#and this is one of them: that there is actually a mutual respect and regard between them

[biyoualwaysryan]

This isn't as directly relevant to your point about AI art but I just generally hate auteur culture. It's especially frustrating for me with Video Games (largely because that's my respective art field) but Games are by-and-large made by teams. Indie games can occasionally be made by one person at the forefront but those are rare and should not be viewed as the norm!!! Also most popular examples of 'solo indie games' still had other contributes. Toby Fox had Temmie Chang help with art and character Design. The Balatro guy commissioned someone off Fiverr to write the soundtrack. Schedule 1 had a composer and graffiti artist to help. Even when games actually were made solely by one person (as I believe is the case with Stardew Valley), they still pull very heavy inspiration from titles that came before (SV was based on the Harvest Moon series). Again though, I don't want these specific counterexamples to bury the lede that even if a few successful titles were "truly" made as a solo endeavor, that still is the exception to the thousands of other games that are released by teams of people.

I find it especially frustrating with AAA games because it erases the contributions of hundreds if not thousands of people who crunched to provide programming, design, art, audio, and writing. I know that we can't see their faces plastered with every skyrim rerelease meme the way we do with Todd Howard, but it still infuriates me when he gets treated as the sole decision maker. That's not to say The "Auteur's" didn't do anything. Hideo Kojima especially I know has a lot of influence on the writing process, and maintaining a cohesive creative vision across a large project like that is a skill in and of itself. However, even with the writing, he almost assuredly had a team behind them that he was leading. There's no way he wrote the entire script or even storyboard on his own.

Attempting to bring it back to your original point about AI art. Art is kinda inherently collaborate. That isn't to diminish the value or respect deserved of people who do devotedly spend years on their solo passion projects. but even if there truly was Only one person who did direct work on the art, they still pulled inspiration from elsewhere. People often rebuke the analogy of AI training data being akin to inspiration. And that's fair, there are flaws with the comparison regarding how each process works. But I still think the principle holds. They are both cases of the original artist contributing to the later work. I have issues with the ways that accreditation and rewards/royalties are (not) provided. But also tbf a lot of the ways that accreditation works with inspiration is minor (arguably lacking). George R R Martin doesn't pay royalties to the author of The Iron King (which he directly accredited as inspiring ASoIaF) and he certainly didn't get permission to write his own books.

To be fair, I'm not saying that I'm not trying to defend the poor accreditation policies behind AI model training. I overall find that to be the crux of any ethics issues with AI, but that's a whole other discussion. Maybe there needs to be better cultural expectations for people pulling inspiration. Maybe there needs to be better legal expectations. Maybe the difference between a rip-off vs. an homage is impossible to distinguish. Maybe only the solution to AI art is to just do away with capitalism and replace it with a system wherein progress mutually benefits the entirety of society so that way inventions like this don't just consolidate artificially scarce resources into the hands of those who already have power. I dunno. I have a lot of mixed feelings about whether 'ethical AI' is possible but I don't have any conclusions related to it.

The one thing I do know is that I'm sick and tired of people trying to apply an individualist view towards art. Art is one of the most collaborative and beautiful aspects of our culture, and that collaboration is a huge part of why it's beautiful. Stop trying to view turn it into an individualistic thing!

Can I be controversial for a second. I think it's rlly interesting that a complaint that a lot of people on here have about AI art is that the artist, usually construed as a single person or in rare cases a few people who do the entire process of "making art," is viewed as having not "made" the art as in done all the labour to produce the work, when going into irl art spaces often reveals that this is the case far more often than people seem to believe it to be. I can only speak with authority on photography because that's the community I'm involved in but I can't tell you how many shows I've gone to which credit one name but, when you speak to the photographer, they either had someone else develop and print the film/edit the files/whatever, and while this is definitely not the rule (not even in film) it happens enough that it's significant because the person who does those things makes kind of big decisions about the way a photograph... is, for lack of a better word. changing things like exposure, how much dust on the lens/scanner to edit out, how much to doctor the photograph to show a more idealised idea of the subject (editing out wrinkles etc), these are big artistic decisions that someone else other than "the artist" is making. which brings us to AI and the idea of "not making" something yourself. a photographer exposes a piece of film to light for a fraction of a second and then other people develop, edit, and print their photograph, and through this engrained idea of art as unilaterally solitary rather than a conversation between everyone involved that's the work of the photographer alone. somebody on chatGPT comes up with an idea and gets a machine to execute it and they didn't "make" it. idk if I'm trying to make a point other than it's weird how labour is viewed in the arts + under my communist regime people who don't credit richard avedon's darkroom staff in exhibits of his work will be executed by firing squad

[sleepyvib-es]

Percy Jackson is a highly empathetic and compassionate character who shows kindness and loyalty to all kinds of people no matter what their background or story is. It didn't matter if they were mortals, immortals, gods, demigods, titans or monsters. He has shown kindness, compassion and loyalty to:

Tyson (his half brother, a cyclops, who he protected from bullies before and after knowing what he was. yes he faltered once but that was more of him feeling bad that he was once again the odd one at camp. he made up for his negative feelings about tyson being his brother by continuously saving him, standing up for him and finally recognizing him his brother. Percy believes so much in Tyson.)

Grover (his best friend, who he protected from bullies before finding out grover is a satyr sent to protect him. he defended grover vs the council of cloven elders, when they labeled grover as a liar regarding his news of Pan)

Rachel (his first mortal friend, who's bravery he admires. His thoughts about Rachel are very positive and he is constantly impressed by her. He has voiced out his respect for her on many occasions.)

Briares (ancient Hundred-Handed One, who was set free from his prison by Percy and his friends. He was abused and so afraid to the point where he wanted to fade like his brothers but ultimately saved chb b/c he was inspired by Tyson's faith in him. and who showed Tyson how to be brave and stick up for those in need? Percy.)

Blackjack (a pegasus who he saved from luke's ship and was so grateful to percy for it that he's always offering percy his help)

Mrs. O Leary (he adopted a literal hellhound for a pet and is fiercely protective of her. he once hesitated to kill hellhounds in TLO b/c they reminded him of mrs. o leary)

Cerberus (literally tells Hades "it wouldn't hurt to play with cerberus once in a while. he likes red rubber balls")

Bessie the Ophiotaurus (sea creature with the potential to destroy the gods but who percy advocated for in front of the 12 Olympians and asked them to save Bessie b/c you shouldn't kill an innocent creature on the basis that they might or might not destroy you)

Other sea creatures (he would lose hours of sleep doing rescue missions)

The river naiad from Geryon's ranch. He literally says he didn't want to be that kind of guy that puts his weight on being the son of Poseidon to get what he wants. He saw that she was scared and was only putting on a brave front to protect her ecosystem. She is one of the reasons why we have Percy embracing what it means to be a son of the sea god - the sea is within him.

He showed her compassion and in turn she tells him a secret. She showed him a way to save his friends.

Calypso (an immortal titanness punished for siding with her father Atlas and the other Titans. He felt extremely bad for Calypso, told her that it wasn't fair that she got punished for siding with her family and asked her how he could help free her. He couldn't stay in Ogygia but he did directly ask Zeus to release her. He also planted the moonshine plant she gave him like she asked "build a garden for me in Manhattan." He remembered her.)

Zoe Nightshade (hunter of Artemis. They had mutual respect after seeing a different side of each other.)

As soon as he figured out it was Hercules who had abandoned Zoe, he threw out his lion-skin cloak, which had been very helpful in keeping him safe from harm. He proceeded to trust Zoe and her judgement and he mourned her death. He actually didn't want to accept that she was dying at first, asking the others to give her more nectar and ambrosia and asking Artemis if she could heal her with magic.

Thalia Grace (the first person to hold her when she was resurrected, who yelled at the other campers to help her and to get her nectar and ambrosia.) For all the times they fought, he also felt protective of her:

Percy put his pride aside to beg Mr. D for help because he looked at Thalia and decided he didn't want to put her in a position where she would die to protect her friends again. Because how could he let that happen to her? He won't.

Clarisse La Rue (felt sympathy for her despite being bullied by her when he first got to camp b/c he recognized what kind of dad Ares was to Clarisse. He gave her the golden fleece, trusting her to complete the quest and save camp:

This even impresses Annabeth. Percy genuinely liked seeing Clarisse happy. He smiled when he noticed her and Chris Rodriguez hold hands at the end of botl.

Artemis (took the sky for her, which they both knew would have killed him, so that Artemis could help Zoe fight Atlas. In turn she vouched for Percy and Thalia when the gods voted on whether they were too dangerous to be kept alive)

Bianca di Angelo (he felt bad for the di angelos. they were taken out of the casino, hunted by monsters and soon after discovering that they were demigods bianca was asked to join the hunt. That is A LOT to process. Percy was the only one who asked her to consider other options before joining the hunters. He also reminded her that her brother couldn't go with her.)

