from the devil. It comes from human hubris.

Like Mephistopheles, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, Jade merely presents the choice--it's humanity's endless desire that leads to the downfall.

It's a snake and an apple and a contract for a reasonnnnnn, Jade haters.

So, I don't think that Jade represents any danger to anyone who can resist temptation. Firefly walks away from Jade's exchange entirely unscathed. Trailblazer isn't pressed into surrender.

But Aventurine?

To be honest, I think his relationship with her is a bit more complicated.

Aventurine likes Jade. She did him a solid when he was at his lowest in life. His character stories make it clear that he views her as, essentially, someone "safe" in the IPC, unlike other Stonehearts.

But... I do agree that Aventurine approaches Jade more cautiously than he approaches others. And I think that probably stems from a couple of different factors:

Jade has positioned herself as Aventurine's "pseudo-mother," and Aventurine responds to her as if she, indeed, a mother figure he has to obey. He is more respectful of her than anyone else we see him interact with in the game--Diamond and Opal get called by name, but Jade is always "Ma'am." Which is very close to "Mama;" this is not an accidentttttt. When Jade disrupts his banter with Topaz, Aventurine immediately does as he is told, hands over his room card, and simmers down. Even in joking social media posts, when Jade asks Aventurine to do something (judge the uncut jade stones she sent him), he does it even when she rejects his high demand for profit sharing.

But:

2. Jade actually failed Aventurine's moral litmus test. From the beginning of his adulthood flashbacks, we see Aventurine explicitly troubled by the fact that his human dignity was denied and that a market value was assigned to his existence. And not even a high value. He was sold for pennies. It's the ultimate mortification, and we can tell it is still bothering him to this day because even "future" Aventurine brings up the sting of that bone-deep insult during Aventurine's long walk through Penacony. In response to the indignity, Kakavasha gave his original master a moral test: Kakavasha says that he'll go willingly into the hellscape of the death maze if his master will give him 30 copper Tanba, just half his market value. His master refuses, demonstrating that he does not view Kakavasha as a human being, worthy of any respect. By refusing this tiny, insignificant request, the master exhibits his utter moral depravity, from which there is no return. In response, Kakavasha ultimately kills him and takes the 30 copper coins he asked for (nothing more, nothing less) from his corpse.

When Kakavasha meets Jade, he then makes the exact same demand: He wants 30 copper coins and exactly 30 copper coins. At this point, it is very clear that--to Kakavasha--the coins are emblematic of his value as a human being. (I promise you, somewhere in his apartment right now are the 30 bloody coins he took from his master's cold corpse.) His freedom, his dignity, his worth... All of these things hinge on being able to acquire the original 60 Tanba coins. Thus, those who refuse his requests for the coins also symbolically refuse his request for basic respect, his request to be seen as an equal human being who deserves to not be reduced to mere pennies on a bill of sale.

And Jade refuses this request. She treats the demand for Tanbas like a paltry sum and instead ignores the specificity of the request to give a general "We'll give you riches beyond your imagine, more than you could have ever thought to want." But that isn't what he asked for. She stepped over the request he actually made in order to supplant her ideas, on her terms. Kakavasha made the tiniest, most easily completed request in the world, and in failing to actually just respect what he personally wished for, Jade demonstrated that she ultimately will not really respect him.

Just like his slave master, Aventurine represents a value on a page to Jade. For this reason, even if she extends pseudo-maternal behavior to Aventurine and he laps it up like a starved kitten drinks up milk, we see that he remains more cautious toward her than he does to any other female character in the game. Aventurine comes across as more comfortable talking to Acheron than he sounds when he talks to Jade... Because in failing the most basic and seemingly meaningless test, Jade revealed exactly to what extent Kakavasha can--and cannot--trust her.

Does Jade actually mean Aventurine any harm? No, I really don't think so, and you're right, those who claim that she does are really over-exaggerating Jade's negative traits, mostly because they've almost universally got a strong anti-IPC agenda and hate everything from the IPC except Aventurine on principle. Everything in Jade's character stories points to her honestly wanting to develop the hidden talents of others, to "polish" rough cut stones into true gems, and to see her fledglings thrive. Kakavasha is someone she picked up out of the dirt and dusted off. If he excels, that means her faith was well-placed, her judgment was correct, and her team as a whole excels.

It's exactly like a business owner who takes great pride in producing a fantastic product. Only when the product succeeds can the business itself succeed.

But business owners see their products as objects, not equals.

Jade is a fairly neutral figure and I think she wants to see Aventurine grow and achieve greatness. But at the end of the day, their relationship is very predicated on the notion of investment (Jade puts up the original capital to make Aventurine great, and he repays her faith in him by generating wealth for the IPC). It is clear she just can't be trusted to value Aventurine as a person above a means of profit--and Aventurine knows (and accepts) that too.

[ssahotchnerr]

Katie Hi hi hi!! I hope this isn’t weird, but I saw that on some of your asks when talking about songs, a few Lana Del Rey songs were mentioned, and I was like 😏😏.

And now I can’t get the song Burning Desire out of my head 😫😫and thinking about having a crush on Aaron and it gets so bad that he’s the first and last thing in your mind each day. He’s in your dreams haunting you, and it has gotten to the point where only the fantasy of his hands holding your hips down as he rails you into the mattress, with his lips near your ear you can hear his breathy grunts with each thrust, can send you careening over the edge, each time with his name leaving your lips in the darkness of your room.

But it’s not enough because if dream him is this good, real Aaron dick down must be a transcendent experience so you start to wear work clothes that may be a tad too tight hoping to catch his attention. You also go out of your way to do little nice things for him like bring him coffee, or snacks and take the time to chat about not work things with him, because first, it brings that smile that lights up his face because YOU did something for him, and secondly yeah you’re thirsty asf for him but also he deserves some softness and kindness 🥺🥺❤

BUT ANYWAYS BACK TO THIRST THO(ugh)TS. when the team goes out for drinks or whatever, you start to wear things that are a little scandalous and the girls are like “ma’am who are you trying to seduce” and you’re like “no one” as you just stare at Aaron real hard like embarrassingly hard and you can hear giggles from the girls as they are like “sure”. And, and, and, you know it’s not appropriate and he probably doesn’t feel the same way because he’s the stern boss and would probably frown upon boss/subordinate relationships!!!

BUT SURPRISE YOU'RE WRONG BECAUSE HE HAS NOTICED HOW YOUR STARES LINGER ON HIM, THE SUBTLE FLIRTING, THE BRINGING HIM THINGS AND DONT FORGET THE TIGHTER CLOTHES. At first, he is like 🤔🤔? And making sure he isn’t reading into things because he definitely doesn’t want that HR nightmare for either one of you (he drinks that respect women juice). But after a while, as your little subtle gestures become less subtle and he can clearly tell what you’re up to he is like well as long as you're okay with it 😏😏??

So after one of the team outings, as everyone is leaving, Aaron lingers behind with you and just compliments how pretty and fitting your outfit looked tonight (and on the other nights) And you’re like :) :) :)? Because did you hear him wrong? And he can see the confusion on your face and he is like I mean it :) the outfit is very flattering and he places a hand on your forearm giving it a little squeeze along with giving you the look™. And in your head you’re like I’m about to bust because those hands that you have dreamed of are on you and your brain is filled with unholy thoughts, but outside your like 👉👈 thank you I’ve been trying some new things out and I’m glad it’s working it seems?

And he just smiles at you with that fucking dimpled smile and is like ‘it is working, and I would like to see more of it.’ And then he just squeezes your arm again softly, gives you a little wink, and leaves you with your mouth hanging open. Because number one, your dreams about this man are about to be top tier tonight but number two, you might get that desire that’s been burning you up quenched sooner than later :)

Alright, I’m done I’m sorry for my long ’i want Hotch to dick me down’ ted talk🥴🥴🥴. Time to go lay down and think thirsty thoughts.

minors dni

PLEASE AH okay so you've always been attracted and drawn to him, ever since the day you met him, but you never really surrendered to it. like, it made sense, he's a man of authority and incredibly handsome - having a little puppy love crush on him seems only natural. so again, you really didn't think too much of it nor act upon it.

but then it's game over once you start dreaming about him 😵‍💫

you literally just can't look at him the same way anymore. like after your first sexy dream about him hehe >:) you avoid eye contact with him the whole following day because you're so flustered and you know if you look at him, the only thing you'll be able to picture is him pounding into you <3 hehe you're in a briefing, looking at anything and everything that isn't him, he notices and asks you if you're okay. you have no other choice but to look at him, your mind immediately flashes with memories from your dreams and you're blushing profusely. you just nod, keeping your mouth shut because you have no idea what'll accidentally escape you if you do open it.

but the more dreams you have, that changes the game completely hehe >:) he's your last thought before you fall asleep, your dreams are consumed by him, and he's on your mind the second you wake up in the morning. he's actually all consuming. so you start wearing those tighter clothes, going out of your way to do lil things for him like bring him coffee or make conversation, just anything to be near him because every part of you just needs him; so much longing it's actually painful. like there's a pit of emptiness in you constantly when you're not around him.

and while you think you're kindaaa being subtle throughout, aaron notices the way you look at him. he notices your eyes checking him out and all the lingering stares- especially the ones on his hands or lips <333333 he's always been attracted to you as well, so at first he's convinced he's looking too much into it based on his own personal feelings. but then one day you can't help but compliment the way he looks in his suit, and as you do so, you also can't help but bite your lip ever so slightly <333 and then he's like oh ;). maybe now he can actually pursue this further because he's not alone in this ;)

omg and when you're out to drinks with the team - imagine other guys trying to hit on you (!!!!!!) and aaron is sitting there silently fuming. his own reaction surprises himself, like seeing you with someone who's not him? sure he was never fond of the idea, but actually witnessing it?? that's the last straw right there and it needs to stop. he should be the one making you touching you, making you smile and laugh, and it's driving him crazy that he's not the one getting your attention. like at work, it's clear where your attention is hehe and he's gotten so used to it, so that's the way it should always be. heheh you play along and flirt back with the others, solely to get a reaction out of him and it works. as if his eyes haven't been on you all night, he can't pull his stare away from you and he's not trying very hard to be subtle about it either. so as you're leaving the bar for the night, you can basically feel his front against your back. he's crowding so close to you and it gives every part of you butterflies, especially when he leans in and tell you how flattering your clothes look on you, he can't pull his eyes off of you or maybe he just flat out says you've been driving him crazy all night >:)

at first you're like ??? questioning if this real life or one of your dreams?? but THEN he gives you that dimpled smile, followed by that look, and repeats himself and places his hand on the small of your lower back and you're like YUP this is definitely not a dream it's too way real 😵‍💫😵‍💫 heheh and it doesn't take very long for allllll those dreams to come true <3 and you thought right!!!! the real thing puts all your dreams to shame; it's so much better than anything you could've possibly imagined

also- i literally just associate EVERY lana song with him it's impossible not to 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 and ughghg everything you said was just PERFECT ugh longing and sexual tension with aaron <333 YES PLEASE WHERE DO I SIGN UP

