#as much as i love them i can also acknowledge that they have harmed innocent ppl

[mesapies]

I think it'd be interesting to see iroh/zuko interact with ppl that don't and will never forgive them. And not in a villian trying to take revenge on them type of way. Ppl don't have to forgive the guy that burned down their village, was the direct or indirect reason their loved one died, etc just because they changed.

Especially with iroh living in ba sing se after the war, the same place he tried to conquer 10yrs prior.

There was this small moment in the iroh/june team up comic that came out a little over a month ago but the writing makes it seem like the guy was totally wrong for his hatred of iroh. Now I don't like how it's worded but I like concept of ppl acknowledging that iroh wasn't always a good person and what he has done did and still does effect ppl in their daily lives.

I also wasn't a big fan of the writing here because it almost infantsizes iroh even tho he's a 60yr old man that was a general of a military for years.

Anyways, he lives in the same place where years ago he was the reason of death for ppls siblings, children, parents, significant others, friends. He walks past them everyday. He's probably seen memorials of the ppl who have died during those 600 days. Not even just the soldier but the citizens as well. It was 600 days long, over a year and a half of consent violence, ppl probably starved, especially those living in the outer area. They didn't know if the wall was going to finally crumble and that day was going to be their last. There's no way everybody is just gonna be ok with him living there after the war just because he's good now and sells good tea.

I think there should be ppl that don't like and will never forgive iroh and even zuko for the stuff they've done, no matter what they do to try to make up for it. And they shouldn't be villanized for not forgiving either. Like I said ppl don't have to forgive the guy that harmed them or the ppl they love physically, mentally, or emotionally just because they've changed for the better. Ppl can acknowledge they changed, but that doesn't take away the pain they've caused ppl. There gonna be ppl that forgive them no problem, ppl that don't forgive them right away but later come around, and ppl that won't ever forgive them. I just wish there would be more exploration on ppl that will never forgive them.

[astarlightmonbebe]

slightly hot take (?) but personally i felt the reactions in ep 17 were all in-character and justified... don't have the time to get into it, but it boils down to the fact that knowing something logically =/= knowing it emotionally

[pareidolla]

Saw your recent broken post - please I would love to hear more about the "anger and resentment" category!!

MY BROKEN COMRADE IN ARMS! YES, ANYTHING FOR YOU!

although i am wringing my hands in embarassment because the topic of broken's characterization is something i'm very passionate about, but i've complained about it before, and i don't want to come across as too whiny. i don't believe any one person should be seen as an authority on a character's portrayal, and i don't want to cause anyone undue stress. he's a video game character, it's not that serious.

that being said ⸻ broken is a very angry and bitter voice and i wish that was acknowledged more often!!!

you're the one making things difficult, you're the one making us hurt.

even outside of the tower's pet line, the voice of the broken reminds me of an abused dog. a dog will fight you, naturally, but you are stronger, and if it is wise, it will realize resistance is pointless. you can harm a dog as much as you'd like until it learns to do whatever it takes to satisfy and stay your hand. only then will you reward it, and only then will the dog merely flinch between caresses.

but submission isn't love, and a dog still has it's teeth.

as a hardcore simp, i've read as many broken opinions and writing i can get my paws on, and i've noticed a tendency to depict him as someone who holds no animosity unless directly influenced by tower. in their eyes, he pathetically loathes himself and believes that the other voices are superior in every way.

i disagree with this because, to put it bluntly, broken literally hates everyone. canonically! he may be a sad little shelterdog deserving of many head pats but he's not soft with anyone. his sadness shouldn't distract from the fact he firmly believes the other voices are delusional in a hopeless situation. broken never shows admiration for anyone other than the princess, but he's obviously not always thrilled with her either.

who cares if you (narrator) think we're special? as far as i can tell, the only thing special about us is that we get to experience painfully dying all over again.

[we] can't even surrender right

he's (cold) even worse than her (nightmare).

i think the best demonstration of this is how people approach broken's regret over his actions during the tower route. he's usually portrayed as overly regretful and melancholy for stabbing the long quiet, which makes sense, but i'd like to remind everyone that we have his canonical reaction, and he doesn't care lmao.

(literally my favorite broken line i must shamefully confess he sounds soooo hot here.)

which makes sense! broken is sorrowful, yes, but his more violent actions and words are motivated by an innocent desire to be safe. when he remains silent after being insulted or avoids conflict, it's not because he's afraid of the others, but because he believes it is safest for him to accept the hurt now rather than being inflicted with additional harm later. he's not going to apologize for attempting to save everyone when their futile efforts have now locked them into a cycle of being slain over and over by the princess's hands. like, literally the one thing he wanted to avoid.

it's also why his relationship with tower makes me want to gnash my teeth against the bars of my enclosure. they aren't good for eachother but they're so beautifully entwined and and their dynamic is so...?

broken's soulmate isn't physically incapable of hurting him like damsel, but she isn't determined to hurt him like razor or nightmare. for the price of his everything belong to her, she's able to save him, melting his anger into adoration, and he's even willing to hurt himself endlessly for her. i'm gonna 'hrow up.

[valzhanginator]

calypso having an emotion-centered character and being viewed & getting treated as the ‘evil woman’ is actually a reflection of how every woman's emotions are villainized when they’re shown vividly and are a main part of their character in popular media.

in general media and riordanverse specifically, women with emotions are always looked down upon because showing emotions is regarded as a dramatic act so when a female character shows and acts on their emotiotions they get degraded and instantly despised because of it. this is done with every single female character while male characters who show emotion are treated like saints and found worthy of self redemption. this happened with annabeth when she didn’t want to believe luke was the bad guy and wanted to try bring him back because she was manipulated by him her entire life, meanwhile luke, who did batshit crimes like causing hundreds of innocent deaths, manipulating little girls by flirting with them, admitting his crush to a 16 year-old at his ripe age of 23, is remembered as a hero and considered ‘redeemed himself’ after sacrificing himself while annabeth was called insufferable when she didn’t believe he was evil in the first place. let’s not forget piper, who’s a lesbian that was forced into a relationship with a man by a goddess and thought she was in the wrong for not feeling right with jason. during the entire relationship she was experiencing a very hard comphet and couldn’t figure herself out because of the fake memories, everybody was bashing her when she was acting confused, when she was, in fact confused. i have a longer post about this specific topic, so if you guys wanna check it out it’s right here. 

 coming back to calypso, first we need to clear out the misconceptions about her curse on percy that affected annabeth. she wasn't blind nor was personally attacking annabeth, her curse was to make someone feel like how she was feeling all time and that’s why percy and annabeth couldn’t reach out to one another while being right next to each other. annabeth’s blindness came from the titan she defeated in the sea of monsters and is actually the first curse to be put by the arai on them, so it has nothing to do with calypso. the curse was affecting annabeth because she happened to be the person percy loved and was right next to him. if percy was there alone either percy would feel alone and abandoned or the curse wouldn’t affect him at all, since there’s no person he can go back to save. and the curse itself wasn’t even a death wish type of curse she just wanted to be heard, be acknowledged and wanted free off her island. not to forget the curse wasn't harming or killing any of them yet it’s still demonized more than by literally every other thing that happened in the books. nothing luke has ever done is seen as evil as her curse just because it was by her and i’m pretty positive if something like this was shown in pjo by luke it would be glossed over and romanticized in the fandom. further proof of how a male character's actions get brushed off and forgiven easily but soon a female character does something even slightly questionable they get villainized on the spot.

she is also despised because she doesn't let everyone's favorite man get away with his misogynistic stuff. calypso doesn't treat leo any worse than he treats her. whenever she starts arguing it is a response to something leo has said or done, which in the most case she's in the right but leo gets so much slack from his past and being fandom favorite to be held accountable for the way he treats people. he's always been written as a misogynist, he never treated any women with any respect. he always had some sort of disrespect for every female character he seems have some sort of closure with like piper, hazel, calypso, the list goes on, but yet calypso is always expected to be more 'tolerable and understanding' bc of his trauma, as if every single character in the series isn't written upon a single trauma they had and have their character built on it. and he always had a problem dealing with others and their emotions and instead of expecting him to be working to change that, calypso is expected to adjust his manners.

oddly enough, she's also expected to show some gratitude towards leo for saving her, when she never asked him to do so and not for a second believed that he was actually going to come back when he said he would. is she grateful that he came back and freed her? yes. should she feel any obligations to make him feel greater because of it? NO. everything leo did for calypso was his and only his choice and nobody else's. calypso is happy that he did so, but expecting her to tolarate every single thing he does solely because of that is wrong.

