#and the fact he gets enjoyment out of seeing people who do what they're good at

[suiana]

yandere! merman who's (unfortunately) a frequent visitor to your front yard.

living on the beach had its ups and downs. being able to witness such a beautiful sight every day and night, no matter the seasons was really amazing. the fact that you worked as a beach lifeguard also meant that you could head to work much more conveniently.

unfortunately that's about as good as the positives get. not with the ever increasing living expenses and your stupidly handsome fish intruder.

he pops up in your backyard every single day. every. SINGLE. day.

at first it was cute and interesting. oh! a gorgeous merman making himself comfortable in your front yard, tail in the water while he lounges on the sand and tries to talk to you.

you gave into him of course. yes, you have met several other merfolk in your time as a lifeguard. yet there was something about him that drew you in. was it the fact that he would constantly break into your front yard and act like he belonged there? or the fact that he had massive tits and there were always just staring at you? you weren't sure.

plus he was also really interesting too! he (coincidentally) had all the same interests as you and (obviously) also knew you in and out! talking to him was just so so enjoyable! he was extremely cuddly, nuzzling into your neck while he mutters words of affirmations that do wonders to your touch starved heart. aw! it's like he likes you or something :)

but it became annoying. he wouldn't leave you no matter how much you tried. in fact, he'd even FORCE you to stay on the beach with him, holding your hand down as he looked at you with the most emotionally manipulative look. lips all pouty and eyes glossed over, tears threatening to spill. the fact that your house was right there too, just a few steps out of reach... it was like he was purposely trying to tease you or something. hello dude, you aren't my boyfriend! you can't keep me here!

you'd think because he was half fish it would mean he wouldn't be able to stay above land for extended periods of time. but boy, you swear you never really see him enter the water. actually, you swear you see him on land more often!

trying to catch him off guard and enter the water is also near impossible too. it's like he has some sort of power or telekinesis or whatnot. you tried faking sleep just to sneak a glance of him off your porch, maybe even seeing him enter the beautiful waters.

nope. what you got was a JUMPSCARE with him staring right back at you, eyes all wide and mouth open, showcasing rows of sharp teeth. you've never tried to see him away again.

you couldn't even bring other people home anymore. not with him flopping around, glaring and hissing at anyone who dared to even glance at you for a second too long. what seemed like a handsome and harmless fishman was now a nuisance and fucking creepy presence in your already dull life.

have i mentioned the fact that you're a lifeguard? yeah, because of his constant hovering (or flopping) around you, you can't even do your job properly. he doesn't even let you go save people that are clearly in need of help! he just scowls and tells the people to stop drowning! muttering about how if they were a better swimmer they wouldn't be in this position in the first place!

like???

oh well, at least he doesn't do anything more than forcing you to talk to him as long as possible, scaring away all potential suitors and just people in general, and staying in your front yard for way too long, right?

um... you might want to look out your window... uh... yeah, new merfolk. oldies? yeah um, they're his parents. he wants you to meet them. like, right now. and he's also wearing some intricate jewellery that he hasn't worn before.

and is that... a ring?

oh. well.

hahaha...

good luck lifeguard! hopefully he (most definitely) isn't trying to marry you! that would be bad! like, super bad! haha!

[jayktoralldaylong]

One of my favourite things about Arcane is that all the couples can be read as toxic, which is GREAT.

I'm tired of people bringing morality debates into dark media. Let dark media be fucking dark. You guys wouldn't survive a day in the TMA fandom, needing everyone to be as good as gold. How are they going to make for enjoyable complex characters if they're not morally grey. In fact, I wish there'd been more expansion on just how morally black they can become!

"CaitVi is so toxic" According to lesbian statistics, that sounds just about accurate. 💀 Heck, I wish Caitlyn had done more (Not really, but it would have been nice to further explore the darkness in her heart). Isn't it adorable how she immediately folded as soon as Vi called her cupcake? Caitlyn's like one of those villains that will consistently do the most....until it comes to someone else hurting her girlfriend. The only one allowed to hurt her girlfriend is her. 💀

Then let's talk about Vi. Someone pointed out how Vi never cared about Zaun's independence in the first place and many people yelled that they were wrong. But actually, they were right. Vi never wanted Zaun. Zaun was Silco's dream, and Jinx inherited that dream cause Silco would never shut up about it. Vi wanted Piltover to take responsibility for all the shit they allowed to happen in the Undercity. That's a part of the reason she joined up with Caitlyn in the first place. Let's not forget she wasn't dissuaded when she dragged Jayce down to fight with her and he killed a child. Children been dying, it's been her whole life. Someone needed to do something about it, and Zaun would have just isolated the people from all the privileges that Piltover SHOULD have been providing for them. Some people just can't accept that Independence cannot in fact solve every problem, and sometimes independence is colonisers running away from the responsibility of fixing the mess that they started in the first place.

Besides, we all know Vi joined up with the Enforcers because "I feel like I am worthless if I can't be of service." She'd already run out of family members to serve, Caitlyn was the next best thing. She's just like Jayce.

And speaking of Jayce, let's talk about his violent levels of codependency with anyone who'll give him attention. People LOOOOVE to talk about Mel, but it's there with Viktor too. When bro wasn't basing his worth on his inventions, he was centering it around Viktor.

Viktor who decided at some point in his life that he would not LIVE without Jayce. He was fine dying without him, but living without him was unacceptable. Oh how healthy. 🙄😂 Viktor be the kind of toxic ex to threaten divorce 500 times over, then burn the world when you actually leave him. Jayce is no better cause he's the kind of guy to keep going back to his toxic Ex.

Yes, Mel is manipulative. That's what I love about her. How are you guys failing to give this woman the praise of being an outsider in Piltover, but running their entire council. 💀 Girl raises her hand once and the whole government starts spinning. She was the best sugar mummy Jayce and Viktor could ever ask for. She kept the whole city running. Literally the entire of Piltover dancing on her palm. And yes she manipulated Jayce but let's not forget she thought that was a love language. 💀 You wanna be mad at someone, be mad at Ambessa for raising her that way.

I also don't think it's fair to blame her for the Undercity situation, she's not native. Monkey see, monkey do, and not a single one of those Council members actually cared about the situation down there, it was deplorable. 💀 Jayce did way more in his two weeks as Councillor than any of those drug pushing, money laundering, Piltovian heads of government.

And that just covers MelJayVik, we don't even need to get fully into TimeBomb, cause we know what's wrong there. 💀 Surely we have not forgotten the many teammates Jinx has killed, but making sure to never kill Ekko cause that's her man. Ekko has a lot to unpack, like how his consistent and unwavering love for Jinx is an indication of a lot of doors he might not be ready to open. I know they dynamics go crazy and I love to see it.

Ambessa and Sevika are a crack ship but I'm sure we all know bedroom dynamics go crazy with Mrs. Warlord and Miss Liberation. I love it when characters clash in a toxic heap. It's insane and should be explored.

Quit saintifying my toxic ships with your woke morality debates. If you want everyone to be sunshine and rainbows then you should be watching literally anything else. 💀 "It's not healthy." GOOD, I like it that way. 💀 Angst, spice and trauma are the recipe for a plethora of explorative fanfiction. Any of their dynamics can be taken in any toxic direction and I want that EXPLORED.

[zoobus]

Otome Isekai Roundup

With the new year, I feel the need to make some kind of year-in-review list. So even though I've largely stopped reading comics (the desire to read ebbs and flows every six month), here are the otoisekai that stuck out to me the most in 2024

Crimson Lady/Resetting Lady

What can I even say about the GOAT? As we crawl towards a conclusion, the despair only grows. Death is the only answer, death must be avoided at all costs.

The Villainess Who is No Better than an Extra Cross-dresses to Be a Love Interest

I never talked about this one, namely because I'm not sure how to describe it without focusing on its wokeness. But it is woke. It's bizarrely, strangely woke, as well as genuinely enjoyable, but I keep getting fixated on all the genre-unusual progressiveness, like

BELIEVABLE female crossdressing in a shojo manga

her older brother is fat, a good person, and nobody ever comments on his weight (this point is the most shocking to me honestly)

Older brother is loudly supportive of his gnc sister and male cousin

Unclear if MC is gay, transmasc, or just doing this out of survival, but it says something that becoming a love interest was her *first* response

Boy the MC bewitched in girl form as a child is thrown off by her handsome appearance as an adult, yet awkwardly asks if she wants help breaking her engagement with a man

I forgot, originally he was the stock "sexist love interest who dials it back for his one true love" type, but this one shatters the mold not by making her the one girl he isn't mean to, but instead having him step back from his feelings and step UP as a genuine, actual, fr ally and continuing their friendship. Insane upgrade.

And it all feels pretty organic! They'll hint at complicated feelings from the people around her without grandstanding or molding medieval-y types into 21st century values

Like I can't emphasize enough how weird it is to see a child drawn like this and they're not evil

Behind Her Highness's Smile

I never talked about this one for the opposite reasons of the above. Um. Extremely horny ethicsplay* thriller about a mentally-challenged princess forced to marry a duke (who, in turn, was forced to marry a mentally-challenged princess). What if you were the abused sexy sensual prisoner princess forcibly married to a smoldering tall dark-haired duke AND you had brain damage.

