#and the show also comments on how the abused can also become the abuser
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i rlly dont like the habit that some reviewers have of when giving a critical/negative review of a book, film, music, etc, they have to 'soften' the review or console the audience that if you enjoy it thats okay thats totally okay more power to you uwu not only is the sentiment gratingly obvious to me and does not need to be mentioned but it shows a lack of conviction and dampens the points you are trying to make; especially if the media being discussed contains sexist/racist tropes but 'more power to you if you liked this book it's okay to like it'. have some fucking faith in your opinions and your takes and commit to your beliefs!!!!
#its such a cop out and misses teh whole point of ur fucking review like have some fucking respect for yourself and your own opinion#i also just hate it becoz its so obvious that you can literally enjoy whatever even if other people dont like it but it shows how terrible#the internet/social media has become and commenting culture etc. its just cringe#you cannot give a fucking review on the 'dark romance' tiktok books and critic the harmful age gap tropes or straight up abuse and then tur#around and eb like 'but if you enjoy it thats okay!!!" oh my god.
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metal/neo metal sonic ramble
never not thinking about how robots in idw have text like this
but neo metal sonic has the same text as all the organic characters
he also expresses clear emotion just like an organic person would, if not with a bit more robotic logic behind it [save when hes in a blind rage]
HE EVEN EVILLY LAUGHS AT ONE POINT
neo metal is proof that metal is VERY MUCH CAPABLE OF EMOTIONS LIKE ANY ORGANIC [if it wasnt already obvious when he's just metal] i think its sooo crazy that IDW shows metal is the most 'human' out of all the eggman robots yet he's arguably treated the worst, not even being able to Speak in his standard form.
ik sonic is just being his usual dick self here but he kinda has a point in a way. metal almost definitely WANTS to be able to talk and express himself. but he's reduced to his lesser, albeit still very powerful, form.
oh and don't even get me started...
it's so sad to me how even though he's still very capable of emotion, eggman has literally programmed out any hint of rebelliousness. like sure, it's most likely that even if eggman HADN'T programmed out metal's rebellious streak, he'd still be evil, but this leaves not even a CHANCE for redemption on metal's part.
which makes it even more ironic that sonic says this...
sonic fails to comprehend that metal literally CANNOT become a better person. eggman literally repeats what neo already told sonic, metal is programmed to kill and to be loyal to eggman. he has NO choice. hes been under eggmans control forever and when he rebelled he was beaten and reprogrammed to never be able to rebel again. metal has basically zero autonomy outside of eggman's orders [which is in great contrast to neo, who seems to be working FOR eggman's wishes, but still very much absorbed in his own power and emotions].
i don't really know what this whole ramble is about. i think while the comics seem to push the message that metal is going to be evil Forever, i also think it would be devastatingly tragic if he didn't get a redemption in the comics. y'all cant set up a horrifying depiction of abuse like this and tell me 'oh yeah and he stayed in that state forever'. i think if another fight happened at one point or another maybe they could TRY to figure out how to program OUT his anti rebellion streak? lol? even WITH that he did hesitate when sonic offered for him to be a good person again.
he literally hesitated when SONIC. IS THE ONE WHO OFFERED HIM A TRUCE. like he's literally programmed to believe sonic is his copy and he needs to kill him I don't think i can understate how insane it is that metal, despite all his programming and lack of automomy preventing it, for a split second, considered sonics offer.
thats all for tonight. metal sonic deserves the whole world. please reblog or comment your thoughts id love to talk more abt how hes characterized in the idw comics, might talk abt reflections next. bye !
#sega sonic#sth#sonic the hedgehog#neo metal sonic#neo metal#metal sonic#idw sonic#idw publishing#idw comics#sonic robots#eggman#dr eggman#doctor eggman#dr robotnik#sega
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Character Analysis of Pete Dinunzio (Comic Vs. Pilot)

Disclaimer: This is by no means a very good or professional analysis or anything, this is just me whipping out my Honors English high school powers for fun, to put these guys in a jar and shake them. Getting as much content out of this comic as possible even if it means yapping. Pete goes first because he's easy, lol
The Comics Highlight His Flaws
The first difference I noted when watching the pilot first and then delving into the comics is; Pete is aggressive. Much more aggressive. He's the most argumentative member in the first few panels, with most of his comments being rather pessimistic or sexual in nature. He always has some sort of retort or comeback to defend himself and his views, and his passions come out mostly in anger.
There's also a silent shame that comes with his behaviors, much more likely to complain about what he doesn't like than happily explain what he's passionate about. When he does have passionate moments, it's because these things that make him very vulnerable are being criticized, and he gets defensive. Like his love for Christopher Lee.
Without any prior knowledge of these characters, it can be assumed that Pete comes from an abusive household. His behaviors are major signs. He's most likely so combative because he's used to constantly being under fire, especially with (I think) 8 other siblings who are implied to be mostly older men. If he didn't have a slick comment or keep up this "tough" persona, he'd be their personal punching bag - figuratively and literally.
All Pete really knows is aggression, being canonically the poorest member (he states that he couldn't even afford to be in the Boba Fett conversation in the comics). It's been shown that the club lives in a shitty area in Staten Island. Plus, they're heavily bullied. It's shaped the way he communicates and interacts with the world around him. Even his obsessions - he likes seeing people get ripped apart to the point it becomes a kink.
Even the way he speaks sets him apart. Not necessarily his accent, but his word choices are usually much simpler and his points are very blunt. He's not portrayed as booksmart, and his swagger comes off more as a performance (both of masculinity and of nonchalance) than a natural way of being.
It's also worth noting his position in the very first panel of the comics. Bill is head of the table, of course, it's his house and he's the leader. (I'll get to that symbolism in Bill's analysis). But Pete is sat right next to him, lower than Bill and somewhat distant from him, but still seeming closer and getting more focus than Jerry and Josh.
His position is meant to draw your eye from an artistic perspective, he is unconsciously trying to secure himself a good spot for control and stability. If you're on Bill's bad side, you end up like Josh (I'll get into the lolcow-ification of Josh later on too), but Pete gets the least shit from Bill. Pete is not a pushover, and he feeds into Bill more. Their bickering seems almost comedic.
Totally different dynamic than he has in the pilot, so them getting along so well may be retconned. He has much more of a moral compass in the pilot, and while both versions show Pete *attempting* to be a mediator and a voice of reason, the pilot shows it more. Almost like Pete didn't want to be there, much preferring Jerry's company since they were both reasonable.
Bill and Pete's dynamic also goes to solidify Pete's relationship with his father and the toxic masculinity he displays constantly. Pete has the urge to stray and separate himself from the obviously immoral tendencies of his father, but still seeks approval from an authority figure in which he admires. Someone he sees as "cool" and capable, teeter-tottering between loving him and fighting him. His father is very authoritative, Pete was never allowed to question anything. He associates anything "girly" with pain - like how Bill associates women with sexist stereotypes, expecting to be hurt by them because of their shared experiences with bullying and Bill's mommy issues. Except Pete had it literally beat into him.
Him connecting masculinity to being capable and independent leads directly to his tendency to make choices on the fly. In a house that's always arguing, someone has to make a decision. And Pete wants to be seen as the macho man who knows what he's doing, but also doesn't care that much. So he mainly makes decisions with common sense, emotion, and whatever he's compelled to. A very "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality from living in a conservative household.
Though I do feel that most of his decisions come from a place of shame. If you're secure, you usually don't have to make it a point, or brag about it, or defend it so vehemently. You just... are secure. This directly ties into his canonical bisexuality along with his horror passions. His whole life he's been told everything about him was fundamentally wrong, and he's trying to run from it. Which is why he tries to separate his personal love for horror makeup and SFX from traditional gay and drag art forms. Those things are looked down on. He hates being looked down on. Which is why he uses gays, along with Josh, as scapegoats.
The Pilot Highlights His Positives
From the first 25 seconds of the pilot, Pete is already a more positive version of his comic alternative. He's more successful in diffusing the bickering between Josh and Bill, and is more level-headed and goal-oriented. He's calmer, seeing things go wrong and actually wanting to find solutions instead of dwelling on the small details and who-did-what. He almost feels like a disgruntled mother with more humor. His independence also shines, but so does his tendency to run into danger without thinking.
Pete also sits much farther in the pilot at their meeting table. He's at opposite ends of the table, like the other head, or leader, willing to criticize Bill and never really seeing eye-to-eye with him. He tries to lead before Bill does, starting with the "Sexy Sirens" tape, and has a little bit of a power struggle. He's leaning back, to distance himself, and his nonchalance is more natural, it's just who he is. Josh and Jerry seem closer to Bill than Pete is, which is a total 180 from the comics.
A big point of Pete's character in the pilot that isn't touched upon at all in the comics is his sense of justice. He wants things to be fair - from the trivia-off in Joe's shop, to the DnD game. He tries to break up fights but will hit back if he's being hit, or someone else is being hit unjustifiably. Much like a shephard dog instead of a guard dog, like his comic alternative. But only to the club, he's still a menace to his general environment.
His trauma is shown more subtly but it is still made a point - while Pilot Josh is unconcerned when Bill's mother is yelling at the club, Pete seems the most worried and distraught, the first to start sweating and holding his head. His body language screams abuse. His introduction panel also shows he's relatively used to beat downs, seeming silently resigned and defeated rather than horrified like the other characters.
His sexuality also seems more on-par with a teen boy and less hypersexual, and there's less sexist comments. He's definitely still a little freak, shown with his creepy little faces, clawing at the glass, and his comments about "Battle Broads" the series, but he's not trying to repress nearly as much.
Combining the Two
Since the point of the comics was to be an exaggerated version of real life incels, I'd say the pilot is a more realistic representation of who Pete is as a person. But with such a short run, it didn't get to show the entirety of his character, which would have to be fleshed out across multiple episodes. The comics is a satirical piece mocking and displaying the worst of the worst, and t pilot is a commentary on the societal failures that lead to children with this kind of behavior.
There are some parts where they undeniably intersect though. Like Pete's tendency towards violence to solve his problems, and one specific comic panel (which I can't exactly find right now) where Pete comments that sewing's for sissies, and Jerry insists that he's not. Pete's reply is "Of course not you, Jerry, you're a wizard. Keep it up." This can be seen as him just wanting his clothes repaired, but it can also be interpreted as Pete putting his own insecurities and internalized feelings aside because he loves and respects his friends too much. It shows that he doesn't actually believe what he's saying to the degree he insists. Pete is the second most likely to have the capacity to change his ways, if he ever so chose.
Honestly, it's up to interpretation how these traits are combined. Some fans like the comics more, some fans like the pilot. Though Evan seems to be leaning more into the pilot interpretations of the characters now than the comics, showing a possible reboot or retcon of their old traits, just like the retcon of Epilogue Pete.
Summary (MBTI, Enneagram, etc.)
I'm gonna use my general knowledge of personality quizzes to get my point across, lol.
I honestly believe his MBTI is ESTP, as someone who studied it for a very long time and spent way too long on PDB. But he is a very unhealthy ESTP that never found an outlet for his more creative attributes, and lives in unhealthy environments that disrupt his peace.
On the good side, he can adapt easily, read his environment and the people in it well, and he is extremely passionate. He's pushed by his love of horror and film, seeking out people with the same interests and motivation to get things done. He's very experience-based, seeking out adventure, and has a lot of energy. He's very down to earth, lives in the moment almost too much, can easily improvise and comes up with decisions very quickly. He's a quick thinker, but thinks after he acts, not before, and is very life-smart. He's a good communicator, he's practical, hedonistic, and fair.
Deep down, he seeks validation from his peers, wanting to be seen as competent, talented, valuable. At his best, this helps him connect with others in a meaningful way like he craves. But he never really gets there, which leads to him forming a persona he believes will get him that respect. He's actually a very sensitive person in that way, not necessarily emotional but very touchy when it comes to what he loves. He's prone to pessimism, doesn't think about the consequences of his actions, and doesn't see himself in a world in which he's truly successful.