[altocat]

I know there's a lot of talk of genesis attitude pre and post degradation, but what are the main differences in your opinion? How much does his attitude actually change?

I definitely think his degradation warped him, or at least took the more negative aspects of his personality and increased them tenfold, or influenced him into doing things he normally would have never done, whether out of desperation or the fact that he's actually receiving literal brain damage from his sickness.

Before his degradation, I think Genesis was definitely arrogant, hotheaded, and occasionally kind of rough around the edges towards strangers. He certainly had a lot of messy aspects to his personality, whether that was his jealousy for Sephiroth or his occasionally spicy attitude towards other people. This was mostly born from a sense of insecurity, wanting to impress people, to be recognized and valued. More than anything, Genesis wanted people to acknowledge him, to see him as someone whose existence mattered. He was terrified of being alone, or being seen as a burden.

For all his negative traits pre-degradation, Genesis had twice as many positives. Genesis could be kind, even sweet, especially towards the younger soldiers who had yet to prove themselves (Genesis heavily related to the feeling). When he wasn't focused on his rivalry with Sephiroth, he was a loyal comrade and a courageous fighter. He could be teasing and mischievous, but never to the point where he'd take things too far, at least not intentionally. He loved pranks and contests, still viewed the world with some lingering sense of innocence. He believed in storybook heroes and fables. He wanted to BECOME one someday. He could be practical, borderline chivalrous when it suited him. He could even be ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of his friends. Genesis had many flaws, but beneath his fiery exterior, there was a good-natured person who wanted to connect with others, wanted to be the hero they deserved.

After his sickness, Genesis throws a lot of his better traits away. He becomes overly spiteful, openly provocative, completely willing to hit someone where it hurts. His feelings towards Sephiroth warp from a competitive friendship to genuine malice, wanting revenge. He still never meant for Sephiroth to DIE (or Angeal for that matter), but he DID want to show him up somehow. And no longer had the restraint to care about the methods used to do it. Genesis also became hyper aggressive, his temper explosive, his thoughts constantly clouded. He acted on impulse even worse than he ever had before. He just did what FELT good in the moment and didn't think about the consequences....

....Until he was cured. After being healed by Minerva, the full weight of Genesis' actions falls upon him all at once, reliving every ugly moment, every thoughtless, cruel, violent action. SEVEN YEARS' worth of sins to atone for. Seven years' worth of brutality and loss. Genesis is crippled, body and soul. He seals himself in his watery tomb not just for the sake of the planet, but out of regret. He remembers his friends, the things he said and did to them. He remembers everything. He loved them. He never wished to harm them. WHY did he do it? Was it the sickness? Or was it really him this whole time? He can't bear to live with those thoughts. It's eating him alive. He grants himself the mercy of sleep as a means of temporarily escaping them, letting them haunt his dreams as he surrenders himself to oblivion.

The Genesis that emerges years later is cynical, jaded, world-weary, but ultimately wiser and more subdued. He still has his sharp wit and poetic personality, but it's a lot more muted now. Mostly, he's just tired, going through the motions. He seems a lot quieter, gentler around people. Through his altered genetics, he will live an exceedingly long extended life, surviving long after all the others (except for Vincent) are gone. In that time, Genesis travels the planet alone, doing good where he can, but never forgetting what was lost.

[ca-suffit]

No offense to Sam but the way he's been talking about Lestat lately is ... troubling, to say the least. He did an interview with Screenrant and he legit said that Lestat's abuse of Louis was "probably not as violent an act as Louis made it out to be in season 1." That's a direct quote, by the way. I understand that a lot of Lestat fans have their rose-colored glasses on and they're not the only ones, sure. However, when you have the actor saying things like this, are we really surprised Lestat fans are just as willing to turn a blind eye and act as if he's this innocent beacon of sunshine whose word is the gospel truth? I can't include links but you can search up Sam Reid and Screenrant on Google and the article should pop up.

ya, I've seen that quote (article and text at the bottom of this post).

if this fandom was full of critical thinkers the way ppl always luv to claim, we'd be able to discuss these things and even say maybe these actors say dumb, harmful shit sometimes. assigning sam reid the new role of anne rice stand in, coming from ppl who already have an unhealthy relationship with her, usually going back decades, is why trying to do anything here is p useless.

this fandom will never know peace bcuz instead of focusing on the fact harm was done, racist fandom has to keep digging and victim blaming black characters bcuz how could the white character do this, it's ooc, it's bad writing, it's not what anne rice would have done (except she did lol but there's always an excuse for why that doesn't count).

there's a lot of things the fandom could be talking about but instead it's gonna be tossing this quote up forever as "the truth" and it's gonna be like 50 year olds in the fandom doing it too. embarrassing tbh.

One of my favorite moments in the episode is Lestat apologizing over the cloud gift move from last season. It's powerful and moving, and yet so frustrating because the trial carries on like nothing after. Can you talk about playing that scene with Jacob?

Sam Reid: Yeah, I think we kind of had to make sure it [landed]. I don't want it to be like, "Yeah, but actually, it's not such a big deal. He apologized, and it's over now," which is what Claudia said. It's probably not as violent an act as Louis made it out to be in season 1, but I think the fact that Lestat did something to him that is so out of his nature was driven by the extent to which they love each other.

Lestat was driven to the point that he didn't fully even recognize himself, and he saw from his own hands an action that was unforgivable. You've physically hurt the person that you love so much that you no longer feel like you deserve to be with them. He knew that, and I think the thing is that he realized that as soon as he's done that, he also has to die.

In terms of working on that scene with Jacob, I think it's important for us to acknowledge that this is not the end. Do you know what I mean? This is not the finality of that beat. Louis doesn't forgive him at that moment, and Lestat sees that. He can't look at him that much during the trial, but there's another moment when Lestat looks at him and all he sees is pure hate in Louis' gaze. "He's never going to forgive me." But he doesn't flip back to just doing the trial — he still wants to save him, you know what I mean? He's got to just hurry the proceedings up, get through the f--king thing, and stick to his script.

That definitely is also when I feel like we get into that silhouetted, mirage version of the trial. I think that's when we're in full-blown POV bulls--t of how it actually went.

[local-lamppost]

Act 2, Innitial thoughts, It's 4:30am

First of all: I really need to stop staying up late to binge this show...

SO!

Overall I feel a little bit of everything except happiness. It was all rather confusing and chaotic, which I think was meant to go along with the mess that the natural world is currently in, but is more likely a pacing issue. Act 1 could be quick in some places, but this act had far more 'trust me, happened off screen' moments and I'm not a fan.

Aside from that I liked it, my issue of pacing stems from me wanting to see more of these characters. Some were punished by pacing more than others. Viktor was fine, it was perfect A to B from where we left him to where we pick up; unlike Vi and Cait reconciliation.

Vi and Cait need a proper chat. I think Cait disagreed with Ambessa's plan of attack and would have found a way to disrupt things even without finding Vi. Cait's rage has simmered down it seems(still bringing up potential harm to innocents), her focus back on Jinx instead of the Undercity, so it makes sense for her to go against an assault on a peaceful settlement. Her finding Vi was just an added advantage.

The two of them haven't buried the hatchet. Vi must have something to say about what Vi has turned both cities into, and Cait has to acknowledge what her actions have done to her home and the woman she loves. I'm hoping them working together now is just a patch job for the bigger problem to be fixed in Act 3.

