#anything and everything he says or does is not my choice
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at least, once
The night air is cold against my skin as I step outside, the weight of my luggage dragging behind me. The streetlights flicker faintly, casting long, lonely shadows across the pavement. Our house looms behind me, silent and still, like a graveyard of memories I no longer belong to.
My breath shudders as I exhale, watching it dissipate into the night like all the words we never said. I don’t look back. If I do, I know I’ll break.
Ni-ki is still inside. Maybe asleep. Maybe awake. Maybe standing behind the door, listening, waiting for me to change my mind. But we both know that won’t happen.
It hurts. God, it hurts.
But love doesn’t always mean staying. Sometimes, love is knowing when to walk away before the pieces left behind become unrecognizable.
I clutch the handle of my suitcase, my fingers trembling. I should have seen this coming—the way the late-night conversations turned into silence, the way his touch became hesitant, the way his eyes searched for something in me that wasn’t there anymore. Or maybe it was, and he just stopped trying to find it.
A tear slips down my cheek, and I let it.
"Maybe you won’t love me again," I whisper into the void, my voice cracking under my heartache. "But at least I got loved by you once, and that was the best feeling ever."
And with that, I take my first step away.
The suitcase wheels rattled against the pavement, a quiet echo against the stillness of the night. Each step away from him, from our love, felt like ripping apart a piece of myself. But I had no choice.
Ni-ki told me it was an accident. That the girl kissed him, that he pulled away. But all I could think about was—what if it wasn’t? What if, for just a moment, he forgot that I was his? I forgot that I was the love of his life, supposedly.
What if, years from now, we got married, had kids, built the future we used to dream of—and he saw her again? What if he still thought about her? What if, behind my back, he met her in secret and whispered apologies against her lips the way he should have whispered them to me?
The thoughts wouldn’t stop. They clawed at my chest, suffocating me. I didn’t want to live a life full of what ifs. I didn’t want to wake up every morning wondering if I was enough. Suppose I would always be enough.
So I left.
And now, the sun was rising over a Ni-ki-less future.
His POV:
The bed was cold when I woke up.
I reached out instinctively, searching for her warmth and familiar weight beside me. But all I found was space.
My heart dropped.
“Babe?” My voice was hoarse, sleep-rough, but there was no answer.
The air felt wrong. The silence screamed louder than anything.
I stumbled out of bed, my chest tightening as I rushed through our house. The bathroom? Empty. The kitchen? Empty. The front door—unlocked.
That’s when I saw it.
The missing suitcase. The empty closet.
She was gone.
A shaky breath left me as my knees hit the floor. My mind raced, replaying every last word, every last look. The way she trembled when I told her. The way her eyes darkened with thoughts she didn’t say aloud.
I thought she’d stay. I thought she would yell, cry, tell me she hated me, but still choose me anyway.
But she didn’t.
I pressed a hand over my mouth, my body trembling.
She left.
Forever.
Your POV:
The morning light creeps through the cheap motel curtains, bathing the dull room in soft gold. But no warmth reaches me. The sheets are stiff, the air stale. Everything about this place screams temporary—just like us.
I pull my knees to my chest, staring at my phone on the nightstand—no missed calls. No texts.
Ni-ki hasn’t called.
I don’t know if I should be relieved or shattered.
Maybe he’s still asleep. Perhaps he woke up, saw I was gone, and decided I wasn’t worth chasing. Maybe this is proof that I was right to leave.
But why does it hurt so much?
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push away the image of him waking up, running through the house, calling my name—only to be silent.
Would he cry? Would he sit on the floor, his head in his hands, wondering where I went wrong?
Or would he… move on?
I bite my lip to keep the sob from breaking free.
I want to believe he’s hurting like I am, that this is tearing him apart, too. But I also want to believe that leaving was the right choice.
I can’t have both.
I press my forehead against my knees, swallowing the ache in my throat.
Maybe in another life, I would have stayed.
Maybe in another life, he wouldn’t have let me go.
His POV:
The house is too quiet.
Too empty.
It doesn’t feel like home anymore, not without her.
I sit on the floor, staring at the space where her suitcase used to be. My fingers dig into my hair as I replay last night repeatedly. The way her face fell when I told her. The way her lips trembled like she was holding back a scream.
She didn’t yell, throw things, or demand to know why.
She just… left.
I should have stopped her. Should have grabbed her wrist, pulled her into my arms, begged her to stay.
But I didn’t.
Because deep down, I knew—she wasn’t just leaving because of the kiss.
She was leaving because of what it meant.
She thinks I’ll do it again. That someday, years from now, she’ll be sitting at home with our kids while I’m out somewhere, lips pressed against another girl’s.
And the worst part? I can’t blame her for thinking that.
I never got the chance to tell her—tell her that it was never a choice, never a moment where I forgot she was mine.
Because forgetting her? Impossible.
She is in everything. The way the pillows still smell like her shampoo. The tea mugs on the counter that she always forgot to clean. The way the sun hits the window just right at this hour, the same way it used to catch in her hair when she sat in this very spot.
She’s everywhere. And now, she’s nowhere.
I reach for my phone, my hands shaking. I stare at her contact, my thumb hovering over the call button.
What if she doesn’t answer?
What if she does?
What if she’s waiting for me to fight for her?
I take a deep breath and press the call.
It rings once. Twice.
Then—
"The number you are trying to reach is unavailable."
The automated voice cuts through my chest like a blade.
She blocked me.
And just like that, I know—
She’s really gone.
His POV:
I keep staring at my phone, my mind racing with thoughts I can’t escape.
What if I never told her?
What if I had just swallowed the guilt, buried it deep inside, and let it rot within me instead of breaking her heart with the truth?
