#assuming hes telling the truth which i think in this aspect he is

[freakinator]

ros says that she believes that ppl can get respect through both fearful (by having everyone fear her) and loving (by embodying their own hope) means but she feels as though shes been forced into going down the fearful path cause of how everyone treats her

pili then says that this is why he doesnt think he and ros can ever get along cause they have such fundamentally different mentalities cause he thinks fear is the only way to get ppl to respect others and that you cant fix the unfixable

ros tthen reasons that you dont need to fix someone to be friends with them and that nobody has the right to fix others just that if they were nice then they could get along and points out how pangi and pili get aling (also someone else but i didnt hear)

pili then says that pangi respects him cause he knows that he cant beat him and they get along well cause of that, ros then points out how clown is nice and how pili is comfortable with him and pili says he just has a weird obsession with him

pili then says that being nice means that you get stepped on and ros points out that pili saying that implies that he thinks ros is weak which she doesnt think is fair and asked who shes let step on her and pili says he doesnt know

ros then points out the kingdom and how theyre so locked in cause of her kindness, pili then says that hes more of a loner and ros asks wouldnt he wabt to be part of something

pili then says that ros hasnt been gone through what hes been through and that hes cursed with misfortune, ros then says that hes sorry to pili but points out how shes surrounded by death as well but in a different way, pili then says that its different cause ros is still here but all it takes is a creeper

ros then says that pili should start thinking of the present and that pili should start valuing his comrades instead of thinking things like "if flame dies tomorrow im cursed" as an example, pili then reasons that thats the exact reason that he distanced himself from pangi cause he doesnt want him to die

ros then says that if pili needs to kill then the whole realm can help him but pili reasons that the keepers of the realm wouldnt allow it, that foolish was the first and last given death he can have

ros theb says that if pili just opened up to the others on the realm then they could help him, pili then says that he doesnt look for payment wheb hes being helpful, ros then told pili about how happy flame was when pili helped him and pili says he just did that cause he wanted to hang out with flame

ros then tries to relate to pili by saying how she feels useless and pili then says that everyone has their own strengths and intelligences and gives him helping sausage as an example, that his building is equivalent to pilis killing and that building is what makes ros ros and that hes not calling ros weak its just that her strength lies somewhere else

ros then says that even after this conversation whatever hapoens will happen and pili agrees and that hes so excited for clown to kill him and ros asks him why hes so excited and pili excitedly says why wouldnt he, clown is the best fighter and hes gonna get beat and hes gonna get humbled and experience ego death

pili then says that its not cause hes a clown fan, its cause he just loves getting humbled and will always fight the strongest player on any server hes in and ros asks hypothetically what would happen if she was the best pvper on the server and pili replied that he would have to go after her

ros then asks pili why hes been targetting her and pili replies that its cause he was just looking for a way to provoke clown, ros then asks if thats really it that he was just targetting her cause of clown and pili replies theres actually more than that and ros asks for a percentage which is

50% cause of the day 1 bullying

20% cause he was bored

20% cause of clown

10% cause she was just there

ros said okay after each percentage and pili noted that ros sounded offended when he said that he killed her cause of boredom and pili says that he just has a different definition of fun from her and that he knows its messed up and pili says yes

ros theb asked if hes been through therapy and that theres a thing in therapy where the patient reasons out why he wants to kill ppl and asks what he would do if someone killed pangi and he said he would get revenge, ros then asks about bad doing it and pili thinks that thats exactly what bad wants cause of bads actions and that all he wants is his little telenovelas and tells her about bad insinuating that he has a crush on someone cause he made the mistake of saying hes interested in someone and ros asks if thats why bad said that ros should take pili out on a date and pili said yes and expanded on what happened

ros then says that pili desires closeness with someone and that he feels strong emotions amd that he also inspires strong emotions in her (mainly anger and the like) but that while he wants to inspire fear and destruction she wants to inspire hope and protection and that she dislikes pili insinuating shes weak and thats why she keeps retaliating against pili and pili says he didnt even notice that and ros said thats exactly what she meant and pili apologizes then says that he can be too honest or too much of a liar, pili then says to not try to understand him cause of that but ros says that she does understand him

ros tthen says that if theyre gonna continue their rivalry to wait for a week while she continues building the castle which pili was upset about cause he cant wait to get killed and ros says he should make the most of the week and that he should fix things

pili then says that whatever happens in the week is exactly what he wanted and to not worry about him, ros then says that theyll make it a fun thung but also maybe that he shouldnt be killed cause hes on his last life and pili tells her not to worry about it and that they can just kill him if they wanted

ros then kills some mobs and says that death is everywhere and pili says that death doesnt matter until its someone close to you and ros says that pili has done a good job in that respect cause none of the ppl close to him have died yet and pili agrees saying that pangi hasnt died yet then told to ros to be careful about pangi cause hes gone unstable cause of something pili caused

they tthen say their goodbyes and pili says that he cant wait to hate on ros tomorrow and ros remarks on that and pili says that its a good thing cause their rivalry pushes them to their best like batman and joker from the lego series and ros agrees and that shes gonna watch it

they then say their goodbyes fr

[just-trying-to-fangirl-in-peace]

Old wounds (Sauron x fem!Elf!reader)

-> in which you guard Celebrimbor to make sure he finishes the Nine, and he makes the mistake of underestimating the bond you and your husband share

Warnings: evil!reader, some lines about reader being captive and Sauron being tortured in the past, her family being killed, touching of wounds, making out in front of the poor guy you’re keeping prisoner

Note: same reader as the one in Jealousy and Reveal, but works on its own too. Also, I’m no expert in the lore, the aspects regarding reader’s past/powers are just what’s convenient for the fic.

“After all the time I spent watching you work,” you say, leaning against the table, “you truly think I can’t tell when you’re stalling?”

Celebrimbor looks up at you, fingers faltering in their movements with one of the unfinished Nine. It’s terribly unfair, of course—berating him for his slow pace when he is being made to work with a shackle around his wrist, a battle being waged outside and the threat of your husband’s wrath ever looming above his head. Still, you know his patterns, and this isn’t fatigue or nervousness. It’s a misguided attempt at gathering his thoughts, thinking he might stand a better chance at escaping now, while Sauron himself isn’t in the room. Underestimating you.

“This work requires precision,” he says, begrudgingly.

“Celebrimbor...” You tilt your head, speaking in the same manner as a mother scolding a child. “This is not precision. This is lack of care—for your people, whose only hope for salvation is that you do as you were asked and deliver the last of the Rings.”

Your voice sharpens by the end. Celebrimbor swallows thickly, casting his eyes back down to his work in defeat. His focus seems renewed as he tinkers with the Ring, and, satisfied, you head to the balcony to watch the battle unfold.

But then he speaks again.

“You said...”

He stops unsurely when you turn back towards him. It’s irritating that his focus is on you instead of the work, but he begins speaking again before you can complain.

“You said that while you dwelled in my kingdom, awaiting your... husband’s return, under the guise of a mere smith... it hurt your pride to obey my orders.” He pauses, weaving a trace of defiance in his tone. “Yet you seem perfectly content obeying his.”

You know better than to fall prey to the silent challenge in his words. Still, there is a tick in your jaw you can’t suppress at the implication.

“I obey no one,” you say firmly. “My husband and I share in our toils, the same as we will share in the reward.”

Celebrimbor gives you a sorrowful smile.

“That is what I believed as well,” he says quietly. “What Mirdania must have believed. As countless others must have before. Once he has no more use of you, he will cast you aside—and the rewards of your labour shall be his alone.”

He is so sure of his words. He looks at you as though he’s doing you a kindness, as if you need his warning as much as he would have needed one before.

Anger grips your heart. A sudden gust of wind enters the room, blowing out the candle closest to you.

“Do not speak,” you say, cold as the chill suddenly in the air, “of what you do not know.”

Celebrimbor shudders. Most likely he had meant to insist, but your reaction and the darkness in your gaze are enough to quiet him once more, at least for the moment. As he returns to work, the fire within you lessens, melting into a dull ache.

Of course he would assume such a thing. That you are nothing more than another pawn in the Dark Lord’s design, to be moved about as he pleases and discarded in a heartbeat. He doesn’t know the truth. How could he? No one does.

Suddenly, you’re moved to speak.

“When we bound ourselves to one another in marriage, part of my love’s power and might became my own,” you tell him. Your voice is soft, the complete opposite of how venomous it was only a moment ago. Celebrimbor turns to you hesitantly, though he remains looking at you.

“But even before he shared this gift with me, I was not without my own,” you say, proudly. “I was a great healer, you see. With a touch of my fingertips, bones mended, sickness faded, terrible wounds healed... Some said even hearts.” You chuckle faintly. “I don’t know about that.”

For a moment, there is a flicker of light in your eyes, but it dies as quickly as it appears.

“But I know it was for this gift that Morgoth kept me alive once he had slayed my kin. For this, he kept me. For he wished to torment his own to his heart’s desire without leaving them too weakened to serve him after. Without the need to stop. And there was one he loved to torment above all. The mighty Sauron, Morgoth’s fearsome lieutenant, who struck unspeakable horror into the hearts of his enemies...” You close your eyes, voice dropping to a whisper still trembling with the terror of those days. “His screams of anguish were so loud and terrible, they felt like blades in my ears.”