Let me say that I enjoy this story sincerely and that her issues are not played lightly, but it is absolutely going for eroticism. Like oh nooo, you're not mentally competent enough to consent 😉😉 the duke could do whatever he wants and you're too dumb and doll-like to do anything about it😉😉😉 also your maids roofied you😉did I mention your sick bastard brother-king made you like this? And that he takes immense pleasure in that fact?��

But I know what you're thinking. Because I was thinking it. For chapters and chapters. "Surely this is a ruse. They didn't actually write a mentally handicapped female lead, not when it's already so horny. This is just to add to the fucked up atmosphere that feeds into everything because there's no fucking way anyone would keep to this premise. Wow she's really committing to the bit lol, not giving an inch. If I were gullible, I would believe they're actually going to fuck. Wait. Was that guy supposed to represent the writer talking to the reader? Hey?"

Did they? Read to find out :)

*I've always hated describing stories as problematic (positive). Ethicsplay, like the story is fucked up. They know it's fucked up, YOU know it's fucked up, and that's why you're here reading it.

A Splendid Revenge Story of a Super-Dreadnought Cheat Villainess

I don't have a lot to say about this one other ​than it's a refreshing revenge-centric OI. It's not treading new ground, but it executes the genre's tropes well. The villains are exaggerated caricatures of hubris, brazen leeches who've forgotten whose blood they've been surviving on, each with their own distinctive brand of arrogance introduced at a measured pace to keep the true hero's OPness from getting boring, all with a unique stylistic flair.

Princess revenge stories are frequently derailed by dull romance or the desire to reinvent capitalism, so the fact that Super-Dreadnought commits itself to smiting Lunaria's enemies without straying from the path makes it a high recommend.

Turning the Mad Dog into a Genteel Lord

I realized I don't have enough screenshots to prove my controversial opinion (that this is less puppy dog bf fantasy and more crypto-age reggressor/caretaker right up until they knew it would mess with the overall light and goofy tone), and I can't say those kinds of things without proof. so. I'll save that for another day.

Anyway. Plot: Priestess Diarin, who is so hot I have more screenshots of her than any of the men, has to tame an abused beast-like 6'8 shredded ex-child soldier into a noble. She's the only one who can change him, she's the only one he can be vulnerable with. Middling plot, heavy slapstick/reaction face-based humor, but everyone is sexy and there are mild to moderate sadist-on-the-art-team impies, so. Recommend.

On an unrelated note can tappytoons please stop picking up manwha with good art? Their translation choices make me unreasonably mad.

If they draw shoes like this, please let Lezhin handle it? I can't take the comma stutters and obvious tone neutering.

[have-you-seen-my-sanity]

Yandere Santiago Garcia headcanons

I had a thought. :)

Pope was the only information about himself he gave you at first. He met you through William, who's brother Benny met you first after you stumbled upon him one night, getting chased by what you thought were just some muggers, having witnessed them executing someone.

Of course, those were members of a criminal clan wanting to silence you because of what you've witnessed.

Benny and William had quickly notified Santiago about this. And being the good person that he is, Santiago promised to protect you.

He told you that staying at your house could be dangerous, he's ex-military, so he knows exactly what criminals like them could do if they had all necessary tech. So of course you trusted him.

Santiago invited you over to his house, saying that the place is ten times more protected than your simple house, if not, completely safe.

While Benny and William worked on getting informations on the criminals, Santiago kept you at his house, giving you a spare guest room he had.

Of course Santiago had to once again deal with Tom teasing him. About you.

"You two sleep together?"

"You can't tell me there's nothing hot going on between you two, and it's your guest room!"

"What? Come on, man. No quickie in the car? Anywhere?!"

The longer you stayed at his house, the more Santiago grew on liking having you around. Whenever you would ask him on when it's safe for you to return home, he answers:

"Turns out they're more dangerous than we thought. You're lucky I'm keeping you safe otherwise they'd snuff you out like a candle."

He would always tell you half the truth.

Santiago had to admit, he wasn't used to having people being dependant on him if those weren't his informants. Which... makes it even more enjoyable having you with him...

Santiago knows that once he and the boys got rid of the gang he'd have to let you get back to your house.

He... doesn't want you to leave him...

Would tell you that it's more difficult keeping track of the gang and you have to expect staying much longer at his house.

Santiago would personally execute the head of the gang and he and the boys would once again make it look like a rival attack.

Santiago has never told you the code to deactivate the security system in order for you to leave without alarming him.

But even if you did deactivate it, he has cameras pointed towards his front door and every potential spot around his house where he knows someone could get in or sneak out.

Smile for the camera. :)

Make no mistake, Santiago just wants to keep you safe, why bother trying to get away from your protector?

It wouldn't take long for him to catch some feelings for you. He shows it by being more around you, insisting on bringing you things you might need even though you said no, being more affectionate with you.

May or may not pleasure himself while thinking about you. Everybody got their needs, yes? So does Santi. About you...

When you'd ask him if you could leave, he would tell you his house is the safest place you could ever be in. So no, you stay put.

But if you want to rebel against him, he would hold a speech about how it's only for your own good, he's protecting you. Why can't you see it? :(

Don't worry though, after he's done scolding you he'd take you into his arms after stating his harsh facts.

"You want to leave? Fine, go walk around with a gang after you, without me to protect you. You know they would torture you, right?"

Oh, how he loves seeing you cling to him.

And if you somehow actually manage to sneak out of his house while he's with the boys? He may even get the idea of telling the boys some gang members snatched you only to make them help finding you...

You think his fucked up knees won't make him go after you if you've escaped his house? Well think again because the only thing his knees could do is slowing him down. His broken knees only give you a head start at most.

Santiago would tie up any person you asked for help while escaping, threatening them. He's also not afraid of doing some collateral damage while on his hunt for you...

Keep in mind that Santiago and the boys were able to navigate their way out of a forest, a helicopter crash out in nowhere, and even some mountains. A city is a piece of cake for him...

Santiago is definitely thinking about improving his security after he'd be done scolding you like some angry dad scolding his child. Maybe you need some discipline?

If you behave though, Santi will drown you in affection, starting with kisses and may end with... the hot kind of affection(worshipping).

You're as protected and safe as you humanly can with Santiago. Mark my words, if you show him affection, he will be all over you.

Even if the threat has been neutralized, Santiago would still keep you in his house.

Seems like a good tradeoff for him, you give up your house and receive an (over)protective Santiago Garcia and his house.

Santiago can be the sweetest, most caring person in the whole world, but also your worst nightmare if you push him too far.

[utilitycaster]

How can Molly's death be considered a major mistake? It's the crux of the entire campaign.

so I think about this a lot, because you're right, and it really comes down to like...a lot of factors in how people interact with fiction, and some stuff I feel about fandom.

The short answer is that Molly is some people's favorite character, and they really wanted to watch him for 141 episodes and not just 26, and they didn't get to, and so it's valid to feel sad about that. But I think what personally grinds my gears is the idea that it's a mistake and because this is a Fan Favorite character he SHOULD have come back. Setting aside the fact that he had both his fans and his detractors from the start and a lot of people (myself included) who found him irritating didn't say much for a good chunk of C2 because, well, he was dead, this isn't a fucking competitive reality show. You don't get to vote on your phones to decide who wins a resurrection.

I think the longer answer is that there is a certain type of person in fandom, born of a certain type of person in social media communities, who just...is not willing or interested in considering not just that their experiences, preferences, and philosophy are not universal, but also that they are not objectively best and correct and that everyone who disagrees is wrong. It's often really common in, though not exclusive to, people who have particularly limited experiences - young (like, teenager/early 20s), people who haven't lived in a diverse area or in multiple different areas, people who for whatever reason do not get out much - which both makes sense (haven't been exposed to a ton of different perspectives irl) but also means that you get people who, for all they may talk about global politics, kind of unconsciously seem to act as though everyone they interact with online is a variant of someone from the same 3000 person town in the United States in which they've spent all 21 years of their life. ANYWAY getting back to the main point I feel like Molly attracted a lot of that kind of person, who just...doesn't get that while Molly is, to them, a deeply validating expression of gender identity, for many people he is "guy you meet at your friend's birthday party in a two-bedroom 6 floor walk up and within 5 seconds he has pissed you off so profoundly with his overfamiliarity that you go into the kitchen and mainline as much vanilla vodka as possible to not stab this guy with a secondhand knife that says "CHEESE!" on it even though you hate vanilla vodka and it's summer in NYC and you're on the 6th floor in a small apartment with too many people so it's approximately 117 degrees Fahrenheit in this kitchen and the vodka isn't much cooler, and you succeed in this goal, and then after sending your friend who couldn't make it because they were at a family thing that weekend a picture of a rat on the tracks of the 3 train with a caption "this u?" at 1:54 in the morning you're like "so this guy Molly was there" and they're like "oh my god I met him at Cameron's last party, he SUCKS" and you're like "I KNOW". Like a lot of people just do not get that Molly was very popular with their circle, and also a lot of people either were neutral-to-not-feeling-it. This is before we get into the post-death idealization of who he was that takes him from "irritating but I think he'd have grown on me in some ways eventually had he lived" to "horrible and insufferable fake-ass bitch."

