#bc its a strong sentiment right

[that-gay-computer]

we should normalize talking abt big feelings methinks

[moomeecore]

im actually really good at admitting when i dont know things its just that people keep talking to me about things that i know a lot about and am objectively correct on

[yerimacoustic]

𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙚 ♡ joshua x reader

when your childhood friend, joshua finds an old mixtape both of you made years ago, he gets inspired to craft the perfect plan to tell you how he really feels. 📼🎧🥤⋆·˚ ༘ *

content warnings: roadtrip au, childhood friends to lovers, strong language, gossiping about losing the v card, literally everything goes wrong but it’s cute, fluff, soft angst since it talks about stress during college, joshua hong x gender neutral reader. both of you are graduating university! no smut but 18+, mdni! 4k wc

additional notes: this probably seems so rushed but idEC bc i needed some joshua fluff & i’m a proud supporter of the gentleman joshua agenda. also pls comment which songs you’d put on your mixtape with him, i left it kinda open to your imagination minus three songs <3 not proofread, sorrows, prayers

the end of joshua’s final semester in college came with its fair share of mixed emotions. among the many sentiments was crippling stress, seemingly the most commonly occurring one. it was nothing he wasn’t used to, being a full-time college student with a part time job and mostly insufferable roommates. four years prior, he began to dread the day he would have to pack up all of his belongings and move across town, where his own apartment was waiting.

and of course, he was right to rue the day.

it was a nightmare trying to schedule the move in date to line up with the time the u-haul had to be dropped off, especially since he couldn’t get access to his garage until a few hours after he had to turn in the keys. another $50 down the drain. luckily, he started packing his side of the dorm weeks in advance in order to spend a decent amount of time on his finals. even if he had a job lined up already, he wanted to leave a lasting good impression.

just as he was going through the last of his belongings, he found a small box hidden under his bed. judging by the cobwebs scattered along the small crate, he’d forgotten all about its existence until now. he checked the digital clock, the only thing left on his nightstand- he’d been cleaning for hours. he was entitled to a break.

so he opened the box, smiling to himself as he took in all of the souvenirs and knick knacks from years before. there were ticket stubs to the first ‘frozen’ movie, a few pieces of his favorite candy (which were beyond expired at that point), two of the lego avengers figurines, a few polaroids of him, seungcheol and jeonghan along with his mother, and..

“shut up.”

he had completely forgotten that he’d made this mixtape with you. ‘shua and y/n’s epic road trip.’ the year before you both started college, the two of you took a roadtrip across the town together. the night before you embarked on the spontaneous journey, the two of you spent hours meticulously crafting a playlist that would perfectly recount your trip. he always thought he’d left it in his car and you’d never mentioned it to him after the trip, so it simply left his mind.

but now that he was staring at the small disc, he wondered how it was even possible to forget something he cherished so fondly. it was the first trip the two of you went on together alone. you’d spent time together on school trips, even getaways with jeonghan and seungcheol, but you never seemed to get enough time alone together for joshua’s liking. even if it didn’t end with a kiss like he was hoping, it was still a memory that he held close to his heart.

that was when he devised a plan.

he reached across the floor for his phone, which had just barely finished charging. luckily, your contact was one of the only ones pinned on his phone, so dialing your phone number was a breeze. he held his phone to his ear, biting his nails in anticipation as he listened to the dial tone drone on.. and then he remembered you were in the middle of one of your lectures.

fuck.

‘hey this is y/n. i can’t reach my phone right now so leave a message or text me. bye.’ how was it that something as simple as a voicemail greeting from you could make his heart flutter?

“it’s joshua. call me back asap, i want to go on another road trip with you.”