Would she still be here? Would she be curled up on the couch, waiting for me to wake up so we could eat breakfast together? Would I still hear her laugh echo through the house, still feel her fingers tangle in mine, still see the love in her eyes when she looked at me?
I told myself that honesty was the right thing to do. That I owed it to her. But now, I wonder—did I just ruin everything for nothing?
It wasn’t my fault.
I didn’t know the girl. I didn’t even see it coming. One second, I was standing there, and the next—her lips were on mine. Everything happened so fast. I pulled away immediately. I didn’t kiss back. I didn’t even hesitate before pushing her off me.
But none of that mattered, did it?
Because in her mind, the damage was already done.
She didn’t just leave because of the kiss. She left because she couldn’t live with the possibility of me hurting her again. Because she thought that someday, I would forget she was the love of my life.
But she was wrong.
I could never forget.
I press my palms against my face, squeezing my eyes shut.
If I had just kept my mouth shut, if I had just held her a little tighter that night and never let her feel like she had to run—
Would she still be mine?
Or would the truth have found its way out eventually, tearing us apart in an even worse way?
I don’t know.
And maybe I never will.
Your POV:
I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting in my car, hands gripping the steering wheel, staring at nothing.
The bags are still in the backseat, untouched. I was so sure when I packed them—so sure that leaving was the right thing to do. That I had to go before I convinced myself to stay in something that would only hurt me later.
But now, I don’t know anymore.
Ni-ki told me the truth. I didn’t even give him a chance to explain everything, to tell me what happened in full. I just let my mind take over, drowning in worst-case scenarios until I felt like I was suffocating.
And now, sitting here alone, I keep asking myself the same question.
Why do I always run?
Every time someone hurts me, even if it’s unintentional, even if they don’t deserve to be abandoned—why do I leave before they get the chance to fix it?
Ni-ki isn’t perfect. He made a mistake. But I know him. I know his heart. I know the way he looks at me, like I’m the only thing that matters.
I still love him.
I love him so much it terrifies me.
I glance at my keychain, my fingers brushing against the silver house key.
I still have it.
He didn’t change the locks. He didn’t throw my things outside. Maybe…maybe he’s waiting.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab the key and step out of the car. The cold air stings my face, but I barely notice as I make my way back to the house.
I stand in front of the door, hesitating.
What if he’s asleep?
What if he doesn’t want me back?
What if I’m too late?
I shake the thoughts away and slide the key into the lock.
The moment the door opens, my breath catches.
There he is.
Ni-ki is sitting on the floor in the dimly lit living room, his back against the couch, his phone hanging limply in his hands. He looks exhausted—eyes red-rimmed, hair a mess, his hoodie wrinkled like he hasn’t moved in hours.
The second he sees me, he freezes.
We stare at each other, time stretching between us, hearts hanging in the balance.
And then—
“...You came back.” His voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper.
I nod, my throat tight. “I never really wanted to leave.”
He swallows hard, like he’s trying to hold himself together. “Then why did you?”
I step inside, letting the door click shut behind me. “Because I was scared.”
Silence. A thick, fragile silence.
Then he stands, his movements slow, careful, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he moves too fast.
“I need you to know something,” he says, voice rough with emotion. “That night… I didn’t kiss her. I didn’t even see it coming. The moment it happened, I pushed her away. And the only thing I could think about was you. How much I love you. How much I—” His voice catches, and he swipes a hand down his face. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my vision blurring. “I know.”
Ni-ki takes a shaky breath. “Do you?”
I nod, stepping closer. “I let my thoughts ruin everything before you even had the chance to explain. I ran because I thought it would be easier than staying and facing it. But I—” My voice wavers, and I look down, hands trembling. “I don’t want to keep running from the people I love.”
A pause. Then, a whisper. “You still love me?”
I look up, and for the first time since I left, I smile. It’s small, hesitant, but it’s real. “Yeah. I do.”
Before I can say anything else, Ni-ki closes the space between us, wrapping me in his arms so tightly it knocks the air out of my lungs. I bury my face in his chest, breathing him in, feeling his warmth, his heartbeat racing against mine.
He’s shaking.
“I thought I lost you,” he murmurs into my hair. “I thought I lost you forever.”
I close my eyes, holding onto him just as tightly. “You didn’t.”
And in that moment, I know—
We’re not perfect. We’ll make mistakes. We’ll hurt each other sometimes.
But love isn’t about running when things get hard.
It’s about finding your way back.
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Does it mean anything that nobody gave Jinx up? Nobody gave up on her except in a moment of weakness on Vi's part, but she comes right back the second she sees she's wrong and that Jinx is still her sister.
Vander didn't give up his kids, obviously. VI didn't give Powder up and instead planned to sacrifice herself. Silco didn't give her up for all it cost him. Sevika didn't even give Jinx up to Smeach once Silco died and she started spending time with her.
Smeach is the only one we see trying to take her in but that's very quickly taken care of and he doesn't know her at all. Every other character got to know Jinx and said hmm. Not this one. What is that? I mean, I know I love her, but why was that a running consistency? If you've got a guess I'd love to hear it tbh I'm stumped.
My only guess is that it's to emphasize she's not a monster? And that she's just a kid that's easy to love when you actually know her. Or that it reflects more on the people given the choice to show that they "can forgive a monster" (one of the questions Fortiche put forward throughout the series).
I don't know, I think at the end of the day when faced with an incredibly traumatized 18 year old it'd be pretty hard to give her up and say yup this is solely her fault. Personally I also find her charming, funny and endearing so that'd make it hard for me. She's not a bad person and that makes it hard. It could also be plot convenience but Arcane doesn't strike me for that with how detailed and meaningful everything is.
