#are the most immediate examples. but I know there’s more

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Someone told me they weren't a fan of Silver because he's written too heroically good without any flaws. To be fair, you don't have to like Silver at all; to each their own, but I don't understand how someone can go through Book 7 and not see the blatant flaws the writers gave him.

If I had to pinpoint why his flaws aren't as well seen, it is likely because he's not intentional about any harm he causes at all. It's not as shown in Book 7, but he's like Kalim where he is known to be naive, oblivious, and blunt to an almost painful degree, lacking total social awareness in most situations. In Book 7, specifically, we see that he has total self-worth issues, where he feels like he needs to repay Lilia for raising him (he doesn't) and constantly apologizes for things outside of his control (like Malleus's overblot). Poor self-worth is still a character flaw, even if it doesn't necessarily have a negative effect on other characters, and it manifests itself in Silver in a different way than how Sebek's issues with his self-worth are shown. I know that they aren't the most obvious character flaws, like how other characters are seen as arrogant, petty, or quick to anger, but they're still flaws regardless.

It's probably harder for the writers to write flaws for a character whose main inspiration comes from a Disney prince and princess, who are often characterized as paragons of good morality (most princesses' main character flaws are naivety anyway). But just because he's more stereotypically good than the rest of the cast does not negate the flaws he does have. What are your thoughts? Off-topic, but I really enjoy reading your character analyses even if I don't agree with them sometimes; it helps me look at the story from a new perspective.

dhjwekskskn Very quickly, thank you for the feedback! That’s always my goal with analyses—not to necessarily change minds, but to hopefully expose others to + get them thinking about perspectives beyond their own.

This is the first time I’ve heard of someone claiming Silver doesn’t have flaws 🤔 I would sort of get it if this was pre-book 7, as Silver content is quite scarce before then. Mmm… even so, he has opportunities in various vignettes and event stories to show us areas where he’s lacking. For example, in Leona's Ceremonial Robes vignettes, Silver believes that Leona and Malleus are friends, despite Leona's very blatant hostility towards Malleus--which indicates denseness and a lack of social awareness. He's also unaware of how he presents himself to others, leading to peers thinking he's unapproachable (his Dorm Uniform vignettes) or to otherwise be stiff-faced (something Vil comments on in Fairy Gala: What If and in Silver's P.E. vignettes). Those can, however, be easy to miss, especially if you weren’t already on the lookout for him to begin with.

I think we readily overlook Silver’s flaws (even when they’re on display) because 1) he’s not as loud about it like Kalim is and 2) he’s a “good” guy in a cast of characters that usually act like assholes or take it a step further and come close to committing actual crimes. It’s hard for a normal nice guy to stand out against that crowd. Another part of it is, I think, how Silver's greatest shortcoming is easily conflated for something "good".

A consistent theme for Silver is feeling as though he is not enough. This can cause him to train intensely in order to rectify the situation. For example, in the aforementioned Dorm Uniform vignettes, Silver immediately seeks help learning how to appear more friendly to his classmates. Similarly, in Azul's Halloween Dress vignette, Silver assumes extensive training to help him be more intimidating so that he can get the other Diasomnia students to obey him. (As it turns out, they actually don't listen to him because Silver has a tendency to fall asleep mid-conversation.) He also drinks coffee, invests money in clocks, and does whatever he can to help himself stay alert, as he cites his inability to stay awake as a personal shortcoming rather than a health condition he has no control over. He’s frequently apologizing to others for falling asleep on them and even apologizing for others (like Sebek). In short, Silver is always pushing himself to "be better" (something typically regarded as positive), which is a LARGE contrast to the majority of his peers, who are resistant to change and slow to acknowledge their faults. The key thing to note here is that Silver is doing all of this out of a lack of self-worth. He believes he's not worthy, not good enough.

This all culminates in the events of book 7, in which we learn that Silver has deep-rooted insecurities about being "enough" for Lilia as well. As he tells Malleus in 7-28:

"17 years ago... Father found me as a baby deep in the forests of Briar Valley. Father is fae. I'm human. I'm not related to him by blood, and there's no other reason for him to be responsible for me. Yet he took me in. He raised me as if I were his own. He fed me, he trained me, he stayed with me all night whenever I was sick... Humans and fae are different in every way, from our constitutions, to how fast we grow—all of it. Barely anyone in Briar Valley knows how to care for a human. And Father lived alone there. I can only imagine how hard it must've been for him to raise a human baby with no one to turn to for help... I can never thank him enough. I was ready to spend the rest of my life repaying him... But I haven't given back a single thing... And now he's planning to pass on in a faraway land. Even if Father loses his magic and grows frail... Even if he forgets everything, I still want to be at his side, supporting him... I'm far from a fine son! I can't grant my father the one thing he wished for. He wanted me to send him off with a smile on my face..."

Silver is incredibly hard on himself, and even moreso once he learns the truth of his bloodline. Not only does he tell himself that he's undeserving of Lilia's love or even calling himself his son, but he also convinces himself that Malleus and Sebek would also despise him now + tells himself he deserves this:

"Father, don't... I... I don't deserve your love." (context: he's telling past!Lilia to not taking in his infant self)

"Stop that! Stop crying! You have no right to cry!" (context: Silver berates his infant self for sobbing when Lilia takes him in)

"What worth could a bunch of shriveled up old acorns have? Why would you lie like that...? *sob, sob*" (context: Silver learns that the acorn bracelet Lilia considers his "single most valuable possession" was a gift from child!Silver)

"It's pitch black everywhere... Maybe this place is what I deserve. I can just stay here, alone...forever... *sob* (context: Silver is astray in his own darkness)

"What must Sebek think of me now...? ...Does he hate me? I don't want to think about it... I don't want to think about anything."

"Father, did you know that this ring originally belonged to the Dawn Knight...? The Dawn Knight, enemy to you and all of Briarland... Vanquisher of Malleus's parents... And I'm... I'm his... *sob* *sob* *gulp*I... I... How will I ever face you and Malleus after this? *sob, sob*"

"Even though we aren't related by blood, I've always seen myself as your son. But...I can't call myself that in good conscience any longer." "You could never truly love someone related to the Silver Owls... Let alone the Dawn Knight's son! You could never... *sob, sob*"

"Was that voice another vision I conjured to comfort myself?" (context: Silver is greeted by a vision of Lilia praising him; he rejects that image, but accepts a hostile version of past!Lilia who sees him as the Dawn Knight and moves in to strike him down)

Silver is only pulled out of his swamp of darkness when Sebek reminds him that he is so strong only as a result of Lilia's love. Even after this point in time, we see Silver's penchant to be a little too self-sacrificing putting him in danger. He throws himself in harm's way to shield Lilia from a blow in the Eastern Fortress, does the same at Mallemom's lightning, and when confronting Malleus multiple times throughout book 7. (This isn't even limited only to protecting his father; Silver is shown to jump into action in other instances, like protecting Idia in GloMasq from what is basically a party popping handkerchief. Sebek doesn't do the same; his protective behaviors primarily relate to Diasomnia.) Silver is, quite literally, willing to lay his life on the line for others--and that, in part, comes from being a trained knight, of course. However, part of it could also coes from a place of thinking of others as having more worth than he does, or feeling as though he must "repay" the people important to him.

This is why it's sooo satisfying seeing Silver formally take on Lilia's surname at the end of book 7. This entire time, he has been struggling with his identity and self-worth. By finally becoming "Silver Vanrouge", he's affirming that his father does love him, and that he is worthy of having that love. Everyone there at the party is even there to bear witness to the completion of that character arc.

[gentlehue]

the hogwarts houses — an analysis by cynthia

establishing the basics

important to remember throughout reading: there will ALWAYS be anomalies in all houses!! no one can be the perfect representation of a house because we're all humans which means we're a mix of anything and everything <3 this is simply how i personally see them

in harry potter, as far as i’m aware, the way the sorting hat picks what house you’re in isn’t clearly explained. a lot of people generally believe that their house is the one that matches their personality traits the most, and while in my version that is partially true, i think that there is an additional factor that plays into this

that factor is which house’s traits you value, not to be confused with which ones you particularly exhibit. you can value a gryffindor's ability to immediately act on their goals and dreams while also constantly being held back by procrastination yourself. in my opinion, this has a bit more influence on what hogwarts house you get put in than what your personality is like, simply because it explains why people like neville get into one house when they're 'so clearly suited' for another, as well as that it explains why many people seem to get into houses just because all their family members were in the same house. if you grow up around ravenclaws and view them as positive influences, its only natural for you to value ravenclaw traits the most

when deciding your hogwarts house, it is important to consider both how your own traits line up with the traits of the houses, and which house represents the traits you personally admire the most

for example: i consider myself to be a very ambitious person. i will do absolutely anything and everything to achieve my dreams, and for that, i could easily be put in slytherin. however, throughout my life, there is nothing i enjoyed and valued more than the pursuit of knowledge and creative expression. while both are core parts of who i am, my particular love for the latter (among other things you'll see later on) is what put me into ravenclaw

head vs heart houses

in my mind, the houses are divided into two groups: head houses and heart houses, with the head houses being slytherin and ravenclaw, and the heart houses being gryffindor and hufflepuff

head houses are characterised by their utilisation of their heads over their hearts. they tend to think things through more often and are very methodical, finding solace in their daily routines and rituals and constantly making to-do lists for every little thing. while that does mean that they're more on top of things and are able to stay disciplined for longer periods of time, they're also prone to procrastination due to an inability to visualise a clear path to their goals and thus being unable to actually start. they also tend to be more stubborn and opinionated, refusing to admit that they're wrong even when the evidence is right in front of them. head houses are excellent givers of advice and will gladly dish it out since their problem-solving nature means they probably thought of it before you even asked anyway

in comparison, members of heart houses tend to follow their hearts instead of their heads. they are extreme empaths and their loyalty knows no bounds, as they would do anything to protect a loved one, even if it means putting themselves in harm's way. they often don't think things through as much as they should, and while this is detrimental in some cases, it also can be the reason for their successes, since they don't have procrastination holding them back from achieving their goals the way head houses do. heart houses are also quite friendly and helpful, the exact type of people you can go to when you need a shoulder to cry on after a bad day or someone to celebrate your wins with you

note: slytherin > ravenclaw in terms of which is 'more' of a head house, hufflepuff > gryffindor in terms of which is 'more' of a heart house. spectrum from head to heart goes slytherin -> ravenclaw -> gryffindor -> hufflepuff. the two in the middle (gryffindor & ravenclaw) therefore fluctuate more than the two on the opposite sides of the spectrum (slytherin & hufflepuff)

a deep dive into the houses

slytherin: ambitious. cunning. can slip through any situation like water. will go to extreme lengths for the sake of their goals ("if there is a will, there is a way"). prefer to stick to their established groups. surprisingly good at both platonic and romantic matchmaking considering said lack of branching out. charismatic. make excellent event planners. see things exactly as they are and are rarely phased by this ("that's just how life is" mentality). value power and usually do have a powerful aura, even if they don't particularly see it themselves. are often 'naturals' at many things ("slytherin can help you on the path to greatness"). resourceful. extremely protective of their own. secretive and can keep other people's secrets very well. do want to be liked deep down, no matter how many times they deny it. pros at networking (slytherins are the #1 linkedin warriors trust)

ravenclaw: intelligent. imaginative. lovers of any and all knowledge, but have particular fields they're interested in. open-minded and rarely ever judgemental. creative. listen and analyse everything. extremely good at thinking outside of the box. eccentric and unafraid to be themselves. embrace people’s differences with ease. dreamers. quick learners. hate feeling ‘stuck’ but can be quite prone to it. have a knack for storytelling. extreme perfectionists. love defying stereotypes and proving people wrong. often quiet and private as they don’t see a need to publicly advertise everything they do (the type of friend you discover has a sibling after three years of friendship). some are hopeless romantics. bookworms. will do anything for praise and validation (but lowkey). nostalgic. you can tell they’ve been through multiple lives (“old souls”). very understanding.