He's selfish, rude, doesn't trust others, has an intense aversion to rules, and doesn't look at any information that goes against what he believes. He can be bossy at times, or judgemental of others who don't meet his standards, and doesn't keep other people' feelings in mind. This leads to an internal struggle with seeing everyone as fake or not as dedicated, but also wanting, needing connection with other people. This can lead to him being rather conspiratorial, which leads to the whole "Jock vs. Nerd" conversation.
I also think he's a sp/so (self-preservation social) 8w9. His biggest fear is being hurt and betrayed by the people he loves, so he seeks out control and stability so that can't happen. He tries his best to be self-reliant so he has no need to open up to others and make himself vulnerable, and he's hard to warm up to. But once he likes you, he's loyal for life. He isn't very loud about these traits, trying to maintain an air of calmness while also being no-nonsense. He doesn't want to lose control of his anger, but also has a tendency to do so, leading to small outbursts of strong aggression. While he craves connection, if he has too many failed relationships, he may start to see them as a waste of his time and become very introverted, like how he became in the epilogue.
__
Yep, that's it, enough yapping for me. Those are all the things I noticed, hopefully it's entertaining to somebody lol.
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Asymmetrical Symphony - Part 4
Universe: Arcane (LOL)
Pairing: Viktor x reader
Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help
Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know.
Trigger Warning: Mentions of death.
A.N.: Enjoy the 1st meeting.
Part 1 ⢠Part 2 ⢠Part 3
⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ â˘
Death was a definite thing. No matter where you were. Undercity, topside, mid-city. Death didnât choose. It wasnât picky. It plucked children from mothers and fathers from children. And it was cruel. As if losing a loved one wasnât enough, it took the memories. Their voice is the first to go, then their face becomes blurry, and then you only remember what they were when a particular tune comes up or a smell drifts from the window. And then it hits you. Slowly and all at once. A person that had been filling that hole in your heart, and now they're gone.
âMother?â
The womanâs gaze turned to you and softened, eyes starting to wet just as yours were. Her voice. You remembered her voice.Â
âMadame Rainemour.â Caitlyn stood even straighter, almost backbreaking. âI donât think interrogating a suspect is a contact sport, Miss Kiramman.â Her eyes steeled as she looked at the younger woman. âWhereâs their lawyer? If I remember correctly, every prisoner has the right to have a representative to defend them. Where is it?â
Caitlyn's mouth opened and closed, eyes shifting around for an answer.
âVery well.â The older woman, your mother said. âThey shall use the Rainemour's attorney as their defender, and until you have summoned a judge, they will be coming home.â
âHome? Judge?â Caitlyn suddenly snapped out of her stupor. âMadame Rainemour, this person is suspected to be entangled with Jinâthe author of the attack. They have also assaulted several enforcers and attempted to escape the hospital we had placed them in. I donât know who this is to you, but to us, they are a person of interest.â
âThis is my child, Miss Kiramman. And I will not have you abuse your grief and your power chasing a shadow in hopes of getting to the light bulb.â
âCan we discuss this outside?â Caitlyn hid the surprise well, but her eyebrows shot up, and you had half a mind to not mumble, I told you so. Mostly because you didnât think your brain was functioning correctly and any thought you would try to convey would come out a jumbled mess. âUncuff them and will.â âI canât uncuff them; they are a suspect. They have tried escaping once!â âCaitlyn, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. I can have the family's attorney here in minutes. He will spin whatever case you have into the tightest knot he can. Youâll be untangling it for months. Or you can uncuff my child and talk to me, and we can find a better solution for all of us.â
You could sense Caitlynâs frustration as she turned to the table, grabbed the key ring from her belt, and unlocked the cuffs.
âThank you, shall we?â
They both left the room silently, and you crossed your arms on the table, resting your head in them.Â
You realized how tired you were. Not just physically, with all the aching bones and bruises starting to make themselves noticed as the stress levels diminish a little, but also your mind is chaotic and exhausted. And you havenât even stopped to properly think about this. This shift, the runes, the magic, your mother? This worldâŚ
âHello.âÂ
You jumped from your curved position, placing a hand on your heart while turning your body in the chair to look at the owner of the voice.
A serious-faced Viktor stood against the wall, near the door. Leaning on his cane with two hands.
âBlue balls of Hextech Vik.â You exhale quickly. âYou want to kill me; just boink me in the head with the cane.â
âBlue balls of Hextech?â His square eyebrows raised in confusion, and you realized the slip-up.
âItâsâŚhuh⌠ItâsâŚcomplicated⌠Itâs a joke.âÂ
It was easy how quickly you had forgotten this wasnât your Viktor. This was their Viktor. And this Viktor didnât have the memories of your Viktor. All the jokes, the quips, the way you three could have whole conversations in silence.
âIt is funny because Hextech does exist in a blue ball form.â he said, the corner of his mouth tilting up.Â
âHow come they allowed you to be inside the room with a very dangerous criminal such as myself?â You pointed to your pitiful figure.
They didnât get you a change of clothes, but they gave you some pants. So now you were sitting there, wearing a crimped hospital gown, gray pants that didnât fit you, feet clad in dirty socks, bandages around your arms, and recently open wounds and bruises. You looked as menacing as a wet dog.
âThey did not.â he simply said, shrugging and rolling his eyes.
You shook your head; of course they didnât. Viktor did what Viktor wanted.
âAlright. Iâll remake the question.â You placed your arm on top of the wooden chairâs back and laid your chin on top of your upper arm. âWhy are you in the room with a very dangerous criminal such as myself inside?â
âI have a conundrum.â He said fishing something from the inside of his white vest. A folded piece of paper that he handed to you. âExcuse the scratchiness of the lines. I did it on the trolley rides.â
You raised an eyebrow and unfolded the paper. It was definitely a Viktor sketch. You touched the lines on the paper gently, not even paying attention to what you were looking at. His neat cursive handwritten notes were scattered around a less neat sketch of a broken cog. It was made in pencil, and you assumed there were no erasers around since some of the sketch lines had been drawn thicker to hide previous mistakes. There were fingerprints, smudges, crossed-out words, and the little, neat hatching lines on the corner of the sheet he did when he was deep in thought. This was Viktor, your Viktor. You sigh deeply, doing your best to not think about the past right now.
You blinked the moistness out of your eyes and looked at the sketch. It was a broken cog, cracked in some places. There was a thin arrow pointing to one of the cracks.
âCouncilor Hosket, deceased.âÂ
In the lower right corner, two dotted, parallel lines are drawn with a note pointing to it.Â
âNo major damage.â
A little V drawn right next to the lines, near one of the cracks, had two arrows coming out of it. One arrow, thicker, went from outside the dotted lines to the inside, where another V was noted down, next to an interrogation point. The letters M J were also scribbled between the âno major damage lines.â
The other arrow was thinner and had another V next to a cross.Â
âCouncilor Bolbok: deceasedâ a line read next to the cross.
This wasnât a cog. It was the table at the councilor chamber and the damage after the attack. You narrowed your eyes first, confused, but grinned a second after. Of course Viktor would have investigated the attack. Especially because you did tackle him out of what he figured out was the line of fire.
âI do not believe in luck. I believe in chance, but not luck.â He explained, leaning back into the wall, his golden gaze on you. âBut I do believe the facts. Especially ones I can prove. You see, in all of the calculations I made, and Iâve been making them since I woke in a hospital bed.â He spat the last part with a palpable distaste. âOf the people who were in the path of most destruction, myself and Jayce were saved with mostly bruises and scratches. Jayce, I hypothesized, in an attempt to save Councilor Medarda, saved himself, pushing both out of the way.â
Sighing, you realized how much you missed his ramblings. He could have just said âI should have died, but I didnât and I donât know why.â But here he was going on and on about the waves of destruction and the building infrastructure and how having a glass dome was just vanity and very unsafe. Excitedly talking with hands, always having one on the cane while the other moved through the air. His expression became animated, eyebrows raised and falling, his head bobbing around. And you couldn't help but smile softly at him.
Until he looked at you straight in the eyes.
âYou're staring.â He stated, and you quickly moved your gaze elsewhere. Anywhere but him. âSorry, old habit.â âItâs quite alright. Iâm used to it. The cripple with the big words.â He stopped the sentence abruptly. âI donât know why I said that to you. Anyway. My question is. Why did you push me out of the way?â
You searched your tired brain for a reason that didnât involve time-jumping to save him from himself. Although if there was someone who would believe you, it would be him.
âWell, I knew about the attack⌠and I was trying to warn the councilors before it was too late.â
He frowned and shook his head, his eyes narrowing and widening as he thought about something.
âThe quickest way to evacuate the Academy and the Council Chamber would have been to pull the fire alarm. You must have passed at least... He looked up mapping your hypothetical path to the chamber. âFour.â
âThere was a rocket going straight to the Academy. I wasnât thinking straight.â You answered, reverting to defending yourself.
His eyes narrowed for a moment, pushing himself off the wall with his shoulders and taking a step towards you. His cane and another familiar metal thump made you shift your gaze to his leg. He had already enhanced it.Â
âBut you were focused.â He said as he got close to you, so close you could smell the minty hard candy he kept in his pocket. He grabbed the paper from your hands, leaned down, hooked the handle of his cane on the table, and placed the paper on the table, the broken table schematic turned over. A small map was drawn surrounded by math equations.
You took the opportunity to look at his face up close. He looked less tired; the bags under his eyes were less dark but still present, his hair was still shaggy and long, but he lookedâŚhealthier, livelier. You dropped your eyes to his leg. Was it already eating him inside and pretending it wasnât? Was this the calm before the storm?
âYou are staring again.â You heard him, but this time you looked up at him. âYou remind me of someone.â He searched your eyes for deception but found none.
He was about to speak again when the doors to the room burst open, and you both looked up and back.
Fuming was a mild way to describe Caitlynâs mood as she strode to the table and slammed a pen and a paper down. You turned your body, watching Viktor grab his cane from the back of the chair.
âSign this.â She barked. You looked back to watch your mother looking at you, her nose held high and a slight grin on her face. She nodded.
You read the paper in front of you. Father always said never to sign anything without reading it first.Â
In sum, it was a bond contract. The council would let you go free, but aside from a hefty sum of money paid, you could not leave Piltover and had to be present whenever the Enforcers notified you for questioning. You must always be accompanied by a counsellor of your choosing, and you could reschedule it to your liking. If you were caught doing something illegal, you would be apprehended and shoved off to jail until further notice.
You almost didnât finish signing your last name as Caitlyn pulled the paper under your hands.
âYouâre free to go.â She hisses through gritted teeth.  ⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ â˘
The sky was still specked with the colors of morning when you stepped outside, closely followed by Viktor and your mother.
âI think this belongs to you, dear.â She grabbed your hand and placed the locket on your palm.
The metal was warm with her own heat, and your palm was cold and scarred, the soft gold contrasting with the rune that had appeared there. You stared at the familiar locket, silently.
Standing in the middle of a whole new Piltover, it looked the same; it smelled the same. You confirmed with your motherâs presence that it wasn't just a time jump. You were in a completely new universe.
And in the middle of it all, whoever the bigger deity was who had decided to do this had given you a very illegal and very cool new power. Magic. You werenât dumb; you spent enough evenings in the Talis lab hearing both of the boys yapping about runes and magic. And you had spent enough time with Heimerdinger to know the use of magic was not allowed in Piltover.Â
You were drowning in your heartbeat, but your lungs were working overtime.
Are you supposed to stay here? Are you going to go back? Do you want to go back? To the end of the line? To the place where everything ends? With Jayce on his knees and the Herald destroying everything you knew and loved. What if you stayed here and did something that could make it all worse?Â
âChild?â The touch on your face sent a shock through your body, and you jumped back, eyes wide with fear.
The expression on your motherâs face softened, and she took a step towards you.
