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yup-no-way · 2 months ago

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Astrocartography

ꨄ A brief guide and introduction ꨄ

I am so close to crashing out. Tell me why I was almost done writing this blog and then guess what. It got “saved as a draft”. Spoiler! It wasn’t in drafts and now I have to rewrite it… it’s alright, you can laugh ߹ ᯅ ߹

I’m going to say what I said initially here (before this app deleted my whole blog…). The reason why I got so into astrocartography is because it worked for me personally. The country (and city) that I currently live in falls under my sun trine MC aspect line, which is amazing for my career and development. Mind you I never even knew about astrocartography until this year, but even before I moved here, when I was just visiting the country, I felt such a weird attraction to this place. It was insane. I am so glad that I did move here. The amount of opportunities, and leadership positions I was pushed into are crazy.

Also, since this post took so long to write, I just wanna apologise. I was on break and as soon as I finished, I had to go back to the grind. I didn’t get to post at all. I’m just waiting for the exam season to end and for this year to end so I can be more constant with my posts. The reason why this post took so long to write it’s also because I wrote so much and it took me a horrible amount of time to compile all the necessary info. But I hope you guys enjoy it. If you have any personal experiences with living on a specific line, please leave a comment so I can read it (since I’m so nosy).

This blog should not be taken as your only decision factor to move or travel to a country. Please make sure you check the laws or regulations of each country before you decide to move/travel to a certain country. Do your own research. People with bad intentions can be found anywhere so make sure you are safe and don’t make irrational choices if travelling alone. This post is meant as guidance ONLY. The final choice is yours. Stay healthy and glowing xoxo

What is astrocartography?

So when your beautiful soul gets placed in a physical vessel, the planets and celestial bodies in the sky have certain positions. Those positions will reflect not only on your birth chart, but also on your astrocartography chart, which shows precisely the lines formed by those celestial bodies and planets.

When looking at your astrocartography chart it’s also important to keep your birth chart in mind because it can have an influence on how you experience certain lines alongside other factors that will be discussed later on in this blog.

An astrocartography chart has major lines and aspect lines. In this blog we will focus on the major lines and in the second part we will talk about the aspect lines (for some reason they r severely overlooked online, which is weird since I believe those are more accurate).

How do I access my astrocartography chart?

It’s easyyyy. There are multiple free calculators online that can calculate your chart. The one that I use is provided by “Astro.com”. You are more than welcome to use other sites tbh, but I like this one cause it has ur aspect lines, and it has them nicely sectioned as positive and negative aspects, which makes it easier to understand for people who aren’t as familiar with all the little details of astrology.

If you search “Astro.com astrocartography chart” it should pop up. After you fill in your details, you will automatically be presented with a map that has multiple colored lines. That is your chart. Zoom in and out as much as you want to be able to navigate the map.

For those who don’t always remember every symbol associated with each planet (just like me frl), here is a small image that can help you with that:

Every line is color coded with the symbol. I know the map is crowded, especially if you zoom out, but just you wait till we get to the aspect lines. It’s a soup of colours.

How do I read my chart?

Ok, so few things before we start. If you look closer you will see next to every planetary symbol, a few letters, AC/DC/IC/MC.

Bear in mind, every planet or comical body has a certain influence on an area of your life. And the positions next to it represent how that will mostly manifest.

AC: it’s all about YOU. Your inner development, your inner self, your IDENTITY. You will embody the energy of the planet physically or behaviourally.

DC: this is all about your relationships, whether platonic, professional or romantic. You are going to attract the planet’s energy through other people/connection you make.

IC: this is your roots, your home, your traditions even and your emotions. You will feel this planets influence in your home environment and this position is deeply transformative.

MC: here comes the moneyyyy. Ok so this position is about your public recognition, your career and it’s such a good boost. You’ll feel it through how the world sees you. Great planet for massive recognition in your field.

It’s also really important to check your personal birth chart alongside your astrocartography chart to be able to get the most accurate interpretation.

Please mind that there isn’t inherently a good line or a bad line. Each line is supposed to teach you certain things. Every line will have its ups and downs and depending on what you are searching to achieve, the lines can help you achieve it faster. Mind you that at the end of the day, it is up to you to put in the effort to get what you want. Astrocartography shows you where the flow of energy is smoother, allowing for certain things to manifest easier.

Now that we covered the basics, let’s dive in!

Sun line:

AC: you just radiate love. This line will make you shine for who you are and it will bring you closer to your true self. Great line for self love and acceptance. Your presence alone is charming and it grabs attention wherever you go. If you feel like your life feels stagnant and you wanna rediscover yourself, travel hereeee.

In positive it will give u crazy confidence, it will make you more self fulfilled and self actualised. Good for taking up new projects such as business or any project that puts you in a leadership role since this line will make you feel more comfortable under this position.

In negative this line is quite draining making you feel like you have to be always ready for anything. A lot of pressure to always perform effortlessly and perfectly. Can lead to burnout. So please manage your boundaries and expectations well.

Overall if you want to start a personal brand or a business. Going for a solo trip or a rediscovery trip is going to work well for you. You will find yourself more aligned with yourself and your purpose.

DC: this is your time to shine in terms of relationships. Like the way you’ll attract people by the way you walk, talk and just breathe is insane. Your relationships (platonic and professional included) are going to be transformative for you. They r going to be this relationships that change the way you see yourself. You’re going to be uplifted and confident. You are going to understand yourself better. You are going to attract strong willed, fun and loving people in your life. Your friendships are going to be meaningful and active and your romantic interests might be good future spouse material. You are attracting romantic partners that are determined and basically embody the archetypal sun energy (might even be conventionally attractive). These relationships can even bring you some exposure to a larger audience depending on your chart.

In positive you are a magnet for relationships of substance. You are going to be fulfilled.

In negative you can tend to lose yourself to relationships and connections. Please be aware that you are yourself, not your friends, not your partner. Don’t be afraid to be authentic, even if it goes against the wave.

Overall good for meeting potential long term relationships. Good for networking and work partnerships.

IC: when I say you are going to feel connected to this place, I mean it. Every IC line brings such a deep connection to the country/city specifically. While AC and DC are about external factors. IC is from within. You are going to find your confidence and comfort through your stay in this line. Good place for a vacation home. This is the line that you go to when you need to feel rooted and you need a sense of stability. You might become more introverted or at least interested in going outside since your home will be your comfort zone. The self care here is going to be intense and you will enjoy every second of it. Nurturing your home and your inner home (aka your soul) is going to make you the best self actualised version of yourself. You might even start a tradition that will stick w you here. Like maybe you’ll start a new interest for collecting magnets here. Just an example.

In positive you are going to feel emotional clarity and security. You might be able to connect with some ancestral roots. Maybe you feel like this was your home in a previous life and now you’re reconnecting by with a lost version of yourself. Good place for a retreat. Good place for healing after a bad event in your life.

In negative is not going to give you much public exposure. If you crave a life of excitement and fun (in the traditional sense), you might not be able to find that here. It’s a more of an internal energy and it focuses on rediscovering yourself from inside.

Overall it’s good for long term home building and stable identity.

MC: love this placement so muuuuuuchhh. Not just that MC is here, but it’s on the sun line. This brings so much exposure. Opportunities come left and right. Yk how people say “if one door closes, another one will open”, well they probably lived on their sun MC line. This line is all about that. You are respected, SEEN, HEARD and admired by just embodying your authentic self. This will boost your perception of yourself. This line is genuinely a glow up from all aspects. Career recognition, public success and multiple opportunities for leadership roles. Great for starting a business her as well and amazing for career advancement.

In positive it bring your career to the top and it makes you such a boss tbh.

In negative the burnout is so strong here. If you don’t balance your life well, then you are going to fall into a constant state of tiredness. Also don’t stress about too many things. You have time to do them all.

Overall, amazing boost in popularity in whatever field you go and it can bring a lot of career satisfaction. If evolved (and also depending of other planetary aspects you have) you are also bound to be perceived positively by the larger public.

Moon line:

AC: so having the moon line which is all about your inner world and your emotions being in the AC position can make you very emotionally expressive on this line. You will be so in tune with everyone’s emotions and yours as well. You will be perceived more line your moon sign by the people around you. It’s such an amazing place for artistic expression. If you are an artist of any form, coming here to perform or create your art can increase its potential. You are going to exteriorise yourself in a very sentimental way.

In positive it can be very good for self awareness and deep understanding of your emotions. Good for emotional clarity and discovery. You’re intuitions nd empathy will be at an all time high.

In negative it can make you hypersensitive to people’s emotions and that can be quite tiring. Sometimes you will experience intense emotions and that can be hard to navigate depending on your chart and if you have learned your lessons.

Overall, I’d suggest coming here if you are an artist or need to creative inspiration of any sort (not just for art). Amazing for self expression and deep understanding of how your emotions work.

DC: if you thought sun DC is intense, then you are not ready for this. I’d argue that out of all DC lines, this is the best for deep connections. No relationships will top this one. This one is going to be either the love of your life or your worst heartbreak you ever had (the type you think of before you go to sleep). Late night convb and lingering gazes. Melancholy and deep nurturing friendships or relationships.

In positive you can have such deep transformative relationships that can lead to potential long term connections. Soulmate energy.

In negative you will experience high highs and low lows, depending on the interaction you have. Might development attachment issues or codependency. Might feel like you are like a mom to unevolved people.

Overall, best for romantic relationships and potentially if you are in the medical/caretaking field, this is a good place for you to work in.

IC: this is going to be your safe space, where your emotional side is the most burtiere and safe. I’d argue it’s the beat moon line. You are so emotionally times to this place, leaving it will feel so sad. You are going to start facing your shadow side and it is going to push healing your inner child top priority. Honestly such a beautiful place to live in.

In positive it’ll provide emotional security and peace, bring some heavy healing and it’s amazing if you want to have a good emotional family life.

In negative might be too comfortable, therefore making you attached to this place. It can also make you too isolated.

Overall, great place to settle if you are looking for some transformative emotional energy and a peaceful and secure home. Also great for a therapeutic retreat. Make sure you don’t become too isolated tho. Also if you struggle with mommy issues, some heavy shadow work can happen here.

MC: seriously if you work in the healthcare/ caregiving/ medical/ physiological/ public service industry, move HERE. This is going to literally put you out in the public eye for your ability to heal and give care to others. If you life on this line you might also be seen as the mom friend and constantly feel fulfilled when you help people out. You might be perceived as emotionally in tune, mysterious

In positive is great for certain lines of work that involve caring to others and you could get a lot of exposure for it.

In negative you can be perceived as too soft and try to be taken advantage off. Please make sure you set proper boundaries.

Overall, amazing for careers in healing and caring, therefore leading to success.

Mercury line:

AC: you are going to be perceived as more chatty and more smart. This line will open you up to intellectual development through self discovery and acceptance. You might get a boost in energy and a boost in curiosity to explore and learn. Communication will come rlly easy to you and ideas will flow in and out of your head. Mentally stimulation is everywhere.

In positive you are going to engage in very stimulating conversations and you are going to have more interest in developing yourself intellectually.

In negative you might be more prone to overthinking and that can lead to anxiety. If you struggle with that, please bear it in mind when moving here. Also be careful to think before you speak since here you are going to be more unfiltered.

Overall, GREAT, if not best place for studying. You are truly going to feel intellectually aligned with your course and will feel a desire to learn. Amazing for starting new projects and researching about them.

DC: you are going to feel a shift in your relationships. You will crave more mental stimulation and need an actual communicative person. You will engage in debates with your partner more or might attract partners that make you question yourself (in a good way). Basically the tension here is strong. You might get hyper analytical of people and try to understand more than you can. Good place if you are pursuing a psychology/ psychiatric career.

In positive you’ll attract mentally and intellectually stimulating partners and if you’re into that, this place is ideal for you. Your friendships might also be very communicative.

In negative you might tend to overanalyse the people around you. You need to learn how to balance that.

Overall, great for stimulating relationships and friendships. Great for project that require communication. Conversations might fly smoothly and be efficient.

IC: you will feel mentally safe here. Great for journaling and exploring your personal interests. Really nice for shadow work related to childhood suppressed memories. Truly understanding yourself. Amazing for verbalising your emotions in a clear and coherent way.

In positive you might experience mental peace, developing yourself internally and privately.

In negative you might tend to intellectualise your emotions and isolate yourself mentally.

Overall, if you have a remote job, this place is amazing for you. For private intellectual development this line is also good. If you are a writer, coming here might be very beneficial.

MC: nowwww, if your career is in any field that involves you having to communicate with people, this place is for you. I’d even say that if you are in a field where you do any humanitarian work, this place is good for boosting your voice. Also if you’re a singer that puts a big emphasis on their lyrics, this is also perfect for you. In this are you will be perceived as intelligent by the masses. Also teaching and any programming or coding job is amazing here.

In positive career success using your intellect is almost given, your voice will be heard and be influential, it’s amazing for launching a career

In negative you can feel always a pressure to appear smart and have every work carry a deep meaning and that can feel tiring and can lead to intellectual burnout.

Overall, if you wanna start a career here in general is very good. Making good impressions here is quite easy.

Venus line:

AC: omg so this line so amazing if you want to be noticed for your looks. You will physically look better. I swear. I personally lived on this line for such a long time and didn’t even know. Every time I came back on this line, I kept telling my friends that I feel like I am so much prettier here. GUESS WHAT I realised later I was on my Venus AC line. Not only you’ll look better, you’ll feel better and that is such an amazing feeling. The fact that I was constantly approached here and people are staring at me so much here. I even got random gifts from people just because they liked me. All I’m saying is that you will feel it here. If you wanna have a glow up, go there. Also if you want to have any physical changes done, like surgery or cosmetic or even just general aesthetic things done to you. Come HERE!

In positive you will look and feel more good about yourself and it’s a great place for modelling truly (or getting casted as a model).

In negative you might attract shallow people who mostly see you for your looks not for what you are. Make sure you don’t let this boost in looks get to your head. Venus is powerful when it comes to making you lose yourself to superficial stuff.

Overall, great for self love and aesthetic changes.

DC: WOOOOO! guys, the amount of people I saw moving to this line and finding their spouse. I even heard a story of this girl, meeting his current husband on the exact street this line fell on. Arguably the best line for finding your true love. Relationships here are also kinda dreamy and intense (but in such a nice way). I’d say even friendships and partnerships are rlly good here. Amazing line for your social and love life. (I wish my Venus DC fell on an actual country. My line is in the middle of the ocean. guess my soulmate is a fish…)

I positive, here is the most possible place to find your soulmate

In negative, you might get so absorbed in relationships that you lose focus on the physical world.

Overall, if you wanna get married/ engaged or even meet new people, here is the place for youuuu.

IC: “just a chill guy”. Home life will feel so nice and comfortable. You might even be more inclined to to heal some lineage scars from your mom side. Home here is top notch. Another great place for a vacation house if you are looking for an aesthetic, chill and indulgent life. The comfort is going to be amazinggg.

In positive, emotionally you are going to be at peace and are going to feel som comfy.

In negative, it can lead to laziness and too much indulgence. Please be balanced on any Venus line cause Venus is rlly a planet that is easy to give in.

MC: your reputation is going to flourish here. More prone to a positive reputation (but you might be perceived as a bit shallow). This place is amazing for networking, like really good. Again, any creative field of work is amazing here. ARCHITECTURE AS WELL. Like you’re projects will be knows for being really “beautiful”. Beauty Industry is in bloom here.

In positive, career boosted using your looks and charm. People are naturally inclined to want to collaborate with you.

In negative, sometimes you might be perceived as superficial and fake. Make sure you don’t lose yourself to this line and keep yourself authentic. Again classic Venus line stuff.

Mars line:

AC: if on the Venus line you would be perceived as seductive, here you are hot. You have that s appeal. You might be perceived as more aggressive and hot headed. This line pushes you to be more determined and active. You might be prone to physical conflicts more often. This line makes you feel like you are on something. You are going to be more bold and even a bit more intimidating to others. Leadership roles are hard to balance here, but if you manage to make sure you don’t get overbearing with people and don’t become to strong headed, then this line is going to lead to a successful leadership position.

In positive, more energy than ever, braver and increased confidence.

In negative, aggressive line to be honest. Heard stories of people getting in physical arguments with a lot of people and getting attacked on the streets. Please be careful. If u travel here, make sure to stay out of trouble and go with a trusted person that can protect you.

Overall, good for meeting fitness goals, making goals moves in projects and finding your inner power.

DC: relationships here are just annoying to navigate. You might feel hot and cold. One day you’re happy, the other arguing. Kinda unstable and aggressive. You might attract assertive and ambitious people. The chemistry might be very hot and you might have amazing bed life (lemme just call it that, you get what I mean). Not long term romance, but a short term fun and excitement is good here. Friends are very argumentative or you might find yourself in a lot of disagreements. Again not ideal for mutually understanding friendships, but a short term fun friendship might be ok. You might find yourself to learn how to stand up for yourself here trough these people you meet.

In positive, you will find yourself attracted fierce and ambitious people and might have good s life.

In negative, arguments and misunderstandings are heavy here. Impulsive decisions are made here. Please think not twice but thrice before making a decision.

Overall, short term flings and friends are nice. Good for learning how to stand up for yourself.

IC: this line usually indicates a harsher home environment and a lot of arguments in the house. you will have a lot of miscommunications and disagreements with your family or with the people in your home. if you’re planning on moving here and having a new person as a roommate, this might not be the best idea. This line might also push you to face some shadows that you haven’t yet, therefore it’s quite nice for understanding some areas of yourself. Your father might be in a constant state of anger and might be a big factor of your arguments in the house. BUUUT, great line for doing work in the shadows. Like slowly creating a startup without anyone knowing or writing a book without telling anyone.

In positive, focus, discipline and build inner strength and resilience.

In negative, there might be some stress in your home life and that can cause anxiety, lack of stability and so much more.

Overall great place if you want to build something on the low-key because it gives you that determination to do it but you might be in a home environment that is very stressful for you.