—------------------------

going on a road trip near the end of the semester with deadlines and fees stacked upon both of your to-do lists probably wasn’t the brightest idea. there were probably a million better, more productive things both of you could be doing to prepare for the next chapter of your lives. even so, joshua waited in the parking lot of your apartment complex while tapping a nervous rhythm onto the steering wheel.

while he was waiting for you, he kept going over all of the contents in his dufflebag to ensure he had properly prepared for everything. unlike the last road trip you went on, this one would be an overnight holiday. toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, phone charger.. he knew fully well he had everything he could need; he’d checked his overnight bag multiple times before he stepped out of the door. not only that, but he stuffed his hand in his jacket pocket multiple times to ensure the mixtape was still there.

“just calm down,” he sighed to himself after confirming, once again, that he had everything he needed. “it’s just y/n, just the one you’ve been crushing on since middle school. no big deal, you’ve done this before, you’ve gone on a trip with them before..”

he was quickly pulled out of his thoughts and mutterings once he saw you walking down the stairs. he noticed the way your eyes lit up once you noticed his car, causing his heart to race. he stepped out and ran to you, an infectious grin spreading across his lips as he pulled you into his arms. “thank you for coming with me. you have no idea how much i need this.”

you laughed as you threw your arms around his neck and hugged him just as tightly in return, his grip on you practically suffocating. in the best possible way, of course. “trust me, i’ve been needing a break too,” you sighed. “i can’t believe this is it. we’re graduating college.”

as for what that meant for the two of you, neither of you had a clue. you made sure to stay as close as possible during your time in university, planning as many get togethers as your schedules would allow, but halfway through your third year, your individual priorities seemed to outweigh any other extracurricular activities. while you weren’t able to see each other in person as often as you did when you were kids, joshua was just grateful that you kept in contact.

“i know. it’s a lot more stressful and anxiety inducing than i thought it would be.” he tried to hide his disappointment and dread as he broke from your embrace, keeping that warm smile as he led you to his car. after gently taking the bag that was slung over your shoulder and carefully tossing it in the backseat, he opened the passenger door for you. as always. “but enough about that,” he snickered, climbing into his seat and cautiously slamming the car door shut.

“you’re right. no work talks while we’re on vacation,” you giggled and shifted in your seat so you could face him, a mischievous glint in your eyes. “so, what’s first on the itinerary, mr. hong?”

“well, first things first-” he made a dramatic show of pulling the mixtape out of his jacket pocket, the corners of his eyelids wrinkling as his smile grew brighter. “look what i found.”

your eyes widened as you gently snatched the cassette from him, your hand brushing over the tape where the title had been scribbled in permanent marker. “oh my god, i forgot we made this! where did you find it?”

“under my bed,” joshua laughed, shrugging. “i thought it seemed appropriate, with new beginnings and all... we don’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to, though.”

“not at all! i’m up for a trip down memory lane,” you laughed.

joshua began to pull out of the small parking lot, feeling particularly eager to get on the road. especially since it was early in the morning; he knew it would be a beautiful view as the sun would peek from its hiding spot behind the trees. “i was hoping you would say that. because.. i was thinking we could just follow the same exact itinerary as last time.”

“really? down to the number?” you sent a knowing smirk in his direction, even if he was too focused on the road to pay any mind to it outside of his peripheral vision. you watched him nod his head as his smile grew and grew, his cheerful grin as contagious as ever. “well, since we’re following tradition, i’ll buy your chai latte again this year.”

“guess that means i’m covering dinner again,” joshua chuckled lightly, the sound going straight to your heart. as per usual, of course.

“what a gentleman,” you mused while cautiously inserting the cassette tape into the car’s rather finicky slot. you always knew joshua’s car was ancient and worn down, so you were impressed, to say the least, that it had lasted throughout the entirety of his college career. “i forgot which songs we put on here. this’ll be fun.”

“me too, actually. but.. i do seem to remember someone was constantly begging me to add taylor swift to the playlist.”

“it was a phase! everyone was a die hard fan at one point in their life.”

