#anyway the objectively correct answer is-

[a-stars-art-blog]

Happy Holidays to me I made a comic of these two.

Rest of the comic down below. It’s not explicitly NSFW. They’re just making out and REALLY feeling it. Pants stay on tho 👌

[pinkinsect]

Pissing me thefuck off All by yourself Handsome ?

[sunnibits]

I literally have zero art motivation right now but you can have these ofmd x pokémon doodles I made ages ago and never posted ‼️

[riiviir]

hey guys so I just started reading Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott and OMG AHSBNSBSBSNSNBSHZHSHDBFHGGHFHGRJ2KSHSBSNSK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIVITY BETWEEN DIMENSIONS!!!!!!

[honey-beebo]

i got the okay from my professor to write historically accurate fanfiction about witches in the 1500s for an assignment and i’m trying to figure out a way to write about the Wittebane brothers without making it too obvious or based too much/little in toh universe…….

[torubeth]

degradation taken too far (mature content 18+)

context/warnings : it’s smut, so kids shoo! hell of a lot of degradation. they’re so mean i hate them. (swearing, words used : slut and slutty) angst to i have no idea what. gojo ver.

✩ ryomen sukuna ‘is that all you can do? all your yapping earlier about ridin’ me was just talks? answer me’ his sudden shift in demeanour has you feeling really small. sure he is a rude ass prick but not to you. never to you.

‘no- i can take it. i really can ryo’ tears sting at your eyes as you struggle to take in his full length. his hands giving your waist a small squeeze.

‘yeah and that’s all you’ve been saying for the past goddamn fifteen minutes. either you take it like a good girl or i’ll just have to find someone who will. trust me, i can’ he eyes held no remorse of the words he just spewed and that’s when you break.

correction, you shatter.

somewhere in the back of your head you knew he’ll never leave you but him wording it out makes it seem like it’s bound to happen.

and so tears stroll down your cheeks, your hands and legs giving out on you, your body going limp against his and you whisper the same thing over and over again.

‘don’t leave me ryo. i’m sorry. didn’t mean to upset you. i’m so sorry. don’t leave’

quickly his arms wrap around your body protectively, your face between his shoulder blade and neck, wetting the area with fresh batch of tears.

‘i could never leave you. you’re-’ you’re it for me. ‘you’re always the one that keeps me sane. there’s no way i’ll ever leave you. i’m sorry baby, forgive me. i didn’t mean a word of what i said’ he says.

when he didn’t get a response from you ‘look at me’ he whispers. slowly you leave the comfort of his neck and meet his eyes.

‘i didn’t mean it. you could leave me on deathbed and i still wouldn’t mean it’

‘i can’t leave you ryo. i love you way too much’ you sniffle, new tears threatening to spill so you go back to huddle against his neck.

god. he knows you mean it. and that’s what makes him feel like a dickhead.

‘me too, i- i lo-’ he struggles, just as your palm reaches up to cover his mouth.

‘i know ryo, i know’ you whisper, placing your forehead against his, both of you basking in the quietness of the surrounding.

✩ geto suguru ‘fuckin-! ah shit! some insane grip you have on me baby. can’t move if you clench and lock me up like that’ he smirks against your neck.

‘and a bit quiet today ain’t ya? you sure had a lot to say to satoru earlier heh’ he remarks.

‘we were just catching up suguru, nothing-! nothing more’ you whine.

‘catching up you say? does catching up require smiles and touches? do they angel baby?’ he raises his eyebrows.

‘no..’ you avert your eyes away from his.

‘that’s what i thought. so for that, now you pay’ he pulls out suddenly, and pushes all the way back in making you yelp out loud.

‘sugu! ah fuck, i don’t think i can go another round. s’too much!’ the pressure was starting to get to you and you were starting to lose stability.

‘hah, i know you can baby, this slutty pussy’s all you’re good for anyway. fuck, doesn’t matter whose it is, as long as you’re filled. am i right?’ his words pierced straight through your heart.

since when did he-?

out of reflex, your hands reach out to touch his face to make sure that this was a dream nightmare. otherwise there’s no way he-

‘don’t touch me with those filthy hands’ he spits but makes no effort to push your hand off.

‘do you really think that’s all i’m good for?’ your voice is soft, filled with pain, and suddenly it’s like he’s broken out of his trance.

what the fuck am i doing, he thought.

slowly he pulls out, all whilst holding your hand against his cheek.

‘absolutely not. no. fuck, did not mean it angel. i promise. i- i don’t know what came over me-! didn’t mean it. please i’m sorry. next time if i ever lose my shit with you, i want you to take the nearest sharp object and plunge it into my chest’ he heaves out a guttural sigh.

‘you were really mean you know..’ you wipe your eyes.

‘i know baby, fuck. i didn’t mean it. i did not mean it. i’ll never do it again princess, ever’ he repeats.

his face lands on your chest, thanking all the gods and the stars out there for giving him another chance.

he’ll never screw up again and that’s a promise.

✩ nanami kento ‘you really couldn’t wait for a few hours? just had to go and think with your cunt, right? have you no- ugh! no shame?’ his thrusts were sloppy as his hands were placed around your hips.

‘kento- slow down baby, i- i don’t think i can last’ you whine, hands clutching at the sheets.

‘no. you asked for this you little slut. so shut. the. fuck. up. and take it!’ each syllable was accompanied by a harsh thrust.

the usually composed, sweet and calm nanami was nowhere to be found. he’s never once called you a ‘slut’ and what caused this? you rubbing him through his pants and riling him up at his office dinner earlier tonight.

he warned you off multiple times but did you listen? no.

‘why are you so quiet now? i thought this is what you wanted’ his voice comes out raspy and cold.

a quiet but audible whimper escaped your lips, making him halt his actions.

slowly he pulled out, gently laying you on your back as your body shook with each sob.

‘sweetheart…? why are you…’

you look up at him, eyes puffy and swolllen ‘i’m sorry kento, it’s just that, you’re never home these days and i missed you so much’ a cry that’s sure to crack his heart leaves your lips.

‘i just wanted you all to myself for tonight but i didn’t mean to be a bother-’

his warm body hovers over yours, ‘you’re never a bother baby. always know that. you will always be at the top of every and any list i make. there’s nothing more i want than coming home to you everyday after work. and i didn’t mean to lash out at you. you didn’t deserve that, i’m sorry’ he leans down to press a kiss to your forehead.

‘you will always have me sweetheart, never forget that. now let me make it up to you yeah?’

