#and that i was openly insulted while trying to answer a question

[ghostchems]

yesterday was weird huh?

i hope yall are having a nice one today ❤️ have an extra scrunkly evil looking cardi

[qtubbo]

To make matters worse, Phil’s second choice was Gegg. Sunny is aware that Gegg is Slime. Phil was just trying to give a non-answer but from Sunny’s perspective he insulted and was open to the idea of killing both her Pa and their Pop. I doubt Phil and Sunny were ever going to be close but after that… It’ll probably take some serious work for them to even be friends.

That is horrifying I did not even think of that, oh god yeah from Sunny’s perspective Phil just openly said he’d kill her Pa or Pop as his first two choices, and insulted them while doing it. This is not helped by Quackity later/earlier (i can’t remember question order) calling Slime the worst parent on the server. So it’s not even that their relationship with Phil went down, both by people laughing along with jokes and people commenting negatively about Slime. They probably feel that their little family is under attack.

Both insults happening while Slime and Tubbo were away probably did not help, because Sunny’s always been scared about how people think of them. Sunny doesn’t normally hangout without Tubbo so she may read into this as people will insult her and their family when their not around.

*Context one of the questions where “which egg would you kill” Phil answered Tubbo then Gegg while jokingly insulting them

[caustinen]

Loving your Hollywood Clegan AU so much!

Curious though...how do they transition when their relationship becomes public? Are there any issues with fan backlash? Or being an openly gay actor? What about the increased paparazzi attention or stalkerish fans? :O

Hello lovely person!! As usual this got a bit long but I hope it answers the question a bit at least 😂💘

To start off with, I usually reimagine my fics in worlds that don’t have homophobia because I personally don’t enjoy writing it/making it a plot point, there’s so much amazing art in all forms dealing with it that it doesn’t feel like trying to erase a very real problem/ignore it because obviously it unfortunately is a big part of queer experience for a lot of people, it’s just that I like to imagine worlds where that isn’t a factor just so there’s also places to escape that, esp in silly fanfiction that I write – that’s what I also enjoy to read as a queer person myself! So while it would definitely give this au a lot of depth, I’m at least not right now including that in these replies <3

As for the other stuff, I have not thought about it a lot even though these should be kinda the main questions for this au… So let’s think about it!

Paparazzi – John dislikes paparazzi as much as anyone but Gale despises them. He finds it a bit invasive but kind of a “part of the job” con for John and later their relationship in the public when it happens when arriving to/leaving events, but when he first catches someone taking his picture while leaving the gym or his office he gets very antsy. This creates some tensions for a bit as John understands his stress but also feels like they talked about it beforehand and now he can’t really do anything about it. When they’re out together and they spot paparazzi John always tries to block Gale from the sight, pull him behind himself or guide them some other way. They love to travel and it’s also easier to avoid being spotted when they’re away from LA/New York. It’s bad for the first few months but eventually the attention on them eases up a bit and they can go back to the new normal with only occasional encounters with the paparazzi; Gale also grows more accustomed to it and knows how to dress to and act to hide & make it a bit less intense.

Fan backlash – I think this would be an interesting thing to explore. Even though a lot of the fans are just happy for John, there are also some who have become too parasocial/illusioned about him after being fans for years (and he is a heartthrob and charming and widely accepted as “boyfriend material”) that they get upset when the relationship is revealed, starting to talk shit on social media about John never having been genuine and has only been lying to his fans meaning he never actually cared about them, and through that getting to insult his work and that they only went to see it because he’s hot but now it’s ruined. John was also shipped with a lot of his previous castmates and some shippers are also upset and saying he “setteled” for Gale who’s “just an ordinary office worker” when he could’ve had a flashy Hollywood Romance – while many see his fiancés shyness and soft-spokeness in public as adorable, some say he doesn’t match John’s vibe at all, and the fact that John also seems different with him is not a good thing and they start to psychoanalyze their relationship. John couldn’t care less for some angry comments on his insta but some of the hate is directed towards Gale, and he’s a bit taken aback when he starts to receive DM’s telling him to leave John immediately and accusing him of manipulating him into a relationship with “someone like him”. John is obviously very upset by all of this but Gale reminds him that he’s seen it all at work and can handle himself.

Stalkers – The other extreme of Gale haters would then be the people who get like way into him real fast, he’s beloved by the masses, sure, but these people are more like a cult (probably of the similar style of fan as the one’s who turn against John in the previous point, like highkey parasocial behavior but when John starts to date publicly it’s like “no, he’s OUR boyfriend” but not in a funny way you know). The line is blurred to some people what it means that John revealed he has a partner, it’s not a ”new part of him” but a real person of his own that happens to be dating their favorite actor, and this gets lost on some people who start to treat him almost like he was Bucky’s pet (idk if this makes any sense but like as if he was just a cute little thing he can post pics about and doesn’t really have an agency of their own AND the fans feel like they ”know him” when they actually know nothing about him except that he’s dating their idol). Gale’s not expecting to get any “fans” of his own, so he’s a bit weary when he’s asked to take pics with people without John or given stuff on red carpets etc, and especially when people really cross boundaries and try to gift him/them like condoma or sex toys or lingerie (I’m thinking of that one interview where they showed Austin his fan merch and there was the thong with his face on it and I’m thinking someone gifting a similar one of Bucky to him and him being absolutely horrified) or something else kinda projecting their own fantasies into them, or playing it off as a joke while it’s actually really distrurbing — just because they’re out doesn’t mean the relationship opened for other people to comment on. Then of course there’s just the usual internet hellhole-stuff, people start sending him really inappropriate messages about his body/looks/what they’d want to do to him given the chance that he maybe didn’t expect because he doesn’t believe John when he tells him that’s like notably attractive. I could also imagine for example a moment where someone approaches them when they’re leaving an event or something and Gale is being professional and polite but the other person is really overstaying their welcome/not following social cues but talking to him like a friend would and when John tries to politely lead them onwards the “fan” grabs Gale’s arm or something and it causes a small scene. Gale is stressed in these situations mostly because he fears how they’ll reflect on John’s image if he’s presented as being rude to fans but luckily these are rare occasions.

Despite all of this, they both are happy that the relationship is public, there are more pros than cons for being able to build their future together without having to be each others dirty little secrets (idk why but it came to my mind now that Gale is so the type that since he couldn’t always tell people he had a partner, everyone would either hit on him or try to match him with someone because “how is someone that pretty single?!” and this would annoy the hell out of Bucky despite him being the one with millions of options at any given moment, i like some jealous bucky :D)

Hope this was satisfactory!! Any more ideas to these scenarios? I’m so used to doing just fluff/smut so this was a fun challenge, thank you! <3

[imnotsimpingyouare]

HELP YOURSELF

NSFW Akaza X Reader - Minors DNI

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So basically??? Idek fem!reader is some sort of good guy with a sword tryna fight a bad guy with no sword but with dangerous hands ig but she likes them hands a little too much

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It was a gust of air that set you off. It took only a moment to realize what it was, flying through the forest with eyes directed ahead.

An Upper Rank demon.

You were no hashira. You were somewhere close, but still so far away, and even farther knowing this could very well be your last battle. You didn't even bat an eye at the disintegrating demon behind you now, you had an important matter to attend to.

It was running.

From you.

It sent you into some predatory trance, relying on your instinct to guide you in the right direction. You would run all night if you had to. It wouldn't get away.

What motive would it have to run? What drove it towards you in the first place? All questions you'd have an answer to soon, seeing as you saw a break in the dense forest ahead.

You halted for the first time in a while. You knew better than to run into the clearing where it could attack openly from any direction.

Where did it go?

You felt all of the hairs on your neck stand up before something tried to grab at your sword. You swung, but never made contact.

"Come out, coward!" You shouted into the woods, knowing that wherever it was, it could hear you. You stepped into the clearing. Since it was trying to disarm you, it'd be better to give it less places to hide.

A voice called to you from what seemed to be all around.

"Put your katana down, demon slayer. You have no reason to worry."

In a flash he was there, a relatively tall demon with edo tattoos and bright pink hair.

His eyes were unique, yellow with the kanji "upper three" framed by what seemed to be cracked sclera.

His chest was toned and his pants were baggy. You spent only a moment admiring the state he was in, before returning his intense gaze.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

His hands remained rested at his sides and his face was completely serious.

"I do not harm women."

In his eyes, you could see what looked like something you knew all too well.

Pity.

You hated pity. You wanted it from no one. To see others stare at you, and your smaller frame, battling huge demons. You knew what they were thinking. You always knew.

"And why is that." You nearly growled, knowing the answer.

His eyes narrowed at your... offense?

"They are..." He began, but was interrupted by the moonlight reflecting off your blade, which was now pointed at him.

"Do not..." you started to say, clenching your free hand against the fabric of the uniform pants, "insult me with your pity."

His eyes widened, and you were before him in an instant, swinging your blade at his neck.

You caught him with the tip of your katana ever so slightly, causing him to jump yards away from you. You spared no time for him. Your attacks came in a series of swift blows, and he never sparred back, only blocking against you. It was with every blow the anger in your chest seemed to grow larger, until you finally stood before him again, his arms regenerating from the small cuts he received from the attack.

"Little demon slayer, I have no wish to fight you." He said, in a quieter voice.

"Shut the hell up. " You spat, digging your heels into the firm ground below you. "There is no bigger insult than to go easy on me. I wouldn't be standing here today if I couldn't handle myself."

His eyes were apologetic almost, pink eyebrows furrowing together.

"Demon slayer, I-"

"Y/N."

You huffed. If you were going to have a conversation, you'd tire quickly of the name "demon slayer".

"Y/N." He repeated in thought, one hand coming up to run through his pink hair.

"I am Akaza." He said.

You didn't know what he wanted with you. In truth, he didn't want anything, only to get away from this interaction, but your words intrigued him beyond reason.

"If that is your wish, Y/N, I am sure you will die from this battle."

A smile formed itself on your lips. It had been a while since someone considered being fair towards you, and a demon no less.

"Better to die a warrior than a coward."

There was a pause between the two of you before you both dissappeared in a blur, dust kicking up around you.

For the first time, it felt like you weren't having to prove yourself against this demon, and he was actually considering your strength. Newfound confidence flowed through your veins and into the tip of your katana, following through on every attack and every block.

Akaza was taking real swings at you, and you were taking every opportunity to strike at his neck. But the tides changed when he kicked your sword from your hand.

Your katana flew several yards away, and you were forced to resort to hand-to-hand, the only area of combat you possessed real weakness. It was as if Akaza could see it, could see through you, and into where your weaknesses lie.

The first blow you truly received from him was a kick in the stomach, sending you flying in the opposite direction of your katana. In an instant he was on top of you, pinning your limbs down with his own. He held your hands above your head and watched as you choked out labored breaths, trying to catch up with yourself.

"You're so strong, Y/N."

You looked up at him, and he was staring down at you, not a hint of dishonesty in his yellow eyes. Only wonder and excitement.

"Please, become a demon? We could train together. No one would ever view you as weak. Never again. Could you imagine that?"

Your legs moved, looking for the room to curl up to your chest, but he placed his knee in between your thighs, keeping you from kicking him off.

"I... don't want to become a demon." You say.

But Akaza wasn't going to take no for an answer. He leaned in even closer.

"Y/N. If you don't become a demon, there will always be people who don't respect you. A warrior like you will die of old age, shriveling away with your weak, mortal human body. I cannot bear to see you meet such a fate." He said, caressing your wrists with his thumb.