âLetâs go home now. Weâll sort this out after you take a bath and eat something.â
Her voice, her voice was like a song loved and forgotten. Every word she said was a stroke of a piano key flooding your senses with warmth and love.
Her eyes matched your own, but you guessed that. You used to roll them whenever someone told you you had your mother's exact eye color. You got a little angry that they remembered her that well and you didnât. But they were right.
Her face hadnât shown many signs of aging. Some crow's feet and laugh lines, but she looked beautiful. Graceful. Bright.
And you felt dishonest when you mentioned her as your mother, or when she mentioned you as her child. You werenât. Not really.Â
âI donât think I am your child.â You whispered, sadly, after a second.Â
âI know, sweetheart.âÂ
⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ â˘
@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @adithsaley @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @angelsukiipls @casey8522 @moons-lighttrail @buttermilktea11 @aysluxe @fae-doodle @kitewa @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @hazzawillian
#imagine#arcane#arcane imagine#arcane x reader#viktor#viktor arcane#viktor imagine#viktor x reader#viktor arcane imagine#viktor arcane x reader#headcanons#arcane viktor x you#viktor x y/n#arcane viktor x reader#viktor x you#arcane viktor#viktor league of legends#arcane imagines#arcane headcanon#arcane reader
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also like. The way that some discoursers describe the role of a "power differential" in an age gap relationship is heavily informed by cishet relationship expectations that frame a romantic relationship as adversarial.
Just saw someone in the comments of a post about age gaps discussing how confusing it can be to determine who in a relationship actually has the "upper hand," once you take into account factors like income, immigration status, race, and so on. True enough facts, but also -- why are we discussing relationships in terms of who has the upper hand? How will that upper hand be utilized and what does it mean to actually be in a loving relationship with another person when that is how you approach how you relate to one another?
Liberal feminist dating advice for cishet women in particular leads them to become obsessed with not losing the "upper hand" over the men that they are dating -- to not show too much affection or genuine interest, to not forgive mistakes lest you become weak, to not become dependent upon a partner, to remain economically empowered and so on.
Again, these are very sensible attempts to balwark oneself against systemic sexism in the patriarchy, I'm not blaming women for often needing to do all of that.
But can you actually be in a mutually supportive, interdependent relationship if you are constantly guarding yourself against losing your position? Is it loving, is it nourishing, is it a real relationship if you must always guard yourself against losing the "upper hand"?
Patriarchal laws and policies and the awful conduct of many men obviously makes this kind of thinking adaptive for many, but it is horrible that cishet women feel that they can never be vulnerable around the people that they love. That is not a state of affairs we should consider acceptable or admirable; that kind of thinking is not a solution to the real issue at hand, which in this case is systemic sexism, but in other cases could be ageism, classism, what have you.
we need to remove the existing power differentials in a structural way so that people are free to love others how they want to, and not constantly guard themselves against those they love. But even in the meantime, viewing a single interpersonal relationship as the battleground in which these systemic forces play out is a bit confused.
Telling individual people who are marginalized that they must be mindful of the "power differential" when electing whom to date is a bit like telling women they shouldn't "let" themselves be assaulted by wearing the wrong item of clothing or hanging out in the wrong places. That is not why abuse happens. It is not in the marginalized person's control. And instructing marginalized people to avoid receiving love and support as means of protecting themselves only leaves them far more vulnerable in a lot of cases.
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trying to write a oneshot where billy gets a phone (his neighbour in the condemned building he squats in gives it to him after she gets a new one) and then ends up starting a tictok account as Captain Marvel. he starts it cuz a tictok abt him got viral so he makes one to repy to it but then gets attached to the app a little (cuz he's like 12) and just continues to make them.
but suddenly i forgot about all tictok trends i could have him do . the only ones i remember are the "pass the phone to someone who" (gonna have him pass it to batman and then batman shits on him for filming a tictok in the watchtower) and the smash or pass cake. WHAT OTHER TRENDS CAN I HAVE THIS GUY DOOOO PLEASEEEEE.
things i want him to do with this acc:
when he sees ppl in shitty situations (abusive), he comments on them being like want me to beat them up for you? (? something along those lines)
dueting dance tictoks and failing really badly
making a video abt all the stray animals he visits (damian becomes an avid follower and fan after this one) and it becomes a series
an info dumb video about tigers
suspiciously helpful life hack videos that are sometimes borderline illegal
maybe a video where he goes around and interviews homeless people with stuff like hey whats ur favorite food? and supper mundane questions- want this to lead to a whole bunch of videos of Cap picking fights with people on the internet over the dignity and rights of homeless people
has a series of 'rate this parking lot' type videos but of different roof tops
Superman pissed him off so he starts a collection of interrupting and finishing Superman's fights for him (oh sorry was this your fight? rip ig u dont have to worry abt him now, see you later!) what did superman do? bro idk ill figure it out
a video taking abt the best websites to download music from for his mp3 player since a comment asks abt it when it shows up in a video (it becomes v obvious that he is broke as fuck in this video and thats all the comments focus on)
billy dueting with fanart and fan edits freaking out being like wow these r so cool!!! (he ignores all the gooner stuff eyes close do not see)
doing tictok dances with some of the homeless of facwet
ends up making a video on resources in facwet for homeless people (since some people ask for it) but they are all kinda unofficial or just survival tips, and also him dunking on some of the official ones that are kinda shady (weirdly personal advice for someone who is probably not homeless? is the vibe)
makes a video complaining abt how because of how popular it has become to pay with everything by card most people dont carry around change anymore, and because of that homeless people get a lot less money then they used too
videos where random citizens call out to him and ask questions or ask him to do random stuff (most of them start off with him about to do a video on something else then derails)
some of the JL ask to do join him on some of the tictoks so a few collabs wth them.
'how many times can i film batman without him noticing me' it gets to 2 because batman was to busy to tell him to stop both times. it ends with batman lecturing him on filming in the tower again
thats all i got for him to do. idk if i will actually write this so feel free to steal it to make your own fanfic (actually please do i hate writing). but i think it would be funny for this perceived adult to make half brainrot type content that feels weirdly natural. also the weird little hints he accidentally leaves abt his civilian life that is very concerning to everyone. no one can tell if he's a million years old or born yesterday lol.
also Captain Marvel and Superman beef pre identity reveal means everything to me. ALSO THE CAPTAIN CHILLING WITH THE HOMELESS AND BEING ACAB MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME and thats like half the reason why i want this to exist.
#billy batson#fic idea#fic prompt#shazam#captian marvel#facwet#batman#justice league#superman#homeless billy batson
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Youâve got the same eyes as your mother | Riddle Rosehearts animatic đš|
âââ
Iâm not really happy with how this turned out but Iâm gonna be honest, Iâm just doing anything possible to avoid having to work on stuff I should he working on and drawing is suddenly difficult again, but we keep fighting! Fuck it we ballâźď¸
(Did you notice I didnât want to draw the Heartslabyul boys? I love them dearly but theyâre my least favorites to draw by FAR, because Ace ily but that hair makes my hands want to explode)
Anyways, here is my little Riddle analisys! Its so tragic to see how much like his mom heâs become. Riddle really isnât mean or evil, heâs trying to help his dorm in basically the only way he knows how. Perhaps it also shows how abuse victims can become abusers themselves, but on a smaller scale? I am not well read on this topic though, so I hope thatâs not insensitive to say. Itâs just cool to see how most of the Overblotters become like the people that played a big part in their lives. Azul becomes a âbullyâ, Jamil becomes a âmasterâ who uses others like servants, Leona becomes dismissive of others, and Riddle becomes like his mom. There are parallels there I think!
You know, Riddle is a very interesting character. Out of all the Overblotters, Iâd say heâs the least âevilâ person (thatâs not to say that the others are evil), in the way that heâs the least selfish, and heâs also the only one who properly apologized. Though, the others also apologized in their own way of course.
Riddle really convinced himself that was he was doing was good, that he was in the right and that he was only protecting the dorm and teaching them the proper way. One of my favorite moments from book 1 was when Riddle cried and apologized, and said that he really wanted to eat that chestnut cake, and he doesnât like most of the rules! Also of course the line âwhat rule do I have to follow to make my heart stop hurtingâ, it truly is devastating.
Sometimes I wonder how Riddle feels when he looks in the mirror, and he sees someone so similar to his mother. He probably feels conflicted, right? He loves her and knows sheâs highly succesful, but why does he feel sick at the thought of him being similar to her? I find it interesting how dual and contradictory the overblotters are, and Riddle is no different. I have this headcanon that his housewarden uniform is modeled slightly after his mom, and after his Overblot he changes his uniform, and it resembles her less. I really like Riddleâs character, but I donât think about him that much. Maybe I should do that more often?
I hope you guys like my interpretation of him and my rambling, and if you didnât Iâd love to hear your interpretation! And if I got something wrong, please correct me in the comments!!
#twisted wonderland#twst#riddle rosehearts#heartslabyul#animatic#fanart#art#my art#disney twisted wonderland#noahsart#ăăŁăşăăź ăă¤ăšăăăăŻăłăăźăŠăłă#ăă¤ăšăăăăăłăăŠăźăłă#ăŞăăŤăťăăźăşăăźă#overblot#riddle Rosehearts animatic#riddle Rosehearts art#twst riddle#twst headcanons#twst heartslabyul#twst art#twst animatic#twst angst#angst#disney twst#twst fanart#riddleâs mom#twisted wonderland riddle#riddle Roseheartsâ mom#mrs rosehearts
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BEHIND HIS LENSE | 2/7 | TTIB SERIES | PREVIEW

Pairing: Photographer!Taehyung x PersonalAssistant!Reader
Warnings: +18, Yandere, manipulation, drugging, EXPLICIT NONCON; cunnilingus, rough sex, victim blaming, slut shaming, blackmailing, abuse of power, coercion.
Summary: After 4 long years of working for the extravagant photographer Vante, you decide to step down from your job after catching feelings for your boss, which you're sure he will never return.
But he's determined to show you that there's only one person he will consider his muse, and it's you.
I don't agree nor condone any of the actions made by any of the characters throughout the story, I also do not belive that any of the members of BTS would act this way or have this type of behaviour, this story it's fiction and it's written with the sole purpose of entertainment, please proceed with caution.
Word count: 0.8 k.
Just a quick preview of what's coming :)
In three days from now, youâll be quitting the only job youâve ever had.
You know youâre extremely lucky to have landed such a sought-after job with absolutely no experience at all, especially when you consider who youâre working for, but you had truly underestimated just how demanding this job was, the number of errands you do in a day will send a normal person into a coma. At first, things started to pile up pretty quickly, and eventually, you learned how to keep on top of things, becoming one of the best at what you do, but recently, thereâs something that no matter how hard you tried to push it aside, you canât seem to shake it off, and if the job was hard before that, this just had officially made it unbearable.
Youâre falling in love with your boss.
At first it was nothing but a simple, innocent crush, to be fair, how can anyone blame you? Taehyung is an attractive man, and his charm rapidly made your 20-year-old-self infuriated, although that crush faded quite quickly (thanks to Taehyungâs insufferable attitude the first couple of months), these past couple of months have been messing with your head, quite frankly, you think youâre going insane with the amount of overthinking youâve been doing, but thereâs things you canât make up, especially since other people have been noticing too.
It all started with a simple comment, your best friend had planted the seed into your brain.
âWow, since when did you get a raise?â Soheeâs eyes nearly pop out of their sockets while she makes grabby hands at your new bag, you hand it out to her, and she touches it like itâs made of glass âHow in the hell did you afford a brand-new Flamenco bag? I thought you said you were saving up for a new apartment!â Her tone is so high that you needed a second to digest what she just said, which leaves you more confused than you already are.
âWhat are you even talking about? If you think I bought this bag than Iâll have to reconsider all these years of friendshipâ You tried to joke around but Sohee doesnât seem to be taking this lightly.
âHow the hell did you get a 4-thousand-dollars bag then? You didnât tell me you had a sugar daddy!â You almost faint when hearing the actual price of your new bag, but before she can say anything even more stupid, you quickly try to cover her mouth, but she swats your hand easily.