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Kusakabe, dear, you're too beautiful to be saying that kind of stuff
#jjk spoilers#All the prettiest characters were brought back from apparent death#Nobara was okay and it's true that when I read the lawyer's and Kusakabe's fights against Sukuna I thought it was being kept vague#but to pull a Nobara with all of them... idk#No one stays dead here except for the people who actually care for the kids and by that I mean 'including Yuuji'#kinda lowkey bitter about it#Don't get me wrong I like the characters and also they're super pretty but idk It makes death feel cheap? And the high stakes kinda fake?#Choso Gojo and Nanami actual only characters who died apparently#Well. Poor Itadori#And Kusukabe goes and runs his mouth that way in front of the kid. He is not entirely wrong but also he very much is#And yes he also says 'don't worry it's not for you to feel guilty over anything you're just kids' but also he did very much say that thing#about it all being Gojo's fault for not killing Itadori. In front of Itadori who feels guilty for that precisely#and in front of Megumi who asked Gojo to spare him and also went through the experience of Sukuna using his body as well#So Kusukabe's reassurance about them just being kids and not to feel guilty falls a bit empty#It does feel in character but man it truly makes one appreciate the way Gojo and Nanami dealt with the kids a lot more haha#Ui Ui seems like a dear#Anyway... this chapter felt a bit lame for the most part for me? I like the idea of the characters discussing the could have/would have#and feeling guilt and helplessness over their choices but the way it was done felt a bit lame and without any real emotional punch#It felt more like an explanation to the reader in an awkward way. And there's a lot of empty chat about guilt and grief#without any of the characters really giving off a grieving air about everything and everyone they've lost#And this is precisely what I felt was going to happen with this manga's writing haha#I truly don't understand this kind of writing choices. Contrary to some other shonen writers this author did seem to have the potential#to write this kind of thing well besides the worldbuilding and powers and fight stuff. It's truly a pity. It so breaks my heart#And still this is considered one of the good shonens. Well. WELL haha#I do think shonen can be good! I just think it falls almost always even when there's potential into bery shallow writing#I don't know. Maybe I should read that one Alchemist manga#I've been repeatedly told that one's good and it does seem like it doesn't do... this. But I find the art style so not to my linking#I wish I had never gotten into JJK for real for real. I absolutely adore it. I always end up frustrated. It could be so good. Genuinely good#And yet it's just okay in a sort of forgettable way. What a pity#Everything good ever is present but it never dares do anything to fully explore what it sets. It just does the typical shonen stuff
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Me starting another bg3 run where I will make virtually all the same decisions in mostly the same order as if there isn't different branching paths
#the horrifying idea of things going differently if i choose something different#my ass sitting here wanting other content for it as if i'm not actively refusing to make the choices to get other content#i've still only romanced astarion bro#i had my og. the EXACT copy of my og but durge this time.#began a karlach run to romance wyll and am still in early act 1 so nothing will happen for a long ass time#and i left that because i missed my paladin. the party feels incomplete without them bro#started a rogue/fighter run of one of my ocs retrofitted into the game.#but also am incapable of staying true to the character cause i'll miss stuff if i do and i need to do EVERYTHING explore EVERYWHERE#nearly couldn't get over the hurdle of having no strength and no speak with animals (so karlach and wyll gotta speak to critters)#then just started a sorcerer to try to really push myself to branch out. but all it did was reaffirm that being a spell caster sucks#no jump cause no strength no health no armour no decent melee. like motherfucker pick a struggle#luckily that oc is into music so sorcerer-bard here we come#but every single one of these bitches is good aligned#(and anything i SHOULD do different i don't cause there's still different varoeties of good but alas)#still haven't romanced another party member (but that's not ENTIRELY my fault!!!!)#my og/og durge was the same person i couldn't just romance someone else. they got with astarion i don't make the rules#karlach WILL romance wyll if i ever get farther in#my rogue/fighter oc is heading the baldur's gate for his boyfriend and they have an open relationship so he COULD fuck other people#alas he would never due to his own issues#BUT THIS WILL CHANGE#my sorcerer/bard (who is the boyfriend of the rogue. just imagining the plot as if he was on the adventure or rogue was in baldur's gate)#and he WOULD fuck other people no strings attached#so my goal is to fuck all potentially non-monogamous party members#so lae'zel shadowheart astarion#wyll is a slow burn so that's emotional depth we wouldn't put in#gale is king or monogamy (plus him and this character together would make the rogur pass the fuck out)#karlach is complicated because of the no touch thing? hard to say how much emotional depth ends up required there#meanwhile shadowheart has mentioned she does no strings attached hook-ups#lae'zel propositions you ten seconds in for a good tumble#and from romancing astarion i know fucking the first time seems like it'll just be casual hook up time and i needn't go further
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Firm believer in Hurley becoming the guardian being his bad ending
#hi I'm thinking about the Lost ending but can't make an actual post because I'm not finished with my rewatch and my sister follows me#tbh the more i think about it the more i genuinely hate the Lost ending#like it desperately wants us to see Jack as a hero for saving the world possibly but i genuinely can't see anything heroic about it because#of how before doing that he basically ruins Hurley's life#like we have all seen what Jacob is/isn't#and I'm gonna be so fr i don't think Hurley has what it takes to escape the cycle#also the biggest thing with Jack and Hurley there is that it's a consistent pattern#before they got back on the island Jack was basically psychologically torturing him to get him to come back#bear in mind Hurley had been institutionalized for 2 years at that point#fully believe this is why Hurley ended up going back#everyone keeps saying he has a choice but i straight up disagree because both Jack and Jacob are fucking w his mind so much#and in the end Hurley once again doesn't get a choice#it's either become the guardian or risk the world ending#and Jack is going in that cave to die whether he does or not#like it's rotten at the core because Jack and Hurley have a fundamental abusive power dynamic that clouds their entire relationship build on#Jack thinking he's superior because he is a doctor and Hurley is insane#i also think it sucks that a show that used to question destiny ends with Hurley having to follow it because that's what Jack wants#maybe his destiny was to be an artist or start his own restaurant or something#but no Sorry buddy Jack wants you to become god#also Fucked up that in New man in charge Hurley ends up taking Walt back to the island after everything Michael did to get him out#personal headcanon but i think at that point he's starting to change#also Kate is not Jack's fucking soulmate are you fucking serious#dude was severely abusive to her and you're telling me that they're meant to fucking be#Lost#Lost tv#Lost abc#Lost 2004#Hurley#Hugo Reyes
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Come on, you know you want to, give us the character bingo for Viktor.