Vi and Jinx were adorable. I love that Jinx knew that Vi was pit fighting from the start, keeping an eye on her not out of care but just in case (maybe to get herself some money too, since she was betting on her sister) and that she immediately went to Vi after discovering Vander. The two of them felt like sister for the first time since season 1 act 1. Even their fight was less actively trying to hurt each other and more sibling brawl. It did work to show just how much of a mess Vi is, as she had trouble dealing with Jinx-who even on shimmer should be no physical match for Vi. I think Isha helped as a kind of filter between them, along with Vander. Jinx and Vi had to rely on each other for the first time ever, not even when Jinx was Powder did Vi rely on her. I think seeing Jinx older sister Isha put something into place for Vi. She sees that Jinx can love and care, and that give Vi hope.

And Isha... Isha who became a mirror of Powder, an off shoot of Powder that blows up an off shoot of Vander.

Non verbal characters in animation are always fun to watch because it gives the animators full control. Every gesture and expression has to add to something because there isn't any dialog to assist. A way to progress the story and give a character character through expression alone, and they knocked it outta the park.

Isha dying her hair, playing the monster game, drawing fake smoke tattoos, etc, all to imitate Jinx is adorable. I also love how she isn't just a tag along, but actively pushes Jinx into doing something to the point Jinx thinks she's in cahoots with Sevika. It's foolish to hope she lives, but god do I hope Isha lived.

Viktor is interesting. He is so unbothered by everything, with only the faintest sense of self remaining. I still think Sky is just figment of the Hexcore/Arcane, an avatar for him to play off of. His determination to help others at the cost of himself is that last strand that connects him to humanity, it's his hope and empathy.

And that's what Jayce kills, not the Arcane. There is not doubt in my mind the Herald survived, but Viktor is gone.

I know people are giving Jayce a lot of flack, but I'm holding out on learning what he experienced in his days/weeks spent inside the Arcane. It seemed to tear at his psyche, leaving him with the sole goal to destroy it's spread; and who was spreading it faster than Viktor?

We have yet to see Heimerdinger and Ekko return from the other side so, here's to act 3.

Confirmation on what Singed has been doing.

Lastly, Warwick. I loved the perspective shots with him, I loved his design and voice, and I love Vander. I did not realize just how much I've missed him.

The flashbacks with him, Silco and Felicia (Vi and Jinx's mom) were so bittersweet. Blister's a brimstone, what could've beens, and the promise of the future through children. The song and art for the sequence too was just heartbreaking; not to mention that Vander named Violet. It also seems to be confirmed that toddler Vi would hang out at the Last Drop with her folks, Vander, and Silco which is adorable.

I'm honestly not sure if Isha's attack will kill him, cause quite a bit of damage certainly, but he's been shown to regenerate quickly and from deadly attacks.

[flymmsy]

I might be wrong but did Gortash only torture women? Just thinking that I don't remember there being any man brain in a jar. Must be because of his mom but his father is not innocent either. Very typical to only blame the woman.. Why do I still love him? Like it does not even matter in the end, cause I am so smitten with him.

Actually when thinking about it, the whole dead 3 (kethric not so much, I think?) is a bit misogynistic, very clear with how they treat Orin. Sarevok calling her murders "girly" and that durge did proper murder unlike her, like ok...

We definitely have some evidence in game of Gortash threatening men, and you could argue that The Emperor was tortured by him, but yes - the number of women he tortures is much larger. And, as you said, all of the brains are women - which is definitely pointed.

I agree it’s connected to his mother and I find his relationships with his parents endlessly fascinating - the fact that he seems to torture his father less is 🤯

However I will pause here because it is important to say that it does matter. Violence against women is a very huge problem in our world. We all love Gortash here but it’s important to also understand everything he represents. His existence as a fictional character is the reason we can focus on other things, but we should never wave it away or say it doesn’t matter.

I’m also saying this because BG3 has a wide age range of fans. It’ll come as no surprise to anyone reading this that when I was younger, with the affinity for characters I love, I really could have benefited from someone who made it explicitly clear that you need to accept the terrible parts of an evil character, even if you don’t focus on them. The effect of *you* as a real person ignoring these traits *can* harm you beyond whatever form of media you’re engaging with - in the real world.

TLDR: Yes Gortash is disproportionately violent against women as opposed to men and let’s be sure to acknowledge that. And, if you ever see a man exhibit any degree or inkling of violence against women in real life, run in the other direction so fast.

P.S. - My first playthrough I was actually excited to see Sarevok and thought how cool and then the second he called Orin’s actions girly was the exact second I knew he needed to die.

[raisedbythetv89]

I hate all of this “well he was Buffy’s first love!” talk when discussing how much pain and devastation Angel caused in Buffy’s life as if for women our first loves MUST be horrible and painful always???? As if it was unavoidable anyway so let’s not be too critical of him.

First off, HE LITERALLY WASNT EVEN HER FIRST LOVE

The show acknowledges what happens in the movie so canonically what happened in the movie happened to tv show Buffy INCLUDING HER RELATIONSHIP. ANGEL WAS NOT HER FIRST LOVE.

Angel was just the first guy who stalked and targeted Buffy when she was at her most vulnerable and continued to constantly lie and manipulate her for his own selfish gains only to toss her aside once she no longer served her original purpose while continuing to lead her on and show up in her life every time she tried to move on and THAT is why it was so painful!!!

STOP NORMALIZING THE PAIN CAUSED BY ABUSE AND MANIPULATION AS THE SAME THING AS REGULAR HEARTBREAK IN NORMAL RELATIONSHIPS.

I did not have a good childhood, my parents had a horrible divorce when I was 7 and I had never seen a healthy relationship modeled IN MY LIFE - AND YET - my first serious relationship when I was 16 while it definitely had it problems like all young love does (his friends didn’t like how much time he spent with me and his mom both hated me for “taking her son away” but also loved me because she wanted a daughter so badly but only had sons - she was insane lol and we were both teenagers who made stupid teenager mistakes) he was with me for 3 1/2 years and absolutely would have married me if that was what I had wanted.

He would sneak out to see me when I was sad despite his strict parents, always bought me lunch because I would eat what I was sent to school with by 10 AM because I was STARVING because I had an almond mom who never fed either of us enough. Would happily listen to me rant about the twilight books as I read them during that whole phase, WROTE ME A SONG for my birthday (he was actually a talented musician and works as a sound engineer and music producer now) and basically just spent every second he could either with me or talking to me when we were apart. He loved taking me on dates and writing me love notes and we just laughed all the time. He was my best friend as well as my boyfriend and ending that relationship because I had outgrown him was SO PAINFUL because he loved me so much and even during the break up - which I handled HORRIBLY - he was kind and even gave me the birthday present he had bought me because he wanted me to have it even though it was still months away. (I say all of this to try and just show first loves CAN be more than just pain and devastation and if it isn’t making you happy a minimum 80% of the time and you instead just feel sad and confused THAT IS NOT NORMAL AND YOU DESERVE BETTER 🩷)

I know good experiences are not the case for everyone when it comes to first relationships and that’s awful and is not fair because young love SHOULD be innocent and naive. Just two idiots in love who have no clue what they’re doing but just happy to be around each other no matter what they’re doing (like what willow got to experience with Oz in high school) and Angel robbed Buffy of those experiences. He broke her trust of other people and in love and her trust in HERSELF - that’s not her “first love” that’s her first abusive relationship and calling it “her first love” or worse “her soulmate” only serves the patriarchy and harms little girls everywhere who grow up not knowing to look for or expect better because everyone around them and society is telling them “your first experiences with love and sex will be awful and painful and there’s no escaping it” when that is just NOT TRUE at all, especially if you date someone age appropriate in high school. Angel is the first older “man” she dated and like all older men with high school girls do, he took advantage of that imbalance in power in literally every way possible and I will despise that whiney little bitch until the end of time for that and wish he would have just stayed trapped in that hell dimension until the end of time as it is what he deserves.