gryffindor: brave. love with their entire being (fell first and harder trope). will do anything for praise and validation (but highkey). can be a little jealous sometimes. infectious spirit (if they’re happy you’re happy, if they’re sad you’re sad). fill up a room when they’re in it. don’t know how they’ll get things done but they get them done regardless. compassionate. quick to anger but also equally quick to forgive. tendency to help even if they know nothing about what they’re helping with (stems from a want to be needed). will always fight for what they think is right. love to mingle with people from other houses. protect those who cannot protect themselves. young at heart. determined. some have particularly large egos (the one quote that goes james had an ego the size of the great lake but a heart to match it). hate complaining and prefer to find solutions to their problems instead.

hufflepuff: kind. grounded in their emotions and who they are. dislike change. very hard working. indecisive. patient. value honesty and trust (gaining their trust takes work, and losing it means you’ll never get it back). don’t sugarcoat things for others (better to deal with the hard truth than live a lie). extreme hobbyists. love making themselves busy, hate sitting idly doing nothing. will seek justice on their and your own behalf. very good wing(wo)men. fiercely loyal (can result in them being very biased against the opposing side). bad at planning surprises. have the strongest moral compass (hence so many of them staying behind during the battle of hogwarts). humble. can be a little naive sometimes. tend to easily overwork themselves. really good physical and emotional healers. a lot are social butterflies.

[splinterofpandora]

{BrightKnightUpcoming} <---------------------

--don't miss part 5 by tag🧡❤️🖤💜🤍💙💚

Stephanie Brown's Guide to the Mentorship

I love the Robin period in Stephanie's life because it shows us how kind Bruce has become towards the children. It would be fair to say that Brown was the most unideal Robin, however that was her value. With a lot of mistakes made, she kept an optimistic attitude, did things atypical even for this mask like sweet talking to citizens right during a patrol, always tried to have fun, but delved deeply into the cases of really hurt people. Bruce couldn't just give her orders like he did with Dick or Jason. But again, he was a different person and they were different kids. They were kids. Tim and Steph were teenagers.

I don't think age was the deciding factor, but it was a case where he could be relied upon. More complex topics, easier connection on a thinking level, he knew she wouldn't listen under pressure. Stephanie was the first person with whom Bruce fully tried to decide to behave differently and accept how different by his standards she was.

He didn't feel guilty, and he did get something out of it when she, during a mission, would say things to him like, "Oh, you're talking to Barbara? Tell her I said hi!"

Her dismissal as Robin was also easy. Because he knew she'd screwed up, but it wasn't a big deal. And when they continued as Batman and Spoiler or Batman and Batgirl, they kept the contrast of the relationship. He had her back as a partner and could rely on her, but he also knew it wouldn't be intuitive and direct, which was the case with Cass, Dick, Tim.

Robin, in terms of his function, was Bruce's responsibility, for in every case, even under Drake, took its origin from Wayne's consent or dissent. But Stephanie's career as Robin began with a deal. And it wasn't more firmly in his control because Batgirl and Spoiler were never a direct result of his actions.

Stephanie taught him to separate the masked heroes who went after Batman and his inner circle. In the future, this will allow for the start of Batman Incorporated.

Damian Wayne, or you have all the time in the world🤍

Damian was a difficult kid. He could be violent. He constantly put himself above others. He would get into fights even when he was treated well. He could get into fights with other family members for no reason at all. And he didn't really listen to his father half the time. But he didn't have a childhood either. Jason grew up in pain, but at least for a minute he was allowed to be a child. Dami was immediately born a leader, and he had to prove superiority. So this boy needed a special approach.

What's most interesting is that although Bruce used all the lessons learned to raise him, he also came up with a lot of new ones. For example, he became not just affectionate toward his son, but gave him many hugs and revelations. Family events, fun holidays, playing ball with the dog...Wayne and son have become an ordinary family in the best of senses.

Very importantly, Damian wanted to be a decent son and a cool Robin, one day becoming Batman. We see an understanding of the importance that Dick had in the beginning, but which for Bruce is not an obsession now. Wayne helps his son overcome his inner demons, and now even a literal part of him, part of Batman, can live free. Can choose. Bruce kills the idea of the mantle being an extension of himself.

And here's what else he does as he studies his new Robin. He helps destroy all the negative aspects that are out there. Turn them into strengths. Cruelty? Why are you angry? Arrogance? Why do you need it? Humiliation? Is that how you defend yourself? From what? He keeps asking questions, and he answers them to himself as well. Bruce now knows that he cannot make better someone until he is better himself, however he will not push to achieve it.

And that's how he gets an answer to one of the big questions. Was Batman, as a symbol, a tool against Evil and Chaos. It was. But should it remain that? The answer took some time...

I'll teach you everything, but I have nothing to learn. Duke Thomas.

Duke was not a complicated issue because all the complicated issues had been resolved by then. So we just talk about support every step of the way. I think the most interesting thing about Duke in the context of Batman is the lack of “over”.

There's no excessive control here like there was with Dick. There's no excessive guilt and fight of position like there was with Jason. There's no horizon of trust like there was with Tim. There is no fear of legacy as there was with Cass. No miscommunication in individual moments like with Stephanie. No Damian's prejudices. He also spent a long time trying to figure out how not to accept Barbara's injury as a mistake. I don't think it's identical to Jason because Gordon had just moved on and wanted to talk, but that had to be accepted too. And Duke himself was simpler as a person.

Damian's been a fighter since the beginning, for example. Thomas trained for this. He doesn't have that big a line, but we can do an all-media analysis.

In Batwheels, we see a cute kid who is bought ice cream and allowed to play with his sister. This is exaggerated if you read the comics. But that's how it works in the comics, if Duke was in the beginning and Wayne always had it inside. What I'm trying to say is that Thomas is important, but as an indicator of Bruce's global willingness to make Batman only and only a symbol.

Bruce can be without Batman. Batman can be without Bruce. It's no longer a legacy issue. It's a question of how you want to spend your old age. Or who you want to spend it with...

[captainuranium543]

Alright so Im just gonna run through some of the points here and hopefully i can explain this well enough

1. If Jellal Doesn’t Need Internal Redemption, Why Does He Need Erza’s Validation?

Because people still got hurt. Jellal might be redeemed now but the consequences of his actions still remain. my argument was that I would liked to see a little more from Erzas perspective because we know she was deeply traumatized by him and that isn't just gonna disappear overnight no matter how much she might want to forgive him immediately. Jellals redemption doesn't need her validation its not about that, its about how I would have liked to see her character develop from that point forward and why i think its important development for their relationship.

2. You Moved the Goalpost: Your Original Argument Was About Erza’s Feelings, Not Just “Perspective.”

what i meant was to see her feelings and her perspective on jellal. sorry if that was unclear ig but that's why i'm trying to elaborate. in anycase I dont think Erzas perspective is necessary to "validate" jellals redemption, I think its necessary for HER character because I want to actually see her grow past her trauma. I think it would make their relationship be beneficial to their relationship if we saw her come to forgive him on her own rather then just be alright with everything one day.

If Jellal’s redemption is truly about himself, why does it need to be filtered through Erza’s point of view for it to be valid?

so to answer your question, its valid regardless. I just think it would have added to the believability of their relationship if we'd been able to see erza's feelings develop overtime.

3. Why Does Erza’s Perspective Matter More Than Jellal’s Other Victims?

in the literal sense it doesn't, but like I said this is a story. narratively Erzas forgiveness is important because shes the one we've seen the direct consequences of his actions on the most, that and the fact he's supposed to be in a romantic relationship with her eventually means that her feelings specifically are important to the narrative.

Why does Erza’s forgiveness matter more than justice for the people who actually suffered from his crimes?

?it doesn't? I'm sorry I don't really understand how this is relevant to my point. are you arguing he should spend his whole life fighting crime? I don't think that's the case but I also fail to see your point, If you could explain to me what it is your arguing here that would be helpful.

4. You Excuse the Power Imbalance Between Them Without Addressing It.

? Im not really sure where to go with this one. my original point was that I think erzas side of things is underdeveloped and your kind of getting onto a different topic. If you want my honest answer as to why she doesn't correct him, as far as I'm aware she does? I can think of a couple instances if you want examples.

I also don't see how she benefits from him doing that at all, In fact I think it actually goes against her character arc because rather then loving her as a person he treats her more like an ideal. personally, Id prefer of it was treated as a character flaw and something that changes as Jellal develops into being more of his own person after so many years without that opportunity, but I also don't really see how this negates any of my original point?

5. You Contradict Yourself On How Their Arcs Should Be Handled.

ok let me be clear, I call it a redemption arc but that's kind of a misnomer since Jellal didn't have the change in mindset that characterizes a true redemption arc. I think that Jellals character arc should be focused on himself, however I think that Erzas character arc should continue because the consequences of what he did are still relevant to both of them. Jellal is, technically speaking, redeemed, he isn't evil anymore. but there is still consequences of what he did aren't just gonna go away because it technically wasn't his fault.

Im not saying jellals entire arc needs to be shown through erzas eyes, im just saying that I would have preferred to see more of her perspective. since they are going to be in a relationship eventually seeing erza deal with those consequences and come to terms with them is as important to him as it is to her because it makes the relationship feel more believable as a whole.

case and point: Im not saying jellals arc itself need to revolve around erza, im just saying I would have prefered if erza herself had been allowed to develop on her own post tenrou. erzas feelings arent necessary for validation of jellals arc, but they are necessary for developing their relationship.

Jellals arc should be focused on himself, stopping punishing himself and discovering what he wants out of life. meanwhile, erza continues to recover from the trauma and eventually comes to forgive him. from there they start to reconnect and rebuild their relationship as a team. seeing both these things happen makes the payoff of their relationship feel earned because it shows that both have truly moved on from their past.

TLDR; I dont think erzas feelings are necessary to validate jellals redemption, But they are necessary for developing the relationship. I think seeing them would also benefit Jellal because as erza comes to forgive so does the audience, but i don't think it needs to be jellals entire arc. Jellal is free to do what he wants but the consequences of his actions are still relevant to both of them and I think addressing them and how they are continuing to effect erza is important if they are going to eventually be in a relationship. My point wasnt that jellals arc needed more focus on erza, it was that the relationship as a whole would benefit from getting some more of her perspective.

again I hope I explained this ok, feel free to elaborate on any of the points I asked about. I hope I was able to explain my thoughts clearly enough but sorry if its confusing im not great with wording. If you still dont agree with me thats fine Im just trying to elaborate further because you seem to think im saying that more of jellals arc should have focused on erza when what im trying to say here is that i would have just liked to see more of her perspective on him

I think the biggest flaw in the jerza/ jellal redemption as a whole will always be the lack of focus that erza's feelings/perspective on that whole situation are given. I will probably rant about this someday but, for now, consider this me tossing my opinion out like a live grenade and then scurrying back to my hole in the wall to see what comes of it

[redstringraven]

When someone says Mikey’s dynamic in 03 with Raph is different than his dynamic with Leo and Don what do they mean by that?