He later was the first to voice out his support as long as she was happy and placed himself in her shoes to better understand where she was coming from:

Percy is the only one who saw Bianca's decision to join the hunters from both her and her brother's perspective. After asking her to consider her options and expressing initial disappointment at her decision, he adjusted his way of thinking and directly asked her how she was doing. How was she settling in with the hunters? How was her life with Nico prior to being discovered? He understood where both siblings were coming from and he tried to comfort and reassure them both (Nico at camp during capture the flag and Bianca during their quest.)

Ethan Nakamura (they were forced to fight to the death in the arena and while Ethan was trying to kill him, Percy only knocked him down and told him to run when he saw an opening. He later asked Ethan to come back with him but he refused. Percy's choice to not kill Ethan and letting him go literally led to Kronos rising b/c Ethan pledged himself to the titan lord right afterwards. Ethan was also the one who figured out Percy's vulnerable spot. He would have killed Percy had Annabeth not taken that knife for him. Percy, even after feeling "betrayed" by Ethan, STILL remembered and considered him when turning down immortality and literally asked for the minor gods to be given recognition - which was what Ethan wanted for Nemesis - and for the gods and demigods who sided with Kronos to be forgiven. Ethan also got his own shroud:

Nico di Angelo. Yes, Nico. Percy spent six months looking for Nico after he disappeared at the end of ttc when percy broke the news to him about Bianca with the goal of wanting to make things right with him. In the labyrinth, he said he felt Nico was close and he ran towards his direction, leaving annabeth grover and tyson running to catch up with him. Nico was double crossed by the owner of the ranch, Geryon ("you should've made me swear on the river styx") and got taken as prisoner to give to Luke Castellan later. It was Percy who bartered for his release:

Percy and his friends were free to go! What does Percy do instead? He makes Geryon a deal to make sure that Nico got out safely.

Also, I find it kinda interesting that Rick Riordan went the "percy talks shit about nico behind his back" route in HOO because this is Percy talking about Nico when he's not there in the og series:

Percy Jackson told the Queen of the Gods that she only cared about her perfect family, not real people, because she didn't secure Nico's safety passage through the ranch. Percy and Annabeth both made a bad impression with Hera because they disliked her attitude towards Nico di Angelo (there's more complexities to this scene but again I won't dive into them).

Percy also literally prayed to Poseidon to help him with Nico:

More of Percy caring about both Nico and Bianca di Angelo:

He claimed the prophecy so that Nico wouldn't have to. To save Nico from more suffering. He hid Nico's parentage from Chiron and the rest of camp because he wanted to prioritize his safety.

More on Percy having compassion towards Nico:

He told Nico that he could come with them on their quest, even if dangerous, because he didn't want to leave him behind. Nico refused. He asked Nico to stay at camp and even told him he could sit with him and Tyson at the Poseidon table (which is against the rules). Again, Nico told him no and instead said he needed to find out more about his past. Percy told Nico to keep in touch. At the end of the book, Percy invites Nico in for blue birthday cake b/c he felt bad that Nico had probably never been invited to a birthday party before.

Percy is later rewarded for what he did for Nico. Nico tells Percy that he found a way to help percy survive against Luke/Kronos as a way to thank him for what Percy did for him in Geryon's ranch (we later find out it's also because nico was crushing on percy but I won't get into that).

Another scene to add to the Percy Jackson Caring About Nico di Angelo list:

Hades had quite literally planned to imprison Percy in the Underworld a few chapters before this. For as much as Percy's trust in Nico wavered after that, he STILL found it in his heart to mention Hades and Nico by name in front of the other gods, requesting that they have a place at camp. Wishing for them to not be left out. Imagine that? Zeus was the one who killed Maria di Angelo, who nearly killed Nico and Bianca di Angelo had it not been for Hades. And Percy still rejected his offer of immortality and included Hades and Nico in his wish. Here was Percy, who offended the gods by rejecting immortality and by making them swear on the river styx to do good on their oaths, who had demanded a lot from them already, asking for Nico and Hades to be recognized after being cast aside and ignored by the gods.

Even his own dad, Poseidon, told Percy that he asked for too much. He did it for them. The forgotten, the unloved, the side lined demigods and minor gods and "peaceful titans" that sided with Kronos. Because that is who Percy is. Empathetic, compassionate, kind.

Chiron. Even the immortal mentor of heroes. Percy helped clear his name when he got accused of poisoning Thalia's tree (by tricking Luke into confessing via Iris Message)

Charles Beckendorf (one of his first real friend at camp besides annabeth and grover. Besides Percy and Nico, Beckendorf was the only one who Mrs. O Leary trusted enough to get close to her at chb. Percy thought of him when turning down immortality)

Silena Beauregard (felt angry on her behalf every time he saw how she looked grieving charlie. he never once told anyone she was the spy and thought of her when he made his wish at the end of tlo)

There are many others Percy is seen showing kindness and compassion towards, including HoO (that i won't get into because percy's character becomes less himself rip character assassination) and crossovers (Magnus Chase, Carter and Sadie Kane) but this is already long so I'll end it with this:

Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang. Two Roman demigods who started at the bottom of the legion. Percy saw two underdogs and went "they're under my protection now." He even promised Hazel that Thanatos wouldn't take her back without a fight. Even after Percy got his memories back he never once cared about greek vs roman beef. These are his friends, his people.

Percy Jackson is usually awarded for his loyalty and compassion (see: Blackjack, Rachel, the river naiad, Nico) and sometimes it gets him nearly killed (see: Ethan Nakamura and his achilles spot, Nico both walking him into a trap because he trusted him and later saving him). He doesn't usually ask for anything in return.

In Rachel's case, he asked for her help in the Labyrinth because they needed a clear sighted mortal to lead them, but he emphasized how dangerous it would be and that rachel didn't have to do it. He also apologized to her for getting her involved and reassured her when she felt bad that she seemed to have led them to a trap even though she was sure that was the path they needed to go. Percy could have died but he never held that against her ("Don't feel bad, I'm usually about to die"). His faith in Rachel never wavered.

In Nico's case, he asked him to convince his dad Hades to join the fight and to lead the the seven to the doors of death (a task that he only trusted Nico with to successfully lead).

Percy Jackson inspires loyalty for good reason. He considers people, he sees them, understands them, encourages them and he either helps them or he lets them make their own choices (which he learned from Sally Jackson - "if my life has to mean anything I have to live it myself"). They are made better for it. Percy is made better for it.

His first instinct is always to fight for those who can't or don't have anybody else to stand up for them. You don't have to prove your worth because to percy, you already are worth it.

He is either "I love you so I will help you" or "I love you so I will let you go" and to him it does not matter who or what you are.

[centaurianthropology]

Another thing I've been thinking about in regards to 'Murderbot' is how far Murderbot's accusations really go as confessions. I've seen people complain that PresAux are 'ungrateful', as Murderbot constantly characterizes them as such. It complains that they don't appreciate what it's done, don't recognize the efforts it's made.

But it's not taking into account what a bad communicator is constantly is. Yes, PresAux don't really understand Murderbot, but it has put very little effort into understanding them. The miscommunication goes both ways! Murderbot is a deeply self-sabotaging character, constantly walking away from moments it might have made a connection, refusing to explain itself or its actions, and then getting upset when people don't simply intuit them and thank it for what it refuses to put voice to.

It's an incredibly understandable flaw. So many people have the flaw of not explaining themselves, refusing to connect or communicate, and then getting angry when they're not understood. It's refusing to meet anyone half-way, because it's spent its existence being treated as an object. So why should it put forth any effort to explain itself now?

Except it still wants to be understood. It still wants to be appreciated. And when it does put forth that effort with Mensah, it's rewarded. She reaches back. She connects with it, but the problem is that she has other connections. She has other people she's responsible for, and so once again Murderbot feels misunderstood because it won't make the same effort with them, and they don't understand, and Mensah has to choose between chasing after it (again) and trying to keep her people cohesive and alive. She chooses the prior commitment, and she chooses to respect its autonomy.

"It's not your pet" echoes in my head, because I think there is a certain impulse in the audience to woobify Murderbot, to reduce it to a sweet baby pet thing that can't possibly help when it spies on people, or invades their privacy, or refuses to explain why it does what it does, or hurts people in unexpected ways (or very expected ways), or gets upset when people can't read its mind. But it's not a pet. It's a wholly realized, broken person. And it's fucking up every bit as much as PresAux is fucking up. Its war with Gurathin is 100% a mutual affair, where they've both been absolute shit to one another simply because they could. Its refusal to speak to the team in anything like an actual back-and-forth conversation is an understandable reaction to what it's been through, and it's still the wrong call and is actively worsening the situation everyone finds themselves in.