MC: this line makes you be seen as driven, competitive determined and resilient. You are literally gonna tap into your assertive energy. This line will make you so career focus and driven, it can lead to burn out if not balanced well. this is also really good if you wanna take charge of your own career. This line can also make you more prone to a god complex within the workspace. Make sure you don’t let this line get in between you and your coworkers. This line can make you quite arrogant and that can create some stress in the dynamic between you and your teammates. You’re going to want to dominate every project and will not want to allow space for other people to chip in.

In positive, this place is really good for taking charge, learning how to step into your “ boss” energy and stand up for your ideas.

In negative, this can cause quite some conflict in the workplace and can make you come across too domineering.

Overall, not a bad place to be in regarding your career but make sure to prioritise good communication and balance in your workplace.

Jupiter line:

AC: this line right here it’s going to manifest as luck all throughout your day-to-day life. You’re gonna feel it all around you in how people treat you, approach you, view you and overall how life feels for you. You are more likely to find random cash on the streets or receive random acts of kindness. This line will inspire you. It will inspire your creativity, your interest in learning and your desire to succeed. You are going to unlock opportunities and luck by just being yourself. Being your most authentic self here is going to work out for the best.

In positive, you are gonna get luckyyyyyyyy. Life will spoil you just because.

In negative, you may lean into a very optimistic mentality which is not inherently bad, but it can lead to delusions that will sometimes not be reached, leading to dissatisfaction.

Overall great place if you just want to be more authentic to yourself and more confident and also increase your luck. Great place for solo travelling.

DC: here relationships will broaden your perspective in life. Connections on this line will help you grow in certain areas of your life. You may attract older or wiser partners that will act as a guide. Unpopular opinion, but I also think you might attract people with higher financial possibilities on this line (hell yeah), or at least people that will help you grow financially (If you are looking for sugar daddy/mommy, this might be a place where you can start searching for it). even friendships feel expansive here. also if you’re in search for a good business partner, I could argue that this is the best line to do so.

In positive, relationships here feel supportive and mentor like, learning quite a lot from the people on this line. Good for luck in partnerships. Good for finding business partners.

In negative, gets too dependent on external validation and tend to base your self-worth on the connections you have rather than yourself.

Overall, great for partnerships of any sort success in relationships. Good place for marriage as well. If you are in a relationship, travelling here can expand your current relationship.

IC: this place is amazing if you wanna have a secure home. This place feels like home away from home. It doesn’t feel restricting and your home life might even feel liberating. Usually people that have a family on this line tend to leave a lot of space for growth and learning in the household. Self-expression might be a huge thing as well. It’s important for individuals on this line to have a lot of freedom in their home. This place is also great if you want to retreat and expand your knowledge. This place also indicates high level of abundance coming into the home. So a lot of people/families that live on this line feel like they’ve attracted the most abundance and money when they connected with their roots or home. If you want to start a family business, this line is also really good for that. This is really good for ancestral healing as well.

In positive, bring abundance in the home, inner growth and freedom to explore/expand.

In negative, might get too comfortable and feel inclined to retreat.

Overall, literally gives generational wealth potential. Great for creating a family business. Great for growth, especially in intellectually. Great for selling down or starting a family.

MC: now we are talking about opportunities and success. Your career is gonna have a boost here. Your money is going to come in. Your opportunities are going to come in. People will trust you and they will see you as a mentor. You will be perceived as wise and insightful. If you have a career that is about sharing information, this is especially good for you. Might be the place where you start a legacy. Will get professionally recognised and will get compensated monetarily for it. ouuuuu I love this place. Unless you have harsh Jupiter aspect, this place should do the job for you.

In positive, amazing for a career start and career expansion. Great for financial abundance in your career. Great for sharing your knowledge and getting recognised for it. Amazing for job opportunities and luck in your field.

In negative, just make sure you do not get too cocky. This place is amazing, but be aware that the universe will put you in your place if necessary.

Overall, just great for your career and your growth. If you just wanna visit this line keep an eye out for opportunities.

Saturn line:

AC: all the Saturn line is quite heavy to navigate. This line will make you do all the hard work. For this specific case, you might feel a bit isolated and misunderstood. You will come across this more stern and serious. If you always wanted to be taken seriously, this line is for you. All people are gonna see the seriousness oozing out of you. You might not be fully understood for who you are here. You might also feel restricted in expressing yourself here. You might feel the need to hide yourself from people. But this line is not all bad. This line will help you develop discipline and structure in your life. It will actually make you feel in tune with yourself. Even if people don’t get you, you will be able to understand yourself to a certain level that you didn’t before. This line is going to teach you self-respect. If you are searching for a place that can offer stable projects, this line is also good for that.

In positive, good for self-respect, discipline and structure. You will be forced to develop a backbone here. Great place for maturing and discovering yourself to another level.

In negative, you can feel isolated and alone. Being misunderstood for who you are or restricted for who you are is coming here. You will potentially if moving here at a young age be forced to mature earlier than necessary.

Overall, this is a lesson that a lot of Saturn lines teach. The discipline, perseverance, structure, and maturity of life will be taught to you.

DC: you might get in relationships with someone older here. Relationships here might be karmic and they might be really hard to deal with. You might feel controlled or suppressed. Connections will make you mature. Do not expect an easy flowing relationship here whether it’s romantic, platonic or a partnership. I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn’t suggest dating someone here, unless you’re ready to mature and see the harsh reality of things. It will be heavy. I’m not saying it’s the worst, but it’s not the best either. If you are currently living on this line, you might’ve experienced some transformative relationships. The lessons here are heavy. If you do somehow get into a good relationship here, is going to require a looooot of work. to the people who live on Saturn lines, stay strong. Not all relationships are this hard. Lots of love to you seriously. This line can also make you feel quite alone in a relationship.

In positive, relationships are here to help you learn and grow. They can teach self-respect and boundaries. You will learn overall a lot of lessons. If you may, call this character development.

In negative, you might feel disconnected from people. Relationships feel cold and distant and hard to navigate. A lot of karmic lessons learnt through people.

Overall, good for learning boundaries and setting standards. Learning your love style. Sometimes good for marriage. Good for clearing out karmic debt.

IC: I could go on our talking about the home dynamic on this line. It’s restricting. Depending on what house your side is in your personal chart, you might feel even more restricted in that area. home life will teach you a lot of things. You might feel disconnect from your family and your home environment. Maybe there is a lot of emphasis on growing up. People on this line might feel like they were not allowed to enjoy their childhood. If you navigate this line well though, it is amazing for clearing generational baggage. It’s a place where a lot of people either drown in or heal a lot of karma.

In positive, will find comfort in your own solitude. It’s good for creating a good foundation for yourself. If you are planning on moving here, it is going to bring a lot of unhealed family baggage to light (just make sure you heal her please, or it will bite you in the ass).

In negative, it’s pretty given. A lot of solitude and feeling restricted and suppressed. Being forced to grow up through your home. Or if you’re moving by yourself there, you might not always feel fully connected to your house (again unless you healed). This line is heavy on dealing with things that are uncomfortable for us. Nothing comes easy on this line, but once you have it, you have it.

MC: this gives me, I came from nothing and now I’m here. This line is going to teach you how to work your way up to success. The discipline, the power, the pace and the structure you take will guide you to success. I’m gonna be honest, here success doesn’t come naturally. You will have to work for it, but once it’s yours, no one can take it away from you. You will be seen as more serious by your coworkers. You might even appear as a harsh boss to some. You will not accept mediocrity. This is truly the CEO line. This is the place where you can build a business foundation that will last. And if you’ve paved your foundation well, trust me, it will last.

In positive, a career here is stable and if the work is being put in, potentially very successful and abundant.

In negative, you might feel isolated from your coworkers. You might feel restricted at work and might feel like you’re not allowed to express yourself fully in your work field. You might also have workaholic tendencies here. Please make sure you balanced yourself properly since Saturn is all about a good schedule.

Overall, quite OK for a career. It can bring huge success. It can bring a stable income. Make sure you really put in the work for it. Saturn likes to have things be earned. If you earn it though, Saturn will give you everything to wish for and return

Uranus line:

AC: you have been feeling stuck and feeling like you have been in the loop, this is the best place to come. Whether you come here to move in or to travel, you are going to go under major transformations, especially when it comes to your physical appearance. You are going to feel more bold in your fashion. You will make changes to your appearance that are gonna be more eccentric. This is gonna be all about you, and your most authentic self. Think breaking boundaries of what is hair for you or what is fashion for you. You are also going to discover yourself and experience some major eye-opening situations in terms of your personal freedom. You can be unfiltered here, but it’s not gonna be like the Mars line where that comes with arguments, this line brings you unfiltered authenticity. Also, you might discover the fun in being with yourself. So you might discover new hobbies or interests or even get into new intellectual endeavours when alone.

In positive, you are going to break all identities and are gonna gain a new discovered freedom.

In negative, this line can make it a bit hard to stay grounded. There is going to be a feeling of social instability.

Overall, there is a great place for starting something new, something more authentic to you. Self-discovery is a highlight when being on this line. Amazing four coming out of your shell.

DC: this line will bring connections that will challenge your perspective of what is normal to you. There’s a theme of commitment issues alongside this line. You might feel more prone to be single, but if you do end up in a relationship, your partner might be the type that is very eccentric and they might challenge you to grow. Relationships are gonna feel fast paced even with friends, sometimes a bit unpredictable. Also say that along this line, you might change your type or you might have some awakening in regards of what you desire in a partnership of any sort. You might tend to rationalise your emotions more on this line.

In positive, and experience relationships on a different level and they will feel fresh and electrifying. Wouldn’t say it’s the best place to find a long-term committed relationship. It’s a good place for friendships though.

In negative, expense relationship that would end up in breaking up, ghosting and instability.commitment issues are a theme here.

Overall, looking for a relationship that feels open minded and allows for freedom, this might be the life for you. Watch out for unstable partners and constant situationships.

IC: would have to say that in regards to your home life, you won’t completely feel settled here. You probably would not want to live here for the long run. Well, this is a great place for discovering what you really want in your home or what do you expect from your home life, this place won’t align with you for the long run. Through your home, you may discover new things about yourself. Maybe your residence will be the place you start hobbies or you feel most comfortable experimenting. Live with your family members on this line you might experience feeling like the “ black sheep” of the family. If you’re looking for a place that will generally make you discover certain hidden aspects of yourself that you didn’t know existed, this line is great for that, but again you might have a sense of restlessness that won’t allow for you to settle here long-term.

In positive, if you want to reinvent the way you see home, this line is amazing. Hear you might experience some detachment from your roots, allowing for personal discovery.

In negative, costly feeling restlessness and emotional detachment, making a hard to connect.

Overall, if you want to discover and reinvent yourself in this area of home life and in regards to your roots. This place is pretty good for that.

MC: in regards to your career, this place is quite good for it. If you’re planning on working in a tech, engineering, activism or start any sort of start-up, this line is going to boost that. You are more prone for going viral for the most random reasons here. Your career will feel filled with plot twists. You might visit this line with something in mind, and end up doing something completely different. People will see you as innovative, quirky, a bit detached and a visionary. Also you might be more prone to have multiple income streams here. This place is overall really good if you’re looking for inspiration or an advancement in your career. I feel like people look down on this line when it comes to career, but I find it to be a really good line for coming up with something. Also, whatever you create here might be very beneficial or extremely shocking to a lot of people.

In positive, it’s great for creative breakthroughs and having a new outlook on your projects. If you have been feeling stuck in your career or lost in your career, come here and see how your mind literally opens to so many possibilities.

In negative, if you don’t like this unstoppable change or instability, I don’t suggest you come here to work. It can be really good, but I do understand why some people might not want this type of environment. There can also be a fluctuation on how people perceive you here.

Overall, reinventing your career or your brand can go really well here. Having a start up here is also really amazing. Working in any tech, activism or engineering field here is great.

Neptune line:

AC: you will feel like you are in a dream (not in a bad or good sense). Sometimes you might feel like you are more disconnected from reality. People will perceive you as dreamy, hard to pin down and mysterious. Think manic pixie. You might be in your head a lot and you might be more prone to absorb peoples energy. Make sure you guard yourself energetically here. This place is gorgeous for a spiritual awakening and an existential crisis(yikes). You will rediscover parts of yourself in terms of spirituality or religious beliefs. you will be more interested in the occult on this line as well. You will have such an artistic and creative flow here, it’s insane. You will be more attracted towards a slower paced life. People will be attracted to your sensuality and mystery. They might even see you as a healer of some sort. Some might take advantage of that so please make sure to guard yourself.

In positive, you will be attracted to aesthetically pleasing things or at least lean into a more “ aesthetic” life. You are going to have your intuition more heightened and have a smoother creative flow.

In negative, again you might be taking advantage of, you might be prone to escapism (mind those substances please), you will experience an identity crisis and you will be more sensitive to fatigue.

Overall, great for heightened intuition and development in your healing skills. If you want to discover yourself spiritually or religiously, this line can be very fulfilling. I would say this is a good place for a healing retreat. Great to come here if you want to practice your spiritual beliefs, art, music or modelling.

DC: relationships here are hard to pin down. You never know if the person your meeting is your soulmate or it’s just an illusion. You might attract partners here that you might tend to idolise. Relationships will feel dreamy indeed, but you might create your own version of the person you’re dating. Basically, you will get in relationships with people because you like the idea you created of them, not them as a person. Relationships here can take advantage of you. Here the line between dreams and reality is thin. You might find yourself with people that do not respect your boundaries. You might find yourself in the position of healing the wounds of your partners. On the bright side, this line can also bring you closer to a soulmate like relationship. Even if it’s not a soulmate relationship, it is going to be a relationship that shapes you in some way. Going to experience a deep spiritual connection between you and your partner. You might even find it hard to move on from your exes on this line (or vice versa). Friendships here can be very fulfilling but you have to make sure you set boundaries with all the people that you meet.

In positive, relationships here will be filled with empathy and deep spiritual connection. You might receive more unconditional love here.

In negative, strong codependency in relationships and self sacrificing.

Overall, creative collaborations here can be very strong and fulfilling. If you wish to partner with someone in the musical, art or modelling field, this line is good for this.

IC: your home will feel extra safe. There is going to be a tendency of isolation and escapism. You might feel like your emotions and your thoughts are a bit foggy. It’s easy to lose yourself to delusional things. Your home is the place where you might feel the most creatively in tune. Also, your intuition might peak in your environment or when working with your roots. Basically, if you want to practice any spirituality that is tied to your origins or to familiar things, this line can really boost that. You might also genuinely get reallyyyyy vivid dreams. You can also start experiencing premonitions through your dreams. I wouldn’t necessarily say that you fully feel at home here, not because you won’t like it, but because you will feel more disconnected from reality leading to a disconnect in your home life as well

In positive, you will feel spiritually connected to your roots and my double more into your native practices. You will be more in tune with your creativity and intuition.

In negative, easy to get lost in your thoughts and you might tend to opt for unhealthy coping mechanisms. Please make sure to stay grounded on this line.

Overall, great place if you want to feel spiritually or religiously connected. This will unlock a new perspective on this area of your life. Not a bad line, just you might tend to find it hard to stay grounded.

MC: owwwwww! If you r in any artistic or create a field this line is amazing for you. The way you will feel the creativity flow in your work life is insane. You will have more of an unusual approach to your work. You might also bring an ethereal or mystical vibe to your craft. You will be perceived as mysterious by the masses. If you work in the art, film, musi, acting, modelling or any career that focuses on spirituality and aesthetics, I suggest working here. One downside is that you might luck direction or you might struggle with going through with what you planned. If you make sure that you balance that and bring some structure to your life, this line will be amazing for your field.

In positive, great for a lot of fields that are require creativity. You will be more mysterious to people and that can attract quite some popularity.

In negative, might experience some career confusion and lack of boundaries in your workplace.

Overall, again great for creative fields and popularity based on your mysteriousness.

Pluto line:

AC: this line is overall hard to navigate, especially if you have harsh Pluto aspects. One thing you are going to experience on this line especially, is change in who you are. You are going to doubt your principles, your morals, your identity and your habits. This line is all about transformation. It’s good if you are going through an identity crisis and you want to completely reinvent yourself, but I wouldn’t generally suggest to stay here long-term. You’ll be perceived as intense and even harsh sometimes. this is going to be a line that will truly transform your whole identity, from the way you talk, you walk and you behave. I personally would tell people that if they are looking for some change in their life, then they should visit this line, it will stir stuff up. Just like all Pluto lines though, having this constant destroying and rebuilding energy can feel a bit tiring or draining. If you work with yourself, you will find out that by the end of your stay, you became a whole new version of yourself that is more powerful.

In positive, you will be more magnetic and you will reinvent your whole identity. This line might even lead to some clarity when it comes to yourself.

In negative, this line will make you feel really lonely. It will also make you feel like you are in a constant battlefield. More prone to burn out here.

Overall, great place for discovering and reinvention. Mostly would suggest travelling here for a shorter period of time.

DC: relationships on this line are in intensive…(not necessarily good). If you are single, you might attract partners who are controlling, obsessive or toxic (possibly abusive, I’m sorry love). I am not going to sugarcoat it, I’ve heard some stories about women being in very bad situations on this line. Transformations will be deep through relationships. You might actually rediscover your type or you might learn some heavy lessons. There’s gonna be a lot of power struggles here. If you are in a relationship and are planning on coming on this line, all I’m going to say is that this line will test the integrity of your relationship. I’ve heard one too many couples moving to this line and ending up breaking up a few months later after being together for yearssss. Not saying that this line will automatically break your relationship, but it will test it. If you both learn to hold your ground and not let disagreement get to both of you, you will be fine. Relationships here are just difficult, even friendships or partnerships. A lot of tension, and not a good one. One thing I have to say, if you come to this line and you really heal, you will become so unstoppable.

In positive, karmic healing in relationships. You will rediscover what you truly desire in a partner. It will basically bring more clarity on what you want from the people around you. It might also help you learn how to respect yourself.

In negative, lots of powerplay and imbalances. Toxic relationships and a lot of manipulation.

Overall, not the best line in my opinion. If you’re truly looking to navigate your relationships patterns, then come here, but if you are not ready to face some nasty truths, I wouldn’t even suggest travelling here.