:0 !! hello!

in the most blunt and unsatisfying way of answering: i think they mean exactly what they're saying.

there's a very clear difference in mikey's interactions with all of his brothers, but i think it's clearest with raph because don and leo tend to be a little more mellow on the surface. they're more responders than they are reactors. that basis, alone, is going to create a difference. i'd even go as far as to say that thinking all of the brothers have the same dynamic with each other is doing them a disservice. like... yeah, 'course they all have a different dynamic with each other.

but in a potentially more satisfying answer:

mikey teases all of his brothers and they all, in turn, tease him back in their own ways. but with mikey and raph, it seems to be a form of play and a love language specific to them (but only when they're both in good head-spaces, as it can otherwise quickly start crossing lines).

jenn (@/plantdonut) said to me at some point last year that she loves the idea of mikey and raph just hanging out and playing the "you know what you look like?" game. you describe a person/creature/place/thing/etc--whether or not it has bad connotations--and you end it with "that's what you look like".

one of her messages:

raph: you know what you look like? mikey: what. raph: do you remember that one orange meme--the orange with the teeth and the face-- mikey: --wow-- raph: --I'M NOT DONE mikey: already feeling it raph: --except it's a version of him that works at claires in the mall and his name is reagan. THAT'S what you look like. mikey: *cHOKING*

and i think energy like this is just one good example in how their dynamics differ.

don can have moments of snark and verbal assassination and leo enjoys talking trash during sparring or friendly competition, but i can't really see either of them... just... hanging out and suddenly having a diss-off which evolves into progressively more specific and ridiculous jabs. we see raph and mikey take jabs at each other on and off throughout the show, which isn't something you see either of them do with leo and don unless they're cranky or have a specific reason to poke fun at them. with each other? it's free real-estate.

on a more serious note, there's a decent chunk of side-material where raph is referred to as "mikey's best bud". this can even be supported by an in-canon line during Christmas Aliens where, while driving the stolen toy truck, mikey asks himself--out loud--"what would raph do???". not don, not leo. immediately asks himself what raph would do in a situation like this. i think it's fair to say mikey really looks up to raph, even if we exclude the """protection aura""" raph kind of carries with him.

and on the other side of the coin, i think raph really values mikey's input and insight. when they're trying to figure out how to get april and casey out of the triceraton containment... beam thingy (omg i've exposed myself as a fake triceraton fan--), mikey's all "y'know... it'd make a lot of confusion if all those people got free at once" and raph says--with a positive/impressed tone--"mikey had a good idea?" and leo's the one who responds with a more surprised tone. "mikey... had a good idea?"

a second example for the above, that is ADMITTEDLY probably me reaching too far (and overthinking too much and huddled in front of my conspiracy board waving nonsensically at all the red string), would be the beginning of Samurai Tourist and the beginning of Scion of the Shredder--and i touched on this in mikey's enneagram post toward the end if you want a more thorough explanation of it.

at the start of Samurai Tourist, raph says something along the lines of "leo's going mental". mikey has his moment where he shuts them all down, telling them to give leo a break. and after that, raph seems to approach what leo's going through... with a bit more grace? in the next episode, he calls leo a hot-head and remarks he hates when leo reminds him of himself (a much gentler thing to say than "going mental"). and in Scion of the Shredder, it's mikey who refers to leo as being a bit coo-coo the last time they say him and raph who then swats him for it to shut him down (and as mentioned in the linked post, it's interesting that mikey even echoes raph's choice of insult toward leo... just in a more jokester way).

this--obviously--isn't to say that mikey doesn't look up to leo and don, or that raph doesn't value leo and don's input as much. it's just behavior that seems to show up frequently between raph and mikey, in more direct ways like Christmas Alien or more subtle ways like my conspiracy board.

...anyway, i've once again proved to be a long-winded bitch, and i apologize >xD;;;; i hope this answers your question! or helps?? i'm so sorry.

[sketchbonked]

forgive my incoherence but i NEED TO DISCUSS arcane and specifically a storytelling device that i think is really interesting (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

the device i’m talking about is specifically the bridge between the two cities and how it demonstrates both the divide between them and the divide (and unity) between the main relationships of the cast. in this essay i will dissect pretty much every single scene that takes place on the bridge and their implications for the story that we've come to know and love.

The very first scene of arcane is actually on the bridge, specifically right after the enforcer attack where vi and jinx’s parents were killed (images from capthat attached below).

This serves to set up one of the main conflicts of the series, in which the people of Zaun and Piltover constantly clash over the subject of Zaun’s freedom, with Zaun usually being brutally overpowered due to their lack of resources.

However, this scene also sets up a very important aspect of the relationship between Vi and Powder. In the scene shown above, Vi and Powder are walking through the aftermath of the battle. There are bodies everywhere and the corpses of their parents are clearly visible. Powder, probably at Vi’s instruction, is covering her eyes, presumably so that she doesn’t see the corpses to protect her from the trauma. Vi, however, leading her sister to safety through the rubble, has her eyes wide open and sees everything. This illustrates a major aspect of the dynamic between the two sisters. Vi will always try to protect Powder, but ultimately can’t do anything to stop her little sister from seeing the horror around them in the end. Toward the end of the scene, Vander scoops them both up and carries them to safety, much like how in Season 2, the rift between them is patched when they find Vander again (even if he’s now Warwick and not the same father they once knew).

The important thing to note in all of this is that it takes place ON THE BRIDGE. We as the audience understand the tone and significance of this structure immediately. We understand that Vi and Powder have suffered and will suffer at the hands of Piltover. and the cycle of violence. The opening scene on the bridge sets the stage for basically the entire series to take place, and several more pivotal scenes happen here.

For example, this scene between Vi and Vander in the following episode is incredibly important for Vi's character. Vander takes her here after the enforcers raid The Last Drop. When she asks why they're there, he responds with, "You still don't understand." "What i don't understand is how you can work with them. We were here. We saw what they did." She says to Vander, "I grew up knowing that I'm less than them, that my place is down here. I want Powder to have more than that, and I'm willing to fight for it."

There's a lot to pick apart here, but one of the most important things to come from this scene is Vi's statement that she wants the best for Powder and is willing to fight for it. Vi is, at her core, a fighter. It's what she's famous for. It's one of her first scenes in the second act of both seasons. But a vital part of understanding Vi is understanding why she fights. She fights to protect the people she loves. Her devotion to those she cares about is strong enough for her to put herself in harm's way for their sakes. We see this when she goes to rescue Vander, when she fights Sevika to find Jinx, and countless times throughout the rest of the series until the very last episode, when her last scene with both Jinx and Vander shows how scared she is to let both of them go.

We can't ignore the foreshadowing here, either. Vi expresses her anger at the fact that Vander is working with the enforcers to keep the undercity safe, saying that she doesn't understand how he can cooperate with them after all the hurt they've caused. The tragic irony of her words comes to fruition in season two, around seven years after this scene.

Vi becomes an enforcer upon Caitlyn's request, believing that she'll truly be able to help the undercity from the threat of violence that they face if she's able to bring in Jinx. Obviously, Vi expresses her unease about this to Caitlyn, but ultimately it is her decision to do it for the 'greater good'. As the fans, we're angry at this decision, just like Vi was angry at Vander. Ultimately, the scene she has with Vander on the bridge shows how she really does turn out like him. In Silco's own words, killing is a cycle that started long before him and Vander, and one that will continue long after the two sisters are gone. We see this evidenced in how Vi falls into the exact same archetype that Vander does--the blindly loyal, if somewhat misled, knight--and compromises her own beliefs and values to protect those she cares about.

After Episode 2, we don't get any more bridge scenes until Episode 7, after Jayce orders the blockade on the bridge and Viktor comes back from visiting Singed about their 'quandary'. This is the first scene between them where we see how entering the political sphere has affected Jayce's own mentality.

One of his lines in this scene is "Do you have any idea how this looks? I order a blockade and my own partner violates it?" Not only is this one of their only arguments in Season 1, but it also is the first example that we can see of how the divide between Jayce and Viktor is growing. Jayce cares more about his public image now than he did before, and this is the first time we see him actively exercising any kind of power over Viktor. Jayce replies to Viktor's explanation for his visit to Zaun with, "Well, you didn't say they were from the undercity!" Viktor gives him one of the nastiest side eyes I've ever witnessed in animated television and says, "What difference does that make?" His tone is quiet but apprehensive, like he knows exactly what Jayce is about to say. "They're dangerous!" Jayce exclaims.

Viktor reminds Jayce with no small amount of bitterness that he is from the undercity. Jayce is taken aback by this and immediately apologizes, but Viktor smacks his hand away. To me, this scene amplifies everything that drove the two partners apart. (For the purpose of this essay we're only focusing on what the writers explicitly want us to think, even though I do believe that they're married with four kids.) Jayce is the golden boy of Piltover. Even if he comes from humble beginnings, he's still the one raised on pedestals and dubbed the Man of Progress. Viktor, on the other hand, is constantly underestimated by everyone around him. People expect Jayce to do great things but don't understand that he and Viktor rely on each other for all the progress that they make as partners. Their different backgrounds didn't matter as much when they first met, because Piltover and Zaun were largely at a tentative sort of peace.

However, as the turmoil between the two cities grows, so does the turbulence of their relationship. It's only in the season finale when Jayce first speaks up for the independence of Zaun and introduces Viktor as his partner and his equal to the Council. The scene is one of his shining moments in the series, an instance where he shows how deeply he values Viktor's opinion. It's also the moment where he resigns from the Council, where he rejects the greatness that was thrust upon him in favor of doing real good with Viktor by his side. Jayce is a scientist, a scholar, a blacksmith. He was never made to be a politician.

By the time Season 2 rolls around and Viktor becomes the Herald, their paths have diverged once again from that single moment of unity. The story that Act 2 of Season 1 tells is how Jayce and Viktor are sent on two different roads--Jayce to politics and Viktor to an early death. Season 1's finale shows how, for an instant, Jayce and Viktor are once again united as partners with the common goal of restoring peace and helping both cities as a union.

This also reflects the current situation of the two different cities: Zaun and Piltover are on the brink of war, yet a peace negotiation between Jayce and Silco attempts to stave off this catastrophe. However, much like how martial law erupts between Piltover and Zaun, Jayce and Viktor are separated in Season 2 because their paths are now different. Jayce wants to return to science and his old life with Viktor, but Viktor's vision of the glorious ovulation leads him away from Jayce, away from what makes him human. In the show's finale, we see Jayce and Viktor reconcile, and in a similar fashion we see movement toward peace and independence for Zaun after their deaths transportation to a lovely cottage in the woods where they have four beautiful adopted children. To make a long story short, the fallout of their partnership directly mirrors the political tensions between their respective cities, and their reconciliation represents the slow healing that both nations will have to undergo.

We're still not done, by the way, because in that very same episode we see the infamous bridge scene between Jinx and Ekko.