[maschotch]

Will/Hotch

!!??

i have not really thought of this before? i'll do my best but its just not something ive thought about so its not something ive ever looked for

hmm. ahh. hmmm. i think it depends on where we are with jj? bc i dont think will would cheat on her, and i dont think hotch would fuck his subordinate's significant other (but like holy shit what a power move that would be aksjhdgl)

so. for the sake of this, lets just say will and jj are more like roommates? they want to stay together because they both want to be there for henry. and its not like they hate each other or anything: it just didnt work out and this way they can see other people without it being a problem.

ok so now that thats sorted.. hmm

its funny. ill give you that. but now that im thinking about it, its also sweeter than i initially expected. they're both kind and gentle and softspoken. slow to anger. understanding. and i think it would be sooo funny if the team started making fun of hotch bc his southern accent starts coming out now that he's spending so much time with will.

i do think itd be casual. intimate for sure, and maybe even meaningful, but its not something they're going to twist their lives around for. will has henry and hotch has jack and they dont really want to confuse their sons so they're good at keeping it professional and lowkey for playdates and stuff.

it really would be sweet like thats the only way i can think to describe it. we know will is good at coaxing jj into talking so she can decompress, so i think itd be interesting to see him do that with hotch. hotch doesnt really like to talk a lot and he doesnt like to open up about negative emotions or anything like that. so i think a relationship with will would be healthy for them in that regard. which is sweet.

[birdymuses]

[ It’s Hanazwa hours I guess. Under the cut is some unedited chat logs containing Teru HCs and meta, mostly for my own purposes and for beefier bio information, but feel free to peek if you like this little bastard ]

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

sometimes I think about Teru and I get sad

Beef — 04/01/2021

How so

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

Teru is underexplored in the way most shounen secondary characters are in that we see him at one extreme of a character arc and then another but we don’t get much info on how he gets to each point or what his journey is like since he’s not Protagonist-kun and shounen tends to omit emotional journeys that arent tied to a physical conflict.

We know from canon that Teru became a monster as a result of some deep insecurity that Shigeo could recognize in him, but that's all the detail we get about it, really. Still there's evidence of what may have gone down. Teru's biggest issue is that he's isolated--physically in that he lives alone at age 14 and socially in that Teru doesn't have friends. He does well in school and gets confessions from girls. He has admirers and could get a favor from just about anybody, but that doesn't mean much. Teru doesn't have friends. He has followers, he has admirers, he has lackeys and subordinates. That’s it.  

In that sense you start to see a picture of a person who puts himself on a pedestal as a show for everybody else. He can't befriend but he can intimidate, which are almost the same thing if you squint.  He can impress and win approval or at the very least obedience in these underhanded ways that give him what almost looks like having social support, but what are those relationships?  Instead of having 0 relationships he has a hundred little nothings that amount to jack shit emotionally and don't fill whatever hole is there in his heart. He doesn't know another way and I think that's profoundly sad.

we are all lonely, aren’t we?

Related: I wonder a lot about why he lives alone. I bet that's a sad story

Beef — 04/01/2021

100 little nothings and one Mobbu

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

My man is the definition of talking loud, not saying much

and to speak on the post-mobbu years, he does a complete 180 but you can still see those narcissistic tendencies shining through in his interactions with other characters from time to time. Hell, he saw one member of Claw and was like OH SHIT FREE WAR CRIMES!!  Like, he’s not as transformed as he is trying to be.

Shounen anime will almost never show you this but I think old habits die hard and the change that Teru wants to see in himself probably comes harder than you get to see in the show

Beef — 04/01/2021

And from what we know about his personality, he's probably good at pretending it isn't hard

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

Oh for sure. I could see Teru even now having a healthy amount of insecurity about that, especially with Shigeo there to compare himself to. He doesn't know how to operate like that.  He can't help that his first impulse is not to be as invariably self sacrificing as Shigeo is. It requires rebuilding ones entire mindset from the ground up to achieve something like that. You cant just have new thoughts on a used brain without a lot of time and effort. It doesn’t work like that.

there is a moment in canon that I think about a lot where Teru VERY OFFHANDEDLY mentions that he has nightmares about his fight with Shigeo and then never mentions it again

I think about that constantly

Beef — 04/01/2021

..........wonder which parts he has nightmares about

He went through some scary shit but he chose to put Mob through some scary shit too

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

Yeahhhh,,, like not only does he bear the weight of not being able to change so easily but also that of his past actions. The constant reminder of what he almost did to Shigeo, who is somebody he clearly values extremely highly. His only close friend if we're being honest.

And there’s some mental gymnastics he could do to justify himself but I scarcely see him considering it for even a second. Yes, Shigeo is scary when provoked but that pales in comparison that he could have easily killed somebody he now adores

isnt it horrifying that you could have kept being a monster at some point or another instead of realizing

I think about Teru a lot

Beef — 04/01/2021

I imagine the feeling of trying to crush someone's windpipe with your own hands is not a sensation you just forget

esp. for someone who's been violent before, but only from behind a psychokinetic distance

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

there are a number of extremely high quality fics that explore those concepts and its like finally somebody in a fandom fucking gets me

canon wont touch this kind of shit

but like you dont just go and have a whole moral event horizon without some shit to sort through

Beef — 04/01/2021

You're right but I'm also laughing at the idea of Teru speedrunning the kind of growth most people don't do in a lifetime and going "what like it's hard?"

RIP to every other normal human being but I'm different

wow, cool looking nut — 04/01/2021

KDJFHSKH i mean fair

Considering he CANONICALLY just sees other people doing psychic techniques he's never imagined and then perfects the in an afternoon

Give this man 15 minutes and a redbull and he’ll be back like a rotisserie shithead outdoing you at your own game. Teru is kind of a fucking genius and that goes largely understated for how often it is expressed in the canon lol

[samwritesforyou]

can the sinner get a happy ending?

Fandom: Code Geass

Summary: nunnally decides to clear lelouch’s name and lelouch - conveniently - around that time decides to visit his sister in disguise, because he just misses her so much. but what happens when he learns that people for some reason can’t remember him as a bloody emperor?

A/N: this fic is turning out to be longer than 15k already, so i will post only one part here, as of.. a “prologue”, or just a feel for you to what this story might bring with it. the rest i will upload on ao3! im really proud of this work :D enjoy!

also... im finally coming back to my favourite formatting of this “description” part for the fics, finally :D its been a mess last four fics, sorry! also sorry to everyone who doest follow me for code geass content, i will write different things too, dont worry!

Warnings: mention of a panic attack, no serious proof-reading

Wordcount: 4k (Prologue)

“Nunnally, I do not agree with this,” Suzaku said firmly, looking the empress straight in the eye, brows furrowed together.

“Suzaku-kun, I understand why you’re upset, but this will not harm the people in any capacity. I do this for my brother,” she stated just as strongly, not daring to shift her gaze elsewhere from his emerald pearls.

“But that doesn’t matter, using this power is just wrong!” he was almost yelling now, clutching his hand in the fist.

Whenever someone was talking about geass or even thought about using it, he always had severe reaction to that topic, probably due to all the trauma and suffering that it caused.

Kururugi has never had a fight with Nunnally yet, they had a calm relationship full of mutual love and trust. Despite her being Lelouch’s sister, she was never like him in any sense. And Suzaku feared the day once he’ll start to see the similarities. Despite loving his friend beyond any measure, his actions and thinking was oftentimes just.. extreme, to say the least. Extreme and dangerous, he was never supposed to gain the power he got ahold of. That’s what was going through Japanese’s mind as they were arguing with Nunnally.

She looked at him wide eyed and he could almost be able to see how the wall of trust they’d built together cracked ever so lightly, as the young empress lowered her gaze and sighed.

“Zero, this is an order. Tell Lloyd to have it ready by tomorrow,” there was such unfamiliar coldness in her tone that it made Suzaku stop in his tracks as she turned around in the wheelchair and started to drive away from him.

It was unfamiliar from her, yet.. so familiar from Lelouch.

There was hardly a day when he didn’t think of him. Either cursing him or praying to him to come back.

He didn’t wear a mask right now, because they were talking in the empress’ private rooms where no servants had access to, so he could be himself around here, yet.. yet she addressed him as Zero.

Suzaku’s green eyes shifted slowly, now looking at his feet.

He was clothed in the purple costume with gold lines, purple gloves and a white puff scarf tucked into the shirt. He hated it. He hated all of it. Every single fibre. 

He fell to his knees, breath catching in his throat and he felt the familiar dizziness coming into motion.

He was having a panic attack.

It wasn’t anything new to him and Suzaku found out that the best way to fight it is to let it flow. Let it consume him and shiver uncontrollably, salty tears falling from his eyes onto the red carpet as he bowed his head to the floor.

He was alone possibly in the whole floor so there would be no one watching. No one acknowledging how much pain this human being has to endure, when his only wish is to die.. and when he can’t possibly even do that.

When he finally felt the convulsions stop and dizziness drifted away he sat up on the ground, lifting a hand to his face with a sigh that echoed through the richly decorated halls.

“What a fucking day,” man whispered to himself, slowly getting up and taking the mask of Zero, putting it on, feeling the material close surely around his head so no one could possible guess his true identity anymore.