Your heart began to beat a little faster at that. Did he even care about that? Why would a demon care who respects you?

You looked up into his eyes. "Death is always chasing you. You can never get away."

But he only smiled at that. His lips grazed yours, sharing air with you as he spoke in a whisper.

"Then let's run from death together, Y/N."

In that moment you were dying for a connection, and his lips met yours as if he had read your mind. It was a sweet and gentle kiss, none like the ones you've had in your life, where they had been taken from you. This kiss was shared between two equally wanting individuals, whose fate intertwined at this moment for this purpose.

"Don't you want to see.." he pulls away to gaze at you, "how long we can make it?"

He released your hands and placed them on either side of your head, allowing you to take them down and ruffle his hair. How could a demon be so loving towards you?

His lips curled into a smile before meeting yours again, this kiss needier than the last. It felt so inexplicably good to be connected to him, and the warmth pooling in your abdomen only gathered with the passing time.

You let out a soft moan when he slid his tounge into your mouth, body pressing yours down onto the ground. He pulled away for a moment to admire the state you were in for him now, saliva dripping down your chin, face flushed beet red.

"Love, are you alright? That expression you're making... would you like to continue?"

His eyes bore into yours, feeling the way his breath hitched when you nodded your head.

"Use your words love."

"Yes.. I want to keep going."

It was in that moment you confined yourself to your fate, as he slowly unbuttoned your uniform to reveal your chest. "So lovely.." He whispered, kissing and sucking on your boobs, making you squirm under him. Moans began to fall as he grinded his hips into yours, groaning in your ear at the sensation. "Akaza.." you mumbled out, causing him to look at you with half-lidded eyes, lost in the trance of your hips grinding against his.

"Fuck, keep saying my name that way, I never want you to forget my name leaving your lips." He said in a soft voice, teasing one of your nipples as he undid the buckle of your belt. Your hands tugged at his hair the more you longed for him, hips lifting up so he could take off your pants and underwear.

"Look at you, so wet for me." He moaned at the feeling of your soaked panties against his fingers, before thumbing at your clit.

Your back arched at the sudden contact, reaching for him, only to be pinned back to the ground with his free hand. "Want to feel you inside," you hummed, staring into his eyes as his fingers danced around your hole. "Want you, Akaza."

Two of his fingers pushed their way in, making you gasp at the feeling as he kissed you. "Don't worry, love, m'gonna make you feel good." He breathed out in between kisses.

His fingers found a slow, but satisfying pace inside of you, curling to press against that spot inside of you that make your toes curl. He watched your face intently, focused on your poor bottom lip, which had been bitten so harshly it looked as if it may bleed. "My poor thing." He whispered against your lips, trying to kiss all of your thoughts away.

The pace of his fingers soon had you on the edge, but he kept you there, whispering sweet nothings into the shell of your ears. "Please wait for me, love. Will you?" He coos, with full knowledge of the effect he has on you, hearing your moans grow into desperate whimpers.

"A-akaza, wanna cum so bad.." you whimper, resting your head against the ground in complete submission. He laughs ever so softly, kissing your neck before taking his fingers out to lick them clean of your juices. "Be patient.." is all he has to say, taking off his own pants to reveal his dick to you.

You sit up to push him back against the tree nearby, straddling his hips. "I wanna do it." You say to him, and he presents no arguments as you ease yourself down onto his cock.

He groans in your ear, hands holding your hips close to him. "So fucking tight around me, Y/N." He breathes, before you raise your hips and lower them again.

You set the pace, bouncing your hips on his dick, and he holds your chin in his hand. "Don't dare look away, love. I want to see you." He purrs.

His tip just barely kisses your cervix, and he's trying as hard as he can not to thrust up into you and ruin you. He keeps his hand on your chin, watching as a slew of moans and whines fall from your lips. You were putty in his hands. His free hand roamed your body freely, massaging all of your worries away.

The sound of your skin colliding is nearly enough to banish all other noise, the only other thing you can hear being Akaza's sultry voice.

Your legs begin to shake and tears prick at your eyes, desperately chasing the release he denied you earlier.

"Oh sweet thing, are you tired? Do you want my help?" He coos at you, finding it adorable how you can't keep up with your desires. You nod your head, pleads leaving your lips in the form of whispers.

"Words." He says. His fingers pull your chin closer to his and he looks you in the eye.

"Akaza, please... want your help, m'gonna cum, wanna cum so bad...ngh!" you moan, giving up all pride you had before he thrusts up into you, causing your legs to nearly give out. He continues to slam your hips down in time with his thrusts, sucking on your neck while you moan in ecstasy. He groans, holding your chin still as he slams into you at an inhuman pace. "Thought you were strong hm? Do you like begging for my help?" He said in almost a growl.

You found yourself frantically nodding. "Please Akaza, please..!" You cried out, eyes rolling back into your head as you neared your high. He groaned, squeezing your hip harder. "I'll fuck you like this every day for the rest of your life love, would you like that? Being my cocksleeve every night?" He felt so desperate, hips erratically thrusting into you, chasing that release he's been needing. You gripped his shoulders and nodding, trying so hard to keep your focus on him. "I love you," you cried in that sweet voice of yours, "want your cum, want it so bad."

He suddenly let out a load moan, releasing into you as you clenched him even tighter than before. You cried out his name, squeezing his shoulders. He continued moving his hips slower now, fucking you through your orgasm. Eventually he stopped, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

"My sweet Y/N. All mine, forever."

[tentoohasamortgage]

i was trying to explain this to my boyfriend the other day and i’m having a hard time articulating it just because i feel like it’s a really like nuanced conversation that i don’t feel fully qualified to speak on (mostly because i am a cis woman) but i’ll try for yall because i love you guys and i want to make my viewpoint on this discourse very clear.

i absolutely loved the star beast. i loved how it felt like a true RTD special, and i loved how fourteen’s character is so wonderfully different than ten’s while still being so uniquely “the doctor”. i loved donna and her family and i really loved how the episode answered most (if not all) questions i have had for YEARS regarding how donna’s life turned out.

that being said, i loved rose noble. i am so happy that this show i love so much has finally recognized trans people in this way, and i’m so, SO happy that they are openly using terms like “non-binary”. i feel like this is especially important for trans people in normalizing the term. again, i am a cis woman living in america, and in my every day life, people don’t say words like that. i was so warmed to see the doctor using it in respectful and correct dialogue.

THAT being said, i did think some of the dialogue was corny. i feel like it could have been tweaked just a tiny bit to make it flow a bit better. however, that’s just a personal opinion, and i don’t have any huge issues with it. i still absolutely loved the episode.

the thing is, i keep seeing people who claim to support trans and LQBTQ+ people saying that the special was too “in your face”. i just have to point out that the doctor themselves literally switched genders twice in the last few years and considering everything going on in the real world (like trans people being murdered just for existing) i would find it mildly insulting if RTD didn’t say anything about it, especially after putting in a trans character. i think that rose is such an important character for bringing about good conversation in terms of doctor who, and we’ve already established that the doctor is some level of non-gender conforming. if you think the special was too much, you have to remember that we have to start somewhere to normalize trans terminology and trans people in media.

idk maybe this doesn’t make sense but i had to say something about it just to make it clear where i personally stand.

TLDR; i loved the ep. cringed at a bit of the dialogue, but recognized that it wasn’t really meant for me. i think it needed to be said. i’m here for it

[saltpepperbeard]

I cant stop thinking about the end of episode 6, specifically the Stede and Ed of it all.

Just the look on Stede's face when he pulls Ed in kills me. I need to know everything in there, in words.

Also, what do you think wouldve happened if instinct hadnt taken over? Would they have actually talked it through (as a crew?) Or would Stede have just brushed over it again and Ed accept it?. This is pretty much the only time he tries to actually help stede like this.

Also, because im rambling, why doesnt Ed defend Stede properly when people insult him? does he think it just doesnt affect him or something?

Pardon the tardy answer on this one, anon! I was in the void, only to get decked upside the head by Leslie Jones once I crawled out of said void lol. BUT OKAY OKAY-

*rubs hands together like a fly*

This face absolutely kills me too. And I feel like it says so much without saying a word at all. I feel like it says, "I'm so happy and relieved to see you right now because the true torture of the night was seeing you get threatened." And, "I love you so much for checking up on me, but I don't have it in me to use words right now, and can't really express what I'm feeling any other way than through actions." And, "I'm so terrified after what just happened, but having you here is such a grounding force."

Like just...the glassy sheen to his eyes but the relief to his overall visage...Mr. Darby I'm billing you for damages <3 sdjksldls. I think he was just so so happy to see Ed in that moment, and so relieved to have him after nearly losing him again.

And as far as talking things through goes...I honestly feel like Stede still would have stayed clammed up. I have a feeling it would have been like how it was when he initially opened the door, ie Ed doing the talking/leading the conversation while Stede stays quiet. Maybe Ed sharing such deep feelings and vulnerability would have eventually pried his shell open and gotten him to express a few fears? But idk, because at the same time, Stede witnessed Ed's bathtub moment, and it didn't really shake any of his own personal walls.

I just think he has such a complicated thing going with his own self-image, masculinity, and trauma, that it would have been very very difficult for him to openly admit to pain/terror/etc etc—especially weakness. Especially the thing that earned him vitriol and stones and death threats. And especially not to the man he respects and looks up to so much.

And SPEAKING of which, in regard to your last question, I think Ed doesn't step in to defend him for two reasons. One, he's the protector against physical abuse, whereas Stede is the protector against verbal abuse. This lovely post here [x] explains it beautifully; "they're both protecting each other from the dangers they know." Ed acts very quickly if some sort of physical harm threatens Stede, whereas Stede acts very quickly if some sort of vitriol threatens Ed. Neither of them want the other to experience the pain they're so acclimated to, and subsequently are each other's defender from such.

And two, sort of along those lines, I don't think he recognizes the hurt that can come from it, just as Stede maybe doesn't recognize the hurt that can come from all the violence. Maybe he doesn't realize how deeply it has cut Stede, just as Stede doesn't really recognize how deeply violence has cut Ed. I don't know how to word this properly lol but like...they view what hurts the other as almost a non-issue.

You can see their varying reactions and differences a few times in episode 6 actually. When Ned is physically torturing them, Stede doesn't really react when Ed is burned, but Ed reacts strongly when Stede is burned. And when Ned is flinging vitriol about prior to the violence, Ed doesn't really react to it, but Stede scowls and fights against his restraints.

And then when they're on deck, Stede doesn't think to take cover when the attack is starting, but Ed immediately flings himself in front of him. And when Ned is trying to goad Ed into getting upset, Ed doesn't take the bait whatsoever, whereas Stede steps up and gets upset on his behalf.

Not to mention also, Stede being like "Haha escaping violence? Not bloody likely" the morning after. I know that's episode 7 lol, but my pOINT STILL STANDS. They both expect those things respectively—Ed expects insulting talk from other pirates, and Stede expects violence in their line of work, but they're actually rife with trauma for the two of them.

TLDR, they balance each other and ground each other so well, but imagine how much more they would if they shared all these deeper thoughts. I'm still holding out hope that Stede will have his bathtub moment in season 3, or even just show a lick of vulnerability around Ed. Maybe the domesticity/concept of marriage will scare him enough into opening up a bit more/talking things through, or even just settling into a more mature relationship with Ed will give him the grounds to do so.

REGARDLESS, they are just a broth that's....*Roach voice* beautiful, complicated, balanced...