I could go on and on about how this is the first Caitvi hug or the moment where Jinx completely loses her faith in Vi's loyalty to the undercity, which shows again how Vi is leaning more into Vander's stoic role while Jinx is leaning more toward Silco's aggressive pursuit of independence, but for the sake of giving your eyes a break I'll leave it at that.

And of course I have to mention the fact that Jinx blows up all the Enforcers on the bridge with her butterfly bombs. This scene is absolutely insane because this is really where everything begins to escalate.

The six enforcers that Jinx killed in the earlier episodes obviously didn't help relations between the two nations, but Marcus and Silco's bargain kept war from happening. But once Jinx murders the Enforcers and Marcus along with them, it's considered an act of war, and she doesn't stop once to consider the implications. To me, this entire span of like five minutes is when Jinx officially goes off the rails. She feels betrayed by Vi, abandoned by her sister, and uncertain about her own usefulness to Silco. However, the way in which she lashes out has disastrous consequences for the diplomatic relations of the two nations. People in both the undercity and topside suffer because she does this. As I said before, the bombing on the bridge is a declaration of war, one that even Jayce and Silco can't broker a peace for.

Furthermore, this scene is part of what convinces Caitlyn that Jinx is a monster, and it shakes Vi to her core once she sees what her innocent Powder is capable of. She doesn't love her sister any less for it, but it makes her afraid. Jinx attacking both of them also starts what is possibly the most significant bridge symbolism that we see in the entire show: Jinx and Ekko's dance fight.

I don't have to explain what this fight means, but I'm gonna do it anyway because I love their story so much. This moment shows how much Jinx has changed from the girl that Ekko knew. They've both changed, really. Ekko isn't the little kid that trailed after everyone anymore. He's the leader of the Firelights, a fierce fighter, and he's burdened by the need to defend the undercity from both the Council and the chembarons alike. Similarly, Jinx has left Powder far behind her. She's ruthless, but still fragile to even a glimpse of pink hair. They're both Zaunites, but they represent such different parts of their nation. Ekko is the Boy Savior. People view Jinx as nothing more than a loose cannon until she launches a nuke at the Council.

This scene is fucking insane by the way. The regret in his eyes when he sees how scared she is. Because he doesn't want to do this to her. Because he still loves and cares for her even after everything that's happened to them. We as the audience understand exactly what Ekko's thinking. It shouldn't be this way. They were friends. They shouldn't be trying to hurt each other, but that's what war does. Ekko knows that if he gives her a window, he's opening the door to the suffering of countless other people, but he can't bring himself to do what he has to.

Going out of chronological order for a sec, I do want to bring up the parallel to this in Season 2 Episode 7 because it's just so good.

In the alternate universe where Zaun is independent, Ekko stands in the exact same place where he saw Jinx's limp body surrounded by the corpses of the enforcers that she'd killed. Compared to the other universe, where Powder's living happily and both nations are prosperous, it's night and day, especially for Ekko who's seen firsthand how the struggle for power has affected the ordinary people of Zaun. Here, he sees children running and playing where civilians and rebels alike had been killed years prior. For Ekko, it's a total wake-up call. Later, at the rooftop with Powder, he confesses that he once gave up on the Undercity, that he once gave up on her. Powder replies by saying that she's never seen him give up on anything.

I find that scene so beautiful not because they kiss, but because Ekko truly had the chance to have everything he'd wanted, but he didn't take it. Instead, he goes back to his own dimension, to his own nation. The first thing he does when he gets back is talking Jinx off a ledge, and a day later he's in a battle fighting Noxian soldiers and soloing a god to defend his city. Ekko is loyal to the people he loves. He doesn't want a life with anyone if it can't be with Jinx. It's what makes TimeBomb so beautiful, because they both always love each other, even if it doesn't end well.

On the subject of the bridge fight, we see the aftermath of it in Episode 8 of Season 1 when Silco comes to Jinx's rescue. He has the chance to go after Vi here. She's right there, watching him, unsure of what he'll do. We expect him to go after her, or at least to send one of his men after her.

Instead, he looks away and carries Jinx to safety. Vi is an active threat to him and the empire he's built, but he prioritizes his daughter over his legacy, over the nation of Zaun. I really wasn't surprised in the slightest when he refuses Jayce's offer. He would never have given her to them. Not for anything. And the evidence is right there in this scene. His actions here aren't motivated by pride or hunger like his other moments are--he ignores Vi and carries Jinx away out of love for his daughter.

Technically this scene doesn't actually take place ON the bridge, but I'm counting it because it's directly under it. Ekko and Heimerdinger meeting for the first time is an interesting scene because it's the first interaction that Heimerdinger has with an actual citizen of Zaun. Viktor counts, but he hasn't lived in Zaun for several years. Ekko is the first person he meets who's actively experienced the oppression of the chembarons and the Council from both ends, and Heimerdinger is one of the few topsiders that Ekko actually trusts throughout the course of Season 2. They form a mentor-student relationship, though if you ask me I think that Heimerdinger learns more from Ekko. Their friendship shows that peace between the two cities isn't impossible. It's a beacon of hope in the dark times that follow the end of Season 1. Coincidentally, it's also the last bridge scene that we get in Season 1, and we don't get another one for a super long time--in fact, it's a full season that passes before we get another moment, but it's a pivotal one.

Episode 8 of Season 2 is Piltover and Zaun mobilizing for war with Noxus, preparing for the worst. Jayce calls for aid from the undercity, and at first it seems like a helpless fight. We follow Gert (the blue-haired Jinxer who dies in the first moments of Episode 9) for a few scenes, and eventually a few of the Zaunites end up here.

Steb and the enforcers are waiting for them, and once they cross, they greet them silently. That might just be because Steb doesn't talk, but their silence amplifies the power of this scene. Not a single word is spoken, but we as the audience understand the weight of what's happening. Zaun has spent the entire series actively being preyed upon by Piltover, but the first step toward reconciliation is made by the oppressed nation itself. When this group of volunteers steps onto the bridge, it's a peace offering, an acknowledgement that even if the two cities are meant to be two separate nations, they are meant to be allies, partners, sisters. It's a powerful scene. All the bloodshed that happened on both sides is faded here in a demonstration of unity, even if Zaun is still the one who will pay for it. As the audience, we expect there to be an ending with a total 50/50: Zaun and Piltover being treated as equals with Zaun gaining the respect it deserves. However, just like in real life and war, Zaun's ending isn't fully satisfying. They make steps toward independence, like with Sevika's position on the Council, but how much does their standing really improve?

The final scene on the bridge is similar to its first appearance: both occur after a heavy loss. The first scene has dead bodies littering the ground, Zaunites killed at the hands of the enforcers. In its final scene, Zaunites and topsiders alike stand together on the bridge, lighting slips of paper to mourn their loved ones who died in the battle against Noxus.

This really just brings everything full circle to me. The message of almost every scene on this bridge is simple: even with all of the losses we experience, there is always hope that we can heal. Arcane's themes of hope, war, and love conquering all are part of what make it such a masterpiece. Sure, the bridge is a concrete structure that connects two separated cities, but it's both literal and figurative. It represents healing and pain at the same time, the duality of life that the show captures so beautifully.

Anyway shoutout to the bridge for carrying Arcane. (Also, all the images are from capthat.com)

[purecommemasolitude]

Is it really a French musical if there’s no number with every dancer in underwear

[summergoodwife]

Gonna say it again, "Just stop consuming the genre" is THE WORST POSSIBLE RESPONSE to someone complaining about the lack of representation in their preferred genre!! And "Consume other stuff too" is not much better!!! I don't care how much you think varying media consumption is a Good and Holy lifestyle, not everyone wants to do that! There is no obligation to do that and there should not be! Because it's fucking entertainment. It's not a college major.

And! And and and. I would be remiss to not point out that when you tell someone, "If you want well written (minority) just get out of (genre fandom)" you are, regardless of your motivations, rhetorically aligning yourself with the exact same bigots who just want the pro-representation crowd to shut up and go away.

[daisywords]

finally realizing why it's so common for villains to also be amazing fighterguys at a statistically unlikely level, in addition to whatever else they have going on......I did not do that and now at a certain point it's like...yeah that person is evil and very clever but at the end of the day it's just a person...you could just kill them. and you wouldn't even have to try very hard....

[arabela25]

this is good

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: The Fawn Instinct.

Pairing: Yandere!BatFam x Reader (DC).

Word Count: 5.0k.

TW: Implied Non/Con, Implied Dub/Con, Kidnapping, Prolonged Captivity, Social Isolation, Stalking, Obsessive Behavior, and No Actual Incest, But Boy If Those Freaks Aren't Trying. Dead Dove: Do Not Eat.

If it’d only been Bruce, you might’ve been able to live with it.

You didn’t love him, but you could imagine a world where you tried to. Most of it was circumstance; as upset as you were about the whole kidnapping thing, it wasn’t exactly a Herculean feat to endear yourself to the idea of being a handsome vigilante millionaire’s stay-at-home captive-spouse. You had no room in your heart for the stoic, reclusive, untouchable Bruce Wayne, but you could remember the adoration you’d once held for your masked hometown hero, the pride that’d once given you the force of will to all-but carry a half-conscious man in a torn cowl and a familiar suit into your apartment and lie to the cops when they came knocking. If the conditions had been different, if he’d spent a little more time as something more intimate than a stranger and a little less damning than a captor, then maybe, you could convince yourself to love him. Or, convince yourself to try, at least.

But, the conditions weren’t different, and you’d never quite had the time you would’ve needed to align Bruce Wayne with his more heroic alter ego. It’d been doomed from the start – Icarus jumping from his tower, already knowing his wings were destined to fall apart.

That aside, though, there was the more glaring issue: all his fucking kids.

Calling them kids might’ve been too generous, actually. Only Damian and Duke were younger than eighteen, and as far as you were concerned, they were your saving graces – Duke for meeting the bare minimum requirements for human decency and Damian for adamantly denying you were anything but an unwanted burden on his father. The rest were more-or-less adults, as little as you wanted to acknowledge the nonexistent age-gap between you and your gaggle of stepchildren. They were grown. They should’ve known better.

Tim, for example. He had to be… what? Nineteen? It wasn’t the pinnacle of maturity, sure, but he should’ve known you’d be able to hear your own sheets rustling through the bedroom door, should’ve assumed that you’d know he’d know Bruce would be out on patrol until sunrise. He should’ve known to wait until you were in another wing of the sprawling Wayne estate, somewhere far away from the master bedroom, or better yet, skipped rummaging through your things entirely. You knew better than to dream, though.

The door was still shut, but what was happening behind it and who was responsible were both foregone conclusions.  It was Tim, because of course it was Tim, and he going through your meager possessions, because what else would he wait until Bruce was gone to do? Cringing, you rested your shoulder against the steady wood and knocked gingerly. “…Drake? Are you in there?”

Immediately, the rustling stopped. You went on. “I think Bruce is out, if you need him. Is there something you’re trying to find?”

It was a good out. An easy out. Thankfully, he was smart enough to take the bait. A few seconds later, the door cracked, a disheveled Tim emerging with a dark blush spread over his pale cheeks and his hands shoved conspicuously deep into the pockets of his hoodie. It was a struggle not to roll your eyes. He couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d come out with his dick still in his hand.