The stare that nobody could see was deprived of any emotion. Now he was just a faceless person with a mission from the empress.

He went straight to Lloyd’s engineering wing, passing the painting of himself in the white suit as the pilot of the Lancelot, a piece of black cloth at the side of the golden frame, meaning that he’s still being mourned by the genius technician.

“Nunnally vi Britannia demands for the device to be ready by tomorrow,” he said sternly, never adjusting his cape as Lelouch always did - a waste of time and a touch that’s soaked with pretentiousness.

“Of course, Zero, your wish is my command! It’s almost ready anyways,” engineer answered, sitting alone by the table where he continued to work on some cables and connections to various pieces of metal.

He was offered to gain at least a dozen of good workers that could help him in his experiments but earl declined, saying that there’s nothing much to invent without his beautiful pilot and no grandiose war going on between Britannia and Japan anymore.

Suzaku just curtly nodded at that, staying watching him for a moment longer than necessary, just wishing he could reveal to him who he really is and that his pilot is still alive and well and could try some of his new knightmares if he ever makes some.

“Lloyd-san, it’s break time!” suddenly rung a high pitched voice through the empty working space as Cecile came closer to both of them with a little tray rattling with silverware and some food on the surface.

“Oh, Zero, I didn’t notice you come in,” she said sheepishly and smiled, pulling the tray towards him a little in an offering.

“Don’t you want to stay and have lunch with us?” she asked in her sweet voice, the one she uses when she wants to make the good impression, but Suzaku just sighed.

These two were the only people who didn’t really judge him. Even when they didn’t know his true identity, it almost seemed like they were friends like they were before. He liked spending time here, but possibly couldn’t keep them company in eating, since.. he couldn’t really take off his helmet.

“Cecile-san, you know that I mustn’t reveal my identity, hence I can’t keep you company at lunch. Only if I sat by the table without taking a single bite,” he said, a soft smile finally breaking to his lips, making the corners of his mouth go up just a little bit.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, finally realising why this offer wouldn’t work out, but then she said “oh” again and quickly made a beeline towards the main doors, locking them.

“But what if! I locked the main entrance so nobody could come in while we’re eating,” she started enthusiastically and then made another small run towards the light switch, looking with hope at her boss and then the masked man, “and we would also eat in pitch darkness, so you could finally enjoy something with acquaintances, like a normal person?” she smiled and then blinked comically, correcting herself and laughing nervously, “I’m not saying that you’re not normal, of course, I’m just. I realise that it must be hard to be wearing a mask all the time, mustn’t it?” she finished carefully, biting her lower lip.

“Cecile-kun, you’re making Zero intrigued, I think!” Lloyd barked a loud laugh, looking over at his ex-subordinate, “What do you say, Zero? I promise you no peeking!” he teased and got closer to him, wiggling his brows.

Suzaku couldn’t help himself but felt his smile growing wider at that suggestion. There really was no risk, right?

Did Cecile want to try it for a while now? Because it seems like a thought of plan, after all.

*If I keep shielding myself from others I might as well go insane sooner or later.. What’s the harm in one, pitch black lunch, right?..*

Suzaku thought to himself and then nodded.

“Okay, why not?” he said, making Cecile excitedly jump in the air and Lloyd lean deeper into his chair with a pleased hum.

“Alright! On the count of three I’ll turn off the lights and then.. hopefully make it to you guys without any problem!” she explained and on the count of three she really turned off the lights.

Suzaku wasn’t rushing in taking off his helmet, at first waiting for Cecile to make it safely to their little table. It.. was really dark. 

“Cecile-san, please be careful,” he said, now being kind of nervous for his friend.

“I’m okayyy!” in the end of the sentence she yelped, because her outstretched arm collided with Zero’s mask, making a low thud, “I.. suppose I made it to the table, right?” she laughed and Suzaku gave out a chuckle as well, carefully putting her hand aside, so she could find the chair to sit on in this ridiculous darkness.

“Okay, so.. I’ll just warn you that I won’t be speaking while we’re eating, because I have a voice modifier inside that distorts my original voice,” Kururugi explained carefully, waiting for their reactions.

“Ahhh, so you can’t be tracked even by voice recognition, that’s very smart!” mused Lloyd, already, what it seemed, with a mouthful of food, “Or you’re someone who we know, so you don’t want to be recognised! But that’s less probable than the first point,” he concluded to himself, now apparently drinking something.

“I won’t comment on that, Lloyd-san,” Suzaku said and then sighed, “Itadakimasu.”

And with that, the only sound in the room despite the munching on the food was the noise of Zero’s mask unzipping and being put near him on the ground.

Japanese inhaled sharply, filling his chest with some fresh air, even though they were inside.

He finally scratched his nose and then rubbed his eyes, using all of the time he has without a mask. Being without it in public was a really rare occasion, so he felt ecstatic, thinking that.. maybe one day his life might get better.

Once he took a big bite of some veggie balls that were on the plate in front of him, he already wanted to say how delicious it is, especially compared to first things she ever cooked for them, but then stopped himself, instead just gulping down the food.

He noticed that the other two were silent as well, probably honouring the fact that one of this trio cannot talk. How nice of them, truly.

During the whole process he was careful of sounds to be able to in time put a mask back on if needed, but nothing really happened. He only heard some clicking, as if someone was taking glasses on and off two times, but other than that, nothing. It was probably Lloyd messing around anyways.

He sighed with relief when he finished, reluctant to put the mask back on. Despite of being in the dark for so long, his eyes didn’t adjust and he still couldn’t see anything, probably because the place was really devoid of all light at the moment.

Then he shook his head to himself, thinking that revealing his identity would be too risky at the current situation, so he put the mack back on, making a clicking sound in the dark.

“I’ll turn the light back on,” Suzaku said and luckily didn’t collide with anything on his way there.

Once the light was back on, the trio grunted in unison, their eyes certainly not being able to absorb this all at once.

He didn’t sit back down to the portable table but just stood next to it, looking at Cecile.

“Thank you for the meal, it was very delicious,” he said, smiling at her.

“I’m glad it was,” when she lifted her dark blue eyes at him, it looked like she’s been crying, so he got instantly worried.

“Are you okay?!” he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I am, thank you, it’s just the sudden light,” she laughed weakly in response, placing her gentle palm on top of his hand, squeezing a little.

Suzaku then pulled away and nodded, still with a warm aftertaste of being treated like an actual friend or an acquaintance.

“I’ll get going then. See you tomorrow, Lloyd-san,” Zero turned away on his heels and made his way from the engineering lab.

“Cecile-kun, the tears weren’t from the lighting, were they?” once they were alone, Lloyd looked at her with a pleased grin, swiftly putting his hand into her pocket and taking night vision glasses out of there, waving them in the air in front of her, “Who is he?”

“I’m sorry, Lloyd-san, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you,” she said with a warm smile, a single tear falling down her cheek, “but he is a good person. We can definitely trust him.”

.

.

Life went at significantly slower pace in the countryside than in the city. Nobody was busy.. there actually was *nobody*. Only him and C.C.

The perfect solitude life for two sinners who wanted to make their wishes come true.

Lelouch was just in the middle of harvesting some plants from their little farm, taking breaks every so often because his physique didn’t improve even in conditions like this.

The strew hat oh his head protected him from the angry sun that was shining though the eternity of summer in these lands.

“C.C., can you please get me a container for these? I think it’s better to grow them inside, they’re dying out there on all this heat,” ex-emperor barged into their house with two plants in his hands, taken out of the ground with the roots, waiting for help from the green haired companion he had by his side.

“Uh-huh, sure,” she put away the knitting equipment and lowered her bare legs from the table she was resting on, getting up to her feet, making a beeline for the back room, where the junk of all sorts was stored. For situations like this.

She looked around the whole room, noticing old Zero suit just hanging by the wall, some markers and scissors peeking out of the pockets. She sighed and lowered her olive eyes, finally finding what her partner has asked her for.

With two brown-ish pots in hands she went back and put them on the floor in from of the skinny man, returning to the back room once again to get some fresh soil for the poor plants.

Then she came back for the second time, plopping next to the bag with terra, tearing it open and pouring the soil into the pots.

Lelouch was looking at her this whole time, as if exploring every millimetre of her pale skin. He did it often now. Paying more attention to the details and that made him even the better deduction master than he’s been before.

Sherlock Holmes was onto something, truly.

He could now finally put the plants into their new home now, patting the ground with his elegant fingers, making sure they’re steady in it. 

Then he placed them next to the dining table and wanted to go out again.

“Lelouch,” simply said C.C., taking her knitting needles in hands alongside the purple yarn which for the most part was being dragged behind her as she followed him outside.

“Hm?” was the only answer she got, as Lelouch continued taking care of the garden, completely immersed in the activity.

Or maybe his mind was thousand miles away..

“I miss you,” she stated, still knitting, kind of furiously, even though her face was unchanging.

“What? I’m right here,” he chuckled, his hands firmly in the ground, making sure that the plants have enough space to grow and expand.

“No. The old you, the one who was always in motion, who didn’t let life stop him, the one who made me feel like life is a game worth winning,” she said, her hands slowing down in the tempo of her activity, “I feel like you’re losing yourself too.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment after that, working like some gardener, brows furrowed together.

“But we won, C.C. This might not be the life that you nor I want to live, but that’s a small price to pay for the world to stay in peace, don’t you think?” he finally met her eyes, lifting his amethysts from the greenery.

“What about Nunnally? Don’t you wanna see her?” there was no hesitation in her voice as the man got up from his knees and pointed a finger at her in a warning manner.

“I told you to never say her name aloud..” he whispered, no signs of anger on his face, only sadness pooling in his dark, beautiful eyes.

“So you just want to forget her? Or what? What’s your plan?” she stood on her tiptoes now to get closer to his face, talking in the same semi-whispering way, not willing to step down.

This kind of rivalry was the thing that kept these two going in the most dire times when they just wanted to fuck it all and return to the old swing of things.

“I have no plan,” said Lelouch so closely to her lips that at some point of his phrase they touched and he then pulled away, making his way back to the house.