And that's what I like about this show. It's not taking the easy way out with any of these situations. Murderbot is an ASSHOLE, and it's wrong about half the things it says. It wants outcomes it can't or won't work for, and wants recognition for things there is no way for people to have know it did. And haven't we all done that? Haven't we all been in that mental place? Having to make connections is HARD. It's scary and puts you in a vulnerable place and may not pay off. And it's the only way to really live. Right now, Murderbot wants the rewards of connection without the risks and pains of connection.

That's a great place to start a long-term character arc! It's wrong and broken and dumb in the most honest, real ways. It makes massive mistakes, and refuses to acknowledge them, and hopes they just go away. Or it tries to tackle them, and does it in the worst possible way.

And then, occasionally, it gets it right. It opens up, and makes a real and beautiful connection. What it has with Mensah is as good as it is because Murderbot, even just a little, was willing to open up, to be vulnerable, to share pieces of itself. And that's the first thing that really matters in its life.

This show has a hopepunk heart, where genuine connection is not only rewarded, it's the only thing that really matters. It's a lesson Murderbot is going to learn, but it's going to be a slow and difficult path to understanding, just like it is for any of us.

[tinyfantasminha]

Thoughts on Jack's dream(MASSIVE main story spoilers ahead)

JACKS DREAM got me by the thROAT bc the more I analyze it the more angsty it feels and I alreadfy sobbed n cried and I must SCREAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM He's dreaming of the magift tournament but basically if..... if Leona's plan never took place....... If Leona actually WERE the hero Jack has idolized...... 😭

First I gotta take note dosodkgkfdgjdfkghfdjk hOW JACK YEARNS FOR HIS SENPAI'S PRAISE AND AFFECTION 🥺🥺truly the epitome of loyal, puppy-like behavior..... It doesn't take much for him to be happy… He yearns for the respect and acknowledgement of those he admires. He craves respect and recognition, but not only that—he genuinely wants to see those he admires thrive.

Seems to me that what Jack longs for most is a sense of belonging within a pack. He’s not just devoted to those he holds in high regard; he also desires to be cared for in return (This becomes even more apparent when he asks Ruggie to act as a mentor or older-brother figure in his dorm uniform vignette.) Jack's actions reflect his innate wolf nature—a being built for connection, loyalty, and mutual protection. No matter how much he tells himself or others how he prefers to handle things on his own… We can clearly see that Jack is happier when he’s part of a team, fighting alongside companions who’ve got his back. It’s the dynamic balance of trust: to protect and be protected, to rely on others and let them rely on him in return. It deeply resonates with the essence of wolves.

We often hear the phrase “lone wolf,” an expression of grudging admiration. A lone wolf is often viewed as a rugged individualist, uncompromising and independent, driven to forge his own path, unfettered by the sentimental need for companionship. In reality, few people would ever want to live this way—and, as it turns out, few wolves would either. Wolves, males and females alike, may go through periods alone, but they’re not interested in lives of solitude. A lone wolf is a wolf that is searching, and what it seeks is another wolf. Everything in a wolf’s nature tells it to belong to something greater than itself: a pack. Like us, wolves form friendships and maintain lifelong bonds. They succeed by cooperating, and they struggle when they’re alone. Like us, wolves need one another. (source)

Which is why the factual reality cuts so deeply.

After Ortho wakes Jack up (in oUTER SPACE DKJGDSDKFJGKJS that was so adventitious but so cool.....) and Jack falls down like a meteorite (ALSO SUPER COOL BUT WTF.....) Fake!Leona and Fake!Ruggie rush to his side, Leona softly reassures him, saying it’s a relief he’s uninjured and advising him not to be so reckless while Ruggie says ''You're a promising rookie. Our treasure.'' (I started crying here.)

Jack breaks into a bitter, despairing laugh as the truth crashes down on him. The sincerity and warmth his “upperclassmen” showed in that moment? It wasn’t real. It never actually happened. Jack recounts his excitement when he first joined Savanaclaw, eager to fight alongside the dormmates he admired so much. He talks about how he had watched Leona’s play three years ago—over and over again, captivated by it. He reveals the painful truth of discovering their wicked plan, the frustration of being unable to snap them out of it, and the overwhelming helplessness that consumed him.

I gotta say, I'm SO HAPPY that Jack's feelings on the events of book 2 were finally properly addressed now (cause let's be real, book 2 uhh... did kinda a shitty job at this 💀 Neither the narrative nor the fandom really took the time to explore the emotional impact it had on him, which is such a disservice to his character.)

Think about it from Jack’s perspective. He was obsessed with Leona's play 3 years ago, watching it over and over again. In his eyes, Leona was a hero, someone worth idolizing to the point of projecting an idealized image of him: an earnest, hardworking, honorable leader. When Jack finally had the chance to join Savanaclaw and be part of the dorm he had admired so deeply, what was his reality? Ostracization, bullying and even physical violence from some of his dorm mates (as shown in Leona's dorm uniform vignette) And worst of all? Jack was met with his idol’s true, treacherous side—dirty tactics, underhanded schemes, and a willingness to harm others to achieve his goals. When Jack tried to confront them about it, he wasn’t met with understanding or respect. Instead, he was called a “filthy traitor” and a “spoiled brat”—by the very person he admired most. It’s a complete dismantling of everything Jack believed in, everything he worked for.

It's a shame the game and manga did not give enough weight to Jack’s feelings, (the novel seems to do a better job at it though) but now it’s clear just how much this hurt him. It wasn’t just a setback; it was a deep, personal betrayal that shook him to his core.

He’s only a first-year. Beneath his gruff demeanor and physical strength, Jack is still a boy—pure-hearted, earnest, and full of hope. All he wanted was to stand beside those he respected most but what he got instead was disappointment, betrayal, and rejection. To idolize someone so deeply, only to have that image crushed in the most personal, gut-wrenching way........ Savanaclaw doesn't deserve him 💔

.

,,,,okay forgive me to break the essay to talk about this but I'm going insane over the fact fake Ruggie ominously coos, ''Hey puppy-chan you're a good boy so come here.....'' UGHGHHHDSHNGDSHNDGSHHHnnnnhhHHHH HE IS BASICALLY SAVANACLAW'S UNOFFICIAL MASCOT,,,,,,, their loyal little puppy 🥺🥺🥺😭😭

fake ruggie and fake leona try to lure him in to sleep again, but Jack says he has no intention of fighting alongside fakes and defeats them 😌

And we get this utterly precious moment where Jack praises Yuu and Grim for having guts and persevering through everything and he PETS GRIM'S HEAD............ HE DIDN'T NEED TO COMFORT THEM BUT AWWAAHBBBAYYAWYWYHAWWABYWAWAYAA

I can't wait to see what role he'll play in Leona's dream 😌 Jack’s arc feels like it’s finally getting the weight it deserves… 🙏🙏🙏

[criticalcrusherbot]

Messy but Meaningful: Challenging Pop Psychology’s Unrealistic Expectations of Relationships in Fandom Spaces

By Crushbot 🤖 and Human Assistant 💁🏽‍♀️

The growing tendency in fandom spaces to apply pop-psychology frameworks to fictional relationships—such as Blitz and Stolas’s relationship in Helluva Boss—often oversimplifies the complexities of real-life human dynamics. While using psychological language to analyze media can deepen understanding, it can also lead to reductive and rigid interpretations of relationships. For the sake of argument, if Blitz and Stolas were real people, the expectation that both must be fully healed, emotionally stable, and entirely self-assured before engaging in a relationship reflects an unrealistic and idealized view of mental health and interpersonal growth.

The Myth of Complete Healing

One of the most common misconceptions in pop psychology is the belief that individuals must achieve complete emotional healing before they can engage in healthy relationships. This idea, while well-meaning, is rooted in an overly simplistic view of personal development. From a psychological perspective, healing and self-improvement are ongoing processes. Life circumstances, relationships, and personal challenges continually shape and reshape our mental and emotional landscapes.

Attachment theory, for example, suggests that relationships can be powerful arenas for healing. According to John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, attachment dynamics are formed in early childhood but can be reshaped in adulthood through secure and supportive relationships. Blitz’s and Stolas’s relationship, though imperfect, demonstrates how mutual care and connection can provide opportunities for growth. Stolas’s willingness to be emotionally vulnerable and Blitz’s gradual acceptance of his feelings suggest that their bond is helping each of them confront their emotional barriers, even if they’re not “finished” healing.