(rblogs appreciated💪🏼)

[gothra]

I’ll never forget when I was arguing with a person in favor of total prison abolition and I asked them “what about violent offenders?” And they said “Well, in a world where prisons have been abolished, we’ll have leveled the playing field and everyone will have their basic needs met, and crime won’t be as much of an issue.” And then I was like “okay. But…no. Because rich people also rape and murder, so it isn’t just a poor person thing. So what will we do about that?” And I don’t think they answered me after that. I’m ashamed to say I continued to think that the problem was that I simply didn’t understand prison abolitionists enough and that their point was right in front of me, and it would click once I finally let myself understand it. It took me a long time to realize that if something is going to make sense, it needs to make sense. If you want to turn theory into Praxis (I’m using that word right don’t correct me I’ll vomit) everyone needs to be on board, which mean it all needs to click and it needs to click fast and fucking clear. You need to turn a complex idea into something both digestible and flexible enough to be expanded upon. Every time I ask a prison abolitionist what they actually intend to do about violent crime, I get directed to a summer reading list and a BreadTuber. It’s like a sleight-of-hand trick. Where’s the answer to my question. There it is. No wait, there it is. It’s under this cup. No it isn’t. “There’s theory that can explain this better than I can.” As if most theory isn’t just a collection of essays meant to be absorbed and discussed by academics, not the average skeptic. “Read this book.” And the book won’t even answer the question. The book tells you to go ask someone else. “Oh, watch this so-and-so, she totally explains it better than me.” Why can’t you explain it at all? Why did you even bring it up if you were going to point me to someone else to give me the basics that you should probably already know? Maybe I’m just one of those crazy people who thinks that some people need to be kept away from the public for everyone’s good. Maybe that just makes me insane. Maybe not believing that pervasive systemic misogyny could be solved with a UBI and a prayer circle makes me a bad guy. But it’s not like women’s safety is a priority anyway. It’s not like there is an objective claim to be made that re-releasing violent offenders or simply not locking them up is deadly.

[shinynewmemories]

The exchange between Peeta and Gale in Tigris's basement used to be my least favorite scene in the entire book. I hated how it made Katniss out to be a heartless drone whose only motivation is survival. But I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I'm now convinced I grossly misinterpreted the purpose of the passage the first times I read it. I don't think it's about Gale revealing some sage wisdom about Katniss; I think it's a revelation about how far gone Katniss and Gale's relationship truly is, and how little he understands the way she loves. AND it's about how much better Peeta understands Katniss, even in his half-hijacked state. Let me break it apart a tad to explain what I mean:

“She loves you, you know,” says Peeta. “She as good as told me after they whipped you.”

Peeta is correct on both counts. Katniss DOES love Gale, and in CF, she internally refers back to the whipping as the moment she "chose" Gale over Peeta. Peeta knew it then, and he knows it now.

“Don’t believe it,” Gale answers. “The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell... well, she never kissed me like that.”

Correct, but it's interesting that Gale refers to THAT moment on the beach as proof that Katniss loves Peeta. Because on one hand, that WAS the first time she felt and displayed sexual desire for anyone. But on the other hand, I would argue that there was lots more evidence for Katniss's love for Peeta; "anyone paying attention" could see it. So why does Gale point to the one time things got hot and heavy between them?

“It was just part of the show,” Peeta tells him, although there’s an edge of doubt in his voice.

Incorrect, but I'll give him half credit for the "edge of doubt" in his voice.

“No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that’s the only way to convince her you love her.” 

Here's where Gale starts talking kinda crazy. Since when has the issue been convincing KATNISS that HE (or Peeta) loved HER? Since the end of book 1, there has never been the slightest doubt in Katniss's mind that Peeta loved her. And she's never doubted Gale's love, although she admits it caught her off guard. Does Gale actually think that if Katniss could just SEE how much he loves her, she'd have no choice but to marry him? Or does he think Katniss is holding back because he hasn't "given up everything" for her? Either way, he paints Katniss as a fundamentally untrusting and self-centered person.

Also, he implies that Katniss needs to be "won over", that she needs to be PERSUADED to love either of them... Yikes. It's like he actually believes Katniss doesn't have the emotional capabilities of falling in love all on her own.

There’s a long pause. “I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then.”

Incorrect! Over to Peeta for an explanation of why that would have been a Colossally Stupid idea:

“You couldn’t,” says Peeta. “She’d never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life.”

DING DING DING DING! I just picture Peeta making a ????????no??? face as Gale says he should have volunteered for him. Like?? Can you IMAGINE? Book 1 Katniss would have been screaming at Gale like "you absolute IDIOT. WHY would you throw your life and the lives of your and/or my family away. And for WHAT? MORON."

But I get it. Gale is saying this out of desperation. Because he can't say "I wish you had died in those games" (although perhaps that is how he's felt once or twice). And to be fair, if Peeta had never been in those games with Katniss, things between them now would be very... different. (shhhhh Gale doesn't have to know about the whole "this would've happened anyway" thing)

“Well, it won’t be an issue much longer. I think it’s unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, I guess it’s Katniss’s problem. Who to choose.” Gale yawns. “We should get some sleep.”

Correct, nothing to object to here.

“Yeah.” I hear Peeta’s handcuffs slide down the support as he settles in. “I wonder how she’ll make up her mind.”

Even though Peeta is more in sync with Katniss, he doesn't presume to know how her romantic side works. Gotta respect that.

“Oh, that I do know.” I can just catch Gale’s last words through the layer of fur. “Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can’t survive without.”

So I ask: if Gale is shown throughout this exchange to be mostly wrong about Katniss's motivations, desires, and possibly her whole personality, why would we believe he's correct about this?? I think the only conclusion is that he's NOT.

I'll end by adding Katniss's opinion about Gale's assertion:

It’s a horrible thing for Gale to say, for Peeta not to refute. Especially when every emotion I have has been taken and exploited by the Capitol or the rebels.

Katniss is DEEPLY hurt by what Gale said. And I no longer believe it's because it's the truth about HER. I think it's because it's the truth about how Gale sees her, and he sees her in a very hurtful (albeit incorrect) way.

[penny-anna]

anyway hi bbc ghosts fandom. i was gonna make a 'which ghost died worst' poll but then i realised there's an objectively correct answer to that and it's Mary. so let's vote for 2nd worst.