don't mind if i doooo
#ask me#okay there's a lot going on here but first things first#viktor has transcended the favorite character tier where I want to protect him or whatever#like yeah he did that shit! I support him but I also don't! the more trouble he gets himself into the happier I'll be!#do you feel me#like one of the things I love most about Viktor is that I feel so much sympathy for the circumstances he's in that are out of his control#but he has so much agency in his own story that everything he's gained and accomplished are because he makes choices#and GETS HIMSELF places#and now the same thing is happening with his BAD choices and I find that just as delightful if not moreso#he is the agent of his own salvation and his own destruction and I will be in the front row seat with popcorn for both or either#so writing him is mostly me studying him under the microscope poking him until he does something untoward it's very fun#I only hesitantly say that Viktor is like me but the Balkan ties and the grumpy-but-kind and obsessive personality#and the strong opinions about a chosen STEM field#are inescapable okay#mommy issues is not circled because I have mommy issues but bc I have convinced myself that Viktor WILL have them#if Nikola Tesla is anything to go by#the jayce-mel-viktor trifecta is ruled by mommy issues and i will stand by that claim#also viktor is more interesting with no therapy - with as little therapy as possible would be my preference#WITH THE EXCEPTION of the lonely genius shit that Singed planted in his head#that is absolutely the lie that Viktor believes that he MUST discard in order to progress as a character and I am excited for it#I genuinely think that Viktor will be happier and more eccentric as [REDACTED] but it won't last#he will hit a VERY LITERAL -if thy right hand offend thee cut it off- situation and then he'll have peace but he won't call it happiness#I can't say that I'd hate anyone who hurt him because that is half of why I'm excited for s2#but I will probably lose it at any scene where he loses to [REDACTED] for rivalry reasons#I genuinely do want to see Mel completely own his ass as [REDACTED] though like can you imagine the banter#and both of them secretly having fun with it
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Oh dear. My brain gets easily overwhelmed by compound questions and I compensate by reponding in broad ways to cover as much ground as possible, but I think you had expected me to go deeper. My apologies. Let me see if I understand what you are asking precisely.
The explanation you are looking for is in how the Goetia function like celebrities, you meant that as a physical behavior? Because I admit there isn't a single one action that is a direct comparison to celebrities. In relation to Stolas' position, all we have is the Harvest Moon celebration where all Stolas appears to do is make a speech, open his portal, and then just hang out. It's a purely ceremonial and performative spectacle.
So going back to the original post where I deconstructed power, the question is what purpose does the spectacle serve? If the power was centralized in Stolas and his position in the aristocracy, then it should have been more focused on deifying Stolas for his magic and affirming the social dynamics of their society.
But it is precisely the fact this is so underdeveloped that we can't actually attribute any weight to it. So when you take away the power in a scene like that, it becomes entertainment.
And that's why I think the larger conversation with Elcee is relevant as the central focus of my position revolved around world-building and how the lack of it stripped these characters of the necessary context to elevate their positions to one of actual power.
Your next two paragraphs are a bit more closely related so I will treat those as a separate conversation, because what you are talking about here are the different types of power: Hard Power and Soft Power.
This is the archetypal duel between intellect and brute strength. The terms Hard and Soft power are coined in regards to international relations.
Hard power to a nation is their military. In an example, say America wants Canada's oil fields. Anything in relation to the use of one's military, even simply as a threat, is an expression of Hard Power. Trump lining up troops along the border would be a display of Hard Power.
Soft power is the socio-political side. It is NATO, the Red Cross, USAID. Soft power is charity in exchange for political influence. Financial and material support to another country that is experiencing unrest, famine, disease, and war. These business-style agreements and friendly negotiations are how power is maintained.
So in regards to Stella and Stolas, Stolas has all the hard power. The person in any true danger when the two of them are together is Stella. The only things that can kill Stolas are angelic weapons of a very high caliber. But Stolas could just turn Stella into stone. She isn't killed, but physically rendered completely incapable of causing him harm.
Or more in line with his show characterization, he could just leave. The leniency provided towards victims of abuse is the understanding that the abusers and victims are equals outside of the abusive dynamic. The tendency of abuse to psychologically disempower the victim is real, and why many victims stay in these dynamics. Let alone the ways the victims are physically isolated.
There is no "belief" in powerlessness with Stolas. This character reached across dimensions to reanimate corpses in order to summon himself the good old fashion way. That is cosmic levels of power. There is nothing stopping Stolas from just scooping up his daughter and hopping through a portal, save for his own arbitrary choice to stay and blaming that choice on his child.
If we switch to Stella's side, it's important to note what is and is not canon. What Andrealphus tells Stella is that she will lose everything to Octavia if Stolas dies. So that means Octavia, being heir, is entitled to everything that her father inherited from his father. So the title, Manor, money, and other assets Stolas inherited and accrued. Meanwhile Stella is only entitled to what she brought into the relationship. Because the noble lineage of higher rank has a winner-takes-all method of inheritance. It's why being acknowledged by one's parents' families was such a big deal.