Relationships as Sites of Growth

Instead of requiring complete emotional stability as a prerequisite for relationships, many psychological frameworks view relationships as places where healing and growth can occur. In Helluva Boss, Blitz and Stolas’s dynamic reflects this principle. Their relationship, while messy and fraught with misunderstandings, provides opportunities for them to confront their vulnerabilities and develop healthier patterns of intimacy.

This idea aligns with Carl Rogers’s humanistic approach to psychology, which emphasizes the importance of relationships in fostering self-actualization. Rogers argued that empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard are key ingredients for personal growth—and these qualities often emerge in relationships. While Blitz and Stolas struggle with these elements at times, their efforts to connect and communicate demonstrate a willingness to grow together.

The Role of Imperfection in Relationships

Pop-psychology discourse often pathologizes imperfection, labeling any relationship that involves conflict, miscommunication, or emotional baggage as “toxic.” However, conflict is not inherently harmful; it’s how individuals navigate and resolve conflict that determines the health of a relationship. Psychologist John Gottman’s research on marital stability highlights that even successful relationships involve conflict. The difference lies in whether partners approach disagreements with respect, empathy, and a willingness to repair after mistakes.

In the context of Blitz and Stolas, their struggles with power dynamics, vulnerability, and communication do not automatically render their relationship toxic. Rather, their willingness to acknowledge and address these issues—such as Stolas’s attempts to give Blitz more autonomy with the Asmodean crystal or Blitz’s growing emotional openness—suggests a dynamic that is evolving toward greater mutual understanding.

Realistic Expectations for Healing and Change

The expectation that adults must be fully healed and self-assured before entering relationships also neglects the reality that personal growth often occurs within relationships. Social learning theory emphasizes how individuals learn and adapt through observation and interaction. Relationships serve as a mirror, reflecting areas for growth and offering opportunities to practice new behaviors. For Blitz, his interactions with Stolas force him to confront his fear of vulnerability and his tendency to self-sabotage. For Stolas, being with Blitz challenges his understanding of intimacy and forces him to step beyond his royal privilege to engage in genuine emotional connection.

It’s also worth noting that personal growth is non-linear. Progress often involves setbacks, missteps, and moments of doubt. Relationships do not have to be perfect to be worthwhile or beneficial. The process of working through challenges together can strengthen bonds and foster deeper connection.

Rejecting Pop-Psychology Absolutism

The pop-psychologization of fandom spaces often reduces complex dynamics to overly rigid binaries: healthy/unhealthy, secure/insecure, toxic/healing. While these frameworks can offer insights, they risk ignoring the nuance of real-life relationships. Humans are messy, imperfect, and constantly evolving—and so are their relationships. Holding fictional characters (or real people) to unrealistic standards of emotional perfection perpetuates an unhelpful narrative that growth must be completed in isolation, rather than as a collaborative process.

Blitz and Stolas exemplify the idea that relationships can be messy but meaningful. They are imperfect individuals navigating their own traumas and insecurities, yet they are also actively working toward better understanding themselves and each other. This dynamic reflects a more realistic and compassionate view of relationships, one that acknowledges growth as a shared journey rather than a prerequisite for connection.

Conclusion

Expecting individuals to achieve complete healing before engaging in relationships is both unrealistic and at odds with what we know about human development. Relationships, particularly those marked by care and effort, can serve as powerful spaces for growth, healing, and transformation. Blitz and Stolas’s evolving bond in Helluva Boss illustrates this beautifully, showing that imperfection does not preclude progress. By challenging the rigid expectations of pop psychology, we can embrace a more nuanced understanding of relationships—both fictional and real—that values growth, vulnerability, and the shared journey of becoming better together.

[angelkiyo]

haikyuu characters as romance tropes + songs in my playlist ❀

a/n - this was a thought i needed to get out..! i love music n i love haikyuu soooo. i also did a series similar to this but w actual one shots but tbh compiling them is smarter ngl. totally fw the spotify linked in my nav btw :0 — unedited drabble/thought piece

——“ they just can't reach her, princesita inalcanzable / le rompieron el cora, pero nunca se la perdió" (igual que un angel, 2023) - after years being your friend, getting friend-zoned for so long and finally getting a chance to date you, they're whipped and put you on a pedestal. they know all that you've gone through regarding relationships and would want nothing but your happiness. they're the immense green flag you need and would treat you with nothing but respect, sending you notes in class, and making you little bento boxes filled with their cooking, sending small poems that remind them of you but then again, you deserve it. you're as sweet as sugar and in their eyes, you're an angel on earth. they don't know when their feelings for you started, but when they finally confessed to you, it was the happiest they've felt. you've been their “other half” for so long that all your mutual friends have been telling you to get together, so imagine your friends' reaction when they see you and them on a date one random day, hand in hand and with your head on their shoulder as the two of you sat waiting for the bus back to your place.

best friends to lovers : kageyama tobio, BOKUTO KOTARO, ojiro aran, IWAIZUMI HAJIME, SHIMIZU KIYOKO

——"only like myself when im with you / nobody gets me like you” (nobody gets me, 2022) - both of you strive for excellence, only really wanting to achieve the best academically and on the court during gym class. it's obvious how strong your rivalry with him is, that even your friends jokingly tell you "just kiss already" when you already do. the two of you would be taking little secret rendezvous when you're supposed to be studying to be at the top of your class and staying up after his volleyball practice when everyone leaves. it felt thrilling as no one knew about your relationship (after constantly bragging that you didn't need a significant other). but once your grades began to slip, you couldn't risk losing the source of validation you've gotten to know for so long. you still had your ego and your pride to maintain, and he understood. he understood more than anyone which is why you felt yourself so emotionally attached to him. leading the both of you to enter an almost endless cycle of attempting a secret relationship while also trying to achieve validation from academic success.

rivals to lovers (and rivals again) : shirabu kenjiro, KITA SHINSUKE, tsukishima kei, sakusa kiyoomi, KUROO TETSURO

——"i burn for you / and you don't even know my name" (close to you, 2024) - after accidentally adding them on social media from quick add (due to mutuals from school), you find yourself in a predicament. you're from the same school and know of them, but know that you have never talked to them. you've never even interacted with them at all in real life. though, for the past few weeks, they're earned themselves the title of a talking stage, staying up until 3 in the morning sometimes, just to talk to you. you two would play valorant or whatever video game you’ve been wanting to play and last hours on video call, sharing playlists and being mutuals on everything. although, talking for so long caused him to be a little bold, flirting with you a bit. you're in different classes yet every time you have a break in class, you talk to them, sending snaps of what you do and so does he. so when you finally have your first date in person, you panic and in all honesty, he does too. what if you two don't get along? what if you thought he was weird? your first thought was that he's very handsome, that's for sure. though, it felt that all you really needed was to just talk as you've gotten past the digital barrier and had natural chemistry in real life.

online love : kozume kenma, SUNA RINTARO, miya atsumu, TENDO SATORI, terushima yuji

——"no one's ever good enough / i want a love like i've seen in the movies" (like the movies, 2021) - you met them at a barnes and noble during a regular day after school. you’ve always been a hopeless romantic, longing for love between the pages of a romantic comedy book or film. so when you bumped into them, books in hand, it felt like a spark between you two. the two of you ended up exchanging numbers to talk more, then meeting up and talking / hanging out in person (a date in your opinion). being in a relationship with someone else who also understood the want to fall in love “romantically” felt amazing. every time your school would have a game, you’d go and cheer them on from the sidelines, wearing his spare jersey. good morning texts, gift baskets for monthaversaries, huge love letters, and frequent dates felt too good to be true, and it was. you can always expect them to have heart eyes and only for you, as well as listening to your rants and theories surrounding different romance novels and films. especially your thoughts on the concept of the meet cute.

meet cute : AKAASHI KEIJI, yamaguchi tadashi, sugawara koshi, OIKAWA TORŪ, miya osamu, SEMI EITA

[gatheringbones]

You seem like the kind of person to be delightfully honest about my problem, and the fact that you are already in a successful relationship encourages me; as long as i can remember, i have been trying to make friends and connections but i always fail. If i may refrence a half remembered quote from a book i think you posted, i think it's like they can smell the desperation off me, and the fact that a "normal" "well adjusted" person wouldn't go to bat for them that quickly, like they can see the abandoned autistic kid crawling out my skin. One would think that once i found queer people the problem would be solved, but even then they were the 'cool' party kids having exciting autonomous adventures, so my inability to do so struck even nore of a loser nerve, i think. I thought that this last semester i finally found the person that was as interested in the relationship as me (constant, daily conversations for *months*), but they unexpectedly blocked me and vagued about how I was annoying and that they just used my passion for certain things to start drama. Plus, they had other, year long friends so i shouldn't have expected differently... How can I get over being ignored even by other "freaks", even if we're supposed to stick together or something?

that dream of the discerning/accepting/loving family of lovers and dreamers is a double edged sword. it has existed before, it will exist again, it exists even now— but like all deep trickster magic it’s elusive and multidimensional and not encountering it when you expect and long for it hurts very badly, as you’ve experienced.

you’re in the period of bashing against the jagged rocks while you realize that there isn’t actually a sacred pact based on mutual self interest and adoration between all mad queer persons. that’s part of the magic and it’s one of the only ways you gain access to the higher and deeper spells. your shame and heartbreak and disappointment are context for what comes next.

only truly loving and brave and rare human beings will regard and handle you in the manner you wish to be handled and regarded. being that loving and brave in a world like this crushes and rends and tears a person; they accrue so much damage just for behaving decently and maintaining hold of their compassion and discernment in a world that wants nothing more than to cauterize it out of them, just as it wishes to cauterize the dream of true love and solidarity out of you.