“sure, we’ll go with that excuse,” joshua teased you without a hint of mocking or scorn in his voice. it was more like amusement.

it was nothing short of serendipitous, the way the sun began to rise to a more comfortable resting position for the rest of the day and light up the path for you and joshua just as ‘here comes the sun’ began to play. the song was slightly muffled, the speakers in the car radio being on their last leg- it was a picture perfect moment, regardless.

you rolled down your window, letting your hand drift along the current of the breeze passing by as joshua began to pick up speed. you heard him humming along, his soothing voice fitting perfectly with george harrison’s. and you smiled to yourself- if joshua wasn’t dead set on his current career path, you knew he could easily make a name for himself as a singer.

for whatever reason, the way he muttered the endearing term ‘little darling’ so gently before each chorus stood out to you most. his sickly sweet voice added so much more meaning to the lyrics. in that moment, really all you could do was hope that he didn’t notice the way you were trying to stop yourself from smiling like a fool.

but he did. out of the corner of his eye, he noticed you bashfully bowing your head.

he finally arrived at the coffee shop, which was a tiny shack just off the main road. it was a convenient little spot for any travelers that needed a caffeine boost on their journey. except..

“oh no.” it was closed??

indefinitely??

“it’s okay!” you were quick to assure him and pat his shoulder. “there’s a gas station just up ahead. we can probably just get some coffee there, my treat.”

joshua nodded in an effort to keep up the faith. “you’re right! it’ll be a bit watery but that’s fine- right?”

“right!” you agreed with a chuckle. honestly, to you, missing out on a delicious chai latte wasn’t the end of the world but joshuasuspected it was only the beginning of a series of setbacks.

and he proved to be correct: the coffee machine in the gas station was broken, leaving the two of you to settle for some canned nitro cold brews. while joshua’s paranoia grew, you looked at the glass half full; so it didn’t go exactly according to plan.. but at least the two of you had caffeine.

“so, what was the second thing we did?” you asked, taking the smallest sips of your coffee at a time. just as a precaution.

“picnic over at that rest stop. hopefully it’s not blocked or something,” he joked, all the while secretly praying that the universe wouldn’t twist his words. it seemed that the gods were in a playful mood that day; too bad it was at his expense rather than in his favor.

by now, you were near the end of ‘side a’ and ‘feeling good’ was playing. you could only hear michael bublé’s voice very faintly at this point, but the catchy song still brought a smile to your face. “i always liked this version the best,” you told joshua.

he beamed. “that’s because it is the best one. i taught you well.”

you helped your friend pull the basket and blanket out of his trunk once he’d parked the car near the top of a hill that overlooked a lake and a series of trees surrounding the body of water. it was a quaint spot, one that seemed to put the rest of the city on display for the two of you. and like many spots in the town, it came with its fair share of legends and stories.

“did you hear the rumors that vernon lost his v-card here?” you snickered between bites of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich that joshua was gracious enough to make for the two of you.

he nearly choked on the remnants of his sandwich, shaking his head as his fist flew to cover his mouth. he looked mortified, eyes growing nearly twice their size. “what?? no! how come no one ever told me about that?”

“are you kidding?? i could have sworn someone told you,” you snickered and reached over to repeatedly pat his back. “anyways, no one knows if it’s true or not.”

“he’s a chamber of secrets, that one.”

“he certainly is.”

once joshua had finally composed himself, a sigh of contentment left his lips. he took a deep breath, basking in the fresh mountain air and sunlight. there were a few clouds in sight, nothing that should have caused too much panic. just something to give the two of you the right amount of shade.

comfortable silence passed between the two of you and you laid back against the blanket in mirrored positions, propped up by one elbow. you looked over to joshua after feeling fixated on the small lake, focusing intently on his features, instead. his eyelashes, the curve of his lips, the way his hair fell so neatly over his face.

he truly was so naturally beautiful.

you only felt pressured to snap out of your daze when he began to tilt his head towards you. your gaze fell to the blanket smoothly while your finger began to brush along one of the patterns on the fabric. his mom had made it for him, along with several other quilts that he held very dear to his heart. “i guess it would be a pretty nice place to seal the deal.”

joshua laughed out loud, “y/n l/n, i’ve never heard you say something so scandalous in my whole life.”

you tilted your head back as his words brought upon a laugh of your own, “well, this year is all about new beginnings, isn’t it? we’re changing, we’re growing..”