“Hm. What a sore loser,” she mused with a smile on her face, following him and plopping herself on the couch, knitting away.

For the rest of the day they didn’t exchange a single word.

.

.

Suzaku was dreading today. The day started already badly from the beginning. 

He woke up with a headache and outside was pouring rain, attacking large windows in his private rooms, sound echoing through the space that lacked furniture.

Despite having amazing athletic skills, the curly haired boy was still very skinny for his height and his depression often made him feel like he doesn’t even need or deserve to eat anything.

He sat on the bed, white shirt loose on his shoulders, shuddering to himself.

It was so dark. And lonely. Everyday was the same. Lonely, lonely, lonely. Alone. Echo drifting through the void of his existence, springing off the rich, gold decorated walls which mean absolutely nothing to him.

He hated to reside in the royal palace but he would hate even more to be somewhere alone.

Here he at least has Nunnally... someone who knows completely and unconditionally who he is.

His first plan of action each morning is to wake her up, let her dress and then go together to the dining hall and have breakfast. Only after that they would proceed to go on official side of the business.

When he came to her room and saw an empty bed his heart sunk uncomfortably fast and Kururugi rushed to it, seeing a note neatly folded on the sheets.

*I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand, but I will be in my office earlier today. Have something to eat and then bring me the finalised Product. We’ll hold the ceremony in the evening.” 

It said and he slowly slid his fingers over the letters, face growing grim. 

The product.. she meant the geass button. His stomach curled up and he started to feel nauseous.

If any doctor would see Suzaku right now, they would probably tell him to take a vacation at least for a month and rest for the eternity of it.

There was no professional to stop him, though, so he just stepped hard on all of his emotions, knitting his brows together, putting the Zero mask on.

He marched from the private empress wing and saw quite a lot of commotion, probably because of the speech that Nunally will be giving later.

A lot of people started coming up to him, saying “Zero please do this and that” and Kururugi just waved them all away, for once without any capacity left to feel guilty that he can’t help with preparations.

Soon enough young man found himself in the technician part of the palace where everything was more silent. Way easier to bear the silence here than in his room, he noticed.

“Ah, Zero, welcome!” mused Lloyd, greeting his with open arms, “Everything is ready! Still don’t understand why would the empress need such a device that never brought nothing good but I guess it is not my business to ask, am I right?” he smirked and looked at the masked person, hands on hips.

“It indeed isn’t,” said Suzaku in the low tone, just being fed up with this day. He’d much rather take off his mask and tell the whole world that his death was a lie instead of even touching the device that can inflict such a power. Power that he despises.

But he can’t do that. He can’t do that because he is a slave. He always will be. Lelouch was right. He just lets people to spit on him over and over, in the end not changing a single thing in the grand scheme of things.

Suzaku wasn’t the greatest politician, despite his dad rooting heavily in politics, and so japanese were actually still being oppressed. He just didn’t know how to solve it. He wasn’t as great of a leader as Lelouch was, as the real Zero was. 

He’s just a mere replacement that can’t even do his job right. 

So he will take the geass button that Nunnally requested from his friend that doesn’t even know who he is, he will ignore Cecile-san as she comes in just seconds before he leaves and waves enthusiastically at him, he will continue in his heavy steps all the way to the palace, he will shrug off every single interviewer that wants to have a discussion with Zero, leader of a nation, he will knock on empress’ office where she is ready for the speech to give to the whole population. And he will bow down before her, getting on one knee, giving her the power he hates. She will just curtly nod at him and then put the device carefully in her lap, just out of reach of the camera. He will stand beside her as Zero, and there will be silence before the broadcast.

He is just a servant. Merely that.

“Nunnally,” he said, devoid of any emotion left, “you still won’t tell me which order are you going to give?” he was looking straight into the tv screen in front of them, as the countdown showed still two minutes left before the beginning of the stream.

“No,” she said seriously, looking at the same direction, tensing up.

“So it will work on me and I won’t even know, huh,” his tone was now softer and quieter, accepting the fact that his most loved person alive is essentially doing what he hated the most.

“No. I got that checked up, Suzaku,” in her voice could be heard a small smile, probably a sad one, as she continued “Apparently the order that my brother gave you was so powerful that you’re immune to any different type of geass,” she said with a deep sigh, “so you’ll hear it and won’t be affected. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

He couldn’t answer her anything on that because the timer was already up and the political duo went live to the millions of people that were watching, all around the globe.

The topic of the speech was supposed to be about more liberation rights for Japan, so that created a lot of so-called “hype” amongst the citizens, britannians as well as japanese. The maximum amount of people were watching and they will all obey the empress. That was the plan.

“Nunnally vi Britannia commands you,” with hearing these words Suzaku got goosebumps, his hands squeezing the handles of her wheelchair as much as he could to prevent himself from doing anything that he might regret later, “please, everyone who is watching this or hearing this, forget about the fact that the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire was Lelouch vi Britannia. From now on, you will all remember him as just a person without a face, someone who wanted to rule the entire world, but it wasn’t him. It wasn’t Lelouch,” she said, after pressing the button.

Even a normal person could feel a literal surge of some energy coming out of the room they were in and Suzaku widened his eyes as he heard the order.

His mouth hung open as he was trying to make sense of what she just said.

Nunnally cleared Lelouch’s name. 

Nunnally... cleared Lelouch’s name. 

Kururugi couldn’t focus on anything that the empress proceeded to talk about after that, staring blankly at the wall and for the first time he was genuinely glad that he was wearing a mask, so that nobody could see his shocked expression.

A/N: this fic can be now found on ao3! i wont be updating it here on tumblr because that would be just too many chapters and that's just... too much work fdsjfjsf

[fruitytrollroll]

In you fanfic The part where it says " The three of them had always occupied a liminal space in their relationships with each other, in a constant state of metamorphosis" I wasn't sure what it meant exactly and now that I listened to your Spotify playlist I'm even more unsure Please help my poor confused brain

of course my little tadpole!! and thank you for reading! ;) i’ll do my best to explain what i was getting at with that!

basically, mod frogs dont have “friends”. at best they have alliances of convenience and mutually beneficial arrangements, and at worst, bitter rivals with whom they compete for benefits/accolades/promotions. their entire culture seems to revolve around white collar business practices, which must have given them a lot of baggage about how they navigate relationships, and which i’ve decided to take to its logical extremes.

we clearly see that jamack doesn’t understand how to receive kipo’s gestures of friendship and kindness. “who keeps promises?” “on the surface you have to be selfish”, etc. he also insists that he’s not WORRIED about kipo when dave brings her to brunchington, couches his concern in terms of, basically, protecting an investment (it’s not feelings it’s BUSINESS he SWEARS). jamack HATES emotional vulnerability, even as he’s coming to acknowledge it in himself and act on it by protecting kipo.

this bodes pretty ill for jamack ever having had an unconditionally positive relationship in his life!

my hc is that harris, kwat and jamack have known each other since they were tadpoles. harris mentions jamack being “a loser since he was a tadpole”, which could just mean he was Aware of jamack and didn’t talk to him? but harris is a RED-EYED TREE FROG, the ONLY mod frog of that species we see! and considering how much mod frogs prize conformity in appearance, i think we can safely extrapolate that harris was ALSO a loser: ergo, they were losers TOGETHER.

kwat was probably there too, inexplicably fond of the behavioral outcast jamack and the wrong-species outcast harris.

growing up together puts them in a position to become as emotionally close as three mod frogs CAN be, but rather than being “friends” -- an arrangement which comes with a lot of vulnerability, and which is probably wildly stigmatized by mod frog culture besides -- they had to navigate their positive feelings for each other within the boundaries of the society they knew.

in episodes 1 and 2 of S1, we see jamack is functionally in charge of kwat and harris, though he calls them “colleagues” instead of “subordinates” (not sure what that’s about but i do find it interesting -- a holdover from when he wasn’t in charge of them? just how his Particular supervisory role works?). we also see harris be the most vocal dissenter of jamack’s decisions, doubting him and questioning his leadership. jamack gets nasty about it, too, insulting harris’s tie and his credentials as a mod frog -- so we know harris’s insubordination really bothers jamack.

maybe jamack is just insecure and doesn’t like his authority questioned! or maybe... they have unresolved emotional baggage :eyes:!! imo jamack got promoted over harris and kwat, and harris was bitter about it!

by comparison, kwat is less insubordinate when she’s working under jamack, but she also mocks jamack when she and harris are pursuing him in S1E9, which says to me she had some hard feelings of her own between them. kwat is the bruiser and the quiet type, and maybe is better at keeping her feelings under wraps when it’s not beneficial to her to voice them -- overall kwat has the brain cell between the three of them, but she’s not innocent of leaning into the adversarial competitiveness, either.

to sum up, they’ve had good times and chill times but they’ve competed, too, and been pitted against each other in order to succeed in their buttoned-up, emotionally repressed business culture. jamack in particular is DESPERATE for their boss’s regard, and him pursuing the praise of his superiors stands to be another behavioral pattern which contributed to harris and kwat drifting from jamack. remember when harris wanted to go home and call it a day in S1E2? jamack’s ambition separates him from kwat and harris. i think jamack may have been at fault for their most recent falling out, and possibly MOST of their fallings out, because of that.

basically corporate horseshit has torn them apart and thrown them together over and over again until their entire relationship became a mess of fond and neutral times spoiled by grudges and resentment. their relationships have always been changing because they’ve never had a framework to understand the concept of friendship and just. Settle Into It Comfortably? every positive feeling they had for each other either had to be 1) justified as good business practices or 2) violently repressed until, maybe, they lashed out at each other?

anyway thanks for coming to my TED talk! i hope that makes things a little clearer, but maybe they’re just more convoluted now. :’)

importantly, most of these ideas i hashed out in talks with @mossiestpiglet and @t-i-g-g-s before S2, fabricating elaborate backstories for kwat and harris and theorizing on mod frog culture, so!! credit where it’s due!! i couldn’t have become emotionally invested in these minor frog characters PROPERLY without u, lads! ;v;