And then we get to the true impasse: the idea that something that does not fulfill every single one of your personal wishes might still be a great story.

I'm certainly not perfect, and there's things I thought I wanted for the end of C2 that I didn't get, and there's some things I do wish we'd have gotten to see (or that we'd have done in C3), but I like to think that I try to remain at least partially open to the possibilities. I like to think that my enjoyment of a story isn't contingent on whether one single character survives, even if they are my favorite (and I say this as someone whose favorite ASOIAF character was immediately Ned Stark, a statement that should surprise no one who follows me) nor that the story precisely reaffirms my existing worldview. I want stories to tell me something new and interesting that wouldn't come from my own head, and I want them to sell me on it. I think that a lot of people lost the thread of the importance of representation, namely, they forgot that while it's great to see people like you in a story, you should also be trying to see people not like you and perspectives that aren't yours. I am extremely defensive of my and other people's right to say "I didn't like this story and here is why" without someone being like "Give it a chance! Here's why I think it's good" but at the same time, there is a difference between "I really wish Molly had stayed alive and I don't like that he died," and "everything that happened after he died was A Mistake because it wasn't what I Wanted, and someone should fix this." Like that's what toddlers do. That's not an adult way of interacting with narrative.

So those people don't even get to the point of "the entire campaign is deeply influenced by the loss of Molly; that is what binds the rest of the Nein together and makes them what they are; the fact that Lucien wears the face of a departed friend is crucial to the entire final arc comprising about 20% of the campaign; and the fact that he does not come back, but someone new, with new chances and new choices to make does is emblematic of a campaign about people who find that they cannot undo their pasts, but neither are they trapped or damned by them." They're stuck at "guy I liked died and I'm throwing a tantrum 6 years later."

[pong03]

Leo kurosagi analysis

this was requested but tumblr wont let me post to their ask so: Okay, Leo is selfish. I'm not gonna deny all the bad things people say about him, or even deny he is a bad person, but he is a GREAT set up for a character. I would like to say that Tokyo debunker is giving set up for growth from each character, Leo is just the most Jarring, for the fan base. full disclosure, I did not like Leo or even consider liking him until I saw the HATE on here, I'm not just trying to be quirky by liking the most disliked character either. I tend to just want to see the good in what most people dislike. I like kpop and I tend to bias the most criticized or least biased members of a group, because I think it's an amazing feeling to give love... Although I understand it's cathartic to hate too, and that's probably why the Leo hate is so strong. I also still don't LIKE Leo, but I really do want to explore his character and I probably will make more posts as we see him more and as I experience him more myself. The Leo cu*king tho, is maybe my least favorite "trope" in TBD fanfic rn... but I don't k*nkshame y'all :*

I also would like to say Sho is his friend, not his victim or Rapunzel. There is some value to Leo in Sho's eyes and I think we shouldn't degrade that because we see that if Sho doesn't like someone he will not engage i.e Ren. Sho is a sweet character and I think he might be friends with Leo because he wants to see the best in him or knows his more repulsive behaviors are a defense mechanism or explained by other reasons we the MC are yet to see. Why I think that is even tho the weird blob guys in the mystery diner suck at making food he still wants to see the best in them, and that very scenario could be a cheeky analogy from the writers themselves, about Sho and Leo. Obviously Leo could be blackmailing Sho, I know that is a commonly held belief, but I do have some perspectives that could debunk that thought. Leo doesn't Garner blackmail on his peers. I think Leo is nosy, and invasive, but he is also incredibly capable, implied by his contributions to the vagastrom group case. If he wanted to figure out who Alan killed he could with his hacking prowess, but instead he asks Mido himself. In invasive ways yes, but he could just have found the information himself, whether by hacking or asking the countless witnesses of the clash. Rather he asks Mido face to face, and, correct me if I'm wrong we can't say he wouldn't have taken no for an answer because Mido just gets mad at his antics and never gives him a straight up no. Again I could be wrong so let me know if Alan does give him a straight no. It's been a while since chapter two for me.

Right now I want to explore some possibilities for his character given the information we have about him ATM. I mentioned above the fact his little nasty, mean, degrading comments could be a defense moreso that he wants people to try and push past that to see if they're viable as his friends. Especially because he is micro-influencer he might be protective of himself because of that. As well as being a chronic liar online he may want to know if he can trust you not to expose him online. I think exploring his past would be amazing because even his stigma makes him seem like an overly cautious person, as well as invasive. Cautious? I feel like its cut and dry that wanting to hear what people say when you aren't around could hint to him being quite anxious about what people think about him. like idk I also feel like the jealousy we see towards Sho might also be more about people finding Sho more approachable. I think because Leo wants to be more involved with people in power he might have not been trying to scare Subaru away because "Sho is mine >:(" and actually could have been jealous that Subaru noticed Sho first and not him. Still awful right? but also like I said I don't see Leo as enjoyable but more so a lot of room for redemption, or explanation. Sympathy or empathy might be something we feel for him a lot if he is properly explored.

Obvs these are just possibilities right :) I actually find him very cute and I like his catty behavior, especially because in comparison to other nasty ghouls he is like a kitten hissing at you, harmless. Like dude Taiga shot me, and you're just a nasty baby, I smell your fear on the inside, you just want to be loved like everyone else. He's a true tsundere and not that "I swear I don't like you!!" shit and I appreciate that. I hope nobody misconstrues this as defense of his toxicity more-so that the point of tokyo debunkers focus seems to be everyone is demonizing these teens who seriously are just teens, and sometimes teenagers are catty are toxic, but they're still learning. Especially when the adults suck too... if not more because they are adults. AND LEO IS HATED FOR BEING STINKY AND MEAN BUT TAIGA AND ROMEO ARE LIKED BUT SO MUCH MORE MORALLY DECREPIT... so idk that especially irks me. I still would like to know what people think and if you are also excited to see the exploration of the ghouls especially Leo, and what theories you may have on him yourself.

[axenyan]

Hey!

I hope my ask won't come off as mean, I am coming here with genuine curiosity and love!!

I personally never saw the appeal in Ritsu and feel SUPER curious to see how other people (esp. ritsu enjoyers) see him! :0 What is it abt ritsu that makes him as appealing to you as he is! I have a hope that maybe reading someones enthusiasm and love for a character rambled on in text will help me find affection for the character too! :] (Happened with Leo.. tumblr made me a Leo enjoyer 😔)

- A huge kaito and zenji enjoyer

(Feel free to ignore this ask! I'm just curious <3 and again, sorry if this comes off as mean in any way ;;)

Hello!!

No no no, this didn't come off as mean! In fact, I'm super happy I received this ask🥺 I need more people to know how baby he is.

I'm not good at analysis, and English is not my first language, so this is just me rambling about why I love him. I also apologize for the grammatical mistakes I may have made >_< hopefully I can still get my points across!

Alright, let's go~!

I haven't posted the full pic of this art anywhere because it's an eternal WIP.

∘₊✧────────✧₊∘ How it all started ∘₊✧────────✧₊∘

A friend showed me Ritsu's introduction post because she thought Ritsu looked like the type I would fall for in terms of design, and she is absolutely right.

However, upon reading his quote, I was unsure if I would like his personality, so I took my friend's recommendation with a grain of salt.

∘₊✧──────────✧₊∘ Getting to know Ritsu ∘₊✧──────────✧₊∘

At the beginning of Sinostra chapter, I was still 50/50 about him because he is, ugh..... 😭 We never met him before, and yet he already had our info?! Not just ours, but everyone's?

Plus, bro keeps yapping and is also a bit forceful... That's annoying as heck. But then I remembered I have another favorite character with quite a similar personality: Sebek Zigvolt (Twisted Wonderland).

I tried to see if they had similar traits, and apparently, they did.

Apart from being in their first year of high school (baby!!!), they are resilient, pay careful attention to their appearance, talk a lot, and are keen on achieving their goals... but they're also a little obsessive about it, and the way they do their things could come off as annoying for other people.

And I was like... oh, hm. I'm starting to see a pattern here.

Then I continued reading the story and noticed several moments where Ritsu got flustered, for example, when Taiga called him out because of his handwriting.

It's one of the points where I realized he might be my next mistake... because I like characters who are difficult to handle and get flustered when being teased or when things don't go their way. 😭 Those characters make me say "I love you, you are so cute, but why are you like this??!" 😭 I feel like I can freely pinch their arm when they start being silly. 😭😭😭

After reading Sinostra chapter, I paid more attention to his campus dialogues and home lines. I had a discussion with my friend, and we concluded that he actually has good intentions, but the way he does his things is unusual. I think that's what makes him unique (albeit creepy at times 😭).