“i guess so,” he mused once your voice trailed off. when you looked up, he was the one fixating on your features. it brought a heated sensation among your cheeks and a dumb smile to your lips. you noticed him swallow, attempting to be subtle while shifting to rest on his elbow more comfortably. “y/n, can you promise me something?”

“of course, joshua, anything.”

“can you promise that we’ll always try to stay in touch? no matter what?” there was a pang of sadness in both joshua’s tone and in his eyes. suddenly you felt guilty for taking your lifelong friendship for granted; the last thing you wanted was for someone so dear to you to feel undervalued.

“shua- of course i will.” feeling particularly bold, you reached out to grab his hand. “i’m sorry if i’ve been.. distant lately. i feel like we’ve both had a lot going on. and it’s not going to get any better once we’ve got our nine-to-fives, but.. you mean a lot to me. i want you to stay in my life.”

just then, the man in front of you appeared as if a large weight had been removed from his shoulders. you couldn’t believe that you witness his eyes actually light up in real time, his entire figure perfectly displaying how much lighter he felt. “i want you to stay,” he repeated after you.

the two of you weren’t directly confessing your true feelings towards each other just yet, but somehow.. those five words were enough. ‘i want you to stay.’

you stayed silent, as if to let them echo between the two of you. the fact that you weren’t sure how you were supposed to follow such a simple yet beautiful statement was also a contributing factor. after a moment, you parted your lips while still waiting for the right words to show themselves to you but instead, there was a loud crash of thunder.

the two of you were so mesmerized by the pair of eyes in front of you that neither of you noticed the air around you growing gray. joshua looked up towards the dark clouds with a sigh of disdain, “of course.”

you chuckled, helping him gather the napkins, paper silverware and dishes and the blanket. by some miracle, you were able to gather all of your belongings and hop in the car before the rain started falling down at an alarming rate and substance. “wasn’t michael just singing about how the sun was in the sky?”

“i guess its opposite day.” at that moment, joshua began to wonder if someone out there genuinely had it out for him. as he turned the key in the ignition, all he could hear over the raindrops clattering against his windshield was a loud sputtering noise. maybe.. maybe he was just imagining it? he tried twisting the key again, but it proved to be fruitless.

you chuckled awkwardly, “oh.. uh…”

“oh.. that’s fine!” joshua giggled sheepishly, keeping a calm presence that wasn’t alarming or unnerving in any way. there was no point taking his stress out on you when you were not the one at fault. no one was at fault, really, except maybe the man who truly believed a car that was around when dinosaurs roamed the earth could withstand another long roadtrip. after a few more tries, he gave up and pulled the key out of the ignition. “do you.. happen to have a signal?”

“out of battery?”

“yep,” he rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward grin, unable to make eye contact with you. “usually i have a portable charger but..”

“It’s okay,” you cut him off gently. “i don’t think i’ll be able to call anyone until the rain stops, but i’ve got a full battery.”

“cool. cool, cool.” joshua chuckled, trying not to upset you by showcasing his disappointment. he tried to look on the brightside and tell himself that the two of you were on an adventure, that this would be a great story to tell your friends and family when you got back, but any positive thought was quickly replaced by looming, dark ones instead. like how he wished that in possibly one of the most stressful times in his life, he wished that just one thing would go right. that he wished this getaway was as picture perfect as the last one.