[coloredscribbli]

I have a VERY vague memory of a friend saying something along the lines of "what if there was a version of The Ride with Pack 10 hosts"

And I got quite a bit intrigued with that idea

EVERYONE'S RE-RIDE DESCRIPTIONS BELOW (please keep in mind this is from someone who has barely experienced The Ride herself)

🌊TOURNAMENT MISTRESS🌊

- Adopted a more human form to 'fit in' with her Re-Ride pals. She CAN change back to the dragon (I HC that she's the dragon) form, but why bother. Also insists the gang calls her Mistress to simplify things

- A very intense hype host who does not know how to really insult you if you got stuff wrong. more so an awkward "oh uh nice try 😅"

- Generally doesn't bicker with the others and just stands in the backdrop waiting to either cancel it out or move on to another question

- whatever their version of The Bottom is? She just hides in a closet instead. No real way to restrain her or stop her from turning back to the dragon (to their knowledge!) to fly back up so she just. CLOSET.

⚡️FIXYTEXT HOSTESS⚡️

- Goes by Lexi (like lexicon? fancy speak for the alphabet?) and just figured a more 'brooding, steampunk look' would fit her well for the Re-Ride

- Definition of >:3. She can and will play up everything that she can to a painful level of ridiculousness (eg. "IF YOU GET THIS WRONG I'M GONNA DIE")

- Starts fights like it's nothing, and takes even MORE joy in kicking anyone's butt that she can find to The Bottom (at appropriate times). The most out of EVERYONE (the order goes her, Jerri, 'Ductor', Mistress and MM)

- Also enjoys fucking with questions BUT just by mispronouncing stuff. You got icicle up there? Eye-sick-lee. Or bread? Bear-e-add. SHE LOVES THE CHAOS

☁️MM☁️

- To quote him, not quite exactly: "It's not my show so I'm not being open". Hence how he actually ONLY has his eyes out? Visible? You- You know? Also couldn't care less about what you call him as long as he can TELL it's him being referred to

- He's the definition of the phrase "Too (trait)". Specifically too formal. He takes everything a little too calmly for his own good and it scares the others (eg. "Hm. She won't be back up for... a while. Let's move on.")

- Probably has some kind of question where he accidentally passes out (PLEASE JUST SLEEP) and the players would need to guess what he was on about beforehand

- Has tried to butt into floors with topics he's interested in quite a lot, fortunately he's both very light and sworn off of his hypnotism antics for everyone's sake

☄️JERRI☄️

- Didn't change her look majorly, but there's a few tweaks. She also thought her side ponytail was an original thing until Mistress and Lexi showed up. she was pissed.

- Will openly laugh at wrong answers. Sure 'Ductor' will, sure Lexi will as well, but Jerri just BELLY laughs. This isn't Timejinx, she doesn't know you, she can be an ✨asshole✨

- Accidental argument fuel. She'll just respond in the strangest ways imaginable to the most obvious things and let that shit fly

- Basically the Re-Ride mechanic as well, when she doesn't host stuff she's basically just making sure you don't fall to a horrific and painful end

🌪️DODO RE MI HOST🌪️

- Goes by 'Ductor' and nobody but MM really cares. I say this because MM only calls him Conductor (GET IT. HA. I'M DESPERATE) and it really gets on his nerves

- Would probably pretend right answers are wrong and vice versa and be the rude fellow he is pretty naturally

- Actually pretty good at mimicking birds and the other Re-Ride's voices, has eagle screeched at the others too many times to count

- Mr. "Most likely to have a censored bout of cursing". Also kind of gets the Buzz treatment (constantly tossed aside) but Ductor? DUCTOR FUCKING FIGHTS BACK. The gang are trying to work on letting him do more stuff

[shmowder]

Hello Mr Shmowder

Could I request some hcs for Daniil if the reader is afab and taking T shots? If Daniil would help them getting the testosterone and maybe even administering it himself

I’m not sure if that would be possible in the time era of pathologic but also if the reader had bottom growth how would he react to it

Also I really love the way you write everyone especially Daniil cause I just can’t help loving the prickly prick so I’m really happy there’s you making xreader content for us!

Thank you! you're so kind <33 I love writing for you guys, everyone has been surprisingly supportive and such a delight when it came to my x reader content. I was afraid of the backlash when I started posing patho x reader but I'm so happy I did!

-

Both trans Daniil and cis Daniil would be fully supportive of a trans reader - If you meant trans reader. But if it's simply an afab reader taking T shots, then that works too!

Thanatology was still a new science at the time, it was anyone's guess what goes on in that field.

Combating death is a rather broad term for any medical research facility, which is why no one questions Daniil when he keeps requesting monthly orders of hormones, you're going to tell the most infamous doctor in Thanatica "No"?

Good luck if he doesn't chew your head off with his insults first.

While he tends to be a bit prudish, Daniil has shown complete neutrality when it comes to queer people. He doesn't blink twice at Yulia confessing her infatuation of Eva to him. He has known Andrey before in college, who is an open bisexual.

He'd fully support his partner wanting to transition or take hormones.

In the worst case scenario, where he doesn't understand why you want this, it doesn't take much explanation for him to get where you're coming from. He's intellectual first and foremost. Your argument is completely sensible and fair to him.

If anything you'd open cis Daniil's eyes to read more about gender as a construct and research into the subject, while trans Daniil would fully relate and understand you without you having to say much.

People take for granted, looking the way they feel inside. While others have to continuously put in effort in order to reach a point where they're comfortable and happy with their bodies.

His only requirement is that you let him be the one to register the hormone shots to you, especially if you have no experience in the medical field.

He has a rather light hand, don't worry.

Daniil would keep a journal to observe your progress, note down the details in a file he keeps about you.

Act as your personal doctor and entrusted confidant; it's too risky to go to any other doctor about this during this conservative time period.

Your bodily changes, the hair growth, your vocal cords adjusting and thickening. The bottom growth is especially interesting to him, he's genuinely curious and finds the human body ability to adjust and change so beautiful.

This is honestly new grounds for him, even if he is trans, no two experiences are the same and your body could react in ways different than his.

Still, Daniil would try his best to answer your questions and reassure you about any concerns you may have. His medical degree isn't just for show. You'll be safe, he promises.

Your mood shifts are expected, and he isn't surprised when they arrive, alongside your drastic change in libido. Acne and everything that follows after regularly taking testosterone is completely normal. Your body is changing, and the hormone balance is shifting.

Daniil would be there by your side, both as a loving partner and a trusted medical expert.

While you might be a little shy or embarrassed about discussing these topics so openly, Daniil has had much more embarrassing conversations with other patients in his career.

He's jaded to the average person coyness, if anything he'll be the one insisting to check on your progress each week. Measuring your bottom growth, noting any other changes as he examines you over.

Daniil takes notice of how happier you seem these days, how you stare at yourself in the mirror more, how every milestone seems to send you over the moon.

He'd be lying if he said seeing you this happy and confident in your own image didn't make you instantly more attractive to him. The self-assured expression on your face as you look yourself over in the mirror after a shower, clearly enjoying what you see.

The first time he saw you wearing his clothes and filling them out nicely in all the right places, broad shoulders, and a masculine build.

Feeling his heart swell in his chest when you start wearing his cologne while going outside, watching you reestablish yourself and sense of style. Witnessing you coming nicely into your own person after so many years together.

The trips he took you on to act as your fashion advisor when it came to establishing a new wardrobe. Bringing you to his favourite tailor to get measured for a fitted suit.

Like a proud peacock, Daniil flourishes under the attention when you ask him for fashion advice. Puffing his chest and fluffing his feathers as you go through the selection of clothes he picked out from the men's section. How nicely they drape over your body.

And if your taste didn't happen to fall under the masculine umbrella? Daniil has no qualms about whichever style you decide on.

Wear it with pride. That's his advice. Walk with confidence no matter what article of clothing you end up deciding on.

Daniil's been there with you through thick and thin. This experience just reaffirms the strong bond between you two. No matter what happens, what petty arguments or mood clashing you two go through, at the end of the day, you will always find solace and acceptance in one another.

Because he'll come back into the room on his own accord when it's time to administrate the T shots for you, even as he's still giving you the silent treating for calling his new snake-skin shoes ugly.

He's careful, remaining diligent no matter how many times he has done this before. Wiping the area with a disinfecting cotton pad, measuring the content in the needle, and pushing it slightly to get all the air pockets out.

He wasn't lying when he said he has light hands, you barely feel anything but the small prick of the needle tip before it's over.

Feeling his warm body standing so close to your own, you stare at his unbuttoned vest as a way to distract yourself from the sight of the needle going into your skin.

"It's done," Daniil's voice held a soft edge to it, cupping one side of your face with his hand, moving his touch downstairs as he grips your chin, coaxing your head up to meet his eyes.

"You did well."

You realise one thing in that moment. Daniil needed to be the one to personally administrate the hormones to you, not just out of precaution and safety, but for his own comfort of mind.

The complete trust you have in him to keep showing up, to keep putting the effort and never complain or rush it. The deliberate care, the genuine need to be of service to you, to share your burden of responsibility too and not merely be supportive from the sidelines.

Daniil needs to act, he feels the need to be involved in some way to prove how useful he can be. To lessen the weight on your shoulders, to spare you from the mundane chores.

That nothing will push him away or steer him off this path he is determined to walk with you every single step.

Even as the mood shifts and emotional irregulations reach their peak. He might comprehend the scientific explanation behind it but that doesn't change the fact he is still mere human, the two of you are. And his hurt can still be hurt, his ego can still be bruised.

But his resolve will never shatter. That is the one thing he is sure of.

[finniestoncrane]

Your One True Nemesis

Chapter 17: also on AO3 Masterlist Here Arkham!Riddler x Female!Reader, word count: 2.2k would you believe that coflict and tension really stress me out? and yet... request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: angst, arguing, mean things, aggressive kissing

You woke up in your bed to a headache, the reward for the resounding nightmare that was the night before. Back to normal, you supposed. No more escape. No more relief. No more Mark. Just the inescapable and oddly addictive punishment of being openly disliked by Eddie, a man you still admired and desired for some reason. Nothing to do but to take his criticisms, because they were all you had now.

Stepping into the living area, you slumped down onto the sofa, noticing Eddie at the kitchen table once you had rubbed your bleary eyes and were awake enough to take in your surroundings. He looked up at you over his coffee and book, offering no expression or words, and then returned his gaze to his reading. He had nothing to say to you, not yet at least. While he was happy that you had moaned his name, he was still irritated that you’d even let someone else put their filthy hands all over you. Or… not someone else. Just someone.

Cursing himself, he forced the thought to remain before pushing it away. There was no point in lying, he had to be honest with himself now. The evidence was there, and only an idiot could ignore it for much longer. He wasn’t bothered because you allowed just anyone to kiss you, to touch you. You lived with him, and he was clearly the superior stock. Why weren’t you begging him to touch you? Why wouldn’t you let him do that? And why did he want to? But, of course he knew the answer. To all of those questions. It was impossible though, and ridiculous, and he refused to admit it. Which infuriated him all the more. You had him questioning himself, and his intelligence. Unable to listen to his own brain.

Eddie gripped his coffee mug, knuckles white with tension, and glared at you, not realising when you had caught his eye until you questioned him.

“You good?”