And it is necessary to remember Andrealphus is a Marquis, meaning that is also Stella's rank of birth. The European aristocracy ranks from the top down:
As seen here, Stella was brought up the ranks to Princess. In a divorce, she would be entitled to some reparations in the form of monetary compensation, but would lose her title.
But if the title was so important to Stella, she should be wanting to protect it at all costs. The thing that contradicts that is how she embarrasses her husband. Because her title is one she acquired from him, devaluing her husband is directly going to devalue herself among the other Goetia. So we can't even get to the conversation of Soft Power because her canon behavior would have ruined her reputation alongside her husband's.
What would have been in line with this behavior would have been Stella seeking a divorce from the beginning. Making Stolas look bad would have only assisted in her being awarded more reparations for how terribly he treated her. It would be how Paimon would "clean up" Stolas' image in the courts.
And please note that I am focusing solely on titles, not sex. I am functioning on the assumption that if Stella was a princess who married beneath her, Stolas would be in the same position as she is in the canon.
On a completely unrelated aside, I am approaching the conversation of Stolas and his abuse from the duel viewpoint in how the show wants me to see him and what his abilities contextualize his actions. The only way to justify Stolas' cheating the way the show wants me to requires Stolas being trapped in the relationship due to forces outside of himself, or have him just admit that he cheated on Stella to hurt her. Which the show explicitly denies.
The show is too scared to just let Stolas be cruel in retaliation to her cruelty, and I think most Stolas Critics would be less hostile to the character if the show would just allow him to do terrible things for the sake of them being terrible. The aspect that endears an audience to problematic characters is the catharsis we feel through them. Him lashing out against Stella being acknowledged for what it was would have entirely changed my whole position on the show.
But because Stolas is magically and socially superior to Stella, you cannot argue that his cheating is also innocent. It's not removing the significance of his abuse. But his cheating is not excused by it due to the context. It isn't elevating cheating over abuse, merely saying they are unrelated and mutually exclusive. Those are two separate conversations in their entirety that cannot be used to justify each other.
But I think that covers all of it? I do hope I was able to give you a better response this time. My apologies again. Please let me know if I got anything wrong.
I've seen your tweet which criticizes the worldbuilding in Helluva Boss and how the Goetias feel like "Hollywood with royal titles" rather than true aristocracy, and I would like you to elaborate on that, if that's OK.
Thank you so much for this ask as I never got to expand on this point at the time. For those not in the know, the user is referencing this exchange on Twitter.
As much as the elites of our world would like to disperse the truth, the reality is that all societies are constructed around power. Who has power, how and why. That is the fundamental basis of every social dynamic from children on a playground to the politicians in our governments. So the very first thing we should even approach in regards to the narrative is how does power work in this universe?
So when I responded to Elcee in the tweet being referenced, I am evaluating power and power structures. Mainly there are two wholly different constructs of power between something like the aristocracy and celebrities.
The closest thing to an aristocracy we have in our modern day are the financial oligarchs of Capitalism. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, etc. They have control everything from how our political parties engage with us to how we think based on the wealth they were born into. They curate our lives behind the scenes in ways that sound worthy of a tinfoil hat, but isn't a conspiracy. The wealthy were threatened in the 1970s by an educated proletariate. In response to our questioning the Vietnam war, the higher education that was once free or at least extremely affordable suddenly became prohibitively expensive.
So much so that only the financial aristocracy could access it. Whereas working class individuals are forced to jump through hoops and prove themselves suitably subservient to the existing power of the oligarchy in the form of scholarship applications, teacher recommendations and application letters before being granted access. This is not a mistake or how it's always been, this is by design.
Meanwhile, Celebrities are not elites. While we think of celebrities as being overpaid and living in luxury, it only takes a glance over at Chappell Roan to see the difference. When Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk or any large corporate CEO walks the red carpet, they are treated as royalty. When celebrities walk the red carpet, they are commodities.
Celebrity is the modern day face of the American Dream. Gone are the days of a single family home and a white picket fence. The boom of content over art, luxury over practicality, and excess over comfort is directly the result of selling to the world the idea of capitalistic success, which just amounts to perpetuating the system of turning humans into money. And for as much money as these celebrities make, it has been proven over and over again that they are just as susceptible to poverty as any other working class individual.
Celebrities are products we buy, and when we stop buying them, they vanish.
Meanwhile the aristocracy, the financial oligarchy, thrives in obscurity.
The difference in power is about who still has it when we no longer see them. And the more invisible and pervasive it is, the more real it is. However one as an individual thinks about the celebrity class, they are simple a different type of specialized tool to the true power behind the scenes.
With that differential in mind, the Goetia function more like celebrities rather than CEOs, and while Elcee fails to see the bigger picture, that subliminally tells the audience that someone with the title of prince, with armies sworn to his allegiance and infinite cosmic power, is no different than a working class joe.
This isn't intentional propaganda, however. It's not her trying to further the agendas of Jeff Bezos intentionally. Just like my other post covering how Medrano tries to excuse cheating, not realizing the only time one can argue such a blanket concept of forgiveness for such a betrayal can only happen when the option of choice is non-existent (ie Divorce is not on the table for reasons outside of the characters’ choices), this is the danger of not engaging with media with your mind turned on. You will innately, no matter how careful someone tries to be, engage with the material through the eyes of the creator.