[aquilaofarkham]

Do you think Richter is going to kill Olrox? I almost don't want him to, but I think it would give Richter the closure he needs idk :/

oof so this has been sitting in my inbox for awhile just cause i've been figuring out a way to best formulate my thoughts on this topic but lemme try answering without sounding dismissive of other people's theories/interpretations (which i genuinely don't want to do)

short answer: no, he's not. at least that's not what i believe

long answer: so this isn't necessarily an issue specific to this fandom but rather fandoms on the whole, but castlevania fans tend to take certain moments and pieces of dialogue at their most literal meaning. which i mean i get it, i'm autistic so i often read into things very literally but guys pls sypha wasn't ACTUALLY calling alucard a real flesh and blood teenager (that's just one common example i can think of)

getting back to richter and olrox though, i think richter repeating word for word what was said to him after julia's death was an intentional decision on the writer's part. because even though olrox said he would kill richter "one day" once they finally reunite when richter's a young adult, olrox is never outwardly hostile or antagonistic towards him. during that scene in the church dungeons, he almost greets richter like an old friend who he hasn't seen in a long time and carefully reaches his hand out instead of attacking him (a moment which i STILL need an explanation for. it could be that olrox is at peace with the consequences of his actions but at the same time. writers i'm in your walls right now)

even after richter runs away, the two are still somewhat in the same vicinity as each other but again, olrox never makes the conscious decision to go after richter. mainly because he's obviously busy with other matters but when drolta asks him about richter, he just smiles and refers to him as "the son of an old foe". not his foe, just the son of one who he already bested

the only time i can remember when olrox actually snapped back at richter was when he wasn't listening and even then olrox doesn't want to kill him because (again) there are things more important currently happening than their rivalry

(just a side note but olrox also doesn't try to attack juste even when they're in the same area. probably because mizrak is there and would absolutely try to stop him but personally i think olrox is just done with belmonts now. like there's no point adding another hunter from the same family to his ledger now that the object of his *very justified* revenge is long gone)

i think some—obviously not all but SOME—fans tend to narrow their focus on richter saying "i will kill you olrox. one day" without taking into account the "but not today" addition. and i don't think richter would be smiling like this if he was really planning on killing olrox

to me this was richter's way of telling olrox "i never forgot what you did to me. but i recognize that you saved my life when you could have easily ended it. i don't forgive you and you probably don't forgive me either. that makes us even". or as @ifishouldvanish put it (i think it was them so correct me if i'm wrong!!) that scene was richter saying "nine years ago you made the decision to walk away and i've been afraid of you ever since. now i'm no longer afraid and i'm making the decision to walk away"

which honestly? i think thats infinitely more narratively fulfilling and a more interesting way of giving richter closure than having him repeat the cycle of revenge. because olrox is already repeating a different cycle of his own with mizrak

but anyway, nah i don't think richter is going to eventually kill olrox nor do i think he SHOULD. but my word isn't gospel and this is probably just a case of this evergreen post:

[overbaked-tkls]

pshh no i would never write evil ler 1x are you crazy (this wont be the only time)

(this is a sfw tickle fic! if you don't like it don't read it)

“Hm. Well, I did warn you.”

words: 2,067

ler!1x1x1x1, lee!c00lkidd, lee!bluudud

summary: c00lkidd and bluudud steal 1x’s crown, she gets them back for it.

A frustrated growl echoed about the living room of the dull cabin, before falling flat with a soft huff– undoubtedly from the green powerhouse of a killer who had been searching around nonstop for her domino crown for the last half hour. On top of that, she also clearly refused to ask for help finding it, only becoming more agitated the longer the search went on. John Doe, who was simply idling on the couch, had eventually figured that she had to be looking for something. But it was weird for sure. 1x never misplaced objects. Ever. This especially applied to her belongings.

“Doe, do you know where my crown is?” Eventually, she folded. Her voice was rough, and coated with a tired irritation.

Doe slightly grinned at the question. “I don’t, but” The grin changed into more of a grimace, “I have an idea on where it could be.”

“Spit it out, then.” 

Wow, how grateful…

John crossed his arms, as his eyes narrowed. Despite the sharpness of the demand, he divulged the information anyway. “I have the right to believe the kids may have it.”

The suggestion elicited a continuous, clicky growl. 1x’s face tilted downwards, and her hair fell in front, casting a small shadow over her eyes. A survivor might just die on the spot if they got that look, but it only got a flat expression from Doe.

“Oh no they didn’t . I told them not to touch my stuff.”

By ‘the kids’, it was obviously just C00l and Bluu. Priincess would always tell 1x about the survivor gossip, somehow. She still questioned how the pink child even got that information… but nonetheless, Priincess wouldn’t be interested in stealing her crown. 

“Oh come on. When was the last time you’ve heard this house so silent?”

They both quieted for a moment, to honor Doe’s question. There was some faint shuffling in another room, and the scraping noise of a blade being sharpened in a different one. The point? It was completely absent of the loud screeching and laughter that usually tainted each crevice of the cabin. Maybe they had just been enjoying the silence so much they didn’t realize why it was so quiet.

1x had a hard time admitting when other people were right, so instead of any acknowledgement of the corrupted killer being correct, she only looked away, walking over to a nearby table. One of her hands, or better described as dull claws, loosely gripped one Daemonshank. She raised it only slightly off the table it had been on, before letting it clatter back down as she heard a disapproving hum behind her.

“1x, please don’t.” John tried to be convincing, “It’s not worth it, and think about it. If you go in there with a sword, the blue one might just make fun of you. You know how they are.”

“ Fine. ” She growled out, shifting a claw through the top of her hair, before dragging it down her face. “Hm. I suppose you’re right about that last part. I do know how they are…”

John Doe scoffed, quietly– somehow missing the slight unserious and playful shift in tone from the other. He swore the only time that glowstick would acknowledge someone else was if it was about them…

“Just… be nice, okay? Don’t hurt them, or anything.”

“I won’t.” It was unspecified, but that answer was to both requests.

Intentionally loud footsteps trailed down a hallway, before stopping in front of a specific door. Of course, she didn’t even bother to knock, simply grasping the doorknob and shoving it open. The loud noise of the door hitting against the wall echoed throughout the cabin. Initially, she ignored the two children in favor of looking around the room for her crown. Maybe, just maybe she could find it without any conflict. It was obvious they hid it– the look on their faces easily gave away the fact they had haphazardly done so directly before 1x opened the door. After not finding her prized object within her first glance, her eyes snapped to C00lkidd and Bluudud. 

“You have exactly one chance to give me my crown back.”

C00lkidd gave the expected childish response, “Crown? What crown?”

And Bluudud went with something more.. Well. “Or what, battery acid ?” Always digging a hole for himself, it seems.

1x narrowed their eyes, reaching back to grab the door handle of the room, before gently dragging it closed in contrast to the harshness of the way she opened it. Trapping people came easy to her, with all the practice she had gotten. She didn’t need actual traps like John Doe to herd survivors right where she wanted them.

She gave them another chance, even though she knew it would have zero outcome. “I was nagged to be merciful. Just hand it over, it’s not that difficult.”