I'll take his affinity lv2 home line as an example:

“You’ve lost your notebook? Just a moment. …At 9:04 AM, it was inside the photocopier. Yes, I do have that information recorded.”

I mean, who the hell does that? I appreciate the help, but why does he know the location of our missing notebook just from his recording? Why?😭

∘₊✧──────────────────────────✧₊∘ Moments that make me go uefhuehgfu💞💞💞 ∘₊✧──────────────────────────✧₊∘

Being a little twerp aside, I like how he can be understanding(?) and open to new things.

He has a line like this. This is from the summer lines.

“You want to go and watch the fireworks? A rather childish request, but all right. So? Where would one go to view them?”

He thinks our request is childish but he agreed to go!!! Usually, a prideful character like him would just brush us off, but he didn't...

Another example is his ramen talk with Ren in episode 7. It seems he isn't used to eating food like instant ramen because he's been eating ramen at an actual ramen shop, but he is willing to try it. He even did his research before buying. 🥺

∘₊✧─────────────────✧₊∘ How I personally perceive him ∘₊✧─────────────────✧₊∘

Now that I've learned more about him, I think he is:

A good boy with a clear goal but a questionable way of executing his plan.

Adorable and round... I want to poke his cheeks.

Inspiring! I like how studious and organized he is. I even started writing more in my journal because of him.

Willing to try new things! I admire this about him!

Cute-- wait, I've mentioned that. Okay, he is silly. Please look at his action in episode 8 where he was mostly with Taiga. He did his best to keep a watch on his captain, literally doing everything he could, like using his stigma to be a doorstop 😭

In short, I find him endearing. I want to slap him at times but I still find him endearing. I don't know if it's a suitable word to describe it, but it's how I feel about him. `(*>﹏<*)′

Again, this is my very personal take on his character so I might be biased at some points, but I hope this could help you find a thing or two about Ritsu!

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

Soooo, I've read a lot of differing opinions about Veilguard at this point, and one I can't stop thinking about is how aggressive some people get about the idea of critiquing it by comparing it to the previous games.

"It should be judged solely on it's own merit; there's a deep and beautiful story being told that everyone's missing by focusing on what it's not!"

"It's been 20 years in game since Origins! Things have changed, so it's really bad faith to criticize it for not being exactly like the other games!"

I've played DAO, DA2, and DAI several times. I'll play them and DAV several more times in the future. I'm going to compare all four games and treat it as one long narrative. That's not something new, and it's how I find engaging with Dragon Age the most enjoyable.

However, I also sympathize with this perspective because I believe it's born from frustration. I see it as people over-correcting in their vexation, as wanting others to love it like they do and the obstacle in that is the hyper-fixation with the previous games... so if we remove that, then everyone will see it for what it is: a great game with a great story.

I totally feel that... But, that sympathy goes out the window once those same people start throwing out that, "If you don't like DAV's writing then that's because you lack critical thinking skills, media literacy, and are just an overall moron who can't comprehend themes in good storytelling."

Like... no, buddy. C'mon, that's not the way to go about that.

If you played DAV and adored it, if you were emotionally invested and thought to story it told was powerful, if you love the companions and thought the romances were beautiful... then yes, it's upsetting to see so many others dismiss the good and shit on it for "not being Origins."

And yeah, if you solely focus on what it's not, then you do miss out on the things it does well, because it DOES do a lot of things well!

But, I also think this way of approaching DAV is flawed, and insulting someone's intelligence because they're not engaging with the story the way you do is unproductive.

Just... y'know what?

You're right—If you toss DAO, DA2, and DAI aside and just look at DAV by itself, it IS a much more enjoyable, comprehensible story.

Because then you don't have to stomach the fact that the Crows purchase children and groom them into assassins with most of those children not surviving the process.

You don't have to think about how the Dalish would never be okay with the humans, dwarves, and qunari in the Veil Jumpers touching ancient elven artifacts.

You don't have to remember the horror of the Brood Mothers that birth darkspawn, or how they're created with women the darkspawn capture: "First day, they come and catch everyone. Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat. Third day, the men are all gnawed on again. Fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate. Fifth day, they return and it's another girl's turn. Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams. Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew. Eighth day, we hated as she is violated. Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin. Now she does feast, as she's become the beast. Now you lay and wait, for their screams will haunt you in your dreams."

You don't have to remember all the slavers that came after Fenris, or any of the things he described Tevinter to be. You don't have to deal with feeling bad about all the apparent slavery and extreme racism that runs rampant in Tevinter because you don't see it, you just know it's a thing and that the Shadow Dragons are fighting it.

You don't have to be horrified about Morrigan's current state because you don't have to think about the way Flemeth physically, mentally, and emotionally abused her; "My mother's stories curdled my blood and haunted my dreams. No little girl wants to hear about the Wilder men her mother took to her bed, using them till they were spent, then killing them. No little girl wants to be told that this is also expected of her, once she comes of age."

The ending cutscene between Solas and Flemeth in DAI? Rewritten, so you don't have to remember the way it actually went.

You don't have to think about the implications of the Antaam being here. You can just forget the slow, steady build up of three games regarding the qunari plans of invasion. Oh, and if you push Taash to embrace their qunari side more, you don't have the think about Karash being "rehabilitated" and what that actually means.

Everything with the Chantry, the Circle, mages and templars can be forgotten because that's just a southern problem. Don't worry about it.

You don't realize just how shallow of a protagonist Rook is because you don't have to think about the depth of choice that was given to the HOF, or how interesting the personality system was for Hawke.

The only thing that matters about the Inquisitor is who they romanced, whether they disbanded the inquisition, and how they feel about Solas... That's it. You don't need to remember that they were the sole survivor of the conclave, burdened with a mark that slowly killed them and resulted in them traumatically losing an arm; forced to be the face of the Inquisition; no longer seen as a person in the eyes of those they led, but as the Herald of Andraste. Betrayed by the wolf hiding within their inner circle. Betrayed by the people they saved.

You don't realize how much the romances truly lack because you can just forget the effort put in the previous romances that would make every single playthrough feel unique with varying approaches and ends for each romance.

But y'know... it's been 20 years. Time's changed.

Except that doesn't erase the past, and that's what Veilguard seems to want to do.

Like... we're not criticizing DAV for being inconsistent in it's lore/storytelling with the other games because we're media illiterate morons. Most of us aren't comparing all four games to each other because we want to make bad faith takes.

We're also frustrated. I'm frustrated.

I've posted a lot about my third playthrough where I'm roleplaying as Carver for my Rook. It's the most engaged and excited I've really felt while playing DAV despite having fun in my previous playthroughs... and I'm so engaged because 1. Carver is one of my favorite DA characters and the story implications of him being Rook is just *chef's kiss* and 2. while I'm playing, I'm actively rewriting everything in my head.

I just... what does that tell you? Y'know??

And again, I want to reiterate that I understand why this take I'm criticizing exists. I'm just trying to put into words the flaw of raging at people for comparing DAV to DAO/DA2/DAI in a sympathetic way instead of hitting fire with fire, y'know?

I wouldn't be saying all of this if I didn't care about Dragon Age or feel similar irritation with how the fandom engages with the writing sometimes.

[bandtrees]

AAHHHH!!! AAHHHHHHHH DIALTOWN AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay i've had a night to sit on the evil route and put my thoughts together and holy shit dude. ALL OF IT- all of it was so good but i'm obviously (being the callum and gingi guy) going to focus on the callum and gingi stuff. spoilers ahead if you have not done the evil route gooo do it!!!!

i think looking at the worst end of the evil route is best to view through the lens of "the literal opposite of ch3" and also "knowing who milt and marla and all of them are" because - for starters - i think the approach dogman has taken, out of universe, is genius. i know milt and marla aren't ingame mostly for writing constraint reasons, but the specifics of their lives (milt's especially, being basically erased from history) not being something you ever get is really really good because history just... does not remember them!

milt committed suicide but according to dogman that's not even public knowledge, as far as anyone in-universe knows he just disappeared and all of the turmoil that took place is kind of lost to time. and i think knowledge of his name, much less what happened to him, being something you have to dig through paratext and get an easter egg of a fuckin tie-in web quiz to learn, is... probably the experience you'd more or less have in-universe. he's someone you only really know if you're really into the subject.

and to be honest i dont think i would have it any other way, because what the dlc does to you if you're one of those who know is MADDENING. it's everywhere. the hat motif. i have very strong feelings on evil route peter essentially having the exact role marla must have - the conversations gingi has with the narrator, with roger, is soooooo gooooood. it's a subtle background puzzle you get to piece together that (i reckon) also would hit hard for any player who doesn't Know(tm).