You had noticed his stare from the sofa, and it concerned you. There was nothing you could think of that you had done wrong since getting up. Nothing you had done wrong, that he knew of, last night. So the intense, hate-filled stare made you worry more than usual. You weren’t sure you could take his insults this early in the morning. Not yet, anyway. Not while you were still hurting from Mark. Not while your heart was heavy with the realisation that the choice between him and Eddie had been made for you, and that the option you were settling for might not be the right one.

“No. I’m not good. I was having a pleasant breakfast until…”

“Until?”

“Until you interrupted me.”

“Oh my god, it is eight in the morning. I can’t do this so early.”

“Do what? Take criticism? Behave normally?”

You looked into his eyes, maintaining the stoic silence in the face of his jibes, the way he was obviously trying to goad you into an argument.

“Very well. You can apologise later. But by that point I will be fully awake, and so I’m afraid I won’t go as easy on you. I might not even accept your futile attempts at reconciliation. I might instead unleash the full force of my fury. Of course, you could just sit there like a good girl and take your punishment, and then apologise…”

Your whole body tensed, a holy coursing through your veins and up your spine at the words. It was comforting, horrendously so, to know that you still held feelings for him. But you kept still and quiet, much to his dismay.

“Fine. But the likelihood of you running to your room in tears as usual increases exponentially with each minute that goes by where my irritation must remain tethered and without apology. And when I use exponentially, my dear, I use it correctly. Not that you would know.”

Despite the fact that you were still reeling from his comments, you could feel your rage building up. It wasn’t the day for it. You were still wrestling with the difficult residual emotions from last night with Mark. The last thing you needed was for Eddie to give you grief over nothing, and worse than that, to let yourself be dragged down with him.

To Eddie, though, this wasn’t an argument over nothing. He was jealous, and angry because of it. And his inability to accept how he felt, or god forbid tell you about those feelings, meant he had decided there were no other options but to divert that rage for himself at you. Berating you was par for the course, it was what was familiar to him now, and to you. So, unless he wanted you to catch on to him, he had to keep things as normal as possible.

Staring at you, he tutted, opening his mouth to speak. But you interrupted him before he could get a word out.

“Eddie. I’m warning you. This is not the day. This is not the time. If you start something with me, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold myself back.”

Smiling with cruel intrigue, he placed his mug down on the table and tented his fingers in front of him.

“My, my! You’re actually going to attempt to best me? Very well. But know that insulting you is like shooting very stupid fish in a very small barrel.”

“Oh, of course. I imagine it is. You’re very good at making me feel small.”

“I am, aren’t I? My finest work. My masterpiece. Is that what you consider yourself? Do you think under my tutelage that you’ve become brave and clever enough to even attempt to best me?”

Eddie watched as your face fell, eyes wet with the threat of tears. Suddenly, his rage paled in comparison to the sickening empathy he felt for you. Even if he wanted to force the feelings into the back of his mind, there was no denying them. And admittedly, as pleasant as it was to relieve some of the tension he held by letting his anger out, it was only hurting him further. To be the one who made you feel that way, to make you cry. Perhaps he’d pushed you into someone else’s hands. Expertly, of course, but unintentionally.

So, instead of continuing to irritate and berate you, he stood up from the table and walked away. No explanation needed, he felt. He was content to end the conversation with no resolution. Watching him slinking into his office, you felt you should have been grateful for the abrupt end to your abuse, but by that point you had decided that you weren’t going to take it lying down anymore. You were angry. Angry at Eddie, and at Mark, and at yourself. Someone deserved to take the brunt of it. Taking a leaf out of Eddie’s book, you decided he would be the one to take it.

Opening the door quickly after he had just closed it, you stood in front of his desk. He was taken by surprise, suddenly shaken from his thoughts. His rumination over why he couldn’t be nice to you, despite his desperation to do so, was interrupted by your presence. Eddie narrowed his eyes at you, raising an eyebrow in anticipation. He waited patiently for you to speak, scoffing derisively at what you had to say when you finally plucked up the conversation to say it.

“Fuck you, Eddie.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said fuck you.”

“Yes. Well, is that all?”

“No. It’s not.”

He sighed, looking up at you. He was afraid to stop you. This was more than you usually spoke to him, and with more passion than what he was used to. He had been worried he’d broken you. This bout of bravery made his chest tighten, his palms sweating as he watched you steady your breathing before you continued.

“You need to… get a grip. You need to control yourself. I don’t know if you’re stressed or upset, god knows I am. But there are… other ways, better ways of calming yourself down than hurling infantile insults at me. So… shut up. Just. Shut up, or I swear…”

“I see. So you’re going to start a fight with me? Dish it out as good as you get it? I’m not allowed to insult you, but you’re going to threaten to be just as mean back. Does that make sense to you?”

“Yep. If that’s what it takes. I think we can get along. I think there are better ways of clearing the air. But if that’s how you want to play it then… so be it. What’s stopping you now? Let’s go.”

Standing up, Eddie paced slowly around his desk until he was standing in front of you.

“Are you even sure you’re capable of handling that?”

“Not particularly. But I’m willing you let you hurt me if it means I finally find the courage to attempt to hurt you. To tell you exactly how I feel.”

“And… how do you feel?”

There was something about the way he asked, softer than his usual tone. Genuine curiosity behind the words. You wanted to tell him everything, all of the truth. But right now, you wanted to scream at him. Letting him know your anger felt more important in the moment.

“I feel angry. I feel trapped.”

“Hm, trapped in an opportunity? Trapped in… free housing?”

You shook your head, laughing incredulously.

“Trapped with a lunatic! With a giant baby who can’t express his feelings and doesn’t know when enough is enough, despite claiming to know everything!”

Eddie took a step towards you, and you defiantly stood your ground.

“And I suppose for me this is like a pleasant vacation? Or is it more along the lines of me having to adjust my living space and routines to an imbecile who is constantly in my personal space and is incapable of doing the job she was hired to do?”

“Maybe it’s impossible to meet your ridiculous standards? Did you ever think that? Maybe that’s why no one can tolerate you, and no one has ever been able to? No friends. No family. No one. I was willing to… I could have been… just… But no! Because you-”

Eddie could feel the words that got stuck in your throat, the things you left unsaid revealing more to him. He could piece it together. That you cared. Or you had at one point. And it was unknown to him if it was too late to claw back some of the early admiration you had displayed. He wouldn’t be much of a curious man if he didn’t at least attempt to find the definitive answer though.

Stepping closer now, his nose practically against yours, his breath hissed. Spit frothed behind his gritted teeth as he tried to figure out what he was doing, or what he was going to do. You waited with bated breath for his final blow. He opened his mouth, lips curling, trembling almost. The words were right there, but they weren’t coming.

Instead of speaking, he brought his mouth to yours, his fingers gripping at your forearms, drifting to your back, his arms wrapped around you. He was holding you, no strong emotion you could place, as though there were a hundred attached, keeping you in place. He was vamping, trying to distract you maybe? As though he were unsure what to do or say.

You gasped, placing your hands against his chest. You had assumed you were going to push him away, but you found yourself gripping at his shirt, holding him to you. You made the mistake of letting loose a soft moan, almost imperceptible. Eddie suddenly pulled back, staring at you with wide and terrified eyes. He really didn’t know what to say or do. And neither did you. You just stared back at him, mouth slightly open. It was too much, far too much to take in. Eventually, Eddie found it in him to speak.

“I didn’t mean that.”

He was enraged. Those weren’t the words he wanted to say. But they were the first ones his brain managed to force out.

“Of course not.”

You turned, walking away from him. In a daze, you made your way to the work room with every intention of starting your day normally now. You hoped you might be able to pretend like nothing had happened before now. That you hadn’t kissed Eddie, that neither of you had held the other against them as though you never wanted them to let go. Because the concept of that, of what had just transpired between you… It was out of your intellectual grasp, as Eddie might have said. Walking away seemed like the safest option. You should have done that in the first place. When he tried to argue with you in the living area. When you’d first stepped foot into the sewers. When you had met him face to face. You should have walked away.

[floatinginzerogravity]

Murder Drones episode 6 Analysis

The final Analysis before episode 7

Text: [Office Organizer] [Interweb explorer] [... Drone]

Text: [I❤️ late stage capitalism] [Work > personal life] [Sheep need vacations from their vacations; Wolves need jobs from their jobs]

Fun fact: her locker (029) is right next to Yeva's in the Final Destination trailer

Tessa trying to pick up N like she used to

Tessa complaining about the air being toxic is 1 point towards her being human

HA-! This might actually be the first time Uzi's actually bitten someone

Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, J How *did* Tessa get her hands on a J clone, anyway? I'd say this is a point towards solver-possessed Tessa theory

I love they're banter

If you've read my episode 3 analysis, then you'd know my personal belief on this matter is the solver was killing as many drones as possible in an attempt to create more solver-infected zombie drones

I see your just as derogatory as usual, J I think this is the first time J has openly insulted N in front of Tessa, though

Why does Doll give Tessa the Keybug, only to immediately steal it back? Was it something in their conversation? Is Doll with the solver and doesn't want them to continue investigating? Is she trying to bait them? Is this simply a "last minute, changed my mind" type thing? Because V is here? .... Probably the last one tbh

-stumble

-u good?

-Shut up!

-to create more zombie drones Maybe there's a mechanism to infect dead drones with the solver, and they're stockpiling as many as possible?

On the "Tessa is possessed by the solver/Cyn" theory, she seems to think of Cyn and the Solver as the same entity, not to mention that at this point, Cyn is probably against the solver, at least somewhat. This could be a bluff, but it would be an odd thing to specify if it was.

J's disappointed and confused at being left behind. As much as I love J and Tessa's relationship, I do find this an issue that needs to be addressed.

"My crazed ramblings!" energy

Good question, Uzi

She just wants to know what's happening

Doll was probably working with Tessa in the first place for answers, just like Uzi, but something made her defect. While it could've been V's presence, it's still an open question Tessa's probably planning to eliminate Doll as well. Maybe she found out about that plan, somehow, and that's why she turned on Tessa?

The way Uzi swooped around a lot on her way down, and how she lands <3 Tessa, stop playing with N's hair, that's weird

Uzi's tail go chomp on N's hat

[rjmartin11]

I'm Aaron

Chapter Seven

Pairing: Elvis & female!reader

Summary: You're a workaholic who decides to take a private mini vacation in Las Vegas. While there, you stumble into and befriend a handsome stranger at a bar. This handsome stranger is more than meets the eye. He wants to show you a great time... privately. It's an experience that you've never had before. You soon realize that you're in over your head, and your heart is falling fast.

Word Count: 3.7K

Warnings: Meeting new people, slite bullying, teasing, past history, storytelling, historical fiction, reader just jealous, fluff, smut, cussing, oral exam (m. receiving & f. receiving)

Author's Notes: Greetings and welcome to Chapter Seven! If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking around. If you love this chapter, like and follow. I love all interactions. Kind comments are appreciated! Let's roll! 😁

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You and Jerry walk out of the elevator heading into the lounge. You hate awkward silence, so you strike up a conversation.

"So I'm meeting the wives. Am I meeting your wife, Jerry?"

"Yeah, she'll be there."

"What's her name?"

"Mrs. Schilling." He gives you a serious look, and you freeze. "I'm kidding, Y/N! I'm just kidding! Her name is Lucy." You both laugh yourselves into the lounge. His joke really relieved the tension you felt. There was a weight on your shoulders that's been lifted.

You arrive at the booth that the Mafia wives were assigned. The ladies arrive at the booth the same moment as you. Jerry is kind enough to introduce you. You all sit down and get more acquainted with the ladies around you. The two that seem to speak the most are Joann (Joe's wife) and Pam (Red's wife).