IC: your home life will feel very suffocating. You might have parental figures that are trying to control you. You might feel like your home is not your safe space. This place screams dealing with a lot of lineage karma. You will do some heavy shadow work in that area. Honestly, it’s a hard line as well, but that’s all Pluto lines. This place is really great for understanding issues from the root and solving them. You might even heal some generational trauma here or at least become more aware of what that generation of trauma is. Dealing with all this karma and shadow work you will feel so much more powerful, you will tap into your true purpose. This line also builds insane inner strength and desire for justice. Pluto lines are hard, but they are necessary.

In positive, deep rooted emotional and healing. This is a re-occurring thing with a lot of the lines here.

In negative, lot of family drama and emotional baggage. This line can cause depression (please stay strong).

Overall, great for healing generational trauma and deep rooted issues.

MC: weirdly enough, the Pluto MC line is less hard to navigate here (not easy but not as annoying as the previous Pluto lines). It’s still very harsh, but emotionally it’s a bit easier. This line will teach you a lot about power dynamics. You might face some power imbalances at your workplace. A lot of tension between you and authority figures are present on this line. This line will make you more assertive in achieving power (power is subjective, so that can be money for some or authority for others). You might be perceived by the masses as controversial and intense. You will be the type of person that grows on people. You are an acquired taste for sure. Good for rising at the top in general, but especially good for people that work in finance, law, politics, psychology or any taboo field of work. You will deal with some betrayal in your workplace. You might also lose your job here. So be careful and stay mindful.

In positive, you will learn to own the room you walk in and grow your power (and authority).

In negative, you will possibly deal with job loss. You will deal with hardships and authority tension in the workplace.

Overall, good for rising to the top and taboo fields.

Chiron line:

AC: yeah, remember when I said that the Pluto lines are hard? This line is even harder, but it doesn’t feel suffocating, it feels deep, like the type of pain that you can’t fully shake off. Hear you will undergo deep healing of yourself. All your wounds regarding your identity will come to light, and other people will see it too. If you have been insecure about your physical appearance, then you will show it and you will feel it more intensely. If you have been insecure about your intelligence, you will feel more exposed here. This line pushes you to heal through embracing yourself. Accepting who you are and learning to deal with yourself at your own pace. You might be perceived as more melancholic and sad. People will be more inclined to want to help you. Your own identity will be shaky, but that’s only because this line pushes you to heal.

In positive, will undergo massive personal change in regards to your insecurities or personal wounds.

In negative, you will look down on yourself a lot and might lose a lot of your confidence. Also you might feel more exposed to other people.

Overall, really good to come here if you want to undergo some serious therapy. This line will be amazing for that. do you want to start your healing then come here.

DC: so basically, I’m a liar cause this line is even more horrible(if you’re not healed). Every single insecurity and fear you have will materialise in your connections with people. If you have ever been afraid that people will leave you, then boom, they leave you. If you are afraid deep down that your partner will be cheating on you. guess what? They are. You really need to tackle what makes you insecure in your friendships or relationships in order to have good connections here. This line gives me, you attract what you are! Do not expect good connections if you are not healed. The bright side is that relationships will feel healing as well. You might be able to heal your wounds through your relationships. There is gonna be a sense of deep intimacy between you and your person. Also might attract people with similar insecurities as you.

In positive, you will experience karmic healing in relationship. You will be learning a lot of self-worth as well.

In negative, all your triggers that you have in relationships have a high chance of manifesting here.

Overall, good for clearing karmic baggage and growing through connections.

IC: your sense of what is home, what feel safe and what is trust will be challenged here. Your home or roots might bring a lot of scars. If you are travelling or moving here, be ready for past ones to the surface. This line will really trigger you in a lot of areas. This line will also test if those wounds have been fully healed or just bandage over briefly. this is arguably the best line for shadow work. It is also the shittiest line for shadow work. Why do I say that? Because it will be very hard, but very rewarding. Nothing comes easy when it’s healing we are talking about. Chiron is sad and tormenting, but not impossible. You will develop a next level emotional resilience.

In positive, you will heal deeply and truly. You will develop an inner strength that will be unshakeable after this. Your sense of identity will be very strong as well.

In negative, you might not be able to take it. This line is just really hard to be honest. You will feel the effects of it. My best advice is to truly put in the work to see past the facade of things. True healing comes with hardship. Shadow work is not as nice as people make it seem.

Overall, great for generational healing as well and targeting deep past wounds (even once that you didn’t know are still there).

MC: this line will bring your career into fruition through hardships. So any career in psychology, psychiatric help, mentorship, teacher, healer and motivational speaking is good here. Advocating for communities is going to work out really well here. You could potentially build a legacy here. You could also have a pretty successful career by overcoming your hardships in general. You would also feel align with your career and that can bring some meaning to yourself. You could become quite purpose driven as well.

In positive, you will leave a meaningful impact and find success through transformations. You might even be inspiring to others.

In negative, might be afraid of being seen as weak or broken. You will have all your wounds visible to the world. Your vulnerability will be exposed leaving you quite unhappy.

Overall, any careers that turn pain into inspiration will thrive here.

North node:

AC: on this line, u will feel more along with your true purpose and destiny through yourself. The way you act, behave, speak and walk will all be aligned with your true destiny. by being your most authentic self, life will push you towards your path. You are going to undergo major self growth and you will be pushed into it quite strongly. Once you’ve lined yourself with who you are, you will notice a shift in your reality. I also do believe that this line is really good for manifesting or for using the law of assumption. You will get a boost in confidence.

In positive, you will feel more aligned with yourself bringing you more self-fulfilment. You will also encounter aligned friendships.

In negative, you might experience impostor syndrome. You will also be uncomfortable during this whole growth process. But hey, it’s necessary.

Overall, grateful for true discovery and the alignment with oneself. Also, if you ever wanna start a new chapter, you can always start here. If you want to travel here I’d highly suggested.

DC: you will be more aligned with your true life’s purpose and destiny through your relationship relationships with people. Let that be partnerships, friendships or relationships they will all bring you closer to what you are truly supposed to achieve. Some might help you through actually giving you resources, some might help you through uplifting you, some might even help you through giving you opportunities, whatever the case may be they are all there to bring you to your next stage. Relationships here will also make you grow emotionally a lot so be prepared to face some shadow sides of yourself. You might even attract the karmic partners.

In positive, you will experience emotional and spiritual growth through other people. Other people will help you align with your goals. You will encounter destiny like connections.

In negative, you might become too codependent on your partnerships. You might also experience clings and obsession. Heartbreak will hurt like hell here. Make sure you balance the energy you invest in yourself with the energy you invest in other people.

Overall, good for possibly even meeting your soulmate and creating meaningful long lasting relationships. Relationships will help you grow in whatever field of work you choose to be in. good for meeting mentors and establishing good business partnerships.

IC: here your job will be to tackle the family patterns. You will be in tune with your destiny when you deal with all the emotional baggage that either comes from with you or from within your ancestry (or family). A lot of family patterns will come to life, but it is up to you to solve them. You will feel emotionally content and emotionally evolved. You will be emotionally and spiritually the highest form of yourself. This can build a lot of self assurance and confidence. You will learn to break pattern, set boundaries and learn when to put yourself first. you will also learn how to be soft and who you should give the softness to.

In positive, you will reach emotional fulfilment and successful follow after that. You will reinvent a new concept of home.

In negative, you might experience some conflict in regards to your old definition of what home was. Change is gonna be uncomfortable but it will be very beneficial.

Overall, really good for starting the family and dealing with inner child work.

MC: this is literally career Central. Alongside your Jupiter and sun MC line, this line is also amazing for your career. Having the north node, which is all about your life’s purpose and your MC, which is all about your public persona and career together it’s a very strong combination. This is arguably the best line for your career. Not only will you evolve as a person using your career, you will also evolve in your career. Opportunities will come to you but it is up to you to recognise them and use them. You will resonate with your refill of work and you will passionately pursue it. And to be honest, you might even get some abundance out of it. Life will put you in the spotlight whether you like it or not.

In positive, you will be working in a career that truly resonates with you and brings you closer to your destiny. This alone will bring success.

In negative, you will feel pressure from yourself to constantly do really good. Your lesson here is to learn how to manage your expectations.

Overall, if you want a boost in your career and full alignment with ur destiny, move to this line. If you just wanna visit, keep an eye out for opportunities.

Ok so this post took me so long omg!!! Besides the fact that I am in active exam season right now (I’m so cooked), I also had to rewrite this post… But let me just put that out there, I will always prioritise quality over quantity, therefore I’d rather post a bit less, but at least I know I’m being authentic and I don’t spread misinformation. Also sorry for any possible typos.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed this! I put in so much effort to research on this theme since I am not that familiar with astrocartography. If you guys have any personal experiences living on any of these lines (and if you are comfortable sharing them) I’d love to hear them (and I am sure other people will want to know some first-hand experiences as well).

Till next time stay healthy and stay glowing xoxo

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weaselandfriends · 4 months ago

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Sword Art Online (anime)

Sword Art Online is a Frankenstein monster. Here is every episode of the first arc and how it was adapted:

Episode 1 is from the original web novel, published in 2002.

Episode 2 is from a more detailed rewrite of the story, Sword Art Online Progressive, published in 2012 (only a few months before the anime aired).

Episode 3 is from the second volume of the light novel, published in 2009.

Episode 4 is from a side story published shortly after the original web novel, in either 2002 or 2003.

Episodes 5 and 6 combine a side story published in 2007 and another side story from the eighth volume of the light novel, published in 2011.

Episode 7 is from a side story published shortly after the original web novel, likely in 2003.

Episodes 8, 9, and 10 are from the original web novel, published in 2002.

Episode 11 and 12 are from a side story published in 2003.

Episodes 13 and 14 are from the original web novel, published in 2002.

By stitching together stories written across an entire decade, often with wildly different purposes and goals, the anime is tonally erratic, with glaring plot and character inconsistencies. For example, Episode 3 is a tragic episode in which Kirito brings several low-level players to a high-level floor, leading to their deaths. Kirito is traumatized; he later explains that this incident is why he plays as a solo player, so nobody else will ever get hurt because of him. Episode 4, by contrast, is a lighthearted episode in which Kirito—having learned nothing, because this story was written six years before the previous one—brings a low-level player to a high-level floor as bait for dangerous player-killers. When the low-level player is comedically groped by a tentacle monster and cries out for Kirito to save her, Kirito only shrugs and says, "Come on, it's not that powerful." He's ultimately correct, and this time the player survives, but what happened to his trauma?

These inconsistencies, combined with Sword Art Online's massive popularity, made it the favorite target of the fledgling anime video essay community circa 2014 to 2017. Though it's possible to do a longform video poring over every single plot hole for almost anything, Sword Art Online made it easy; half of its "plot" was never intended to be arranged in this way, and even when there was intent, it was the intent of an amateur author writing their first-ever story. You couldn't generate a work more perfect for endless nitpicking and angry rants in a lab.

But if the show is blatantly incompetent, what made it so popular?

It's tempting to ascribe its popularity to "right place, right time." By 2012, the year Sword Art Online came out, the internet had changed the primary way people interacted socially. Rather than being bound by family, proximity, race, creed, religion, or so on, people grouped together by hobby. "Gamer" was now a community-binding identity, an attribute that distinguished a person and their niche online space from the othered outside. And the Gamers craved legitimacy. They craved the approval and recognition of mainstream culture. They craved representation, that feeling of seeing yourself reflected in the world around you.

The world refused them. The mood of the entrenched pop cultural elite was best encapsulated by Roger Ebert, famous film critic, who had been waging a years-long crusade against video games as an artistic medium. In 2005, in response to the live-action Doom movie, Ebert said, "Video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized[,] and empathetic." He reiterated this claim in statements and essays in 2006 and 2010, and in March 2012, on the eve of Sword Art Online's airing, described Dark Souls—Dark Souls!—as a "soul-deadening experience." "Video games can never be art," he asserted plainly later that year.

In this milieu, it makes sense why Gamers glommed onto Sword Art Online. If nothing else, Sword Art Online takes video games seriously, more seriously than any non-video game media before it (asterisk; excepting .hack). This seriousness manifests in a consistent theme, a singular perpetually present thread that lingers even as plot, character, and tone skew wildly, stated by Kirito to Klein in Episode 1:

"This may be a virtual world, but I feel more alive here than I do in the real world."

This statement defines Asuna, who stops seeing her time trapped in the game as years stolen from her life, and instead learns to live each moment as if it were truly real. It defines Silica, mourning her dead Neopet and willing to risk her actual life to revive it. It defines Lisbeth, hurtling a million miles into the air but still for a moment enraptured by the beauty of a digital sun shining over a digital land. It defines Griselda, murdered by her husband Grimlock for motives he can only confusingly explain as related to how she "changed" in the game, how she became more confident, more self-realized, while he sank into despair (he was not a Gamer. He lacked the Gamer spirit). It defines Yui, the sentient NPC whom Kirito and Asuna adopt as part of a pantomimed marriage that the show's nauseatingly boring second arc is about protecting against an outside world that does not acknowledge it. And it defines Akihiko Kayaba, the game's creator, who when confronted at the end over why he trapped 10,000 people in this death game, can only say that he no longer remembers, before rhapsodizing about the "castle in the sky" he so achingly desired to bring to life. Unstated is that, to make it truly alive, he needed to make it—and the people inside it—capable of death. This logic is twisted, even more bizarre than Grimlock's murder confession, but neither the scene's wistfully poignant tone nor Kirito's responses reject it.

As the video essayists have done, it's pathetically easy to pick apart Kayaba's rationale. But to mire oneself in the story's logic is a mistake; Sword Art Online is not a story guided by logic. What matters is that Kayaba's illogical words are consistent with the ethos that underlies the narrative: The virtual world is as important as, or even more important than, the real world.

The anime's production values reflect this ethos, too. Sword Art Online looks strikingly cheap for its level of popularity. In almost every fight, still images with blur lines vibrate in tacky simulation of animation. There is no dynamism in the camerawork, and sword duels are often depicted in shot-reverse shot so only one participant is on screen at a time. Nobody interacts with their environment; every battle occurs on a flat, empty plane. Some of the monsters are CGI and look awful. The character designs are bland and generic. Even the music, by the otherwise-excellent Yuki Kajiura, sounds like phoned-in B-sides from her work on Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011) and its sequel film, Rebellion (2013).

But what the show does expend effort on is its backgrounds, which are both visually inventive—floating islands, towering columns that hold up the sky—and depicted with glimmering post-processing effects to bathe them in sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, and starry nights. First and foremost, Sword Art Online sells its virtual world to the viewer, makes them believe in that world the way the characters in the story do.

And in having that world sold to them, in expressing its legitimacy and the legitimacy of those (hero or villain) who believe in it, the Gamers had their rallying cry, the work of media that finally said: You are seen.

But was it really Gamers that Sword Art Online saw?

While Sword Art Online is invested in selling its virtual world, it is not invested in selling its virtual game. The in-universe Sword Art Online is primarily defined by its lack of gameplay mechanics, rather than those it actually has. In Episode 1, Klein explains that the game lacks a magic system, which he describes as a "bold choice." In Episode 2, members of the raid party state that the game also lacks a job or class system. There is no long-ranged weaponry; everyone uses melee weapons, usually swords. The only strategy during raids is human wave tactics, where armies of players charge in and attack at once. The only cooperative maneuver is "Switch," a mechanic that is never explicitly explained but seems to involve a player who has already charged in backing off so another player can charge in their place.

Compared to even basic single-player RPGs, these mechanics are primitive; for an MMORPG, they're antediluvian. The point isn't whether a game with these mechanics would be fun or not (in many ways, it's similar to Dark Souls, where the basic core gameplay of dodge-and-hit is rendered meaningful by the consequences for failure), but rather that the game's mechanics have little importance within the story.

They're so unimportant that it's never explained why Kirito is so good at the game, what he's doing differently from everyone else. He's not even a grinder. He spends most of the first half of the story slumming on floors far beneath his level. It's no-nonsense Asuna who grinds hard, who tries to exploit the game mechanics, like when she proposes using NPCs to lure a boss. The plan makes logical sense, but logic is absent from Sword Art Online's ethos; Kirito rejects it, not on the grounds it wouldn't work, but because the NPCs would be killed. He prioritizes respecting the game world, while Asuna—at least initially—prioritizes respecting the game mechanics. Kirito's philosophy is ultimately proven right when he and Asuna adopt an NPC daughter who turns out to be sentient.

Meanwhile, Kirito's most impressive feat involves him ignoring the game's rules entirely. The one mechanic described in detail is that if you die in the game, you die in real life; when Kirito dies, though, he wills himself back alive to defeat the final boss.

The game, the experience of gaming, being a Gamer—none of these are part of the underlying ethos that guides the narrative decisions of Sword Art Online. Kirito didn't tell Klein, "I feel more alive playing this game." He said, "I feel more alive in this virtual world." Asuna didn't find happiness by exploiting the game, but by learning to live in it as though it were her real life. Kayaba didn't design Sword Art Online because he loves games, but because he wanted to make his world real.

This isn't a story about Gamers. It's a story about a virtual world. It's a story about the internet. It's a story about online community.

In his introduction to Speaker for the Dead (1986), Orson Scott Card describes the heroes of most science fiction novels as "perpetual adolescents": "He belongs to no community; he is wandering from place to place, doing good (as he sees it), but then moving on. This is the life of the adolescent, full of passion, intensity, magic, and infinite possibility; but lacking responsibility, rarely expecting to have to stay and bear the consequences of error […] Who but the adolescent is free to have the adventures that most of us are looking for when we turn to storytellers to satisfy our hunger? And yet to me, at least, the most important stories are the ones that teach us how to be civilized: the stories about children and adults, about responsibility and dependency."

Card, of course, wrote Gamer fiction long before anyone craved it. Ender's Game (1985) is obsessed with the mechanical minutiae of its titular game in a way Sword Art Online is not; its protagonist is successful in the mold of Asuna, able to understand and exploit game mechanics better than anyone else. But in this quote, Card describes Kirito perfectly. Kirito is, of course, an actual adolescent, emphasized by his character design and Columbine trench coat ("Don't show up to the GameStop tomorrow," you can almost hear him say), but his character is also adolescent in terms of Card's model. He spends the first half of the story as a solo player, wandering from floor to floor, doing good (usually), moving on. He lacks—or rather, avoids—responsibility. While Asuna is second-in-command of a top guild organizing high-level raids, Kirito is off on his own reviving some girl's Neopet.