[gayroytheory]

why dont you like 2003 roy lol

what’s NOT to dislike!!!!

the thing about roy mustang is that he’s a terrible person who has done unforgiveable things, and so he does not SEEK forgiveness or redemption. he simply seeks to repair the damage he has done, and then to die. but 03 roy is SO open about his guilt! there’s literally a scene where he tries to kill himself because he feels so guilty! that’s not in line with roy’s character at all. like yeah obviously he feels guilty about the shit he’s done, otherwise he wouldn’t have developed a 500 step plan to install democracy and get himself executed, but his guilt is IRRELEVANT. you think the people he killed care if he feels bad about it? no!!! and he knows that

roy is the kind of person who considers feeling sad or guilty or whatever a waste of time. you see it with hughes’ murder - roy doesn’t waste time grieving, he goes straight from the funeral into obsession over solving the case. he springs into action and neglects his own feelings, which isn’t always great, but it is logical in his eyes. roy would never try to kill himself over his guilt. he is saving his death for when it will serve a purpose & set an example

also like…03 roy doesnt even feel guilty about the RIGHT THING. this is a man who has killed thousands of innocent people, aided in a GENOCIDE, and yet the thing that really tears him up is the time he killed 2 nice amestrian doctors. like WHAT??? WHAT????? electric chair!!

moving on from that:

the thing that makes characters interesting is their relationships with other people, and 03 roy’s relationships are either nonexistent or a cheap imitation of mangahood roy’s relationships

roy as a character doesn’t make sense without riza there to balance him out & to provide context for Why He Is Like That, and vice versa, but 03 riza barely even exists. she does not have the tattoo, did not give him the secrets of flame alchemy, does not feel responsible for his atrocities, and is not his childhood friend! for all we know, they met two years ago and she just works for him cuz she’s a masochist who needs a paycheck. without his long and complex history with riza, roy is a completely different character.

his relationship with his team in 03 is a travesty; in mangahood, his team is always ragging on him, and he encourages it! it makes for a more equal relationship, and the fact that they do it in the first place is a sign that they are comfortable with him, and that they trust him. no other commanding officer would EVER let that shit fly, but roy does, cuz he doesn’t want them to be scared of him. it makes them a real team rather than Mustang’s Subordinates.

in 03, HE’S the one ragging on his team. he punches down, so there’s no warmth between them. they don’t trust him, cuz he’s never vulnerable or friendly with them. they obey him cuz he’s their CO but it’s not the comraderie they’re supposed to have

and ED. god.

roy’s relationship with ed is no longer affectionate ribbing but straight up cruelty. a scene that will always stick with me is the part when he comes back to east city after his first meeting with the elrics - the bit where he’s mocking ed, like “it hurt so bad, i almost peed my pants!” BRO WHAT? this is an eleven year old double amputee, freshly traumatized, and you’re gossiping to your adult friends about how much of a wimp he is?

there’s no reluctant friendship between the two of them, there’s no big brother/annoying uncle energy. he’s just mean to ed and ed rightfully hates him

its just like….even if you dont like roy you gotta admit he’s very well written. he’s a really cool & complex morally grey character but 03 took all the parts of roy that make him ROY and threw them in the trash and it makes me angry

[houseki-no-suffering]

Pssst.... gush about some thing you’ve wanted to for so long but haven’t found the ask to do so! I really like reading your metas or off-the-wall posts.

aw ty!

mmmh usually i just crank out a random meta when i feel like it, which i havent had the energy to do in a while. so have a lot of hcs about gem language, gem society and how it resembles a totalitarian system cause why not, this is already a dystopia. 

goes from cute to shady real quick, have fun

Gem Vocabulary

gems have no gender, they dont age, they dont reproduce. the whole vocabulary about relationships, aging and sex must be completely different in gem language. they probably lack a lot of words we commonly use, and have unique words for things we dont have (like winter duty, patrol duty... i wouldnt be surprised if gem language had unique grammatical features for those)

this is one of the reasons why its so unfair of aechmea to call cairn ‘wife’ and ‘princess.’ the gems have no concept of wife-ness, we dont know if a gem equivalent of marriage exists, but its definitely much, much different from what the lunarians (and us) perceive as one.

do gems have anything akin coming of age? this could be weird bc gems can potentially live forever, but they can also be abducted by the lunarians at any time, so who’s to say how long a lustrous will live? how do you calculate being ‘of age’? is it by calculating the average life-span of a gem? 

how do they measure time and seasons? we know they have winter and summer and phos mentions ‘spring’ in chapter 20, but what about months and lunar phases? do they have words for that or are months just too small a timeframe for the immortal lustrous to utilize? how do they measure time? in hours and seconds? weeks? different units altogether?

Gem Relationships

similarly, gem relationships are codified in a completely different way. we know they have a concept of romance bc dia ships phos and shinsha and makes comments here and there about other gems being in love. 

at the same time, the relationships btw alexandrite and chrysoberyl, padpa and rutile, ghost/cairn and lapis etc are little different from ‘pure’ sibling/sibling relationships or senpai/kohai relationships.

this is not to say that they’re all romantic in nature, but the way they’re codified in canon (especially in the way the characters grief for their partner) makes me think that even if the gems have no blood/physical kinship with one another they have a very articulated system of establishing family bonds.

dia and bort are clearly siblings, but the same can’t be said, for example, for rutile and padpa, even if they were partners and even if they display a similar junior/senior relationship. this means that relationships are predicated on something else in hnk, and kinship, family and romance are all codified in a different way.

think of vulcans in star trek: physical contact such as two fingers touching, holding hands and kissing is unknown of (save for very specific circumstances). and vulcan people have a completely different way of expressing intimacy and romance than humans. 

this makes me think: just how many canonically romantic relationships are there in hnk (if any) that we’re simply unaware of bc the way gems codify and express romance is so different from ours? is romance even common? rare? perceived as weird? useless? 

what about other relationships? the gems use ‘little brother/ older brother’ but what if this is just japanese approximations? what kind of relationships can lustrous language really express and how different are they from ours?

Imagination

as @ruddy-rutile​ pointed out some time ago, the gems lack a concept of fantasy. thats why i posted that panel about alex’s original lunarian designs. sure, it’s funny, but it also makes you think: these gems are not raised to think outside the box and they can do it without being told so only under exceptional circumstances.

of the vast library of texts that ghost (and lapis) used to take care of, just how many are novels and fiction? none of them? a small amount? a decent amount? in a society thats as focused on practicality, efficiency and conservatism as the lustrous’, how is fiction perceived if perceived at all? 

is there art? red beryl’s craft comes very close to art when they express their feelings about ‘fashion for fashion’s sake,’ but it’s an exception that the other gems find hard to grasp.

phos is often told to stop fantasizing about the world and get things done, the only tale we know the gems are told is the actual story of how their world came to be. the gems always talk about real things, stuff that happened, and make and do things that have a practical use. 

even bort’s jellyfish diary is just made up of a recollection of what happened when they tried to feed them. still, the fact that bort names the jellyfish makes you think that these rocks do have potential for fantasy, theyre just not used to it

Totalitarianism and Privacy

to make this even more shady, here’s your gentle reminder that:

- gems’ rooms have no doors. the only door ive been able to find is the one in shinsha’s room (ch 2) and that is because shinsha’s room is closed off to other people and full of mercury. its like putting a patch on smth you dont want to deal with (much like shinsha’s whole character arc tbh)

- the gems have little to no free time. or their free time can be revoked any time in case an emergency occurs, sensei is napping etc. the gems’ time is rigorously managed by jade, euc and sensei. each gem has a place to be and a time to be.

this means that a missing gem can be found at all times and slackers can be identified very easily. they all have a job and they have to follow it. this is not to say that they have no fun ever, but leisure time is rare and (at least as far as we know) its not contemplated when tasks are assigned each day.

the mere fact that there is a morning assembly and tasks are assigned each day makes you think. is this communism? is this totalitarianism? but most importantly, is this a scary dystopia that hits you in the face like a brick the third time you reread ch 2?   

- sameness > equality. i already went over this in the past. gems society underlines sameness and conformity over anything else. the gems think theyre equal but theyre actually ‘similar.’

a system based on equality emphasizes differences so that every individual can do the best with what they have got and get back what they need, according to their personal needs. 

these gems emphasize sameness: everyone is upheld to the same standards, even when those standards dont match with a gem’s unique characteristics (ie phos cannot be a fighter, no reason to keep saying stuff like ‘if only you were stronger/you’re useless’ etc. they’re a rock with an imagination in a world where dull reality is the rule. just make them write theater plays and play with slugs with shinsha, wth)

It’s real 1984 hours:

all of the above means that:

- your sense of self is subordinated to the group. if you dont belong you’re simply a nothing. at times, the gems almost display a collective consciousness (a pretty hostile one too): everything must be decided together and done together

- you are what you do. gems identify completely with their job. thats why a job is so important, thats why this system is so fucked up. self worth is not inherent, it depends on what you can do. talk about a breeding ground for mental health issues 

- you dont have a saying in picking your career or deciding for you future. thats up to sensei (and maybe euc and jade). unless you have a very strong affinity with a certain task (like red beryl and alex)

- youre expected to follow orders all the damn time. no matter how much sensei wants his gems to exert free will, they still prefer to do what theyre told. ill admit, its much easier than taking your life in your hands and decide what youre gonna do with it, but damn if it isnt depressing. and childish

- euclase and sensei are the authority. sensei and euc are the powers that be. in the sense that they assign tasks, they decide on times and battle plans, on purpose etc. lets not forget that euc was the one to take on sensei’s role after he ‘resigned.’ 

i wonder what would happen if euc were abducted and the gems had no one to follow anymore, no orders. who’d be the new leader? would there be one? lets not forget that no matter how gentle euc is, phos is shit scared of them.

- thought police is a thing. to end this meta on what is probably the shadiest note: surveillance is a thing. the gems report on each other, it’s thought police, no sugarcoating this. 

there’s no privacy, no secrets. even antarc reads rutile’s diary. this goes from cute and childish (’you did this one wrong thing, im gonna tell sensei’) to absolutely fucked up (’you did this one wrong thing, im gonna tell sensei’)

[skekheck]

Skekso for the character thing ?