"So, Y/N, where are you from?" Pam asks you, taking a sip from her cocktail.

"I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia, but I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida."

"You live and work in Atlanta?"

"Yes, I do."

"What brings you to Vegas?" You try to speak, but Pan interjected. "Well, isn't it obvious? For Elvis, of course. Like every other woman she wants to be next."

"Pam! Stop teasing." Joann openly rebukes her.

"Actually, I'm just on vacation. I needed a break from work. From life." You answer the question.

"Where do you work?"

"I'm a clerk at a law firm. I've been with them for almost seven years. Without a break. It was time for a vacation."

"Oh, Joann. Ladies, she's smarter than the lost two girls. I declare." Pam says, getting the table in an uproar.

"I beg your pardon. The lost two girls?" You ask, feeling quite insulted.

"You know, doll. The last two girls apart of Elvis' harem. You're the next concubine."

Pam says this, and the ladies laugh again. You flash back to high school when you were tormented by those bitchy girls. You take a deep breath and say, "And you were overlooked for his affections. That's why you settled to be a Mafia wife."

Your words come out clearly and keenly, and the whole table is silenced. You excuse yourself and head to the lounge bar for a drink. You order a daiquiri and take a breath. You never thought that it would come to this. Why were they so mean?

"Don't let them bother you, hun. Their bark is worse than their bite." A young woman says, sipping her martini.

You look over at her. She's a beauty and somehow has the confidence to match it. "Don't let who bother me?"

"The Mafia wives. Some of them aren't even wives. A few are girlfriends in high hopes of getting that ring one day. Please, don't take what they say to heart."

"I feel like I was back in school again being bullied."

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I'm sure that's not what Elvis had intended. Come sit with me at my booth."

She knows your name? How is that? Who is she? You walk with her to the booth. Not too far from the stage.

"I'm sorry, miss. How do you know my name?" You say sitting down in the booth.

"I'm Jerry's wife..."

"Lucy!" You both say together. She extends her hand to you to shake.

"I apologize, Y/N. I should have introduced myself first. I probably frightened you."

"I'm fine. Really. It's nice to meet you, Lucy. How did you know who I was?"

"Jerry's description of you was spot on."

"How long have you and Jerry been married?" You ask as you sip your daiquiri.

"We've been married for two years, but we've known each other for three. What did the girls say to you that got you riled up?"

"Something along the lines of being the next girl in Elvis' harem. Something like that. I practically said she was mad because he didn't choose her."

Lucy started to laugh. "Good for you, Y/N. You're smart and funny. I see why E.P. likes you."

"You really think so?" You say eagerly.

"He doesn't really invite girlfriends over to meet the wives that often, so I know he's serious about you. Which is hard considering..." she pauses.

"Considering what, Lucy?"

"Pam was rude. What she told you was out of line. The way she said it was unkind and unnecessary, but there's some truth behind it."

You really care about Elvis, but hearing that the cruel words that were said to you hurt. You were afraid to ask Lucy to go into detail and to tell you everything she knew, but curiosity gets the better of you.

"Lucy, what do you know?"

"Y/N, if I tell you, you can't say a word to anyone. Several people know most of this, but not all details and such. You can't take it to heart or become angry. It was a different time, and Elvis was a different man. I believe he's grown some, but a tiger never changes his stripes. This is off the record. Between friends."

You're nervous to hear, but you need to know. You give her your pinky finger in trust. "I promise." She takes your pinky finger and binds it with hers.

"So, you know Elvis has never been married."

You answer Lucy with a nod. It begins some joy to you because maybe he was waiting on the one like you. You listen as Lucy continues.

"Never been married but has been engaged several times over the years. Why is that? Is it him or the girls he chose? Y/N to simply put it, it's Elvis. He's a womanizer. I believe he believes that being a womanizer, he'll find his idea of the perfect woman. He finds great women, but he cheats on them all the same. Jerry told me about his first fianceè back before he stuck his first gold record. Dixie, I think. He was getting a lot of attention from everyone. Girls screaming and throwing themselves at him, you know?"

You didn't know, but you continued to listen.

"Jerry believes he was lonely and seeked companionship from women. Can you believe a man as handsome as he wasn't popular in high school? Dixie knew, though, and other girls started to notice, too. Dixie let him go and moved on with her. The next year, there was some girl from Mississippi he met playing in a bar. Supposedly, they fell in love in one night. She disappeared for an entire year and popped back into his life, and they got engaged in the summer of 56'." Lucy takes a breath and sips her drink again.

"What happened?" You asked, wanting her to finish the story.

"What do you think? His infidelity and lies caught up with him. She got engaged to another man the following year. I wish I could remember her name. Something like a month. May. April. June. Then what does it matter? She wised up and left. Anita went the distance for him, though. Moved into Graceland. Got the ring and everything. She stayed by his side when his mama passed. He went into the Army, and she stayed in Memphis, keeping the bed warm. What happened? Still unfaithful. He wrote her every week and still was unfaithful. He cheated on her with a minor. Anita found out because she overheard Elvis talking to his father, Vernon. She left him that day." Lucy grows silent, sipping her drink and shaking her head in shame.

"Lucy, what happened to the young girl from Germany?" You ask.

"Visited E.P. once I know for sure. They were engaged, but..."

"But what?"

"He cheated on her with actress Ann Margaret. Ann and E.P. were inseparable. They did a film here in town called Viva Las Vegas. Their passion popped off the screen. Those two separated as friends, and he tried to work it out with the other girl. Like the rest, she wised up and left with her sanity. He never got back with Ann. She married another guy, too. Life goes on."

There's a part of you that is fuming. Elvis seems to have left a trail of broken hearts in his wake. This is part of what scared you away the other night. Is he really looking for love or a good time? You understood why he was lonely now. Next to losing his mother, he couldn't fulfill that need of another.

You sigh. You pinky promised Lucy you wouldn't say anything, get angry, or take it to heart, but you can't help it. This streak of jealousy rolls through you. All those beautiful women he's been with. You just lost your virginity Friday night! It makes sense why he's so good. He's had practice.

"Y/N, I didn't tell you this to worry you. I told you this to warn you. You can't just give your heart away too quickly. Like I said, he's grown. He doesn't do that anymore. I think he's looking for the one."

"The one? Who's to say who she may be?"

"Well, you're here now. He doesn't introduce girlfriends like that."

These words bring you some comfort, and you smile to yourself. As the lights go down and the orchestra begins. You sit back and get comfortable in your seat as your lover makes his way on stage.

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Elvis is pure perfection. He gets better with each show! You see the nervousness within him, but with each song and each joke, he shines like a star. Brighter even.

As he sings the last song, Jerry comes by the tables and escorts you and the Mafia wives backstage. You find it safer to stick with Lucy as she isn't condescending. Joann isn't so bad, but she sticks with Pam, trying to keep her on her best behavior.

Penny (Lamar's girlfriend) came by to apologize for laughing at what Pam said to you. She mentioned that she laughed harder at what you said about Elvis not showing interest in Pam. It seems you made two friends tonight, but you keep your eyes on Penny. Not too sure if she's spying or not. You remain kind, and the three of you bond over cocktails.

Before long, Jerry and Lamar come to take you and the ladies to the penthouse for the after-party. As the ladies crowd off the elevator to the door, Lucy pulls you a side.

"Y/N, I wanted to tell you something before going in."

"What is it, Lucy?"

"Just another warning. At these parties, the guys invite girls they believe are Elvis' type. They're usually all over him."

You close your eyes and breathe deeply. Trying to not allow her words to bother you. After all, it's just a warning. She's not trying to get under your skin.

"I can handle it. It's okay." You tell her, opening your eyes.

You two enter the crowded room and start scanning the area. You see a lot of people. Lucy spots a few famous faces in the crowd, but none of them are familiar to you. Everyone drinks, snacks, and chats as they wait for Elvis to make his grand appearance.

You and Lucy each grab a cocktail and find a corner to chat in. It doesn't take too long, and Penny finds the two of you, and you all strike up a conversation amongst yourselves.

All of a sudden, you begin to hear a commotion enter the room. Greetings and hellos fill the air. There's an awe that takes over the entire space, and you know Elvis has entered the room. You try to stand on your tiptoes to look over the crowd just to get a glimpse of him.

You see him make his way around the room. A smile dons his ethereal face. As he gets closer to you, you become short of breath. How does he manage to take your breath away in a room full of people? He's dressed to the T as always. Elvis wears a brown suit with a turquoise belt. The best part is he doesn't have a shirt under his suit jacket. You silently applaud his outfit choice. You want to trail your hands up and down his chest, but it can wait.

Elvis makes his way to your corner. He gives you a hug and kisses your forehead.

"You were amazing tonight, love." You whisper to Elvis, inhaling his scent.

"Thank you, baby. Remember, no running away tonight." He says, looking you in the eyes.

"No running. I promise."

Elvis gives you a wink and slips away, continuing his way around the room, greeting people. You look on as he strikes up conversations with everyone around you. He's so charismatic and alluring. How could anyone stay away?

Even though it was almost three in the morning, you would wait for him. You just wanted to be in his arms. You wouldn't deny him anything if he wanted it from you because you wanted it too.

You, Lucy, and Penny continue getting acquainted with one another. They share what it's like being the ladies of the Memphis Mafia. Late night parties at Graceland, expensive trips around the country, and such.

"We never know what time we're going to bed. I usually go without Jerry, and he finds me eventually. It's different when we're home." Lucy says.

The conversation kind of gives you a deeper dive into Elvis' mind. You knew he was a night owl. It would explain your late night visits. You're a bit of a night owl, too, but you worry if you can keep up with Elvis.

You hear some giggling and turn your head. Elvis has made himself comfortable in the company of a few ladies. There's a ladies on both sides of him and one on his lap. This makes your blood grow cold. You've never been the jealous type, although you've never had feelings this deeply to be jealous of anyone. There were times you found yourself jealous of your friends, but you replaced it with love and care. You'd pray on it and be happy for them, but this was different.

You turn back to Lucy and finish your drink. "Y/N, relax. I told you this is something that he does."

"Honesty, Y/N. It's not a big deal." Penny says.

"Penny, would it be a big deal if it were Lamar sitting there?" You say to Penny. She considers what you say and grows quiet. "I don't have to stand for this. I can..." You close your eyes remembering the promise you made to him about not running away.

"You can what?" Lucy asks.

"I could leave, but I promised him I'd stay. How can I stay and watch this display?" You say, looking back at him.

"You don't have to at all." Lucy says.

You take a few deep breaths, trying your damnest to hold back your tears. You decide it's time for another drink. As you grab your drink, you consider your options on your next move. You promised him that you wouldn't leave, but you don't know how you can stay.

You decide on something dramatic. You separate from Lucy and Penny and find a seat close to Elvis and the women that surround him. You sip on your drink and look him directly in the eye. You're quiet. Deadly quiet. You're so quiet that it gets the attention of the women around you who have their hands on Elvis.

"What? Does she want a turn with the king? If so, he's unavailable." The blonde on top of his lap says, kissing his face.

You cut your eyes at her, then look at your drink cup. Considering options again. "You know, I don't consider myself a jealous woman, Elvis Aaron. I can't say I'm not pissed at this moment. They are quite beautiful, but you promised your night to me. So, you can either tell them to move or I'll scream." You tell him finishing off your cocktail and glancing at him.