(and that also segues into a general feeling i have about the dlc, being that i am not a dsaf guy at all, i was into dialtown first and i have no interest in dsaf i'm sure its great but just not something i think i'll ever look into: for a bit before this dlc i was worried if it would be enjoyable as someone who's not into dsaf or has context for any cameo characters or references - but it was and is :D the characters all exist perfectly in dialtown and the references that exist still have merit on their own and are funny/etc on their own even without whatever added context im sure dsaf gives. which is good and i love it.)

all of that to say, i really really love what this dlc did for so many characters, but especially gingi and callum (and the narrator!) - i love how, as seems to be callum's destiny with maladjusted people, gingi only sees him as an incomplete and biased ideal to strive for. we simultaneously get so much weight and nuance to callum through seeing gingi go down a similar path, but also get so little of it because the only thing gingi cares about wrt callum is him being the "greatest salesman ever" and completely discarding the parts of him that made him anything but an industrial supervillain.

i think it wouldv been easy for it to just be "phonegingi is basically becoming (the worst parts of) callum and so, when they're working with mingus, finds some degree of kinship in the pictures etc of him" but the fact they're completely dismissive of mingus and her family history in every way, demanding the pictures of him be taken down, making a jab at him being "forgetful", staining and ruining them, etc, is even MORE telling of what they've become. much like callum was, they've found success and don't really think about how they got there or who helped them get there!

(see: mingus having marla's hat, which gingi takes from her when they execute her - you could say that hat symbolizes the genuine good that callum did despite his mixed legacy, and the love that he had for his wife and those closest to him: and that's something gingi is completely ignoring in favor of having it be another symbol of their (and callum's) power :D)

also the space ending. You're telling me gingi became wildly successful and then in an act of innovation-induced hubris, locked themself in an inescapable box, alone? Good god man. callum is INESCAPABLE in this route its so fucking good. elements of him and what happened to him and the path he went down are everywhere - even in other routes, there's roger's amnesia, there's gingi making other people suffer for their mistakes: it's so horrifying when you realize what's happening but in retrospect the signs were always there. roger's plant is literally crown mechanics. no wonder that man's juices are all over the goddamn place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also gingi getting a cat tail in the bad ends is genius. 10/10 design choice. really good dlc. this is not a coherent ramble but i'm hopped up on being insane about what iv witnessed this weekend and also we have like no food in the house rn. we dont even have fucking milk iv had to make pb&js with this strangely tasting strangely textured squeeze bottle jelly and not even have milk with it. roger is the only thing keeping me stable

and roger himself is like... god, i dont even know what to say about him really? i adore him so much. he's a brilliantly written character. it's to the point where i cant even like analyze anything i just kind of have to point at him really hard and hope you understand. i related to him a lot as i'm sure a lot of people did. inexperience and "stupidity" and forgetfulness are traits that often get flattened into either completely sympathetic non-flaws or completely unlikable annoyances and i think how the dlc touched upon those traits of roger's - funnily a lot of the time, yet very respectfully and sympathetically when the time came for it, while never letting you forget the genuine harm it was causing to the people around him - was reaaaaally good. you love roger but you understand why others might not - but even then, like the rest of his workers, you still care about him first and foremost, not what he can accomplish.

and i think that duality being present in the good/evil routes is really good: roger's good ending is one where he flubs the presentation and hands the reins over to someone he trusts more to fix up the place, and he acknowledges his workers love him as a friend more than they do a leader. and the evil ending is the one where he has a wildly successful, energetic presentation that people love, and he's getting praise and is saving the plant and everyone's so excited, because not only is he promoting an underhanded shitty scam, but it's not him. he IS, like gingi, becoming a HORRIBLE version of himself: the point where good intentions or even ignorance begin to matter less and less in the face of actual harm being done. again, much like callum!!!!!

i also love peter. oh my god peter. in his marla crown era

i 100% had more to say but i'm beginning to lose it. oh yeah THE FUCKING INSULIN SCAM IS CRUEL. that part had me with my hand over my mouth and my eyes just agape at how fucking grim it was. the reveal that peter's wife is also diabetic makes it go from "pretty fucked up!" to "actively devastating". truly gingi at their worst. both it and the blowout argument they have with the narrator afterwards are done excellently. taking advantage of peter's tendency to worry about roger, roger's not wanting to upset peter, peter's fucking diabetic wife, is so so cruel and i love it. really really gets into the weight of what you're doing and how fucked up scams are, we are out of the realm of silly jokes about crypto and in the realm of ruining peoples' lives. it's so good.

anyway. really good dlc. i will surely have so much more to say and create about it. it maddens me that it's only five dollars because i dont think i will ever be the same again after that to be quite honest with you!!!! literally my only gripe is the way it's kind of carried on dialtown's general problem with its non-main female characters but that's something people have talked about more and articulated better than me.

good dlc. really good dlc. cough up the five dollars because it is truly worth so much more i havent even been able to touch upon here. and if you havent played dialtown cough up the eight dollars and then cough up the five dollars. its real good.

[prince-liest]

I just wanna gush bc omg I love the 666 series so much. I think it made me realize I might be... furry-ish? adjacent? I just find it so satisfying how you go into detail about the unique body features of both of them, the way it feels to have deer ears or kiss a TV and just generally how much thought is put into the way their bodies work, and I've realized that my interest in that kind of idea is a pretty good reason to partake in more explicitly furry media lmao. Anyways

I'm also really in love with how you maintain the balance of each of their personality traits. Vox is simultaneously so pathetic and cringefail (also your dialogue for him is perfect, I can hear it crystal clear in my head) but also he has vastly more emotional intelligence than Alastor, no doubt at least in part because he has to deal with Val, and he's able to marginally calm down with his obsession to deal with sticky situations, but even then he still retains his personality and bumbles things sometimes because of the flaws in said personality! It's great. I also really appreciate the balance you've struck with Alastor, I feel like often Alastor is either written to either soften up so immediately that it feels disconnected from his character or is written overly mean and heartless for my liking and the way you've written him is such a delicious balance between softer aspects such as the prey instincts or moments of vulnerability and his untouchable and manipulative self, and also the way this side of him is neither written as wholly a front or wholly his real nature and the complex ways this makes him struggle with his increasing vulnerability. TL;DR arghgr your characterization is so good it makes me go a little feral

Also while I'm here, I'm curious whether you can give an answer to the degree to which Alastor is touch-averse. There's obviously a lot of ways in which he fundamentally dislikes touch but it also seems like there's at least some kinds of touch where he doesn't dislike the touch itself so much as he's afraid of the way it brings about feelings of caring and/or enjoyment being cared for. I'm curious how much, in general, you would say his touch aversion comes from either cause and possibly what kinds of touch do/don't provoke those flavors of aversion

Omg, what a lovely ask to receive. Honestly, everything you said that you enjoy about how I characterize these two is very much what I've been actively gunning for, so it's an absolute delight to see it outlined back to me. Success!!! Thank you so much!

And ahaha - I'm not a furry but I fucking love inhuman characters. Being raised in the pits of Homestuck fantroll RP made me enjoy the whole "they're bug/fish aliens" thing and it definitely rears its head again any time I encounter characters with inhuman qualities. I love writing Vox's TV/computer-ness and Alastor's deer and radio bits, and integrating them into who they now are as people.

As for Alastor's touch-aversion: It's funny that you ask about this, because the next chapter of 666 is going to dive into it a bit. Specifically into the fact that it's not, like, a set of boundaries that is consistently defined, and I write him that way on purpose. The very first time he and Vox sleep together, Alastor bottoms. He becomes significantly less amenable to touch after he goes through an uncomfortable rut cycle that gets sexual. By the time Vox convinces Alastor to fuck him, Alastor would never let Vox do that again and frankly only agrees to topping because Vox gave him an option that didn't involve getting his dick out. Then in the next episode, they're having clothes-off sexual contact. So, what gives?

Things that play into Alastor's willingness to touch and be touched as far as Vox is concerned:

How does he see Vox at that point in time? Disgustingly entitled (ew)? Hilariously beneath him (haha who cares)?

Does he care about what Vox thinks of him? Does Vox touching him draw his attention to positive or negative assumptions he has about Vox's perspective on doing so?

What value has he attached to this particular touch in the power balance of their relationship? Is he humoring Vox? Does he assume Vox thinks he's owed this? Does he perceive it as something Vox is genuinely doing for him?

Has he tried this particular kind of touch before? He's pretty willing to experiment, but that doesn't mean he'll do something twice without a compelling reason if he didn't like it the first time.

Is he getting off on this situation sexually? If so, is it fully willing (read: not a byproduct of uncomfortable hormones) on his part? That only really happens when he's in a submissive role and Vox is hitting a few very specific kinks, a major one of which is basically CNC tilted 30 degrees to the left.

Is he enjoying the touch in platonic ways? How does he feel about that? Is it a vulnerability to want something? Is it feeding his ego to be catered to? Is he worried that what he enjoys platonically is being read into in ways he doesn't like?

Is he fucking drunk? Things that bother you when sober often seem like a non-issue when you're not, both on a physical and emotional level.

How much touching has been happening recently? Has he hit his limit? Did he deliberately put himself into a situation earlier to have his limit be hit and surpassed, and now he's in the aftermath?

He does have a certain fundamental purely physical dislike of touch, but it's something that is really affected by how he perceives each individual situation as well as his relationship with Vox at that time, and his previous experiences!