“True love” doesn’t require severe pain and tears for it to be deep or meaningful. Don’t believe the lies terrible men like jw and so many others feed us.

[puppiekit]

To celebrate my Lion au post, here are some notes / hcs:

Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf all have arcs that tackle different themes throughout the arc.

Jayfeathers arc tackles the prophecy-oriented side of things. His character changes the least. I do plan to tweak the way time travel works though (it will be more directly connected to their present - day tribe). Will keep up to date in that regard....

Hollyleafs character is, obviously, altered to an extent. She tackles the code-oriented side of things. She does not murder Ashfur, however..:

Hollyleaf is still driven mad by the truth of her heritage. She is angry at Leafpool first and foremost, viewing her as the root of their problem, as Leafpool was the one to break the code by having kits in the first place. She still confesses the truth at the gathering. She does not run into the tunnels, instead, somewhere more far off.....

After Ashfur is murdered, Lionblaze, wracked with guilt, confesses the crime to his siblings. Hollyleaf, blinded by her code-obsessed rage, later exposes the truth of what happened. Brambleclaw covers for him, similar to how Bramble covered Holly in the books.

Lionblazes character is altered the most (no surprise there). Lionblaze tackles the family-oriented side of things. He is very close to his parents, and you can see most of their drama / conflict through his perspective.

Lionblaze is a character who is simultaneously well-meaning, impulsive, and a bit self-focused. Similar to his grandfather he cares greatly for doing the right thing, even if it means breaking the code (much to Holly's disdain). However, what differs the two is Lionblazes hyper-awareness over his own reputation. Firestar is a cat who will do the right thing, no matter the slack he gets for it, no matter the enemies he makes. But Lionblaze is a cat who needs to be liked.

Due to the nature of his power, Lionblaze becomes increasingly insecure and hyper-aware of the cats around him (he views it as an inherent flaw ; a reason for cats NOT to like him). After his run-in with the Dark forest, he grows paranoid of accidentally harming / killing innocent cats. Frequent nightmares. Battle training sometimes induces panic. Bad habit of bringing home half-shredded prey. He wants to be a good cat, he wants to protect his clan and his family -- but his power only leaves him feeling like a monster. A ticking time bomb. All he's good for is doing the most damage possible, and that's scary to him.

Lions dynamic with Ashfur is expanded upon A LOT MORE. Now, in my au their dynamic is a bit of a mixed bag. They have their bad moments, days where Ashfurs resentment seeps through, but its not all bad. If you know the kind, you know -- The type of adult who will yell at you for a simple mistake, beat you down, but then 10 minutes later praise you and take you out for dinner as a treat. Its complex, it's hard to accept it for the toxicity it truly is, because "They're good sometimes, too". Lionblaze acknowledges that Ashfur was mean, but the attachment is still there. They had their good, genuine moments -- so it's hard to accept the fact that his mentor is a horrible person. Could it be? Could the mentor who told him funny stories about his parents, truly hate them that much? He can remember a time Ashfur peered down at him, smiled and said, "You know, Lionpaw, you're kind of like a son to me." In the moment he felt warm, it felt good. Did Ashfur really care for him that much? Now that same memory sends chills rippling through his fur.

Speaking of, Lionblaze is definitely the most attached of the three. He's incredibly close with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. When the truth is revealed, he is easily left the most (emotionally) devastated -- but he is also the first to forgive. He feels hurt, angry, betrayed, but he cannot deny the love he feels for his family, and he cannot deny the love they gave to him. It breaks his heart keeping his distance, seeing the hurt in his mothers eyes while he avoids their presence. He can't keep it up for long. Jayfeather, on the other hand, cant bring himself to forgive as quickly. He is a cat who has difficulty accepting vulnerability - he trusted his family, and that trust was betrayed. (Lion definitely has a bad habit of getting involved in his parents arguments later on lol hes emotionally invested)

The big change: Lionblaze kills Ashfur. You would think he does it out of anger, out of hatred, but no... He does it to keep his family safe. He can't let the secret get out. He can't allow Ashfur the opportunity to harm his littermates, his mother, again. Killing him was the only way, and yet, it leaves him with too much grief and guilt to bare. His entire life he shuddered at the idea of another cat dying at his claws. He was a monster, too strong for his own good, and killing would be nothing more than proof of that. It isn't long before it becomes too much to bare, and he confesses to his littermates. The grief, most of all, is what catches him by surprise. Ashfur was awful, he tried to kill Lionblaze and his littermates! It was wrong to feel this grief, wasn't it? But it isnt long before Lion realizes he wasnt grieving over Ashfur - he was grieving over who he thought Ashfur was; not only his mentor, but a tom who cared for him, despite the short attitude. Not only is his heritage, his upbringing a lie - but so is the very nature of his entire apprenticeship. It is a lot for him to handle.

[deathbxnny]

hiii :)) can i request hi3rd men (kalpas,kosma,kevin,su) with a child/young teen!herrscher reader?

basically they got captured by fire moth but they still have humanity in them, so they are not dangerous unlike the other PE herscherrs

make it platonic thank tyouu

-----♡

A/N: Hello Anon! I love this idea so much, so thank you for the great request!<33

Content: Fluff, angst if you squint, platonic, fatherly relationships, child Herrscher reader, mentions of battle, kinda unserious at times, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns!

((Not fully proofread))

-----♡

》Kosma

When Kosma was assigned to taking care of you, he couldn't help but sigh softly. He already had a little sister to take care of... and now he also had to deal with a young Herrscher child too? He didn't know what to do with you at first, yet decided to not treat you any different than he treated Griseo. Even if he was still distant, until he began warming up to you.

He was able to easily see past you being a Herrscher, mainly because it was obvious that you were still human deep down and were practically harmless. He sometimes even forgets, that you're a Herrscher because of it. He just sees no reason to treat you any differently than a child, even with you being a supposed "monster", that you were obviously not.

Despite everything however, he still keeps you out of trouble at all times and often keeps you close to Griseo, so that he can keep an eye on you two. He may not talk or interact with you much, but you can still tell that he does care about you alot. Griseo does too, in her own way.

-----♡

》Kalpas

Whoever decided to assign you to him, must've really not liked you. And he didn't either, at first at least. He made it very much known too, until he made you cry. He panicked, not knowing what to do, before he just patted your head a little harshly and told you to knock it off and that he didn't mean it... kinda.

Since he's now stuck with you, he at first tries to avoid you, only watching you from afar for a while with a grumpy expression, until he concluded that you were indeed not dangerous, which confused him a little. But alas, it also made him quite curious, despite his initial annoyance, which made him eventually warm up to you a little.

In other words, he sees potential in you becoming stronger and therefore trains with you often, so that he can strengthen your abilities as a Herrscher. This actually makes you two bond alot quicker and proves even further, that you aren't evil. Perhaps you weren't all that bad... not that he'd ever tell you that.

-----♡

》Kevin Kaslana

Kevin was sceptical about you at first and even nearly decided to get rid of you himself... until he noticed that you were very much harmless. You had the humanity that Herrschers usually lacked and that made him immediately find interest in you. Though, mostly only for selfish reasons at first.

He only ever saw you as a weapon for the organisation, until he eventually began seeing you nearly like an actual child, the more time he spent with you. It was hard not to, when you looked and acted like one.

It may seem like he doesn't care about you, but he does, just not in an obvious or direct way. He takes care of everything you may need or gives you anything you want. He claimed it was to keep you calm and obedient for the organisation. But it was really just because he couldn't help but feel satisfied and warm, when he saw your innocent eyes gleam with joy, everytime he gave you something nice.

-----♡

》Su

He just immideatly accepts you into the organisation and makes sure to make you feel as welcomes as he can. He completely overlooks the fact that you're a Herrscher, mainly because he already knows you're harmless. He's calm and patient with you and doesn't mind, if it takes you a while to adjust to everything.

He acknowledges, that you're just a child and therefore treats you as one. He keeps you out of harms way and provides you with everything you may need. Ofcourse, he still keeps an eye on you, just in case your abilities get out of control. But he'll help you with those too eventually.