"What?" Elvis says a bit surprised at your actions.

"Make them move now, or I'll scream."

"Move! Leave!" Elvis orders. The ladies flock away from him and give you angry looks as if you care. It's just the two of you now. You move from your spot on the sofa and sit on his lap. You circle your arms around his neck and look deeply into his eyes. You see that they are blown stormy black. You question if it's anger or lust.

"Thank you. If you didn't get rid of them, you wouldn't get your present."

"Present?"

"Something from me to you. I have no doubt that you've received this gift from others, but I want to give it to you anyway."

"I do love presents. What is it?"

You bring your lips really close to his lips and say, "Meet in the bedroom as soon as you get rid of everyone." You lick his lips, scoot off his lap, and head to the bedroom.

What has come over you? You feel like you can breathe again. Everything happened so fast that you barely remember what took place. When did you become so possessive? Elvis doesn't leave you waiting long. You have enough time to take off your shoes and sit upon his bed. He rushes into the room and finds you sitting on the bed.

There's a pause in between the two of you as he observes you. You innocently bite the middle of your index finger and spread your legs open for him. He comes to you, grabbing your face between hands and plants a kiss on your lips. He lays you gently against the bed, and you moan in his mouth. You slip your hands under his jacket to his bare chest.

Elvis stops and looks you, lightly placing a curl behind. "Where's my present?"

"How could we forget your present?" You smile at him and roll over on top of him. You unbutton his one button on his jacket, revealing his chest. "Elvis, I must admit I love your wardrobe choice for this evening." You place soft kisses down his chest until you are on your knees in front of him.

In shock, Elvis sits up. You slowly pull at his turquoise belt, and he stops you. "Y/N, baby..."

"This is your present from me."

"Y/N, you don't..." You place your finger to his lips.

"I want to. I want to return your kindness. True, I-I-I don't know what I'm doing, but you can teach me. I want to please you just as much as you please me."

Elvis looks at you and lightly strokes the back of his fingers against your cheek. "Baby, are you sure?"

"Yes." You speak so quickly, and clearly, it nearly makes his head spin. He nods his head and unbuckles his pants, revealing himself to you. You help him remove his pants and jacket completely.

You stroke his hardened cock, already dripping with precum. You stick your tongue out and taste the tip of him. Warm and salty. You swirl your tongue around his, diving into his foreskin, and place your lips around him. Making out with his dick in the same manner you kiss his lips.

Elvis moans deeply, and you look at him. He rolls his eyes in the back of his head and pants. You know you're doing something right. You pop his head out of your mouth, and he breathes loudly.

"You like that?" You ask him, so eager to please him.

He opens his eyes to look at you and nods. "You're so willing and able to please me, baby. I thought you never did this before?"

"I swear, you're my first everything."

"Everything, baby? Nobody else?"

"No one else. Just you."

"Do it again, Y/N. Please." He asks.

You repeat the same motion you did the first time. Practically French kissing his dick and swirling your tongue in and out of his foreskin. Taking him in inch by inch each time. Moaning more with every inch you take in your mouth. You this until finally you are stroking him inside your mouth.

"Fuck, baby. My talented girl so willing to please me. You like this cock in your mouth, baby? Huh?" You moan in response as you suckle him. You pop him off one last time, and as you lick his head to suck again he cums into your mouth. His cum dribbles on your chin and lips, you hold what's left in your mouth.

Elvis gasps for air, and looks at you partially covered with his cum. You swallow in response to his look at you. He grabs your face and licks the cum off your chin, trailing his way to your mouth. He kisses you so passionately that you nearly lose your balance, and he catches you.

"Y/N, are you okay?"

"You took my breath away." You tell him as you place your hands on his shoulders. "Did I do good? Did you like it?"

"Like it? Baby, that was the best present I've ever gotten. Thank you." He says, this placing kisses around your face and neck. He stands you up to examine your body and your little black dress.

"Y/N, did I tell you that black is one of my favorite colors?"

"You did. Along with your other favorite color." He lays you down on the bed once more, discovering your panties are pink lace, and he loses it.

"I fucking love pink!" Elvis says. This time, he uses his teeth to remove your panties.

You giggle as he bites them off and slides them off your legs. Elvis slides his hands up your legs and thighs. You set yourself up on your arms as he plays with you. He opens you up and crawls to your core, licking a long, agonizingly slow strip from your pussy to your bud. You close your eyes, moaning loudly in pleasure.

"What was that out there?"

You open your your eyes and pant.

"W-W-what? What was what?"

He slowly sticks two of his long fingers inside of your entrance, spreading some of your wetness to your cunt. This makes you tremble.

"What was you jealous bout? You were gonna scream. You only scream for me. You don't make a scene. Understand?"

"Oh. Oh." He says this as he strokes your swollen bud.

"Answer me, Y/N. Who do you scream for?"

"Y-You. Awe. Just. You."

"Damn right, baby. I'm gonna teach you how to scream tonight." Elvis says, bringing his tongue back to your cunt.

Taglist: @missmaywemeetagain @beeandheroddobsessions @headfullofpresley @everythingpresley @epforeverohyes @plasticfantasticl0ver @pianginferno @powerofelvis @ab4eva @foreverdolly @searchingforgravity @thatbanditqueen @daffieapple @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @epsgirl @fallinlovewithurlove @literally-just-elvis-fics

[ramonag-if]

First off great chapter; everyone clearly has a lot to say about it, especially with the discovery of Salrya. I was pretty suspicious of her disappearance in MC's life and was guessing she was alive somewhere. But I very much did not expect to discovery of her living status would come along with a family; it was kinda like being prepared for a punch, only to get roundhouse kicked almost immediately after. 😂 It'll be interesting to hear what Salrya's side of the story is on the matter and what Ahlf himself may have known about the situation (I have doubts he knew nothing

As for my MC, I think there was a lot they could have forgiven, if they were given the space and time to sort out their thoughts and feelings. Her absence in most of their life? It was dangerous time and them discovering the fact Erlan was fully aware of their existence would have made them extra surprise if she had managed to come back for them, as far as they saw it. Her having a new family? That one stung and would have needed more time to accept, but they could have came to terms that she had her own life to live, as long as she offered the same consideration in turn.

However, that's the key point: they need some space and time to process that their mother isn't offering right now. Salyra, in her haste to reunite with her child not just physically but in a familial way, is disregarding the space they need and is quickly trying to start where things were left off many years ago, making my MC react more and more negatively to her to the point they are resorting to being openly hostile to get the point across. They feel insulted that she seems to be trying to act like time hasn't changed anything, when it feels so clear that so much has changed. They do not enjoy her being overly familiar with them while they feel she doesn't know them any better than they know her anymore. They do not want to be frustrated with Rana since she's just a kid caught in the middle (something that would make them wonder if these conflicted emotions are similar to what Ahlf went through when their mother thrusted them into his care), but they don't like how Salrya is pushing these new people at them, as though they can accept them any faster than they can accept the High Priestess.

Salyra is attempting to move faster than this MC is comfortable with, all without really sitting down to discuss and air out the dirty laundry, which is making not the best impression on them. At best, it is hindering the pace of rekindling a familial bond; at worse, it is damaging the bond itself and if Salyra keeps being pushy with how she wants things without considering what the MC own desires and not acknowledging how the changes, she'll run the risk of completely losing her child.

Thank you for your support! I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter 🌼😊

Chapter 6 will definitely answer some of these burning questions so prepare for more angsty scenes and antagonistic responses 😅

Salyra has a tendency of wanting to do things at her pace which doesn't necessarily suit everyone else 😬

You are definitely going to get more insight on Salyra's reasons in chapter 6, though I can't say that she's shining in the best light either from what I've written so far 👀

[weepingpeachdragon]

Ao3 Commenting Etiquette — Overkill

I have been on Ao3 for a while, but so far have apparently only found works to read by searching ship tags. How do I know? Well. Having read all ship fanfics out there, I started to read stories tagged gen, and got a rude awakening.

I posted a comment about how much I enjoyed it and wrote what my current head canon was (I was shipping two characters in the story). It was a completed work and I wasn’t trying to influence the author or ask them to write it like that. Just what I was imagining, a personal head canon.

Almost immediately I got a reply that it was rude to ship in stories marked gen. I was horrified. I had been rude without even knowing! I quickly apologized and said I hadn’t know. And that I wouldn’t do it again. Of course I won’t, I hate conflict.

That doesn’t stop me from now saying— It’s stupid!

So stupid. I don’t get the logic behind it. I guess it would make sense if a work is tagged with another ship, as it could be a rival ship. But gen? Seriously?

This persons logic was that they wrote them with people from their real life in mind, so it made them uncomfortable when people shipped them. Fine. Okay. I get it to a sense. But is that really something the author has a right to dictate? If you write characters that normally are shipped, scratch that, if you write characters period, do you really have the right to stop people from shipping them just because that was not what you intended?

When you write original works, you certainly don’t— The public strongly adheres to the “Death of the Author” concept, it’s the reason we have fanfiction in the first place.

You might say it’s not the same, on ao3 the author gets a notice each time someone comments, they will see the comments. In fact, that was the strongest argument I have found. Yes. I’m a nervous wreck so of course I went and googled and read up on all ao3 etiquette after what happened. It’s compulsive. But anyway. The counter point is. At that point, is it even a comment section anymore? Is it not just an author’s public dm:s? The one who made that argument also said that asking for similar fics at the end or answering such a comment was rude. Because the author who got a notification was expecting praise, not conversation… You see how crazy that is? Right?

I would love if someone liked my work enough that they needed more of it and asked for recs. The more I read about the so called “etiquette” the more it felt like simply pleasing the author and walking on egg shells around them. At no point does it take into account the community. Or question what a healthy comment section is.

I have a few small works on ao3, but a large following on wattpad. And the comments on wattpad are amazing. As an author there I also get a notification every time someone comments, and I never get disappointed. It’s a joy to see people interacting. They start talking about what it reminds them of and it turns into a conversation about different mangas and recs. A mother in law meets son in law (have no idea if real or nicknames) and start catching up. Someone comments in their language and another person from the same country notices and comments on theirs, which starts a new friendship. There are recs, culture exchanges, friendships being built. Shippers finding each other and shipping together / exchanging head canons and speculations. It peaceful and full of life. It the fandom.

Over five years, and I have only had one time that someone was actively rude and openly insulted my updating speed. One. And I’m not talking about “please please please” <— Another that’s supposedly rude. (I just find it cute how much they like it and how desperate they are)

So, for someone coming from wattpad, from that community, ao3 etiquette is insane. And, from the comments on the discussion about said etiquette, it only seems to spark fear and anxiety, and kills any desires to comment. It’s simply not how you create a thriving comment section.

Etiquette must be simple, especially when there is no one to teach you. It needs to be basic, and honestly, I think it can be reduced to three:

1: Don’t insult the author.

2: Don’t pick fights.

3: Read the author’s notes for further instructions.

If there is something I have learned from reading all the etiquette rules and comments, it is that, ultimately, what one author likes another hates. There almost no way to know before you comment.

Therefore, if the author wants other specific rules, I think the most effective method would be for them to state them in their author notes. After all, readers are readers, not mind readers you know.

[mrzeecon]

Am I Relatable?

A couple of days ago, one of my friends told me something that has been echoing in my mind ever since. It wasn’t an insult, but it wasn’t exactly a compliment either. He said, “You’re not relatable. The stuff you post online just doesn’t speak to me.”