âCan you stop? I didnât know it was this expensive!â She raises one of her brows at you and you feel the need to explain yourself âI donât have a sugar daddy dumbass; Taehyung gave it to me the other day after a photoshootâ Soheeâs mouth opens so wide you have to restrain yourself to not laugh and cause an even bigger scene at the companyâs cafeteria.
âAre you kidding me? Are you fucking him or something?â You gave Sohee a nasty look that she couldnât care less about âI think the nicest thing Namjoon has ever done for me is saying âPleaseâ or âThank youâ, and he doesnât even do that often, how the hell did you get your boss to give you a damn designer bag?â Her fixation over a bag is starting to get in your nerves, so you try to explain the situation to her.
âIt was during a photoshoot like three days ago, he shot the new Loewe campaign and during a break I said that the color of this bag is very pretty, he asked if I liked the bag and I said yes because it was the biggest one where I could definitely fit everything I needed on it, he just nodded and by the end of the shoot he came to me with the bag on his hand telling me it was for me, I asked him why would he gave it to me and he just said âIt matches your blouseâ, kind of dumb if you ask meâ Sohee was truly in a state of shock by the end of you explanation, and you didnât know what to even say to her about that.
Sheâs speechless for a few seconds before she looks at you with an accusing stare.
âWait a second, didnât you tell me once that he made you send the girls he fucks a designer bag when heâs trying to fuck them?â Her eyebrows are almost reaching her hairline, and you donât even know how to defend yourself because that was true.
âYeah, but that doesnât mean anything-â Sohee shuts you up with a single look, and you are forced to face the reality.
âY/N, wake up, that man wants something from you, and itâs not anything casual if heâs giving you these types of gifts, weâll let it slide this timeâ You scoff at her âweâ but she ignores you, âBut if this keeps happening, you have two options, tell him to back off, orâ Her tone was starting to piss you off, and you didnât know if it was because she was being truly annoying, or because deep down you knew that she was right, âyou can get more out of him, not just a designer bagâ.
#bts yandere#TTIB series#yandere taehyung#bts fanfiction#taehyung x reader#kim taehyung x reader#kim taehyung x y/n#yandere bts#bts angst#bts x reader
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A fic rec of One Direction fics in which a character struggles to say "I love you" and shows their feelings in other ways as requested by @enchantedlandcoffee <3 If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!
- Louis / Harry -
đ This Multiplicity of Powers by @helloamhere
(E, 149k, superheroes) Maybe thereâs a universe where he doesnât have to keep all his secrets on the inside. But this isnât that universe. //an X-Men AU.
đ Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me)Â by @lululawrence
(NR, 83k, age difference) Louis wasn't planning on getting home and learning that Gemma's dad had gotten the house in the divorce and was dealing with things by focusing on work, the house, and his newly planted garden. It becomes obvious early on that Harry is a bit lost. Louis is more than happy to help Harry find himself again.
đ You are a lovely adjective, no word ever enough by @angelichl
(M, 56k, ptsd) The hurt/comfort AU in which Harry leaves away an abusive relationship, and Louis offers to share his flat.
đ Chasing, Searching, Dreaming by @parmahamlarrie
(E, 46k, friends to lovers) Harry has known who his soulmate is since he was twenty years old, and ever since, he has been waiting for Louis to be ready for him. The unexpected passing of Louis' mum, and the fact that now he is the guardian of his twin two-year-old little siblings, just means that Harry is going to have to wait a bit longer.
đ Let Me Down Slowly by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings
(NR, 39k, established relationship) When youâve been let down by people as much as Louis has, falling in love can be hard, but not quite as hard as letting someone in and trusting that goodbye wonât break you.
đ You're the Light (series) by @allwaswell16
(E, 39k, newspaper) Before beginning a new graduate school in the fall, Louis Tomlinson decides to spend the summer working in Chicago as an editorâs assistant for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. What he finds on his first day of work is a tall, gorgeous editor named Harry who also happens to be his new boss.
đ Fall At My Door by @kingsofeverything
(E, 29k, fwb) A-list actor Harry Styles and award-winning musician Louis Tomlinson have an acquaintances-with-benefits relationship, so whenever their busy professional lives happen to land them in the same city, they meet up. Itâs a mutually beneficial arrangement.
đ One Minute to Midnight by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird
(E, 29k, curses) Everything is going well until the day after Louis gets promoted when he wakes up forty years older than his actual age. Two years later he's adapted to his new life as a retiree, but he's lonely and desperate for company closer to his real age during the rigorous holiday party season
đ the evenness i fake by @shimmeringevil
(E, 26k, omegaverse) Harry has a perfectly enjoyable friends-with-benefits agreement with a perfectly lovely omega, and he doesnât see the need to change that anytime soon. The small fact that Louis giving his attention to another alpha makes Harry want to put his head through a wall isnât nearly as much of an issue as everyoneâs making it out to be.
đ Saw It In Your Eyes by @taggiecb
(E, 15k, roommates) It doesnât bother him at all that his new roommate is gay. In fact, they get along so well that they have formed an extremely close friendship that takes up pretty much all his free time. When Louis starts bringing a new guy home with him, Harry is surprised by how much it bothers him.
đ The Orchards of Jessop by @jaerie
(E, 15k, age difference) Louis hadnât thought retiring before he reached 30 and moving to the countryside would mean that heâd be doing it alone. Now, just to fill the space, he welcomes lodgers into his home that pass through working as temporary labourers at the orchards just up the road.Â
đ Captain Cupid by @2tiedships2
(NR, 15k, friends to lovers) the one where Niall enlists his friends to help start a speed dating side hustle. Things don't go as planned... or maybe they do?
đ Almost Misheard by @tommokat
(T, 6k, friends to lovers) âYou also said you were almost out of toothpaste but kept forgetting to get more. And I needed more floss so I was already over in that aisle.â
đ I Want You to Linger by @insightfulinsomniac
(E, 6k, alpha nesting) A friends-to-lovers fic in which oblivious alpha Louis courts his best friend, nests with the gifts he gets him, and is faced with the reality that sometimes telling someone you love them doesnât go to plan (but turns out better in the end anyway).
đ No More Running by evelynemesis / @evenise
(E, 5k, fwb) He's sure he saw it when for the first time, two nights ago, Harry asked him to stay.
đ my favourite colour is you by velvetnoodle
(M, 2k, friends to lovers) Harry would scoff whenever the people closest to them would question their lack of an actual relationship, because the idea of the two of them being anything more than friends is the most preposterous thing he can think of.
- Rare Pairs -
đ Itâs a Craving Not a Crush by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28
(E, 9k, Liam/Louis) the one where Liam and Louis are best bros who end up getting married so that Liam has the insurance he needs to go to rehab. Now that heâs sober, they can get divorced. But do they want to?
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Unfortunate Timing [Part 2]
(Daryl Dixon x Reader) Masterlist
Description: You found out your pregnant early into your relationship with Daryl Dixon. To make matters worse? The apocalypse happens a few days later! (not fully canon)
4.2k words
Warnings (Pregnancy, gore, abuse, violence, fluff, walking dead stuff, ect.)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 etc.

A single moment can change your life, change the world. Everything only seemed to get worse. The quarry was a group of survivors that had formed. You and the Dixons were outcasts, at least it felt like it. The girls seemed to see you in low regard being pregnant. The men were no better. They saw you as a burden. The feeling of people talking behind your back stressed you out. Being pregnant also didnât help. You felt tired all the time, also being plagued with morning sickness. Which is a stupid name when it happens all day. Throwing up in a world were food is now limited also leaves you uneasy.
You also see that stress weighing on Daryl. It wasnât long ago he struggled with the fact of having a kid. Now seemed even more terrifying. He was becoming short tempered, to his credit only snapping at you once but regretted the way he almost made you cry. âNo! I wonât take a break I have to keep going out there for food! Youâve been throwing up half the shit Iâve already gotten for you!â
He didnât mean for it to sound like your wrong for doing so, he knew you couldnât help it. He saw the glassy film come to the corner of your eyes. His heart tugged. You were in your tent you shared, sat on the sleeping bag with your head shamefully down. âNo, no. Come onâŚâ he angled your face back up to met his. He sank to his knees in front of you. âI know you canât help it. Mâ just trying to say you need more. I just want to make sure youâre gettin enough.â You had asked him to stay because he was rarely around. He was out alone looking for food and you couldnât help but see every time he came back a little more on edge. He was getting into his head to much out there.
He knows youâre having a hard time. With being pregnant at this moment in time how could you not. You had tried to talk to the mothers of the camp for advice on anything, they didnât bat an eye to you. You had looked for support and were denied it. He saw that you were being treated like a Dixon. Something he was familiar with, and something Merle also understood. Merle became more chill around you. No more sexual comments or sexist remarks. Doesnât mean he is any less better to be around. He treated you like a sister you thought. He still was an ass. Making mean comments or complaining about something you did. But he had become family.
Andrea was your biggest pain. She seemed like she had something to prove. She hated the traditional female roles that had been pushed onto the girls. You understood her disliking for Merle but she attached that to Daryl and you as well. She didnât say outright mean things but subtle jabs. Week after week it was chipping at your demeanor.
So here you are now, you think almost 3 months pregnant. Seeing Daryl was the highlight of whenever he appeared. You sat in your tent with him getting ready for his 2 day hunting trip for a deer he knew was near by. He sighed feeling your eyes on him, âYer breakin my heart with that look.â Your smiling face replacing your sulking one, âIâm just missing you already.â You stood up, âYou should see something before you go.â He turned to you questioningly. You pulled your shirt up over your stomach and turned to the side, âI know I havenât seen myself in a mirror for a while but, I think Iâm showing?â You looked up from your little bump that you could see spotting the surprised face he was making. He gulped before talking, âYa sure areâŚâ he walked closer placing a hand to your tummy. You saw his teeth were clenched. He felt the weight of pressure crushing him,
âWe are doing are best, thatâs all I could ask from you.â
He left for his hunt a little less stressed. You also saw Merle off later into the day with the first group run to the city. âHey do me a favor and donât get yourself killed.â Merle turned to you, âAnd have those freaks naw on m' sweet ass?â You chuckle as you walk away, âLetâs just hope you remember your ass from your elbow!â
The day progress like any other. It had just become the afternoon when the sound of the radio chirped on. It cause some disagreement about making a sign to warn others about the city. You just went back to minding your own business. You helped boil water taking notice of Lori trimming her sonâs hair. You spoke up noticing the displeased look on Carl's face, âGoing for a mohawk Carl? Or maybe youâre thinking bald.â His nose scrunched up at the thought. You laugh at the reaction, âBald people run faster.â Carl smiled, âNuh-uh!â You shook your head and shrugged, âHow do you know if you wonât try.â He looked to his mom, âIâd rather have hair than be faster!â He said it to his mom like he tried convincing her to not make him bald. Lori smiled at her son, âYa me to, but if you keep moving you might be bald at the end of this.â He straightened and stilled, but he still spoke, âI hate haircutsâŚâ
Shane came and sat down looking at you briefly. âOne of these days youâll be missing your motherâs hair cuts.â Carl rolled his eyes, "I'd like to see that day!" It had initially shocked you that Shane wasnât Carl's dad. You always assumed for how close they were and how often they would walk into the woods together. Then it put a gross feeling into your mouth that his father had only recently died. Shane was his apparent best friend and coworker. But it wasnât necessarily wrong, you just didnât like to think about it often.
After finishing with boiling water you handed it to Carol. You felt sweaty and all around unpleasant. You needed a nap. You said to Carol that you were going to lay down if they needed to find you. You woke up to arguing. The group that went out had radioed saying there was a problem. Everyone was scared for their respective family that had gone to the city. You felt a pit form in your stomach. The hormones in your body already swarming causing you to be unable to control them. You picture what happened to your Aunt in front of you. Sometimes it still feels as if the blood was still on your face. The thought of knowing she was one of those things walking around somewhere. Maybe they all were already dead like her. You werenât exactly thrilled about Merle as a person but, you knew deep down he was another person to help protect your baby.