Celebrities and average people are the same: commodities in the face of real power. But Medrano cannot tell the difference between someone like Elon Musk and his employees. She sees the aristocracy, the ones who were born into a legacy of wealth, as “hardworking average folks”. And if you aren't thinking, you might find yourself implicitly believing that too. Deeper entrenching the power they have over you as an individual and society as a whole.
How we got to where we are in our real lives is mirrored in the media we consume. And that isn't an accident.
#vivziepop critical#helluva boss critical#helluva boss criticism#vivziepop criticism#helluva boss critique#spindlehorse critical#vivienne medrano#stolas critical#power structures#world building
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These two lines really make me feel like Susie is only a bully for, let's say, survival reasons. But that's as coherent as i can get so i'm going to ramble the rest of my thoughts on the tags.
#luly talks#FIRST AND FOREMOST LOOK AWAY DONT LOOK AT JOEY'S ICON KUJHNUYHGB i didnt feel like editing ok. nor finding other screenshtos#anyway that aside.#if you think of her parallels with King it kind of reinforces it bc king is as bitter and violent as he is bc he was betrayed and abandoned#and what does susie do when she feels like her at that moment only friend lancer has decided to betray her? she turns bitter and violent#(rip to lancer my man keeps getting his ass kicked to next week someone get these ppl therapy 😭😭)#this all could also be like. turned grimmer if you think susie has a home but it just fucking sucks#bc she's just like me fr and i know living with someone that hates you makes you hate everything too#but there's also the possibility of her being bullied and again shitty family not doing anything for her#some theorize she came from a mostly human place so that's a reason why she'd easily get targeted#and in school her situation is pretty Bad bc she didnt do jack shit but everyone instantly hated her#really reinforcing what she says to kris about your choices not mattering#(btw isnt it fucking hilarious that so many people project on kris even and obviously us too? protagonist curse is strong)#anyway its lovely that she got to see there's more to this gay earth than pain and agony and stuff. heart < 3#deltarune#susie deltarune
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In old roleplaying circles, I used to have people get really angry at me because they found a lot of catharsis in taking their characters those agonizing angst without necessarily giving them an end point of healing whereas my characters would always try to prompt that moment of healing—would be an end point they could come to whenever they were ready, would love them through the pain instead of drive it higher—and I don't think I've really changed at all in that regard, and I hope that ends up being all right.
#this is a complicated way to say that i'm having my chai and meditating on some of the more popular headcanons i saw#when i first got here and part of it was just the circle of blogs i saw initially when i created mine#because they all had a similar sense of characterization for the blorbos and were reluctant to let anything else in#and i totally get that btw because i LOVE seeing varied interpretations and i will happily play in every sandbox#but i'm thinking specifically about the fanon about beej HAVING to leave his home after everything because he tries to fit back in the box#and he can't#and the agony and misery therein like having built an entire life on a literal lie and choosing to jettison it for his own good#and how i have inadvertently built a home life for him that he will return to incredibly changed but will be welcomed into nonetheless#i think about how loose and utterly queer he becomes in korea down to his gestures his clothes his grooming choices#and how yes he DOES remove all of those when he gets home#(my gnc hawk doing much the same i should say)#but replacing the agony of having to leave what no longer serves you with the joy of someone saying 'then let's change together'#and the knowledge that it won't be easy and you need SO much therapy#but that the old and the new can come together in a very intentional and loving and wonderful way#so the mustache comes back and the colors and the loose limbs and the lighter speaking cadence and he feels so fucking good again#and he's loved so thoroughly by all three of the most important aspects of his life for CHOOSING to be authentic#(just like hawk)#and i know a lot of this is me needing to write it because i almost lost my marriage because my wife was so scared of how she changed#that she was projecting onto me all of these thoughts of how she was SURE i'd react and she tried to cut and run early#and how when i wrapped her up in all that love and desire to come along on this new journey and see what happens#that she was overcome and truly didn't believe it was real#but also i do get sad at the tendency to be like 'everyone changed and they can never go back'#when i want to be like 'yes but they can always go forward and they don't have to lose everything they loved to do it'#and i just hope people wanna come on that journey with me#my ramblings
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going 2 sleeepppp... its not even 11 pm yet but ueueue i have to go out tomorrow (bring my cat to the vet + mom wants to take me to the clinic after going to the church) ueue
#i don’t enjoy going but i don’t have a choice. its funny because she’ll get irritated and angry over the phone while we’re otw there#patience is a virtue MY ASS i hate super hot tempered people#i told her i hate going out on sundays and she was like ok lets go saturday! and i was like no i don’t really wanna and she was like anak-#-you need to pray... so i was like why not pray at home and she was like. she gave me that look#it is a genuine question though. i’m agnostic but i do want to know is there any difference at all. i imagine its mostly for the sense of#community and the environment but i don’t think being in a church itsslf will like amplify your belief or anything does it like#last time we went it was a subtly-transphobic white guy as the pastor. nobody was laughing at his jokes. loser#he didn't say it out loud but ahhh nowadays people are making up crazy identities and thats not right...! i hope you explode btw#she doesn’t even talk to anyone we just go there sit for 50 mins go home like what. and then she immediately disregards everything anyways#💭
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~ ~ ~
#woke up sad today so that’s fucking great#I know it’s a dumb thing too but it always bothers me so much when someone who supposedly likes me can barely even speak to me#I know we’re all busy and they got family stuff and whatever else but like how hard is it to send a message real quick before you go to bed?#how hard is it to check your phone even once throughout the day? you really don’t have five minutes to say hey?#and this always happens no matter who it is whether it’s just a friend or someone who likes me or I like them or we’re together#everyone is always better friends with and closer to everyone else in their lives and I just get outcasted again and again#when is that going to change? when is someone going to like me and want to talk to me and spend time with me just for me?#when am I going to find someone who has my same energy about relationships/friendships?#what’s so wrong with me that I have to be alone all the time and can’t find anyone who wants to keep up with me on a regular basis?#and my therapist would say that nobody owes me anything and I guess that’s true but then what’s the fucking point of it all?#if I killed myself it wouldn’t matter because I’m no one’s first choice anyway and to most I’d be a faded memory within a week#but I can’t even do that because I have to take care of my dad and my dog and there’s too many responsibilities on me#the only way I’m important is by holding up this shitty household and I hate that#how pathetic that the only one who wants to be around me most of the time is my dad and that’s because he relies on me for everything#but after all the trauma and how much of an asshole my dad can be I don’t really want him to be the only one in my life I can hang out with#and I can’t even really hang out with him or talk to him because he just wants to sit around and watch tv and can’t really go anywhere and#doesn’t really listen when I talk because most often he doesn’t want to hear what I have to say#so it’s just me and my doggie and I love her very much but she isn’t a person and so it isn’t the same. I guess at least my dog does choose#me though so that’s something huh#and I know I haven’t processed a lot with my recent breakup and bullshit at work and other things but geez I don’t want to wake up suicidal#I’m tired of wanting to kill myself or wishing I was dead half the time#May as well just fucking do it already if that’s gonna be the case anyway. maybe when dad is more self sufficient I can get it over with#another bad morning and I just want everything to go away and let me have some peace for once#I just want to be gone#personal
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On one hand I get how Jayce's astral plane speech can sound kinda ableist and it do be kinda funny because he goes "Imperfections aren't something to cure" about a progressive chronic illness that seriously worsened Viktor's quality of life.