Tears fall silently from your eyes as you open them, meeting Celebrimbor’s gaze.

“And when silence finally came,” you speak slowly, moving closer to him. “I was brought to his side...”

Celebrimbor shifts in his seat as you come to stand near him.

“I kneeled by his bloodied, mangled form...”

You sit down in the chair next to Celebrimbor’s, voice little more than a whisper as you lean in uncomfortably close to him.

“And as he writhed and moaned in agony... I touched his skin...”

Celebrimbor flinches as your fingertips find a cut on his temple.

“And caressed his wounds...”

You trace the cut with eerie gentleness, watching as blood gathers at your fingertips and Celebrimbor shudders beneath your gaze.

“And took his pain...”

More tears slide down your cheeks as you look straight through the alarmed Celebrimbor, lost in another time.

“And I put him back together... piece by piece.”

Your eyes return to Celebrimbor then, suddenly regaining clarity.

“Only for Morgoth to take him apart again. And again. And again. To punish... or perfect. Who could tell?”

To his visible relief, your hand leaves his face and you pull away, eyes drifting to the Rings lined before him and you.

“I know not how long it lasted,” you go on. “But with time, I realized that he and I—we were not right and wrong, or light and dark. We were both of us slaves. And in that place of bleak despair—”

“A bond was forged,” Sauron speaks—as you and Celebrimbor turn to see he has silently joined you. Your breath catches in your throat as his eyes meet yours and he speaks the words on your tongue, “...stronger than any that ever was or ever will be.”

Your chest aches unbearably as emotion overcomes you. You long to run into his arms, but at the same time you can barely move. However long time passes, the memories take their toll.

Thankfully, your husband comes to you. You look up at him with tear-filled eyes as he lays one hand on your shoulder, the other cupping your cheek with utmost tenderness. Your eyes fall shut, and you lean into his touch, and finally, you can breathe easy.

“Your people’s fate depends on the fruits of your labour, Celebrimbor,” your husband says, frowning deeply as he takes in your state. “How is it then that you still find the time to upset my wife?”

“My most sincere apologies,” Celebrimbor says flatly.

“I have no need of your apologies.” Sauron fixes him with a sharp look. “Only of your Rings. I thought they would be finished by now.”

“I was a bit of a distraction,” you admit, some of your teasing nature returning to you. Your husband’s gaze softens as he turns it to you.

“When are you not?”

You smile then, pressing a quick kiss to the palm of his hand before you stand and will your tears to vanish from your cheeks. Moving with grace, Sauron pulls your chair a little further away from the table and Celebrimbor, and takes the seat himself. He knows you too well to believe your mood has brightened in the blink of an eye, not when the past is as painful a memory to him as well. He tugs at your hand, and you’re all too happy to take his invitation and settle comfortably in his lap.

For a moment, you are alone in the world. You hold each other’s gaze as you put your arm around his neck and he wraps his around your waist, holding you close to him. He takes your hand reverently, bringing it to his mouth to place a most gentle kiss to your knuckles. He murmurs an endearment in Black Speech, so sweet even the foul-sounding language wraps beautifully around the words, and your eyes fall shut in bliss, forehead resting against his.

Your company is completely forgotten as peace returns to you in the arms of your love. That is, until you hear something clatter and Celebrimbor mutters a soft curse. Even then, you don’t even bother to look.

“A most glorious sight we may be together,” Sauron tells him, cruelly casual, “but I must insist that you concentrate on the work.”

You pull back slightly, opening your eyes. At the periphery of your vision, a very flustered Celebrimbor recovers the Ring he had dropped and returns to work—this time, you think, for good.

“Pay us no mind,” you tell the smith breathily, consumed by your husband’s piercing gaze. You touch his cheek, marveling for the millionth time at the perfection beneath your fingertips, and press your lips to his, melting into a deep, languid kiss.

Celebrimbor is wise enough not to disturb you again.

Previous fic with same reader -> Theatrics

Next fic with same reader -> Kill and make up

[ripplestitchskein]

This is one of my favorite moments from the episode. Like from an art point of view the expression and body language is so on point. If you watch this sequence without sound it tells the story just as effectively as the dialogue, so kudos to them. A+ animation.

However, I’ve seen a few people say it doesn’t make sense for Stolas to react like this because he overheard Stella plotting to kill him. Which, I think that scene was more to highlight Stolas’s obliviousness in general more than him knowing she was trying to kill him? But that’s a separate post. This moment though has very little to do with Stolas’s worry over his personal safety or even the assassination attempt itself. He is not reacting to the reveal that Blitz didn’t warn him about an assassin from a place of “I could have prepared myself better with a warning and known what Stella was plotting earlier”.

He’s reacting to it from a place of “Someone tried to kill me and you didn’t care enough about me to even mention it”. The episode is about how Stolas is interpreting and “learning” that Blitz was showing him all along he didn’t care about him, that Blitz just does this to people, that Stolas is NOT special he’s just another in a crowd of people Blitz fucked and fucked off.

That they conveyed so well how crushing this must have been, to learn the person you love and care for not only knew months ahead of that someone was trying to kill you but you factored so little into their thoughts they just FORGOT to tell you? How he realized that he meant so little in the scheme of Blitz’s life that Blitz couldn’t even be bothered to mention it?

So yeah this isn’t a mistake, this isn’t the writers forgetting Stolas already knew, the issue here is not about the assassination at all, it’s about how Stolas is now interpreting this as “Someone tried to end my life and I meant so little to you I didn’t even warrant a heads up about it”. Like, not to be dramatic but Blitz just basically confessed that he didn’t care about Stolas’s existence at all.

We know it’s because of how Blitz sees Stolas as this untouchable immortal figure on high, but Stolas doesn’t see himself that way. He’s very clear he doesn’t recognize his own power and position.

It goes even deeper than that devastating line of thought though. It casts the whole “Am I in danger?” aspect of Western Energy into a whole different light. We interpret it as him not really believing he is in trouble, just mildly inconvenienced and wanting Blitz to play hero for his romantic fantasies. He is kidnapped by someone he recognizes as being a friend of Blitz’s, he calls him to clarify it, Blitz is then “I can’t save you today, my daughter has a thing”. During this point in the conversation Stolas has no idea Striker is sent to assassinate him persay, he thinks he’s just been kidnapped by a friend of Blitz’s. But Blitz DOES know Striker tried to kill Stolas in the past and is a credible threat. In this scene in Apology Tour Stolas finds out that Blitz knew that from the beginning, that he knew that and still couldn’t be bothered to come and was dismissive of it. That’s what Stolas saw anyway. He didn’t see Blitz driving crazy and turning around. He didn’t see his face of worry or regret. So the only information Stolas has now is “I called you telling you I was kidnapped by a man you knew tried to kill me and you said you were too busy. You knew how dangerous he was and you didn’t even care about me enough to help me.”

I’m sure it was a lot easier to deal with and excuse Blitz not being there and being busy when he assumed Blitzø didn’t know he was in real danger, now Stolas knows the truth. Blitz knew the person he identified as having kidnapped him had tried to murder him in the past and it still wasn’t enough to stir Blitz to save him.

Like that’s so fucking crushing? And important. Like critical really.

Like do the Stolas math of “Let me add up the evidence to interpret his feelings” and in addition to all the times he sneered or turned away add in “He knew a person who kidnapped me had already attempted murder and still didn’t give a shit”.

We know that’s not the whole story, that Blitz was worried and did turn around but Stolas doesn’t. This is the whole pattern of their entire relationship. He never sees when Blitz turns around in any context. He looks at Blitz and SEES him, is rebuffed by Blitz turning away and so Stolas looks away and just as he does Blitz turns back to him. It makes me want to claw my face off. This isn’t about the assassination at all, this is about them missing each other yet again.

In my head I think of it like a trapeze act. They each take the swing, they are flying through the air but they aren’t paying attention, they look away and miss the grab and both are plummeting to the ground.

[dduane]

I just read the part where Kirk experiences the Enterprise's point of view in The Wounded Sky to someone else, where she sees the crew as children she is training up to the Great Desire of exploration for exploration's sake, especially Jim. His reaction, essentially: "That was really pretty. ....And then he blows her up."

I hadn't thought about that before! I checked the copyright date, and it looks like The Wounded Sky came out a year before The Search for Spock, so you were writing without knowing that sacrifice would eventually happen.

How did you feel about that? Do you wish that writing decision had been made differently? (If, as a Trek writer, you're allowed to comment on other Trek writers' choices!)

You know, I tend not to think a whole lot about such issues. First of all, because (in the long run) it gets you nowhere in particular that's useful. And secondly, because it's not a thing that, as a Trek writer in any medium except film, you have the slightest power to change.

Now, at this end of time I think we can safely say that no one's going to hire me on to write a Trek film. And also that no one at that end of the creative spectrum is going to pay the slightest attention to anything I say, either. Both of those situations are just What's So, and neither of them bothers me. (Since I have universes of my own to manage at the moment, and that's where my attention properly lies.) So as regards my opinions about other writers' work, I'm pretty much off the hook.