You decided there was no use in stressing yourself, so you went and distracting yourself with chores. Laundry, moving fire wood to our fire pit, took a walk near the perimeter, which now leaves you here at the waters edge. You used the cool water to help with the swelling in your feet and ankles. Week after week you had the sense that being pregnant is going to really suck farther down the road. You fiddle with your knife while swaying your feet in the water. Lost in your own world when an echo starts to ring out throughout the quarry.
The car alarm got louder so you slipped your shoes on and walked back up to the camp. You saw a red car and Glenn standing outside of it. Shane opening the hood and pulling something to stop its beeping. People were yelling at him for answers when a van appeared, âso everyone made it back.â It was a relief to stop the constant thought of the worse. You couldnât help but notice Merle nowhere to be seen. But that thought was pushed aside when you heard Carl scream,
âDAD!â
You watched with a smile at the reunion of the Grimes family. Also taking notice of Shane making a weird face. He probably was feeling sick to his stomach and you thought it kinda deserved. He did persuade his grieving wife. The thought was interrupted by T-dog coming toward you with a concerned face. You clicked something was wrong, then started to look around. Merle was still no where. The sinking feeling of realization hit you. T-dog watch as understanding washed over you. A hand over your mouth, âW-where is Merle?â A few others turning at the mention, Loriâs husband taking the most notice. T-dog spoke first, âHe was putting all of us in danger. He was cracked out of his mind.â
You squeeze your eyes shut, âI told him to behave.â You inhale trying to calm yourself, âHe dead?â T-dog shook his head. You nodded looking at all the pears of eyes on you. Your eyes were shiny but nothing fell. You huffed and walked back to your tent. While you were upset about Merle being gone it wasnât about that. It proved how fucked this new world was becoming. A world your child would have to be in. Suddenly being pregnant with them seemed like the safest place for them. Your thoughts of how it would suck later in pregnancy and 'couldnât wait for it to be over' stopped. Your child is the safest it will ever be in its life. That terrifying thought scared you.
It wasnât until later when the sun began to set that you had calmed. It was cold and you wanted to sit by a fire. People were surprised when you appeared and sat with them. You had over heard parts about what happened to Rick. But at the sight of you got them talking about Merle. It was Dale who brought it up, âWho is going to tell Daryl Dixon about his brother?â Rick glanced to you then back to Dale, âI will. Iâm the one who handcuffed him.â Then T-dog shook his head, âNah I dropped the key, makes this one mine.â Based on that information you started to piece what happened on the run. That thought stalled to a stop when Glenn stated, âNot to make it about race but maybe a white guy should tell him?â Is that what they thought about Daryl? They just assuming he is like his brother? You huff in anger, âReally Glenn? He is not racist. Heâs only the person that, you know, been feeding all of you.â Glenn turned sheepish at your harsh tone. You stood, âBut you know, leave his brother for dead seems like a good trade for how much he has been doing for all of you people!â
You visible deflate mood switching on a dime. You move a hand to your small bump, âSorry I know you probably had a good reason, Merle is a hard ass.â You sunk back down enjoying the fire too much to go to bed. Rickâs voice spoke calmly, âYour pregnant.â He stated it more as a realization. You look to his shocked face, clearly thinking of how unlucky a timing it was to be. You chuckled speaking sarcastically, âKeep up with those observations and youâre sure to make detective.â His eyebrows drawn in by thought, âMerle was the father?â Disgust washing over your face, âEw. God I take it back.â Everyone was surprised at your blatant dislike for Merle. They knew Daryl was the dad. You start to clarify, âDaryl is the dad.â You took notice of there original reaction, âLook I donât like Merle anymore then you probably do. Half the time I donât think Daryl does either! But he is still at the end of the day my family now.â
Peoples lack of trying to talk to you has put there own version of you in there head. They thought you were quiet and jumpy. Questioning if they did talk to you they would do more harm then good like with Carol. Now the few talks theyâve had or heard from you made sense. You were out spoken and just tired from being pregnant. You stood up again feeling awkward. âIâm going to bed, figure out what to say to Daryl. Maybe watch out for a punch or two.â So you walked off to bed. You were happy you could see Daryl in the morning, but the thought of him learning of his brother broke your heart. You tossed and turned most of the night with the thought.
The light shining through your tent lead you awake. Still trying to cling to as much sleep while feeling drowsy. Then you heard Carl and Sophia screams. You sat up and tried to get to your feet causing a wave of dizziness. The shuffling of stomping feet telling you people were running over there. You slip on shoes taking a moment to become alright with gravity again. Amy and Andrea walked away when you walked over a voice caught your attention, âIts gotta be the brain, donât youall know nothing?â You smiled glad Daryl is back. When you turn the corner however you werenât expecting a walker and deer to be sprawled out dead on the floor. You made eye contact with Daryl when the smell of the walker pulled a gag from you. The smile being wiped from your face as a hand comes to your mouth. You immediately turned back around and walked away.
Daryl was well aware of how sensitive your senses have become. You canât handle anything raw at the moment. He noticed a week into the quarry how you would look at something raw, something that never bother you before, and it would make you queasy. Speaking of raw he should probably get the squirrels ready. He sighed watching you walk away with a love sick hopelessness washed on his face. Something that people have never taken notice of before. So he called for his brother to help, so he could get to you sooner. That's when all hell broke loose.
You heard the calls for Merle hearing Daryl walk back. Then you saw all the guys surround him. Then you watched him pace back and forth. You knew that was a coping thing he did so you decided to stand closer. By the time you had walked over he threw the squirrels heâd caught at Rick. You didnât even have a moment to yell his name when the former policemen jumped him and pinned him. Shane putting him in a headlock and Rick getting in his face. You yelled in displeasure,
âGet the hell off him!â
It was the loudest anyone has heard you, also the angriest. Shane had glanced to you before releasing his hold on him. Daryl sprung back up frustration clear on his face. When he turned to make sure you were behind him you caught a glimpse of his eyes becoming glassy. T-dog chimed in from the earlier conversation you didnât hear, âItâs not his fault, I dropped the key.â Darylâs voice strained, âYou couldnât pick it up?!â T-dog looked down guilty, "Well, I dropped it into a drain. But before I left I chained the door shut." Daryl shook his head and started to back up, "That supposed to make me feel better! Hell with all of y'all, just tell me where he is so I can go an get him." You hated to see him upset. You weren't expecting Lori to pipe in and volunteering her husband to take Daryl there. Rick said he was planning to go back anyways saying it was wrong for anything to suffer like that. Shane being the typical hard ass and self employed leader strongly disagreed. With a few others joining it was decided, they were going to get Merle back.
You were finally alone with Daryl again. He still seemed riled over everything but also you could see he was getting emotional. He was turned around facing away from you. You slowly wrapped you arms around him, holding him from behind. He slowly turned into you resting his chin on your head and arms going over your shoulders. You felt him release air, sinking into you. He try's to hide it but you see he is exhausted. You saw he felt like he had to prove something to you, or maybe just to himself. He released you with avoided eye contact. He took a moment with you and collected himself but, he was still a man on a mission.
You watch as Daryl throw things into a bag and refusing to met your eye to avoid whatever look that would break his heart. They were about to take off back to the city and into danger, so you stopped Daryl by putting your hands to his chest. He spoke before you could, "Look I have ta go get him, I know you don't want me goin-" You cut him of by grabbing his face, "When you see him again you tell him I warned his dumb ass, and when you get him back here I'm going to chew him out for this!" He looked at you stunned. You use your grip on his face to drag him into a kiss, "And you better comeback here without a scratch!" He smiled at you, eyes soft, he kissed you again.
"Yes Ma'am."
They had left hours ago and you had that uneasy feeling again. You respected Rick more then anyone else at the camp and he just got here. He was a decent guy but feel bad watching Carl's worried expression. Lori even flipped that he was going right after she herself said he was. Mood swings on that girl, and your the one whos supposed to be pregnant. Jim was off digging which concerned a few. It led to him tided to a tree for his own safety. Granted it was the only eventful thing that would probably happen today. Unless a swamp monster dragged itself out of the water you and all the girls were doing laundry in. Although Ed was a close to one. It was a welcome distraction all the same. To have girl talk again was essential to any girl and none can say other wise. Most of the girls seemed like they could now talk to you and it was a relief.
Although Andrea kinda still sucks the life out of fun, "So how did you end up pregnant?" Most girls look over to her wet laundry in hand and displeased looks by the question. You tightly rung a shirt and looked at her in the eye, "Well, I think your a little old for the birds and bees talk." That gained an eye roll from her but chuckles from the others. You smiled before giving her the answer you are sure she was trying to dig for, "I found out a day before the fall." The thought making you think of your Aunt. You continued on anyways, "Daryl and I hadn't been dating that long I'll be honest, so it wasn't exactly planned. Then I thought it was the end of the world." You look around to the thoughtful faces around you and shrugged, "Turns out I was a day off on that though." It was lighthearted from there, mentions of things that they missed from before. Carols unexpected and less then innocent choice sent waves of laughter throughout the lady's. That fun was crushed by the swamp monster known as Ed.
It lead to something you didn't expect. His sexism rubbing everyone the wrong way. Making Andrea questioned what he did instead of sitting on his ass doing nothing. Which while true and agreed with it lead to him to try to take Carol away and most likely go hit her. When Andrea challenge Ed in doing so it left a sinking feeling in you. You were uncomfortable with confrontation, probably do with the way your parents had treated you. Even with the sinking feeling you try and pull Carol behind you. The exaltation of his action were unpredictable, "Think I won't hit some pregnant whore?!" That was the first swing. It almost fully landed grazing your cheek. Carol had used the arm you had on her to tug you back before he swung. The frightened yelps and yells grabbing the attention from those farther. Carol now stood slightly in front of you, your cold damp hand moving to your warmed cheek he clipped. Ed now focused on his wife slapping her and trying to drag her away but the other girls now stepping in and clung to her. You didn't even see Shane before he pulled Ed backwards and began to lay punch after punch into him. Everyone but Carol were stunned into silence. Carols cry's and the grunts coming from the men filled the air. So maybe Jim wasn't the only thing that was going to happen today.
Everything was tense after that. With the amount things gone wrong and the still missing members that went to the city, moral was low among the group. Later in the evening Amy and Andrea had gone fishing catching dinner. The sun drifted closer to fully set as the fish was cooked with one question still in there minds, 'Where were they?' The smell of the fish left you gagging and need for fresher air. You found you way back to the water to dip your swollen feet in the water again. It wasn't a unusual thing you did, you did it often. Knife in hand and legs swaying in the cool water. The light dissipated making you aware you should get back soon. You had heard laughs by the camp so moral was rising from the stressful day. You used your cold hands to press to your reddened face from almost getting flattened out by Ed. Daryl would will not be happy about that. You had pulled you feet from the water shaking the water off them to put your shoes on. Then the day got even worse. A scream ripped threw the air making you turn to the sound. You see outlines of figures in the dark. You feel fear crash into you.
'Walkers...'
There were even two coming closer to you from the woods to the side of the water. They had almost snuck up on you if you hadn't looked around because of the scream. A tremble was in your hand as you gripped the knife you had. You slowly back away, hearing gunshots off in the air. Daryl had taught you this for this moment. He had grilled this into you in fear that maybe he wouldn't be around to protect you. The first walker was a thin women, the other a male missing its arm and limping. You lunged the knife into the women's eye. Your knife breaking by the blade as the women fell over dead. The snapping of the metal was like slow motion, the other walker steps away from you. You step back bare feet getting hurt by the jagged rocks. You had looked down spotting a larger rock and hurriedly pick it up.