“shua, you okay?”

he was alarmed by how well you seemed to have gotten at reading his countenance; especially since he thought he made great efforts to hide what he was truly feeling. he smiled immediately, nodding in reassurance. one thing he was not going to do was ruin the mood. “yeah, yeah i’m okay. you doing okay?”

you nodded, “yeah, i’m doing great.” you paused, hoping that you weren’t pressuring him to answer. one thing you were not going to do was pressure him into broaching a topic he wanted to avoid. so your tone grew hushed as you spoke again, “but i feel like there’s a lot more that you’re not telling me.”

joshua nodded faintly in understanding. he should have known that you would have been able to read him without any troubles, considering how long you had both known each other. “i just.. wanted this to be perfect. i know you’ve been stressed lately and well, i’ve been stressed lately so i thought this would be a nice, low stakes kind of trip. but.. I guess not.” he ended his thought with a light hearted chuckle and shrug of his shoulders.

you stayed quiet for a moment, focusing on the sleeve of his jacket while pondering his words. he had put so much effort in both of these road trips and you knew his heart was in the right place. frankly, you couldn’t care less if you didn’t get your chai lattes or if your picnic lasted about ten minutes or you might not make it to the hotel.

what mattered was that joshua was there with you through it all. and through it all, he kept an adorable smile and a cheerful attitude. when your gaze shifted to the windshield, raindrops hitting the glass in record time by now, you were reminded of another song that you added to the now unattainable mixtape.

and suddenly, you got an idea.

opening up spotify, you searched through taylor swift’s discography until you found the song that you thought was perfectly fitting for the moment: fearless. you knew it was a long shot but you pressed play and turned the volume all the way up before placing your phone in your jacket pocket, where it would be shielded from the rain. then, you stepped out into the downpour.

joshua furrowed his eyebrows out of worry but perked up once he saw you motion to follow in your footsteps. just as he slammed the door shut, he could have sworn he heard the lyrics very faintly, even if they were muffled by the rainfall. ‘and you know i want to ask you to dance right there…’

you took both of joshua’s hands in yours and twirled in three or four circles, giggling the entire time. both of you tilted your heads back, feeling the cold rain against your face. it was beautiful, soothing.. unconventional, maybe, but it was perfect. once the two of you stood upright, you took it a step further.

it was just like clockwork, the way his arms fell gracefully around your waist after yours were linked around his neck. you’d hugged him several times before, you knew of his warmth- but things felt different today. the two of you swayed to the upbeat melody with stupid, giddy smiles. neither of you said a word as the rain started falling faster and harder, the lyrics inaudible at this point.

but that didn’t stop either of you.

suddenly, joshua removed one of your hands from his neck and laced his fingers with yours. he skipped around the car with you while keeping a firm grip on your waist, guiding your movements. the two of you laughed and laughed until your ribs felt tough, until it was hard to breathe. your shoulders were hunched as you held on tighter to his shoulders, bringing yourself closer to him once he finally came to a stop.

neither of you had felt so free in a long time. for that one moment you two abandoned your inhibitions and responsibilities of the real world, everything felt perfect. even something as inconvenient as the rain was beautiful.

you remembered more of the lyrics. up until that moment, you’d never thought about how perfectly they encapsulated your feelings towards joshua. growing up with him and watching him run his free hand through his hair with a firm but gentle grip on the steering wheel, the calming and reassuring presence that he provided in your life, performing any mundane task or saying such beautiful things with such a casual tone.

absentmindedly making me want you.

he really didn’t have to do too much to be the perfect man, did he?

ignoring the nagging thought in the back of your mind about how cliché your actions were, you captured his lips in a gentle, chaste kiss as the rain fell harder around you. you hoped that it would properly communicate to him your true intentions and feelings while words were momentarily lost to you.

joshua, meanwhile, felt as if he was on cloud nine. maybe this trip didn’t go according to plan, maybe there were bumps along the road- but this trip had one thing the one from years before didn’t.

[the-moon-files]

Linked Universe - Masc!Reader Soulmate Quick Headcanons <3

(^^ this is so cute i gotta find the anime its from)

Sun: Male/Masc Reader (he/him), Guide Reader :)

Stars: Wild (Breath of the Wild Link)

Planet: Headcanons/scenarios, kinda long sorry

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: Link possibly feeling comphet (compulsory heteronormative), the general angst of being the best friend love interest (ends well dw), Links missing you/being sad about it

& Trigger Warnings: Link crying. (Please comment if otherwise.)