Nothing. Well, nothing except a short giggle from C00lkidd, and a snicker from Bluudud. 1x expected this type of response anyway, it was typical for the two.

“Hm. Well, I did warn you.” 1x takes a step closer. Clearly, the kids weren’t intimidated, because neither moved.

“Pshh, what are you gonna do without a sword?” Bluudud asked, still laughing directly at her face.

1x let her hair fall over her face. “Who says I need a sword?” She raised a hand, rubbing her slightly dull but pointed fingers against each other. 

“You’re not gonna claw us apart” Bluudud stated, like he knew it. Which he did.

“No, I’m not.” She gave a short laugh, cutting it off with a hum. They were making this too simple, just sitting there for her. How foolish– if only the survivors were this easy. “But I am going to do something simila-”

“RUN!” C00lkidd suddenly squealed, right in Bluudud’s ear. The blue teen flinched back from the noise.

Disgruntled, Bluudud complained back. “Dude, what-”

C00lkidd had recognized 1x’s tone and actions from the games he had played with his dad. Multiple times, C00l would hide something, or maybe get found after a game of hide n’ seek... “SHE'S GONNA TICKLE US-”

1x scoffed. “... Hm, wow. Looks like the red one is more observant than you are.” 1x noted, the remark obviously directed at Bluu. She took another step.

Bluudud was up in seconds, no further explanation needed. “ ‘Us’? Hahah, uh… no. Bye loser!” He skidded past 1x, before opening the door and promptly ditching C00lkidd.

The ‘cold-hearted’ killer didn’t even bother trying to grab Bluu before he ran out the door, only turning to watch him leave. She would catch him later, anyway– it was funny.  There were so many parallels to the rounds. Someone would have to ditch another, but it was all for nothing; they all got caught in the end. She turned back to C00lkidd, with an amused tone. One could even describe it as ‘evil’.

“Well, isn’t that unfortunate, hm?” 

“Hold on 1x- eheh- we can talk??” C00lkidd suggested, childishly. The answer? Obviously no, that opportunity had passed. Didn’t even need to be said.

1x watched as the red child stumbled back, tripping over and falling. Despite being a killer, the kid still had the average clumsiness of a ten year old when panicked. It was a little endearing. As she knelt down on the floor beside him, a part of her wondered if the survivors would be as entertaining if she tried something like this on them.

“Ohh… where first…” Her eyes narrowed in slight amusement when the kid started giddily tittering, even though she quite literally hadn’t even touched him yet. 

“Waihait! Waiiiit–”

It was something about the fact that the kid didn’t even try to get up.

“You’re used to this, aren’t you?” She commented, voice monotone as she scribbled a hand up and down C00lkidd’s sides. What she got in return was priceless - a giggle fit, and absolutely futile squirming. Clearly, her claws weren’t only good for ripping people apart. It was pleasing that they were dull enough for this.

Despite being inexperienced with this type of ‘attack’, her methodical personality made it easier to see what worked. She tried a mix of squeezing and skittering in different spots, but to be honest, everything was kind of the same. The kid was just ticklish all over the place. C00lkidd pushed at her arms and writhed, but each time he would shove, she either ignored it, or pushed back.

Through childish squeals, C00l tried offering the crown’s location. “OHOne eHEHex! ThEHE CROHOWN IHIS IHIN THEHE-”

“...Save it.” 1x thought for a moment, still randomly throwing in pokes. The original objective was to get the crown, but… after being taunted like that? 

“I still need to get the blue one. Speaking of…” 1x let the poor kid go as she stood up. Even afterwards, C00l kept giggling and rolling over.

“I’ll be back. You stay there.” 1x stated, moving towards the door, which had been carelessly thrown open a minute or two ago.

1x left the room, walking out from the hallway. The cabin wasn’t that big– there was a hallway downstairs and upstairs, and a main room. It also didn’t have any loops, so there wasn’t much place for Bluudud to go or run. Such was probably the reason why she saw the older kid in question peeking out from behind one of the couches, supposedly hiding.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before the streamer got up and bolted. Unfortunately, he only made it to the stairs before getting snatched. The other killer had caught up faster than he could even react, wrapping an arm around him and pushing him to the floor– not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shock him. Unlike with C00lkidd, 1x didn’t give any time for processing, simply going straight for the kill. Doe wasn’t even in the main room anymore, but 1x was sure he could hear the screech that came out of Bluu right then. Probably Jason as well, even though he’d been basically absent all day aside from the rounds.

She taunted the kid, while running both her claws down either side of him. “No wonder you keep losing your chases. You’re terrible at running.” The insult was exaggerated, but it still baited the other into a response.

“NOHO I’M NO-” He probably would have cursed 1x out, if not for the squeaking that left him without his permission after 1x clawed gently near his underarms.

“Hm, so one of you squeals, and the other squeaks. How silly.” She continued to claw there, seeing as it had an effect.

“I aHAM NOHOT SILLYEHE”

“ Very silly,” 1x insisted. She had to use a hand to pin the kid down, since Bluu kept trying to get up, while folding in on himself at the same time. “In fact, all of what you just did was silly. Taunting me, thinking you could run from me… thinking you can steal something of mine and get away with it..”

“Or maybe you didn't think that, who knows? I see way too many foolish things from you to assume you think at all…”

“SAHAYS YOHOu-”

1x scoffed. "Well, yes. You're the one pathetically screeching on the floor, not me." She grinned as she got an incomprehensible complaint in response.

At this point, the teasing was doing most of the work. 1x found it entertaining how the kid tried to respond back to each insult, only to just laugh. What did Bluu call it? ‘Ragebaiting’?

She became bored pretty quickly, though. Still a little worn out from the rounds, probably. Although the killer would never admit that. She was never tired. Ever. Oh, and she didn't misplace objects. Right.

“So, my crown..?” The ruthless manifestation slowed a bit, just for an answer.

Bluudud paused, indicating just how reluctant the response was. “Ihin the closehet…”

“Oh, perfect. See, that wasn’t that difficult, right?” She let an amused smile rest on her face, standing up. It didn’t come as a surprise when she didn’t receive a response. Leaving the now practically exhausted teen on the floor, she stalked off to the hallway.

. . .

She looked over the domino crown before fitting it back on her head. There were fingerprint smudges in the wrong places now, but. Those could be cleaned off. Maybe she’d force one of her minions to do it.

[catboybiologist]

I have an online(tho we've met irl a few times) trans friend, who like many if not most young queer people has unsupportive and generally horrible parents. She's financially dependent on them for food and medicine for her chronic illness, so currently transitioning, or being out to them or publically, is entirely impossible.