On the other hand no no I get him. Let him cook. He gets it more than anyone has ever gotten it in the history of mankind.
#it was just a poor choice of words i think#because like if you remember he doesn't even blink at the leg augmentation so it's not like he's all 'booo you shouldn't cure anything ever'#but anyway that's not what i wanted to say i wanted to say that i get him. in this specifically. i hate all his other choices#and opinions but he has my full support on this one.#like yesssss my man you get it the true essence of love is the word 'with'. not 'because' and not 'despite'.#people like to fling them around. 'we love him despite X'. 'hes a cool guy despite Y.'#'shes my friend because Z'. i guess it's normal but I think the concept of love itself does not deal with such things#it's just 'with'. it sees nothing as inherently negative or positive and finds the whole sum as important as the parts#every detail. every imperfection. every difference. every abnormality and everything average too.#and if any of that changes that doesn't bother the concept of love at all. because it doesn't demand stagnation.#it doesn't demand a 'because'.#and in the end that's kinda what he said so i stand with him. like no he gets it it is about people as them
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Watched episode 5 :)
#I have mothing to say really. These episodes are so good#I loooooove the Perfect Crime mini arc. It's very good#If I have to be honest when I read the manga for the first time and I got to this arc I was like#“did the author mistakenly write a good arc for a change”#and then the doa arc started and I was like... Actually maybe it wasn't a mistake#(Sorry for the mean thinking). That is to say‚ in my opinion the good writing for b/sd really starts after the Cannibalism Arc.#Mushitarou's character and story are so tragic. I love him.#I kinda wish he had a different va but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Maybe I'm just perpetually unsatisfied.#When I was reading the manga I was fully convinced Yokomizo was a woman untill the end. So now I kind of fully believe in trans Yokomizo#The local bookshop I always visit has Yokomizo books right next to the stairs so my eye always falls on them#The quality of this episode is amazing hhhhh Poe's book dimension is so good and the directing is so good and everything is so good really#////////// I can't add anything. The colours choices are so good!! The details!!!! So so many kudos to the animators of this season fr.#I'm repeating myself but actually praying that all the ss/kk scenes in the future are animated with the same level of care#The “I won't let you hurt anyone in the agency” scene was so impressive.#The “To that end I memorized and assimilated the demon himself” line is so interesting.#As is the fact that Ranpo is outlined in red‚ just as Dostoyevsky is.#I'm sorry that in the end Ranpo had to blackmail Mushitarou into turning himself in. Even if it was to protect the agency.#Like couldn't he instead blackmail him into simply undoing his ability on Kunikida like Mushitarou later does?#Wouldn't that have been a better solution for everyone? 🤔 ╮(╯_╰)╭#I looooove Gogol's entrance it's so pretty he's so pretty#I would have personally picked a music that is less tense and more upbeat to contrast even more between tone and action#but eh. that's up to taste I guess. Still very very good scene#Can't wait for what happens next!!!! FINALLY ATSUSHI my favourite anime character#random rambles
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nowadays i really don't have any patience
#i notice i get annoyed with anyone or anything no matter how much i love them#i don't have any patience left in me rn#i am struggling with eating and with finding some balance i don't know what i am doing with my life#i am very irritable and get disappointed with anything#this goes for real life and kibum too#i refuse to listen to people who think that not everything is political#everything you do is political every step you take in society is political#kibum collaborating with mc donalds is a monumental fck up#and i am annoyed by people who can only focus on the contract and its clauses#YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT ppl are dying#fans have every right to be upset at his choices considering he does curate his collaborations and he#built his image on growth and understanding and inclusiveness#so he has to be real about it#also idgaf what people say the internet CAN change things and be the voice that can't be silenced#palestinians need us and safety and justice will always come to me first so#i have so much to say becausr#why can't ppl just accept that he's in the wrong instead of appealing to silly stuff like contracts or#to 'you don't understand he's of a different culture'#oh please come on this is all over the news and social media#what does it tell you about someone's values if they'd rather try to explain a collaboration with a company encouraging the iof#than actually care for the people of palestine?#don't piss me off seriously
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The 141 getting you to stay in bed
It gets a little spicy towards the end so 18+ please
Soap
Waking up to the feeling of a numb arm is extremely unpleasant, but you suppose it comes with the territory when trying to cuddle 200+ pounds of rugged Scotsman
You manage to free your trapped limb and roll to the other side of the bed, but that space behind you remains empty for only about three seconds before Johnny's pressing himself flat to your back
Now with his arms around your waist, he holds you tight to him, mumbling unintelligibly against the back of your head
He drifts back to sleep quickly enough, his grip on you starting to loosen, only for it to tighten again when he feels you try to wriggle out of his hold
The incoherent grumbles from his throat grow increasingly displeased the more you try to shift away from him, until finally he huffs a grumpy, “Quit it,” into your scalp, hooking his leg over yours
If you still don't listen, he'll have no choice but to take drastic measures to keep you still. Fed up with your squirming, he simply rolls on top of you, pinning you to the mattress below him
You can try beating on his back, telling him that you can't breathe, but he just shrugs and says, “Use my breath.”