I have almost half of the skeksis down LMAO. Good keep them coming. 

Why I like them

I look back on his death scene in the movie just as skekSil is reaching for his scepter he lunges for it, proclaims “I’m still emperor”, and dies shortly after. I remember his voice actor, Jason Issacs, talk about how the skeksis fear being irrelevant on top of death. For the majority of his life skekSo fought so hard to keep his empire. He silenced anyone who spoke out against him, basically enslaved an entire race to avoid them turning on him, and kept his own kin in check through fear and violence. He knew that they were always eyeing the throne and any sign of weakness would be exploited. The Emperor keeps up this facade of a strong, brutal, but benevolent ruler. But as he aged, he grew paranoid that all he has ever worked for could end. And that he could cease to exist and fade from memory.

His conversation with skekVar put such an interesting light on his character and added a ton of depth. He views the “nightmares” of his life as SoSu with dread and the pain the division caused. What awaits all of them once their life ends. With everything here it’s no wonder why he clings on to life, to power, to his own individuality. It also brings up an interesting idea that his behavior and decisions were based on SoSu’s experiences. That the reason he fights so hard to keep himself alive is the subconscious need to express himself in a way he never could as SoSu. Also just the fact that even though he was scared of death, he experimented with the Darkening, knowing full well that it’s causing him to rot rapidly. All for the sake of power. It just makes him such a cool villain. 

Why I don’t

I mean he orchestrated a genocide, pushed several of his subordinates to commit atrocities along with giving them impossible tasks which led to punishment, abused a good plenty of them, let his fear of death influence his decision making, was an awful leader in general.  

Favorite episode (scene if movie)

When he’s alone with skekVar and he’s divulging how he’s been experimenting with the darkening. Good scene. 

Favorite season/movie

Once again, AOR over movie by a long shot.

Favorite line

(When skekSo chooses skekVar to take skekSil’s place at his side)

skekVar: I am honored, sire. skekSo: No! You are commanded. 

Favorite outfit

I mean I love his outfit, but him in his bathing gear is jarring in such a good way.

OTP

skekSo and urSu. If they actually worked together, they may have accomplished what the urskeks were sent to Thra to do. Also I just like the thought of their relationship dynamic: sort of chaotic with a lot of compromises. 

Brotp

I talked about how skekSo and skekVar would have had a positive friendship last post so let’s talk about something else. I’m actually interested in seeing something between skekSo and skekMal. The Emperor has control over one of the most wild, unpredictable skeksis but apparently was noted to admire him. I know he was trying to revive him as a way to keep himself in denial about his own demise, he did want the Hunter to have a funeral. And he did honor him by having his body hosted up next to his throne. I theorize skekSo had challenged skekMal when they were much younger and asserted his power over him (their fight was likely pretty bloody). Or when skekMal witnessed skekSo beating skekShod down for defying him the Hunter was impressed. I feel like the two would have a mutual respect for each other.

I also like the idea of skekSo and skekGra getting along when the latter was still the Conqueror. He was expanding skekSo’s kingdom after all, I feel like they’d be on good terms. And then becomes mortified when skekGra comes up to him and dare suggest they should hang with their mystics and that they were actually one being and this would end skekSo’s empire. I like to think he drilled that nail into skekGra’s head himself.

Head Canon

When he was younger, he had dark hair/fur/feathers with iridescence. Kind of like a starling. 

Unpopular opinion

Everyone would have been better off if skekSo wasn’t put in power. Of course the other skeksis would have fought for power, but they’d have a much weaker rule and perhaps they may have had better chances at making it to the next Great Conjuction. 

A wish

I just want to see more of skekSo’s descent and how much he’ll sacrifice to remain in power. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

Anything like that scene with Seladon to not happen again. That was brutal.

5 words to best describe them

Cruel | Paranoid | Power-hungry | Dictator | Thanatophobic

My nickname for them

Grandpa Piss

[ganymedesclock]

So I saw a tag on my last post:

#i dont think we were supposed to think to hard about some of this

(via @mamamittens​ here,)

and I think in a way, that’s correct- the Zelda games are actively written in a way that discourages curiosity about Ganondorf. The “final fight” of the game is rarely an environment of Ganon’s making or in his favor. We are overwhelmingly kept away from Ganon himself- there’s no game where we can just talk to him, and I don’t think there’s been a game yet where we can choose dialogue options in a cutscene with Ganon.

We’re very rarely allowed to talk to Ganon’s subordinates. Those relationships are cast heavily in the dark. We don’t get to see Ganon grieving any of the people and monsters we carve through on our path to get to him.

We’re told things about Ganon in a way that is intended to be dismissive- we’re told he’s Cunning and a Schemer so we assume that he’s working towards some sinister agenda any time we’re looking at him or not. We’re told he’s underhanded so we can accept that events that seem completely unrelated are all his doing. We’re told he hates, and that he covets power, because that’s inherently how he is. We’re told he’s an usurper and an unworthy king so he is set across from the Hyrulean royal family, whose right to rule is never questioned by anyone we’re “supposed” to listen to.

We’re not supposed to think about Ganon. We’re not supposed to wonder about Ganon. We’re not supposed to listen to Ganon.

And this is unnerving, when people don’t tell us things about Ganon. 

In Wind Waker, there is a small detail where Ganon is only stated as “Ganon” by Daphnes. The time we hear him called “Ganondorf” is when he introduces himself to Link. That’s one of the first things he says to Link in this game- calmly and indifferently giving us this tiny, but fairly notable, detail of his history that Daphnes never told us.

And Daphnes omits a lot of Ganon in that game. The word “Gerudo” is never mentioned. We only know that Ganon didn’t come from Hyrule because again, he himself tells Link about his country and the disparity in climate- that Hyrule had something his people didn’t, and at least in that timeline, seemingly, the Gerudo were struggling. (One can argue in OoT they don’t appear to be struggling, but, why would Ganon, a king among his own people, keenly know and be able to describe the experience of poverty and living close to death if he never experienced it? He isn’t pulling this out in anticipation of pity; it’s a moment’s introspection before he braces himself to fight Link and Tetra for the triforce, with no suggestion that they could back down or negotiate)

And even just in a sense of immediate relevance of the game- Daphnes doesn’t tell us the Master Sword was used to seal Ganon. He doesn’t tell us that there’s consequences to drawing it whether or not it still had the sages’ power. In fact, Daphnes casually justifies withholding information- when he reveals his true identity, he outright tells Link that as long as Link was able to kill Ganon, Daphnes saw no reason to reveal Hyrule or his own identity.

Considering Daphnes is literally sending Link on a politically motivated hit on another ruler, this is really bad. It’s bad that literally all of the context we have on Hyrule’s downfall is either directly given by Ganon- who at no point is shown to lie to further the obvious agenda he’d have of Not Wanting Link To Kill Him- or prompted by Ganon’s actions and words raising questions that Daphnes admits he needs to answer.

In Twilight Princess, Ganon talks to Link less, but he’s still conspicuously wearing a crown. He is still overtly not Hylian- we can still imagine that he is from the Gerudo, which is very concerning, when the only inhabited structure in the Gerudo Desert in TP is a massive, extremely haunted prison full of torture equipment that was presided over by servants of the Hyrule royal family. Whether or not we were supposed to think deeply about it, having Ganon, overtly crowned, when there were no other Gerudo, and the sages claiming they merely executed “a bandit” who was blessed with the gods’ power basically by accident- literally only thinking about it as far as “but Ganon didn’t just sprout out of the desert at random, where did he come from? In other games, he’s from a people called the Gerudo who lives in the desert, but it doesn’t look like anyone lives in the Gerudo Desert except the Bulblins, and Ganon’s obviously not a bulblin” tells us that the nicest thing that possibly happened is famine or disaster wiped out the Gerudo, destroyed their city, and left Ganon the sole survivor.

It’s not a good look if you can’t admit the person you’re executing is royalty.

But we’re Not Supposed To Think About Ganon.

And in another sense, we are- we’re supposed to hate him. We’re supposed to think about the bad things that happen and think they’re his fault. We’re supposed to think about the bad he could hypothetically do, and allegedly is doing, somewhere we can’t see him, or where we can see the results but not anything that explains why Ganon did this or how.

We’re supposed to think about Ganon as an adversary, a beast, a monster, a tyrant.

We are not supposed to think about Ganon as a person who was ever a child, who ever had a homeland. We are not supposed to think about how Ganon frequently empowers or takes the side of people who feel like they were kicked around by the established order.

We’re supposed to think about Ganon as avaricious, but never Ganon who wants things. We’re supposed to think about Ganon as wrathful, but never someone who knew lack or suffering or punishment. We’re supposed to think of Ganon as vindictive, but never someone who has any reason to feel he was wronged. We’re supposed to think about Ganon who hates Hyrule, but never Ganon who was ever given a reason to hate Hyrule, or resent it, or be envious about it.

And more than these factors being only implied or not implied or only there if you ‘really think hard about it’- they are frequently implied or explicitly spelled out in canon.

Wind Waker Ganon tells Link that he was a person who lived close to death in a barren wasteland of a country. He says this was his experience, and motivated his desire for Hyrule. It’s threaded into the way he phrases his wish. He states this at a point when he has nothing to gain, is not telling Link to stop fighting him or that he’s justified, but merely, with the benefit of introspection, contemplating on how his ambition began. Daphnes is right there, perfectly able to hear him, and does not contest or argue this. 

There is nothing here that suggests Ganon is a liar- especially when, in Wind Waker, Ganon is a more reliable source of exposition than Daphnes is. He doesn’t lie in any part of the game- if anything, he tells us several important things before Daphnes does (that Tetra is carrying a piece of the triforce, that the Master Sword was used to seal him, that it has lost its power, that there’s a connection between the weakening of the sword and the “pathetic fools who made it”)

Which I think takes things a step further than merely shoddy lore- because, some of this stuff, like Ganon no intuitive motive for planting Kalle Demos where he ostensibly did, and no obvious means for creating, taming, or controlling this creature, genuinely is just shoddy lore- they made a forest dungeon for the players’ enjoyment and gave it a forest boss and then contrived a reason to be there and then put it into the boss rush because everybody loves boss rushes, right? Why is there a monster there? Pin it on Ganon.