[rubye402]

Happy Holidays to everyone! Huge shout out to @portal-secret-santa as always for being EXTREMELY patient with me as I fail to get my prompts again this year (We figured out WHY and shouldn't have problems anymore, but WOW it took a bit to figure it out.)

Anyways. My person is @radioproto ! A fellow Wheatley enjoyer! Sorry if this is too non specific, I looked through the blog but still had NO idea what to do aside from just an X Reader. I mean, I did include Fact just so you technically had both in one present...? So hopefully a present for you and the rest of the fellow Wheat kissers is good enough!

Also, here's an AO3 version!

Mistletoe Mayhap (Wheatley X GN!Reader)

Note: Does NOT include "Y/N" or talking for Reader, with minimal responses or descriptions for the sake of immersion.

Word Count: 1,213

“Sorry- You want to hang up a MISSILE?” Wheatley gawked. Well, as much as a core could, anyways. Fact sighed, optics pinching shut with a small clink of metal.

“MistleTOE, Wheatley. The plant?” He opened the lower plate, barely looking up to meet the blue optic of the fellow core.

“Plant? Mate, we have an entire tree! Threw lights and small little trinkets all over its branches, PLUS that star thing on top. Spacey was EXTREMELY excited on that one. WOULD NOT stop talking about it so I'm FAIRLY certain-” Wheatley paused when he heard one of the claws the cores were using to decorate picking up something, and Fact held up a plant book of some kind, page turned to a small bushel of plants. Two words stood out in the center of the page, indicating what the said plants were. "Holly" and "Mistletoe."

“These.” Fact spoke up.

“Ah.” Wheatley squinted, trying to stretch his optic slightly to see. He read the description of Mistletoe. “OK… "Scientifically called" blah blah blah… "More commonly called Mistletoe… Poisonous plant when consumed," that's grim for… "A holiday staple?" Really? "Traditionally hung up from the ceiling, and when two people are under it…"” Wheatley suddenly wheeled back on his railing, immediately feeling like his processor was heating up, and his fans whirred to life to cool him down.

“I figured you would like an excuse.” Fact set the book back and closed it as he just rolled his eye.

“An excuse for wot?”

“Kissing a certain test subject. You know who.” Fact looked over at Wheatley as he said that. The fans kicked up another notch. “I figured that if you weren't going to say something, out of whatever fears you have, that it would give you an excuse if they didn't reciprocate. Play it off as just a traditional thing and cut your losses.”

“Wh- Hey! Do you SERIOUSLY think they're going to reject me?!” Wheatley defended. Then thought about it a moment longer, handles faltering as he clarified. “...Would they actually, you think?”

“I never said that.” Fact glanced over as he grabbed a plant, assumedly the one in question, and handed it over to Wheatley. Doing so in an underhanded motion just so he didn't hold it above him and Wheatley. “I'm entirely neutral to whether or not you two work out, I was merely offering a way for you to try to find out if they DO like you, that gives you an easy out if they DON'T.”

“...Huh.” Was all Wheatley could muster. He looked at the plant… Then slid off on his railing to find somewhere to hang it.

It wasn't a big party. It was only two other cores, the two testing robots, GLaDOS, the companion cube as a VIP, and both Fact and Wheatley. Oh, but mostly some turrets facing away from the door and "talking" amongst themselves, and someone thankfully had the foresight to mark out where they'd not only be put, but where their eyesight ended. That was for the last guest. 

A certain test subject that had to equally watch their steps around the turrets, much like P-Body and Atlas, who were currently dancing to the holiday tunes newly coded into the radio, curtsy of GLaDOS, much like the fruitcake on the table. It was just a fake decoration since nobody could eat, but it was decoration for any other human Christmas party too, so it was fine.

Wheatley watched as they entered from his corner of the room. It was one end of the table that had the fake fruitcake, that wasn't near any of the turrets, GLaDOS was on the other end, and most importantly, had the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling above him. He just flexed his handle up and down as he nervously waited for them. Mercifully, it didn't take long for them to walk over to talk to him.

“Oh-Oh! Ello! Happy holidays, luv.” Wheatley's smile was obvious through his voice as he spoke. They regarded him with a grin and nod. “So uh, this might take you for a shock, you'll wanna hear this. Me and Fact over there, yeah? Pink optic guy? Decorated this whole space! By ourselves. Managed to set everything up! Well uh, not the fruitcake though. SHE did that one, not sure why though THAT'S decoration...” The test subject still looked around the room and did some small claps for him. “Hm-? Oh! Thank you! Glad you seem to like it then. That 's all… Accurate and things. Being honest, cards on the table, Fact definitely manages to gather up how to decorate this place properly like humans very well. Nicely done, all in a good day's work on his part. And-And myself of course. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I DO want to give myself SOME credit, y'know?”

Then they glanced up, spotting the plant. Here it goes…

“What's uh- What's that you spot?” Wheatley looked up, feigning surprise as best he could. “Ooooohhh… Look at that! That's that mistletoe thing, yeah? Isn't that rather-”

“...Wheatley, that's Holly.” Fact piped up, rolling over to them.

“Wot?” Wheatley turned to him.

“Holly has the pointed leaves and red berries. MISTLETOE has smooth leaves and white berries.”

“...Ah. I- hm. I seem to have gotten my plants mixed up.” He glanced over at the tester muffling a laugh. “Not! Y'know ENTIRELY my fault. I read up on this FAIRLY well, and in everything I saw they seemed PRET-TY sure the thing was spiky and-and RED. Very BRIGHT shade of red, might I add.”

“Fact: That is a bold face lie-”

“And here's a fact: YOU handed that plant to me.” He growled out.

“I thought the ONE BOOK I showed you said it was Holly.”

“There were TWO ENTRIES in the middle! How was I supposed to know which one was what?!”

“It DESCRIBED what the plant looked like!”

“Well! That's…! Good to know!” Wheatley huffed. Fact just groaned and rolled away.

“...So uh. Egg on my face, I guess. Yeah… Yeah I hung it up. Caught red handed, so to speak. Red handled, for me and my case I guess?” Wheatley dryly laughed, fans whirring more obviously as he lowered his railing down to them. “I uh… I guess what I was trying to do is… Not exactly a secret anymore. I uh, wouldn't exactly BLAME you if-if you don't want to. Especially seeing as it's not ACTUALLY mistletoe- Ah!”

Wheatley paused as the bottom panel of his optic got a kiss pressed up against it.

Oh. Oh they were anyways.

Wheatley took care that he actually stayed quiet. Kisses meant no talking, right? So he just, gently shut his eye, pressing his optic into it, to reciprocate as best he could. 

When it ended, he felt the world around him almost melting away as he just focused on them.

“Oh WOW. So uh. So that's a kiss. Yeah, I can see why humans like it so much, feels nice, makes you all warm. In a good way. VERY very good way. Not complaining one bit about that. In fact uh. Could I have another?”

With their nod, Wheatley shut his eye, and felt a now familiar press into said optic.

[mksbigg3stfan]

Guys, before you comment or anything PLEASE read the whole thing I'm begging !! (¯ . ¯٥)

I've noticed some people saying that MK's found family father figures are shadowpeach, or they include shadowpeach in the group with Tang and Pigsy, but I honestly just don't see it. Like, out of all of them, I see Pigsy as the best father figure there.

He's always stressed about MK's well being, has given him a job, an apartment, keeps him safe, and tries to protect him from the consequences of Wukong's actions even though he's a mortal, not as strong as even MK himself, and could die. Even though he's not good at it and apprehensive, he still helps MK with training and allows him to train with Wukong and Macaque because it is a decision MK made as an independent individual that he respects, but he still worries over him.

Also, during MK's whole childhood, Tang helped Pigsy raise MK. He's been alongside MK that whole time as well and helped him gain his interest in Sun Wukong. He probably even told MK excerpts from JTTW as bedtime stories. Mei is very present in MK's life, too, and a very good support for him to lean on. They're almost like siblings at this point.

While Wukong and Macaque do care for MK in their own ways and are trying to improve as people, I don't think it's possible for either of them to be father figures. They are too scarred and likely to unintentionally hurt others still. In fact, they already have over the course of the show. They're always stressing MK out and getting him put in danger. They do help him, but they aren't exactly the best protectors or reliable people.

Wukong and Macaque are people present in MK's life, yeah, and they are important to him, but they are not father figures. The two of them can barely even sort things out between themselves and overcome their own issues. I don't think they would be able to properly take care of and guide MK, no matter what. MK is grown, at the very least in his late teens, and Wukong and Macaque struggle to bond with MK and take care of him.

Not to mention Wukong's tendency to try and sacrifice himself, or Macaque and Wukong lashing out and trying to hurt people before they're hurt first, or to keep someone they care about away so that they're "safe." Wukong also withholds things from MK and lies to him for the same reason.

It doesn't matter that they are in the act of improving and/or overcoming their flaws. Those flaws are still there, and they are still not mentally well off or healed. In those conditions, you can not possibly be a proper healthy mentor or father figure, no matter how much love and care and good intentions you have to spare.