When viewed from this perspective, Sword Art Online actually does have a coherent and comprehensible character arc for its otherwise inconsistent protagonist. Kirito develops as a result of his relationship with Asuna, finding through his marriage to her the responsibility that he previously forsook. When Kirito's error causes Sachi to die in Episode 3, he moves on, immediately abandons even his own trauma by Episode 4; Sachi is never mentioned again. (Of course not, since her story was one of the last ones written.) He feels no lasting responsibility for his actions. But later, Kirito realizes he could not brush off the trauma if the same thing happened to Asuna. It is through his responsibility to her that he joins the final raid and thus bears, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else, the cooperative responsibility of the entire virtual community of Sword Art Online. He has become an adult, with wife and child. He has become "more cultured, civilized[,] and empathetic," as Ebert would put it.

(And isn't that what Ebert is really saying, when he criticizes video games? That they are adolescent, childish, playthings?)

Through Kirito's character arc, and its underlying ethos about virtual worlds, Sword Art Online depicts online community via the language of marriage and responsibility that is traditionally ascribed to real-life community. This too resonated with its audience. After all, it wasn't just Gamers who craved recognition. Teenagers in 2012 had lived their entire conscious life in a world defined by the internet, and yet the "real world" considered online relationships and communities to be a joke. Sword Art Online, rather than legitimizing Gamers, legitimizes the virtual world, the internet.

But does it really even do that?

Immediately, Sword Art Online rejects the notion of online identity. Kayaba's first move upon trapping everyone inside the game is to force them all to look like their real-world selves. As per Sword Art Online's anti-logic ethos, he does not explain why he does this. Shortly afterward, Kirito looks at his real-world finger, which received a paper cut before he entered the game; he imagines it bleeding profusely, before saying, "It's not a game. It's real." By enforcing real-world identity within the game world, Kayaba possibly intends players to see the world as more real too, the way Kirito does. This fits the monomaniacal focus of Kayaba, and Sword Art Online as a story, on the importance of virtual space over any other aspect of virtual experience, and it's not surprising that Kirito tacitly agrees with Kayaba's decision when he and Klein tell each other they look better as their real selves than as their avatars. But it also alienates Sword Art Online from its connection to the reality of the internet, where personal identity is far more fluid.

Furthermore, despite his character arc, Kirito ultimately stands apart from his online community. At the end of the story, everyone lies on the ground paralyzed as he alone is given the privilege to duel the final boss, one-on-one. At this climactic moment, Kirito returns to being a solo player, while every other member of the community lacks agency, including Asuna. Especially Asuna. Shortly before the final battle, Asuna claims she'll commit suicide if Kirito dies, which is already an unhealthily adolescent view of marriage (as seen in Romeo & Juliet). Then, before the duel, when Asuna is paralyzed, Kirito demands that Kayaba "fix it so Asuna can't kill herself." Not only has Kayaba, the villain, stolen Asuna's agency over her own body, but now her husband is requesting he steal even more of it.

This, too, is part of Sword Art Online's ethos. Though the game has 10,000 people, nobody except Kirito actually matters. He is a "Solo Player" in the sense of Solo Leveling, the most popular airing anime, which has a mistranslated title; it should be "Only I Level Up." The implication of the real title is clear: Only the protagonist has agency. Kirito is the same. Only he plays the game, in any meaningful sense. The game—reality—bends to him; none of its rules, even death, constrain him.

It is total self-centeredness, a complete rejection of the responsibility to society that Card describes. This ethos pervades the show. Kirito is never wrong, even when he obviously is, like when he rejects Asuna's proposal to use NPCs as bait. The entire reason he realizes Heathcliff is Kayaba is because, during an earlier duel, Heathcliff beat him; Kirito (correctly) posits that someone who beat him must have been cheating. Everyone who likes Kirito is good, everyone who dislikes him is evil; Kuradeel, who chafes with Kirito initially over bureaucratic guild regulations, eventually unmasks himself as a sadistic serial killer. Every girl is in love with him, a harem rendered vestigial because Kirito is married to Asuna and expresses zero interest in Silica or Lisbeth or his sister or the second season's Carne Asada; but it's not about whether Kirito wants a harem, it's about the prestige of his ability to command one.

This is where the true face of Sword Art Online shows itself, what truly made it so popular, and where the core of its long-lasting influence remains.

Only the virtual world matters. Not the game, not the online community, not online identity. Only a different world, one that isn't the real world. And in this world, only Kirito matters. Sure, he'll fight to protect other people. Exactly like he'll fight to protect NPCs. In this world, real people are worth the same as NPCs, compared to Kirito. His wife is a real person; his daughter is not. But really, both his marriage and his child are a form of playacting, pretending at adulthood. When convenient, they are disregarded and trampled upon. Asuna spends the next two arcs of Sword Art Online sidelined—even viciously sexually assaulted—so Kirito can hang out with girls he doesn't even like, just because they're shiny and new; Yui is almost completely forgotten after the second arc, like a discarded toy.

This is an ethos of pure, distilled escapism. It is an escape from the real world to a false one, where every conceivable selfish fantasy is rendered real, where every desire can be granted and then disposed of when no longer wanted. It is an ethos without responsibility, without consequence.

And without shame. Sword Art Online is remarkably devoid of self-consciousness. It treats as real its virtual world, but doesn't feel the need to justify that world with logic. It doesn't feel the need to justify anything with logic; what it says is so, self-evidently.

In my Kill la Kill essay, I mentioned Sword Art Online's vast influence, and someone wrote (and sadly deleted) a well-reasoned response that explained how the aesthetics and tropes of modern isekai are much more heavily influenced by Japanese webfic that predate Sword Art Online, like GATE or Overlord or Re:Zero. That's true; I'd add that modern Gamer fiction, which is often obsessively concerned with the rules and statistics underlying game logic, is also not very similar to Sword Art Online on a superficial level. But Sword Art Online's ethos transcends genre. It can be found in isekai, Gamer lit, or even genres popular long before Sword Art Online, like battle shounen. Sword Art Online created the web fiction to light novel to anime pipeline, and in doing so popularized amateur literature and its decidedly adolescent mentality of shameless and solipsistic self-indulgence. "Only I Play the Game."

#sword art online #sao #anime #review

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lotuswish · 5 months ago

Text

˗ˏˋ what they gift you for valentine’s day 𐙚 .ᐟ

synopsis: valentine’s day means something different to each of them—some treat it like a grand romantic event, others act like it’s just another friday, and a few are probably panicking last-minute. but whatever they give you, one thing’s for sure: it’s undeniably them, for better or worse.

featured character(s): lilia vanrouge, malleus draconia, silver, sebek zigvolt, leona kingscholar, ruggie bucchi, jack howl, vil schoenheit, rook hunt, epel felmier, jamil viper, kalim al-asim, riddle rosehearts, cater diamond, trey clover, ace trappola, deuce spade, azul ashengrotto, jade leech, floyd leech, idia shroud, no ortho shroud

content warning(s): none!

a/n: happy valentine’s day! ❤️

link(s): (masterlist)

an overly extravagant display of affection

why settle for one gift when he could give everything? a sea of roses flooding your dorm, an entire box—no, several boxes—of gold-wrapped chocolates, or even fireworks painting your name across the night sky. to him, valentine’s day isn’t just about romance—it’s a stage, a perfect excuse to turn his feelings into something grand. love, in his eyes, should be seen, felt, and impossible to ignore. he doesn’t believe in halfway gestures; if he adores you, the world will know it.

⤷ kalim, malleus, rook

a single, meaningful item that shows they know you

this isn’t just a generic valentine’s day gift—it’s something that proves he listens. something small you once mentioned in passing, something he went out of his way to track down, something that perfectly aligns with your tastes in a way that leaves you wondering just how long he’s been paying attention. maybe it’s a first-edition book from your favorite author, a piece of jewelry that fits your aesthetic so well it feels like he had to have spent time picking it out, or a limited-edition item from a brand you once mentioned offhandedly. it’s not about extravagance—it’s about thoughtfulness, about making sure you know he sees you.

⤷ idia, jade, jamil, leona, ruggie, vil

a carefully crafted, handwritten letter

it's more than just a few words hastily jotted down onto a card—this is a letter, deliberate and meticulously composed. every word is chosen with purpose, every stroke of ink placed with careful intent, as if he agonized over each line, rewriting certain sentences more times than he’d ever admit. it feels less like a simple valentine's note and more like a confession woven into ink, every phrase carrying the weight of emotions he might struggle to voice aloud. this gift is more than a simple gesture—it’s a glimpse into the feelings he’s likely held onto far longer than he ever intended.

⤷ malleus, riddle, rook

a bouquet, but with intention

it’s not just about flowers—it’s about what they mean. this isn’t some store-bought, last-minute bouquet; every bloom has been deliberately chosen, each one carrying a message. roses for love, lilacs for first emotions, camellias for admiration—there’s no need for him to say anything outright because the meaning is woven into every petal. whether he expects you to recognize the symbolism or not, the sentiment is there, tucked between soft petals and carefully arranged stems. and if you do look up the meanings? you’ll see everything he couldn’t quite put into words.

⤷ cater, epel, trey,

jewelry, meant to be worn always

it’s not flashy or excessive, but it’s meant to last. a necklace, a bracelet, a ring—something simple but chosen with care, something that feels right for you. the weight of it is subtle but constant, a quiet reminder of him no matter where you are. he won’t say it outright, but the thought of you wearing something from him every day pleases him. and if anyone asks where you got it? well, he wouldn’t mind hearing you say his name in response.

⤷ floyd, jamil, leona, lilia, ruggie, sebek

a luxurious experience rather than an object

he sees no reason to limit valentine’s day to just a material gift—not when he could give you a memory. a private dinner under candlelight, an exclusive event, a perfect evening where every little thing has been arranged so you don’t have to lift a finger. it’s not just about extravagance (well, maybe partially); it’s about making sure you feel special, about ensuring this night is one you won’t forget. to him, valentine’s day isn’t about what you receive—it’s about how he can make you feel.

⤷ azul, jade, kalim, malleus, rook, vil

handmade, because it means more that way

he could have just bought something, but that wouldn’t have meant enough. instead, he put in the time and effort himself. maybe it’s a home-cooked meal, carefully prepared with your favorite flavors in mind, or a bouquet he arranged by hand rather than picking something up from a florist. maybe it’s a small carved trinket, a handcrafted piece of jewelry, or even a carefully stitched charm meant to bring you luck. perfection isn’t the goal—it’s the sincerity, the intention behind giving you something that holds a part of him.

⤷ deuce, epel, jack, jamil, silver, trey

something playful, because love should be fun

who says valentine’s day has to be serious? he doesn’t just want to give you a gift—he wants to make you laugh. maybe it’s a ridiculously oversized plushie, one so big you practically have to wrestle it through your door. maybe it’s a scavenger hunt, little notes leading you to the actual gift just to watch you figure it out. maybe it’s a box of chocolates with one secretly filled with something spicy, just to see your reaction. love doesn’t always have to be grand or serious—sometimes, it’s just about enjoying each other’s company.

⤷ ace, cater, epel, floyd, lilia, ruggie

something simple, but given with genuine care

he doesn’t make a big deal out of valentine’s day, and he doesn’t see the point in overcomplicating things. what matters is that he thought of you. a warm cup of your favorite drink waiting for you in the morning, a carefully wrapped box of chocolates, a small charm for luck. he won’t make a scene about it, but there’s something undeniably sweet about how naturally he makes sure you’re taken care of.

⤷ deuce, idia, jack, jamil, sebek, silver

congrats on making it to the end! if you enjoyed this, likes, comments, follows, and reblogs are always appreciated—they help motivate me to keep creating and sharing!

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kaiyunsim · 5 months ago

Text

valentine —

pairing : best friend!woonhak x gn!reader

summary : woonhak wants to ask the reader to be his valentine but doesn't know how to. when he tries to form an idea, his hyungs decide to tease him.

warnings : fluff, reader is lowkey dumb, none !

a/n : i love woonhak. i want him to be my valentine. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THESE PHOTOS?!?!? boba eyes are my weakness

queueing : valentine - laufey

— wc : 5.5k — not proof read —

woonhak stares at his phone, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. he’s already typed and deleted his message at least five times, each attempt making him more frustrated than the last. inviting the reader over shouldn’t be this hard. he does it all the time... so why does it feel like he’s about to do something life-changing?

he sighs, shaking out his hands before typing again.

hey, wanna come over to my dorm later? just to hang out. nothing weird. just normal. totally normal.

he reads it back, groans, and immediately deletes the last part. why does he sound so suspicious?

before he can rewrite it, jaehyun suddenly plops down next to him on the couch, his presence almost making woonhak drop his phone.

“why do you look like you just got caught doing something illegal?” jaehyun asks, peering over at his screen.

woonhak quickly turns his phone away. “i don’t.”

“you do,” riwoo chimes in from the other side of the room, lounging against the armrest of the couch. “and judging by how you’re acting, i’m guessing it has something to do with them.”

woonhak freezes. “who’s ‘them’?”

riwoo raises an eyebrow. “you know exactly who.”

jaehyun grins, leaning closer. “are you finally confessing?”

woonhak chokes on air. “what—no! i’m just inviting them over. to hang out.”

“sure,” jaehyun says, dragging out the word like he doesn’t believe him at all. “just to hang out.”

woonhak glares at him. “it is just to hang out.”

riwoo hums, clearly unconvinced. “so why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”

before woonhak can defend himself, sungho walks into the room, pausing when he notices the way everyone is staring at woonhak. “what’s going on?”

“woonhak’s texting y/n,” jaehyun announces.

“and freaking out about it,” riwoo adds.

woonhak groans, covering his face with his hands. “i hate you guys.”

sungho laughs as he takes a seat. “why are you so nervous? it’s not like they’re gonna say no.”

“that’s not the point,” woonhak mutters.

“then what is the point?” riwoo asks.

woonhak opens his mouth, then closes it again. he doesn’t really have an answer... at least, not one he’s willing to admit out loud.

the thing is, he does want to confess. has wanted to for a while now. but the thought of actually doing it? terrifying. so instead, he’s been sitting on his feelings, convincing himself that just being around the reader is enough.

except it’s not. not really.

so, after much internal debate (and several sleepless nights), he decided to do something about it. valentine’s day is coming up, and if he doesn’t confess now, he doesn’t think he ever will.

but none of that matters if he can’t even send a simple text.

he squares his shoulders, determined to ignore the way his friends are watching him like he’s a reality show about to reach its peak drama moment. he quickly types out a new message. something short and to the point.

hey, wanna come over later?

before he can second-guess himself, he hits send.

there. done.

“so,” jaehyun says, leaning in again. “what did you say?”

woonhak ignores him, pretending to be very interested in the pattern of the couch cushion.

sungho smirks. “you know, you talk about them all the time.”

woonhak snaps his head up, eyes wide. “i do not.”

“you do,” riwoo confirms. “it’s honestly impressive how much you find ways to bring them up.”

“the other day,” sungho starts, leaning back with a smug grin, “we were eating dinner, and out of nowhere, you just went, ‘y/n would probably love this.’”

woonhak groans. “so what? i just think they have good taste!”

“and yesterday,” jaehyun adds, clearly enjoying this, “we were picking out outfits, and you said, ‘y/n would look really good in this color.’”

woonhak throws his head back against the couch, wanting to disappear. “shut up.”

riwoo snickers. “it’s cute, honestly. kinda pathetic, but mostly cute.”

woonhak doesn’t even have the energy to fight back. he just prays the reader texts back soon so he has an excuse to leave the conversation.

as if on cue, his phone buzzes. he scrambles to grab it, his heart hammering in his chest as he reads the reply.

sure! what time?

woonhak barely gets the chance to process his relief before jaehyun snatches his phone.

“they said yes,” jaehyun announces, showing the screen to the others.

woonhak lunges for his phone. “give it back!”

jaehyun easily dodges him, grinning as he holds the phone out of reach. “so what’s the plan? are you finally gonna tell them how you feel?”

woonhak hesitates for half a second, and unfortunately, that’s enough time for his friends to pick up on it.

riwoo gasps dramatically. “wait. wait. you are confessing.”

woonhak shakes his head, but his face betrays him, heat creeping up his neck.

jaehyun’s eyes widen. “holy—he is.”

sungho claps his hands together. “this is a big moment. we should prepare a speech.”

woonhak finally manages to snatch his phone back, glaring at all of them. “no one is preparing anything. i just—i just wanna ask them to be my valentine, okay? that’s it. no big deal.”

riwoo grins. “oh, it’s a huge deal.”

woonhak groans, burying his face in his hands. he should’ve known telling them anything was a mistake.

“so,” leehan says, walking into the room for the first time, looking only mildly interested. “when are we holding up the poster boards?”

woonhak lifts his head in horror. “who told you?!”

taesan walks in behind leehan, shrugging. “everyone knows.”

woonhak stares at all of them, betrayal written all over his face.

jaehyun pats his shoulder. “don’t worry. we fully support this.”

sungho grins. “but we will be making fun of you the entire time.”

woonhak sighs, knowing there’s no winning. but despite all the teasing, despite how embarrassing this all is, he can’t help but smile. because later today, the reader is coming over. and hopefully, by the end of the night, they’ll officially be his valentine.

and honestly? he thinks that’s worth a little humiliation.

when you arrive at woonhak’s dorm, you barely get the chance to knock before the door swings open. woonhak stands there, looking slightly out of breath like he ran to the door. for a second, he just stares at you, blinking, before quickly stepping aside.

“hey! uh—come in,” he says, voice a little too enthusiastic.

you smile as you step inside, slipping off your shoes. “why do you sound so nervous?”

“i don’t,” he says way too fast.

before you can question him further, you hear a chorus of voices from the living room.