Your cheeks ached as you put on your dozenth unstrained, unworried, everything’s-fine-because-why-wouldn’t-it-be smile of the day and moved aside to let him out. “I’ll let him know you were looking for him when he gets home,” you assured, like you couldn’t see the way his bright eyes were fixed to the carpeting. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help. You all are just so heroic – it’s still a little hard to believe I’m a part of this at all.”

“You’re perfect,” he muttered, and you pretended not to hear him, cocking your head to the side. When he corrected himself, his voice was a bit louder, a bit clearer. “Don’t worry, I… I found what I was looking for. You don’t have to bother Bruce.”

“Oh, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He’s so proud of you and your siblings, after all – it’s practically all he talks about.” A lie, but a fair one to tell. There was no reason Tim should have to know Bruce spent the majority of your time alone with his teeth buried somewhere in your neck, muttering paranoid fantasies about how many different ways you could be killed, mutilated, or otherwise indisposed by the members of his rouges gallery. “Honestly, sometimes, it’s hard not to feel like I’ve been here for years, rather than just a couple of months.”

You only realized your mistake when those bright eyes shot to you, suddenly wide and blown out with desperation. A hand darted towards you, and you stumbled out of the way, but not quickly enough to avoid Tim’s vice-grip on your forearm, to spare yourself the feeling of something cold and wet sinking into your sleeve. “You’re leaving?” The words seemed to slur together, spilling out too quickly to be restrained or refined. “You can’t leave. Bruce won’t be able to handle it, and Steph, she’ll—I mean, security-wise, we won’t be able to make sure you’re—”

Internally, you were keeping up a steady mantra of ‘Thisissogrossthisissogrossthisissogross.’

Externally, by some miracle, your smile never wavered, only growing sweeter as you cut him off with a chirping laugh. “I’m not going anywhere,” you promised, and then, after a slight lapse, “Would you mind letting go of me? It’s—uh, it’s kind of starting to hurt.”

As if on a switch, he let go of you entirely, pulling away as abruptly as he lashed out. There was a mumbled ‘I’m sorry’, and he made a swift retreat, disappearing around the next corner before you could so much as think about bringing up Bruce, again. You watched him go, only letting your expression fall once you were sure he was out of sight.

Without further caution, you slipped into your bedroom, glazing over the mess of pulled-out drawers, overturned clothes and scattered dirty laundry in favor of falling into bed, rolling onto your chest, and screaming into your pillow as loudly and for as long as your lungs would allow.

~

You tried your best never to be alone. It was a little draining, to be honest – having to keep a running chart in the back of your mind of who you could trust and who you couldn’t, constantly trying to guess whether it’d be safer to be alone with someone or if you were better off taking your chances on your own – but you’d learned your lesson the first time you’d fallen asleep in the Wayne’s at-home movie theater and woken up to Cassandra spread over you like a human weighted blanket, staring unblinkingly at your face and playing half-consciously with your hair. You tried not to leave yourself unguarded, after that.

Alfred was your first choice, Barbra your second, with Bruce as a distant third. Sometimes, you could get away with loitering near Damian (something you hated nearly as much as he did – you could only stand to be addressed as his father’s “jezebel lover” so many times), but Bruce was at one of Damian’s school events, leaving them both conveniently unavailable, and Alfred would be locked inside of his underground shooting range for another hour and a half, an activity you knew better than to interrupt. Meaning, you were on your own.

Meaning, you’d picked a very bad time to need something to drink.

The kitchen was deathly quiet, but you still made an effort to keep your head on a swivel as you made your way carefully to a corner cabinet, like stepping on the wrong tile would trigger a pit trap, or a flurry of arrows, or one of another million terrible things you hadn’t thought were possible before Bruce dedicated himself so entirely to proving you wrong. Mentally, you reviewed your haphazardly assembled schedule as you fumbled with the wood paneling and reached for a mug from the highest shelf. Tim was definitely out, touring local colleges on Bruce’s behest, Step was supposed to be in class, and Dick—

Your fingertips made contact with cool ceramic half a second before another, larger palm wrapped around yours, a broad chest pressing into your back as your mug was stolen out of your hand. You didn’t have to look to know who it was.

And Dick was on bed rest with three broken ribs. Right. Of course.

You really shouldn’t have bothered leaving your room at all. Suddenly, dehydration didn’t sound like such a bad way to go.

“Let me get that, baby bird.” You cringed at the petname, but nodded, letting Dick confiscate your mug and with it, your ability to make a swift exit from a conversation you’d rather not have. “Green tea, right? I know it’s your favorite.”

“On the mark as always, Dick.” There was just enough enthusiasm in your voice to overshadow the despair. You waited until you heard the muted click of an electric kettle before turning around and settling against the counter. “I wish you wouldn’t dote on me, though. I already feel useless enough as it is.”

“Don’t sweat it, I’ve been going stir-crazy all week.” He flashed you a quick smile – tooth and beaming – before pulling open the silverware drawer and rummaging through it, like Alfred would keep his teabags with his cutlery. He was topless, wearing the same pair of black sweatpants he must’ve slept in. He didn’t plan to go out, clearly, and it wasn’t like you had much of an alternative. “This is just the basics, too. For a while there, I had your breakfast, lunch, and midnight snack preferences memorized.”

You forced yourself to smile, albeit, not as brightly as him. “…did you, now?”

“Mhm. B had us running in-person surveillance before he finally bit the bullet and brought you home, and—” He cut himself off with a sudden laugh, shaking his head. “And, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that part. Oops.”

Mercifully, the kettle whistled before you could start to consider the implications, and you reached behind you, fishing two bags out of a teacup-shaped jar. It was easy enough to edge him out of the way, but not having to worry about pretending he’d ever made himself a cup of tea meant he could devote more of his energy to talking, so you still managed to lose, in the end. “He’s stingier with the surveillance footage, now. I’ve never seen him so jealous.”

“He can definitely be a little overprotective.”

You tried to keep your tone even, polite, but Dick was like his siblings – quick to action and slow to take a hint. A hand curled around the counter next to you, and you dumped an extra spoonful of sugar into the darkening water. “It’s just us in the manor, right?”

Another spoonful, just to be safe. “I think Alfred is—”

“Out for the day. Wayne Enterprise emergency – I let him know as soon as he finished down in the range.” In your peripheral, you watched his other hand come to rest on your opposite side, caging you in. “I wouldn’t mind the company, if you were starting to get lonely.”

Another spoonful. It’d be too sweet to drink, but anything not to have to look at him. “I’m afraid wouldn’t be a lot of fun, Grayson. Honestly, I was just planning on getting a little sle—”

“That’s perfect,” he cut in, too eager to wait his turn. “I’m a great cuddler.”

You curled your hand around your mug, hoping the warmth would be enough to ground you. Instead, it only burnt your palm, and for a second, you could imagine a world where your teeth weren’t buried in the plush of your cheek, where you didn’t have to remind yourself that turning around and splashing boiling-hot water on an all-but superhero’s face wasn’t a good idea. For a second, you genuinely considered it.

And then, a sound not totally dissimilar to thunder filled the kitchen; loud enough to leave your ears ringing and your adrenaline spiked. You flinched into yourself, but it only took a moment for fear to shift to relief as you noticed the bullet lodged into the wood less than an inch from your head. Your expression lit up just as Dick’s fell.

Without waiting for him to let you go, you slipped away – sprinting across the kitchen and throwing yourself into Jason’s – brave, bold, beautiful Jason – chest. He caught you one hand and finished re-holstering his handgun with the other, laughing as you hugged him as tightly as you could manage. Dick huffed, playful offense failing to mask real agitation, and you felt Jason brace against you. “Jerk off and shut the fuck up, Oedipus.”

Dick’s smile turned uneasy. “It’s good to see you too, man.”

“I didn’t come here for you,” he snapped, as short-tempered with his siblings as you wished you could be. He looked down, holding you that much tighter. “How’s my best girl holding up?”

“I’m just fine, Jason. I do think we have to have a talk about how you treat your brother, though.” You glanced over your shoulder to Dick. “A little privacy? You really ought to be staying off your feet, too.”

Reluctantly, Dick slinked out of the kitchen, hesitant to go but eager to nurse his wounds. You only went on once you were sure he was gone.

“It’s been awful. I found another hidden camera in my bedroom, and I think Tim’s tapping my—”

“I’ll do a sweep.”

He let you go, but you caught his arm. “Please, I know it’s important, but—” You cut yourself off, swallowing. It was irrational – the way you let your guard down so quickly around Jason. The mask never slipped around anyone else, whether you were afraid of them or they were one of your rare, precious exceptions. Jason existed outside of the Wayne family, though, outside of Bruce’s corrupting influence. He wasn’t going to hurt you. More importantly, he wasn’t going to let anyone else hurt you, either.

“But I really don’t want to think about that, right now,” you finished. “Just… just for a little while, alright? I don’t want to constantly feel like I’m walking on eggshells, at least not while you’re here.”

Jason stood strong for all of three seconds. With the fourth, he sighed, buckled, and shook his head, his exasperation brimming with affection. “How long until Bruce gets home?”

“Six more hours. He’s not due to check-in for another three.”

“I’ve got my bike out front. How do you think he’d feel about a joy ride?”

And just like that, you lit up. “It’d give him a heart attack.”

Jason pulled you close, kissing the top of your head.

“Perfect.”

~

Unfortunately, Jason’s visits were few and far between. You had to find ways of fending for yourself, in the downtime.

“I miss the city.”

Bruce glanced over his shoulder, gaze flickering over you before returning to the buttons of his dress-shirt. You sunk that much deeper into the mess of sheets and pillows, taking some small amount of solace in the way the cool silk felt against your warm skin.

(Sex wasn’t something Bruce came to you for often, but when he did, you gave it to him willingly, albeit with no more enthusiasm than was absolutely necessary. You rarely enjoyed it and always regretted everything you did or said during the act, but it was better than the alternative. Part of you trusted him, trusted Batman, enough to believe that he’d take your refusal for what it was, that you wouldn’t have to say anything more than ‘no’. The remaining overwhelming majority was able to look around you, to remember the way he’d held you down as he forced a needle stocked with medical-grade sedatives into your throat, and recognize that your opinion probably didn’t mean very much to him. Still, you couldn’t let things get that bad. Even if you had to surrender every other facet of your being, you couldn’t let things get that bad.)

“You hated the city. You said your landlord was a tyrant and that even the criminals were living paycheck-to-paycheck.” And then, after a second of thought, “And that there were more rats in Gotham than people.”

“Well, he was, they are, and you know I love animals.” You pushed yourself up, keeping a sheet bunched against your chest as you slumped against the headboard. “I was tired and overworked – you could see that. But, things would be different if I was staying with, say, my wealthy trillionaire boyfriend in one of the penthouse apartments that I know he has because his youngest son got in trouble for bragging about them in school last week?”

Bringing up his kids was a dirty tactic – the fastest way to get Bruce’s undivided attention. This time, when his eyes shifted in your direction, they stayed there, and he made his way back to your side of the bed. He collapsed next to you and, with no resistance on your end, pulled you into his lap. He didn’t seem to care whether or not his immaculately tailored, freshly pressed suit was creased in the process, but you did your best not to squirm. “You want to leave the manor?”

The first half of a frown tugged at the corner of your lips. “That’s not what I—”

“Elevated pulse, avoidant eye-contact,” he muttered. “Something’s bothering you.”

It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t wrong, either, but still. You would’ve preferred to be asked.