If I had been on screenwriting duty for that film, would there be things I'd have wanted to do differently? Hell yeah. From the premise up. But the important thing here is: would those things necessarily have worked better on the screen / with the audience? Impossible to tell. And speaking as someone repeatedly given permission to work in someone's universe, the main thing to be aware of is the expectation that your chief responsibility is to do what best serves the characters and the IP of which they're part. (There's a post over at Out of Ambit with a lot more of my thoughts on the subject:)

The other thing to remember is that, though I've worn the Canonical Hat in my time, novel work is by definition non-canonical. Doing it, you are at all times working with the understanding that the licensor rarely views your work as anything better than a corporate side hustle—a way for the IP to make some cash on the side—and will ignore you and the stuff you've created unless given pressing reasons to do otherwise. (Such as when they might make some unexpected money off it... at which point you remind yourself as forcibly as necessary that what you did is Work For Hire; they own it, lock, stock and barrel, and you should not realistically expect to be given any credit.)

And, if you understand the rules and enjoy the work enough, all of this is okay. The reward is not in making a lot of money doing it, or even in having aspects of your work openly assumed into canon. The reward lies in being allowed to contribute to a given universe in public (and, yeah, getting paid for it by the licensor). It's not payback: it's payforward. And you're left an astonishing amount of freedom to bring your vision to that universe. (Sometimes... as one colleague has McCoy say... you have to be "very, very careful" to get away with it. But it can be done.)

The truth is that even in the 1980s, I was sharing this level of playing-in-a-universe with a goodish cohort of editors and writers: a big roomful at least. Now I'm sharing it (retroactively speaking) with hundreds of them. With the best will in the world, even in the 80's the licensors (as regarded film) couldn't have realistically polled/listened to all of us regarding our creative opinions about the screenplay end of things. As for what that'd look like nowadays... I'll leave you to your own deductions. 😏

Anyway, thanks for the question. It's always nice to know that there are people who want to know what you think. 😊

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Just noticed something cool.

This is yuyu's account, and she was in charge of the storyboard for Y6.

And those:

Are Yuki Nakazawa's fanarts. It's fanwork. But she worked on the official content.

The last one makes the set not so innocent. Why? It was published before Y6. So it's not exactly a spoiler but we have some people with media literacy in the link click fandom. This? Not rocket science. As flashy as the dead wife trope, if you ask me.

We'll talk about the set as a whole.

Before I get into it, Yuki Nakazawa also published another fanart which, in retrospect, was an actual easter egg: "And Then There Were None"

This being established, we can assume there is something hidden there. Still, keep in mind that those are, once again, fanarts. It isn't going to stop me from noticing things. I recommend you look at each picture closely before you read any further.

First clue, which is solved: Vein is dead. Or pretending to be, probably. There are clear allusions of him leaving.

A word stands out: CAMFLAGUE. Twice actually: once on the poster and a second time on the magazine cover, concealed by Xia Fei's silhouette. This word? Not a word? it sounds a lot like CAMOUFLAGE though. Or so google keeps correcting me lmao.

which is an interesting word to hide in plain sight when you notice there are also two attempts at disguising Xia Fei as Vein: the coat and the glasses.

CAMFLAGUE is a made up 9 letters word. The Chinese tended to view life diametrically. So when a change occurred in one aspect of life, that change was a result of a change in its opposite. Therefore, as a symbol of extremity, "9" in Chinese Culture is also a warning, a turning point. In ancient Chinese Classic Yijing, or the "Book of Changes", wherever number "9" appears, it is a crucial point of change and transformation. FELIX also contains the number IX.

There is a glint to Xia Fei's left earring, a ring, and to Vein's necklace, a moon. First, earrings symbolize beauty and strength in Vaishnavism while in Hinduism, earrings symbolize elegance, strength, and identity, serving as integral ceremonial adornments, embodying transformation and the sacred nature of beauty in various narratives. Second, in tarot reading, The Moon is a card of illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Much to think about.

One object stands out in the bloody artwork of Vein: the blue and white Vase. Qinghua is traditional Chinese porcelain, painted in cobalt blue glaze on white porcelain. It's an art working on negative spaces. There are different patterns used for this technique, and lotus is one of them. I'm no expert in pottery, though there is obvious meaning lost in translation, as I love to tag it. However, the lotus is important motif, I can tell you that much. Mostly because of its relationship to Buddhism. Buddhism symbolism in Link Click is highly related to Vein's character (I made a long ass meta about this, go check it out if you have time to waste), specifically in term of "luck" and "enlightment".

Lastly, the artwork with Vein and the vase also show figurines of the characters in YINGDU. While a mini Lu Guang seems to be crying over a fallen Cheng Xiaoshi, Liu Xiao is looking right at Vein who is pointing at Xia Fei. It could mean many things so I won't expand on this gesture for now but it's worth mentioning.

In conclusion, I'd say there is a strong possiblity that Xia Fei might take Vein's place as Cheng Xiaoshi's killer, for revenge. He is looking for the truth and when he's going to find out who killed Vein, or who orchestrated his demise, he's going to go after them. He seems to have a good lead on people with powers too. And since he's studying applied physics, he might look for ways to give himself powers, artificially.

Of course, the presence of Liu Xiao in the fanarts and in Xia Fei's life is important but, as always, the mystery around his character makes any theory kind of pointless?

Don't worry, I still have ideas!

His relationship with Xia Fei is important to what is to come in Link Click season 3, that much is obvious.

The PV shows Liu Xiao as Xia Fei's agent or something, while Vein is watching over him from a distance, through screens. We know there is some kind of partnership between them even before that, despite the canon fact Xia Fei strongly dislikes Liu Xiao for some reasons. I think Liu Xiao is taking care of him for his own interests, though.

In Buddhism, whispering in the ear symbolizes a confidential communication method, reflecting the importance of privacy and personal expression in decision-making processes. Of course, in the context of YINGDU, we know it means Xia Fei is giving information on Cheng XIaoshi and Lu Guang to Liu Xiao, but we still don't know to what end.

Additionally, I'm working on a meta about what could be Vein, Liu Xiao and Xia Fei's powers. Basically, it's related to the fourth wall and how Link Click is starting to break it more and more in merch and other media. This meta made me think of it and I can't wait to share the concept with you all. It's based on the three wise monkeys that embody the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". Coincidentally, I do think Xia Fei is the one who speaks no evil and Liu Xiao is the one who hears no evil.

I think Xia Fei is just like Cheng Xiaoshi, emotion driven, but he's also very intelligent and surprisingly perceptive: he doesn't like Liu Xiao, he doesn't like working with/for him, he doesn't buy his friendly act. However, I don't see any future when he doesn't get used by Liu Xiao in his evil plans. With Vein out of the picture and Xia Fei's new motivation, it might not be easy to see through manipulations.

Wait and see!

Okay, that's all for today!

[onlyvinegar]

once upon a time someone on /r posted a lengthy take on why Adrien was an amazing character. My response was an academical thesis

(yes I've made most of these points on here before, but never in the same post. consider this the omnibus edition)

Adrien is my favourite character and I absolutely, 100% agree that the salters have one very interesting way to read his character. The problem is, though: that is not entirely unfounded. They're intentionally taking the show in the worst possible meaning, but that is because the show, more often than I'd like, lays itself wide open for exactly those readings. That is all on the writers. As someone who loves these characters and also have media literacy, I can in fact tell what story the writers intended to tell. But as someone who has eyes and ears, I can also point out that a lot of the time, what comes across on screen has been considerably muddled thanks to careless writing choices that can be (and have been!) handwaved because "this is just for kids, you're not supposed to take it seriously".

Which on the one hand IS true, but when these same writers turn around and ask the audience to take OTHER parts of the story seriously, they create a fatal double message. Either we take ALL of it seriously, or none of it. Either Marinette's neurotic obsession with Adrien is a cartoony take on a teenage girl in love with a teen idol in front of her in class, or the show spent four and a half seasons making fun of her trauma symptoms as they make her invade Adrien's privacy to criminal lengths.

Adrien suffers disproportionately from the "don't think about it" and the more mean-spirited part of the audience doing the opposit and thinking A LOT about it.

And then of course there is the unfortunate fact that the writers have at this point all but gone on record to state that yeah, this story was never about Adrien as anything more than a plot device to fuel Marinette and Gabriel's final showdown. But assuming the author is dead and the text speaks for itself: what IS the show framing as Adrien's most relevant part in the story?

Certainly not the obvious answer of "taking down his abusive father". He never gets to confront his father in a meaningful manner, and ends the story comparing himself to the heroic ideal of the man who abused him. If the writers meant for his character growth arc to be tied to THAT, they undermined it completely the moment they decided that his ending was going to be his life re-written into a universe where his mother never died and his father, presumably, WAS in fact deserving of being remembered as a good father. (obligatory moment of how I'll never let the fandom forget that even at the point of the final scripts and storyboards, that was explicitly Emilie at the pool party) When the writers were ready to un-do all the bad experiences Adrien had overcome, it's clear that their original intention with this story wasn't a character journey based on his personal life and his overcoming his father.