“they’re here,” jaehyun announces, his tone dripping with amusement.

when you look over, you see woonhak’s hyungs lounging on the couches, all looking way too entertained. woonhak stiffens beside you, but you don’t think much of it—at least, not until jaehyun speaks again.

“wow,” he muses, leaning back. “woonhak really went all out. he even cleaned for this.”

woonhak immediately spins toward him, eyes wide. “hyung!”

jaehyun grins. “what? i’m just pointing out how spotless the dorm is. not a single sock on the floor. it’s almost too clean.”

you raise an eyebrow at woonhak, who is suddenly refusing to make eye contact. “you cleaned just for me?”

woonhak shakes his head aggressively. “no! i mean—i clean all the time! i just—i didn’t want the dorm to look messy, that’s all.”

jaehyun hums like he doesn’t believe him, and you can’t help but smile at woonhak’s flustered state.

before you can say anything else, taesan, who has been silently observing, tilts his head. “by the way,” he says, looking at you. “did you know woonhak practiced inviting you over?”

woonhak makes a noise that can only be described as a dying cat. “what are you talking about? i did not.”

taesan shrugs, completely unbothered. “you totally did. at least five different versions. you even rehearsed it in the mirror.”

you blink. “really?”

woonhak turns to you, looking like he wants to melt into the floor. “no! i did not rehearse anything.”

taesan just smirks. “sure.”

you bite back a laugh. “so you were nervous to invite me over.”

“i wasn’t,” woonhak insists, but his ears are turning red.

sungho leans forward, resting his chin on his hand. “you know, it’s funny,” he says, voice teasing. “woonhak has been acting really different today.”

“yeah,” jaehyun agrees. “super flustered. almost like he’s hiding something.”

“or someone,” riwoo adds, smirking.

you frown, confused. “what do you mean?”

woonhak stiffens beside you. “nothing! they mean nothing.”

his hyungs just exchange knowing looks, clearly enjoying themselves.

“i just think it’s interesting,” jaehyun continues, “how woonhak has been extra… obvious today.”

“right?” riwoo nods. “he keeps acting all shy and jumpy. like he’s got something to confe-.”

woonhak groans, covering riwoo's mouth. “oh my god.”

you tilt your head at him. are you being obvious about something?”

he snaps his head up. “no!”

his hyungs all laugh, and you’re even more confused now, but woonhak is already grabbing your wrist, gently pulling you toward the hallway.

“okay, we’re leaving now,” he says quickly.

you glance back at the others. “but—”

“nope! not listening! goodbye!” woonhak drags you toward his room, muttering under his breath.

once you’re inside, he shuts the door behind him, leaning against it with a sigh.

you cross your arms. “are you gonna tell me what that was about?”

he groans. “they’re just being annoying.”

you raise an eyebrow. “they seemed pretty convinced you were hiding something.”

woonhak stiffens, but then quickly shakes his head. “they just like messing with me.”

you squint at him. “so you didn’t practice inviting me over?”

he hesitates for half a second.

“i didn’t,” he says, but it’s not very convincing.

you grin. “you totally did.”

woonhak groans, flopping onto his bed. “i hate them.”

you sit down beside him, nudging his shoulder. “i think it’s cute.”

he peeks at you through his fingers. “you do?”

you nod, smiling. “yeah. it means you really wanted me to come.”

woonhak’s face turns red again, but this time, he doesn’t deny it. he just clears his throat and looks away. “whatever.”

you laugh, nudging him again. “thanks for inviting me.”

he glances at you, his expression softening. “yeah,” he murmurs. “of course.”

for a moment, it’s quiet. the teasing from earlier fades away, and all that’s left is the two of you sitting together, the space between you warm and comfortable.

woonhak seems like he wants to say something else, but before he can, there’s a knock at the door.

“hey,” sungho calls from the other side. “we made popcorn if you guys wanna join us.”

woonhak groans. “go away.”

you laugh. “we should go.”

woonhak pouts. “but then they’re just gonna keep messing with me.”

you pat his knee. “i think you’ll survive.”

he sighs dramatically, but when you stand up, he follows.

“fine,” he grumbles, opening the door.

sungho is standing there, looking way too smug.

“have fun?” he asks.

woonhak shoves past him, dragging you along. “i seriously hate you all.”

sungho just chuckles. “love you too, buddy.”

as you settle onto the couch beside woonhak, you can’t help but smile. whatever his hyungs were teasing him about, you still don’t fully understand. but one thing is clear. woonhak really, really wanted you to be here.

and honestly? you’re really, really glad you came.

the rest of the evening is surprisingly normal. well... almost normal, if you ignore the occasional smirks from woonhak’s hyungs and the way woonhak keeps glancing at you like he’s got something on his mind.

you’re all gathered in the living room, a movie playing on the tv. you and woonhak are sitting on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between you, while the others lounge around. riwoo is sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch, and jaehyun is half-sprawled on one of the armchairs like he owns the place.

taesan is on his phone, not even pretending to watch the movie, while sungho and leehan are quietly making jokes under their breath, barely paying attention.

woonhak, however, is suspiciously silent.

you glance at him. “you okay?”

he blinks like he wasn’t expecting you to ask. “huh? yeah! totally. i’m fine.”

you narrow your eyes at him. “you sure? you’re acting kinda weird.”

he quickly shakes his head. “nope. not weird. totally normal.”

jaehyun snorts. “yeah, he’s so normal right now.”

woonhak shoots him a glare but doesn’t say anything.

you let it slide, deciding not to push him. instead, you focus back on the movie, though every so often, you feel woonhak shifting beside you, like he can’t sit still.

after a while, riwoo stretches his arms above his head, groaning. “okay, i’m bored.”

“same,” taesan mutters, putting his phone down.

sungho glances at woonhak, raising an eyebrow. “should we do it now?”

woonhak’s eyes widen, and for a second, he looks like a deer caught in headlights. then he quickly clears his throat. “uh—yeah. let’s—let’s do that thing.”

you frown. “what thing?”

woonhak stands up way too fast. “nothing! just—me and the hyungs have to go do something real quick.”

you blink, looking around as the rest of the group suddenly gets up as well. “all of you?”

jaehyun nods. “yep. very important. super urgent.”

“but we’ll be back,” sungho adds. “so don’t go anywhere.”

you stare at them, completely confused. “...okay?”

woonhak nods firmly, like he’s trying to convince himself. “great. we’ll be right back.”

before you can question it any further, they all disappear down the hallway, leaving you alone in the living room.

you sit there for a moment, staring at the now-empty space around you. something is definitely going on. woonhak has been acting weird all night, and now all of them are in on something?

you sigh, sinking back into the couch. whatever it is, you’ll find out soon enough.

minutes pass. the movie continues playing in the background, but you barely pay attention.

then, just as you’re about to go looking for them, woonhak suddenly appears in the doorway.

he looks nervous.

“come with me,” he says.

you sit up. “what? why?”

“just... trust me.”

you hesitate but eventually stand. “okay?”

woonhak doesn’t say anything else. he just leads you down the hallway, back toward the living room.

when you step inside, you freeze.

standing in a row in front of the couch are sungho, riwoo, jaehyun, taesan, and leehan. and in each of their hands is a giant poster board with a single word written on it.

“will” “you” “be” “my” “valentine?”

woonhak steps forward, standing in front of them, shifting on his feet.

“uh,” he starts, rubbing the back of his neck. “so… surprise?”

you stare.

woonhak looks like he’s about to pass out. “okay, i know this is kinda dramatic, but i—I really wanted to ask you in a special way, and the hyungs wouldn’t stop teasing me, so they made me do it like this, and now—”

“yes.”

woonhak freezes. “...what?”

you smile, feeling your face heat up. “yes. i’ll be your valentine.”

there’s a beat of silence. then—

“LET’S GOOO!”

jaehyun and riwoo start cheering, holding up their signs like they just won a championship game. sungho claps, nodding approvingly, while leehan and taesan just grin.

woonhak, meanwhile, looks like he short-circuited. “wait... really?”

you laugh, stepping closer. “yeah. really.”

he blinks, processing, before breaking into the biggest smile you’ve ever seen.

the next thing you know, he’s pulling you into a hug, arms wrapping tightly around you.

his hyungs erupt into whistles and teasing comments.

“aww, look at them!” jaehyun coos.

“this is so cute,” riwoo adds. “i think i might cry.”

taesan smirks. “we should make them wear matching outfits now.”

woonhak groans, burying his face in your shoulder. “i hate you guys.”

you just laugh, hugging him back.

honestly? you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

woonhak is beaming.

after you say yes, he doesn’t stop smiling. not even for a second. it’s like his whole face is stuck that way, and honestly, it’s kind of adorable. you can feel how happy he is just by looking at him, and it makes warmth bloom in your chest.

but of course, the moment is far from over, because his hyungs are still in the room.

“our baby,” sungho suddenly sniffs, clutching his chest dramatically.

riwoo nods, pretending to wipe a tear. “he’s all grown up now.”

woonhak groans, pulling away from you just enough to shoot them a glare. “oh my god, stop.”

“no, no, it’s true,” sungho insists, shaking his head. “i remember when you were just a clueless little kid, crushing on them from afar.”

“and now look at you,” riwoo sighs. “making big moves. we’re so proud.”

woonhak turns bright red. “i hate you guys.”

jaehyun smirks, casually crossing his arms. “so, when’s the wedding?”

woonhak chokes on air.

you barely hold back a laugh as he smacks his chest, trying to recover. “wh—what?!”

jaehyun shrugs. “i mean, you pulled off this big, dramatic confession. it’s only natural that the next step is a proposal, right?”

woonhak’s face is burning. “you guys are the worst.”

“i mean, it’s a fair question,” taesan adds, smirking. “do you have a timeline? should we start planning now?”

woonhak lets out a strangled noise. “shut up.”

but before he can suffer any further, leehan suddenly steps forward, holding a piece of paper.

“here,” he says, handing it to you.

you blink, taking it. “what is this?”

taesan leans in. “a contract.”

you look down, reading the words written in messy handwriting:

"by accepting, you agree to endure woonhak’s clinginess forever.”

you burst out laughing.

woonhak, on the other hand, groans, snatching the paper out of your hands. “oh my god, seriously?”

“yep,” leehan nods. “it’s legally binding.”

“where did you even get this?!” woonhak exclaims, waving the paper around.

taesan smirks. “we prepared it ahead of time. just in case.”

“just in case?!”

you’re still laughing as you reach out, gently tugging the contract back. “i mean… i don’t mind.”

woonhak freezes, turning to look at you. “...you don’t?”

you shake your head, smiling. “nope.”

woonhak blinks. for a second, it looks like his brain completely short-circuits.

then, slowly, his lips curve into the softest smile.

his hyungs erupt.

“oh my god,” sungho gasps, clutching his chest. “they really like him.”

riwoo fake wipes his eyes again. “this is too much. i’m getting emotional.”

jaehyun just grins. “guess we really do need to start planning a wedding, huh?”

woonhak whips around, pointing at all of them. “if you guys don’t leave right now—”

they all laugh, clearly having the time of their lives.

you watch the chaos unfold, still smiling. despite all the teasing, woonhak is so happy. you can see it in the way his eyes shine, the way he keeps glancing at you like he can’t believe this is real.

and honestly? you feel the same way.

maybe the teasing will never stop. maybe his hyungs will never let him live this down.

but if it means being with woonhak?

you don’t mind at all

- ty pookies for reading :) -

~ bnd taglist - @bxnedo

~ perm taglist - @s0shroe

#kaiyunsim #kpop x reader #kpop fluff #boynextdoor x reader #boynextdoor fluff #bnd x reader #bnd fluff #woonhak fluff #woonhak x reader #kim woonhak #woonhak #kim woonhak x reader #kim woonhak fluff #boynextdoor woonhak #boynextdoor woonhak x reader #boynextdoor woonhak fluff

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sanguinesky-if · 1 month ago

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[Dev Log] June 2025

Hello, I hope you're doing well!

Summer arrived so quickly that I barely noticed while working on the update, but I hope to catch up with everything once it's released.

As for my progress, here's a quick overview of my activity over the past month and my plans for the current one.

Announcement.

For Patreon members: The release date is scheduled for June 28.

In mid-June, I'll post a progress update to let you know how things are going.

Please note that access to the code for the Patreon demo will be disabled until the public release.

For other readers: I'll share some of the sneak peeks previously posted on Patreon a week before the release date [here on the Tumblr blog].

I'd like to note in advance that I don't have an estimated time for the public release. The update may need additional polishing and changes before it's ready to go public.

Thank you so much for your support and interest!

What was done last month?

▹ Chapter 3 Pt. 2: finished working on I's scene and rewrote R's scene.

It's still a bit hard to admit because it slowed my progress, but while working on R's and I's scenes, I realized that what I had originally written just wasn't working well. I had to rewrite both scenes. While I'm happy with how I's scene turned out, I still have some doubts about R's. In short, this rewrite means that a few answers I gave to previous asks are no longer valid [you won't be able to get your MC drunk, and you won't meet another secondary rival]. Even though it was a stressful process to change what was originally planned, I don't regret my decision [I might even reuse the cut content in future scenes].

▹ Stats Changes.

I also spent time revising and refining some of the stats. Here's what the stats will look like in the update [comparison to the public version]:

I know that the stats still aren't perfect, but I think the change made them represent the choices readers can make much better than they did before. Also, there's a small coding feature I wanted to mention: If the MC has a higher "Genuine" stat than "Guarded", some of the ROs will lose alignment points if you choose to lie to them or hide things. It's a very simple mechanic:

However, there are also several ROs whose alignment points increase if the MC shows distrust or acts more guarded, so it's a situational feature.

What will I be working on in June?

Since I've paused Patreon billing, I'll be focusing on releasing the update by the deadline [T's and S's scene are last for a reason].

As I mentioned on Patreon, I was recently prescribed medication, and I'm a bit concerned about potential side effects which could impact my ability to work [and possibly the deadline as well].

Still, I hope that won't be the case. I know you've already waited a long time, and I'm doing my best to make sure the final result lives up to your support.

Thank you for reading to the end! Wishing you a wonderful week and days after that! ♥

#interactive fiction #if game #if wip #sanguine sky #sanguine sky if #ss general #dev log

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starlitrays · 11 months ago

Text

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

starring. pro hero!katsuki bakugo x pro hero!gn!reader

summary. set several months into the fake relationship, bakugo doesn't really like you and you tolerate him, but you both know how to appease an audience | 1.7k words

content. fake dating (obvi), second person pov, bakugo having conflicting feelings, use of 'y/n' and 'l/n' for last name, fluff if you squint, x is still twitter bc i said so, reader has a pet cat, this feels choppy to me

a/n. first time writing in awhile AND first fic post AND and i didn't fully get into the flow until i was almost done so be patient i might rewrite this after awhile

navigation – masterpost

The cameras ate up every helping you two gave them. You and Katsuki were extremely lovey dovey around the cameras no matter where they were, but when there wasn't a camera or paparazzi or a fan around you two, neither of you said much.

It had been arranged by your managers without much input from either of you, to fake date, that is. It was for approval ratings, popularity polls, and although you individually did well enough on your own, together you shot up the charts. Neither of you particularly liked each other but you could be civil to each other, and you knew how to play a camera, so it was working out well.

Now you sat, thigh to thigh next to Katsuki with his left hand held in your lap with both of your hands, smiling at the interviewer talking to the two of you. He wasn't smiling, although that was normal. The crowd, filled with live audience members and other paparazzi looking for the perfect shot, stared in awe at the perfect couple the two of you were.

When the interviewer would ask a question, you'd turn and wait for Katsuki to say something first, and if he didn't or he turned to face you, that meant it was your turn to answer the question.

”Now, there is one question that a lot of your individual and combined fans have been asking a lot lately.” The interviewer, Notaui, began, although he paused, waiting for some kind of approval from the two of you.

You started to nod a yes, and Katsuki spoke up. ”Go on.” He sounded annoyed. He always sounded annoyed though, and you were internally rolling your eyes, although that never poked through to your facial expression. Pure focus in media and PR training had taught you how to maintain an expression while feeling something else entirely.

”Can we expect to hear of a save the date anytime in the near future?” Notaui lifted his brows up at the happy couple. You turn your head to Katsuki, but he freezes, and you squeeze his hand, letting him know you would take care of it. After all, this was bound to come up eventually, and you were prepared.

”Notaui c'mon, wouldn't that ruin the surprise of a proposal?” You say with a laugh, getting the attention off Katsuki for a few moments. At the sound of your laugh, your counterpart dry laughs right along with you. You didn't need a quirk to feel the realisation of the stupidity of the question ripple through the audience. ”Besides we're in no hurry.” You continue, turning and smiling at the crowd with a wink.

The answer you gave was perfect, Katsuki knew that. He also knew that his manager would praise him for letting you handle it, but it still pissed him off a little bit, even if the rewards got him exactly where he'd wanted to be since he decided he wanted to be a pro hero.

Notaui cleared his throat, and his cheeks got a little rosy out of what most would assume was embarrassment, but you could tell, it was disappointment from not getting the answer the producers wanted.

”You just say when.” Notaui laughed, winking at the camera. It made both you and Katsuki question how this guy got his own show, but nobody knew that. ”Oh and guess what, that's time.” He announced, telling you, Katsuki and the audience that the segment of you two sitting there looking perfect, was over.

Katsuki stood up before you did, and with your hands holding his, you were quick to follow suit.

You walked over to Notaui, releasing Katsuki’s hand to shake his, politely thanking him for having the two of you on. Katsuki didn’t shake the guy’s hand, instead just nodding along with your words before ushering off the stage just behind you, barely sparing a second glance at the audience you smiled and waved at. Still, you smiled as you politely thanked all of the behind the scenes crew, just like your manager had told you while Katsuki floated around you, hands in his pockets.

When you two finally managed your way into the elevator and the doors shut, you both let our heavy sighs almost simultaneously. You glanced over at Katsuki, who had looked over to you at the same time. We’re spending too much time together. You thought to yourself, eyes returning to anything but him.