But things like literally having people lie about Ganon, when Ganon conversely doesn’t lie to Link and half the time actively explains more than the mentor figure has at that point in a way that only partially feels like monologuing- it comes back to what I said. Ganon in Wind Waker suggests that he’s not the only one spurned by the gods, but so are Link and Zelda- and, once again...

...Nothing in the series really calls him a liar about it.

But we’re not supposed to think about Ganon in the way that we wonder about him at all. We’re especially not supposed to think that there might be any way to deal with him besides killing him. In Twilight Princess, we can guess he was potentially given a trial, because of the “Arbiter” in “Arbiter’s Grounds”, but in a context where the Gerudo were decimated, and it was the direct servants of the royal family trying him, in an isolated environment that clearly condones doing all kinds of horrible things to people, far, far away from any civilians or witnesses... how fair a trial could that possibly be? 

And what does it mean about Link’s morality in that game, if he defeats Ganon by tearing open that execution wound, following the steps of the sages, and the only real rationale is he started off trying to rescue the people of Ordon- who we’re never given a good reason why they were kidnapped and then abandoned, or something that ties it back to Ganon’s orders- and tries to defend Midna, restoring her to the throne (and basically ignoring Zant’s accusations that Midna’s family abused him, because we never meet said family, or hear anything about them from anyone else) and Zelda (who’s nearly a non-entity in Twilight Princess until the final fight).

Link is presented as an ostensible neutral party because he’s not a soldier of Hyrule, but in practice, he’s kept very ignorant about the situation he’s conscripted into, and he’s given all of his cues from Hyrulean perspectives and especially those of their royal family. And we, interacting with the world through him, are similarly kept in the dark.

So- yeah, so much more of Ganon makes sense if you just don’t think about it. This was clearly the stance we were supposed to take.

But...

On the other hand...

Are we really comfortable, through the character of Link, of playing the role of an unthinking executioner, who sharpens the sword because we were told, who cuts down someone we barely know anything about, who doesn’t give us that many reasons to oppose him not filtered through things we’re told by other people? Who virtually never directly attacks until we personally chase him down?

Even if Hyrule has only the best intentions, why write a story where we just have to take a bunch of confusing and downright concerning information at face value and kill a guy because destiny says so?

If this isn’t supposed to look like we’re the unwitting servants of evil, why are we supposed to be unwitting servants at all? After all, you don’t usually hear the term “unwitting servant of justice” because the general idea is that a just cause is one that doesn’t need to lie to people.

[storyofauke]

manushan replied to your post “I dropped this series some years ago and recently I saw a spoiler that...”

Lool. Ok not mikh. But who? Less we predict another big guy in the story i dont see who can fuck and love fei. Fei is powerful but definitively an uke or at least need to be treat like one. Like he need someone to love him who don't care about his job or his humour change. Someone to keep him in control when he thrown a tantrum and just let him be when he want. The fantasies about Tao in the manga whose good but stay a fantasy. Tao is like a big puppy. And the whole ship tao/ fei disturb me a little. For God sake....... YOH?? I don't know for other but even if i like yoh and can let behind me the fact that he is not fei equal in the story. I can't forget trahison. Trust not so easy to rebuild .... Mich is a fucking bastard. That's my only conclusion about him . But his past with fei not so heavy to digest or change.

Okay, keep in mind as you read my response that I am not “shipping” Fei with anyone. I am not personally invested in who Fei ends up with. I am only looking at this from a story/character perspective as far as what I think works for the story and for the characters as they are presented within the story. That said:

Yes, Yoh. I’ve talked a lot about why I think Yoh is a better match for Fei than Mik, so just a few points. 

First, there is more to love than getting fucked, but even so, Yoh has proven that he can fuck Fei and fuck him good. And now that Yoh no longer works for Fei, he may not be Fei’s equal but neither is he subordinate to him. At the end of FnR, it was Yoh’s decision not to return with Fei, so in that way, Yoh claimed a say in how the relationship developed or didn’t develop. I think sensei was telling us about the new balance in the relationship by having Yoh address Fei in familiar terms in the previous chapter. This is her way of saying that yes, in terms that matter, they are equal.

As far as trust and betrayal, I disagree that Mik’s past with Fei is any better than Yoh’s. In fact, I think it’s worse. Quick recap of Yoh’s betrayal:

Yoh was installed in Fei’s organization by Asami, so he was never meant to be loyal to Fei. He was there to keep a watch on Fei for Asami*. He saved Fei and protected him in prison. Yes, he took the casino deed but that was about saving Fei from himself (and Asami’s wrath,) not for personal gain. Yoh’s motives in “betraying” Fei were still about saving and protecting Fei. By giving Asami leverage to get Fei to return Aki, Yoh hoped to avoid an all out war that might endanger Fei or topple his entire organization.

Now let’s look at Mik. Mik turned and used some of Fei’s own men against him to “steal” Aki from him in order to get the casino deed for himself. He gave money and guns to Yan Tsui and tipped Yan off that Fei was in Taiwan. The argument has been made that he did this in order to give Fei the opportunity to have Yan killed and rid himself of Yan once and for all, but Mik is always always playing both sides. Whichever way the events of FnR played out, Mik would have won. Yan defeats Fei: Mik has a puppet in charge of Baishe. Fei defeats Yan, Baishe is stabilized and a turf war doesn’t break out and disrupt Mik’s own business. Fei himself takes a very dark view of what Mik did: “Yan Tsui was Mikhail’s victim and left a deep wound in Feilong’s and Tao’s hearts. The price they had been forced to pay was so high that anger arose inside Feilong again.”

Facilitated by Mik, Yan molested Fei and nearly killed him and Tao, but to Mik, it’s all just shits and giggles. So I think Mik is carrying a bigger burden of betrayal.

Then there is the basic nature of the two men. Yoh is sturdy and devoted. Mik is a will o’the wisp, a playboy, a trickster. Fei, whose heart we know is prone to deep attachment, is looking for someone he can count on long term, someone he can walk hand-in-hand with in the darkness of the world he inhabits. I just--I’m sorry--I don’t see Mik in that role. For one thing, I don’t see Mik as being faithful to anyone for very long, and I don’t see him being able to provide the kind of emotional support Fei is looking for. He’s none too emotionally stable himself. I do think Yoh is far better suited for that.

Then there is the not minor fact that Fei has feelings for Yoh but so far has displayed absolutely zero warm or positive feelings for Mik. It would take a considerable amount of real estate for sensei to build a believable relationship between Fei and Mik at this point, and I don’t see that happening. Again, I freely admit I could be wrong. We’ll have to see. For me, Mik would have to undertake some rapid personal growth in order for me to be happy about a Mik/Fei pairing. But yes, not Tao. I’m with you on that. Though I do think sensei flirted with it in her head and that’s how we got that dream extra.

* If Yoh betrayed anybody, he betrayed Asami--and Aki. Aki’s the one who really ought to be pissed with Yoh. Yoh knew what Fei was doing to Aki over and over and Yoh had the power to stop it, but instead, Fei was his first consideration and in protecting Fei, he prolonged Aki’s suffering.

[runephoenix6769]

Adam Taurus: Collected Villain or Whiny Possessive Ex?

(Long post Vol 5 spoilers. )

Off the back of the excitement of the announcement, at RTX Austin 18, of an Adam Taurus character short it got me thinking. 

Adam is not a character I have commented on before so here we go, if i miss anything or misquote or you wish to add or debate feel free to do so.

From the very beginning we are introduced to Adam as being a deeply entwined part of Blake’s dark past, someone who she had more than a platonic relationship with, that has helped shape her into the character we are first introduced to. 

In Vol1 -3 Adam’s motivations are quite clear, He is hellbent on the destruction of Human’s due to their mistreatment of the Faunus. 

“We’re better than Humans. We have everything humans have and more. Humans shouldnt just fear the Faunus, they should serve the Faunus.”

-- Adam,

He has risen through the ranks of the White Fang, whose actions over the years have gone from peaceful, progressing into terrorist organisation territory. His lack of regard for life, increasingly violent tactics and blood thirst culminated in Blake making the decision to leave  run away  from him.

Witnessing the progression of Adam’s monstrous behaviour has deeply affected Blake to the point that when faced with what seems on the surface to be someone else she cares about showing a similar progression, she reacts with mistrust ultimately rocking the foundations of their partnership and team RWBY. 

  Blake is fearful of him and for good reason. Initially he is set up as Blake’s antagonist. In Vol 1 - 3 he is a great villain, he is a psychopath willing to follow through on his convictions, focused on achieving his goals, so far in fact that Salem states he is loyal to their cause, though he begrudgingly accepts Cinder’s offer of an alliance. 

As a villain, he is on par with Cinder. 

In the Fall of Beacon episode, he comes across as a cool customer, ruthless and in control, willing to destroy anything in his path. 

He shows how vindictive, vengeful and ruthless he can be, going so far as to taunt Blake by calling her ‘my darling’ and ‘my love’, threatening to take everything from Blake. 

Some people have stated that Adam’s change in character is vol 4 -5 is down to ‘bad writing’ and that he is no longer a strong villian, that he lacks his previous focus and conviction. I disagree. 

 In Vol 4-5 Adam exhibits violent and possessive behaviour, willing to deliver on his earlier threat by attempting to kill Blake’s parents Ghira and Kali, even though he is aware that to do so will lose the support of the residents of Menagerie.

He is willing to risk it. 

That sounds to me like some one who is still following through on their threats but that is not to say that he is not confused by other aspects .

In Vol 4-5 he becomes increasingly emotional, almost focusing solely on Blake and her perceived slight and betrayal.  Fennic Albain goes so far to point out that his behaviour has become increasingly impulsive and unstable with his obsession to punish Blake.

He begins to behave as if he has only just realised Blake has broken up with him. He` yo-yo’s between demanding that Blake be captured and brought to him alive whilst simultaneously attempting to kill her at the same time.