This is not hate on Wukong, Macaque, or anyone who likes this dynamic, by the way, just to be clear !! I think it's cute and they should enjoy it if they like it !! ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ᗜ^) I love all the LMK fanart and aus based off this kinda thing, and also don't let my opinion ruin your enjoyment of something !! ^_^

Anyways, I like hearing other people's thoughts and perspectives, so if you agree or disagree, please feel free to add on !! Just please stay respectful and don't be rude !! (╥﹏╥)

[kermdoeswriting]

Damian Wayne would be a secret Chat Noir Fan

Hear me out.

Damian is canonically a Manga and comic enjoyer (from what I've seen at least) and who owns a comic on the based on the tales of Ladybug Chat Noir canonically in the show??

Nathaniel and Marc.

So when Damian first got to know about both Ladybug and Chat Noir, it wasn't ever actually in person.

He doesn't even know they're actually real people and only knows about them through the eyes of Nathaniel and Marc's Manga comics.

Marc and Nathaniel had started a blog where they posted the adventures originally shortly after the duos first appearance, and the story was quick to gain traction for how realistic the superhero story was and the creativity behind their villain, so they get published into real life comics quickly after starting.

It became so popular that it reached outside France and to other continents where Damian gets his hands on it one day out of pure curiosity and because he has a habit of reading hero stories to compare to his own real life heroing he does. (Aka, critique them)

Damian reads the first story and absolutely adores it. He will never admit it out loud, of course, but reading about the adventures is honestly calming compared to living through the hero life he does on a daily basis.

The story is cliche in his opinion but relatable, and the writing is good but in a "kinda bad, childish" way. Damian sort of sees the comic itself as a fan of miraculous would here (horribly cliche and bad but not the worst show/comic ever).

And for Damian, Chat Noirs character reminds him a lot of his older brother Dick in a way. He's taunting, has heart, is determined, hopeful, and worst of all...

He's a pun prankster.

So Chat Noir wins him over pretty quickly just based on how he's written in the comics to mirror Nightwing (or at least that's what he's assuming since alot of the things Chat Noir has said mirror things Damians actually heard come out of Dicks mouth while on the field)

Anyways, bc of these things, Damian honestly just secretly thinks Chat Noirs cool as all hell.

He doesn't particularly enjoy the storyline all too much (particularly the way Ladybug and Chat Noir seem to obviously be dancing around each other romantically was super annoying) but he does really think Chat seems like he'd be a decent ally if he were real.

And his powers are just cool as fuck.

This all eventually leads to the Waynes taking a trip to Paris, France. One, for Batman to check in with the Justice League: Europe division and make sure everything was going all right.

And two, for Damians birthday gift, he got to choose the location for their next vacation and the things they'd be doing (Damian made them all stop at places in the comic and tons of musuems).

Damian also takes full advantage of the fact that Marc and Nathaniel are doing the first ever signing event in Paris for their comic the same week of the family trip.

It was all going well, honestly.

The perfect vacation until the Eiffle Tower caught on fire ten minutes before the comic signing by a deadly unknown monster and 2 suspiciously familiar looking people in familiar looking suits show up to take it down.

[redlimvs]

They're Cheap (I'm Free) // Zero Day (18+)

Calm winds before a strong storm, between a name and a prayer, was there really a difference? The stars in the night sky could never compare, so why did it matter? Why did anything matter if everything was going to be taken to the grave?

Bit by bit, flesh by flesh, everyone was the same, everyone had only one life to live, so they all figured to make the most of it all, becoming the worst people for that single life they chose to live.

Calvin watched as he stared off far into the night sky, his hair flowing gently as the cool breeze ran through him, watching as the trees rustled before the big storm. He was up on the roof again, the roof of his house where he found himself most of the time. He breathed in the cold and wet air, his heart pounding gently with every beat.

He sometimes would wish he was who he was before, someone who was so pure and grateful for everything, even as he rewatched old video tapes of him when he were younger, he wished to be taken back into his younger self. But now, he felt lost, stuck in an eternity of limbo for years to decades, feeling that if he asked for too much, he would throw up.

Calvin had very little troubles in school, he had a good enough friend group, somewhat stable grades, but good things never exactly happened to people for very long. The only good thing he could recall in his life was meeting his best friend, Andre.

While to others, the two appeared to be like every other kid in school, Andre participated in a few sports here and there, and the two seemed to have a few people they would consider their friends. But Andre and Calvin were close, far closer than anyone else to them, they shared their deepest thoughts, their embarrassing secrets, no one else around him seemed to have gotten as far as they did with each other.

Rachel noticed this, feeling that Calvin acted so differently and cold when he was around Andre. She worried that Andre had been saying things to him, but he was quick to deny it all and defend his dear friend, unaware of what she had been telling him.

He looked down at the ground below him, a good nine to ten feet away from where he was sitting. He recalled the times where he had Andre’s back and Andre had his, the sweet and enjoyable moments the two spent together to hide the fact that they were planning something drastic.

“What are you doing up here again? Our plan’s supposed to be tomorrow and if you stay up any later we’re gonna have to restart the god damn mission.” 

Calvin didn’t bother turning his head, the two had gotten so close with each other it was easy to distinguish their voices from everybody else. He felt as Andre shuffled beside him, sitting down to just stare at wherever Calvin was staring, which was him.

Andre meant so much to Calvin, feeling that the two had gotten closer over the course of their planning, it saddened him with the fact that they weren’t going to see each other anymore, after they succeeded, the two would pull the triggers on themselves, just like how Calvin suggested it. For a period of time, Andre was reluctant, feeling that he wasn’t ready to give himself up and instead came up with a second option, the option to simply flee and never come back.

“You’re stupid for coming up with something like that,” He remembered telling Andre the day he brought up his own idea. It would be pointless to run away, they would be searched and found soon enough rather than quickly get it over with.

Calvin’s mind was set, nothing was going to change the fact that suicide was the only way out. It didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself a little longer before they had to put their plan into action.

He remembered the first day he placed his lips against Andre’s, it was the night of prom, just hours after it had ended. While he had taken his friend, Rachel, he couldn’t help but keep his mind on his friend, who said he wasn’t going to go to “some stupid dance with more stupid people.”

On the ride back, Calvin hesitated before asking the driver to take him to Andre’s house, not forgetting the way everybody else in the limo began to choke and snicker at the request. They weren’t his friends, they were just people Rachel was friends with, and Calvin didn’t like any single one of them.

He rushed into Andre’s house without taking a second glance of everyone who was still in the limo, picking up his pace as he made it to the door. When the car pulled away and Andre opened, his eyebrows furrowed.

It was late, his parents were now asleep by this time, and Calvin just pushed his friend away and went into Andre’s room, where he followed behind, not saying a word until they sat on his bed.

“So, how was the dance? You danced and kissed Rachel?” Andre asked annoyingly, his arms crossed as he asked Calvin. Calvin said nothing, his hands fidgeting with each other the entire time. Andre grew frustrated and opened his mouth to speak even more, but that was when Calvin turned to him, grabbed him by the face, and pressed his face against his, tilting it slightly to interlock their lips together.

The kiss was rushed and messy, Calvin quickly pulling away after realizing what he had done. He was stammering, shaking, in complete disbelief with what he had just done, neither of the two were gay, at least Calvin thought he wasn’t gay, but he was so sure that Andre was completely straight, he was ready to be yelled at and get told to leave his house and never speak to him again, though it pained him to think of such things, he knew it was coming.

What he didn’t see coming was the way Andre leaned towards Calvin, eyes flickering to his lips then back to his face before he kissed him, only more softer than the first time. He shuffled closer, his hands placed on his own lap as he kissed Calvin.

There was no feeling of self acceptance, no idea what it was like to feel some sort of worth in life. Slowly but surely, he planned to make himself known, he wanted the world to know everything, he wanted to feel important for once.

Yet, together, away from all of the shit, he could give everything a rest. He wanted one more day before their plan, one day to make himself feel happy, he couldn’t wait to leave prom the moment it ended, couldn’t wait for the limo to take him to his friend, couldn’t wait to promise forever to him, even when they succeeded.

It seemed Andre was thinking the same thing, sighing once Calvin kissed him back, the two embarking in sweet and loving kisses every now and then.

“Are you thinking of gay shit right now? Quit staring at me,” Andre said brutally, but all Calvin did was laugh softly, knowing fully well that he didn’t mean it that way. In truth, he had stared at Andre for a bit longer than he thought, and like Andre said, he had been thinking of stuff, but he smiled at him endearingly, brushing his hand against his friend’s before holding it tight.

“Jeez, what’s got you acting like this...” Andre muttered, shivering slightly as Calvin’s fingers began gently rubbing his wrist.

“Sorry...I’ve just been thinking, about tomorrow,” He answered sheepishly.

“What about it? Don’t say you’re gonna back out now, I’ll hate you forever.”