The ding of the elevator had your smile returning and your hand reaching for Katsuki’s for just a moment longer as you left the building, where a car had been pulled around for you both. Letting go of his hand, you reached forward, pulling the back door open before sliding all the way over to the farthest seat. Katsuki got in, sitting closest to the door he pulled shut. This left just the middle seat between you two.

“Well that was bullshit.” Katsuki muttered, arms crossed while his eyes glared out the tinted window. You turned your head to him momentarily, rolling your eyes as your head turned back to looking out your own window.

“For once I agree with you.” You responded, reaching into your purse for your phone. It’d become routine now, to check your phone after every time you and Katsuki would go out together. First you open your messages, giving a thumbs up response to your manager’s text about doing great. Then you read your mom’s text about how proud she and your father were to see you on TV, which you half-smile at. They didn’t know your relationship with Katsuki wasn’t real. Your mom gets a ‘thanks mom :)’ text back, and you close out of your texts.

Deciding against checking your email, you click on the blue icon with a white bird on it. You ignore the top tweets in your timeline, moving over to the explore page. There it is.

“We’re trending again.” You say into the air, eyes never leaving your phone screen. Katsuki just hums in response. You tap the trending tag, scrolling through tweet after tweet. Of course there were a few people who hated you, or Katsuki, or both of you, but most of the tweets were big hero culture news outlets and fans raving about you guys. Sometimes you did feel a little guilty about the whole thing. Making people happy made you happy, but it’s not like any of it is true. Regardless, you go ahead and like some of the fan tweets.

Katsuki leans his head back against the headrest of his seat. He mumbles something under his breath and you turn to him. “What?” You ask him, eyes scanning his face.

He huffs, desperately willing himself not to roll his eyes as he always does. “I said, you’re too good at this, (L/n). Better than you should be, anyways.” He says, looking away from you. You quirk a brow up at him. “I mean-” He pauses, as if thinking over his words. “how are you always so cheerful with the fans and press?” The questions echoes in your ears.

“Easy. I think about going home.” You responded, more nonchalantly than you left. Of course the lie was tiring, but being in your own bed, surrounding by blankets and pillows and your cat Zero, his different fur colours always keeping him quite clear in your vision in contrast to the shades of your bedding as your eyes scan over the screen of your laptop, giggling at the youtube video displayed on the screen.

Katsuki looks at you.. oddly? It’s almost a scowl, but not quite. It’s almost like he’s simply displeased. You stare right back at him and pull your lips tight together, silently reiterating your words. He grunts in response, it’s his nonverbal version of ‘okay.’

As the driver rounds the last corner before your apartment, you notice something in your peripheral vision. Was that..? You question, eyes looking into the driver’s rear view mirror. You can’t be sure of what you’re seeing since the angle is meant for the driver, not a passenger, but when the car stops just outside the carpark of your apartment complex, you take the chance to glance back as your readjust in your seat, gathering your purse and looking around for anything else you may have left behind in the car. Cameras. You were seeing cameras, maybe they were fans, maybe they were paparazzi, that you couldn’t tell.

You reached for the door handle, when you felt your phone buzz. Sighing shortly, you reach for your phone, a text from your manager being the sole notification at the bottom of the screen. Without clicking it, your Face ID unlocks your phone, switching the text from a new message notification, to showing the contents of the text. It tells you that there are eyes on you and Katsuki which, granted, you knew, but it always made you shiver at how she always knew.

While you didn’t like the idea of inviting a man prone to outbursts into your safe haven, you still acted immediately. You couldn’t help how your media-trained mind worked. “Give me your jacket and come with me.” You say into the air, words clearly meant for Katsuki and he looks over to you from the window, confused while you typed back an ‘okay’ text to your manager.

When he didn’t move immediately, you lifted your eyes from the screen and looked at him. “Bakugo, now.” You told him, eyes looking at him almost as if he was crazy. Katsuki began to shed his jacket, handing it over to you with a frown.

“Why am I going with you?” He asks, rolling his shoulders back. You start to drape the jacket over your shoulders.

“I’ll tell you when we get upstairs.” You huff, offering your hand out to him. “Ready?”

All he does is slide his hand into yours, interlocking your fingers with a nod and a grunt.

Oh the things you do to remain at the top.

@ STARLITRAYS : please do not translate or repost my works without my expressed consent and permission. please do not copy any of my works.

#𐙚˙⋆ starlitrays //#rae writes ! //#( slr ) ౿ mha / bnha ˚◞ ⭑.ᐟ #ৎ ⊹ k. bakugo .ᐟ ⟡#bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugo katuski #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugo fluff #bnha bakugou #mha bakugou #mha x reader #bnha x reader #my hero academia #boku no hero academia

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wingsofmud · 5 months ago

Text

The canonically rapid evolution of the dragons in WoF is really interesting to me, so I added some aspects of that to my rewrite.

The rankings system is also interesting, so I made that a nation-wide thing, instead of something just for the nobility. Circle 1 and the palace are located in the upper most part of the territory, with the other circles going in a line south of it.

I shifted the Great Ice Cliff to separate the 1-3 Circle from the 4-7 Circle and the rest of Pyrrhia.

Info Below (For present day Icewings):

Lower Circle Icewings

Lower Circle/Southern Icewings are vaguely based off of polar bears. They're shorter and brawnier than upper circle ones. While they do give off that signature Icewing chill, their scales are not as frigid as their northern counterparts. Their tails are like a spiked club.

They can come in white, but often come in light browns, grays, reds, and oranges. The closer the dragon is to the Great Ice Wall, the more whites, blues, and purples show up in their scales.

Southern Icewings are also more likely to have spots and/or stripes on their scales, all to blend in better in the ranging subarctic to temperate to desert climate they live in. They are more omnivorous, and many herd caribou as an occupation.

They make up the majority of the Icewing population and the backbone of the military. They wear clothing more often, which usually consists of fur, bone, or fish scales. Better off Icewings can also obtain cloth and jewelry from passing Sandwing nomads.

While all Icewings have a reputation for being frigid, pun intended, lower circle Icewings tend to be friendlier.

Upper Circle Icewings

Upper Circle/Northern Icewings are inspired off of arctic wolves. They often have small, pale irises and their scales feel like ice to the touch. Their tails are like spiked whips. They mostly come in white with some light blue or purple accents on them. Some dragons like Snowfall have red accents. Spots and stripes are rarer and usually much paler when they are present. They are much less tolerant of the heat.

Northern Icewings don't usually wear much jewelry. It's seen as garish to make such obvious displays of wealth, unless you're the Queen. They usually only dress up during special occasions and celebrations, and even then that's usually reserved for the one being celebrated.

The upper circle consists of all Icewing nobility along with the richest dragons. Most work in or around the palace grounds. Most of their diet consists of fish and seals which they eat raw.

History

I changed the Gift of Order to the Gift of Equality. In ancient Icewing society, the caste was absolute. You were born into and died in your circle. The Gift of Equality came with a system to introduce fairness by basing what circle a dragon ended up in on their merit rather than birth.

Of course the Queen at that time did not account for the fact that Upper Circle Icewings have far more resources at their disposal to ensure their dragonets remain in the upper circles than lower circle Icewings. A few dragons manage to climb a circle once in a while, which the upper circle dragons love to use to shut up complaints from the lower circles. It is incredibly difficult to end up in the top three circles if you were not born into them.

Lynx is an outlier. So much so that her family has been investigated several times by Icewing nobles for fraudulent scoring. Considering the punishment for that is death, it is not a light accusation. Nothing was ever found. Of course her problems aren't over, especially since Icewing nobles aren't exactly known for being accepting.

Lower circle Icewings are usually disregarded when it comes to decisions like war and lawmaking by the upper circles. In fact, the upper circles dragons very rarely directly interact with the lower circle ones, often giving news to the fourth circle for them to spread it to the rest themselves. Though each circle and town is different, there is a massive culture shock between the 4th and 3rd circle. Not to mention the literal wall between them.

Lower circle Icewings are vying for independence, a movement that grew rapidly during the War of SandWing Succession. A movement Queen Snowfall is now expected to do something about now that the war is over and Darkstalker has been dealt with.

#wings of fire #wof #wof rewrite #wof worldbuilding #wof headcanon #icewing #myart

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lesbianologist · 1 month ago

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“it’s mother/daughter”, “it’s platonic”, “it’s—”

this is a love story. unequivocally, undeniably. not in theory or subtext, but thematically, cinematically, and in structure, in rhythm, in every choice they make for (and because of) each other.

ava and deborah share an intimacy so instinctive it initially defies categorization. we see and name that from the start of their intimacy.

almost immediately after ava begins caring for deborah post-surgery (despite being her writer, not an assistant), they begin sleeping in the same bed—not sexually, but with the kind of embodied trust reserved for soulmates. when the dynamic shifts—when ava is hospitalized with a ruptured ovarian cyst—deborah storms the ER, demands competent care, threatens legal action. she insists that ava be protected.

this becomes a pattern: they defend, protect, rescue one another. repeatedly.

deborah keeps ava on as her writer through every misstep, every betrayal, every slight. even after a betrayal so severe it warrants legal action. and yet, deborah drops the lawsuit. the woman who sues for sport, for fun (as damien notes in season 2: “why doesn’t she just fire you? she loves firing people”) chooses instead to forgive. to give grace. she does what she never does.

in that same vein, deb, the woman who “doesn’t do funerals” cancels a major show on tour to speak at ava’s father’s funeral. she turns a tour bus around when his ashes are misplaced. she refuses to listen to the rest of her team because ava matters. ava is important. she climbs into an actual dumpster to recover them. she risks her public image, her legacy, her career, to preserve ava’s peace of mind.

they forgive each other in ways that rewrite their DNA. ava returns again and again, even after humiliation, rejection, grief. she returns to deborah even after losing her relationship. she returns after requiring therapy to move on from deb. she fights for deborah—not just for a job, but for recognition, acknowledgment, and most of all: affection and devotion. and deborah, sharp-edged and self-protective, softens. she allows herself to be reshaped. but only for ava.

their relationship is more physically and emotionally intimate than anything either of them shares with anyone else. their glances linger. their hands find each other and hold just a beat too long. their physical closeness—touches, brushes, embraces—is neither casual nor professional. deborah teaches ava to float in a pool, gently cradling her, whispering reassurance. “you got it,” she says, when ava begs, “don’t go.” and she doesn’t—not really. she never truly leaves. ava’s presence calms deborah’s performance anxiety; when asked to choose one person to focus on in the crowd, she doesn’t just choose ava—ava is all she sees. the words flow for her. they always have and always will. and deborah knows it.

this isn’t one-sided, either. it’s not unrequited. it’s not one-sided. ava isn’t just pining after deborah. they circle each other. they’re caught in each other’s orbit. so when ava explores new romantic relationships, deborah’s jealousy, possessiveness, and territorial claim over ava simmers to the surface. she mocks. she jabs. she lays possessive claim: “she lived in my guest suite.” when ava cruelly distances herself (“i just wrote jokes for her”), deborah’s face crumbles. this isn’t about the work. it never was.

they are intertwined. deeply. dangerously.

when deborah finally wins late night, ava is the first person she wants to hold. in fact, they hug, ava pulls back to look at deb in her driveway, deb still holding her in her arms, both of them sharing a deeply intimate and gleeful moment looking into each others eyes, and they hug again.

and when ava (temporarily) quits, and truly leaves because of a culmination of stress leading to a breakdown, deborah breaks. we see it in 4x06: deborah, disoriented by the loss of ava, finds a photo of herself in ava’s drawer and finally understands the depth of ava’s devotion. she misses her so much that she’s touching her sweater ava left in her office. rubbing the shoulders of the woman who crashed out and left. she can’t even focus or enjoy herself. she spirals. rosie’s words (“laughing with the best people in the world”) only deepen her ache. deborah misses that. she misses her.

deborah once said marriage was about laughing together. and ava makes her laugh. constantly. effortlessly. they can’t exist normally without the other. they are inseparable. the oxygen feels differently without each other. it’s why she begged her not to leave in the woods. it’s why she can’t stop thinking about her. “you got in my head,” deborah admits in one episode. “you’re in my head,” ava echoes. more importantly, deborah confesses “you made me want more for myself”.

they make each other better. ava challenges deborah’s ego. deborah challenges ava’s cynicism. they’re not here to comfort—they’re here to elevate each other. yin and yang. two halves of a whole.

ava has sacrificed everything for deborah. her time. her heart. her relationship. her sanity, at times. she’s lost, over and over, and still, she chooses deborah. she stays after cruelty. she writes through tears. she demands vulnerability. and she’s the only one who sees deb intimately, even more than family in her life, even similar to marty who has known deborah similarly for years. she knows her behind the sarcasm, the power, the performance.

again, this isn’t unrequited. deborah is fiercely protective of ava. even in silence. even in subtlety. when others dismiss ava, deborah defends her with a raised eyebrow or a single, cutting line. she doesn’t need to say “she’s mine.” it’s written into her every movement.

and this all culminates (and is evidenced) in 4x09. on live television, she says it:

“and now i’m being asked to fire someone i love who did nothing wrong.”

not “someone i value”, not “someone who matters”, not “someone important.” she chooses not industry words, but her heart: someone i love.

the rainbow lens flares that follows on screen when deb draws her line? the rainbow line? that’s intentional. unmistakable. the line is ava. no one can take ava from deb, and that’s the point. even bob pointed it out: “for her? really?”

deborah vance, who has fired friends, estranged her daughter, sued employees, and does not do funerals—burns down everything she’s built, everything she’s ever wanted, for one person.

ava.

that is not mentorship. this is not family. it is not platonic. that is a love story. it’s a gut-wrenching, electric, volatile, transcendent love story. not just age difference, but so much more. it transcends careers, family, trauma—it’s irrevocable devotion.

and they are soulmates. they are messy, magnetic, irrevocable soulmates. they are drawn together by a force neither of them can name, and neither of them wants to escape.

they are caught in each others’ orbit.

because if this exact story were between a man and a woman, no one would hesitate to call it what it is. no industry execs would hesitate.

and when the emotional core of your show is this undeniable, this consuming, this deliberately and intentionally romantic, it’s only a matter of time before hbo has to say the quiet part out loud.

#personal #rambles #hacks #hacks hbo #hacks s4 #hacks season 4 #hacks max #avorah #deborah vance #ava daniels #ava x deborah #deborah x ava

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 5 months ago

Note

Miss Raven, may I ask for a list of the flaws in Leona’s plan from 2nd book? I knew of a couple myself at some point but i forgot what they were 😅 I was hoping you could list off as many flaws in the plan as you could find. 🤔

Please note: This post ONLY addresses the issues with Leona's book 2 plans to get Malleus out of the picture as per the asker's question. Book 2 has several other issues with its narrative (such as Leona's lack of screen presence/interaction with Yuu and co.), but I will not be counting them here.

The problems with Leona's plan are, as I could identify them:

NO Savanaclaw students were among the injured. Does this not automatically make them look really shady????

Savanaclaw students form a wall around Ruggie to shield him from sight when he uses his UM. This, too, is hella suspicious... You're telling me that there's an oddly high number of Savanaclaw students at the scenes of the crimes and yet not one of them got injured??? IT MAKES THEM LOOK EVEN SHADIER THAN BEFORE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAVE A REALLY OBVIOUS MOTIVE.

Leona openly talks about his evil scheme in his own dorm. A dorm with seemingly no sturdy doors that open and shut. A dorm that just brought in a bunch of freshmen that he doesn't know well and may not be on board with what he's doing. A dorm with a lot of beastmen... that have sensitive ears... and can probably hear you monologuing from quite a distance away...

Ruggie is sloppy and Leona just does not care about it when he really, REALLY should care; he is overly reliant on a "lack of evidence" to exonerate them. Ruggie blatantly shows off his UM and reports this to Leona. Why does Leona show like ZERO concern about this?? Why does he believe the school cannot do anything without proof? Literally nothing is stopping Crowley from detaining him under suspicion of guilt, or at least having someone watch him like a hawk if they suspect something... which will just make it that much harder to execute his plan.

Leona doesn't seem to care either when Jack overhears his plan; he just... expects Jack to feel pressured by his dorm members + the hierarchy to not squeal???? Same issue as the previous bullet point; Leona should be caring a lot more about concealing their identities than this.

Leona assumes a regular ass stampede will be enough to kill/injure Malleus. The reason provided is that Malleus wouldn't dare to use his magic to get away when it might "harm" innocent bystanders. OKAY, what's stopping Malleus from poofing out of danger? This is an even stupider point because we literally see Malleus VANISH IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE when Yuu meets him for the first time in this very same book.