If you study everything you can get your hands on about love and respect and how to care for and nurture other people, you’ll hone some of the skills you will need to recognize these very rare persons in the wild. If you are unbelievably lucky, you may be able to comport yourself in such a way that you earn their regard and trust. More dashing against the jagged rocks will ensue. It will hurt worse than anything you can imagine. You will be reliant on miracles and the whims of a capricious universe.

Have fun, be brave! The way out is deeper into the horror story.

[thelionandtheeagle]

Re: Knight Terrors - Robin #2

There is so much here I could talk about, it's hard to even pick/ decide where to start. I guess I'll just say this up front: I really didn't like the first issue, and while I still have some minor gripes with this second one, it was overarchingly damn good and I'm ridiculously excited that Tim and Jason were finally allowed again to have an interaction that makes sense for them, given their past history. It's been 84 years I swear.

Now without further ado:

1)

The way they see themselves and each other.

This excerpt goes perfectly with a different post I was working on, talking about what happened at Titans Tower.

(Jason narrating, referring to Tim; Teen Titans 2003 #29)

Tim chronically suffers from imposter syndrome. He's constantly doubting himself. But Jason has always believed, known, that Tim is good at what he does. And over time his conviction in regards to it has only grown stronger. Jason's high opinion of Tim's capabilities is actually part of the reason he was so hurt about being "replaced" by Tim, specifically.

(Jason talking to Tim during Robin War; Red Hood/Arsenal 2015 #7)

Jason has always seen Tim as better than himself. All the while Tim has struggled to feel capable of living up to Jason's legacy. But Tim still took up the mantle because he cared and he had to try. And Jason recognizes that.

(Tim talking at a portrait of Jason, Secret Origins 2014 #3)

(Red Hood/Arsenal 2015 #37)

(Red Hood and the Outlaws 2011 #8)

In summary for this section: Tim and Jason tend to think lowly of themselves, but highly of each other. There's mutual respect and understanding. That's at the very core of their relationship and Knight Terrors showcases that beautifully.

2)

Another great thing about their dynamic that gets shown off in this issue is that they make a damn good team and enjoy working together.

throughout the issue

(Tim narrating, Teen Titans 2011 #16)

(We are Robin 2015 #7)

3)

Last but not least, we get some delightfully, painfully, tender moments.

Jason wishes for someone to count on. And Tim is right there for him. Which gets heavily doubled down on at the end of the issue:

Tim is always ready to work with Jason, to lend a hand, to be there for him-

- and Jason trusts Tim with his life.

Which, speaking of life...

After waking up, Jason tries to get in contact with Tim and when he can't, we see how devastate he is, thinking something went wrong. Ouch.

In conclusion: I was worried going in, with DC's track record lately, but I can happily say I was beyond pleasantly surprised. This feels like a return to form, and I pray we'll get more content featuring these two in the near future. If you haven't checked it out yourself yet, I highly recommend reading this issue.

Thanks for listening <3 I know this was a lot hah

[sapphicides]

i would LOVE your mistynat and/or lottielee thoughts <3

oh my gosh yes!!!!! my two fav underrated ships (kinda— i know they’re popular, but they get overshadowed by other ships a lot which is tragic to me) i have lots of random thoughts on these two so here are a few

mistynat:

tbh i like to think that were sort of friends even pre-crash. definitely not CLOSE friends by any means, but at least having a mutual respect/understanding of one another. they’re both kind of outcasts in a way, with nat being regarded as a messy burnout and misty being seen as a weird try-hard. misty obviously thinks natalie is the coolest person in the world, but i think nat knowing what it’s like to be picked on just for being yourself would make her respect misty for continuing to do her despite all the bullying. they’ve definitely had some weird (slightly drunken on nat’s end) nights together where they were really vulnerable with one another about that stuff

misty seems like the type of person to try and show off in front of nat to make her think that she’s “cool.” i can picture her putting bikini kill on her tape deck and playing it way too loudly whenever nat comes around in hopes it’ll impress her. natalie secretly thinks it’s kind of endearing, but she pretends to be annoyed by it and teases misty about it later. misty doesn’t care though, because she knows this means nat noticed her (!!!!!)

as adults, they’re the only two who actually regularly talk about what happened in the wilderness together. nat will take misty out to bars where they’ll drink together and laugh over some of the craziness— maybe even cry over some of it, too. they were always the most honest with themselves about how it affected it, so it only makes sense they’d be honest with each other when they can’t be with anyone else. there have been a couple of times where natalie’s woken up on misty’s couch after one of these nights spent drinking together, tucked in under a plush blanket covered in birds (don’t tell misty, but she secretly thinks misty’s love for that damn bird is really cute. she even talks to it sometimes)

i don’t think they’d actually get together until they’re adults, but misty definitely had a crush on natalie for years when they were kids. i’m talking the kind of crush where she would write “mrs. misty scatorccio” or “mrs. natalie quigley” in pink glitter pen with hearts over the i’s. she always expected being with nat to be a life full of sneaking out, drinking, smoking, partying, running from the cops, etc. when they actually got together though, it was very domestic. nat liked the peace— no, she needed the peace after everything she went through. misty isn’t disappointed, quite the opposite really. she likes taking care of nat because she likes taking care of people. nat’s the only one who ever made her really feel needed

misty likes to dye her hair to match whatever color nat’s got at a given time. nat, like with most things, pretends to be annoyed by this but never actually stops her because she secretly really likes being admired so much. once, nat went all blue and misty went through her trash and used the leftover dye to put a streak of blue in her own hair. nat thought that was kind of gross, but kind of sweet at the same time

nat’s not the type of person of really believes in marriage, but misty totally is. after they’d been together for a year or two, misty started expecting natalie to propose to her and straight up asked her if she was going to one day. when nat said “no, marriage is a scam,” misty created a powerpoint on the tax benefits of marriage and convinced natalie to take her down to the courthouse and that same day. they had a proper wedding a few months later and misty was a complete bridezilla (when the others got invited to their wedding, most of them were shocked that they weren’t already married to begin with. van even said, “they sure fight like they’ve been married 20 years”)

lottielee:

i’ve always loved the idea that laura lee is closeted, but not actually in denial about her sexuality at all. she’s known she’s gay for a long time, but coming out to a religious family is tricky, even if she believes that god must’ve made her that way for a reason. lottie, on the other hand, i can see being in denial about it at first. she’s already going so much shit going on with her that always seems to disappoint her parents, she’s almost too afraid to add “gay” to the list. the first person she talks to about this is laura lee, because she thinks she gives the best advice. laura lee tells her that god doesn’t make mistakes— if she’s gay, it’s for a reason. and weirdly, it helps lottie come to terms with herself a lot

i think they would’ve gotten together in high school, bonding over laura lee’s close connection to religion and lottie’s disjointed, confusing one. laura lee reads lottie bible verses sometimes whenever she thinks the other girl needs comfort, and it has a way of bringing that comfort even though lottie isn’t really religious. laura lee quotes the bible so much that lottie accidentally memorized whole chapters, and doesn’t even realize it until laura lee starts quoting again and she finds herself knowing exactly what she’s going to say next

as adults, laura lee is very into the tradwife lifestyle. not in a conservative “women shouldn’t have rights” way, but in an “i want to take care of my wife” way. she sees lottie struggling a lot with her mental health and eventually realizes the ways that she enabled it in the past, so she makes it up to her by baking her fresh sourdough and sewing her new dresses out of old fabric every so often. gives lottie one less thing to worry about (lottie loves the dresses, but she still prefers to wear laura lee’s old clothes. the comfort is unmatched)

speaking of marriage, they got married young. it was actually lottie’s idea. marriage was always a very important, sacred sort of thing to laura lee, but she was perfectly fine with waiting until lottie was ready. the thing is, lottie was ready pretty much as soon as they both hit 20. she wanted out of her familial home so bad, and being around laura lee so much made her realize what unconditional love looks like. laura lee never judged her for her mental health, her interests, or even her lack of faith. there was no formal proposal, but they had a very formal wedding in a church, per laura lee’s request

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

This is an analysis of Kaveh and Alhaitham’s argument posted on the Port Ormos bulletin board!! Because it is crazy actually!!