Yeah yeah, "Representation", but please look at what in fact happens there: Adrien loses their confrontation, has to be rescued by a crowd of civilians, and though Gabriel was de-akumatised, he achieved his goal: Adrien back in the box with the bonus of Cat Noir taken off the battlefield because of his efforts. Moreover: for all that Adrien yells at his father here, his father doesn't know that it is his son complaining, and to Adrien's knowledge, he won't remember any of this after the battle anyway. It might appear as cathartic for the AUDIENCE who knows the full truth, but it certainly can't have been for Adrien, who leaves the altercation so scarred that he's incapable of doing the one thing he needed to: to stay at Ladybug's side.

Which brings us to the sentimonster backstory, which COULD have been an apt allegory for something if it had been planned from the start and consistently woven into every aspect of the story - but yeah, we know how that went. Adrien doesn't get to confront his existence as a magically engineered being programmmed to be "whatever his parents want him to be" and at this point, he can never confront his enslavers either: they're both dead, and Nathalie's involvement in that whole sordid story is clearly not meant to be seen as a problem in her new role in his life. (what's a little terrorism and murder and general supervillainy and participating his enslavement, between mother and son?) With Felix now being a Good Guy suddenly and Adrien holding his own amok, the story clearly thinks it has solved all problems arising from being a sentimonster. That, combined with the way it consistently refused to acknowledge the philosophical issues the existence of human sentimonsters raised, means that they never had any interest in making any thematic points about agency and self-determination, but only meant it to carry the plot mechanics driving a few scenes in a handful of episodes, and explain why Emilie is in the basement. Bonus for the way this completely undermines the emotional abuse depicted, since its symptoms are now attributed not to Gabriel having harmed Adrien with his cruelty, but to his having a magical remote control. When creating a sentimonster child is completely unproblematic (Emilie is a saint) and giving an amok order can in fact be a GOOD thing if it's done out of love, then the human sentimonster storyline is thematically meaningless.

And talking about child abuse (forgive me for exhuming the corpses): When Thomas Astruc doesn't consider Audrey Bourgeois abusive, we've set the standard. The writers have gone on record describing Gabriel as "one of the heroes", and Adrien's storyline, as such, was almost certainly not INTENDED to be about abuse, because the writers don't realise that Gabriel is an abuser. S5 ends with Gabriel not only WINNING, but briefly becoming God as his will re-creates the universe into his idea of perfection. Paris has become a utopia, Adrien can have a completely happy ending despite losing both parents in the span of a year. (I'm not going into the topic of how this show doesn't deal with Adrien's grief, merely point to the film and mention that one of two episodes which showed us Adrien being affected by losing his mother a year ago was written by Zag) The first step in leaving an abusive situation, is to acknowledge that there is abuse happening. S5 ends with Adrien being ACTIVELY DENIED THAT by every person left who loves him except for Nino, because they value Gabriel's legacy higher than they valued Adrien's right to make up his own mind about his father.

So if his story isn't that of an abused child leaving the abusive situation, is it about his acts as a hero, as his role as Ladybug's partner?

The S5 ending was clear that Adrien's role as a hero never was about being irreplacable as Ladybug's partner, but that had been obvious ever since the start of the season. S5 never rectifies the moral of "Kuro Neko" and "Risk"; Marinette never DOES take the time to share all those secrets with Cat Noir, but continues turning to Alya for advice and support. The only point where Ladybug and Cat Noir's working relationship is called into question post "Strike Back" was in "Evolution"; in the season that is about the build-up to their finally taking down their nemesis, the only evolution in Ladybug and Cat Noir's relationship is a negative. Marinette's crush on Cat Noir never affected their superhero partership and only existed so that "Kwami's Choice" could happen, and "Kwamis' Choice" made it amply clear that Ladybug and Cat Noir aren't in any way special, neither as individual heroes nor as partners. They left each other without goodbye and not one moment of regret, and the reason Scarabella and Kitty Noire were retired wasn't because they just couldn't do what Ladybug and Cat Noir could, but because they happened to be wearing the wrong tech. "Kuro Neko" WAS right, for all that it keeps contradicting itself left, right and centre: Cat Noir IS just another name of Ladybug's team roster, and when Ladybug can defeat their nemesis without him as long as she has his miraculous, the story has cemented that Adrien truly isn't needed in that capacity. Correspondingly, S5 also demotes Ladybug and all she represents (fighting supervillains, being free from his father's will) to a secondary concern for Adrien once he replaces her with Marinette (off screen. between two episodes. amazing). When he ends the season with three episodes despairing about how he can't tell Marinette that he is leaving while never once contemplating that maybe he should inform his SUPERHERO PARTNER RELYING ON HIS PRESENCE TO PROTECT PARIS FROM MONARCH, Ladybug and Cat Noir's partnership has truly been rendered irrelevant not only to the plot, but to the characters too.

So if isn't about what he can be for Ladybug, is it about how his powers change HIM as a person? Hardly. Though the NYC special heralded him questioning the gruesome potential of Plagg's miraculous, that never happened; the OPPOSITE did. Sure, he was upset about cataclysming Monarch, but that was never again as much as alluded to. Instead, Adrien actively started trying to cataclysm akumatised villains only AFTER he was forced into giving one to Monarch, which is… one hell of a weird way to take his character when he never is made to reflect on this. (yeah yeah "Representation", but that was about his fear of being akumatised, not about his attempted murder of Damocles and Kim) The only time they touched onto it was in the Paris special, but that hardly came across as a significant story point when the episode spends its entire emotional ammo on Claw Noir, whose pain as NOT the regret over his own violence. In fact, the Paris special indirectly suggests that Adrien's imprisonment to his father was in fact for his own good, since the Adrien who had freedom and a loving father turned into the supervillain his father here refused to be, with the cherry on top being how unlike Gabriel in our universe, Claw Noir is explicitly ready to commit murder himself.

The dichotomy between Cat Noir and Adrien Agreste is likewise unimportant: where it for the longest time seemed like Adrien would learn to let go of both Cat Noir's mask and Adrien Agreste's father-mandated image, "Kuro Neko" and the S5 adrinette arc instead insists that both of these are completely unproblematic. Particularly the latter is mind-bogglingly underwhelmning after the first four seasons repeatedly told us that Marinette's focus on Adrien's celebrity image was keeping her from truly seeing the boy in front of her, which S5 brushes off with a couple of lines from Luka because apparently, the Adrien Who Gabriel Dictates was never meant to be questioned after all? The lesson seems to be that Adrien doesn't need to stop pretending, because contrary to what some early episodes would have us think, he in fact DOESN'T repress parts of himself to conform to what his father wants him to be. That becomes pretty eugh with "Wishmaker" and its stated childhood dreams in mind; Adrien never WAS meant to escape the fate of his magical engineering, and Gabriel's idea of perfection never WAS meant to be seen as problematic.

So since his purpose in the story WASN'T the character arc as an abused child, WASN'T to be Ladybug's irreplacable partner, WASN'T a contemplation over the responsibility we all have to not destroy, but to use every power in our hands for the greater good of all, nor on the question of identity and how the masks we wear keep us apart from the people who need to see us, what remains is the one story role where he HAS proven to be irreplacable, and where he in fact ends his tale in S5:

To be Marinette's love interest. To be the gender-swapped representative of a harmful patriarchal trope where a woman's part in the story is to be an object fought over by other people. That's it. That was the point.

And it's one that makes me want to scream into a pillow because of HOW MUCH Adrien could have been, if the writers had been interested in letting any of those story theads come to fruition, rather than introduce them only to cut them short one after another.

[stfrancisofinfidelity]

thought i’d throw my hat in ring on opinions on frank’s addiction! i have a fondness for this man so ive been thinking abt this a lot lmao & apologizes if this doesn’t make any sense <3

so what we know from franks locker room crash out is that he was stealing patient medication (both pills and injections (i feel like people forget that one a lot, like that’s how santos caught on was cuz of the fucked up ativan(?) bottle)) because he was treating his withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines prescribed to him by his PCP (i think, or just some other doctor) because he fucked up his back helping his parents move. he was never high at work & he didn’t tell anyone because he didn’t want to get in trouble for simply having withdrawals from his own prescribed medication.

i take a lot of his little monologue as a half truth. we’ve seen multiple times that frank tries to control the narrative, he wants to be seen as right (“yeah, i usually am”) and has a hard time being seen as faulty, so i think he’s certainly spinning parts of this yarn to make himself look better (also he’s pleading for his job like… he’s not gonna admit a bunch of shit to his boss).

most of what i take as a half truth is his reason for why he’s stealing meds. frank seems to thrive in high stress environments where he can exert some level of control over the situation (ice baths, marathons, being a dad to 2 kids under 4, his job). however, there’s only so much u can do til everything starts crumbling around you. i think frank hurting his back was this tipping point.