Su will also makes sure, that the organisation doesn't use you for anything dangerous and that you're always close to him. He becomes quite protective and gentle with you overtime and perhaps even sees you as his little sibling or child. Either way, you're in good hands with him.

-----♡

A/N: I hope this is okay! Thank you again for the request!<33

[needle-noggins]

Volume 7 destroyed me. Part 1 of whatever this analysis is. Lots of talk about childhood trauma. Vash is such a complex character so if there are inconsistencies in my logic here, help me.

So in Volume 7, we get some pretty heavy flashbacks to Vash and Knives' shared trauma of discovering Tesla, and it's juxtaposed with Vash meeting up with Knives in the ark, contrasting then and now. Highlighting how they've changed and developed in response to their shared trauma - which is to say, in opposite ways. And not necessarily just due to their personalities. In fact, I would say that Knives is more sensitive, sweet, and trusting pre-Tesla. Vash is a bit more aloof, although still a good kid.

Also, here's the lily.

White flowers are a common Japanese symbol for death/grief and are primarily used in funerals. Lilies can symbolize purity and innocence (don't quote me on this one though). Rem must have put that flower there and kept it alive. She does say that she opposed the experimentation and regrets Tesla's suffering and death, but this drives the point home in a way that also highlights Rem's character and her love for flowers (which, tbh, seems more of a Tristamp thing I think? Regardless, I hope the next season of Stampede has more Tesla flashbacks with the white lily. That would be a nice nod to the manga).

Back to Tesla trauma. God, it makes me sick. The cold, detached way in which she's described as the "subject" hits home for me because I have to write like that for a living working in healthcare. It's commonplace and required, but man, it's terrifying reading it and understanding that there's 0 compassion in there. Medical ethics (or lack thereof) are my kryptonite. It gets me every time.

To make things worse, it's gory in it's own sterile way. Tesla's body is contained in nice little tanks, but if you look into those tanks... oof. She's riddled with tumors, organs are near-indistinguishable, and her small little child legs make it all the more horrifying. That's a child. With a detached, tiny baby angel arm in another tank. It may be important to note that this is reminiscent of Vash's angel arm (it's the right arm) but also it's the arm that's detached (well, both of Tesla's are, but this one was likely removed first and by Dr. Conrad and the team). Foreshadowing, in a weird way? And Tesla's entire brain is in another tank, with her eye. At what point did this happen? Was she still conscious for that? I want to scream.

Vash is not handling this well. He's the first to cry out about the differences between plants and humans. Also, the composition of that last panel here is incredible - the emotion is palpable. And the eyes?? Eyes of all the humans, watching them as they sleep in the ship, waiting to pounch, or Tesla's eyes, watching from the tank, casting judgement down? Either way, it's evocative. Poor baby Vash. He is so so angry and so scared.

Knives, meanwhile, shatters so badly that he blocks it out and/or represses it without showing a single emotion - as a defense mechanism. This certainly seems more like a Vash-style response, right?

Do remember that these boys are twins. Despite all their differences that have baked in as adults now, they were much more similar as kids. The specific circumstances in their experience immediately post-Tesla then shape them for the rest of their lives and cause the rift between them that we see today (in the same volume, no less). It's nothing but pure tragedy.

Which then brings us to the next scene - Vash, even at such a young age, is already showing tendencies of self-harm and suicidal ideation. He's refusing to eat, wasting away. He'd rather die than live long enough to become another experiment, to be subjected to that torture. There is no safe place for him in this world of humans, and Knives is refusing to acknowledge it (he's literally asleep during this; we love an avoidant king - jk but i'm handshaking w/ Knives; relatable). Rem, bless her, tries to treat Vash to some freshly-cut fruit (also a symbol of familial love in Japan - acts of service and all) but ya know, she forgets the cardinal rule when handling someone who is suicidal - don't let them have access to sharp objects. No knives for you, Vash.

BIG MOM MOMENT. Rem grabs the sharp edge of the blade and lets it cut her to prevent Vash from harming himself. She may not have birthed these boys, but damn if she isn't their mother in every other way. (also, quick point - generational trauma - Rem's grief over Alex's death becomes Vash's grief over Rem's death? I don't have good formed thoughts on this yet).

UGH. The flip side of Rem's blank ticket philosophy - the future is blank, so why throw the present away? There's always, always hope. Isn't that just the overarching message of Trigun?

This is obviously a formative moment for Vash. He never forgets this lesson.

Caveat to this, Vash is still a very self-destructive character as an adult, verging on suicidal without being outrightly so. He has let this moment shape his character, but he still others himself in that he believes this philosophy doesn't apply to him, an Independent. Vash has said before that there's no hope for him, he wishes he had never been born, and he's only really alive to destroy Knives and finish what they started. That's uh, Not Good... what will make Vash want to finally live? (*shhhhh, spoilers!*) Anyway, Vash applies this lesson to Wolfwood in Wolfwood's weakest moment. Vash sees himself in Wolfwood in the "Shoot" moment, no doubt, he sees his fear and anger, even if it's a bit of a different flavor. Wolfwood is simultaneously suicidal in that moment and has this twisted logic of, If Vash can kill me he can kill anyone; this will help him and i'm willing to die for that cause.

Someone tell me their thoughts on this parallel. I kinda just want to scream incoherently about it. That's all I got.

Anyway.

It takes some extra learning in this moment before Vash can figure his shit out. He takes the situation from bad to worse - he's still angry at humans for his pain, still terrified. He's so angry that he stabs Rem - his mother figure, the only person other than Knives that he's ever known and trusted - and instantly regrets it, terrified that he'll lose her (before his worst fears are later realized, and he does and it's his fault, again).

It's like, you know, the feeling when you hurt your sibling because you're so fucking mad at them, but the moment they're actually hurt, you're instantly filled with fear and regret? (THIS WILL COME INTO PLAY LATER TOO I PROMISE.)

I can imagine it's 10 times worse with a parent.

And Knives is asleep! For all of this! I think the one big takeaway with the twins is that Vash has always been the more outwardly emotional one, and Knives has always been more sensitive but withdrawn. Vash expresses his anger outwardly, getting it out quickly, even if it's very destructive in the moment. But this moment teaches him to do otherwise - he sees the result of his anger, and he's terrified out of doing anything to cause harm ever again. Vash tries to kill Rem! Vash, who now wouldn't hurt a soul, even if he wants to! He's terrified of the consequences, and with the added idolization of Rem's memory... yeah. So as an adult, Vash turns away from "flight" and into "fawn" as his main trauma response. He just wants to make things right and he's willing to break a hundred times for it so no one else has to get hurt. (he's also very much a "flight" still, but ya know)

Knives sits back, represses, plots until his emotions have twisted beyond recognition and his resulting actions are a hundred times more irrational and fucked up. Very much "fight". And it's even more terrifying, actually.

When Knives wakes up, he's calm. He's collected. He says he doesn't remember what happened. He's plotting to doom the whole SEEDS project. He's going to kill them all, and he's not showing a single emotion until he's gleefully realized his plan is working. That's horrifying.

I think this is where I'll stop for now. I'm not a therapist or psychiatrist or expert in trauma in any way and this post is quickly running away from me and into a psychoanalysis of the twins, which I just don't feel equipped to do here, never mind have the right words for. But at least this can get a conversation started.

[burr-ell]

🤍, 🖤?

🤍: Which character is not as morally bad as everyone else seems to think?

So this is gonna seem contradictory to my reblog of blorb's post; this is not intended to be read as a counter to it, but as a complement: Percy.

If I'm being honest, one of the things that kinda bothers me about C1 group fanart is when I see everyone else in the party at their fully developed state, like with their Vestiges and powerups and everything, and then Percy's out here...with Orthax. Whom he expelled from himself with a natural 20 wisdom save, for the record, in episode 35. He spent more time without Orthax than with him!