I also happen to have been born into, if not wealth, than moderate excess of the kind most never get close to. The costs her parents cover aren't even that high (for me), and im sitting on savings i objectively do not need.

How do i convince her to let me help, if not as a gift, at least as a loan she'll repay once she's done with uni and gets a job.

There's no one correct answer here, and I don't claim to have a solution for you. I'm hoping others can contribute. I'll say what I can but this is NOT going to be universal.

However, I will say that, from someone who's been in a kind-of similar situation as your friend: your friend is likely extremely jumpy and paranoid about the concept of being dependent itself. At least with her parents, its the "evil she knows". If you offer to pay for things she's going to be defensive and scared of still being dependent on someone, but just changing that dependency from one person to another.

This is nothing about who you are as a person, or her perception of you. This is a baseline level survival instinct that she's likely developed. And to be fair... yeah, she's kind of right to have it. You sound like a sweet person, anon, so I'm not dissing you- but there are too many extremely real horror stories of people jumping from one abusive, dependent situation straight into another.

Someone having power over her in that way, even if its someone she likes and trusts, is still a terrifying situation for her.

The support I needed the most in a similar kind of situation was figuring out how to be independent, and working through a plan to do so. I never had a friend who was wealthy enough to contribute financially to me (although some offered anyways). But, I did have friends who sat me down, helped me apartment hunt, taught me financial skills I never learned, helped me covertly set up new bank accounts, give me advice on how to secretly put away money for a while, and get myself independent.

This may be bad advice. But, you might want to start there. Help her develop a plan and/or timeline for what being independent from her parents looks like up front. Then, if there's a "gap" or spot where things would be uncertain for her, like a period of time where she would have to search for an apartment, a job, financial aide, or whatever, offer to be her optional safety net. Don't offer things up front. Work through how she's going to get herself independent, and then become her plan B, not her plan A.

You sound really sweet, anon, and I'm hoping everything works out for both of you.

[brucewaynehater101]

I'll admit I love the dadification of Tim by bruce, but I also love tim being much more of a perfectionist and being more efficient than Bruce.

And Bruce would say he loves it- but like. He now sees the problem with working with himself.

__________

A mission goes completely sideways, and it wasn't as if it was the first time it happened. In fact, in the end, they still fulfilled their objectives... just... not in the way they were supposed to do.

"...are you mad at me?" Bruce asks, fingers holding on to the bat-steering wheel so hard he could swear they were white under his black glove.

If he was with Jason or Dick, he'd know his answer. 'No, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed' because it was a gentle answer. It was the right answer. He was a father, a trying one, at least. He could be gentle. He could be nice.

Tim, however, could not.

"What do you *think*, genius?"

Bruce flinches. It's been a while since he felt the familiar signs of tears in his eyes. He forces himself not to cry. He was a *grown man*, he refused to feel shamed by a 15 year old's scolding - a rough glove strokes at the wetness on his cheek.

Tim sighs. "Bruce, cmon. Don't cry. I promise I'm not mad at you, okay? I just-- I got in a bad mood and it was wrong of me to take it out on you. I'm sorry, okay? You did great, Bruce!" Tim smiles at him.

Bruce hears himself sniffle. *God*. He can't believe he's crying. Tim's eyes widen in a panic. "Hey, hey, cmon! No more tears, big guy! I'll ask Alfred to whip up some of your favorites, how about it? And if he can't do it then we can always just order out, right? What do you want, Bruce?" Tim hits the autodrive and wraps his arms around him.

He cannot believe he's crying in a teenager's arms right now.

"We'll be home in a bit, and you did a great job, I promise. I'm not mad at you, in fact! I'm proud!" Something feels lighter in Bruce's chest. He squishes it down.

Tim takes off Bruce's cowl and strokes his hair. "Repeat after me, I did good. Say it Bruce."

"...I did good." Bruce grumbles, leaning into Tim's touch.

Tim smiles at him teasingly. "Didn't hear you, B. Say it louder."

Bruce frowns. "I did good." He says firmly.

"Good job, B!" Tim laughs.

The batmobile slows to a stop in the cave. "Oh look, we're home." Tim remarks casually, as if he didn't have an armful of a teary grown-up. "Let's go, Bruce. You go wash up while I update the logs."

Bruce nods.

Tim walks off to the computer, and for the first time in a long while, Bruce feels small and happy again.

Fuck. I love how this highlights that Tim wouldn't be a perfect father, especially considering some of his "bad" habits or behaviors. He'd try and he'd correct, but, like all parents, he's bound to mess up every once in awhile. It happens. The best part is that Tim corrects his behavior, admits fault, and tries to make up for it.

Good parenting, Tim! (genuine)

We could add on that Tim is a teenager. Emotions are heightened because puberty is a fucking asshole. So, he may occasionally take his frustrations out on Bruce (in this AU). He may suddenly burst into tears, worrying Bruce, or feel the intense need to scream.

He's not gonna be the best fantastic dad (especially since he really shouldn't be parenting an adult as he's a teen), but he's gonna try.

It'd also be cool to see Tim, in learning to gentle parent, eventually gentle parenting himself and teaching Bruce to utilize the same methods with his kids (also, I can go on a full fucking rant on how it shouldn't be named "gentle parenting" cause it's really "paying forward parenting," but I'm not gonna).

Anyways, the scene you wrote was really sweet and I very much enjoyed it

[thewalrusespublicist]

"Tbh I was starting to feel a bit down about my blog and what I was putting out ( the eternal crisis on how to give full answers and opinions without being stupid, boring and annoying lol)"

OMG no way! Your blog is one of the best here! What i love the most is reading the analysis and meta from the users, there's always more information and good takes, and yours are always quite deep and insightful.

I would love if you share your opinions about Stuart as well. I feel like he is obviously more sanctified that he should be since he died young (like that insane quote from his mom saying that Brian told her that Stuart could have been the Beatles' manager, no way lol) and i feel his memory has been used to attack Paul, sometimes in a very unfair way. Like, i don't deny the teenage drama and jealousy that Paul felt about him but he *was* a shitty bass player and the band was Paul's future, he was allowed to criticized him not only for being John's new bestie. I also think John played with them both but i lack of your eloquence so i will love to read your take about it.

Hi anon! And the other anons!

Thank you again and to all the other messages I got, they were extremely sweet and really made my day. :)

From my inbox, it's clear you guys want to know about Stu and his role in the Beatles legacy. Well you asked for it and a novel you shall have. Be warned this might be the longest post I've done so grab like a drink or something.