The potential political fallout. I doubt Twst intended to go into the consequences of what would have happened if Leona's dumb plan had succeeded, but surely if he was caught in the act or even suspected to have had a hand in it, it would impact the relationship between their countries since Leona and Malleus are both princes??? And that sounds like it would be a massive shitshow 💀

I've done my own book 2 rewrite, which attempts to address most of these issues with Leona's plan. There is also this follow-up post, which expands on some of the ideas I proposed in my initial rewrite. Tons of other people have book 2 rewrites as well! And you can write your own book 2 rewrite! Literally almost anything is better than the canon book 2--

#disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland #book 2 spoilers #Leona Kingscholar #Ruggie Bucchi #Jack Howl #Savanaclaw #Malleus Draconia #Yuu #Dire Crowley #question #notes from the writing raven

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thekoalapastriesbakery · 7 months ago

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TURN OUT FINE PART 2

logan sargeant x australian!male!driver!reader

PART ONE / PART TWO

summary: being an f1 driver was enough for most people—including your boyfriend—but after he gets dropped mid-season, you decide it's time for something more

warnings: mild angst, pretend the timeline makes sense, reader isn't particularly interactive, not a lot of writing, mostly told through instagram posts, based on the song turn out fine by henrik

youruser

liked by francolapinto, lukehemmings, and 782991 others

youruser if you ever feel alone, there's a lonely song to write <3

comments

user32 the home alone pic he's so real 😭

user33 is he alone for the holidays?

user34 no, i think he's with his partner!

user35 *his girlfriend

user36 user35 well actually he hasn't confirmed anything 🤨 liked by youruser

lukehemmings great to hear from you man!

youruser you too mate! tell the lads i miss them

user37 how are 5sos and y/n l/n connected???

user38 fr i feel like i missed several chapters

user39 his aunt lived in sydney and he met the band when he was visiting her as a kid! liked by youruser, calumhood, and others

user40 nobody asking the important question ARE YOU WRITING A SONG????

youruser 🤫

oscarpiastri why aren't you making fun of us whats wrong with you

youruser i'm fine

youruser

liked by estebanocon, aussiegrit, and 888375 others

youruser can't believe i worried all away most of my time

comments

user41 the safety car meme i-

user42 why does y/n always have the best (worst) photos of the grid

youruser blackmail

yourpr for legal reasons this is a joke!

youruser ...

pierregasly what is that picture of me 😭😭

user43 the grid in the TRENCHES whenever y/n gets sad liked by kevinmagnussen, lancestroll, and others

youruser my reaction to finding out beating you is actually pretty easy 🫶

pierregasly 🖕

sebastianvettel why is my face like that?

user44 oh y/n got seb to use instagram like a normal person

user45 king 👑

sebastianvettel ☹️

user46 mark and este only showing up on the post bullying pierre and seb 😭😭

youruser

liked by valtteribottas, mercedesamgf1, and 3428890 others

youruser turn out fine is now yours!!

massive shoutout to the grid for helping me and my boy turn out fine, i may bully you guys with your own memes but i love you really x

tagged logansargeant

comments

user47 IT WAS LOGAN???

user48 omg this explains that weird sad post after zandvoort

user49 WAIT OMG HE WAS SAD FOR HIS BOYFRIEND??

lewishamilton proud of you 👏

sebastianvettel i thought i was done adopting drivers after charles but i couldn't be gladder to have met you and logan!

fernandoalo_oficial i'd complain but i think you learned the bullying from me ...

kimimatiasraikkonen 👍

user50 all the grid dads in the comments is gonna make me cry

user51 speak for yourself i'm already crying

user52 i fear we may owe that one girl an apology

user5 i told you!!!

logansargeant forever 💛

youruser and always 💛

youruser love you logie, happy 2-years baby

logansargeant love you too x

user52 TWO YEARS???? HOW TF DID THEY HIDE THIS liked by oscarpiastri and others

author's note: logan <3 he looked so happy after his indycar test i had to do it.

comments + reblogs appreciated!

credits: photos from pinterest!

taglist: @raizelchrysanderoctavius @crispysoup318 @op-81-lvr-reblogs @spoonfulofmilo @ncrsbrg

#formula 1 x male reader #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 x y/n #formula 1 x you #f1 x male reader #f1 x reader #f1 x y/n #f1 x you #formula one x male reader #formula one x reader #formula one x y/n #formula one x you #f1 smau #logan sargeant x male reader #logan sargeant x reader #logan sargeant smau

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frostironfudge · 3 months ago

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Rewrite Our Tale

Summary: I was playing around with this idea about Loki having a soulmate and her being lost to him because of his fate in the timelines and him seeing it all as the God of Stories. Canon divergent. Doesn’t follow canon at all.

Warnings: past in italics, angst, soulmate bonds, mentions of previous fate of loki’s character dy-ing

Pairing: Loki x Female Reader

A.N: tbh I’m writing after a long time and I just wanted to put something on here cause I wanted to know what people think of this idea, I may continue it but for now this is like it

Masterlist

Silence. Deafening silence. Only broken by the tightening of a branch around its story. Then silence again. Sometimes he would forget to breathe, a God not needing anything. Breath, sustenance, what even were these mortal wants?

Aurora borealis surrounds him, the hues changing every few moments, seconds or minutes? He still hasn’t decided how time would move for his immortality.

He yearns, not for power no, that was a stupid goal. No matter how his destiny was written, he suffered.

Walking around the garden sowed around his version of Yggdrasil; the God reached the flowers his mother adored. Fingertips tracing the petals, softness wrapped around him.

There were other flowers he had planted.

Not using seidr but with his bare hands. There was something about these flowers, in a vision of his variants, this flower always was encased by his palms and then gently placed into the palms of another.

Her hands always hidden away, he knew soul bonds were a thing, markings that matched exactly.

He pauses, staring down at his hands, the torsion of branches had marked him. A pattern on his forearm. Starting between his thumb’s webspace snaking its way around his wrist and forearm ending at the elbow.

The life video Mobius had shown him did harbour her. His soulmate. How he met her during the battle of New York, commanding the Chitauri. A false ruler. A mere pawn in the larger game.

The building they first hijacked had her curled away in the corner. Frightened. Her eyes shifted as they met his iced blue. For a moment the noise, the screams seized to exist.

She watched his eyes return to their original green. Her hand held out, the marks that he grew up with, mimicked on her as well.

A gasp left him, he pulled her close. Flush against his chest.

“I’m sorry.” The first words he whispered, “It—, this is not who I am, you have to—,”

“You can right your wrongs.” She had cut him off, the soul bond creeping along their bones, stitching itself into their beings to bring them together.

The video continued to show his deception to his brother and father. A duplication casting spell done.

Loki had visited the universe, then. Curiosity had gotten the best of him. Wanting to know what it was to be accepted, despite being flawed.

He realised a few things, whatever his variant had disguised with his seidr to it worked on everyone but her. He had made sure she’d have the ability to see through his magick. So she could trust him. Know his intent behind the spell.

She’s a spellbinding woman he agreed. Carrying herself so elegantly. She worked from the house most days, going to volunteer at the animal shelter. Hair her form of expression it would tell him her mood or mindset.

A simple braid indicated tiredness, resulting in his duplicate to curl up with her.

An intricate french braid, she wanted her hair out of her face for baking or going to her gym.

Two tiny buns on her head, she was happy, it made her smile wherever she caught her reflection. It was his favourite.

Her beautiful locks open, worn natural? She was every bit the divine he would kneel for willingly.

Another visit more far off in time, when his death occurred.

It was during the formative phase of Thanos’ attack. She was there tucked behind several people. She was helping the Asgardians rehabilitate. While she was working in shelters and other spaces allowing her expertise.

The to be martyred Loki’s eyes were on her, she could feel his seidr around her. Tearful eyes blurring him and then clearing the memory that would haunt her.

“Close your eyes,” She weakly ordered the travellers. The parents covered the eyes of the children. Some even screwed their own eyes shut but Thor and her watched.

“No resurrections this time.” Thanos’ words were followed by five sounds.

A crack.

A shatter.

A thump.

Footsteps receding away.

A wail.

The wail parted Asgard’s remains. She saw Loki. Crumpled. Skin no longer vibrant.

Even if he was the God of Stories now that scene is what breaks him apart.

Her crying and pleading. Telling him he can stop pretending. That they were safe. He could return to her. Return to build their future. Together.

He wanted to alter the timeline but he knew he couldn’t, not with how this branch was supposed to take root.

“The mark’s gone .” One of the people whispered. Then more joined in. Even Thor’s heart broke because that was the sign your soulmate was dead and gone.

Thor wanted to offer comfort to the woman who he’d accepted as his younger sister in law. The way she brought out a facet of Loki he had hoped would shine earlier. He didn’t know what to say to the inconsolable woman.

The journey to earth would be painful.

Loki narrows his eyes at her forearm, he could still see the mark. So what was everyone on about?

The God of Stories pauses his hands tending to the flowers. He hadn’t visited that timeline in a long period of time that had elapsed.

Why could he still see the mark? Was this a common occurrence across all his deaths?

He dusted his hands off. Upon turning finding himself at the foot of his throne. A branch slithered towards him. Loki took it.

Every branch, each timeline. He could view the mark whereas everyone else couldn’t, he had to follow his soulmate.

Advancing through the time, he held his breath.

“Why can I still see it?” She traces the lines, “You’re out there aren’t you? You’re going to find me Loki.” Her hands move to whatever jewelled totem he had bestowed upon her.

Earrings, necklaces, bracelets. She held onto them and hope.

What the fuck had Kang done?

Was a variant of her supposed to escape into the TVA? If so why hadn’t Mobius said anything to him? It should have been similar to him. Did she not try hard enough to fight? Was her rebellion against the TVA pulverised each time? Was she lost?

For the first time since his coronation Loki feels sick to his bones. His soulmate was out there waiting for his return. Holding onto hope.

Each timeline had her, he needed to explore them all. He needed to know what became of her.

He needed to go back to see Kang.

Loki feels the branches wrap around his forearms. His sacrifice meant something. This control wouldn’t be relinquished. He had to know, he had to know her.

Protect her better.

Cherish her better.

He could conjure a second throne. They could rule together.

Selfishness ebbs at his selflessness.

Loki closes his green eyes, when he opens them. He’s back at Kang’s residence hours before Sylvie made the choice for them all.

“You’re early.” Kang tuts closing the hardbound book, turning to Loki. He hums.

Loki merely observes. It was better to allow Kang to reveal what he knew before using his own words.

“Ah, I see you’re late.” Kang smirks then, “What questions do you seek answers for, God of Stories? Have you come to ask why? Or is it something, or someone else?”

“You know what you have done.” The God perches himself on a chair.

“Yes; and look where that got you.” Kang gestures around and then to the vintage model of the milky way.

“I did not think you would play with soul bonds.” Loki comments drily.

“Just yours and maybe a few others, you were inevitable well some version of you. All this power why should you share it?” Kang resumes reading, “She has one triumphant variant as well, the way you have died and escaped, she shall too go through the same fate. However, you took over before it came into fruition.”

Fists clenched, the cuts from the branches reopening over his knucles, “You dare play games with a God?!” His voice bellows. Earlier grandeur colouring his nerves. The wounded ego aching to return with a vengeance.

“You lost her yourself, Loki. You must find her yourself. I had prepared it but you chose different. I do not control the crown that rests on your head. Tempting, however it may be.” The man chuckles, reopening the book. “Go on, there are no clues here. My death shall not be of aid either.”

Loki knew, no amount of torture, magick, time loops, and pleading with his own mind would be of aid. This was a riddle left for him to figure out.

The branches of time part, the portal softly moving the way leaves do in gentle winds. Loki stops himself, “Where was she to meet me?”

“Can’t trick a trickster, can I?” Kang sighs, “When she chooses a different path, the TVA would have brought her, you’d be the interrogator. Beyond that it would be you, her and your choices.”

Loki walks through the portal, the creaks of wood surround him. Wind whipping harshly at his cape.

He looks to her flowers as he ascends the throne.

#loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki laufeyson x reader #loki odinson #loki odinson x reader #loki fic #marvel loki #tom hiddleston #frostironfudge

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valtsv · 7 months ago

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i went ice skating today and spent the entire time daydreaming about the silt verses gang going ice skating so here's what i came up with:

CARPENTER - competent skater, but lacks any finesse or technique and couldn't give less of a fuck. she's only there to spend some quality time with hayward and paige, who all but begged her to come, and bully the shit out of faulkner. tries to light up a cigarette and smoke it and gets told you can't do that on the ice, much to her displeasure.

FAULKNER - has never skated in his life but is convinced that he will instinctively take to the ice with the grace of a swan to water. when he inevitably beefs it he starts sulkily suggesting that ice skating is actually an affront to the trawlerman, and therefore his lack of skill is divinely ordained, while carpenter laughs mercilessly at him. refuses any and all help no matter how many times he falls, until the very end, when almost everyone has left the rink, and he allows carpenter to stand behind him and push him around. grudgingly forced to admit that it was a lot of fun, until they slipped on an uneven patch of ice and both went down in a sprawling tangle of limbs.

PAIGE - the only one in the group who can actually skate, thanks to her dad trying to buy her love with lessons for a couple of years when she was still young enough for it to almost be convincing (but not so young she didn't question where the money for them was coming from), so it's a bit of a sore subject for her. she gets to rewrite those painful memories a little by risking dredging them up again, though, which is undeniably a blessing.

HAYWARD - the closest this man has ever come to ice skating is when he slipped on a patch of black ice while out on patrol when he was still on the force. paige spends much of the day leading him around and trying to show him the ropes while he staggers about clumsily and frequently falls, much to her poorly disguised amusement. when he successfully completes a single circuit of the rink on his own, he immediately suggests that they enter next years' pairs skating nationals while paige rolls her eyes (fondly).

SHRUE - might have taken their daughters skating once a few hazy years back, hasn't been anywhere near an ice rink before or since and honestly had no problem with keeping it that way. spends the entire time standing to the side and watching the others, occasionally testing their weight on their blades gingerly like a newborn deer before lunging again for the handrail for dear life. looks miserable standing alone hunched into their jacket and scarf, but insists they're fine. to be fair, the others' antics are pretty good entertainment.

VAL - has also never stepped on ice in her life, and wouldn't remember if she had, but unlike faulkner, hayward or shrue, she lacks the self-preservation to even conceive of falling. spends several minutes smugly observing her hapless acquaintances struggle before stepping out onto the ice herself and executing a perfect, beautiful glide - right until she crashes into the opposite side of the rink and takes a spill head over heels over the barrier (she tries to make everyone forget it happened, of course, and they humour her by pretending it worked). later hears about how people have lost fingers in freak ice skating accidents and gets jealous that it didn't happen to her (either giving or receiving, she's not that picky).

#🐉#this is stupid. bon appetit.#verses unwritten

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factual-fantasy · 2 months ago

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Bonjour Factual! Sorry it's been a bit since I sent an ask, life has been pretty crazy! But I finally found the time to write and tell you how AMAZING your Transformers art these past few days have been! As I've said before, Prime is a childhood show of mine, and I'm amazed to see how well you have captured the characters personalities, and how seamlessly you've mastered drawing the designs in your art style (even if it takes time!)

Also, Im so glad you've explored the Optimus/Ratchet dynamic the show occasionally showed- and also I just wanted to point out your observation regarding Ratchet is correct! Back during the war on Cybertron, as shown in the aligned continuity prequel novels and games, Ratchet was an absolute BEAST on the battlefield, fighting right alongside Prime as both a field medic and elite warrior.

He really only took a backseat by the time he got back to Earth because his age was finally catching up to him, and because, as the last living medic/space bridge tech in the area, was too valuable to risk losing. As you pointed out, the few times he does fight in the show he proves to still be very capable, only really outclassed by the Decepticon higher ups. (So feel free to make the old man as cool as you want in any future works!)

However! Before I go, there is one thing that I must protest as a loyal Vehicon enjoyer! In your recent post, you referred to them as Drones! Among Vehicons the term "drone" is considered a derogatory term, which you'll notice some Cons like Starscream (of course) use often in the show. This is untrue! Though a lesser known fact, one I believe I've mentioned before, the Vehicons are Clones, not Drones! Every individual we see is an individual cybertronian, fighting for the Decepticon cause!

The show even confirms this in several ways! For one, if you listen closely, every single Vehicon who speaks in the show is given a unique voice actor despite their shared bodies, and many display distinct personalities- some openly loathe Starscream, while others seem to highly respect him for example. Breakdown is even seen casually chatting with one! And on the darker side of things, Ratchet of course knew he could torture one for information when on his synth rampage- and also, the spark extractor super weapon works on them, showing individual souls pulled from each helpless Vehicon! 😢

On the bright side, several go on to survive the war, and prove their individuality in the various sequel series- including the bounty hunter Shadelock, who actually had his face seemingly reconstructed to stick out from his cloned brethren:

As well as the fan favorite, Steve! Poor guy got his brain module scrambled and forgot his original name, so he just picked one off a human billboard he saw! (He also ended up turning over a new leaf, and he, alongside some other Vehicons, decided to stop fighting the Autobots, and they left on good terms)

But forgive the rant! I've Always enjoyed the Vehicons small but important role as not-so-emotionless cannon fodder in the show, and if you rewrite them as Drones that's fine by me! The new movie TF One kinda did that with the Death Trackers, who were directly inspired by the Vehicons! Regardless, I wish you a wonderful day Factual! Hope your health is holding up! ( Oh, and almost forgot, thanks a million for drawing foxy again! Still one of my favorite series of yours! Here's to hoping to see him again someday! )

Thank you so much, I appreciate all the compliments! :DD But all this Vehicon chatter feels like.. honestly like its riddled with plot holes-

The reason I say this, is because all that you said about Vehicon clones clashes with what we see with Starscreams clones in season 2 episode 10.

In this episode, Starscream walks into that lab and calls the base bodies "protoforms". But right after this he says "Lets give cloning a whirl, shall we?" And later on Megatron refers to them as "clones". So its safe to say that these 5 Starscreams are CLONES.

This is where the Starscreams clash with the Vehicons. First, they all have Starscreams exact voice. And they claim "We are as one commander." "We share your memories." "Your very feelings." "Even your insatiable quest for power." Yet despite the Vehicons ALSO being clones, they all have different voices and opinions. How?

So by extension, if they are clones and are meant to have the same feelings and opinions as each other- just like the Starscreams- then how come some of them turned Autobot, while others took pleasure in beating Orion (amnesia Optimus) down and kicking him in the face while he refused to fight? That doesn't line up with what we saw in S2 EP10.

And another point, the Vehicons had their sparks ripped out by the spark extractor. A spark is the "soul" of a Transformer. So are you saying that Cybertronians have the ability to create souls like primus did? These measly mortal bots have the ability to create literal souls and life via cloning? Talk about overpowered technology and playing God..

These few points made me lean towards other options that in my mind, make a little more sense then what we see with the Starscreams and Vehicons..

The main solution I'm leaning towards is to make them like Starscreams clones. An important point is they do NOT have sparks. They are like robots or.. dare I say drones- in the most literal sense. They all have the same voice and same mind. They were probably cloned long ago from a few specific loyal warriors that Megatron had. The originals don't exist anymore so now new sets of clones are clones of clones of clones. Which slowly degrades the quality of the clones overtime. Which is why you'll have like 10 surrounding 1 bot and NONE OF THEM land a single shot. Its because their aim and reaction time had deteriorated over the multiple clone generations.

Its also why they are so expendable and Megatron never seems to run out of them. If they don't have real sparks, they're not real people. So there is absolutely no loss to the Deceptions when they die. They can just make a copy of that exact fallen soldier over and over again. Its why the Autobots don't seem too upset when they kill all of those Vehicons and don't hesitate to hurt them.