It is objectively true that Percy invented the gun knowing what harm it could do but did it anyway. He once permanently maimed an innocent boy because he wasn't giving the answers he wanted. He gave Grog a cursed sword and didn't tell anyone because he didn't want it to be his responsibility and he thought Grog could handle it. It is also objectively true that he expressed doubts about what he was doing even during the Briarwood arc and admitted he was scared of who he was becoming and outright asked the group to stop him if they thought they should. He publicly apologized to Desmond and admitted his wrong and assured him recompense in both money and job security. He participated in a resurrection ritual for a child he didn't know who got caught in the crossfire of a battle. He fought to provide the people of Westruun a safe haven in their city, while still encouraging people to leave if they wished, because he wanted to honor the fact that what they had built there was important to them.

I think Percy is one of those characters that people view as either a silly little Human Disaster™ or as Vox Machina's Token Evil Teammate (the audience who projected onto him as the Facts and Logic guy seems to have dissipated after it became clear that he was. very much not doing that), and neither of those things are true. When Laura remarked that she looked at Percy and said "I can fix him", it was very clearly a joke, but I think people take that seriously and think Vex is the only reason he's not Lawful Evil or something. (Taliesin once said that without Vex's influence Percy could potentially have turned out Lawful Good—Laura's reaction was "eugh".) Percy didn't believe he could EVER be worthy of Vex and never once intended to act on his feelings; the change in him between episodes 35 and 68 was because he personally chose to be better, over and over again—even through several instances of him having Fucked Up Big Time—for its own sake. His forgiveness of Ripley is what inspired Vex, and I don't think people acknowledge that enough.

🖤: Which character is not as morally good as everyone else seems to think?

I kind of alluded to this in the ship question but to be clear at the outset, I think Vax is a good person*, but I also think his flaws tend to be overlooked. He gets Soft Boy'd a lot, and while I don't think characters who operate on emotion are bad or stupid by default (my favorite superhero is Starfire), I think fandom tends to assume people who operate on emotion are good by default. Vax does a lot of reckless things that he's repeatedly called out for by everyone in the group, and he generally lets it roll off him because his metric for success is "but did you die". He saw a kid that he thought needed some tough love, and his first response was "bludgeon him over the back of the head and instantly knock him unconscious". He ran into a trap that nearly got Cassandra killed and never once apologized to her. He ran after Raishan and attacked, an action that actually did get Vex and Scanlan killed, and not only did he never apologize to them, he openly said in front of them that he didn't regret doing it (after being rightfully angry with Percy for getting Vex killed and having seen some proof that Scanlan might not be doing great!).

Like, to be clear, again, none of those things make him a bad person; I think overall he's a good person, and I think they're good character choices!* What I'm saying is that he has some genuine rough edges to him, and I think a lot of that gets ignored or sanded down in fanon to make him "the nice twin" or a perfect YA Hero love interest for a Keyleth who is being projected onto, and that simply isn't the character Liam played.

*I wouldn't normally put in that kind of good-person caveat—I don't think the end-all be-all is whether or not a fictional character is a good person—but a) this is a question about morality and b) some folks are weird about Liam.

unpopular opinions asks

[mocharoll]

(Ominis/GN!Reader) The Fools

An Ode to Young Love and Recovery

Summary: Two years post-game. Your final year at Hogwarts calls for early celebrations at the Three Broomsticks as you continue to struggle with your past. Only, you're slowly starting to learn that it is not enough for you to try and bury your memories, but to nurture them instead so one day they can become trees.

Rating: Mature (Implied sexual content, aged up characters)

Content: Angst, romance, humour, (self-)acceptance, trauma recovery, insights on growing up, raging hormones of young adults, a lot of fluff and a lot of love.

No real spoilers for the end of the game and spoilers for Sebastian's questline.

Link to the series: The Gaunt Who Loved

—

It was a mild September's evening, with the molten gold hues of the sky getting even warmer as the sun stretched over the horizon and across the evergreen hills surrounding Hogsmeade. Despite summer having ended some time ago, nature was showing no signs of grogginess so far. It's as if the Sun had not yet realised that it was indeed autumn, and missed the memo that he was supposed to be going to sleep earlier. Maybe today he wanted to watch all the ruckus that was going on, down there in the Three Broomsticks, for just a while longer. You approach the lively pub with a soft smile and tranquil spirits, having arrived a bit earlier to have a private celebration with your partner.

You are about to begin your last year in Hogwarts. It has been two years since you embarked on your fateful journey and your life took a rather jagged turn, going so rapidly in-between ups and downs that on a graph it must resemble overused scratch paper. Since all you've been through with your friends in foiling Ranrok and Rookwood's plans, the rest of your time has been quite relaxed and uneventful, at least by Hogwarts standards, so much so that one might suspect it to be early retirement.

When your fifth year had come to an end, Sebastian and Ominis were at an impass. Not only due to their strained relationship and their hesitance in approaching the other in fear of overstepping their boundaries, which was especially true for Sebastian, who did most offense albeit meaning no actual harm, but also due to Anne's refusal to have anything to do with her twin immediately after the incident. All of a sudden the boys didn't have anywhere to go. As such, it was only fair that you and your family opened your doors to your first ever friends in Hogwarts, who welcomed you with open arms when you were expecting a cold welcome as a relative outsider. Your parents, who were incredibly glad to not having to be scared witless for the the safety of their only child, who was miles away from them and in constant danger, did not hesitate for a single second to accept the fold into their home. Your friends were ever so grateful to be given the opportunity to heal and reconnect in a place where they didn't need to constantly be on their guard. Even so, everything that has happened in your fifth year seemed like a memory that couldn't stay in the past where it belonged. With every year that passed, the more randomly the remnants of all that has transpired resurfaced from your collective memory, and at unpredictable intervals.

"A year ago today I nearly became dragon kibble," said with mock indignance, petting the family cat that had just gotten used to the presence of more than three people being present at once in the house.

"Can't believe we all managed to get dragged into all sorts of trouble soon after we met you," said fondly with a twinge of melancholy, listening intently for any cues of positive or negative reactions, yet finding only melancholy palpably reflected back at him. Melancholy for what, nobody really knew. Loss of innocence? Although none of you had the innocence of what was expected in a typical teenager. The acknowledgement of lost innocence, perhaps.

"It's been two years since Solomon died," said abruptly, the monotonous tone betraying deep and persistent hurt, only a few minutes after you all had been laughing about Garreth's antics at Potions class. It had felt like someone poured a bucket of ice water over your head, freezing you with the same paralysing dread as when you realised what had happened. That Solomon had died in his sleep, peacefully.

You wince at the memories and all the lies you've had to tell in order to cover up those memories, albeit to little success. Your eyes instinctively close shut, yet it barely stops the part of your brain that is still terrified yet intent on replaying all that has happened, nor is it effective in distracting you from the faint prickling at the base of your skull that has been reoccurring in short bursts ever since you were hit by the Cruciatus curse, like a muted cascade of static electricity.

It's been getting better, you reassure yourself, because you don't yet know what to make of the other alternative, which is that you've only gotten used to the sensation. Of course, your friends have been of tremendous help as you healed, both physically and mentally, and for a while they were the one grounding factor that kept you sane. That is, after they knew how they could effectively help you better when you finally relented and told them you needed their help. You are forever grateful for them; for their support, patience and compassion. It is then you became aware of how incredibly lucky you were to be surrounded by so much positivity and tenderness. Perhaps you needed to survive such a calamity to realise how loved you really are.

"Are you intent on standing there any longer?" You hear a familiar voice ring out behind you, the musical lilts brimming with amusement. "If so, please be so kind to step aside so at least one of us can enjoy the butterbeer that you had proposed we get." You can't help but smile to yourself and at the warmth spreading out from the centre of your chest, which promptly dispels the remaining dark clouds behind your eyes. Normally it takes way more effort for anyone, let alone you, to pull you out from the eye of a storm like this, but that's just the effect this guy always had on you; the kind that passes through your defences as gently as the foam of sea waves caress the farthest edges of the sand. His influence over you has never alarmed you, and frankly you allowed for it, because you are well aware that the disgust he misplaces in himself due to his family's reputation and how utterly wary he is of his capacity to hurt others makes him that much more careful not to betray the trust of those he cares about. Hence you've never hidden your positive reactions from him when he's around, even before you were together, because your trust in him helped him build trust in himself.