first it starts to show in his home/social life. frank says that robby made fun of him for tweaking his back! i bet his wife also made comments about it when he couldn’t help out around the house as much, straining his relationship with her because she’s having to pick up his slack. he probably lost a bit of his social life if he couldn’t be as physically active anymore. then he gets his pain meds (if i had to guess, he prob got valium), prescribed by a doctor, that helped him regain this aspect of his life!

this turns into him panicking because if he needs these pills to not hurt, then if he gets off them, not only will his social life start to crumble, so will his job. he can’t do his job while he’s in pain, and if he can’t do his job, then everything is fucked. he can’t reconcile with his wife by getting her shit if he doesn’t have the money to pay for it, she’ll leave him, take the kids, and he’ll be broke and alone.

so he until he fixes his life, gets back under control, he needs to keep taking this medication.

i don’t think he was ever “high” at work. at least not in the way that people associate with the verbiage “high.” to add a bit of perspective, i struggled with abusing my pain meds (im much better now!! thank u therapy & marijuana) for a bit after being first prescribed them. i noticed that when i took them, even just a little bit, all the noise and stress of the day didn’t bother me that much. i could continue to do what i wanted (which was be at a very academically competitive high school) without feeling incredibly anxious. it’s not the same sort of high that weed gives u, esp with the low doses i was taking (& what i assume frank would also be doing).

frank may be doing a stupid thing, but he’s not stupid. he knows that he can take enough to not hurt and probably not feel as anxious, while also not dulling down his mind that much. so i think he def used while at work, but not enough to make him lethargic.

i do believe he was trying to wean himself off, but doing that alone is a recipe for disaster. i was able to do it because i had a therapist to help me, broski does not.

now i’m not a medical professional and i don’t have any relatives who are, so i can’t touch on him possibly getting in trouble for admitting to needing help. i think that was also a half truth. he doesn’t want help, once again, because he thinks he’s doing just fine without it.

essentially, i think he’s displacing responsibility in his mind. he can’t admit to having a problem because he doesn’t think he has one. he has control, why can’t robby see that? he was in control even when he was flipping shit at santos, he was in control when he was saving lives during the MCI. it’s not a problem if he thinks he has a handle on it.

[finniestoncrane]

FINNIE walk with me on this...so for the dirty talk prompts meme...

Maybe Two Face is being a bit down on himself because of his face (which is HANDSOME he deserves BETTER), and female plus size reader tries to cheer him up by saying 🧠.

Then maybe Two Face responds with 📢...

If that's cool 👀👀. 💙💙 You can put anything you want before/after/in between of course. I'm excited to see what you write!!!

Louder

Arkham!Two Face x Fem!Reader, word count: 850 back on my harvey bullshit i fear because having him call me a big beautiful girl has lived in my head rent free since i wrote it down 💙 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! ��� cw: big, fat, thick used for a plus size reader, smut, fucking, it's sort of mostly verbal fluff really if you think about it u-u

Harvey was consistently the dominant one in your relationship with him. Much the same as he portrayed himself in all other aspects of his life. Which is why it had surprised him so much when you exerted your own power, forcefully grabbing his chin to turn his gaze to you. As confident as he could seem, particularly when his crueller half was fronting, there was a lot he hadn't accepted yet, so much he hadn't come to terms with. So much that ate away at him.

Tiny words, gestures. Comments on how beautiful and soft you were, particularly in comparison to him, as he let his hands skirt over your curves and rolls, fingers sinking into the excess, plush skin as a lustful growl rolled through his throat. The way he would try to keep your eyes on the right side of his face, shirking away if you touched the left, or even looked deep into his permanently exposed eye.

The regret built up intsantly as what was left of his lips curled into a snarl. You waited patiently for his retort. Either a yell, an assertive growl, or an equally terrifying hushed reminder of who was in control. But instead, he had bent down into you, the snarl softening as his mouth met yours, tongue pressing between your lips and swirling round yours.

Bravely, you had lifted your hands to both of his cheeks, stroking them with the same gentleness, the same arousal, the same love you had for both parts of him. And you were rewarded with a frenzied undressing before he laid you down on his desk, papers pushed to the floor, and began fucking you.

Stifling the moans that were scratching at your throat, you bit your inner cheek. You couldn't tell who was just outside the office, and given how loud you thought you might get as Harvey pounded your aching cunt, you assumed people on the streets below might be able to hear you too.

In a rather forceful move, highlighting that your efforts in boosting his confidence had started to bring him back to his normal self, he grabbed your soft chin, letting it rest in his palm as he held your rounded cheeks firmly between his thumb and fingers.

"Louder. I want everyone to know how good I am."

No longer concerned about embarrassing him, about someone overhearing and blowing your supposed cover, you let your wails of pleasure come out. Each thud of his hips against your rear making you groan, always underscored by a desperate sigh and clawing breaths.

"That's it, good girl. Let them know how much you enjoy it."

As though he had caught himself, the way he was unburdened in the moment by his issues with his own image and self-confidence, he stuttered, his hips slowing to a complete stop, his cock still buried in your tensing walls.

"I had no idea that you felt this way... about all of me."

His eyes searched yours for any signs of flinching, a grimace that told him you were lying, that you only held this adoration for the parts of him that were still acceptable to society. But you held strong, truthful, and eased your head up to search for a kiss. His lips met yours once more, soft, despite the frantic fucking of just a moment ago.

"Of course I do, Harvey. Every time I think about you... I get so hot..."

You clenched, muscles tightening around his cock, which twitched in response.

"... and I think about you, both of you... all of you, a lot."

In a rush of what you could only assume was complete joy, warmed by the knowledge that you cared for him wholly, Harvey continued your rough fucking, bouncing your body against him, against the desk, watching you move and ripple with each thrust.

"My big, beautiful girl... let them hear... ah... tell them... tell me... tell us how good it feels..."

A soft moan passed over your lips, but you made an effort to follow it with a louder sound, a guttural groan that led to your words. Mumbled, barely cohesive to your empty brain, but you were sure there were sentiments of how amazing he felt inside of you, riding your patient orgasm through you.

"I'll tell you how good you are... so plush... so thick..."

His voice hardened, sharp, animalistic.

"...plenty for us to grab."

With his fingers embedded into your hips under the fold of your stomach, he pulled you down into him, his sounds matching the pace of his hips, growls and grunts that echoed over the top of yours. But he could still make out the short, sharp, but nevertheless satisfied, whines as he pummelled your body.

"Don't worry, sweet girl... I'll be careful with your soft body... but I think you can handle... hng... a bit of rough, huh? Just a little bit to make you scream louder for me..."

Your eyes flitted towards him, offering him a nod as you bit your lip, drool escaping from the corner of your mouth.

"That's it... louder."

[dykedvonte]

omg hi if it wouldn't be a bother i'd love if you could expand on your perspective on curly's character representing how patriarchy, rape culture, etc, negatively effect men?

I think Curly is there to represent the idealic person for the scenerior but in a lot of wrong place wrong time and a sort of deconstruction.

Curly’s enabling is never just the “He wouldn’t do that, he’s my friend, I know him.” type. Yes, he is not nearly as concerned as he should be with Jimmy’s behavior but he’s not completely blind to how he can be and is aware that Jimmy is just a guy who had it rough. He clearly is very keen on keeping Jimmy calm for the trip, very accommodating to all of them in a way that he honestly should be but can be used to explain away favoritism. If everyone can get away with a little something than it can then be extended to Jimmy. A big problem of Curly’s is he extends to much curtesy to everyone which a lot of people ignore to just focus on Jimmy and his relationship.

In specifics of rape culture, he’s the sad truth of people don’t immediately cut off the abuser. There is a lot of this in irl cases that can range from the inability to open the selfish not wanting to but here it’s because his relationship with the abuser is also not healthy/abusive, falling into the former with how confined they are despite how it can be seen as bros protecting bros due to how underplayed emotionally unhealthy relationships between men can be. His relationship with Jimmy is not just one of wanting to protect him from himself but keeping him docile, safe to bring around others. There is a tension in almost all of their private scenes where Curly is trying hard to make sure his words are understood and don’t set him off. It’s subtle but real and an aspect of RC that gets overlooked when it’s comes to men coming forward themselves or on behalf of others. The way they can’t directly oppose each other because their safety may be the least of their concerns. They know men and in this case he knows this man won’t target him but the others, especially Anya, case point: not wanting her to tell Jimmy alone.

There is an inherent intimidation that can also happen in male spaces we see Jimmy use due to the specific social condemnation effect he has with Curly. Even if he is a bad friend to Curly, he is a dear friend and a lot of apprehension with men on the side of Curly in RC comes from that social anxiety, that fear and the very real idea you or the person you were trying to help will be further retaliated against/isolated just like we see happen to an extreme in canon. We don’t know how much Curly and Jimmy interacted between the party and the crash. We can assume they didn’t at all or perhaps went on as normal, but we know something changed after the conversation with Anya both at night and in the cockpit.

I think the card being in the locker shows he was gonna make the complaint, taking her ID to get her numbers for the report as it isn’t there before hand. With the recent reblog of how complaints have to be filed, he was likely storing it, possibly it was close to a time he could send something if it was even possible. Though everything was inevitably too late.