You remember the motions Daryl had showed you for self defense but had never practiced them with him. He didn't really like the idea of rough housing with his pregnant girlfriend even if it was for your defense. You reached and tugged the one arm the walker had and tripped the thing in the motion. It was flat on the floor about to get back up and grab at you. However, rock in hand you threw downward blows one after another even after the thing stopped moving. Blood splatting all over you shirt and down your arms. The buzz of adrenalin causing your hands to violently shake when you stopped swinging. The urge to cry was strong but you notice the now slue of gunshots that had increased stop. The silence broken by the yell and worried cry for your name.
"Y/N!!!"
Your body fluttered at the sound of Daryl. Still bare foot you ran up the gravel hill and yelling back to him with emotion in your voice, "DARYL!!!" You had made it to the top getting to see him wipe around to your voice. His crossbow dropped to the ground as you both booked it toward each other. He didn't know what to think when he couldn't find you after the last walker fell. The inability to find you cracking a desperate hole into his chest. When he heard you and saw you running to him relief flooded him. As he ran panic rose again seeing you dripping in blood. Inches apart he heard your desperate sobs before crashing into one another. He pulled you off your feet lifting you into him. His voiced stuttered out, "Are you bit?! Are you ok?!" You voice quivering as you sucked in a breath. "I'm alright-t." He felt you shaking like a leaf and whispered into you, "I've got ya, nothin is gonna hurt ya." You had barred your face into his neck now crying in relief. Daryl helped you get cleaned up, that night you clung to him while everyone 'slept'. A moment can change everything, and it was clear to everyone after today.
They were no longer safe here and things were only going to get worse.
Part 3
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A therapist's perspective: Astarion and Trauma therapy
So I made a post on reddit... So Enby_Geek posted an interesting thread a couple of days ago but sadly, reddit isn't letting me comment on it on either the main BG sub or this one. I thought this could be an interesting perspective from someone who works in therapy and how they would approach Astarion's trauma.
For full disclosure, in general, I thought Astarionâs portrayal is one of the best depictions of trauma Iâve seen in media, let alone a videogame, and weirdly enough, as a trainee counsellor or therapist, depending on your region, Iâve put some thought into this.
Before we get into this, let's clarify something. Therapy is only for people who are ready and willing to do the work needed for treatment to have a beneficial impact on them. Therapy only works for people who want to be there and who want to work to grow or recover. This might be something they are implicitly or explicitly aware of, but the long and short of it is you need to want to go on that journey; no one can make you do it or do the work for you.Â
Therapy isnât advice giving, or talking at a client, it's also not about telling Astarion specific things to make him feel better, it's about working with him and supporting him to be able to do that himself. Therapy is about forming a working alliance to help your client, in this case Astarion, explore their thoughts and feelings in a psychologically safe space so they feel better, cope better, and are capable of growth.Â
There are times when you have to challenge a clientâs perceptions, of course, but I feel sometimes people misunderstand what therapy is intended to do; we arenât giving advice or telling a client what to do. We respect their autonomy to make bad decisions, but help them understand the feelings, thoughts and behaviours that cause those decisions, but thatâs a debate for a different subreddit, and I am not doing this on my main account đ
General Observations
So, spawn Astarion (depending on player choices) sounds like he is ready or near ready to do that work when he says its time to start living again, and he drops a fair few pieces of evidence that show he is trying to work through and process what has happened to him and what comes next in his life. Heâs getting used to having autonomy again, feeling safe and secure and starting to form attachments to the wider group and Tav or the player character, depending on how you play. Ascended Astarion not so much. Ascended Astarion is the embodiment of the cyclical nature of abuse and how destructive it can be both to others around you and yourself. He has regressed on any growth made during the game. A!Astarion probably isnât going to ever recover or grow back from that because he has power, control and the autonomy he craved to make some terrible decisions, and those decisions probably donât include self-reflection and keeping a journal...Â
Case formulation: Astarion and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)
Astarion, particularly his spawn incarnation, is the video game poster boy for complex post-traumatic stress disorder. He pretty much fulfils all the diagnostic criteria according to the ICD-11. Bear in mind, this list is not exhaustive, but Astarion arguably exhibits the following diagnostic criteria:Â
Experienced or witnessed threatened death or sexual violence- becoming a spawn, two centuries of torture and sexual slavery, being compelled to bring back victims and the loss of all autonomy and identity. Being kidnapped, tadpoled and then waking up in the middle of nowhere, it's a long list.Â
Intrusive thoughts - flashbacks to Cazador, torture that seem to be re-experienced throughout the game, depending on decisions taken by the player.Â
Issues with cognitive development- This one may be a stretch, but given Astarionâs youthfulness for an elf, he also demonstrates some cognitive issues that can be attributed to his prolonged trauma, such as issues with organisation and planning, which are usually seen in adolescence.Â
Dissociative episodes during high stress- an obvious one appears to be that sex is a trigger that causes Astarion to disassociate.  Â
Self-worth issues- there are multiple points where Astarion voices or demonstrates the belief that his only value is sex or seduction.Â
Issues with regulation - we see this with him using alcohol as a crutch, frequent anger, distrust and scepticism either at gods or his companions, to name a few.
Difficulties in feeling close to others or maintaining relationships- Act 1 Astarion is arguably avoidant of any meaningful connection and struggles greatly for some time in becoming comfortable with the concept of a relationship.
And thatâs just a small start into the many, many issues of Astarion. So, with that in mind, let's look at possible ways forward for treatment and healing that could be for Spawn Astarion if Faerun had/has therapists. If I were Astarionâs therapist, I would be looking to utilise the Tri-Phasic model for trauma therapy or three-phase trauma therapy, as it seems best fitting for trying to work with the experiences of Astarion and his captivity. Across the three acts of the game, Iâd argue that Astarion, in some ways, is following the model in his actions, albeit unwittingly and on a how-to process trauma speedrun...Â
Iâm not going to delve too far into EMDR or trauma CBT, but you can use these modalities with this trauma model; it all depends on the clientâs needs and what they are comfortable with.Â
Tri-phasic Trauma model Stage 1âs Safety and stabilisation (dealing with immediate threats)
This stage is about ensuring that Astarion is physically safe and helping him emotionally stabilise himself before starting to attempt to process what has been done to him. Trying to skip to telling the story of trauma generally only retraumatises.
In Act 1, Astarion, who has spent centuries being in peril, vulnerable and powerless with his identity stripped away from him is understandably terrified. As well as coping with the trauma of his slavery and having all free will taken from him. He now has the fresh trauma of what has been done to him by mindflayers, his potential recapture by Cazador at any moment and being marooned in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers that he now has to assess for potential threats with no clear insight into their motivations.
We see an Astarion who now has autonomy, and is now in an environment where, for the first time in centuries, he is not being exploited either by strangers wanting to use him for sexual gratification or tortured and compelled by Cazador. Now, while this is better than his previous situation, for someone who has experienced severe trauma, this shift can feel very emotionally destabilising and a even a trauma on top of trauma. While Astarion is physically safer. emotionally and behaviourally, he is likely to be much more unstable, and we see that at various points throughout the game with his dialogue and actions.
A key part of this stage is regaining control- both external and internal- ensuring the client feels stable and safe at first with help from the therapist, then gradually demonstrating stability on their own using appropriate tools. You are helping someone cope with moving from unpredictable danger to more reliable safety by collaborating with them to create an environment around them of stability, clear and open communication, comfort and, when needed, containment.
It's interesting to note that the Astarion we meet in Act 1 is convinced that only power and strength can secure safety, and the player character, if they choose to treat him with respect, can model the behaviours that allow him to feel safer, show more vulnerability later on in Act 2 and eventually turn down the chance to ascend later in act 3. By the player character's actions, they are disproving Astarionâs internal narrative that kindness is weakness, dominance is strength and asking for help is weak.Â
Now as Astartion's hypothetical therapist, when it comes to building a therapeutic alliance with Astarion, to start, I would be working to build a strong, functional bond. This bond is based on trust, understanding and as well as the core conditions, empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. I am there to help teach my client about healthy attachments, how this is fundamental to building relationships, while modelling this behaviour in my interactions with my client by setting out what they can expect of me and our work together and the boundaries of that work. As part of our work in stage 1, I would also start to feel out what safety looks and feels like for Astarion as well as his goals for therapy, because that can be highly subjective, particularly when working with trauma.
What is considered safe by one client would not be considered safe by another, and when working through it, we clearly define the goals for therapy. It's not unheard of to have a client say something like Astarion does with âit's time to start living againâ. The issue with that is that it's a fairly wide-ranging goal, so we would start examining what âlivingâ looks like, address what is realistic and unrealistic and how it can be broken down into smaller, more accessible goals. It's not uncommon for trauma victims to sabotage themselves, either intentionally or otherwise, because their goal feels too much once they start getting into it.
A key part of this stage is helping to teach your client to self-soothe, and this is all a case-by-case approach. What works well for one trauma survivor doesnât work for others. While there is essential diagnositic criteria, that doesn't mean there is a default experience of trauma, everyone can feel and experience it differently. Dissociation is a defence mechanism that is an attempt to self-soothe, and we see that happen on a few occasions to Astarion, so that is something for a therapist to be mindful of when working with him. While it is protective, it's also shutting down any sense of self, which is not good news.Â
Some of the tools we can use for that are flashback journals, listing and detailing triggers and glimmers, anchors, guardrails (when talking about certain situations or topics that threaten to overwhelm, etc) and soothing lists. Grounding exercises can also be helpful such as the 3:3:3 method or yes, the dreaded mindfulness. As a therapist, you are attempting to teach the client the skills to ârescueâ themselves when traumatic memories or triggers arise, without or with less and less intervention from the therapist when remembering traumatic thoughts, until they can cope with them. We are expanding their window of tolerance, we start small and build up their tolerance.Â
I would emphasise this is not a short process and can take months or years to get through even this first stage. For someone like Astarion and what he has experienced, Iâd say you would likely be looking at potentially years irl before he would be safe and stable enough to move onto phase 2.
Tri-phasic Trauma model's Stage 2: Remembrance and mourning (processing trauma)
At this stage, Astarion hopefully has the tools and techniques to rescue or soothe himself if need be when examining or discussing his trauma. At this stage we move our focus to processing what has happened to him while being more in control - he is less reactive to memories. This is where the intense emotions kick in, but the skills taught to the client in the first stage are there to keep the emotions tolerable as the clientâs window of tolerance has now grown to be able to cope with what they are about to work through their experiences. Sometimes it gets too much and that's ok, we pace ourselves and move between stage 1 and 2 as neccessary until the client is ready.
The aim of stage 2 is to acknowledge the trauma, be able to tolerate it and take away its power.Â
If you thought stage 1 was a complicated concept, when it comes to multiple trauma, there are a lot of layers to work with as you are working to address the trauma as well as the impact it has had on your life as the client. Here we are trying to help Astarion identify common themes that come up from his traumas, such as the loss of identity and autonomy, rather than give a blow-by-blow account of every terrible thing to has ever happened to him.
I think it's important for those unfamiliar with therapy to note here that trauma therapy does not require the client to remember and relive every traumatic memory. That is retraumatising, and while therapy is work, it is not meant to be an ordeal. The aim is to address the pivotal points that influence Astarionâs understanding of himself, his emotions, behaviours, thoughts and feelings. As a practitioner I would start with the least traumatic experiences and work towards the more traumatic over time. Again, working on slowly expanding that window of tolerance and modeling the trust my client should be able to expect of me.