A few disclaimers: I wish and had intended for this to be more of a deep dive into Stu as a whole person rather than just his relationship with John and Paul. Unfortunately I just didn't have the space to do it. If you want to know more about Stu I would highly recommend @eppysboys' blog which is the source for all things Stu Sutcliffe and where I got a lot of this info. Please check their stuff out. Also, I'm going to be a bit blunter on this than maybe I usually am because this topic has been irritating me for some time. Oh also I’m trying my best to answer a lot of asks in one post so please forgive if I don’t fully answer your specific ask about this!

Stu in a perfect world should be a fandom darling: an exciting cipher, a handsome artistic talent that died way too soon who had a major influence in the early Beatles style. It's like there’s this secret other James Dean looking mf Beatle hidden away to uncover, that's cool and he is cool! The problem is that he’s sort of becomes radioactive to talk about in a normal way due to how he's been portrayed and utilised in some biographies and fandom spaces, particularly those that have been infected by John Lennon aspirational boy bestie syndrome. As those types of spaces cannot seem to exist without tearing down Paul to prop John up as their special lil guy, Stu as John's other best friend has become the ideal heavy object to hit Paul McCartney over the head with. It's like a corrosive element, the minute Stu hits a Beatles bio, the biographer suddenly loses all training in objectivity and source work and starts waxing lyrical about 100 percent reliable never biased or wrong Saint Stu of Hamburg who died for our condom arson sins and that Paul McCartney should feel bad about every day of his life for not worshipping Stu and not accepting his own ‘place’ in life as John's just-some-guy placeholder best friend. I’ve personally seen so many posts and forums where Stu being mentioned leads to a legion of comments about how Paul could never have been Stu (correct both ways) and how John would never have even glanced at Paul for much longer if Stu had been alive. Sidenote: If you seriously think that the musical savant from down the road whom John went on to produce the most prolific song writing partnership in history with couldnt have kept his attention for long then I'm begging you on hands and knees to get your head out of the arse of your John Lennon body pillow and be serious. But anyway…

This boy bestie battle royale approach has in turn lead to a reflex reaction where Stu gets studiously ignored by other sections of the fandom as a precedent has been set that shining a light on him diminishes Paul and John's relationship with Paul. It's frustrating because if people weren't so keen to cut Paul out of his own story then we would get a much better nuanced view of every single person involved.

So let's put aside all of our defenses, cut the John Lennon loved one ranking system bullshit and lets look at the actual question here which is what was John and Stu's relationship really like and what did he mean to John?

John and Stu met at art college a year or so after Paul and John met. Up to that point John and Paul had their fun little codependant thing going on but Stu quickly became a huge fixture in John's life. Stu had things that Paul couldn't really offer at that point in time. John was at his heart a musician who aspired to be seen as an artist (he would later express surprise that he didn't become an artist). Stu was the passionate artist who knew tons about the art of the period that could teach and inspire John. Their creative leanings meant they could work on projects together and share art notebooks and poetry. (Including yes the one with anti-semitic story which I mention again as I believe it's an important thing to remember when it comes to both John and Stu and the culture of the time.) Stuart by the sounds of it was even writing a novel about John at the time of his death. They were fascinated and inspired by each other.

So, creatively they fired each other up but more importantly perhaps, Stu and John were peers. It's funny to think about when you see the Beatles later but at the time Paul and George were the kids in their school uniform coming to see their cool older friend at art school. That's an important divide. When Paul and George's parents insisted their kids do their homework and go to bed, John and Stu could stay up and talk all hours of the night, which they did. They also could rent a place together and spend long hours chatting (despite John moving out later after realising electricity cost money lol.) There's a different dynamic that the age similarity offered as well. Whilst Paul would later somewhat grow into this role, Stu could act as an authority figure to John as well as open up to John in a way you can really only do with your peers. Stu was the person John opened up to throughout Stu's life:

How long can one go on writing and writing like you. I now don’t really know who I’m writing to or why it’s quiet peculiar. I usually write like this and forget about it but if I put it in a little part of my [almost?] secret self in the hands of someone miles away who will wonder what the hell is going on or just pass it off as toilet paper. Anyway I don’t care really what happens because when I think about it, it’s so bloody unimportant – but what is important who has the right to say that this letter is not important and this is a something any way – anyway – anyway – yeah! I wonder what it would be like to be a cretin or something. I bet it’s gear. & how are you keepin Stuart old chap are you as ok – is life as good – bad shite, great – wonderful as it was or is it just a thousand years of nothing and coolness on and on and on. I think this is it Goodbye Stu don’t write out of – er what is it? well not because you think you ought to write when you feel like So goodbye (from John you know the one with glasses) ANYWAY BYE BYE see you soon I don’t know why I said that I remember a time when everyone I loved hated me because I hated them so what so what so fucking what I remember a time when belly buttons were knee high when only shitting was dirty and everything else clean + beautiful I can’t remember anything without a sadness So deep that it hardly becomes known to me so deep that its tears leave me a spectator of my own STUPIDITY + so I go rambling on with a hey nonny nonny nonny no

Extract from a letter to Stuart Sutcliffe from John Lennon, 1961

By lots of accounts Stu was gentle but firm when it came to telling John he'd gone too far. John references this aspect of Stu to Hunter Davies:

"I looked up to Stu. I depended on him to tell me the truth. Stu would tell me if something was good and I'd believe him."

The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (Hunter Davies)

In this way I kind of see Stu as a proto-Yoko. John was so insecure and uncertain about his grip on the world and reality that he relied on Stu to be his point of reference and guide. Paul did this too later and I think in Hunter Davies John mentions this, but not at this time period and not as much due to their competitiveness. This may be why some people saw Stu as the person that really understood John at this time period:

"During the turbulent adolescence that prefaced a turbulent manhood, hardly anyone knew Lennon as intimately as Stuart Sutcliffe. If they weren't exactly David and Jonathan, June Furlong, one of the life models at Liverpool's Regional College of Art, had "never seen two teenagers as close as those two."

The Gospel According To Lennon by Alan Clayson

Now this person likely never met John and Paul together but this is only one of many similar quotes and even Julia captain of John and Paul's friendship boat seems to agree there was a period where Stu dominated and Paul 'kept his distance' from the John-Cyn-Stu 'menage-a-trois'. But the friendship wasn't perfect and his position as John's ultimate best friend was never iron clad. This is best outlined by the shit they pulled when John convinced him to join on Bass for the Beatles.