Calvin laughed again and shook his head before staring back at him. “No, it’s not that. I just thought, why not enjoy the last night we’ll share together, before it all goes to shit, you know?”

“I...I guess? What would we even do during this time?”

Calvin had an idea, but it made his cheeks flush pink and his body all warm. It was embarrassing, but it excited him greatly, to be with Andre for the final day, then he would gladly blow his brains out the next day.

“...I want us to enjoy each other one final time, I want to make you feel good, Andre. Let me take care of you, please.”

Andre’s face only shifted slightly, and even while his face remained still, Calvin would feel his hand slightly shaking underneath him.

“Shit...” Andre breathed out a small laugh. “Fuck, I mean. Go for it, last time for good luck, right?”

Calvin smiled, nodding before moving closer to Andre, holding his cheek with one of his hands as he stared at him softly. “Last time, I’ll make you feel good,” He replied before pressing a gentle kiss on his lips, standing up on the roof to climb back into his window, Andre following right behind.

The rain spoke quietly, the soothing sound hiding the fact that it was just silent. Calvin slowly pulled Andre closer, pushing him down gently on his bed before climbing on top of him, enjoying the sight of his friend simply laying there, his eyes sparkling. Calvin’s hand slept at the lowest depth of his back, his palm sculpting out a perfect arch as Andre gasped at the touch.

His fingertips danced along Andre’s skin, his shirt now lifted so that Calvin could see all. He laid there, watching as Calvin moved gracefully like an artist in motion, brushing his chest and stomach as he painted his body with his mouth, sucking and biting gently at his skin until he let out a breathy moan.

Andre had the urge to trace over the spots Calvin was last, the urge to feel the bite marks that painted his shoulder and neck, he had the urge to inhale his strong aroma, the urge to taste his lips and comb at his hair with his fingers.

But Calvin did his own things, planting a few more kisses before removing both of their pants, Andre feeling completely exposed in the middle of the night.

“You’re amazing...” Calvin whispered, his hands drifting down to grasp at Andre’s hips. He’d never thought words would get him so tipsy, so addicted and craving more of it as they kissed. As he watched Calvin prep himself, he couldn’t help but think of what was going to happen the next day.

It was never his idea to kill themselves, it was never his idea to surrender himself to the gun and shoot himself. He could have imagined another life where the two had fled the scene, driving away in Andre’s car to escape the police before they found them and ending up in whatever city they ended up in, Andre had a different approach to what they would do, but Calvin overruled him.

With little surprise, Calvin groaned gently once he was in Andre, quiet gasps and groans filled his bedroom, and Andre was going crazy. He grabbed Calvin’s shoulder and clawed at his skin as Calvin was pleasuring him, enjoying the sight of Andre hiding his face and the sensation of his nails in his skin.

He pushed, causing Andre’s back to lift up a bit as he opened his mouth, though no sound had come out of him at that moment. His movements hushed and steady, yet it brought so much pleasure to Andre.

His body ached at the feeling, an intimacy Andre had never known.

In the darkness, two shadows would reach through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their bodies would meet, fitting together unlike the rest. The two had a bond no one else did, so emotional that the two were connected immediately.

Calvin’s lips met with Andre’s a final time before he gasped, the two trembling before he rested next to Andre, staring at him again as he stared back, no words needed to be said in that moment. While they would soon be gone tomorrow, Andre was more than happy to have shared such an experience with Calvin, interlocking their hands together before he dozed off, his mind solely filled with the next day.

[hyperactivewhore]

Hi! I just like binge read all of your tvd post and I adore them, I feel like you talk about the Mikaelson the way I feel about them, like I love the characters but they ARE awful and it causes this very push and pull with the way I view them and I'm ngl the fandom doesn't help when I'm trying to acknowledge the pit falls of the characters. that and I can't articulate the way I view characters well and I just really appreciate how multi dimensionally you view them because it really refreshing to see some one put it into words in a way I can't.

I don't know if this is the kind of thing you do or anything but I was wondering if I could ask you your opinion on Kai Parker? I feel like I view him the way I do Klaus and kol in sense. Like obviously he's a bad person but I feel like the level of fucked up he is and why hes that level of fucked up makes him a really interesting and enjoyable character for me, and it's kinda hard for me to say this because I Adore Bonnie Bennett. I personally don't believe liking one character cancels out the liking another but seeing how the fandom acts about it especially how many people will stand by Kia entirely and make Bonnie out to be this monster (because they're racist weirdos point blank.) makes it harder for me to feel comfortable voicing my intrestest in him as a character. Now I do think a lot of factors played into Kai becoming who he is and I can understand why people would empathize with him but I don't think it justifys how weird they are to Bonnie, yk? Idk this wasn't about Bonnie I got carried away but yeah I'd love your option about Kia Parker if you have one. I also understand entirely if you don't like him obviously everyone's entitled to there opinion and he did kill his siblings and stuff, but I'd love to hear your opinion on him regardless if your interested,that is. have a good day/night :)

Hello, love! I'm really glad you do, and I definitely agree. This fandom is very, very strict in which characters you can like and which ones you cannot. It's exhausting, to be honest.

I definitely like Kai, he was the only thing that kept my attention glued to the screen after the Originals left and he made the plot more entertaining. He was funny, downright evil and enjoyable to watch, but he was, at least for me, a very obvious mix between all the main villains/antagonists (Klaus, Damon, Kol, Katherine), and the writers clearly intended for their audience to see him as irredeemable, and this is of course tied to the fact there were no available white women to beacon him into "becoming a better person". Bonnie was around, but for obvious reasons she could never be that woman, though the writers certainly played around bonkai, having Kai have a clear interest in her even after she wasn't the key to make him escape his prison world.

I definitely think Kai had a rough childhood and did not deserve to be isolated, though that obviously doesn't excuse what he did to his siblings, but that's what makes him a good character in my eyes. He was a good antagonist but an awful evil person, the circumstances surrounding why he became that person are tragic and sad, and that's okay, because that's in my opinion exactly what a character like Kai should be. And no, that doesn't excuse what he did to his family either, before anyone thinks that's what I was implying.

Though I do not understand why Kai gets so much hate over the whole "killing children" as if the Mikaelson or the Salvatore had gone through centuries of their lives without harming a single child (Klaus ordered to have his unborn daughter killed, for god's sake), and it's really funny how bonkai is portrayed as this top awful abusive couple when every single ship in tvd is. I definitely get the appeal of Bonnie and Kai, the only thing that prevents me from shipping them is the fact she nearly killed herself because of him, there are a few lines I won't cross when it comes to shipping, sa/rape and suicide are on that list, but people need to stop acting like they're worse than the other more popular couples.

To summarize it, I like Kai a lot, I understand why some other people don't (I do, really!), but nothing justifies what he put his family and Bonnie through.

Thanks for the ask, darling. You have a good day/night too!

[madameevil]

I'm honestly baffled how many people are complaining the Crows are "Freedom Fighters" in DA:TV.

Saying "Treviso will be free" immediately followed or preceded by "The Crows rule Antiva/Treviso" is a dead give away to me that they're not in it for any moral reason.

They don't actually want the city to be free, you guys understand that, right? They want the city to be back under their control. They ruled Antiva from the shadows. They manipulated and held power over government officials but all that goes away when the Antaam take over. All that power they had is gone and the Antaam aren't as easily manipulated (with methods familiar to the crows). The Crows have also spent A LONG ASS TIME getting the power and sway over the government they had. They can't just suddenly replicate it with the invaders.

The Crows are manipulative. A phrase like "Treviso will be free" is easily spread amongst the people. It pulls the masses to favor them. It benefits them. All their phrases are chosen to spread quickly among the populace and reach the Antaam.

They are in the business of "crafting messages", they know what they're doing with these phrases and I don't believe for a second it's for any moral reason.

ALSO some other Crow things with spoilers below cut

Zevran may have spoken about "The Crows" as a whole but truthfully he only knew his house (Arainai). The houses don't typically intermingle given the history of how many times one house fought to usurp or overthrow another. Some of his experiences will be unique to a desperate house fighting to regain their position before ultimately falling into disgrace.

However, child abuse is touched upon in DA:TV with Lucanis and Illario. Lucanis was brutally beaten, starved out, isolated, deprived of any enjoyment, and told to ignore his emotions. The houses aren't all rainbows and sunshine. The game doesn't try and hide the fact that Lucanis was brutally treated this way. The game also doesn't try to hid the fact that Illario was constantly compared to Lucanis and also abused by Caterina. It's this abuse that leads to Illario's actions in the game. The desire for power is a huge theme in the game and we see it play out in The Crows more prominently then any other faction.

Are there some betrayals in other factions? Yes, but personally they don't have the same impact. They're all by people who were presumed dead or of insignificant ranking. It's not someone who is already high ranking with huge influence over the faction that then tries to slaughter their own blood family to get full control of the entire faction. It really speaks to the dynamic among the Crows and another reason why I don't see them as morally good in this game at all.

With that said, do I still love the Crows dialogue and characters? Yes, I just don't think it magically makes them good morally.