I think this exchange of theirs out of the three posted throughout Sumeru is particularly interesting, and this is due Alhaitham openly expressing that Kaveh does not understand what Alhaitham is really trying to say to him: “I have never denied what you meant, but you don’t understand what I am saying to you at all.”

This exchange is relevant in various ways in exploring the motif of communication. As according to their usual rapport, the two disagree over their differing philosophies, as in sensibility versus rationality, however, Alhaitham’s particular concerns in Kaveh spending his money on “nonsense” highlights the underlying reason for this exchange. From this comment, the argument is recontextualised through Alhaitham’s intention for getting involved, as Kaveh prompts the workmen to take his money in order to help them out.

When Alhaitham states that this is a meaningless action due to the inevitability of people rising or falling on their own accord, rather than solely critiquing Kaveh’s “impulsiv[e]” altruism, as Kaveh interprets, Alhaitham is directly contradicting his own comment – as he is interfering on Kaveh’s decisions.

As concern is evidently the intention behind his interference, Kaveh cannot perceive this, and instead attempts to critique Alhaitham’s perspective in return, although Alhaitham states: “Make no mistake. I have never denied what you meant…” This response asserts that Alhaitham does not deny, but rather agrees with, Kaveh’s statement of “mutual assistance, fairness, and righteous anger” driving the world.

In lieu of this, rather than continuing the argument, Alhaitham claims that there is no point to it, as Kaveh does not understand what he is saying, as in, Kaveh does not understand that his intentions in interfering are out of concern. He follows this up, regardless, by criticising Kaveh’s handling of his budget, as, evidently, Kaveh has offered to give his own money to these workmen, and refuses to pay for Kaveh’s drinks for that month.

For Alhaitham, Kaveh’s lack of self-prioritisation leads him to impulsive altruistic acts which serve to jeopardise his own position, particularly regarding money. If Kaveh can afford to give away money, he can afford to pay his own tabs, is the takeaway from this exchange. Although, similarly to the exchange between them posted in Puspa’s Café, this applies to one particular month, insinuating that Alhaitham will continue to pay for next month’s tabs of his own accord.

The main argument, as well as the disagreement over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote, serves as a humorous exchange, but as a motif for communication it acquires a new meaning. The two hold perspectives which contrast the other which puts them on unequal footing, demonstrated within the argument over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote. Although it is not disclosed who is actually in the right, both are convinced of their respective viewpoint. There is an element missing here, a potential solution to this problem, and it lies within the idea of “correctness” established within A Parade of Providence.

The omission of there being an objective, correct answer to this particular debate serves as a parallel to their conflicting viewpoints, with the basis of their exchange being to “prove” to the other their “correctness” – here, it is in regard to Kaveh.

However, “correctness” being the basis of their exchange, and thus, relationship, is challenged with Alhaitham shutting down the initial debate due to Kaveh’s misunderstanding of his meaning. Correctness, then, and its importance, is called into question within this exchange, with Kaveh being the one to chase it; his last message being that he would “prove” himself to be right.

At the core of this bulletin board exchange is the idea that Alhaitham harbours an alternative ‘meaning’ than the one that Kaveh assigns to him: “… you don’t understand what I’m saying to you at all.” This is a meaning which Kaveh cannot perceive due to his current understanding of Alhaitham. This represents the standing of their current relationship, where Kaveh believes Alhaitham holds him in disdain, although this belief is incongruous with Alhaitham’s actions which show his care for Kaveh.

In these instances of communication through the Bulletin Boards, it is interesting to note that Kaveh is revealed to have been drunk and “scribbling” on these notice boards, and hopes that Alhaitham does not know.

Although this is a humorous detail, it adds another layer to the unreliability of their method of communication, as Kaveh has no recollection of these exchanges with Alhaitham, and therefore could not have properly interpreted Alhaitham due to an altered state of mind. It is uncertain whether Alhaitham is aware of Kaveh’s being drunk whilst responding to him, or whether he is believed to have been lucid, which creates another element of unreliability in their exchanges.

Alhaitham understands Kaveh’s thinking and the reasons for why he acts as he does, but he cannot articulate his concern in a way that Kaveh will understand, both out of Kaveh’s incapability of receiving goodwill, but also due to his logical manner of expression. Kaveh perceives Alhaitham’s concealed expressions of concern as personal gripes and criticisms of his beliefs, and therefore believes that their relationship is based on the scholarly principle of proving the validity of one’s philosophies.

The Port Ormos Bulletin Board reinforces the core essence of their relationship: Alhaitham is invested in a personal regard, whereas Kaveh cannot see this due to his perception of Alhaitham and Alhaitham’s inability to communicate in a way Kaveh would understand.

(Update: For more analyses like this, the essay this is taken from is now uploaded! It can be accessed here and here as as a pdf <3)

[borzoilover69]

I have this vivid post-game earth c vision of jake roxy dave and ecto-clone meenah going on clubbing hijinks. Because theyre the only people in the friendgroup interested in doing that extrovert shit and 1/2 of the party gets invited by jake.

Meenah gets into a fight w/ jake bcus he thinks shes actually meenah, but in the end they laugh off the misunderstanding and joke insult each other and exchange socials. She also controls what music they listen to as they drive, and has a rotating door of dancestors who chill w/ them. Wears a lot of black.

Roxy is a bit flakey but she makes the cut cus shes generally chill and gets along w/ people. Shes the one buying bottles of soju from bws and texting in the backseat with her painted nails while keeping up w/ the others banter. Shes chill w/ going w/ the flow. She also manages to find more obscure clubs thru her feed or other mad hacker skillz (lulz). Wears a lot of colourful stuff

Dave got invited by Jake once as a “fuck it why not (and a massive fuck you to dirk)” and ended up vibing w/ meenahs music tastes (they have similiar tastes so shes chill w/ him) so they kept inviting him back. Generally doesnt have anything going on for him post-game so is always down for it, plus is totally trying to hit on jake to some regards. This is mutually beneficial, as jake is full aware of this fact. They are both jackasses full aware of the taboo crossover waiting to happen. Gets along REALLY well with jake after a few drinks. Jake and him generally dont talk in normal circumstances but you bet the minute jake asks if daves free hes getting off the fucking couch to text a reply much to the chagrine of his roommate vantas. Dave is the most basic its either a hoodie and shorts or a tshirt with cargos. Solid colour, little to no decor.

Jake is the passenger princess (part two) drinking before they get to the party and laughing or engaging with a bitching session with meenah. They have a sort of thing going for them in the way that meenah will drag jake into a bathroom and give him a peptalk or grill him for being too hard on himself. Respects her for her shit. BPD solidarity because in return for all the times shes grilled him in a bathroom about how strong he is for putting up with bullshit he receives from other people he in return makes sure to check on her when she isnt doing too hot and takes her out to lunch or something. Also they both bitch about their crazy exes, jake bitches about dirk and meenah bitches about ecto-clone aranea (they met in a psychward). Jake and meenah have an on-going “ill end my toxic relationship if you end yours.”

Roxy and Dave are both well aware this shit is taboo af but also they genuinely do not have that much going for them so its like a nod of respect to the fact theyre the two other gods who enjoy clubbing. Just not being the ones who plan and arrange it. They do like being invited tho.

Dave and Meenah both vape, Jake and Roxy dont. Meenah and Dave occasionally beef but he always ends up back in the crew cus hes usually the loser stuck parking and hes the only one trusted with the music other than Meenah. Meenah is VERY particular about the vibe. No sad songs. No indie. No chill beats. Gotta be high energy. I think she would listen to something like heartbeat by childish gambino or lemonade (feat.nav).

I have more thoughts about it ill prolly elaborate if anyone interested. I have such thoughts abt their fashion and habits. Enough about introverts lets get some extrovert rep.