With that, your eyes flutter open, your otherwise heavy eyelids showing no resistance, and you blink rapidly to clear the remaining fog to see the reflection on the door. Surely enough, you see none other than Ominis standing behind you, wand resting at his side, his bemused expression otherwise displaying calm patience.

"Hey, you!" You sigh in relief.

"Hey." He lifts his gaze from the ground and brings it up towards the direction of your voice, smiling warmly. He lifts his other arm slightly and curves his hand inwards, beckoning you to come closer.

You don't need to be asked twice. You step into his space in practiced confidence that still gives you butterflies and wrap your arms underneath his, your head landing right underneath his jaw as he wraps around you. Ominis didn't use to be too big on hugs, mostly because they startled him if a verbal warning wasn't given beforehand and, well, he's not used to the gesture all that much. Or rather he wasn't, because your inclination for showing affection through physical contact, which he found endearingly tolerable at first, became something he greatly enjoyed and eventually gladly initiated. You swear every time you tuck your head in the crook of his neck you can feel how tall he's gotten since the last time you hugged, especially considering the first time around you were almost the same height! Each hug feels a little different than the last, although the reason for that is completely unrelated to height.

After a few blissful seconds, or more (you can't really tell at this point), you lean your head back a tiny bit to look at him. Despite the mature sharpness of the lines of his face and the slight hollowness of his cheeks that was a temporary side effect of growth spurts, you could still see the softness in his features and in his unfocused eyes that were somehow able to see all of you at once. He is getting more handsome with each passing month and you'd be lying if you didn't enjoy making him blush with your attestations of just how attractive he is. As for you, while your height was guaranteed to remain the same by now, the excess fat right below your cheekbones that you irately tugged at in your early adolescence got smoothed out, just like your mother had assured, and the bridge of your nose that you inherited from your father started to get more prominent, which he had jokingly forewarned you against when you were a kid. He made light of it by telling you that you'll be able to smell things a lot better, yet given your experiences around noxious and pungent materials that were an inherent reality of the 'authentic Hogwarts experience', you don't see how that could possibly be a good thing. Nevertheless, you were glad to be growing and accepted the changes your body was going through as best you could. Besides, the way Ominis was holding you already made you feel like you were the most gorgeous thing ever.

"How did you know it was me?" Your voice is reduced to little more than a whisper.

He opens his eyes, their corners crinkling at your sudden discretion. "I was right behind you, you know." He says matter of factly, also whispering. "I recognised your footsteps."

You chuckle softly, sliding your arm out from under his, and run your fingers through his hair. "Figured as much."

"Mhm." He arches into your touch and hums lowly, grazing his nose against your cheek with a smirk he doesn't care to hide anymore. He leans in closer, his soft breaths making your skin feel hot red. That is your cue to face him, and Ominis gladly meets your lips in the middle. You stand there for a moment, entwined in each other, swaying gently with the early autumn's wind that feels like cool lemonade, and when you finally deepen the kiss you feel him inhale sharply, his brows furrowing with intense focus. His grip on your robe gets tighter as he pulls you closer until you're flush against his body and you feel him pressing tightly against your thigh.

Ever since the incident, Ominis and Sebastian have been trying their best to mend their strained relationship, and Sebastian had been focusing on reconciling with Anne in order to make up for precious time lost after he had ironically neglected her in pursuit of cheating death for her. As such, you and Ominis ended up spending more and more time together, making up for time spent chasing after Sebastian and not around each other. After getting over the shock of the revelation that you like liked each other after your admissions of mutual affection, you started to get closer and closer. The playful glances became tentative touches, and those became bold caresses as you got older and grew more comfortable around each other. And now, it just so happened that he was pinning you against a wall.

The muffled buzzing of the bar is almost completely snuffed out as your senses centre around him and nothing else, until you barely notice that you're backed against the wall and your kisses have started to get urgent and desperate. And then Ominis breaks away from the kiss, pressing his forehead against yours as he grounds himself and tries his best to calm himself. His eyes stayed closed, like opening them would mean losing the clarity of you. You gasp at the sudden loss, swollen lips gaping pathetically. You feel dizzy, intoxicated, even, and it doesn't help that his face is only a few inches from you, yet you silently hold onto him while you wait for your head to stop spinning. He's drawing this out and you know it. A part of you appreciates it, despite it being positively excruciating.

Once you've both caught your breaths, it doesn't take long for the position you're both in to finally dawn on you, and how the steps of incoming and departing patrons seem to falter, pause, then continue hurriedly in the opposite direction as you. You thought you could even hear the cheer of a particularly tipsy patron that sounded old enough for you to avoid eye contact at all costs lest you see him in class someday. A jolt of panic shoots up your spine when you feel Ominis trembling and you worriedly turn back to check on him, but you see that his shoulders are simply shaking in silent laughter. His face is scrunched up in equal amounts of delight and embarrassment, and also the reddest you've ever seen it. It's not long until you join him as well, cupping his cheek and chuckling uncontrollably. Your laughter eventually goes up the wrong airway and turns into a massive snort, which prompts Ominis to practically start wheezing.

"Okay, okay!" You plead after you feel tears collect at the corner of your eyes. "Please. I'm about to pee myself."

Ominis can only manage to bury his face into your shoulder, shaking his head as if to convey that his efforts to stop are ultimately for naught. You are left to pat the top of his head and fix his once carefully groomed hair as you look up and wipe the tears from your eyes. This is one of the things you love most about yourself. That you can find, pluck, and bring joy wherever you go. You've found that people bloom in your presence, that your friends are not only motivated to reach their potential in terms of academic success, but in being the best they could be. The most passionately impulsive guy you've known realised he could find the peace he was desperately searching simply by slowing down and enjoying the time he has with his loved ones. The reserved guy who exercised unprecedented self-control over himself to the point of neurosis is a bubbly laughing mess in your arms.

I turned out okay after all. You smile to yourself, closing your eyes peacefully and burying your nose in Ominis' hair. Ominis, who has significantly calmed down by now, peppers your neck with kisses in return of your gesture.

"That was nice," he mutters elatedly.

"It was," you brush your thumb across his cheek, "...and we can do it again, later."

He nods and turns his head, planting a quick kiss on your thumb before standing straight, hands searching for misplaced or fuzzy strands in your hair. He finds plenty, so he starts to gently comb them out with his fingers. You also fix his tieless collar and realign his dark grey vest, and run your hands through his hair one last time to ensure it looks close to how neat it look before your make out session ruined it. He doesn't seem to mind it in the slightest.

"Perhaps not outside of the single most crowded pub in town, yes?" Ominis raises a teasing brow.

"Indeed. You're ravishing, by the way."

Ominis brows shoot up at that, almost to comical proportions, but he recovers quickly enough. He instinctively checks the collars of his shirt and smooths the front of his vest.

"You don't think the vest is a bit too much?"

"I think it's perfect. And you left out the tie so it looks relaxed enough. You look like you're just here to get a drink."

Ominis nods, satisfied. "That is my intention." He tilts his head, smiling. "And you're absolutely breathtaking."

You chuckle, shrugging with quasi-modesty. "I try."

His smile turns cheeky as he traces the side of your neck with his fingers. "Really? I didn't notice."

You sigh incredulously, shoulders raising so dramatically that it makes Ominis smirk. "Shut up before I back us up into a corner again. And this time we're not stopping."

His expression shifts at that and his hand halts at the base of your jaw. "Who said I will stop?"

"Don't, please." You say without a trace of your bratiness earlier, voice thick with desire and desparation.

Ominis freezes at your tone, his jaw tensing up as he takes a few deep breaths. You realise he's doing his utmost best to not pounce on you right there.