At first, I brushed it off. But like all comments that hit close to home, it gnawed at me slowly. Am I really not relatable? I started to question myself. I’ve always shared my thoughts openly, especially about my personal struggles, the demons I battle day in and day out. I post about feeling more lost as I grow older, about how I often feel like I’m floating through life without a clear direction. I talk about the unease that comes with age—the pressure to have it all figured out, the nagging feeling that time is slipping away while I’m still grasping for answers.

So how could I not be relatable? Surely, I can’t be the only one going through this, right?

When I started posting, I wasn’t doing it for validation. I wasn’t aiming for likes, shares, or followers. It was my outlet, a way to sort through the mental chaos. My content was raw, unfiltered. There was no grand strategy behind it. I wasn’t trying to sell a lifestyle or push an agenda. It was just me, throwing my thoughts out into the void of the internet, hoping maybe someone out there would understand.

What came as a shock was that people did understand. Slowly but surely, I started to gain followers. I remember the first time I noticed the number ticking up. Ten followers, twenty, then a hundred. That feeling of being lost that I had assumed was mine alone? It turns out that it resonated with a lot of people. People who, like me, feel the weight of the world pressing down on their shoulders. People who wake up every day with the same question I ask myself—Am I doing enough? Am I where I’m supposed to be?

Before I knew it, my little corner of the internet grew. What started with zero followers has now grown to over 4,000 and counting. Each new follower, each new comment, makes me pause. Who are these people who choose to follow me? Why do they listen to what I have to say? After all, I’m just another person fumbling through life, trying to make sense of things as I go. And then it hit me: they follow me because they see themselves in my words. They’re not looking for a guru with all the answers. They’re not expecting me to have it all figured out. They’re here because, like me, they’re searching. They’re fighting their own battles, and they find comfort in knowing that they’re not alone.

I think we all get caught up in the idea that being “relatable” means you have to be universally understood, that your story needs to resonate with everyone. But the truth is, not everyone will relate to me—and that’s okay. Because the people who do? They’re the ones who matter. The ones who read my posts and feel like they’re reading a page from their own life. They’re the ones who remind me why I started this journey in the first place.

My friend might not find my content relatable, and maybe that’s because his journey is different from mine. Maybe he’s in a different headspace, walking a different path. But that doesn’t mean I’m not relatable to someone else. It doesn’t mean that my story doesn’t matter.

The people who follow me—my 4,000 and growing—they are my people. They are the ones who get it. They are the ones who are on this same journey with me, fighting the same devils, questioning the same things. We’re in this together.

What started as a personal outlet has transformed into something much bigger. Every time I share a post about feeling lost, about struggling to find direction, someone out there connects with it. Someone reads those words and feels a little less alone. I think that’s what makes this so special. It’s not just about me anymore. It’s about all of us—the ones who feel like they don’t have it figured out, the ones who wrestle with doubt, the ones who fight every day just to keep going.

Together, we form a community. A network of souls who, despite feeling like we’re walking separate paths, are all heading in the same direction. We’re all searching for meaning, for purpose, for something to hold onto in this chaotic, unpredictable life.

The more I reflect on this, the more I realize that being “relatable” isn’t about fitting into a mold or appealing to the masses. It’s about authenticity. It’s about being real. It’s about sharing your truth, no matter how messy or uncertain it may be, and trusting that somewhere out there, someone will hear it and say, “Me too.”

This is the story of Mr. Zeecon. It’s the story of how I went from zero followers to over 4,000 by simply being myself, by sharing the darkest parts of my mind and the uncertainties of my life. It’s a story that’s still unfolding, and it’s not just my story anymore—it’s our story. It belongs to every person who’s followed me, who’s read my posts, who’s found a piece of themselves in my words.

And as long as we have each other, we’ll keep going. We’ll keep sharing, keep growing, and keep pushing forward. The demons we face may be strong, but together, we’re stronger. This is Mr. Zeecon, not just in the making of a great story, but in the making of a shared journey—a journey that’s only just beginning.

To my 4,000 and counting: Thank you for being here. Thank you for seeing me, for understanding me, and for reminding me that even in my darkest moments, I am not alone. We are not alone.

We will continue to grow, we will continue to fight, and together, we will conquer whatever demons come our way. This is our story. Let’s make it great.

[leantailean]

Hello, longing-for-rain! I was the anon who asked you a question. I followed your blog because I liked your art, you're a good artist. But your words about toxic musculinity surprised me so much that I decided to ask a question, because, honestly, for all the time that I had been reading bad takes about Aang it was the first time when I heard about his toxic musculinity. Since you were so kind as to answer me, I think it's right to answer too, and now under my real name.

«How much more “toxically masculine” can you get than that?»

As someone who has had a similar experience: no, Aang's kiss is not an example of toxic musculinity. It was a stupid, immature act of a child who did not understand at the time that he could harm Katara with this. Don't forget: Katara and Aang had already kissed twice before, and one of these kisses was initiated by Katara (not to mention the fact that a very deep personal connection had already been established between them by this point, they literally saved each other from death). Aang does this not because he considered Katara his property, but because he thought that this line between them had already been passed and Katara would not mind it. That he would "fix everything." Are you really saying that if Aang had deliberately assumed that it would offend Katara, he would still have kissed her because "she is his property"?

Or are you really going to compare this kiss with a behavior of adult men who harass women, humiliate them and force them to have sex because "I'm a man, and a woman is obliged to give me everything I want"? The men who understand that they are causing harm, and still do it repeatedly? Who frankly say "it doesn't matter what she wants, she doesn't have the right to say no" (literal quote)?

But don't worry, unlike you who justifies Zuko's openly racist shit and putting the word racism in quotation marks, I'm not going to say that Aang was right. No, he did wrong, stupid and short-sighted, and Katara had every right not to forgive him for this and stop their relationship.

Immediately after that, we see how Aang realizes his mistake and scolds himself for it. It is also important that the kiss in the show final was initiated by Katara. Aang stepped back, and let Katara decide whether there would be a relationship between them or not. He learned his lesson.

And while we're on the subject. Do you know what a real example of toxic masculinity is?

Here is a real example of toxic masculinity, when a man openly uses physical and emotional violence and insults, because he considers his girlfriend  his property who is not allowed to talk to other men or not to show proper admiration for him. And then brazenly initiate physical contact, ignoring her legitimate annoyance of him.

And yes, May also forgave Zuko for this, although she had every right to break up with him, just as Katara forgave Aang (although what Aang did was not as disgusting as Zuko's behavior).

«I also find it very interesting that you describe Katara and Sokka as “children” while Zuko is omitted from that list despite being the same age. Are you admitting you agree he’s more mature, or are you admitting that you hold him to different standards?»

Because lots of what zuko did go beyond just “child mistakes”  I was talking about

Tie up a girl to a tree, leverage on her using her late mother’s neckless, hiring a killer to kill 12 yo kid, all of these too much to be called just a childish mistake, and these go beyond whatever mistakes Aang, Toph, Katara or Sokka did.

«In context, Aang is the one trying to force his beliefs on others»

It is not true. Aang literally said:

 And do you know what Katara answers?

Katara is Aang's friend, and he had every right to express his opinion on this. He worries about her and does not want her to get hurt, so that she, driven by pain, causes herself harm that she couldn’t fix. There is a clear parallel to this scene:

When Aang, having lost Appa, who is not just a pet, but his friend, the last thing he has left of his destroyed culture, driven by pain fell into a legitimate rage - Katara was the one who comforted him because she cared and she did not want him to harm himself or others. When Katara falls into rage, her brother and her friend are the one who are worried about her.

And, you know, the advice "don't kill a person, it will hurt you" is not the philosophy of air nomads. This is literally the only correct advice in this situation. You very conveniently ignore Sokka, who is not an air nomad and certainly never was a pacifist, but gives Katara the same advice. Katara did not deserve that the man who took her mother and childhood away from her, also took away from her the remnants of her innocence and peace of mind with his death.

Aang would be a shitty friend if he just didn’t do anything.

Even if Aang and Sokka were wrong (and they were right, even Zuko admits at the end of the episode), they had right to express their doubts, because Katara is their friend and sister. They, you know, have more rights to express their opinion than the person who in the past pursued her, caused physical harm, betrayed her once, caused the death of her best friend and then never expressed any remorse for it. Zuko literally never (either before his redemption or after) remembered the girl who showed him compassion and tried to help, and who he stabbed in the back an hour later. And ok, even if Aang’s opinion WAS air nomad philosophy, so what? He can’t say his opinion? He has to shut up and watch how his friend going into a danger? It’s not a friendship if friends are afraid to tell each other what they think. And in the end Aang didn’t stop katara and says he can’t stop her and watch her flying away. She took Appa, HIS Appa for this mission, He had all the right forbid her to do so and yet he didn’t.

 «This point is particularly interesting to me, because it implies that the simple fact that Zuko doesn’t agree with the philosophy of Aang’s culture makes him racist.»

Oh my God, really? Don't pretend that Zuko said "Aang, I think you're wrong."

Here's what he actually says:

He literally mocks  Aang’s culture - and he at least twice owes Aang his life. He makes fun of air nonads’ philsophy of forgiveness, although the only reason why Zuko is here at all now, talking to them is the forgiveness of Aang, who had every right not to give it. This is said by Zuko, who is literally the great-grandson of the man who organized the genocide of the Aang people, who wiped off the face of the earth all his culture and all his people - those very preschool institutions of the temples of the air - and who himself recently actively participated in the genocide and war of this very great-grandfather - and says this literally to the victim of this very genocide, a child who found the corpse of his murdered father figure. If you really don't understand how inappropriate it is to put the word racism in quotes in this context and justify it, then I have nothing more to say.

Yes, Zuko's behavior here is fucking racist shit, and he never apologizes for it and does not realize how disgusting he did.

Imagine white boy from a rich southern family, whose grand grand father was a slave master mocking black boy for his beliefs and culture. Or a grand-grandson of SS officer making fun of Jewish religion and traditions. How it looks to you now?

(yes, this is literally the same as the boy who put on the hat, not knowing that it was a spiritual symbol - literally just put it on - and immediately put it back in place and did not touch it again as soon as he was told what it meant.)

«Ah, yes. How demanding of him. He’s clearly so self-centered and only thinking about his own values and agenda here.»

Wow. "What is it with you?" Boy, do you realize how much pain you've caused this girl? That forgiveness is not a right, but a gift, the ones you have offended decide for themselves whether they wants to give it to you or not. After everything you've done, you have no right to babble something like "what is with you?" to your past victim and speak to her in a demanding tone, as if she owes you forgiveness.

Not to mention the fact that Zuko doesn't really care about Katara, he never once thought about her, about her kindness shown to him in the crystal catacombs, or about the pain he caused her - neither before nor after his redemption. He literally didn't care, he didn't feel guilty in front of her for a minute and wouldn't have brought up this issue of her forgiveness at all if Katara hadn't behaved towards him with outright hostility, which was uncomfortable for him, because it undermined his sense that he was completely part of the team. If she had hated him quietly, everything would have seemed ok to him. We see how Zuko reacts when he feels guilty towards a person he cares about: he remembered iroh many times, with great pain and regret in his voice, it goes through the whole second half of the third season. So if Zuko had even the slightest concern about Katara personally, her feelings, or how guilty he is in front of her, we would have at least one scene where he regrets what he did in the catacombs.

«...because you were upset about not being the center of attention for once...»