You are only working with what the client can tolerate and you aren't pushing the client to reveal more than they are ready for, its always at their pace with the therapist intervening only if the client appears to be getting overwhelmed.Â
As well as trauma, in this stage, you are also working with the client to address loss. People who have experienced trauma often feel a sense of loss, and therapy canât undo what has been done; it can only help you live with it. It's ok for someone with traumatic experiences to mourn for the life they could have had, the damage to relationships, and experiences they feel have been tainted by traumatic events. There will also be strong emotions; it's pretty common when working with trauma for clients to have big feelings, anger, shaking, crying, and you would be bringing in the skills in stage 1 to help them pace themselves or soothe as they explore their traumatic memories.Â
Tri-phasic Trauma model's Stage 3: Reconnection: reintegration and connection with others
Once Astarion can demonstrate he can keep himself safe, regulate his emotions with all these skills heâs learned, it's time to reconnect with the world, rebuild his sense of self and start building meaningful connections and relationships. You can see throughout the game that the more authentic and supportive you are with Astarion, the more genuine he becomes.Â
With the support of the player character (and presumably his therapist), he can demonstrate that he can build relationships and care for others. He is less reactive, focused only on survival and can start integrating the trauma into his life rather than be defined by it. We unfortunately canât take away trauma fully, but that doesnât mean it destroys someone or they canât have a fulfilling life.Â
There is the person before the trauma, and then there is the person after the trauma who has learned to carry what has happened to them and reconcile that with their new sense of identity or self.
It's fairly common when working with victims of trauma at this stage to observe them to have newfound levels of compassion and maturity as they look ahead to moving forward past their suffering. We can actually see that happening with Astarion depending on the player's choices. Astarion grows from someone who can be openly scathing of his companions in Act 1 to coming out with lines in the epilogue such as: "They deserve happiness. We all do," and is sincere in that hope.
Returning back to the work of the trauma model, clients can take the work and skills from stages 1 and 2, and add that to what they have learned about themselves and their experiences and use it to live in the present and envision a future rather than being shackled by the past. Astarion is quite literally building a new identity and that is no small feat. It's also common here in the final stage for victims of trauma to grapple with relationships, some of which they might need to end for their wellbeing. For example, I donât see Astarion keeping in touch with his vampiric siblings, at least not for very long, but that is a whole post on its own about family systems..Â
And that, is the abridged version of how we start to address trauma and dissociation. I feel you could write a dissertation on this and how trauma weaves in and out of pretty much all of BG3 and its characters. Hopefully its interesting to some nerds out there and I might do some more of these on the other BG characters.
I've had a few DM's from people with their experiences with trauma. Ethically, I can't be your therapist, but I can at least give you some guidance on what you should be able to expect from your therapist if you are living with trauma and want to take the next step on trying to work past it with the help of a competent therapist.
This article is a good place to start on what you should expect:Â https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/principles-good-therapy
#astarion#baldurs gate 3#astarion ancunin#astarion fandom#astarion fanfic#astarion fan critical#therapy#recovery#trauma#bg3#therapy thoughts#mental health
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Asymetrical Symphony - Part 18
Universe: Arcane (LOL)
Pairing: Viktor x reader
Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help
Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know.
A.N: Two days in a row? I hope you like it!
Part 1 ⢠Part 2 ⢠Part 3 ⢠Part 4 ⢠Part 5 ⢠Part 6 ⢠Part 7 ⢠Part 8 ⢠Part 9 ⢠Part 10 ⢠Part 11 ⢠Part 12 ⢠Part 13 ⢠Part 14 ⢠Part 15 ⢠Part 16 ⢠Part 17
⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ â˘
Viktor had once told Jayce that the lab should only be open to two people: him and Jayce. Anyone else was a distraction to their work.
However, as he glanced at you and your focused face as you tried to work on your rune shaping, it had him retracting his statement. Yes, you were a distraction, but Viktor couldn't help but welcome it into the lab. It was as if you had been there since the beginning. The way you lazily draped over the couch or leaned into his table. At some point during some of the past days, he found himself expecting to see you either enter the lab or already sat at your spot.
It was a strange and yet familiar emotion that he had felt once before. When he met Jayce, there was this invisible pull that linked both Piltoverâs man of progress and the kid from Zaun, who had stolen an Academy uniform.
They fit together; despite all the bickering and head-butting, they both knew they would be there for each other, whether it was at their highest high or the end of the world. That connective tissue that passed between him and Jayce was made of the strongest alloy in Runeterra.
And then, you came along. When he crossed eyes with your disgruntled figure on the night of the rocket attack, he felt it. The same electricity jolt as when he met Jayce. Small strands were slowly becoming a rope that connected him to you. Even though he didnât care to understand why, he let the familiar pull of thread manifest. Much like Jayce, your presence was welcomed in his space. And much like Jayce, you quickly found a way to his heart. Even if the space you occupied was entirely different from Jayceâs, you both were a part of him.
He knew you liked sweet tea without sugar or black tea with tons of it. He had caught you humming and singing when youâd been helping keep watch on the lab. He felt the love that you and Esther shared every time both of your eyes met. He learned that you have an expression only for when Jayce annoys you. He was keeping track in his mind of all the places where he had touched you, and you hadn't immediately flinched. He enjoyed it when you called him Vik with a grin on your lips that changed the intonation of his nickname.
And at the present moment, he had learned that he very much enjoyed you calling him 'Professor.' He made his face grow red, and his mind jumped to scenarios it had no business jumping to while he was at the lab.
It didn't stop him from stealing sideways glances at you from his seat at the table. The small twitch of your hand as you spoke the rune, followed by a frustrated frown when the rune didnât work. The scientist looked at your hands, and his own started to warm as he thought about how well his long fingers intertwined with yours. He chuckled when you groaned at the panel, shaking it in frustration, the old panel rattling at the abuse.
When he sat down next to you after working in the malfunctioning reader, you immediately tucked your feet under his thigh. The sound that escaped him was more of a surprise than disapproval. The gesture was so domestic and comfortable.
You started to quickly shuffle away while he had to consciously make his movements relaxed and nonchalant as he stopped you. His first instinct was to just grab your legs and keep them in place. Lies. His first instinct was to grab your legs and place them in his lap, letting the warmth of you help with his aching bones. He contented himself with keeping your feet warm under his leg.
He enjoyed the silence in the lab, even when Jayce cursed and grumbled on his workstation or when you hammered the little blue crystals from the board. It was a fulfilling calmness. He was surrounded by the machinations of the people he cared about. And as he was lulled into a relaxing state, somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he had no desire to do any more work today. Which wasnât exactly a bad thing, but it was surprising.
All he wanted to do for the rest of his workday was to sit on this heavenly upholstered couch absorbing your heat while listening to Jayce tinker away angrily.
You groaned in frustration once more, and he wrapped his hand around your knee, drawing soothing circles on it. You didnât acknowledge it, and when he looked at you, he saw a line between your eyebrows, showing your feelings.
In his mindâs eye, an image flashed. Him, leaning down, smoothing that line with his thumb, and then placing a kiss where it showed, while you scrunch your nose in mock protest. It was a clear memory of something that had never happened. It felt like seconds separated that gentle calmness from when chaos broke loose, even though it had been hours.
One moment he was welcoming Sky into the lab, trying to leash Jayce's misplaced anger, and the next their assistant was lying on the floor bleeding.
âJayce! Go get help!â The broader man nodded and jumped to action, leaving you and him to look after the slightly younger woman.
Viktor's thoughts were running. The quickness of events still not completely sinking in. He had quickly spared a glance at Jayce's table, where a metal ball seemed to have expanded with the heat of Jayce's welding machine. He cursed under his breath and looked back at Sky.
You were gently caressing her head and telling her to breathe, and for a moment Viktor wished he had the people skills to be able to calm someone else down when he was panicking.
He kept applying pressure to the blanket but stopped short when you ripped the glove from your hand, his mouth open to protest. The glow still amazed him. and even though it was faint, it was awe-inducing seeing your fingers shimmer with light.
Before he could finish calling your name, something shifted. Not just in you, but in the room. There was a buzz in his ears, a sudden temperature rise, and his eyes watering.
As he tried to adjust to this weird atmospheric change, you abruptly shoved the blanket away from Sky's midsection. An almost feral move, making him almost lose the precarious balance he had managed on the floor.
Your hand gripped the place where the woman had been hurt as if you were trying to tear that piece of her out. There was something artificial in your movements, like something was doing it for you.
The hand you placed on the injuries turned charcoal black, and the white uniform his assistant wore started to look like it was being burned, small holes rimmed with an incandescent orange glow appearing on it. His eyes widened, scared it was burning Sky, but the girl only whimpered, and when he tried to look closer, only her uniform was melting.
The black on your hand started to grow, small black lines climbing your arm, and with the little Viktor knew about anatomy, it seemed like it was flowing upwards through your veins.
He called your name, and whatever looked back at him was not you. Your welcoming eyes were cold and unfeeling; he would dare to go as far as angry. They reminded him of a cat eye with a blue glow light reflecting in the pupils. Viktor quieted down as you kept staring at him coldly, searching for something in his face, and when he tried to call your name again, you only tilted your head. From the corner of his eye, he saw three red dots appear on the front of your clothing, mirroring Skyâs injuries. He tried to call out to you, but when you blinked, he saw the warmth in your eyes come back. You gasped in pain, and you slumped over, laying face down on the floor.
There were a couple of seconds before Viktor's brain restarted to focus. He looked down at Skyâs burned uniform and noticed three small red healed scars, and then his eyes shifted to the pool of blood starting to come from under you. He shuffled quickly towards you right before Jayce burst in the door with several enforcers. His partner's face was a mask of confusion and disorientation, but Viktor shook his head. Not the time.
"We need to get them to the hospital," Viktor said, still sitting weirdly on the floor, and Jayce quickly nodded.
Viktor's heartbeat was becoming faster by the second. He had been scared. For a moment he had been scared. Not for you, but of you.
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@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @kitewa @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty @lansy-4 @ayupfrogg @sammypotato @wnbrw @lucycarlisleswife @noxturnalmoth @ren-ren23 @furblrwurblr @kapitankarate @mynicknameisgasoline @octo-octopie @birbwithhat @kneelarmhstrung @dedicated2viktor @elvishstudies
#arcane#viktor#arcane viktor#viktor x reader#arcane x reader#viktor arcane#viktor arcane x reader#slow burn#viktor x you#viktor x y/n#arcane viktor x reader#viktor league of legends#arcane season 2#arcane x you#arcane reader
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Hello! I like your headcanons and I would like to suggest an idea. Can I request Jiyan from Wuthering Waves with a reader who was a slave in childhood and still has a barcode on his/her neck? Maybe some hurt/comfort. I just finished Aventurin's quest and it was so sad. I'm sorry if there are mistakes. English is not my native language đ
Marked Yet Unbroken
Tags: Jiyan x Reader, Headcanons, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Healing, Mentions of Slavery, PTSD, Nightmares, Emotional Support, Protective Jiyan, Comforting Relationship, Empowerment, Slow Burn.
Warnings: Trauma (mentions of past slavery and abuse), Emotional Struggles, Mentions of Violence.
A/N: I always start crying when I remember Aventurine's backstory... đĽşđ (Tried new style for hcs, i probably won't keep it)

When Jiyan first notices the slave mark on your neck, he doesnât comment immediately. Instead, his sharp eyes linger for just a moment longer than usual before shifting away. You can tell from his slight frown and clenched fists that he understands its implication but refrains from prying, respecting your boundaries.
Over time, as your bond with Jiyan deepens, he gently shares his own burdens and regrets, like the loss of his mentor Beiwang. Itâs his way of inviting you to share your story, making sure you know he sees you as an equal, not as someone to be pitied.
Jiyan becomes fiercely protective of you, though in his usual stoic way. If anyone dares to bring up your past or stare at the mark, his sharp eyes silence them instantly. His commanding aura makes it clear youâre under his protection.
Despite his reputation as the "Qingloong," Jiyan has a tender side that he reserves for you. When youâre feeling overwhelmed, heâll sit beside you in quiet solidarity, offering his presence without forcing you to speak. On rare occasions, heâll gently trace the outline of the mark with his thumb, silently reassuring you that it doesnât define you in his eyes.
Jiyan is no stranger to nightmares, and when he finds you trembling after a bad dream, heâll stay by your side, holding your hand and whispering quiet reassurances. His steady voice and warmth feel like a shield against the shadows of your past.