Curly is the ideal man on paper in terms of a patriarchal system. In shape, handsome, the top of the pecking order, competent or otherwise on top of his perineal duties. The issue is he is deeply unhappy just as someone like Jimmy who reflects all the negatives. This should be what he wants but he’s realized it’s unfulfilling, boring and he’s given up too much of himself to get up a ladder he doesn’t even remember why he climbed in the first place. He is not keen on keeping that status, I am a contrarian in thinking he honestly didn’t care if the report when on his record, more so he was in shock it happened at all. Didn’t want to believe his friend actually did it and he of all people would have to be the one to turn him in for it. It’s selfish and it’s a personal thought but it’s real. It’s denial because even if you know it’s for justices sake, you grieve the friendship you had and the perceptions that were shattered. It’s not supposed to sound good or noble or kind because it isn’t, it’s human.

All together I think Curly represents a big way these systems negatively affect the men that everyone assume benefits. He’s unhappy with the power he has because it ties him to responsibilities that bring him no fulfillment, he also gets retaliated against by Jimmy because he was never immune and in a way was aware of it. He’s unequipped and nervous to handle such a delicate situation because it isn’t protocol, there’s no protocol. He followed the rules of all the concepts mentioned, trying to do the right and normal thing and it either left him with nothing to show for it or damned him and others in the end.

This is a shorter post than I would write but I just feel like I’ve tackled these aspects so much individually or in lumped together posts that unless it’s something specific I will just create run on tangents.

[acesw]

Knowing our Arcanists 4: Dikke

Welcome to entry four of my series: "Knowing our Arcanists"! This is a series in which I introduce and tell the stories of our fellow characters in Reverse: 1999. For today's character we have: Dikke!

Ah one of the first characters hit by the yuri-beam that became very popular in the fandom for her being easily paired with other characters. Her character is pretty interesting, as being one of the vessels of justice and one of the oldest characters in the game. Just wish that her kit was as powerful as her canon, anyway lets get started!

Lady Dikke is a European arcanist coming from the middle ages, born on October 10th. She is the current magistrate and Supreme Chief of the Special Court, and is a very eccentric person who carries out justice in unconventional ways.

Her arcane skill involves an ancient Babylonian soul, who resides in the flaming sword "Justice" and is often depicted as a spiritual claw looming over Dikke's shoulder. While ferocious, it has been her guiding spirit when it comes to doing her job. She states that its sentient, being easily swayed by what it thinks is an injustice. Whether it'd be an action or some believed meaningless rumors, it will respond accordingly.

It can be assumed that this soul is likely based off of Babylonian King Hammurabi, as he is the creator of the law code that ultimately became the law code for others. The code, named after him, is one of the earliest, longest, and best-preserved legal texts made in the ancient Near East.

We don't know too much about Dikke as herself prior to her work, but when she grew older, she first became a chancellor in the (Medieval) Inquisition. Its power started to grow in Europe to carry out cases and trials in place of the secular courts, and when Dikke became bishop, it grew more powerful, gradually prevailing control over the courts and laws across the region.

The Inquisition also had some degree of control on handling the cases of arcanists, both innocent and guilty. While being viewed as cruel and abusive by some, it can't be doubted that it held a special place in the arcanum world. Dikke usually carried out some of these trials herself, providing justice for the guilty and giving mercy for those innocent.

Some time after the Black Death pandemic, Dikke visited one of the villages to investigate the death of a member of a church, conducting a long investigation that seemed unconventional but fully efficient to be able to reach a conclusion.

She found that all the townspeople (including the church) were guilty, as multiple factors led to the death of the church member and the case was silenced further before her arrival. However she carried out no punishment.

At some point, she went to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pamiers in France, and became a magistrate and Supreme Chief of the Special Court there. During this time, she became in charge of conducting retrials of temporal court cases, to prevent wrongful convictions.

She used this to her advantage, as her control of this aspect led to many innocent arcanists to be saved from the witch hunts carried out by humans.

Dikke can be described as a very straightforward and active character, always making it a point to be fair and to be truthful. She never really lies, and continuously works towards carrying out the justice that guides her in every step she makes. Dikke is very insistent on it, and is often reluctant when it comes to accepting a position of power due to its connection with greed.

Despite these, she's not a stone cold person. She'll occasionally have a drink, make a humorous jab about the corrupt and the guilty, and enjoys quiet nights when the day ends with her goals fulfilled.

Dikke's belief in justice aligns with her layered empathy, but she is in no way to consider making an exception. She even tells herself that if she were to carry out an injustice that she too must deserve punishment. No guilty person can escape the blade of justice, neither will the wealthy and the powerful. Dikke will make sure of that.

[labyrinthofsphinx]

i don't know if this is a weird ask but alastor one time said if vox was a woman he felt like he wouldn't have be searching for the 'perfect someone' anymore so it had me thinking how different would there lives be if vox was a woman

(Sorry again if this ask is weird)

Firstly, there is no such thing as a weird ask! <33

Second, I guess a little speculation here...

So, it's already kinda been touched upon on other asks, like here, to a certain degree. Other asks also brought up the same sort of deal.

But, hypothetically, if Vox was woman, he wouldn't quite be the same as we know him. He'd be much more like 'Vee' from the other ask. There are inherent changes that Alastor wouldn't even think of, because he might not necessarily see how other aspects of Vox affect his personality overall, like his experiences.

For example, Vox already had a long road getting to the top, but as a girl? He'd have a much, much harder time climbing that ladder, and retaining the level of respect he's got so far. Possibly 'Vee' could've gotten a head start in Hollywood, just due to looks, but she's be held back in the business department. It'd be much harder to liberate herself and become her own boss, most likely, just because of the issues of the time era with regard to the 'roles' of men and women. Her whole life is almost a judgement on her looks and acting, which is going to be an insecure spot for her, for sure.

There's also the issue of Vox and Al's assumed relationship compared to 'Vee' and Al's. People would assume romantic implications with 'Vee' and Al, and because of the biases and issues of the time...they wouldn't exactly be looked upon fondly. Vox and Al are seen as friends. Progressively innovative for the time, maybe, but tolerable. 'Vee' and Al would have a lot of problems here. Vox can get away with stuff that 'Vee' couldn't necessarily because he's the ideal man, and because people give him an assumed respect that he probably wouldn't have as 'Vee'.

On a more personal note, Alastor assumes that things would be a certain way if Vox was a woman...but it might not be the ideal little visage he's got stuck in his head. He's still never going to be, um, interested in her the way he believes he should. He might convince himself to go through with things with 'Vee' that he wouldn't consider with Vox. Also, emotional vulnerability is going to be an extreme issue here. Part of the reason Al allows himself to let his guard down is because Vox allows someone else the burden of being the 'biggest man in the room'. With 'Vee', he'd always have it in the back of his head that he is the one that is supposed to protect her, and that, as the man in the relationship, he should be the emotionally strong one. He'd treat her like she was delicate, even without meaning to. Al has a LOT of the same assumptions about women that just about every man that 'Vee' has to tolerate had. That's going to lead to it's own tensions.

Theoretically, would they get married? Probably. Because Alastor would want to. Kids? Possibly, but, again, because Alastor wanted them.

'Vee' wouldn't need either of those things to be happy, and knows it wouldn't necessarily be the healthiest thing for Al either. She'd be happy with them, sure, but she's always going to know that these things happened because of how Al views the world. She's his 'perfect woman', and, therefore, they must get married and have kids. He'd fill his house up with everything he expected to want...and wonder why it isn't enough.

Essentially, she'd still have the same issue telling Alastor 'no' that Vox does. It just has different consequences.

What Alastor thinks he needs/wants doesn't necessarily translate to what the truth it, nor how the dynamics would shift.

So still very complicated.

Thanks for the ask!

[shalscumbunny]

I NEED AN NSFW VERSION OF THE LOVELY HUSBAND SHAL please and ty (Thank you for existing btw we need more shal fics and im too lazy to make some)

TYSM FOR SUCH A CUTE WORDS 💝! I was eager to publish this! It is necessary to give love to Shalnark from his most tender and loving side to that twisted and sick side that we love so much.

Lovely Husband NSFW | Shalnark

Wedding night?

🖤 ​​I feel like Shalnark is a fan of fairy tales, so if he didn't get the urge before marriage, he will now (Although the truth is I find it very unlikely that it will hold up if you are not a virgin either, if you are a virgin it will hold up because it will be THE BIG MOMENT, but this will be the decision of the two of you 🫶🏻)

🖤 ​​As soon as you are declared husband and wife and other technicalities during the day, HE WILL REALLY FUCK YOU, and I mean SERIOUSLY

🖤 ​​Shalnark is a simple man, everything about you turns him on and the fact that you are now his wife multiplies him 10000%

🖤 ​​Before it was a “My pretty Y/N is so hot” now it's a “My darling wife is so hot”

🖤 ​​He can't help it, on the wedding night he's just going to throw you into bed and he's not going to care about tearing the dress even if it cost a million, he loves you now

🖤 ​​He loves you and is desperate for you, he can only shower you with kisses on all sides of your face and explore your mouth hungrily while he finishes tearing your dress.