“…it’s your family,” you admitted, feigning guilt. “They’re all—” Horny, depressed, creepy little orphans. “—great kids, but it’s just been so much so quickly, and I think it… I think it might’ve been too much too quickly. For them and for me.”

“They adore you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Dick was close to moving back in when I decided it was too dangerous to leave you to your own devices.”

You melted into his chest, sighing. Reflexively, he curled around you – a good thing, if a bit claustrophobic. Bruce liked feeling like a shield between you and harm, between you and the world he couldn’t control. Hopefully, eventually, he’d realize he had more to shield you from than greedy landlords and villains who always seemed to be just out of sight. “It’s not that easy. It’s just been such a rocky adjustment period, and…” You curled your hand around his wrist and squeezed, hoping the force would be enough to communicate what you couldn’t put a word to. “I’m really afraid something bad might happen, Bruce.”

For a moment, he seemed to consider it. There was a kiss to your shoulder, solemn and lingering, then another to your cheek, more fleeting. “I’ll talk to them. They’ll give you space, if they’re told to.”

If he told them to. You doubted you held much authority, here. “And the apartment in the city? On the highest floor, tall enough to see from Gotham to New York?”

Bruce smiled, and your heart soared.

Then, he started talking, and it crashed back down, dying upon impact. “Once I know it’s safe for you, sweetheart.”

There was another kiss, this one to the nape of your neck, then another, lower down on your spine. A calloused hand slipped underneath the sheet still hugged against your chest, and you allowed it to.

Honestly, it would’ve been kinder if he’d cut you into pieces and fed you to the wolves himself.

~

You made a run for it as soon as the arguing started.

Arguing, not yelling – the distinction was minor, but significant. Yelling would’ve meant an injury, or a mission gone wrong, or something else that signaled a sudden complication that couldn’t be smoothed over with sugar-sweet sentimentality or orders issues with an ice-cold strictness. Yelling would’ve meant Bruce didn’t mind letting you overhear, which usually meant you didn’t need to be involved. Arguing, all hushed whispers and hissed explanations and vague warnings, was different. Arguing meant, more often than not, that they were arguing about you.

It was Tim’s fault, as far as you could tell. Barbara had been the one to find the conspicuously encrypted file on one of Dick’s civilian devices, the one to mention it to Stephanie as a point of concern who went to Tim within the hour, but it was still his fault. He’d gotten Bruce involved, let his need for approval tip the tenuously balanced scales that kept his family whole and you safe. He’d talked them all into waiting until Dick was close enough to confront in-person, stopping by for his weekly equipment pick-up and check-in. He was the reason you’d gotten close enough to hear something about ‘pictures’ and ‘inappropriate use of reconnaissance material’ before fleeing to the mansion’s foyer – the only part of the house you could be sure wasn’t occupied. If you were lucky, you’d only be there for half an hour or so, enough time for them to compromise on some non-solution and return to your carefully maintained status quo. If you weren’t, you’d spend the early hours of the morning—

Something small but forceful hit the nearest window, shortly followed by another projectile, then another. The glass was too thick and the world outside too dark to make anything out, but you didn’t need to see anything to know who’d come to your rescue.

Jason.

You rushed to the door, then hesitated. Jason would only get a slap on the wrist for luring you out of the estate, and Bruce could never bring himself to be that strict with you, but now might’ve been a bad time. Tensions were already running high. Your little disappearing act wouldn’t—

A sudden rush of footsteps clattering through the ceiling from the floor above you, hushed voices raised just to the point of audibility. None of it was entirely coherent, but Dick’s came the closest. You managed to make out a half-choked “If you’d just let me—” before someone cut him off.

With your better judgement reduced to buzzing static, you pried open the closer of a pair of huge, mahogany doors and slipped out of the estate entirely.

Of course, Jason was waiting outside, a small stock of pebbles still in his left hand and, of course, you threw yourself at him, letting him catch and spin you twice before setting you back onto your feet with an airy laugh. A pitch-black sports car was waiting at the end of the driveway, the engine purring loudly enough to drown the rest of the world out. “Rough night?”

“You have no fucking idea,” you muttered, breathless. “I don’t care where we go, just get me out of here.”

There was a reason Jason was your favorite. There was no argument, no prying, just his arm around your waist as he herded you into the passenger seat. Fifteen minutes and a little over fifty miles later, the mansion was little more than a dull glow on the horizon, and you could pretend you’d stopped thinking about Bruce entirely.

There was no effort to make conversation, as bad as you felt about pulling Jason into your prolonged tryst with self-pity. Instead, you sunk into the leather of his seat and fixed your gaze on the passing landscape, clinging to any detail you were able to latch onto as it flew by. It was possible, between the subways and boarded-over windows and perpetually overcast skies, to go days without seeing the sun in Gotham. Still, your life had felt brighter there than it ever did in Bruce’s estate.

Jason turned down a road you didn’t recognize, and you managed to find your voice. “Are we going into the city?”

“Even better.” He flashed you a smile, the engine purring as he accelerated. “You’ll like it, I promise. Just sit tight.”

As if you had much of a choice.

Road gave way to forest, forest to empty plains, and empty plains to the dilapidated remains of what you could only label as a long-abandoned amusement park – like Disney World if there’d been some terrible, possibly nuclear accident followed by twenty or so years of absolute neglect. Jason’s car glided past the rusted remains of an iron gate, past the corpses of rides buckled under their own weight, and came to a stop in front of a paint-stripped merry-go-round almost entirely sheeted be vines and weeds and overgrowth. You let out a low whistle as he threw the gear shift into park and, for the first time in any vehicle you’d ever shared with him, pulled his keys out of the ignition. He’d always left the engine running while visiting the mansion, but then again, you’d always been pretty eager to make a hasty escape, too.

“I love it, Jason. I’ve always wanted to get tetanus from a broken down carnival.”

“A fair, actually,” he corrected, slipping his keys into his jacket pocket. Like he expected you to try and steal them while his back was turned, or something. “My parents used to take me here, before I met B. There weren’t a lot of Ferris wheels after that.”

There was a short lapse, the sound of lips moving against teeth. You made the mistake of humming, of glancing over to him, of leaving yourself open for another question, and Jason, as nice as he was, was more than happy to take advantage of you. “So, when did you and B start…”

He trailed off, drumming his fingers against the wheel. You filled in the rest with a breathy chuckle. “When did I start sleeping with your dad?”

He jabbed an elbow into your side. “First of all, you can admit you’re fucking him or call him my dad, but you’ve gotta pick one.” You opened your mouth, already ready to spit out some dumb joke about what Bruce would’ve preferred to be called, but Jason cut in, sniping your stupid joke out of the air. “Secondly, answer the question. I get enough of your diversions back at home.”

“Being a buzzkill must run in family,” you sighed, but gave in quickly enough. “It happened once before the whole kidnapping thing, when he was staying at my apartment and sleeping off a broken leg. I hadn’t even seen him without his mask on at that point, but I figured it was a sign – destiny, or something.” You did your best to smile, slumping against the door. “It was dumb. He gave me a couple weeks after bringing me to the estate, mostly because of the crying and stuff, but things started up again pretty quickly.”

“Do you… like it?”

“Do you like asking about your dad’s sex life?” He flinched back, and laughing, you went on. “I guess I don’t care. There’s not a lot else to do.” You swallowed. “Would it matter if I didn’t?”

For someone with so many questions, he didn’t leave a lot of time for yours, the hypocrite. Moving on swiftly, he asked, “And the others, have they…?”

“No.” And then, after a beat, “Not yet.”

He seemed to relax, at that. His back was still straight, his shoulders still squared, but his grip on the wheel loosened, his jaw unclenching ever so slightly. You tried the handle – locked. Obviously. As if you’d ever get that lucky.

His voice was soft, sweet. The kind of tone you’d use on a child, or an animal, or a doll. “This would probably be easier in the backseat, right?”

“Let me out.”

“So you can go where,baby? It’s just us out here.” He laughed, resting a hand on your thigh. You slammed your shoulder into the door. It didn’t budge. “Hey, hey, this doesn’t need to get rough. I’m not going to be like Dick. The others – they’ll do it wrong, treat you like a cut of meat they have to get to before anybody else. I just need to make sure you get out of this in one piece.”

Nails embedded in leather, body crammed as far from him as you could force it be. You weren’t hyperventilating, but only because you’d stopped breathing entirely. “Let me out, Jason.”

“I love the way you say my name. It’s pretty, and delicate – just like you.” He sighed, shook his head. “I know you don’t get it, but I’m just trying to take care of you, like you’ve been taking care of me for the past few—”

“Stop acting like I’m your mom.” A sob fractured the final syllable, another bubbling up from deep in your chest a moment later. Your body was beyond the point of rationality, but the soft, preservational part of your mind wasn’t so beyond the point of seeking refuge. There was a way out of this, as ghoulish as it seemed. You couldn’t stop it from happening, but you could make it better. You’d regret it in an hour, when it came time to explain yourself to Bruce, but what happened in an hour didn’t matter, not if you couldn’t survive the next few minutes.

You might’ve done it, too – or, you might’ve tried, at least. You wanted to. You planned to. And yet, when you opened your mouth, there was only one thing you could seem to say. “I don’t want to do this, Jason.”

His nails bit into your thigh, his smile easing at the corners. For a second, you almost thought he’d pull away. For a second, you almost thought he’d sigh, straighten back up, and admit this was all part of some cruel, unfunny joke that the two of you would remember fondly, later on.

Then, he laughed and leaned forward, lips brushing against the top of your head. You felt him speak before you heard his voice, but the cloying reverberation alone was enough to tell you that you would’ve been better off never saying anything at all.

“Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”

[phantomrose96]

When people join self-improvement or even hobbyist communities, there are some absolutely critical skills of fundamental skepticism they need when going in. I think most people who get into these communities aren't aware of these.

And just, as a fundamental few:

Does this person stand to gain financially from the thing they're trying to sell you on?

Is the business model of this whole community one of artificial competitiveness? Is there a pressure around never lapsing, or never straying from the model being sold to you?

Are the claims made in this community becoming bolder and bolder deviations from standard information?

These are absolutely rife in fitness, nutrition, and financial-advice communities and they often receive very little scrutiny except among those who already "got out." Because from the outside, seeing someone get into fitness is a good thing, good for them, glad to see it, look at that dedication, happy for them. Same on the other categories, and probably numerous others I haven't seen.

---------

Does this person stand to gain financially from the thing they're trying to sell you on?

If the answer is yes, that does NOT mean "immediately abort", it means keep that in mind when you're interacting with their content.

This nutrition influencer has given you some great recipes for free, and now they're promoting a "really fantastic" brand that they have an affiliate link with? Their motivation isn't to be your friend and helpfully clue you in on a great product. It's to make money off you.

You really like this fitness influencer's work outs, but she gets MORE interaction and MORE viewers the skinnier she gets? She CLAIMS she's been losing weight naturally with healthy eating and exercise, and she's still full of energy, and You Can Too. This is not your friend. This is not someone who knows you. This is someone under large financial and social pressure to do everything she can to put out her best appearance and her happiest appearance, and your attention and belief in the appearance is where the money and clout come from. You really need to remember this in the same way you remember to look both ways before crossing the street. You can cross a street and you can follow a fitness account, but protect yourself when doing it.