Don't even bother trying to explain how oxygen doesn't work like that, because he doesn't care. “Tough,” he mumbles into the crook of your neck. “‘Cause I'm no' movin’.” And by extension, neither are you
Gaz
Kyle is also a stage 5 clinger, but he's less boa constrictor and more baby koala
So when your alarm goes off at 8am precisely, it's no surprise that the man behind you grumbles in protest
“It's Saturday,” he bemoans. “Why you getting up so bloody early?” When you tell him you like to keep your routine even on the weekends, he just groans and mutters, “Five more minutes.”
You can try to squirm and wrestle out of his hold, but he'll just tighten his arm around your midsection, keeping his front firmly glued to your back
But you need to get up! You have to pee for goodness’ sake!
“Use the empty bottle on your nightstand,” he mumbles into your hair, peeking an eye open as you crane to look back at him. The look you give him at such a horrid suggestion has him sighing. “Alright, fine,” he relents and releases you. “But be quick. Bed gets cold without you.”
Once you've answered the call of nature, don't be surprised to find Kyle waiting for you directly outside the bathroom. He's wrapped up in your comforter like an oversized burrito, only his face and feet visible as they peek out from under the plush cover
With a sleepy pout, he holds his hand out for you, tugging you back to bed with him. Oh, he’ll make sure you get those five more minutes alright. Even if he has to drag you kicking and screaming
Ghost
First of all, don't even kid yourself into thinking you'll stand a chance of waking up before him or sneaking out of bed without him knowing. This man is the epitome of a light sleeper, whenever he does sleep, that is
So when you do finally wake up, it comes as no surprise to see Simon already up too. But just because you're both awake now doesn't mean you have to immediately be productive; quite the opposite, in fact
With how busy and stressed he is all the time, Simon loves nothing more than to just lie in bed with you and do nothing for hours
If you try to get up, he's stopping you with a gentle hand on your wrist, his voice quiet but firm as he commands, “Stay.”
You'll lay back down for a bit to appease him, but it won't be long before you feel guilty since you have so many things you should be doing instead
But actually, no, you don't have anything to worry about. He's already taken care of everything before you woke up, he humbly informs you
The cat's been fed, the bin’s been taken out to the curb, he's even gotten your breakfast typed up on his phone – just give him the word and he'll place the order
So now when he opens his arms for you, having you bury your face in his chest, you've got nothing to worry about except savoring this moment with him
Price
John is also a very light sleeper, so it only takes .02 seconds of you trying to stand from the bed for his bear-like snores to cease and his eyes to flit wide open
He'll grab you by the shirt hem, mumbling, “Where’re y’ goin’?” But it doesn't really matter what your answer is because his response is always the same: “No y’r not.” And pulls you back down. “Y’r stayin’ right here.”
He'll lie on his stomach, face smushed in the pillow, a big, warm hand tucked under your shirt resting against your belly
With nothing better to do, you scroll through your phone, catching up on your socials, the news, etc., but it's not long before you hear him grumble, “Put that away, will ya? ‘S too early to be meltin’ your brain with that thing.”
Well, what does he expect you to do? Lie there and stare at the ceiling for an hour? “Expect you to be good,” he tells you. “Don't make me get the handcuffs out again.”
Now that you have to laugh at. If he thinks it's too early to be on your phone, it's definitely too early for that
He smirks, opening his eye just a sliver, and the hand on your stomach begins to rub soft circles. “Is that so?” he taunts, his touch sneakily edging downwards. And when he slips beneath the band of your shorts, well…
Let's just say you're not leaving that bed anytime soon
#simon riley x reader#simon ghost riley x reader#ghost x reader#john mactavish x reader#john soap mactavish x reader#soap x reader#kyle garrick x reader#kyle gaz garrick x reader#gaz x reader#john price x reader#captain john price x reader#captain price x reader#simon riley#john mactavish#kyle garrick#john price#tf 141 x reader#task force 141 x reader#task force 141#cod x reader#call of duty x reader#cod mw2#call of duty#modern warfare 2
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Unsafe vent
#don't read of you get triggered#my dad would be mad if he saw my arm rn but it's literally his fault for running his mouth and my sisters fault for ruining journaling forme#I wanna show my dad so that he'd hug me and give me some sympathy but I know thats just a delusion in my head#I just want someone to care enough to be gentle with me#I never say anything to hurt anyone but nobody seems to care what they say to me....#:(#if I didn't think it would just end in my dad being mad; i would kill my self rn#I literally censor everything I fucking say why does my family nkt care to be nice to me#i literally have no reason to live#I don't have a boyfriend who chose me nobody ever chooses me#im no one's choice#I should just die before dealing with another decade of heartbreak
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