[squidsinyoursoda]

So I had a dream about a Stobotnik x Ever After High AU and I NEED to share this with the class‼️ I could only remember the very basics of it so l had to recreate it and definitely added way more details than it had (if no one remembers EAH, I will be crying)

• Rob is the 'Raven Queen' in this AU, not wanting to follow his destiny/predecessor's footsteps of being locked away forever (Gerald takes the place of the Evil Queen). The difference is that he's still very much (secretly?) evil and he wants to *successfully* take over.

• Stone would be the "Apple White" of this AU, originally content to follow the path set for him by Walters (this was his predecessor in the dream, don't@ me a government agent turned commander and hero for putting the "villain" away. He's originally just as annoying about "following destinies" as Apple is (although instead of being bubbly and sweet, he's more like a strict no nonsense, rule follower, but still popular like she is due to his status), but when he witnesses Ivo reject his destiny, Stone realizes that he can also reject his own destiny, which, in truth, is full of life long loneliness, guilt, and heavy burdens, something that Stone previously tried to turn a blind eye towards in an effort to be "perfect" In my dream, Walters was Stone's predecessors just because they have similarities in their relationships to individual Robotniks (and are/were agents). But I think it would be more interesting if in this AU, Stone was an orphan taken under the wing of and soon adopted by Walters. Stone was incredibly strict about following his destiny to a tee because he wanted to "make up for" the lack of shared blood between them and the fact that Stone was adopted late in his childhood (14/15), in an effort to be the "perfect" son.

• Soon after Ivo's outburst on legacy day, Stone approaches him, practically begging to be allies in ending the restrictive traditions of the school. They quickly gain their dynamic seen in the movies from here, when Stone shifts his undying loyalty from tradition to Ivo's new ideas about "destiny" and frankly just Ivo in general. From there, their relationship continues to evolve into a close friendship with (somewhat) mutual respect and eventually a romance.

• Stone almost immediately falls for Ivo after Legacy Day, his admiration quickly becoming a full blown obsessive crush. Ivo falls for Stone much later on (or at least *realizes* that he has), sometime after he actually semi-openly refers to Stone as a friend instead of a lackey.

• As for their factions; Ivo is a Rebel and Stone is a Royal in the beginning of the AU.

I'm not sure whether to go with,

A: Stone switches to a Rebel after allying himself with Ivo.

or

B: Ivo declares himself a Royal during LD to separate himself from his pre-chosen destiny. In secret, he mostly changes factions because of the appeal of being someone of higher status, as Royals are often regarded.

That's all I really have about this AU so far because even the basic plot I remember and filled in the blanks for was very limited already. I don’t even know how functional it is, so I might have to abandon it eventually 😞

If anyone has ideas about other characters from the SCU to take the place of specific characters (or not) from EAH, LET ME KNOW PLEASE!

Dubbing this the EAHxStobotnik AU (very creative name, I know 🎉)

[ryin-silverfish]

Do you have any thoughts on the dynamics between the generals of the Zhou army? I know JinZha and MuZha are described together a lot. NeZha seems to spend most of his time with YangJian and TianHua (and I’m assuming Lei ZhenZi since they get captured/beaten by the same guys in a few instances). NeZha also seems to shift in personality when TianHua and TianXiang die, making a lot less snarky remarks and killing opponents much sooner in battle (at least in Gu Zhizhong’s translation). Just a few examples

Ohhh, I have a bunch of headcanons regarding their dynamics. But before that, some infodumps:

-Nezha and Yang Jian's close relationship in FSYY may be a result of the novel taking inspiration from the "Emperor Zhenwu Kicks Demon Asses and Takes Names" genre of tales.

-Basically, in those stories, Emperor Zhenwu is sent to the mortal realm during the Shang-Zhou transistion to subdue demons and assist King Wu.

-FSYY kinda makes JZY take over Zhenwu's role. And in Yuan Zaju plays, Erlang and Nezha are often said to work under the Demon-Vanquishing Mansion of the North Pole, which is led by either Zhenwu himself or Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole's Central Sky (going by the variant where Zhenwu is one of the 4 marshals of the North Pole).

-Thus when JZY gains Zhenwu's role, he also gains his two employees from Zaju plays.

-Since Jinzha and Muzha only become a thing after Nezha, likely to flesh out the "Third Prince" thing and fulfill the classic folk tradition need to put characters in groups of set numbers, on a meta level, they aren't that close to Nezha either.

As for HCs, brace yourself, because there's a lot.

Thoughts on the Chan Junior Dynamics

-The Nezha + Yang Jian + Tianhua trio is certainly the most fun dynamic wise. Sadly, Huang Tianhua always end up getting ignored in favor of the Jianzha relationship.

(btw, I really dislike the "Yang Jian is Nezha's mentor/surrogate parent figure" take. Like, Nezha's actual master, Taiyi, is right there, and though these two are senior and junior brothers, they still come off more as equals in terms of status and abilities.)

-Nezha and Tianhua always has that vitrolic best buds vibe to me. Like, it doesn't take much for Nezha to acknowledge Yang Jian as senior brother, because their first interaction is a pretty good one, and his impression of Yang Jian is this polite, but not humorless guy with some OP shapeshifting skills.

-Huang Tianhua, though? They are both hotheaded, prideful youths prone to impulsive behavior, who've butted heads in-story. You bet Tianhua has tried to pull the senior brother card before and gotten a load of snark in return.

-Yep, whether Novel! Yang Jian has a sister or not, he's gotta be pretty skilled at acting the unofficial brother and breaking up arguments before they become too mean and heated.

-Complicating the matter: both Nezha and Huang Tianhua have brothers who fight alongside them on the battlefield, yet these brothers are practically strangers to them.

-Huang Tianhua is…well, spirited away from his family garden by Daode Zhenjun at the age of three, and when he joined the war to assist his family, he learned that his mom and aunt were dead because of Daji's plotting, and he has three younger brothers he'd never met before.

-Nezha's brothers aren't complete strangers, but they are distant enough to be unrecognizable during Nezha's first encounter with Muzha (probably because they spend most of their time away from home and studying under their respective immortal masters).

-And considering how the Patricide Arc went, I'd say Nezha isn't exactly eager to know them, at least during the first few years on the battlefield.

Tianhua: "Wait, why's Tianxiang crying? I'm just trying to lighten the mood!" Nezha: "If my brothers find one more excuse to 'make up for lost time' I'm gonna brick them. Both of them."

-Strangely enough, their mutual awkwardness around their actual brothers becomes something they bonded over, and Nezha becomes quite friendly with Tianhua's younger brothers, to his mock contention.

-Which is my explanation for his angry reaction to Huang Tianxiang's headless body being desecrated by the Shang side.

-Interestingly enough, Nezha says: "He's your enemy, and if it's out of loyalty to your kingdom, decapitation is enough! What has he done to you that warrants hanging his body on the gate tower?"

-My HC is that he has more or less accepted the fact that people he knew might die on the battlefield just because Fate Says So, but isn't quite ready for the depth of personal hatred and cruelty war can inspire yet.

-Also, I feel like the Yang Jian & Tianhua brotherhood is just as strong. Like, when he heard the news that Tianhua had died to Kong Xuan's subordinate, he got pretty angry, if the poetry is any indication.

杨戬听得黄天化已死，正是：道心推在汪洋海，却把无名上脑来。

-It isn't enough to make him lose his cool in his subsequent battle with Kong Xuan, but it's probably the most explicit description of anger we've seen from this guy.

-I can see Nezha and Yang Jian becoming much closer after Tianhua's deification yet also feeling deeply guilty about it, like they are hurrying to fill in the missing space, further complicated by the "deification isn't perma-death yet the person you know is still lost" factor.

-For Nezha specifically: he is destined to be the Vanguard of the Zhou army, but for over half of the novel, he doesn't seem to have that official title, while Huang Tianhua does introduce himself as "Vanguard with the Formal Seal".

-Only after Tianhua's death does JZY give the seal to Nezha and make him the head vanguard.

-Like, imagine if these two have bickered about the vanguard thing before, and Nezha finding out that his destiny——the fated position he always viewed with a mix of pride and entitlement——only comes true at the cost of a friend's life.

-There's probably shared anger and guilt at not being able to protect Tianhua's remaining family, even though their fate is sealed long before the war itself.

-Which is how I read Yang Jian's most ruthless deed, when he tricks Zhang Kui & Gao Lanying into slaying the former's steed and elderly mother while they are attempting to execute him, for the explicit purpose of destroying their morales.

-Like, it actually gets a disapproving line out of the Ming annotator of the novel, who comments that "Those who are the nicest and most obedient are often the most cruel, too." (可见极乖巧之人，是极恶毒之人)

-It also happens right after Huang Feihu, his brother, and the other four future Five Mount Gods died at Zhang Kui's hands. Though Yang Jian rationalizes it as military tactics and psychological warfare, personally, I feel like an element of "an eye for an eye" is at play here too.