"Later," he manages, extricating himself from you with sheer willpower. He retrieves his wand from his pocket and mutters something as he sways it gently, seemingly fixing the appearance of his trousers.

"Later." You agree, peering into the pub momentarily. "There's a lot of people."

"I noticed. It's alright." Ominis clears his throat, looking somewhat sheepish over his apparent loss of control, but later on when he recalled this moment and your initial reaction, he would think back to it with great pride. He extends his free hand. "Shall we head inside?"

You happily take his hand, swaying them gently before resting them at your side. "Right this way, then." You step forward to open the door and a cacophony of rowdy chatter and trills of laughter bursts out in a giant tide, hitting you straight in the face like the heat of an oven when you first open its door. It's as if you turning the handle was but only a simple catalyst for this vibrant eruption, and you feel giddy at the sensation. You look over at Ominis and see that his brows are slightly furrowed due to the sudden loudness, but is too basking under the warmth. By now the Sun had already started to give in to fatigue, and blinked at the people of Hogsmeade one last time before setting to meet with them the next morning as he so promised to the Earth at the dawn of the universe. You step inside right after Ominis, tapping your feet against the magical rug that gladly gobbles up the dirt from your weary shoes.

It's not going to be the easiest job in the world; moving forward, reconciling with your restless memories, your occasional sleepless nights and your survivor's guilt. But it is going to be easier than it otherwise could have been, with your loved ones at your side. You will just have to remind and allow yourself to take it one day at a time, not only because that's the right thing to do given the traumatic circumstances you have faced at such a young age, but because that's the only thing you can do. Step slowly but surely into the future, staying together, acknowledging the importance of your combined strength to overcome whatever difficulties you might face from the past and beyond. Perhaps that is all you really need.

Ominis slips his fingers between yours, brushing his thumb over your knuckle, as if he could tell that you had gone elsewhere and wanted to remind you that he was there for you. You squeeze his hand in return.

I'm back. I'm back and I know you're here and I couldn't be happier to have you.

The tenseness in his brows completely dissipates as his expression lights up and he blinks softly at you with great affection. Sometimes you really wonder if he can hear your thoughts, or whether your boyfriend is actually a cat. You chuckle at your thoughts and nod at him, tugging your hand in the same rhythm to say you're ready to move. Ominis smiles and moves ahead as you slip inside into the centre with him, the door shutting gently behind you.

[songsofbloodandwater]

RE: people online talking about how Mercury Retrograde affects them negatively or urging others to do protection work because of this and that eclipse or trine or conjunction or stellar event of your choice. May I bring a different perspective to the table?

I haven't personally felt any negative repercussions. I have felt pressure and shifts here and there, but I wouldn't call that negative or malevolent. I actually only felt a surge of energy recently and, in fact, even did a money working on the day of the last eclipse!

Put down the pitchforks, I am a witch but I'm not senseless. I simply don't see any stellar events as inherently beneficial or malevolent. I find that reductive. Movements, conjunctions, eclipses, anything about the luminaries... is all part of the wider spirit ecosystem and part something else. Part warning and part lesson, and part opportunities that you're invited to take... or resist. It all becomes subjective when you take into consideration who these events are affecting and what the person is doing in relation to that.

You wouldn't call a wildfire inherently malevolent, yet it is destructive. It's simply nature finding it's way. It is an important part of many ecosystems ensuring fertility of the land and the correct sprouting of those seeds that need warmth and ash to grow. Same thing with those considered "malevolent" stars... they're wildfires or, given the current placement of certain Luminaries that seem to worry some of you so much, perhaps you can see them more as floods. A big flood. Where you can learn to go with the current or try to go against it and keep doing whatever it was you were doing before the flood happened.

So, forgive my ecologist brain for having no better way to explain this but see, if you're a very dry soil acclimated plant with no tolerance for salty marshgrounds, you'll obviously see this spring tide as malevolent. You could even argue that the sea is out to kill you, and you're a poor little innocent land plant. Evil Ocean. But other species thrive in the intertidal. I'm having the time of my life.

Assess your current situation, in all that is material and mundane and also in all spiritual fronts, consider what Spirits (up among the Stars, or related to them) may be working with you or against you, and how. You'll likely find more allies than enemies. That by itself is a reassurance, and you'll do good staying by their side until your "problems" are solved. Reorganize and restructure your plans accordingly, with the help of these allies. That could look like protection, yes, but hiding away in a little magic bunker isn't the one solution to everything that presents a challenge to you, or that could potentially be harmful to you and yours either. Sometimes it means walking away until the tide is gone instead of burying yourself in the sand. Sometimes it means learning to swim.

Sometimes it means an orca could get a taste of mouse for the first time. Or Moose, or God Forbid! even a Wolf! Who would've thought. What a great opportunity for the otherwise unthinkable to happen. What a sweet reminder that these are things that not only do happen, but happen more often than we think, and acknowledging it could serve us...

Yes, orcas have been known to eat moose occasionally. Get with the program. Terrestrial mammals prey on sea life all the time, why wouldn't we turn the tide? (very bad pun intended)

The "Cunning" part of witchcraft people talk so often about is exactly that, not letting anything step on you, instead use it as a stepping stone. Do you want to be the plant, the moose or the orca?

I don't think any particular stellar events demand doing more protection work from me than any other regular time. You should always have protective measures around your loved ones. But specifically to those practicing magic in any way? Protection wouldn't be my first thought. Put those shifts to good use. Don't just aim to leave unscathed. That's not doing you or yours any favor.

One of my favorite astrologers made a post a while back saying "The stars impel but do not compel". I wholeheartedly agree and I believe specially us, as magical practitioners, should be able to rise above these events. Whatever that means to you and your spirits.

[dearmahiru-archive]

"how can you support mahiru? her partner killed themselves because of her—"

kazui mukuhara your days are numbered

you know, when kazui's trial drops i expect the same vitriolic disgust for being the cause of his wife's suicide because i've never seen anyone bash him for it, much less claim he was an abuser (i'm sure he has been but it's likely not to degree of mahiru). that's because kazui isn't abusive, and claiming he isn't one doesn't mean erasing the strife hanako must've endured their relationship either.

Love + Fate = Crap Crush and bye Disgusting playing house + disguise + fake Devotion-love, lame, cheating Let's make it victim and assailant

mahiru and her boyfriend's relationship does not have to be strictly be abuser/victim because it's not. they are both bluebirds suffocating within a small birdcage, they are both feeding eachother cake, they are both riding the carousel, and they are both damaged within the forest. the only difference between them is that her boyfriend broke first.

"abusive" is a loaded term which implies mahiru had the intentions of hurting her boyfriend which we know isn't the case. out of two mvs not once is mahiru depicted knowingly harming her partner. if this was actually the case then all of their symbolism wouldn't paint them as equals and mahiru wouldn't say they have "matching pain."

We fought sometimes, I was happy to get hurt Let's have matching pain, this sickness is pretty bad

This is a claim of responsibility From the two of us with matching love Wanting to know everything about you, but wanting to die because it can't come true It's all because of love

acknowledging how mahiru also suffered doesn't mean shifting the blame onto her boyfriend either. it's shouldn't be a binary of "mahiru is an evil abusive stalker and her boyfriend's an innocent victim" or "mahiru did everything right and her boyfriend is the abusive one!"

Yamanaka: "This can be said about all of Milgram, but I want to make it so that your interpretation of it changes depending on your standpoint, thinking processes, and ways of life. I pay great attention to avoid writing the story in a way that depicts something as absolute good or absolute bad, or one thing is right and the other is wrong. I want the story to elicit a different opinion from you when you revisit it as you get older."

(sorry for stealing the quote from your recent post @honeyfizzly ily please forgive me)

just like kazui and hanako, mahiru and her boyfriend are just messy people who hurt one another. if you wish for mahiru to recieve a comeuppance for her actions then so be it but most of the reasons i've been given have a shaky foundation.