Despite being John's best friend, Stu was teased and bullied:

"They argued as usual amongst themselves, but most of all they picked on Stu, the newest member of the group. John, George and Paul had been with each other long enough to know that rows and arguments and criticism didn't mean much. If it did, you just argued back. "We were terrible," says John. "We'd tell Stu he couldn't sit with us, or eat with us. We'd tell him to go away, and he did." At one hotel they stayed at, a variety show had just left. There had been a dwarf in the show and they found out which bed he had slept in and said that would have to be Stu's. They certainly weren't going to sleep in it. So Stu had to. "That was how he learned to be with us," says John. "It was all stupid, but that was what we were like."

The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (Hunter Davies)

Why John encouraged this I have no idea, maybe jealousy over Stu's looks and wanting to play people off each other? Things were tense in both Scotland and Hamburg, especially between Stu and Paul. As I said in my last post, the girls were fighting and it was mutual. Paul was mad for both fair and immature teenage-boy reasons. Stu could not be bothered with the bass most of the time and couldn't really play well and was only there as he was '(John's) best friend' (ouch for Paul). Paul conversely had given up higher education to be there and was sending lots of money back home. He also was dating the girl Paul fancied. Stu was popular with the new group and also did mean things like help John steal Paul's money when money was really tight for him. Paul in turn was a passive aggressive, jealous and mean. It all came to ahead in the punch up onstage which according to Spitz came about from Paul wanting money back and saying that Stu could borrow some from Astrid. Stu goes for him and reports vary from full-on bust up to embarrassing scuffle. Stu then goes to where Astrid and Paul's gf Dot are, demands Dot leaves and goes on a rant about Paul. Now all of this must be framed in the context of Stu receiving increasing brain damage from his condition that seemingly lead to mood swings and anger. Nevertheless, the mutual needling and anger, as well as John's refusal to do/say fuck all about it, especially given how protective John was of Stu, suggests that it wasn’t straightforward and/or John may have been playing some games to make both feel threatened. This would also make sense as to why we hear conflicting accounts of John and Stu being the centre of everything and everyone else in orbit AND John and Paul being the centre and everyone else playing catch-up, as well as John giving Paul the lead to take him round the Reeperbahn when John got dressed in the gorilla costume. (I know Paul may have just been the closest there but that always gave off bestie behaviour to me.)

(I did get an ask about how John and Paul's friendship survived it, I think it was damaged by Hamburg. When Paul got back home he got a job at a construction site and there's just a vibe of everything being a bit on tenterhooks. John also acts a bit weird at the period, not talking to anyone for a few weeks then making a lot of weird demands from Paul. I'm really not sure what to make of it.)

Even when he's back in Liverpool, John still writes long letters to Stu and vice-versa. I can't find it at all but I’ve read a really sad interview with John saying he missed his best mate and it's a shame that he's not with them. He had no idea at that point that Stu had already died of a brain hemorrhage at 21.

John is said to have gone into hysterics when he found out Stu had died. A lot of people who've spoken about this time (Aunt Mimi, his sister Julia, the Exsis) concur that at this point Stu was his best friend and the death shattered him. He even told Astrid he wished he could give his life for Stu’s. This is backed up by the fact that John never forgot Stu and his shadow lingered for the rest of John's life:

Stu was recalled in In My Life

Years later, after John composed the first of his truly poignant and heartfelt Beatles songs, "In My Life"—with its lines about "friends I still can recall/some are dead and some are living"—he revealed to me that the two people he had had uppermost in mind were myself and Stuart Sutcliffe. And then he stunned me with a statement that I'd never heard him address to anyone—least of all to another man. "You know, Pete," he said softly, "I do love you. But," he quickly added, "I loved Stuart as well."

Weird that Paul isn't mentioned surely you think that he would be mentioned if Pete was there too okay, okay my tin hat is going away this isn't the time

Pete Shotton, Nicholas Schaffner, John Lennon: In My Life

In 1965 John drew Stu on a postcard

He apparently said this about Stu prior to sending the postcard, prompted by an article about Stuart.

The card had been sent from Genoa mid-way through the Beatles' Italian tour. [...] But the conversation had become maudlin when I reminded him that he was going to talk to me for an article about Stuart. [...] In that sad telephone conversation before they set off for Milan, I asked him if he was happy: 'I'd be a lot happier if Stuart was still part of us,' he said, 'The Beatles would be complete.' And before he rang off he said 'Ill send you something.'

He also appears on the cover of Sgt Pepper

As mentioned, Stu gets mentioned in Hunter Davies in terms of wistfulness and guilt AND he gets a mention in John's insane 'if I were a homosexual' ramblings in early 70s. According to Yoko, John also wanted Yoko to write letters to him and didn't think it would be strange because Stu wrote letters to him.

I have a pet theory that as with a lot of things for John, his unresolved grief over Stu really came to the fore in the late 60s now that he had actually had a chance to sit down and think about things. I believe it was partially why he wanted Yoko to write letters and why he gets mentioned in the early 70s as a collaborator/best friend and not in 1980 where John only gives that credit to Paul and Yoko. I think with the cracks with Paul, John had started to think back on his old friend and guide and what advice he would give.

Stuarts presence is still felt throughout the seventies:

“He told me everything. He loved to talk about Hamburg. There were no secrets. It was the kind of life I never knew…. It meant total freedom. At his side always was Stuart, sweet Stuart. There wasn’t a time in John’s life when he didn’t think about Stuart. He spoke always of his love and respect for Stuart.”

Yoko discussing Stu in When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles’ Rise to the Top by Larry Kane

Coming to grips with his death is also present in Skywriting

SEAN O’HAIRE: What happened to Stuart Cliff? DR. FISCHY: What happened was a full exchange of energy where it was not needed within the expression of your own self or in the energies involved around and about you. We cannot call it a happening. We’ll say it is an awakening, for in that way it has served an expression from the past to the present and to the future to where there shall be more of that incomplete vibration expressed to you in a more fuller understanding.

Skywriting by Word of Mouth, John Lennon

This isn't exhaustive but I think from all this it's pretty clear that John adored Stu, John grieved Stu and kept grieving Stu. Stu had a specific place in his life as a confidant that he tried to recreate with Yoko. At the time of Stu's death, he was John's best friend, probably slightly over Paul. Stuart had been able to be both a friend and paternal presence, a confidant and an artistic collaborator. His presence and loss was one of the foundational points in John's life.

But as we've been asked to play this stupid game and so many bios like to make a hoopla about it, were they at their closest ever as close as John and Paul were at their height?

No.

How do we know? Because John told us so:

" He [Paul] still is the closest friend I've ever had, except for Yoko, so I'm still close to him whatever goes on."

John Lennon to an interviewer, 1971

But Walrus! John just says shit! How do we know he isn't leaving out Stu because the press don't know Stu. Well true John does just say shit but this is at a time where John isn't the most glowing about Paul and he's had no problem mentioning Stu in this time period ('one of my best friends ever' would have made a similar point).