🖤 ​​It's just that ✨You are perfect with the wedding hairstyle now undone and your body naked under him✨

🖤 ​​He can't contain himself, he simply wants to adore, contemplate and love you, he can't help but latch onto your chest and caress your clitoris while he watches you moan and tremble with complete devotion because you are simply a deity that he has to worship

🖤 ​​He loves you, he loves you deeply, he is obsessed with your moans when he goes down between your legs and he becomes addicted to the taste of your pussy (I'm going to add as a bonus that if you wear long stockings he will get harder while he eats your pussy), he's literally rubbing his hard, painful erection against the bed mattress while moaning into your folds.

🖤 ​​He can only tell you how much he adores you, how precious, perfect and sublime you are and he won't stop until you have cum a couple of times in his mouth, becoming addicted to your juices.

🖤 ​​Once satisfied in that aspect, he simply needs to be inside you (If you are a virgin, he will take his time, he wants everything perfect for you, he wants to take care of you, protect you and make you feel good, but since I am too lazy to write, we will imagine that Y/N is not a virgin).

🖤 ​​Shalnark simply fulfilled one of his life goals when he started fucking you hard against the bed, panting like an animal in your ear, gripping your hips tightly and enjoying how you bite his shoulder and scratch his back.

🖤 ​​This time for the occasion he won't play little games (Which he undoubtedly likes) At least on the wedding night he will fuck you until you are stupid, crying and overstimulated, with your pussy sore and overflowing with abundant semen.

🖤 ​​Simply… Perfect

LIFE TOGETHER

🖤 ​​(The truth is that I feel that Shalnark is not someone who gets married without first having lived together, so I will assume it that way) So we will say that everything remains "the same between you" and by the same I mean Shalnark loving you intensely and obsessed with you

🖤 ​​Obviously life with Shalnark isn't all about sex, we already have a “non-NSFW” version of this ✨ so…

🖤 Shalnark is just like a hot teenager, out of nowhere he'll get hot

🖤 ​​He's simply watching you cook, thinking about how beautiful and sexy you are, he can't help but approach you and ask you to go to the bedroom, while he kisses your neck and rubs against you.

🖤 ​​​​Shalnark is not the kind of man who would get bored of his wife, every day he will find a reason to love you or a part of your body that for some reason is more than perfect (He LOVES your body, he will love it forever)

🖤HE NEEDS to touch you, he can't help but glue you to a wall and kiss you passionately while he raises your thighs to his hips and looks at you with deep adoration and desire.

🖤 ​​​​For Shalnark, he applies that he won't stop fucking you until your pussy is the shape of his cock, and you really fit perfectly, your bodies are made for each other ✨

🖤 ​​​​The sex ranges from complete adoration, or just him calling you pet names and enforcing his dominance over you in the cruelest and sexiest way possible.

🖤 ​​He can simply try his best to give you as much pleasure as possible or keep you kneeling on the floor and sucking his hard cock while he smiles at you and plays with the control of the vibrator stuck in your pussy and making you a stupid slut

🖤 ​​Just Shalnark pounding inside you as he whispers how bad you have it, how perfect your pussy receives and squeezes his cock and how he's going to leave you dripping cum for days.

🖤 ​​Of course we also know that he is an obsessive controller, so you are going to have to get used to having cameras in the house and in all parts of the house (Even the bathroom) because Shalnark HAS TO know what you are doing.

🖤 ​​Obviously the cameras are for security (He is a highly wanted criminal and has to make sure that no one does anything to you) but… it is not a white dove

🖤 ​​If he went on a trip with Gen'ei Ryodan he's going to miss you, (Think of this poor 24 year old muscular baby who is 180 cm tall and has a criminal list longer than Santa Claus's gift list 😔), who will simply step away from his criminal friends for a while to masturbate while he sees you taking a bath live, milking his balls that are filled with thick cum when he sees your beautiful figure on the screen covered in water.

🖤 ​​He likes you to know that he is watching you, no matter how good a husband he is... HE LOVES HAVING CONTROL OVER YOU (Little things about manipulators ✨)

🖤 ​​You are taking a bath and you see how a red light turns on in the camera, you know that he is watching you, you have gotten used to a point where it even excites you and you can't help but turn to the camera and start caressing your clitoris with a finger and pinching your nipple with the other hand while looking at the camera, it counts as a kind of challenge to him, you know that it will cost you a hard fuck time as soon as he gets home but you simply can't help it because you imagine him hiding in a small space, pulling his cock, smearing the cell phone screen with his semen while he pants and grunts your name (Which has really been happening).

🖤 ​​We already talked about it in the non-NSFW version, but he LOVES dressing you and one of his favorite parts is choosing your lingerie (Shalnark loves his wife dressed in pastel pink and this is not up for discussion) He loves putting you in the most feminine and revealing lingerie he can find, tight and barely covering what is necessary, when he is shopping he can't help but imagine your embarrassed face when you try on that lingerie that barely covers your nipples and leaves your areolas visible.

🖤 ​​He loves to put necklaces on you, especially those pompous pink ones with a medallion, that medallion says “She belongs to Shalnark”

🖤 ​​If you are not kidnapped, you probably have a cell phone (Which is obviously tapped) Shalnark knows who you are talking to, what you are talking about, what applications you use, what web pages you visit (It is his controlling nature, how can you blame him 🥺)

🖤 ​​As his possession and wife, he has to know everything about you and he does, your family, your friends, your enemies, your blood type, any health problems, exact measurements of your body and above all, your weak points.

🖤 ​​He knows the speed with which you like your clitoris to be caressed, how much to suck on your nipples so they don't hurt, the rhythm that makes you stupid when he starts pushing his cock inside you, what part of your ear to lick and nibble to melt you, he seriously knows EVERYTHING.

🖤 ​​Speaking of possessiveness, now that you are his wife (And if you are not kidnapped) he will not think too much about decorating your neck and/or other part of your body with hickeys that show that he is your only owner when you go out, if he sees that the mark is disappearing will make you another.

🖤 ​​Although if you are kidnapped he will do it anyway, he likes to see your body adorned with small bruises and bite wounds (His favorite part is the sides of your neck, shoulders and your breasts, especially the areola).

🖤 ​​You are his, if he sees another man with his eye on you, he won't mind kissing you in public and touching you inappropriately in order to demonstrate the obvious (If he bothered you a lot and you reproached him, he will think twice before coming back To do it)

🖤Although it is a canonical fact that that man's hours are numbered (Because for Shalnark it is like killing a fly)

🖤 ​​Lastly, Shalnark is not a selfish lover, he will always try to make sex something that you also enjoy, since as his wife it is the least you deserve.

Thanks for reading this horrible shit 🖤✨

NO NSFW VERSION, would u like another character?

[finny-propaganda]

I find Phineas to be genuinely and unironically one of the most amusing characters in a book, ever. Period. Because the way his brain works is interesting. He has this outer-shell, a very simple character on the surface; a charming, daredevil athlete, just like the blurb says. However, we see glimpses of a side of him that is incredibly vulnerable and emotionally keen.

Finny can, on the surface, seem obtuse to Gene's feelings—but not only is this not the whole truth, we're also reading the story from Gene's biased point of view. Gene never really expresses how he feels, and when he does, it's hardly direct until he is at a breaking point. Gene on his own is interesting in a different way, but the way we read Finny's reactions tells a lot even through Gene's perspective. Finny, knowing Gene for quite some time (as we can assume), doesn't just see Gene as some wonderful, amazing guy for no reason. In a narrative sense, it's supposed to be a dichotomy to what Gene assumed (an intentionally immature assumption fueled by jealousy, because he also sees Finny as a sort of angelic figure), but in a character-specific sense, Finny knows Gene truly. As in, he knows who he is at his core.

Finny's vulnerability is shown in passing snippets in the first few chapters (such as what he says to Gene on the beach), but becomes very clear when he's at his weakest and most emotional. Even then, there is a line between his impulsive reactions (what he says when Gene first tries to come clean about the accident), which isn't his whole, and what is his most bare version of himself. Which, it should be noted, we only see that when he is with Gene alone.

Not that there's a lot of moments where they aren't alone together, but I digress.

Finny, in general, through the course of the novel seems to be intent on having these grand ideas. He's full of amazing stories and funny ideas that beat conventional ones, to contrast with Gene's conservative upbringing, but to also understand that he isn't very typical at all. It becomes noticeable that his truths are often muddled by what is most comfortable for him to believe, in innocence.

One of the most pivotal moments in the novel is towards the end of it all when Finny forgives Gene. After all that Gene had put him through, he manages to forgive him? And to believe that Gene had never truly intended for anything to happen? For us, it can be a little ridiculous — Finny had every right to not forgive Gene. But that is exactly the core of Phineas' character: He is always forgiving, always believing, always loving something because he can't live without something or someone to believe in.

Ultimately, this novel is also a tragedy. And part of that tragedy, perhaps the most notable thing about that tragedy, is the death of Phineas. Because Finny is a character that is unable to function without that belief, he dies. It's a narrative move meant to represent the ultimate loss of innocence that comes with adulthood, but for Gene it meant that Finny had lost everything he could believe in.