---------

Is the business model of this whole community one of artificial competitiveness? Is there a pressure around never lapsing, or never straying from the model being sold to you?

Communities stay strong if they retain people. There are a lot of fine and positive ways to retain people, but it's often easier to retain people by instilling them with a sense that they must be here. They should feel bad if they lapse or if their attention drifts. What they were before was inadequate. Everyone outside this community is inadequate. Do you want to go back to inadequate?

Is that financial subreddit that taught you valuable lessons about 401k's, index funds, and budgeting also quietly pressuring you to always do more? Are the top posts from extremist examples of people living in destitution so they can show the most extreme screenshot, and curate the envy of everyone else who ought to be ashamed of not doing as well as them?

Is that fitness community that got you into jogging also putting you in the mind that the truest and best people exercise 7 days a week? Never miss a metric? Never compromise on their dedication?

Is that person who "cut out all sugar and feels amazing" informing you that you should never have another cupcake in your life? And if you DO it's because you're BAD and DON'T WORRY, you'll get RIGHT back on the horse after. Shame will motivate you to come right back, and stay with the community, and never leave.

As long as you stay, the community grows. As long as you stay, the ad sponsors and the endorsed products and the influencers can benefit more and more. And sometimes, there's perhaps not even a malicious force behind it. It can happen from evolutionary pressures. The communities that survive are the ones that retain people. A community that trips accidentally into a model of pressuring people to stay is one which retains people and thrives.

-----------

Are the claims made in this community becoming bolder and bolder deviations from standard information?

You joined because you wanted to learn to cook for yourself. And this community has been helpful! You know how to make some delicious things. You've tried vegetables you've never tried before. And maybe you needed some convincing that brussel sprouts can be yummy, but what do you know, turns out you like them roasted.

But what else is being said? What things are being said with more and more frequency? Is it that "humans don't actually need any sugar, and it's a poison being sold to us?" Is it that "seed oils are toxic for you"? Is it that "pasteurization is bad"? Is the raw fruitarian convincing you that cavemen lived exclusively off fruit and you can too?

They'll have sources sometimes. Check them. Are they cherry-picked? Are they from an insular echo-chamber? Why isn't the mainstream literature aware of this? And if the answer has anything to do with "because mainstream wants to TRICK YOU and you're actually BAD for ASKING" then don't engage. Disregard. Take the recipes if you must but apply your skeptical filter to all the parts that are snake oil.

Sometimes it's that another community is only a stone's throw away. That person with a great financial portfolio has only good things to say about crypto, and what they're saying is making sense (average person [not smart] [poor] [bad money skills] laughs at crypto, but you're smarter. you're on the in-track). That amazing bodybuilder is pulling the hottest dates, and he says it's about male-confidence, and he says there are good support guides on becoming a respectable masculine man, and all you need to do is reclaim your masculinity in a society that wants to steal it from you.

In any place like this, come up for air. Come up for air FREQUENTLY. Talk to regular people and engage in academic literature outside this circle. Conspiracy thinking wins if you draw all your information from the entity trying to sell you on the conspiracy.

------------

And I hope this is clear but my message is not "never join a community." My message is know danger when you see it. Recognize when you're being used or pressured. Don't fall for conspiracy thinking. Protect yourself. You can use a gas stove to cook meals but don't touch the flame and don't burn your house down. You can cross the street but recognize the signs of a car coming down the street.

And I'm making this point because so many people just don't know. ...Because getting into fitness is "good" and "self-improvement"! So is nutrition. So if financial responsibility. People walk into it and the extremism can make them feel accomplished, and admired, and like they're a part of something, and maybe even like a proper self-punishment for their own inadequacies. And people on the outside won't save you because "Wow! He spends 3 hours at the gym every day! I wish I was that dedicated." is a common attitude, and will push you deeper into what has its claws in you.

Everything I'm saying is not because I'm so much smarter and so much holier-than-thou for knowing this when others don't--I'm saying this because I was in it. I fell for it. Not all the examples above, of course. But I recognize the machine in them. It is highly appealing to run farther and fast longer and overload your class schedule when you don't feel good enough and want to prove something, and so many communities will sell you on the idea this IS an accomplishment. Then once you do, you have to do it forever. Or else you'll go back to not being good enough. And since fitness is "good", and weight-loss and good grades, no one can save you but you.

The answer was not to give up on the hobbies I was doing. I cook for myself most nights. I run and bike as regular parts of my routine. I like new recipes and I like half-marathons. But these are just positive additions to my life and they do not define my worth. If I miss a work-out it's whatever. If I order take-out it's whatever. I fundamentally do not care about the influencer with the washboard abs, and if I try a work-out from her, I have no loyalty to it. If the new recipe I try mentions "clean eating" I'll roll my eyes and just figure out if the recipe seems good. If the recipe is botching itself to avoid certain scare-words I will simply find something else.

There is absolutely a reasonable place for challenging yourself and trying things outside your comfort zone. The internet is full of resources to do so much more than you currently know how to do. And if that community is an oven, recognize it's an oven. Wear oven mitts. If it's actively on fire, leave. You're the only one protecting you. Stay safe.

[mareestoermers]

i think we are all forgetting something when we talk about how toxic patrick, tashi, and art are — or when we decide one is “worse” than the other. they all have moments of seeing right through it, seeing each other’s toxic behavior for what it is, and STILL want and need each other in this possessive, envious, visceral way.

1. in the way beginning, tashi is clearly flirting more with art than patrick, and patrick is visibly annoyed. art sees right through it and even challenges him like “okay, let’s leave”, and has this little smirk on his face because he knows patrick won’t give up on tashi.

2. tashi immediately sees the visible tension and love between art and patrick, and literally orchestrates their first kiss. she sees right through their repression, and even calls herself a “home-wrecker” but still entangles herself with them, especially patrick because he’s clearly the better tennis player at that point and that is tash’s ONLY true love. tennis. that’s what she desires most in him, and patrick knows that. he even calls her out on it in the dorm room scene. but they have this mirroring fire in each other that neither of them can give up, not until patrick breaks the balance and bails — tashi’s injury is literally a metaphor for the balance shattering between all three of them when patrick leaves her.

3. before this, patrick sees right through art trying to break them up, and even admires that quality — maybe even feels smug and flattered because art is jealous and feels left out from both tashi and patrick. patrick has known this all along, we saw it in the “tick-serve” scene, where he even swears to tashi he won’t tell anyone but he still tells art, who is desperate to feel a part of them and patrick wants that, too — even keeps that close intimacy with art that we see in the churro scene (swoon swoon swoon).

4. haven’t you noticed that arts desire to be great is only ever tied up in patrick and tashi? how he needs to beat patrick to win tashis affection, how he needs to win in tennis so that tashi can live through him, how he lives up to his potential in the ending only because tashi and patrick push him to it, in their little fucked up ways? he knows this — he even admits that he’s playing for tashi, that he knows she’s living through him. he even admits he’s playing a fucked up little game with patrick when they’re in the sauna. yet he still does it. again, he knows what’s happening, sees right through them — still does it, still loves them.

5. when tashi calls patrick to come pick her up he knows it’s not just to tell him to throw the match — and despite how she battles him about it, they still have sex in the car, because he already knows. he’s so fully aware of her and her game and he’s so willing to be caught up in it, the same as art.

just some examples of how they all have moments of clarity and agency and yet they still choose to be entangled in one another because they’re all fucked up in their own, individual ways, and they’re all living through each other for their own specific needs. arts is to be seen as worthy, as great, but only through their gaze. tashis is to have the career that was stolen from her. patricks is truly to be in love and in lust with both of them, because we even see that from the beginning that tashis love alone will never satiate him; it has to be arts love, too. that scene in the sauna when he thinks he’s lost it from art is the most sad and fucked up we ever even see patrick. on top of tashi asking him to throw the game — he’s so defensive of arts feelings.

in short this is an actual love triangle (and i would go as far as to see it as a polyship). you can’t erase one without the whole thing unraveling, and you can’t say one character was the “worst” without picking apart the motivations and pointing to the fact that their bad behavior was never a secret or left unchecked.

even at the end, patrick signals to art that he slept with tashi — art knows and they still have that intimate completion at the end, all three of them. art living up to his potential and embracing patrick fully (id argue this could even be a metaphor for embracing his bisexuality), patrick having both tashi and arts affection again, and tashi playing a phenomenal tennis match through her little white boys — in such a visceral, emotional way that she cries out like she did in the beginning and the last frame is her smiling.

in a fucked up way, they all get what they wanted out of each other.

[drchucktingle]

BIG thing i get teased about over the years (in playful ways, it is fine buckaroos, but a light tease none the less) is the DIRECTNESS of my titles. many who stumble upon my books will immediately comment 'the title is so long it just says what happens'. here are some of my thoughts on that...

as with a lot of things in the tingleverse, my unusual artistic choices end up being a sort of TROJAN HORSE, called unserious and mocked by many, but hopefully over the years revealing something to buckaroos who are not tied to the separation of ‘low brow’ or ‘high brow’ art

i feel understood by most, but for some who JUST NOW encounter the tingleverse there is an automatic apprehension, from outright to subliminal. things like scoffing ’im not going to try and find meaning in a chuck tingle book’ (real quote) or 'skeptical of the horror, ive seen his OTHER books'

i have written a LOT about how much of this, whether buds know it or not, is not just about the dinosaurs and the living objects. it is about a culture that is built to see queerness and neurodivergence and (drumroll) SEXUALITY as fundamentally unworthy of ‘real’ artistic merit. this trot runs deep

theres SOMETHING ELSE i dont talk on much however, which is directness of my writing style, both in titles and on page. why i do it is this: AS AN ARTIST it is never my intention to impress you. my books are not the 'ME show' theyre the 'US show’ so i simply want my sentences to express what happens

i wont dance circles around you, leading you through the story saying LOOK AT ME LOOK HOW GOOD I AM IM SO COOL. i want to walk BESIDE you. of course, writing to impress is also great and valid art too, just not MY preference. this is ARTISTIC choice, but i want to talk for a moment on politics of it

i tend to see buckaroos holding a sort of STRICT interpretation of what makes ‘good’ art. it is a training that has been pounded into their heads declaring ‘real art cannot just come out and say what it means.' a good example would be if someone was being critical by just saying 'its heavy handed'

the thing is, there is a huge difference between saying ‘it was blunt.’ and ‘it was TOO BLUNT for what it was trying to accomplish.’ TIME AND TIME AGAIN however, you will see folks simply deciding ‘this art just said what it meant on the surface’ and leaving it there, as if that is INHERENTLY WRONG.

and the question i am forced to ask myself is ‘WHY is this wrong?’ in the vast, infinite pantheon of WHAT ART CAN BE why are we so obsessed with hiding ourselves? obscuring our thoughts? removing our politics? there is certainly a time for subtly, but it seems there is NEVER a time for being blunt

some say this is because arts more DIFFICULT to craft when it is subliminal, but folks do not REACT that way. art that is both direct AND subliminal and layered will STILL get torn down for leaving things on the surface, even when technically speaking it is probably most impressive to juggle both

there is plenty for you to research on this regarding the CIA secretly funding abstract expressionist art during the cold war. it is still HOTLY DEBATED, but i will mention it here for anyone reading my thread who is interested in a deep dive. HERE, however, i will talk about it on a personal level

i think that culturally we are CONSTANTLY told to not take up space, especially in marginalized groups. there is decades and decades of programming telling us ‘you can express yourself, but in a CIVILIZED WAY, not too loud, not too direct. CERTAINLY not too political.' i flatly reject this

of all the places to do what you want and say what you want to say, ART IS THE PERFECT ARENA. your writing, your songs, your music can absolutely be as subtle as you want, but especially during times like this, dont let anyone tell you that youre too dang loud. lets trot buckaroos.

and since i spent all morning writing this is am going to leave a link for my new book LUCK DAY, which is LOUD AS HECK. now is a time to make art, and it is also a time to support the artists you love. give a preorder if you can. LOVE IS REAL

[antivancathedral]

(continues to be insane) I can’t get over the fact that Spite asks for help.