But Walrus again! If John picked Stu over Paul when they were young why wouldn't he be the boy bestie of all time, and why would John say that he was closer to Paul? Well, because of the environment and timings. Stu's death happened near the beginning of John and Paul's major bonding moments. If you look at their personal timeline, Paris, the Nerk twins, and getting signed happened just before Stu died. That's missing the major years of Beatlemania, Key West, LSD, Paul growing more into being John's peer and a load of other huge moments in their lives. It's like how John writes to Cyn in 1962 about wanting the house to themselves and not have Paul around all the time. Would you say because he feels closer to Cyn then that John in his overall lifetime loved Cyn more than Paul? No, because relationships change over time and theirs were no exception. (One thing to consider as well is that we don't yet have many letters between John and Paul during their Beatles years and earlier, probably because they were spending so much time with each other. We know a couple exist that Paul considers too personal for publication but I'm sure there are others. It's easy to understand what John felt for Stu as we have the letters, I think we would also have an easier time understanding what John felt for Paul if we had the equivalent of those.)

At the end of the day Paul was the man he believed he had a psychic bond with, the man he couldn’t shut up about, the man whom he’d conquered the world with with their endless collaboration, the man with a twin personality to him and according to John spent more time with throughout the 60s than he had with Yoko ever. To be frank if Paul had died in 67' I don't think this would have been a conversation.

As mentioned early, in early 1970s John elevates his partnership with Stu to his collaborations with Paul and Yoko but by 1980 he’s pretty clear that Paul and Yoko are their own category.

"I was saying to somebody the other day, “There’s only two artists I’ve ever worked with for more than a one night stand, as it were. That’s Paul McCartney, and Yoko Ono.” And I think that’s a pretty damned good choice!!"

John Lennon interview with DJ Dave Sholin, 1980

There are of course the what ifs. Would Stu still being alive mean that John was not as close with Paul? Maybe, highly doubtful though as the Beatles experience was so intense. If Stu remained a Beatle would John be as close with Paul? If Stu remained a Beatle he wouldn't be Stu so no. At the same time who knows what it would have been like if Paul and John were peers from the off? I said this to @the62ndbugsfan when it comes to Stu vs Paul (hi girl sorry i've made our chat a whole ass post lol) but to go a bit Wuthering Heights, soulmates are made as much from the earth as they are of the stars. What binds us is our experiences just as much as our personalities. There may be a universe where Stu and John took on the art world together or became inseparable bffs again after the Beatles disbanded, but it is not our universe. In this universe Stu tragically died and John and Paul chose to become Lennon/McCartney and artistically unite themselves forever.

Even going back to Stu's lifetime, I've said it before and I'll say it again I find it interesting that not only did John choose to go to Paris with Paul rather than pay to meet up with Stu somewhere but that they arranged to meet up with Juergen and nobody told Stu until they'd already gone. Stu was shocked and didn't know if it meant the end of the Beatles which is a pretty big thing for him not to know about. Why didn't John tell him if they're apparently still writing long letters? Was it because he really wanted to do this with Paul and didn't want to hurt Stu's feelings? And that's really the point I want to make here. Due to his trauma John was preoccupied with reinforcing ranking of relationships within his life. But the thing is friendship rankings are made up guidelines and the reality is far more complicated. You can have a designated best friend but feel closer to another friend at times, you can want to do one thing specifically with one friend and not the other for various reasons. You can (as I do) have more than one equal best friend. Friendship as with most relationships are in a constant state of flux and each friendship you have will give and mean a different thing, even if they are of similar value to you.

Paul may have ended up closer to John than Stu had been, but that doesen't make John's relationship with Stu any less special. Nor does Stu negate the significance of Paul. Whilst both fit into John's pattern of intense relationships and demands related to that, both had unique positions and meaning to him. Considering what I've gone into about John's closeness to Stu, it actually says something deeply, borderline unnervingly, intense about John and Paul that Paul pipped Stu to the post. Maybe it's time Beatles bios accept the fact that John Lennon just wouldn't be into them like that, stop using a tragically prematurely deceased young man as a prop in their jealous psychological warfare against Paul McCartney, stop perpetuating one of the most damaging games that John did to his loved ones and allow both relationships the space to shine and showcase the amazing talent that was the Beatles and those that surrounded them.

[wingsofthesun]

Some Ashley moments from the first visit to the Citadel that show off some interesting characterization that aren't that one line because that's all people talk about!

First off, another idle line from the Presidium (I wish these were still in 2 and 3 in addition to the longer conversations)

Ashley immediately picks up on the fact that there's something off about the Citadel. She's the only one that brings it up, and she's right- the Citadel is too perfect because the Reapers created it as a trap. No one has anyway of knowing that fact yet, but she does have a finely tuned bullshit meter.

Next, the first elevator conversation! Ashley does not in anyway, shape, or form trust Udina. She also has another line I didn't manage to screenshot about not trusting politicians.

(Yes, I know she defends Udina from Shepard during the coup, but the timing was suspicious- they were being pursued by Cerberus, and who comes out but Shepard, who was working with them only ~six or so months ago? Keep in mind she (or Kaidan) was also trying to defend the rest of the Council, and it's also very easy to get her to stand down of her own accord if you go visit her in the hospital and aren't a complete asshole.)

When Shepard brings up Garrus while discussing leads, Ashley speaks positively about tracking him down. She met Garrus at the same time Shepard did, and knows full well he's a turian. She's more than willing to work with him, and raises no objections to his presence until he's on a top of the line, experimental Alliance ship, in which case I understand questioning Shepard's decision. (For what it's worth, she has to be prompted into bringing up her concerns, unlike XO Pressley, who will complain the first time you speak to him before you even get to the dialogue options.)

Another idle line! As we find out in the endgame, her tactical observations are 100% correct. They're indeed good defensive positions for the defenders.

This is after talking to Harkin, who tries to bring up Anderson's failed spectre training with Saren. (I have Shepard basically say "shut up, I don't care, just tell me where Garrus is you asshole" for the record.)

Right before this, Kaidan says "Harkin is an ass" and says they shouldn't trust what he says. Ashley agrees, but doesn't immediately write it off. Instead, she wants to hear from Anderson himself, the person that was actually involved. She's willing to hear him out despite her suspicions.

That's all I have screenshots of, unfortunately. There's also a scene where if you take her and Garrus to confront Fist and talk the two warehouse workers down and let them leave, Garrus will say he never thought about talking armed threats down, and Ashley will say that sometimes shooting isn't always the answer. I didn't realize this line existed unfortunately so I didn't get it in time, but it's still really interesting if you ask me!