It hurts, and it is meant to hurt, but that was the reality that Knowles meant to represent. The parallels between WWII and these two teens were purposeful. There is a conversation to be had about the overall themes of the book, but this is about Finny specifically—and I think that he embodies the themes of innocence quite well that it ends up being painful.

Finny is such a well developed character, he is one of the many characters that I feel are percieved differently depending on the reader. Do you see him as that charming, daredevil athlete? Or do you see that he is beyond an athlete archetype, and embodies the complexities of innocence? There isn't one correct way to read him, but I do think that there is a major piece missing if a reader doesn't tap into the most human aspects of Phineas. He's an amazingly well written character.

[lucystark12]

what are you thinking, finn wolfhard?

everything i'm about to say aligns with my finn wolfhard is a genius agenda.

it was just made apparent to me that not only did finn wolfhard film it 2017 before season two, but he filmed his scenes as boris in the goldfinch literally DAYS before filming season three. this is extremely hard for me to conceptualize. but it also makes me think about finn wolfhard himself who obviously knows the truth about mike wheeler's sexuality. if byler is as deep seeded as we want it to be, odds are that finn knew what was up from the beginning. which makes a girl think- did he know the same about richie tozier when he first played him in 2017?

lets look at richie a bit.

richie is obviously gay. i will not be taking arguments on this. i'm reading a reddit thred right now where people are debating it and i'm like- are you kidding me. but he wasn't gay in the source material. stephen king has stated as much in a vanity fair article. though he calls andy muscetti's choice "genius" (which it is, btw), he makes it clear that it wasn't his intention. it's explicitly clear in it chapter 2, and being wired like a byler shipper, i was able to suss it out in the first movie, but was that andy muscetti's intention to begin with?

there are many ways this change can be interpreted. assuming that it wasn't something that was explicitly written into the original character description for richie in the first movie, you could see this as something that was put in as a sign of the times, a statement if you will. it chapter one was written in 2015-2016 while we were still under obama's presidency, one that saw drastic improvements for the quality of life of a gay person in america. it chapter two was written during trump's presidency and could have been trying to brand itself as a statement of sorts. i only say this because as far as i can find (and PLEASE tell me if i'm wrong) there wasn't nearly as much evidence hinting at richie's sexuality in the first movie as there is for mike or will to use a relevant example.

the idea that finn wolfhard could have gone straight from it filming (summer of 2016) to stranger things filming (early november 2016) just having played a character who he knows was in the closet and in love with his best friend in the 80s could open up new interpretation to mke in season two. oddly, the reason i bring this up is because richie tozier to me is the mirror image of a kid i was friends with in middle school. they acted the same, they even weirdly looked and dressed the same. the only time i've ever made the comparison between middle school kid and mike wheeler was during season two, specifically in the scene where max leaves them the note, which leads me to believe that he could have carried other things over from other aspects of the it production.

season two isn't what really concerns me though. i'm looking more at season three. the goldfinch only moved to production in albuquerque in april of 2018, which is obviously where finn wolfhard filmed all of his scenes. however, stranger things 3 started production on april 23rd, 2018, which means there might have even been crossover between finn's shooting dates if not at least a very short gap of time between them. it chapter 2 was filmed that same summer likely with some of it's own crossover with stranger things three dates. finn wolfhard's lack of scenes in the second movie are probably what made this possible, but the scenes that he did have tackled very delicate topics that had to be handled with care. most actors get their scripts for minor roles like this a few weeks out from filming, which means that finn could have had his scripts for it chapter 2 that very explicitly make it clear that he's gay during filming for stranger things 3.

so here he is with one gay character right before season 3 and one right after. he knows how to handle these things, which means that every move he's making, especially in season three, is most likely intentional, especially if he knows this far in advance about mike's sexuality. i think it's totally feasible that he does. i'm fifteen and i understand what was happening between byler during the fight scene, finn was sixteen and, being a part of this show, probably understood what was going on too even if he wasn't outright told. doing justice to a season like this when he was also having to figure out scenes like the boreo taxi scene or the arcade scene with henry bower's cousin or r + e was probably at the forefront of his mind.

in conclusion, i just have one question:

what does this mean, finn wolfhard?

[alexglitches]

Li Jing's Parenting Analysis

A parenting analysis for Li Jing!

I know the seasons been out for a while now, but still putting it under the cut for spoilers

Okay, third analysis about Li Jing, and this time, it’s about his parenting style.

One thing people seem to dislike about him is the way he treats Nezha, despite being his father, and the common argument from people who dislike him is that he is an abusive father, which actually isn’t the case at all.

Sure, there may be some neglect on Li Jing’s part sprinkled around, but that’s more of him just focusing on his job rather than being intentionally abusive.

Parenting in Chinese culture is very different in western culture, and I believe that LMK Li Jing is a well written representation of said parenting skills.

In Chinese culture, parents are all about encouraging their kids to improve and do better, but they don’t praise their children for it, instead they would say something along the lines of “this is good, but you could do better”.

Because of this, and due to culture clash, many westerners believe that the parenting skills of parents in Asia, especially in China, could be considered abuse, and while there are many factors that can make this type of parenting as abuse, this isn’t necessarily the case for most families.

Li Jing’s parenting falls in line with this style of harsh parenting, the type of parent that wouldn’t praise their child, and will sometimes take the opposite side of their child in a fight, however, the Chinese style of parenting is much more “actions speak louder than words”. While Li Jing won’t expressly tell Nezha how he feels, he will show it in little ways (example, Li Jing putting his hand on Nezha’s shoulder, as well as his small smile at the end of the season).

And on the topic of Li Jing and Nezha’s moment with Li Jing telling Nezha how proud he was of him, I think I should bring up how stressful situations bring out the truth in people. And it was especially stressful for those two, because not only was Li Jing put through a ringer of emotions with switching sides and finally understanding what Mk and the others were doing, the world was also about to end, so of course he’d want to get in his final words to his son and how much he was proud of him and his work.

Abuse is much more complex than just ‘this parent doesn’t treat their child right’. There’s a lot of things that go into what abuse is and how it affects everyone. Li Jing was in a stressful situation, the world was ending, he was acting as the Jade Emperor at the time, and he had no idea what the full story behind it all was since Nezha actively kept said information from him. We have no idea how Li Jing acts outside of this stressful situation, so we can't jump to conclusions and assume that his parenting is like this all the way through.

(And a bit off topic, in the story of JTTW, Li Jing and Nezha are constantly working side by side, whether it’s fighting with or against Wukong.)

So to make a long analysis short, while Li Jing won’t outwardly say anything to Nezha, he has those little things that make it shown that he cares. And while there are aspects of culture clash between Chinese and western parenting, it doesn’t mean that Li Jing’s parenting style is abusive. As well as how abuse is much more complex than is shown to us in the show.

I think we need to remind people that LMK is a kids show, and the show is literally rated for ages 8 and up. It’s not going to show any heavy content that is darker for the demographic it’s made for. Yes, writing angst can be fun, but the show won’t do that, since it’s technically for kids.

[yellowhollyhock]

thinking about 07 kitchen scene and realizing Raph is trying to keep them off his trail. Like I knew that already, that's his whole thing, but the one moment where he really seems focused on it is 'Yeah, I do nothing. You're right. You got me all figured out.' Which come on Raph. could you be any more obvious

But

Mikey is watching Nightwatcher on the news. He can't come out and change the subject right away (too suspicious), but he needs to as soon as possible. He needs an opening, and Donnie gives him a perfect one. Nothing to keep his family's minds off Nightwatcher like starting a fight

Easy, effective. Has everyone's attention, enough truth in his words to keep them satisfied that they're seeing him. You guys are a bunch of has-beens, why do we sit around doing nothing all day. Leaves out enough obvious points (doesn't say he's mad about how everything came to a screeching halt when Leo left, doesn't have to) to keep their minds occupied: being upset about Leo is his cover story for Merryweather

Donnie gets right back on topic. 'What do you do that's so special.' This is where Raph felt painfully obvious, but actually. He knows how curious both Don and Mikey can be, knows he's dangling an irresistible mystery right under their noses day after day. So he gives them what they're expecting. The startled pause while he scrambles for a cover, the sudden backing down. He's not expecting Donnie to buy that. He's expecting Donnie to be so tantalized by the obvious cover-up that he over-analyzes and overthinks and assumes any number of things much less straightforward than what's actually happening. 'you already got this all figured out wink wink' is cheese under a mousetrap for Donatellos

It kind of works. The Nightwatcher isn't part of the conversation anymore. But Donnie's playing too. He knows there's more going on with him, and if 'figure this out' is Don bait, 'you just want people to be afraid of you' is absolutely Raph bait. Okay, so there are some things you haven't told us. But I bet you'll tell us if you have to defend your character. Go on Raph, explain what your real priorities are and how your actions aren't hurting the team.

and he does get angry exactly as expected but he doesn't blow up with the truth, he stays in control, and gets out of the situation quickly by going too far in earshot of Splinter.

also there is the aspect where part of him does want them to realize it's him but I don't have spoons to tear it apart quite that much

also I do think they already know but that's also a whole other post or two