Spite is often treated childishly by several characters—Taash, for example, and even Lucanis depending on your dialogue choices—but I actually…don’t think Spite is all that childish. He’s been put into a situation he’s never experienced before, in a place where reality doesn’t work like it should, and been put through torture that he feels doubly through Lucanis on top of it all. Any person would through a “tantrum” under these circumstances. Spite’s behavior is reasonable.

He never tries to hurt Lucanis’s companions, not once. He only ever tries to leave, as Lucanis promised him he would be able to. Even Lucanis, he only hurts once outside of the Ossuary, when he must have felt unbelievably confused. Calivan is dead and Lucanis has gone home, has allies, and yet to Spite, he simply refuses to leave the Ossuary. And still, he asks. He could wrestle control from Lucanis, but instead he asks (or demands) to talk to Rook. And all he wants to say is that he wants to be free.

All and all, Lucanis does not reach out to anyone to ask for help with his depression or PSTD. Spite is his problem, he says, and says often. His burden. He never intended to let anyone in, even though he admits that he doesn’t know how to start healing. He asks for Rook’s help against Zara, against Illario, but no one is privy to his mental and emotional struggles.

Spite, on the other hand, asks immediately. Or he wants to ask. And finally, when Lucanis is in the middle of a spiral, it's Spite that says "Help us." Not demanding, just asking. Pleading. And still only to Rook. While I think at first, Spite wants Rook specifically because he knows Lucanis will listen, I think that has grown into something more by the time Inner Demons comes around.

"Help us," he says. Not just 'make him listen' or 'help Lucanis'. Us.

This is all to say I think that while Spite may not understand or feel romance (yet) he most certainly feels love. He loves Lucanis, whose image he takes ("They wouldn't dare, Lucanis is mine.") and he loves Rook ("Rook is my favorite." "Smells like...Rook." "Help us." The WINGS.) And that's all trust is, isn't it? A kind of love? Showing vulnerability to someone close to you?

When Spite is finally allowed to communicate, he shows plenty of maturity. He gives Lucanis space, he asks Emmrich to teach him fire, he's willing to try new things, and he loves.

Determination is a kind of love too, when you think about it.

[bootycallin]

BRING IT BACK.

basically; vi, who delivers the most lethal backshots known to man

cw: wlw. men dni. g!p! vi. unprotected sex. doggy. degradation if you squint. swearing. brief spanking. a lil ass play. implied overstimulation? mention of creampie but she cums on ur back lol. vi's down bad. briefly proofread. this is a lil short i'm sorryyy

a/n: can you tell i was excited? anyways, sevika fic coming soon. if you saw this before i apologize, i fucked something up on the formatting and had to redo it.

NSFW UTC

vi is the type of girl that likes seeing your face when you two have sex, for a multitude of reasons. for example, she likes seeing your pretty face twist in pleasure whenever she sheathes her cock fully inside of you, but she also likes keeping the eye contact. it makes sex all the more intimate, and vi prides herself in being a considerate lover. she always wants to make sure you're doing fine, and your expression is a good way of doing that.

but no story has only one side. and, neither do you, and she fucking loves your backside as well.

"shit," she groaned, growled, untamed and feral, giving ravenous, rough thrusts in and out of your sopping hole. barely gives you enough time to even moan, each thrust ripping a gasp from your throat, taking the breath away from your lungs. she's laser-focused on the way your pretty cunt swallows her girth, greedy, clenching around her so fucking tight, like your pussy never wants to let go. one hand on your waist, the other on your ass, landing a hard smack that makes you whine.

"look at that," vi grunted, grabbing at the yielding skin of your ass cheek, admiring the skin plushing between her fingers. never once does she stop, pace unrelenting. "taking my cock so well. so fuckin' pretty, baby... fuckin' love taking me from behind, don't ya? huh, princess?"

she smacks your ass again when you don't respond immediately, sending your eyes rolling to the back of your head.

"yes, viii..." you replied, in a strangled mewl, hitching your head to the side to look back at her. and fuck, if she didn't have the most fucking smug face in the face of the planet.

"yeah, fuckin' looove when i hit it from the back, don't you, babe?" vi scoffed. grabbing at your waist tighter so she could pull you back into her cock in time with her thrusts. she was in so deep, the angle making it oh-so easy for her to reach the deepest spots inside you, the tip of her cock kissing your cervix repeatedly, as bruisingly as she would kiss you.

"fuckin' love this pretty ass. shit, look at 'er," her hand just can't seem to stop squishing and squeezing the skin of your ass, running over it, feeling you up. you knew vi liked your body, but you didn't know she was this much of an ass woman.

in her defense, it's such a good angle. she's always noticed your butt, but she doesn't usually focus on it. she likes seeing your face when you fuck, but she could get used to this view. your face down, your ass up, meeting her pelvis with each thrust, how you whine and whimper at the tickle of the little red hairs that trail down her tummy and cover the base of her dick, same hairs that get slowly wetter with your wetness and hers mixing, balls smacking against your clit in a dizzying fashion.

you don't even notice her hand wandering, thumb straying, 'til it's right over your rim, prodding at your puckered hole. you keen, a hitched gasp coming from the back of your throat.

"vi, what the-hah!—"

"shhh," she shushes you, not really even giving you much of a choice but to shut up, another harsh thrust that hit right against your cervix, making you burrow your face into the plush of the bed, you two connected on every level. she starts grinding into you instead, keeping herself as deep as she could, tip practically smushing against your insides.

"it's okay, baby," she muttered, leaning down, her front nearly pressing against your back. "you'll take me, right? please, baby, gonna make you feel sooo good."

how can you deny when she asks so sweetly? a little hum of approval is all she needs to hear.

suddenly she pulls out. a smirk graces her face when you whine, a string of slick and pre connecting your cunt to her cock in a filthy scene.

she spits right on your hole, licks it just to see you squirm. her hand moves to her cock, letting out a shaky sigh as she wipes her thumb over her slit, gathering the pre-cum that built on her tip. when she feels it's enough, she aligns herself with your pussy, her thumb circling your rim. she watches as you wince when she begins dipping her thumb in, pushing her cock inside of your cunt at the same time. the simultaneous movement makes your eyes roll, unconsciously relaxing so she can push her finger in easier.

"viii..." you try to run away, but she keeps you still, grabbing tightly at your hips. you're clenching around her so tight she can barely even move.

"shh... just relax, baby. fuck, you're so tight..."

she nearly moans when your warmth envelops her digit completely. your cunt's fucking strangling her, clenching repeatedly against the base of her cock so tight she swears you're gonna cut circulation.

her next movement are robotic, drawing back from you only to slam right back in, a loud smack reverberating in the room. you swear you can feel her in your guts. she's so deep, her thumb now filling your other hole. you’ve never felt so full, and fuck, you love it.

"vi-iiii,” her name drawls out like string from your throat, the only coherent thought that you're forming being about how good it feels, how good she feels. she's also only thinking about you, about how much she wants to fill you to the brim, fuck you full of her again and again and again until it's engraved in your mind thoughts of her. 'til you're ruined, and it's engrained in that she is the one that fucks you this good, the one fucking you dumb.

"mmh? yeah? i'm listenin', baby," she's teasing. she loves how you get all huffy when she does. she knows you can't speak, not when she's pounding you into the mattress like she wants to mold your pussy for fit her cock. she spreads your ass to get more access, and fuck, the view might just be from heaven. it's obscene and so pretty and so fucking hers.

soon, that familiar knot is forming in your stomach, growing impossibly tighter each thrust. you cry out, hands hopelessly grasping at the bedsheets, your thighs spreading on instinct, back arching. vi tuts behind you, mean.

"nuh-uh," she nearly growled, grabbing your waist and pulling you right back onto her cock with a grunt. "you were beggin' for it, don't run away, you can take it, yeah?"

"vi-ii!!" you let out a pathetic cry, muscle memory only making you bounce right back against her. "shi-shit— s'much..!"

"oh, but you're taking me so well, baby," she praised, but it somehow managed to sound dangerous. vicious. "fuck, pussy's swallowing me up whole. look at her, clenchin' round me, doesn't want to let me fucking go."

her last word's punctuated with a sharp smack to your ass, and oh she relishes in the way you sob, knowing that has to leave a painful sting, which she soothes with her palm.

"vi, close...! 'm- 'm close!"

"me too baby, fuck," she groans, adjusting herself just so she can fuck into you better, her cock moving inside you, tilting at an upwards angle that makes her rub right against that little spot she knows turns your brain to mush. "gonna cum for me, yeah? make a mess, c'mon, c'mon..."

your orgasm hits you like a goddamn truck, back arching like that of a cat's. if her hand didn't hold you up by the hips, you would've collapsed by now. you're leaking, your cum leaving a creamy white ring around the base of her cock, a vision she wants to be drawn into her grave so she'll never forget it. she groans, her hand lets go of you, letting you lay back down while she supports her weight on her free hand.

"fuck, fuck," she grunts in her own needy way, reminiscent of a dog with how she pants against your back, bending so she could be closer, smelling your hair. shes close, and she only gets closer when she hears your whimpers, hips still smacking against your ass as she chases her own orgasm.

"shit!—"

she finally cums, pulling out just in time to release all on your back, squirting a pretty white string right where your spine sat. she hissed a desperate string of curses, something she does to spare some dignity and not outright moan like a slut (you've told her you like when she moans, but damn it, she's the one with the cock. plus, it's not like you can't hear the whimpers in the back of her throat. not slick, violet).

her face buried into the space between your shoulder blades, she strokes her cock a few more times for good measure, collapsing on top of you when her own legs start shaking and she feels like she’s been milked dry.

you're panting, her weight over your body, sticky skin against sticky skin, sweat and cum mixing. she could care fucking less that your back's covered in her cum, and she's pressing her chest to it. if anything, she likes it. loves how her skin sticks to yours, how she can barely tell where you end and she begins.

"mhm," vi hummed, removing her thumb from your hole, huffing out a little laugh when you whimper. she wraps her big arms around you, hands smoothing over your skin. she leaves a few kisses down the back of your neck, before licking a long line over your spine, scooping up her own cum with her tongue.

"vi—“

before you can ask, she turns you around, kissing you, tongue shoved into your mouth. all you can taste is her, her cum and your sweat and just sex. you have no problem swallowing, much to her pleasure, a dumb, lopsided grin tilting her mouth up.

"let's do that again," she muttered, kissing the slope of her neck. her cock sits heavy on your lower stomach, hard. "wanna cum inside you this time."

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃 © bootycallin on tumblr. do not copy, translate or cross post without permission. ᛝ