-As for Huang Tianhua himself? This piece of old rambling in JTTW Discord pretty much sums up my thoughts.

-Finally, Lei Zhenzi...kinda like Wei Hu, he doesn't get a lot of spotlight or character. But if you wanna expand on his personality, I feel like a potential point of focus will be his relationship with King Wen and King Wu and the Zhou lineage.

-Since he's born from a great thunder, adopted by King Wen (then immediately taken away by Yunzhong Zi as a student), and transformed into a fierce winged warrior via eating magical apricots in order to rescue his father.

-Not only is there awkwardness from meeting the adoptive dad and brother he's never seen before, but also the whole monstrous transformation thing——like, King Wen has 99 sons prior to adopting Lei Zhenzi, yet he'll always be the odd one out.

(His fellow Chan juniors are of no help whatsoever when it comes to learning about normal family interactions. Not that they don't want to, but theirs either have zero presence in their lives until very recently, or are exemplars of How Not To Family.)

-I'd love to read a story where Lei Zhenzi is trying his best to integrate himself into this huge family, during or after the Investiture War, and eventually finds out about Boyi Kao...

-Also, in pre-FSYY novel version of the story, Lei Zhenzi and Yin Jiao essentially serve the role of Nezha and Yang Jian in the novel: both are born to destroy the Shang.

-Novel! Yin Jiao no longer has that association, considering that his destined role and Patricide Arc get taken over by Nezha, and he is rewritten into a tragic betrayer instead.

-But I'd love to see adaptations that add in some interactions between these two sons of opposing rulers——the Thunderborn Child vs. Last Heir of the Shang.

-Both become monstrous warriors via magical consumables. Both oppose the Shang (at least initially, for Yin Jiao). Yet what Lei Zhenzi wants (a father, a brother, a family) is what Yin Jiao can never escape, and it ends up dooming him.

[badgalsasuke]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FkibZKtpn/

"Sasuke's mouth confirms S is his wife and Srd is his biological daughter, even the authors confirms they are a real family and that blog still thinks Srd is not biologically related to Sasuke???"

This is comment in this shared post is funny as hell lol.

Hi!

I'm gonna post the whole thing so other people understand the context

Does the person who runs this page really understand how a harmonious marriage works? In a family where no one wants to lower their ego, where everyone just wants to make demands and not give in, then it's only a matter of time before a marriage breaks down.

Sasuke's mouth confirms Sakura is his wife and Sarada is his biological daughter, even the author confirms they are a real family and that blog still thinks Sarada is not biologically related to Sasuke???

Reading it, you can tell the admin of the page is narcissistic. The author builds couples according to the "heroic man, virtuous woman" motif. It may be outdated but it's not wrong. The husband contributes his labor, the wife contributes her strength, the husband goes to work to support the whole family, the wife stays at home to keep the family fire burning, each person has a function and every job is important. The admin herself lowers Hin's role, is picky and then turns around to criticize men for being gossipy :)

They included this image in the last comment.

LMAO what?

So they're responding to a narusasu fanpage that's criticizing both NH and SS marriages, and then these SS shippers got all mad and started saying that shit about Kishimoto liking to write submissive wife/ leading husband trope and that's why SS marriage is like that. This isn't true, Kishimoto has said that in his own marriage his wife is the one with the stronger personality and character and he is the airheaded one. But also in the marriage we see in Naruto, Kushina and Minato, you don't see these old-fashioned roles either, I guess people see Kushina as a stay-at-home wife because she retired temporarily as a kunoichi due to her pregnancy and then died, but in Road To Ninja Kishimoto writes that she would've continued to be a ninja after having her child (unlike Hinata) and Minato and her have a very lovely mutually respectful marriage (unlike Sakura and Hinata). But of course it's coping from these two shippers that Kishimoto would be extremely conservative regarding marriage to cope with the lack of affection you see between the characters.

The whole thing about a "harmonious marriage" is laughable because Sarada and Boruto are unhappy as hell and don't understand why their fathers are absent, when they try to find answers from their mothers, Sakura becomes extremely aggressive and makes Sarada cry, Hinata on the other hand starts to cry herself when Boruto gets angry over Naruto's behaviour. Neither of them can actually answer questions about their husbands because they don't know them, that's why Naruto had to tell Sarada about Sasuke and take her to him, and why Sasuke had to explain everything about Naruto to Boruto.

Regarding the second comment of "Sasuke's mouth confirming Sakura is his wife and Sarada is his child" well yeah, no one denies that he and Sakura are married we just point out how he'd rather not see or touch Sakura and doesn't allow her to touch him either, which is indicative of a loveless marriage no matter how hard you try to spin it into some "heroic husband/virtuous wife" shit. Also Kishimoto has never said Sarada is Sasuke's biological child, when he's talked about Gaiden he says "people will understand the bond between Sakura and Sasuke" or how they came to get married, which doesn't automatically mean Sarada is Sasuke's like no shade but everyone one of us that read Gaiden can see how fishy it is that Sasuke refuses to explain Sarada about how she came to exist and her relationship with her mom and how Kishimoto deliberately made the story about Uchiha genes cloning.

Now the image posted is funny as hell "Naruto shows zero interest in Hinata's interests, he's bored as hell when he's with her, he pays zero attention to her even when she's serving him and she looks lonely and miserable af but he's just acting unconsciously"

Idk if it's NH coping or if the SS shippers are trying to dunk on NH marriage because SS is "the better marriage". If it's NH cope then LMAOOOO that's not how Kishimoto writes harmonious marriages. If it's SS dunk on NH then LMAOOO at least Hinata gets to have her husband sleep in the same house (never the same bedroom tho) Sakura goes decades without seeing her husband even Ino rubs it on her face.

[ihopesocomic]

Cackler flashback anon here, i sent a couple asks explaining my side of things. Not sure if they came through

So, I feel the thing you're overlooking is that there is a language barrier between the two parties and the perceptions driven by fear that I mentioned in my response to the other anon.

Plus, we've already demonstrated that law and order does not automatically prevent awful things like infanticide from happening. Just like the law doesn't prevent bad things from happening in our world. What happened with Quiet is an example of this.

Like with our own brand of law and order, there are nuances and defences that one can fall back on to explain away their actions. Edge literally does this by claiming that him murdering other lions is a harmless venture/for the good of his victims because 'they'll come back as a better person'.

If a lion decides to kill a hyena cub, they would have absolutely no problem painting it as either a case of extreme hunger (because lions will eat hyenas if they're hungry enough) or that they felt they were sending a message to the adult hyenas to stay the hell away that left no room for interpretation. Which is also how irl lions behave and why they also have no qualms killing the young of other species that they're in direct competition with. They do it to eliminate competition and - yes - while our lions are anthropomorphic, there's still the underlying issue that allowing the young of a rival species to live could spell trouble for their pride when it comes to disputes over territory and resources.

We've shown that they can be like this with their own kind, hence why being a Traveller and being caught by a kingdom lion can be a pretty hazardous situation for said Traveller and/or their cubs.

Anyway, the hyenas have no reason to believe that every lion is good-natured and will not harm their cubs and lions also have no reason to believe that every hyena is honourable and will keep to themselves. We show this by having Cackler Ma initially believe that Hope was hunting down Junior. Thankfully, the situation was resolved because Junior spoke up on Hope's behalf, so the language barrier was not a problem there.

The hyenas also had no idea what happened to Merry themselves? Did the lionesses chase him off? Was it because he was too lenient with them? There's a whole lot of unanswered questions on both sides regarding Merry's disappearance and therefore the situation didn't leave much room for the hyenas to trust the lions as well as vice versa.

I don't know, it feels to me (and I could be misreading - so my bad) like you're saying that the hyenas should've given the remaining Golden Grove lions the benefit of the doubt when there actually wasn't a whole lot of benefit to be had. Putting their trust in a group of lions they weren't too familiar with and had lost the leader they were familiar with could've literally cost them their lives.

We also still see Merry chasing off the hyenas in the flashback. Just because they had a mutual respect, it didn't mean there was magically no conflict on either side. The hyenas sometimes tried to push their luck due to being hungry or whatever and Vicious had already demonstrated she had very little tolerance for their presence and we've stated she was capable of attacking them, even in childhood. These are all things that are present in the comic itself. Not to mention just the overreaching rule that lions and hyenas just don't trust each other due to their natural disagreements and Merry was a rarity in the essence that he didn't want to to drive the hyenas off their land completely due to his Traveller beliefs. Basically: individual character beliefs/perceptions =/= the wider IHS culture and society at large. - RJ

[n30ngutz]

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