Jiyan admires your resilience, often marveling at how youâve endured so much yet found the strength to keep moving forward. He sees the barcode as a mark of survival, not shame, and will remind you of that whenever your confidence wavers.
The first time you show him the full story behind the slave markâsharing the horrors of your childhoodâJiyan listens intently, his usually calm demeanor giving way to a rare flicker of visible anger. He doesnât press for details, but his quiet vow to ensure your safety is clear in his gaze.
Jiyan offers to teach you self-defense or combat techniques if you're willing. Though he respects your past, he also wants you to feel empowered and never trapped again. His training sessions are intense but filled with patience, and he always gives subtle praise when you make progress.
When youâre ready, Jiyan helps you create new memories to reclaim your life. Whether itâs through walks under the stars, sparring together, or quiet evenings reading or practicing medicine, he ensures you feel like your present and future are yours to shape.
Jiyan may not be the most openly affectionate person, but his actions speak volumes. Heâll cook your favorite meals (even if heâs not a great chef), surprise you with small gifts like medicinal herbs or trinkets he thinks youâd like, and ensure you have a safe place to rest whenever the weight of your past feels too heavy.
In a deeply intimate moment, Jiyan crafts a teal silk ribbon, inspired by the Qingloong. He ties it gently around your wrist, telling you itâs a symbol of your strength and freedom. âThis,â he says softly, âis who you are now. Not what they tried to make you.â

#x reader#wuwa jiyan#jiyan wuthering waves#jiyan#jiyan wuwa#wuthering waves jiyan#wuthering waves x y/n#wuthering waves x you#wuthering waves x reader#wuthering waves#hurt/comfort#angst#healing#mentions of slavery#ptsd#tw nightmares#emotional support#protective#comforting relationship#empowerment#slow burn#trauma#emotional struggles#mentions of violence
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Why do Batman fans so often want him to be a psychopath?
Genuinely donât know what post made me seem like i hate bruce BUT iâm happy to explain the propaganda and hate around Batman and bruce!
So as everyone is aware the âbatfamilyâ kicked off in the early 90s (1940) googles say and so forth came alive, the batfamily!
Nightwing was the first and at age around 16 (I believe anyway feel free to correct me if iâm wrong), he ran off due to a fight with Bruce regarding situations and was FIRED, bruce FIRED him but this also fed alive nightwing who appeared when Dick was nineteen, he did try and be robin again but disliked it so returned to nightwing.
Now nightwing is a kryptonian superhero or legend, or two birds, flamebird and nightwing so the name is inspired by clark. (again feel free to correct me if iâm wrong.)
We move onto Jason, now by popularity vote he was widely disliked but he had been added into the media because ârobin was neededâ idfk, so they killed him off and tried a couple of other robins.
Like stephanie brown, duke thomas but they didnât exactly hit it off.
UNTIL tim drake came, now he wasnât just âpushing his way into the position.â funnily enough he tried to get nightwing to become robin who adamantly refused and the job was just given to him and he was like âhuh, okay.â
and we all know damian anyway.
So this leads to your question âwhy do people hate bruce?â
Honestly if i were to answer by my own beliefs iâd say itâs because they hate the way he treated his children repeatedly .
So it built up the idea of âheâs an abuserâ when in reality heâs got mental health issues, WAS A TEEN DAD, HE WAS A TEEN WHEN HE ADOPTED DICK and seeing jason probably further ruined his mental stability.
Bruce is a good guy but he just doesnât know how to be a good father is my opinion on him, heâs the âiâm trying.â
So in a lot of my posts he might seem more pushy, takeback, to the sudden sweetness, because heâs trying to find a line.
And a lot of batman fans donât seem to know Batman can be on that line of âheâs a father thatâs good and bad.â like he ruined his relationship with Jason letâs not lie, but Jason does love him, itâs just extremely strained, under the red hood is a good example of Jason STILL wanting to be bruceâs son after everything.
But he and dick arenât âas closeâ as people think either, thatâs his first son, the one he made the first mistakes with, the one he kicked out, fired, of course their relationship is all cracks underneath the seams.
So yes people hate him because heâs a âterrible fatherâ more often then not and not have any other reason.
Heâs a good hero and realistically a father on the line of trying.
My best response to this question anyway, i donât know if i came across if i hated him or if i didnât but i donât, iâm aware Bruce has issues and he never sorted those.
Iâm aware he canât be entirely blamed so why be angry with him? you need to remember he did try and attempt dick to stop being robin in like multiple shows and that little brat was like âyou arenât my dadâ and then proceeds to beat a fully 5â0 guy with just his hands alone.
Heâs tired atp.
and with how the media portrays bruce now adays he comes off rude and cold.
But some good shows where his character is actually almost canon for once are - batman brave and the bold, justice league animated and some of the older batman shows.
He cares guys, he just doesnât know how to show it :)
UPDATE: realised i reread the question wrong, a commenter explains it perfectly
#bruce wayne#jason todd#dcu#dc comics#batman#red hood#answering questions#ask away#in the fomments#batman debate#nightwing#richard grayson#dc robin#batfam#damian wayne#batfamily
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Tw: Mentions of child abuse and sa
Mitsuki Bakugou is such an interesting character to me... I know everyone is always quick to either defend or accuse her (of abuse), but honestly, I don't think her treatment of Bakugou is a black and white topic.
First point, I know the show frames Bakugou's violent nature as something that's been apart of him since he was a kid. Like, he was just born like that of course!

It is somewhat pictured this way in team up missions. But let's be honest, children grow up following their parents as an example. I don't like the whole excuse that the only reason Mitsuki is violent towards Bakugou bc Bakugou is violent towards her. Why is he violent towards her?? It's completely plausible that Mitsuki was violent and aggressive even before Bakugou was born, and Bakugou somewhat led by her example. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know?
This scene in particular is interesting. People who defend Mitsuki are often quick to say that, well, he was yelling at her, so of course she hit him!
First off... your child lashing at you should not be an excuse to hit them. Bakugou was just yelling here, he didn't make any violent threat or action towards he. And, it's also good to note that before this, she had hit Bakugou for literally no reason...

Like... we can see here that Bakugou was just sitting there quietly. He even looks a little dejected (understandable considering what he had just gone through). This slap was completely unprovoked??? Of course, this is played off for laughs, but it really gives you an insight on their dynamic. And just after Mitsuki hit him, Bakugou even exclaimed "that hurt!" (In the english dub) ....prompting her to hit him again, as I showed above. This is obviously concerning. And yes, you can argue that dealing with Bakugou's violent and aggressive nature simply wore her out to this point, but again, where do we draw the line with using physical violence against your child?? Does being bratty excuse it?? Does having good intentions excuse it?? What excuses it?? It becomes really hard to justify it when you ask yourself those questions.


Bakugou also makes these comments when they're trying to win over the Masegaki kids... confirming that Mitsuki used violence towards him even as a young child.
Furthermore, Mitsuki isn't painted in the best light even outside of Bakugou... some people may disagree, but Masaru and Mitsuki don't seem to have a healthy marriage. At all. In fact, it seems to be almost abusive to an extent.


This seems to be the normal dynamic in the Bakugou household. Which um. Isn't healthy in the slightest. It's ALSO implied that Mitsuki forced herself on him...


"So you couldn't refuse her." Hello?
I will address that Masaru is blushing in that panel, so it could be seen that Masaru was reciprocating with Mitsuki's "flirtations" but still, "pounced" is an interesting choice of words. This is also played off for comedy because we all know how well shounen treats male sa victims.
She also goes as far to say-

Mitsuki is blatantly victim blaming here. Even if she wasn't being serious, or putting on a front for the teachers, this is a horrible things to say to your son who just went through something traumatizing. It's often ignored because of his brash nature, that Bakugou is still a kid. He was only fifeteen or sixteen at the time he was kidnapped. He has to live with the burden of feeling like he was the reason for his idol's fall. That is a LOT of turmoil for a kid to go through. Imagine you're in the midst of dealing with all that, and your mom insinuates that it's YOUR fault. That's awful. Even if Mitsuki was putting on a front, how was Bakugou supposed to know that??
So, it's pretty obvious that the way Mitsuki treats Bakugou is abuse. But, does mean that Mitsuki doesn't care about Bakugou?? No. Of course not. She loves her son, and it's clear she does. To us, at least.

We see her affectionately looking at her son's photo album.

She admits that she was worried about him while loving ruffling his hair.


She absentmindedly thinks about how he isn't a fan of rain when he's away.
Mitsuki loves Bakugou. There's no doubt about that. But unfortunately, kids will only ever see how their parents present themselves towards them. We can see that Bakugou was present when Mitsuki admitted that she was worried about him, but that was still after she had hit him and victim blamed him. And Bakugou in that panel... almost looked used to it. Used to receiving hits and used to having her do a motherly gesture every now and then, giving him mixed signals. That must be a very stressful way to grow up.
Yes, we can blame Bakugou's quirk, how everyone hyped him up for his current behavior... but if we dig a bit deeper, are those really the only reasons he was so violent towards others?? Or is it possible that he was subconsciously mimicking his mother's behavior?? This does NOT excuse Bakugou's behavior, but it does help put things into perspective.
I think that while Mitsuki loves her son, Bakugou will always have conflicting feelings towards her, and that may end up with their relationship being strained as he reaches adulthood.
Honestly, it's concerning how when dealing with the Todoroki family, Horikoshi portrayed Endeavor's abuse in a serious light, showing how it impacted Todoroki and the family. But Mitsuki, her abuse towards her son is consistently plays off for laughs. As a gag of sorts. That's the common pattern when we see Mitsuki act that way towards Bakugou, it's always framed in a comedic light. Why is that when it's a conventionally attractive woman doing the abuse it's funny?
I have thoughts on Masaru too, but that's a whole other post... so for now, I'll say that Masaru is also complicit in Mitsuki's treatment towards Bakugou, but also a victim of his wife.
You are feel free to have a different take on Mitsuki, but this is how I read her character.
#mha#my hero academia#bnha#bakugou mitsuki#bakugou#katsuki bakugou#mha critical#masaru bakugou#bakugou katsuki
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lets talk abt house and empathy. the general perception of house is that he's hypoempathetic and generally doesn't care about people. however i would argue very distinctly that he cares TOO much and feels TOO MUCH empathy!!
this is my second post in a row talking abt john house but THINK abt his childhood! they moved around constantly, so he likely never got a chance to make friends as a kid. his dad abused him and his mom let it happen. for a kid who cared so much about the people around him, that would kill him!!!! it's highly likely that he initially developed his "antisocial tendencies" as a protective mechanism so that people couldn't hurt him by leaving or by actually hurting him.
on top of that, he says that he became a doctor essentially because he saw a guy who was treated horribly and yet people still needed him when it came to medicine. it makes a lot of sense to me that a young greg house would feel deeply for that man AND see himself in him. he also talks about how the appeal of his job is solving puzzles - but there are lots of other jobs where that would work!!! he could have become a detective (acab but w/e), a computer scientist, etc etc. instead he chose a career where he SAVES people.
house doesn't talk to patients because he doesn't want them to become real to him, because then he'll care too much. a puzzle is a puzzle and a puzzle doesnt need feelings or morality, but when he has to come face to face with a patient, it becomes a situation where he can start to feel for them and care about them. this is commented on multiple times in the show but notably in the episode with the doctor in antarctica, who he cares very deeply about by the end.
i also firmly believe that house is autistic, like its nondebatable to me, and i think that he doesn't instinctively know how to read social cues, which is why he's so obsessed with patterns. he's memorized what emotions look like on other people, and he's memorized the typical behaviors of the people around him (e.g. wilson's ties, stacy's cross) and that's how he can read their emotions. if he doesn't connect to a patient he can't necessarily feel their emotions as strongly, he has no chance to learn their reactions!!
#hate crimes md#house md#gregory house#child abuse#autistic greg house#i'm autistic and house is autistic i'll die on this hill#i posted this while sitting in the er#because i am so brainrotted#my thoughts
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