Cool. A child who is hurt when he realizes that his only family, Katara and Sokka, have a father, friends, a living culture, memories - you know, everything that he no longer has and will never have, because his family and friends are killed, his house is destroyed, his culture is destroyed and there is no one who even remembers what his people were like. This is a degree of tragedy that neither you nor I can understand.

«and telling everyone how disgusting you think cultural food is, what great ways to show the supposed love of your life how much you respect her culture!»

Is Aang part of the family and the people who destroyed Katara's culture and killed her parents? Or was he himself part of the army not so long ago, which was actively engaged in this?

Do not pretend that you do not understand why it is sounds especially unacceptable and racist when Zuko says it. Such comments would sound ugly if Sokka or Jet said something like that, but the fact that it is Zuko who says it, makes it completely disgusting and it is a good example of why, Zuko did not changed in many ways even though he changed sides. Aang had every right to punch him in the face after this, and only to Aang's forgiving nature and his concern for Katara Zuko should be grateful that he was not kicked out of the group after such words.

«“Attacking Aang to teach him a lesson” … wow, that’s a very dishonest way of phrasing that situation. I’m impressed, I have to say. I’ve seen lots of dumb takes from Aang stans over the years but this is a new one.»

"Teaching you a lesson" is not my words. These are literally Zuko's words, he literally vocalizes his motivation out loud.

 (cool, it's very similar to how he threatens the captain in the first season and how his own father talks to him when he intends to humiliate and harm him).

As for the rest: firstly, Zuko himself hid from Gaang the information about his father planning burn down the entire Earth kingdom, and secondly, if he believes that Gaangs behave carelessly, he should have, you know, tried to talk, and not threaten and physically intimidate.

«he’s faced with a problem, he runs away from it, then he’s saved by an in-universe equivalent of an Act of God. Wowie, such great character development. Not fixing your core flaw and having a mythical plot device materialize into existence to solve your problems for you. Aang’s whole arc is a big blah, because the writing fails to address any of his flaws or have him meaningfully question any of his values.»

Tired: once again, rewatch  the show. Aang does not run away, He literally falls asleep, and wakes up already on a turtle, in another world, and does not understand where he is. Before falling asleep, he actively defends his position in front of friends, and then goes to meditate, because this is his business, his duty, He is the Avatar and he have to decide how to end the war. It was just an easy decision to kill Ozai, not to conflict with friends about this, not to ask the advice of previous avatars, not to torment conscience. Aang's culture has perished, and he is not only an Avatar, but also is the last air nomad, and the fact that he wants to preserve the ideals of his culture and follow the ways of his people is right, it is his right (and even this, by the way, he was ready to give up when he thought there was no other way out:).

Aang is not running away from responsibility, he takes responsibility. If he wanted to "escape", he would choose the easiest and most universally approved way - just kill Ozai, and that's it.

This is the very philosophy of the series: victory over the old world, over war and violence. Victory of a new philosophy, a new ethics, where there is no place for bloodshed. That the teaching of the "weak and peaceful" has triumphed over the "strong and powerful". The fact that a descendant and an active participant in genocide, violence and war was defeated by a weak child, a descendant of those who considered destroyed, weak and useless. If you are so annoyed by the main - yes, purely pacifist and peaceful - idea of the series, then maybe you just shouldn't torture yourself, but go and watch another show, with much simple morals. There are a plany of them.

Sorry for a long post. I’m not going to start a discussion, just wrote down thoughts I had from reading your answer.

what exactly is Aang's toxic masculinity that you're talking about? there are no examples of such behavior on his part in the show. he is not an ideal person, he is a child who sometimes behaved incorrectly, just like all the other children in the show (Katara, Toph, Sokka), and this is normal.

in addition, we see how he regrets some of his wrong actions and gets better, while Zuko does not regret his toxic behavior, doesn't apologize and doesn't face the consequences of his behavior (racist jokes about Aang, demands that Katara forgive him as if he has the right to her forgiveness, an attack on Aang to "teach him a lesson" and many other things).

Hi anon, thanks for the ask! This is a very good illustration of what I was talking about in this post when I mentioned that I feel toxic men are overlooked more often for appearing “nice” than they are for being conventionally attractive.

No examples of toxic behavior in the show? What do you call this then?

I know what I (and the law) call it:

But you see, he’s “nice” right? This is just a misbehaved child, as you put it? Yah, no. He knew better and still did it because he was possessive; this whole interaction started because he was jealous that an actress playing Katara was interested in men other than him. And the show proceeded to frame the situation in a way that made Aang sympathetic, despite being the aggressor and the one behaving irrationally. How much more “toxically masculine” can you get than that? But he put on a flower crown once so we’re supposed to think he’s a soft uwu feminine boi (even though he was absolutely enraged that a female actress played him).

I also find it very interesting that you describe Katara and Sokka as “children” while Zuko is omitted from that list despite being the same age. Are you admitting you agree he’s more mature, or are you admitting that you hold him to different standards?

But, anyways. You asked about toxic behavior on Aang’s part, which I’ll get further into now that the most egregious example is out of the way.

Let’s break down what you consider unforgivably toxic behavior on Zuko’s part and compare it to Aang’s behavior in similar situations.

1. “Racist” jokes

I’m guessing this is made with reference to the “Air Temple preschool” comment. How exactly is this racist? In context, Aang is the one trying to force his beliefs on others, and Zuko makes this comment to a) tell him to back off and b) point out that Aang is, in fact, a child who doesn’t have any business telling Katara how to feel.

This point is particularly interesting to me, because it implies that the simple fact that Zuko doesn’t agree with the philosophy of Aang’s culture makes him racist. By this logic, Aang is also racist against Katara’s culture, because he clearly disagrees with her philosophy and is openly telling her that his culture is morally virtuous over hers. And well. That’s even more believable considering Aang’s previous reactions to Water Tribe culture.

Ah, yes. Playing with a cultural artifact like it’s a toy because you were upset about not being the center of attention for once, and telling everyone how disgusting you think cultural food is, what great ways to show the supposed love of your life how much you respect her culture!

I know your response to this point would be something like “uwu but he’s a kid he didn’t knowww” ok well. The same logic can be applied to any alleged “racism” on Zuko’s part.

2. “Demanding” forgiveness

Zuko: What can I do to make it up to you?

Ah, yes. How demanding of him. He’s clearly so self-centered and only thinking about his own values and agenda here.

It’s not like he…

…told his friend how she’s allowed to process her grief and try to impose his own morals…

…or demanded to know if his crush liked him back, wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer, and forced a kiss on her…

…or told an abuse victim he was wrong to want to kill his abusive father for trying to commit a genocide…

…oh, um. Yeah. Sorry, but after actually watching the show it’s very clear to me which character doesn’t seem to regret or see the flaws in any of his actions at the end of the show, which is when all of these examples took place.

3. Training in the finale

“Attacking Aang to teach him a lesson” … wow, that’s a very dishonest way of phrasing that situation. I’m impressed, I have to say. I’ve seen lots of dumb takes from Aang stans over the years but this is a new one.

Well, luckily I actually watched the scene in context, so my reaction was the same as all the other characters’ reactions in canon when they learned the context behind this “attack”:

They agree with him. Yeah. Obviously, when nobody is taking training seriously when the world is about to literally go up in flames, you might need to do something to get their attention.

“But it was dangerous!” you might argue. Well… yeah. When magic and bending is in the equation, training in the Avatar universe has been shown to be somewhat dangerous at times. As an example, from this very same episode, Toph very nearly smashed Sokka with a giant flaming rock. That was way closer to hurting someone than Zuko was in this incident. If you’re going to fault characters for making their training exercises too dangerous, I guess Toph is mega cancelled.

Now back to Aang. What was his reaction in this situation? How did he react to the end of the world being days away? He ran away with absolutely no plan. Just like he did at the very beginning of the show.

I mean, think about it. This is a critical flaw (and toxic trait) in Aang that is literally never addressed, because he starts and ends the show the exact same way: he’s faced with a problem, he runs away from it, then he’s saved by an in-universe equivalent of an Act of God. Wowie, such great character development. Not fixing your core flaw and having a mythical plot device materialize into existence to solve your problems for you. Aang’s whole arc is a big blah, because the writing fails to address any of his flaws or have him meaningfully question any of his values.

Meanwhile, Zuko has consistently been a fan favorite because he’s the opposite. His flaws are meaningfully addressed, he does admit he’s wrong and fix his flaws, and his character shows a critically acclaimed change throughout the show. His arc is written so well that despite being a cartoon character, Zuko is widely considered the poster child for a good redemption arc across all forms of media.

So anyways, miss me with the double standards… there is a reason why Zuko is the fan favorite, and it’s not just his abs 🔥

[siflshonen]

do you think deku sees his admiration/particularly strong feelings for bakugou as a somewhat negative thing and avoids talking about it? there’s black whip (and somewhat danger sense) with the lines of “control your heart” connecting those moments where someone insults bkg directly before that, there’s him deflecting on what caused black whip, there’s him not talking about the image of victory thing like anon said, he doesn’t tell him he feels blessed to talk to him again, he says he forgot his words when bkg got impaled — what gives deku?

So, hm. Hm. Do I think Izuku sees them as negative. Hrrrrm. Can I say, “kind of but not quite” as an acceptable answer?

Izuku expresses his own trepidation about admitting that Katsuki is his symbol of victory, but I always took his meaning of negativity to center more around how he thought Katsuki would react to it combined with shame that the things he admires about Katsuki aren’t necessarily things society explicitly tells him to admire (though it sure does subliminally, but then socially punishes those who openly express it). I absolutely love the takes that are like “Deku is a self-hating gay because he thinks his feelings about Bakugo are gross” because they are hilarious, but I think it’s got less to do with him thinking the feelings themselves are “gross” or he “can’t tell [Bakugo] this” or whatever due to his own opinions on ‘em, but rather how he thinks the other party (Bakugo) will take them.

As for the “I’m blessed to have a normal-ish conversation with Kacchan” thing, I don’t think he feels negatively about that. In fact, I think he feels overwhelmingly positive about it but keeps it under a lid to uphold his own tatemae “public face”. This is theoretically for the benefit of the class not knowing his and Bakugo’s business, sure, and it also doesn’t give Katsuki a reason to do something like, say, avoid Izuku from discomfort over knowing how much Izuku wants his company. Personally, I think it’s actually very selfish of him to keep his intentions and feelings regarding Bakugo to himself under the guise of “consideration” in this very specific situation, but then again, Katsuki is also not entitled to know Deku’s feelings. Much like Izuku is not entitled to know Uraraka’s feelings about him! And Toga is not entitled to be the one to tell Izuku about Uraraka’s feelings because it isn’t her business! That’s for the person who holds the feelings to do with as they please because they are their feelings! Tsuyu has a good point about that… though when it comes to what Bakudeku are doing it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because I think Deku, while probably not actively trying to be this way, is being just a little bit manipulative about how he keeps Katsuki’s attention through training. (Of course, he doesn’t realize that Katsuki is pretty much tripping all over himself to try and do whatever Izuku asks or needs of him without making IZUKU uncomfortable, so they’re both contributing to the situation.)

But, you know, after the narrator’s open admittance that Izuku never noticed Toga liked him until she explicitly said it, or perhaps even his amazement at realizing Bakugo thought he hated him during Deku vs Kacchan 2, I sometimes question if Deku knows his ass from a hole in the ground. It’s questionable if he’s even made the connection between blackwhip/danger sense and Bakugo being something he should even point out at all.