This all makes sense

I think it stems from this, 

Blake defies him. Blake puts herself in between him and Yang. She draws a line in the sand that shows him who she deems as more important. In Adam’s mind, Blake has aligned herself with the humans, turning her back on her own kind, turning her back on him. 

Up until this point, as far as we know, Adam only knows that she left him and the White Fang, not the motivations behind it. For someone who is so possessive and arrogant, it makes sense that seeing this protection, this willingness to but herself in harms way, something that once over may have only been reserved for him, is a kick in the balls and a direct affront to his ego. 

Over the course of the Vol 5, Adam’s behaviour seems to take on almost a petulant child having a tantrum. He begins to take risks, alienating his subordinates and allies. 

This devolution from cold collected psychopath to angry emo ex boyfriend all makes sense when being looked at from a different perspective. 

Maybe he HAS just realised that Blake has broken up with him, for real. That she didnt just run off for some time alone to gain perspective

His own personality coming to the fore that the fact he cannot have his own way and realising that he is no longer number 1 in Blake’s eyes, shattering his fragile ego where she is concerned.  

( it could also very well be the writers intention for the benefit of Blake’s character arc...... See the companion piece, Blake and Adam Analysis.’

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/runephoenix6769/activity ) 

 Vol 4-5 seems to be have a theme of hubris where villains are concerned. 

Cinder and the collection of relic, she shows her arrogance, ego and lack of fore site where Raven is concerned and ultimately she suffers for it.  

Both Adam and Cinder are young, esp in comparison to Salem, in Vol 5 both have shown their lack of ability and execution of wielding power. They have both shown that they are not ready.   

“There is no victory in strength.”  - Salem

As Adam is still at large at the end of Vol 5 and Cinder is MIA, it gives plenty of scope for character development in the next Volumes. For them to lick their wounds and evolve into increasingly dangerous antagonists hellbent on revenge.  

I cant wait to see what direction they take him in. 

(Some people have pointed out that if he really wanted to make good on his offer and maintain on being the villain we initially met he should have gone after Sun and Ilia, my argument is he was unaware if Ilia’s betrayal till the last minute and Sun isnt even on his radar due Adam’s own ego.*I am in no way saying Blake does not care for Sun*. I just dont think that was Adam’s intended character arc, to comtinue being that Vol 1-3 villain. )

[acsversace-news]

We've spent the last two hours of The Assassination of Gianni Versace without getting a glimpse of its namesake (Édgar Ramírez), so when "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" welcomes the iconic fashion designer back into the fold of his own story, it's undoubtedly a welcome sight (even if the scene in question again revolves around him arguing with his sister, Donatella [Penélope Cruz]). Gianni wants to announce his homosexuality to the world, having survived a bout with AIDS and grasping that it's no good to simply live however many days he has left in the shadows. His lover and partner for over a decade, Antonio D'Amico (Ricky Martin), stands by Gianni’s side, and Donatella instantly blames him. He wants to be famous. He cannot stand to be a side player. She implores Gianni to think about the company (which is about to go public on the NYSE) - not to mention the future of all his employees - before sitting down and delivering what could be a devastating declaration.

This season of American Crime Story has been incredibly political, and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" dials the "serial killer procedural" element down a notch to focus on issues of class within the gay community, and how those standings affect individuals looking to come out of the closet. For Versace, it's an event - an interview in The Advocate where he demands Antonio be by his side during the entire chat - reclaiming his own sense of identity after cheating death for a little more time on the planet. But for future Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) victim Jeffrey Trail (Finn Wittrock), his public revelation is an act of defiance against a military that's not only called him and others like him a "faggot", but also beaten enlisted sailors within an inch of their lives once their sexualities were discovered. As an enlisted officer in the Navy, Trail had to live his truth in shameful silence, before rescuing a subordinate after he was ritualistically bludgeoned by his peers.

The threat of outing within the military - an act that would cost Trail not only his career, but possibly his family (as many members in his bloodline served, as well) - even forces Jeff to mutilate his body. After another officer tells the tale of a recently arrested colleague outing sailors based on the tattoos he recalled seeing during sexual encounters with other men, Jeff takes a box cutter and tries to carve some ink off his leg, leading him to bleed through his uniform while sitting in the Captain's quarters, where a pamphlet on Naval ethics and code of conduct is being handed out to every man who owns a leadership position on his ship. When Jeff decides to finally break his silence and give an interview to television reporters, it comes with the stipulation that his face be blacked out and his voice altered. It's a far cry from the well-lit, welcoming photo shoot the gay publication sets up for Versace.

These political explorations are a welcome respite from the exploits of Andrew Cunanan, who - despite being compellingly played by Criss every episode - was starting to become a little bit of a repetitive character (though, to be fair, he's also a serial killer, so routine is kind of his thing). The non-linear structure, while often clever, does "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" zero favors, muddying some of the relationships. We see Jeff first through Andrew’s eyes, as he cons his way into a trip to Minneapolis (on American Express’ dime) in a last-ditch attempt at having a normal life by marrying the focus of last week's episode (not to mention Trail's best friend and lover), David Madson (Cody Fern). We already know how this all ends, so there's a bit of wheel-spinning going on as Jeff gives Andrew a less-than-fuzzy reception at the airport, and we recognize he's right to be distrustful of the sociopathic pretty boy.

So, why spend all this time illustrating Andrew's relationship to Jeff? One could argue Andrew - no matter how evil and deadly he is - still definitely played an oddly positive role in the Navy man's life. Andrew meets Jeff during the first time the officer steps into a gay bar. Andrew shows him the ropes (so to speak) regarding his queerness; proving to Jeff that his sexuality isn't awful, and that not everybody is going to hate him for being gay. Eventually, Jeff is the only one who spots Andrew spinning his web of lies, while David can't help but want to help his fellow queer. A susceptibility to this series of wild stories is what ends up costing both Jeff and David their lives, as Andrew begins doling out another new legend of needing to begin anew in San Francisco, all so he can get inside David's apartment and wait there like a patient predator. The fictions keep driving him forward, allowing Andrew to set traps for new prey.

Beyond class, the friendships Jeff forms between Andrew and David illustrate just how difficult it is to come out of the closet on basic principle alone for some gay men. On one hand, they have the morals and values they've been instilled with throughout their lives - represented by Jeff's commitment to his familial institution, the military. He looks to the red, white, and blue, wanting to be a Good American in a United States that has said (from the President on down) that they don't want his kind representing it in combat. On the other hand, David is a successful openly gay man, and Andrew has no problem embracing his sexuality. “The bars, the meals, the men. Everything you gave me means nothing,” Jeff tells Andrew at one point, finishing with, “I want my life back. My real life, as a soldier.” For some, self-acceptance was just as impossible as societal acceptance, and Jeff Trail's life ended while he was still in a state of spiritual limbo, wrestling with his own truth every night, before waking up and going to work at a factory with the other vets, who he'd continue to keep his secret from.

[expfcultragreen]

Its my opinion that "when a boy picks on you" its because he has internalized a traditionalist value set premised on sexual subjugation (of women and people who are categorized with women on the basis that they fuck men*), and the right of men to enforce this subordinate role

[I realize that there are "boys" who pick on people because their life experience is that they are The underdog and everyone else is gaslighting them and deserves to be knocked down from being on high for this whenever possible, as opposed to held down by someone from on high, which the next "boy" in the same walk of life IS consciously engaged in][i realize i am describing myself to a certain extent. A fuller extent than it should describe me anyway. I do however always have that dan harmon argument with myself about "you dont have to side with the split" which i think is some shrink jargon he picked up from sessions, which indicates to me that his shrink thinks he has bpd. Or that bpd is made up and its specifically-masked ptsd, but the language of bpd is still a good toolkit? Anyway when "the split" is super intense i dont have any alternative to blowing up other than distancing, turns out im a really bad communicator irl]

And its my opinion that parents who disregard or applaud that aspect of gendered bullying, are bad caregivers who are screwing up all the kids' future relationships and ability to function prosocially, or socially at all in the case of people such as myself who would rather be alone than around people who think all this is fine (and might even be said to frequently be something of a lunatic fringe anti-patriarchy vendettaist, or something, which is apparently quite tedious for everyone who doesnt understand what we're robbing ourselves of by butterfingersing all this. It could be paradise out here. We could all be eating hydroponic grapes at the big drop-in orgy at the grownups only town hall for godssake).

Try to see the big picture and then explain it in as much detail to the kids as possible, dont just be like "oh dont you worry, by the time he's 13 he'll be simping for your bookstack, this is a phase". Its not a phase, its society. Until we as a society apply ourselves to adjustments, anyway; and .........i dont mean badgering your kids for not being perfect according to "the rulebook of oh gee we gotta shift society" because that just teaches that same anxious behavior, which precludes some useful childhood allyships from forming that you should encourage instead, AND sets the kids up with these heightened stakes about ethical mistakes that might make them hypervigilant and avoidant of or reactive to anyone they might offend.......yeah i dont mean to do that, thats kind of 90s based on my understanding of pc 90s life. What i mean is being graceful and teaching gracefulness, think tai chi vibe parental guidance, not rock em sock em shoutbots; flexibility over rigidity = strength rather than fragility. Learning to say "I'll have to think about whether youre right" is one thing, if you want kids to have something on the hip to go for besides "nuh uhhhh my mom said kids cant be sexually predatory/hateful/racist etc, so, im not"..."i hadn't thought of that/didnt know that but it fits with everything else i know about the subject so im entirely willing and able to take your word for it" is another generally useful sentiment. People might not have the patience for any of that if theyre trying to get you to be immediately accountable to them by being hostile about the criticism, but thats also something you can just, bend with, relax about... understand, even, in the moment its happening, even if youre not sure of where you stand or what the situation is exactly.

Just....

*this gender-policing of people who fuck men is pretty common but, steve harvey saying "im talking about real men" comes to mind. Its also related to the thing in various cultures where youre not gay if youre an exclusive top and/or bottoming makes you a woman, but those systems arent as totalizing as "if youre not doing the male assigned stuff like procreating youre worth less than other male assigned people in much the way a female assigned person is worth less"