Also Optimus could have gotten on Ratchets case when he attacked that miner because even though it's just a clone, its still a miner clone. His morals still apply to this creature. Also it doesn't have the mind or emotions of a fighter. It was afraid and wasn't designed to/couldn't protect itself. So Ratchet attacking it- despite it not being a living Cybertronian, was wrong.

Now all this to say- I'm not trying to insult Vehicons or anyone's love/opinions on them. I feel like some of my TFP views have been clashing with a lot of people lately.. I just cant help but read things wrong or get analytical or try to sniff out plot holes.

The Vehicons don't seem to make sense to me because they are nothing like Starscreams clones. And they have sparks, which shouldn't make sense.

So either I change the canon and remove their sparks and individuality to line up with the Starscreams clones, or I make them all real and individual people who would absolutely be much harder to fight then the canon Vehicons because they have real battle experience and real minds like the Autobots do. (Having real people would also cause so much more chaos in the Decepticon ranks that I don't think Megatron could keep them under control)

#long post #my response #tfp vehicons #tfp starscream #Unless there's somehow 2 different VERSIONS of cloning technology that was never mentioned #I can't see them working out if I stick to the canon.#They're either fully clones with no sparks or they're fully living creatures with sparks #there's no in between

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fluentmoviequoter · 1 year ago

Text

Crushes Aren't Just for Kids

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x fem!JL!reader (Justice League Unlimited!Bruce)

Summary: When all adults are banished from earth, you join Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern in a unique fight to save the world. Along the way, some hidden feelings are revealed.

Warnings: spoilers/rewrite for Justice League Unlimited 1x3 "Kid's Stuff", fluff, mention of beheading, canon-level violence and action

Word Count: 3.1k+ words

A/N: I can't tell you how many times I've watched this show because Kevin Conroy's Batman in the DCAU tv shows is unmatched (and the kids who did the voice acting in this episode did phenomenally). I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!🤍

Part 2: Butterflies Aren't Just for Kids >

Picture from Pinterest

Masterlist | DC Masterlist | Request Info

You are in a unique position for several reasons. Being one of the only human members of the Justice League, you find yourself pushing yourself to be the best you can and ensuring that you can keep up with your superpowered teammates. Plus, you are one of the only people who knew Bruce Wayne before you knew Batman, and no matter how much he denies it, you knew after one look that the man under the cowl was none other than your favorite billionaire. When you first arrived on the Watchtower with your fellow vigilante, you wondered if any of the superheroes (especially those who had unique mind powers) could tell that you wanted to be more than fellow crime fighters with Batman. If they did, no one said anything, so your secret crush has remained secret as it grows stronger.

“Bats,” you warn as you duck away from Cheetah’s claws.

Bruce flips away from Deadshot’s line of fire before rushing up beside him. He punches under his jaw, and you watch as Deadshot lifts Bruce off the ground. Bruce throws a batarang, and you slide away from them as Deadshot falls to the floor.

“Guess that’s a wrap,” Green Lantern says. At Bruce’s look, he adds, “Sorry. Been hanging out with Flash too much.”

“I don’t see how that’s a bad thing,” you tease.

You look away from John and see three police officers entering the vault. A pink wave follows them inside, and your eyes widen when the officers disappear. Bruce pulls you to his side as John creates a forcefield with his ring, but it fails nearly as quickly as it appears.

When you open your eyes on a floating rock, you’re still tucked against Bruce’s side. You step back quickly and look around. Dozens of rocks surround you and each holds numerous people; adults only, you notice.

“It was judgment day,” Copper exclaims, “and- and we got sent to the bad place. The bad place!”

“Where else were you expecting to go?” you ask sarcastically.

“Snap out of it, Copper!” Cheetah demands as she slaps him.

“Yeah, calm down,” John calls. “We’re probably just in another dimension.”

“I don’t see any children,” Bruce says.

“You would be the one to notice,” you murmur. “It’s not a bad thing,” you add when he directs his bat glare at you.

“That’s because a child is responsible,” a woman wearing a mask interjects as she hovers above you.

“Morgaine Le Fay,” Bruce greets, though he’s prepared to fight rather than exchange niceties and introductions.

“Great, magic,” you mutter as you fall in line between Bruce and Diana.

“I mean you no harm,” Morgaine assures. “My son Mordred has wrought this treachery. Banishing all adults to this shadow realm.”

“Do you think Flash is here?” you whisper to John.

“50/50,” he answers.

“After I spent millennia feeding him, bathing him, preparing him to be a king,” Morgaine continues. “Where did I go wrong?”

“You’re a sorceress. Can’t you just undo his spell?” Diana asks.

“No. He’s got the amulet of first magic. He’s too powerful. But if we all work together…”

“You want us to defeat your own son?” Bruce clarifies.

“So don’t trust me. Let him rule the world and all your children. Here we will stay. Forever.”

“But what can we do? We’re stuck here, aren’t we?” Diana says.

“Please don’t say-“ you begin.

“Not exactly,” Morgaine answers.

“That,” you finish as your shoulders slump.

“The spell only banishes adults.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” you and John say together.

“It’s the only way,” Morgaine says.

“We have to do it,” Clark announces.

John exhales deeply, and you step back to be at Bruce’s side again. Magic has never been your preferred battle, and as Morgaine directs her spell at you and everything turns green, you clutch Bruce’s cape in your hand.

When you arrive in Mordred’s amusement park-turned-kingdom, you’re ready to leave. Being turned into a kid again wasn’t exactly on your superhero bingo card, and as a human, you don’t bring much to the fight anyway.

“I hope this is temporary,” Bruce complains.

You look over at him and feel butterflies in your stomach. Despite de-aging, you still have a crush on Bruce, but it hits harder and faster. You tear your eyes away from him and try to calm your racing heart. Each moment you live as a kid, you’ll start acting more like one.

“You sound weird,” Clark says. “Whoa. So do I.”

Diana looks between Clark and John before straightening her shoulders. She towers over them and smiles. “I kind of like this.”

“Why are you squinting?” you ask John.

Bruce, Clark, and Diana look over after you ask, and you drop your eyes to avoid looking at Bruce again.

“I wore glasses as a kid. Guess I need ‘em again,” John answers.

A pair of oversized green glasses appear on his face, and he jumps in surprise. They’re nothing like what adult John would create, and you stifle a laugh at the sight of them.

“I didn’t even try to make these!” he exclaims.

Clark laughs as Bruce says, “I hope not.”

You pat John’s back as he focuses on making nicer glasses. Once he’s ready and Clark compliments his new look, Diana reminds you that you’re supposed to be looking for Mordred.

“Bet the little punk’s in there,” Bruce says.

He points to the castle looming in the distance and begins running. You run behind him and watch as Diana, Clark, and John fly past you.

“It’s not a race,” Bruce grumbles.

He speeds up, but you keep your pace and make it to the castle all the same. Despite the earlier teasing about John’s glasses, none of you have mentioned any differences between the kid and adult versions of one another. You’re thankful, though, because reliving your childhood is not your favorite pastime. When you enter the castle, you stay behind Bruce as he stands beside Diana.

“The Justice Babies!” Mordred calls before laughing.

“What are you laughing at, precious?” Bruce asks.

“Precious?” you repeat.

“You,” Mordred answers. “Mother sent you, didn’t she?”

“Maybe she wanted a chance to have a normal kid,” you taunt.

“She shouldn’t send a boy to do a man’s job,” Mordred tells Bruce.

He grabs the amulet, and you watch as a young boy’s toys come to life. They grow until they’re giant, and you stumble backward before running for cover. When Clark flies into one of them and is knocked to the floor, you begin questioning if it was truly a good idea to become kids to fight a boy with powerful magic.

“Bruce, batarang,” you request.

He hands you one before running toward Mordred. You wait for one of the toys to run toward you before sliding between its legs.

“I’ll make a laser cannon. No, a missile launcher,” John says above you. “Oh! Oh, I know.”

“Just pick something!” you and Bruce yell together.

You dig the batarang into the back of the toy’s leg and roll to the side as it collapses to the ground before disappearing. Bruce and John take one out, while Clark disables the other with his laser vision.

When you hear Bruce grunting and see him dangling from his cape in the grip of the last toy, you gasp and run toward him. Diana beats you there and catches him.

“You okay, tough guy?” she asks.

“Let go. I’m fine,” Bruce demands as he struggles to get out of her hold.

His shoulders drop and his cape surrounds him as he sulks. You don’t ask the same question Diana had but thank him for the batarang as he passes.

“That’s not fair,” Mordred complains.

“Get him!” Bruce calls.

You run behind Diana and aren’t surprised when you’re all encased in ice. Mordred is powerful, and you and your fellow “Justice Babies” seem to be forgetting that. When you fall into a dungeon and are freed from the ice, you scoot toward Bruce. One of the cells opens, and red eyes glow within. You clutch Bruce’s cape and watch as a small demon walks out.

“Etrigan?” Bruce asks.

He steps away from you, and his cape slips through your fingers. You stay behind John’s forcefield as Diana lifts Bruce out of the way of Etrigan’s flame. Diana has been closer to Bruce during this mission than usual, and the butterflies in your stomach start causing more pain than happiness as you wonder if they’ve been hiding feelings for one another in the Watchtower, too.

“Don’t hurt him!” Bruce yells as Clark pulls Etrigan away from you and John.

Etrigan bites Clark’s arm, and he calls, “Tell him that!”

“C’mere,” you tell Etrigan. You crouch to the floor and pull him into your arms. “Stop!”

He calms down, and Diana helps Bruce up as Etrigan cries. You look at Bruce and shrug.

“He’s just a baby,” Diana says.

“And he needs more than a hug,” John adds, waving his hand in front of his nose.

“Now, that is a job for Superman,” Bruce says.

Bruce takes Etrigan from your arms and passes him to Clark. When Bruce takes your hand to lead you out of the dungeon, you nearly trip over your own feet. You’ve never been more ready to grow up before, you think.

Mordred’s new kingdom is comprised mostly of children doing what they were never allowed to do before. When you walk through the paths surrounding what used to be the center of the park, you are surrounded by children doing dangerous stunts and breaking rules.

“You two, knock that off!” Clark demands when he sees two boys playing with wooden swords.

“What are you gonna do? You’re just a kid,” they taunt.

Clark shoots a laser between them and answers, “I’m the kid with laser beams coming out of his eyes.”

“That’s just gonna scare them,” you interject before they run away screaming. “You can’t threaten kids the same way you threaten criminals.”

“Then what do we do?” John asks.

“Tattle,” Diana answers. She flies to an elevated area and yells, “That’s enough!”

Everyone freezes, and you find yourself reaching for Bruce.

“You can’t tell us what to do! You’re not our mom!” someone replies.

“No, but I promise you we will find all of your moms and I’m gonna tell!” Diana answers.

“Well, what should we do?”

“Go outside and wait for your parents. Now!” Diana demands with a hand on her hip.

“Man, your girlfriend sure is bossy,” John tells Bruce.

“Shut up,” he replies before leaving John’s side.

Those butterflies in your stomach become dead weight. You stall behind John, but he turns to look at you.

“You like Bruce,” he accuses.

“What? No!” you answer too quickly. “We’re friends.”

“Mmhmm.”

John gestures for you to come with him, and you follow Bruce together. You know that John knows more than he ever lets on, and if anyone found out about your crush, you suppose you should be glad that it’s the one who can keep a secret. Better him than Wally.

“He’s almost asleep,” Diana whispers as you look into Mordred’s hideout. “We can take him.”

“I’ll make a lawnmower and chew him up,” John suggests.

“A lawnmower?” you repeat incredulously. “Why?”

“I say we get that amulet away from him first,” Bruce says. “We’ll split up and sneak behind him. Then Lantern can do his thing. But no mowers.”

“Why?” John questions.

“Because it’s stupid,” Clark answers.

“He’ll hear it, too,” you whisper with much more kindness than Clark.

“I guess I’ll go with Clark,” Diana says. “Unless I should go with you,” she tells Bruce.

“Whatever,” Bruce answers.

John sees your eyes drop and says, “Clark can go alone. I’ll go with Diana.”

You appreciate it but shake your head because you don’t want to be left alone with Bruce.

“Whatever,” Bruce repeats.

“Go,” John whispers.

You lead Bruce around the side of the cave, and John shakes his head as he watches you go.

“What’s with them?” Clark asks.

“Really?” Diana questions.

“Man, for somebody with fifty different kinds of vision you are so blind,” John responds.

“What?”

“Is that a claw?” you ask Bruce as John tries to get the amulet.

“Unfortunately,” he answers.

He may be young, but his sarcasm hasn’t changed a bit. You lean against him when John’s claw wavers before disappearing. The amulet falls to Mordred’s chest, and Bruce moves you carefully as he calls, “Get the amulet!”

You join Bruce, Diana, Clark, and John in a failing attempt to hold Mordred down and take the amulet. He uses his magic to grow and throws Bruce and Diana off of him before standing. A young girl is standing nearby, and you take her hand to lead her to safety as the others fight Mordred.

“Bats!” you yell, just as you had as an adult this morning.

Bruce looks back and sees the living gargoyle chasing him and John and directs John toward a small bridge.

“Close the door!” you yell as Bruce enters the castle.

Diana closes and locks the door behind him, and you listen to John come up with complicated plans to stop Mordred as Bruce thinks.

“Forget it!” Bruce calls after John mentions giant handcuffs. “We’ve got to focus on…” Bruce’s eyes lock with yours and he says, “Never mind what I just said. We’ll take care of everything else. Lantern, you go crazy.”

“What are you going to do?” you ask.

“It’s time for all of us to grow up,” Bruce answers.

He takes your hand before running toward another area of the kingdom. Your butterflies begin reviving, and you wonder if anything will be the same after this.

“Go!” he yells to Clark.

Clark pulls the amulet from Mordred’s neck while he’s distracted by John before tossing it to Bruce.

“This is the most dangerous game of keep away I’ve ever played,” you yell as you take the amulet from Bruce and run it to Diana. Diana throws it to Etrigan, and you flinch when he bites into it. The wave of purple magic that escapes it is unsettling, but you don’t take your eyes off Mordred.

“I already absorbed too much of the amulet’s power,” Mordred says as he stands.

He uses his magic to suspend all of you, and Etrigan, upside down in the air. He pulls a sword from a nearby stone, and it turns purple before reappearing as a curved blade.

“I’ll take care of my kingly duty myself,” he declares.

“Is he really going to behead us in an amusement park?” you ask with your arms crossed over your chest.

“I’m scared,” the girl you helped earlier says. “I want my mommy.”

Mordred lowers his blade to say, “You don’t need a mommy. You’re better off without one. Trust me.”

“Ooh, mommy issues,” John muses. “Those ain’t easy.”

The girl begins crying and Clark taunts, “Some king.”

“I’m not impressed,” Diana agrees.

“What’d you expect? He’s a boy doing a man’s job,” Bruce finishes.

“You don’t know what it’s like being stuck as a kid,” Mordred says.

“Since you’ve had all that power, you could have been a man anytime you wanted. I think you’re too chicken to grow up.”

“Yep, big chicken. That’s what you are,” John agrees, flapping his arms like wings. “Bock, bock.”

“Face it, precious,” Bruce continues. “You like being a little mama’s boy.”

“I’ll show you!” Mordred yells. “I’ll show you all.”

“Sure, you will,” you agree with an eye roll.

“And when I am a true king, I’ll start with the human!” Mordred adds, pointing to you.

Bruce looks at you, but you keep your eyes on Mordred as he spreads his arms and is surrounded by purple ribbons of magic. Etrigan claps as Mordred’s spell spreads, and he reappears as a man.

“I’m older than you now,” Mordred says as he turns to face you.

The magic released his spell, and you catch yourself as you fall from the air.

“You sure are,” Bruce says.

Mordred disappears, banished by his own spell. As an adult, he couldn’t stay, and now you can only wait until Morgaine does her part. Bruce steps to your side and you turn your face toward him.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yes,” you answer just before Morgaine appears.

“A bargain is a bargain,” she says as she waves her hand before you.

The spell is lifted, and you are an adult again in only a second. You hadn’t prepared for the change in size however and are pressed against Bruce’s chest with the sudden growth. He makes no move to get space from you, though.

“Mommy,” Etrigan coos at Diana.

She drops him and steps back. You chuckle at the scene and Diana looks at you with furrowed brows before smiling and rolling her eyes.

Morgaine opens a portal, and Bruce places a hand on your hip as he steps around you.

“Wait,” he calls. “What happened to Mordred?”

“My spell gave him eternal youth but now that he’s broken it all he has is eternal life,” she answers.

“Circumstances aside, it was kind of enjoyable to be a kid again,” Diana says.

You walk to Bruce’s side and watch the happy reunions of children with their parents.

“I’m sorry,” you offer softly.

“For what?” he asks.

“You just- you didn’t get to be a kid like the rest of us.”

“Perhaps Diana was right. It wasn’t completely unenjoyable.”

He turns toward you, and his arm is pressed to your shoulder.

“You’re telling me the big, bad bat had a little bit of fun?” you tease.

“You never talk about your childhood,” he deflects. “So, I’m sorry if this brought up bad memories.”

“Just dead butterflies,” you answer.

Bruce glares at you, but it’s the one unique to when he’s reading you.

“Is that why Lantern sent us off alone together?”

You look down as you nod.

“My butterflies are alive and well, and happy to wait for you,” Bruce murmurs.

“Butterflies or bats?” you ask.

“Should we be having this conversation in an amusement park?”

“You’re right. Let’s go to Metropolis and make the cover of the Daily Planet so Clark has to write all about it.”

Bruce sighs, but he takes your hand as he leads you outside the amusement park. He presses a button on his utility belt and the Batmobile pulls up a moment later.

“Bruce,” you say once you’re inside. “You were a really cute kid.”

“You were really bad at eye contact,” Bruce counters. “Or was that just with me?”

“I guess crushes aren’t just for kids,” you muse.

“Maybe Diana will stop pestering me to ask you out now.”

You nod as you watch the road before you. It takes a moment, but you finally understand what Bruce just said.

“What?”

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