☆

Wild (BOTW Link)

Ok so we know he was stuck before the calamity following Zelda around

And while in game it seems like he's perfectly accepting of his role as her knight

And maybe could love her or grow to love her

I feel like after the Calamity, and after he meets you, its not possible anymore

It kinda feels like that same way ppl come to realize theyre lesbians??

Like he could've been straight and happy or content (not really, not fully, but in that way that gay women settle for staying with a man, he'd stay with Zelda maybe)

She used to be all he had left really, so maybe out of obligation he'd have stayed, but then he lost his memories.

And what was once a daily duty now became a woman he barely knew halfway across the kingdom, (who creepily randomly telepathically invaded his mind,,)

Link doesn't really realize how he feels until after traveling with you around the entirety of Hyrule, camping, fighting, cooking, eating etc. together, after becoming best friends with you,

Its like how a lesbian realizes they're lesbian bc they could never imagine themselves actually dating/married to a man, at least relying on him for the long term,

Then that sentiment comes in like "i just wish i could stay with my best (non-man) friend forever" kinda way

Like he definitely had the thought "this is so much easier, i wish we could be together forever" <3

So while "dating" you didn't necessarily occur to Link at first bc of heteronormative mindset/general mission of the Calamity Ganons

He quickly breaks out of that a couple months into the journey

Zelda at first may have been the quintessential "princess needing saving" but you were the "best friend love interest all along" type of energy you know?

So when at the end of you guys' journey, you feel the tug to leave, because the adventure's over.. you fully expect to see Zelda running into his arms or something, and turn away

You may be able to accept he loves women (tho how he looked at you and how comfortable he was touching you had you thinking possibly, maybe, hopefully otherwise)

But that doesn't mean you're going to sit here and watch it happen

(You know the games, the Legend of Zelda, this is how it always ends)

Instead, you feel lean but strong arms clamp around your torso

You're lifted up (even if you complain about how heavy you are, and he must be tired)

But Link is just smiling, and spins you around, Zelda is slack jawed in the background and then giggles??

Well, that's sweet, at least he remembered you were here instead of getting absorbed in her

Link practically whips you around, turning you in his arms

You stumble but he's too strong to let you falter in this position

He crushes you to his chest, a whispered "thank you" in your right ear, his breath is warm and ticklish

You awkwardly pat his back, "yeah, of course buddy, glad she's okay, and you're alright, you should get some rest. Oh, and you can have whatever I've got left in my iventory, since I won't be needing it anymore... you know I've gotta go soon."

You feel more see Link jump in shock, he grasps your shoulders (you didn't realize how hot his hands were until they were gone from your back)

You're worried he forgot about the whole "only here for adventures" Guide thing until painful understanding shows in his blue eyes

He immediately looks like the wind got knocked out of him

"Sorry Link, I wish I could stay to rebuild or explore Hyrule with you... but it's not my choice anymore."

You look apologetic but at least you know he won't be alone, that was your entire reason for being a Guide in the first place

But as you begin to fade (which, wow, Hylia really can't spare having you stick around for longer than a few minutes or seconds after Ganon's defeat??)

Link looks, panicked?

Like he's watching the Calamity happen all over again, but unlike in the game, he actually looks overwhelmed and freaked

His calloused hands attempt to grab you in various places, your arms, your waist, your shoulders, hands, just anything he can hold onto

But nothing works and you give him a sad smile, wishing him good luck with Zelda and the kingdom

And a reminder not to push himself too hard, bc you wont be there to stop him anymore

It's only just as the last of your vision fades (like a movie fading to black at the edges and closing in)

That you see him start to cry.

☆

The first few months without you were hard, you had practically been the one constant in his life, afterall he couldn't remember much else so consistent before you

Sure, he had flickers of old memories, old friends, even of Zelda,

But they were special ones, specific moments, not having a routine every evening for who cooks dinner and who does dishes

No memory of someone helping him figure out how to dress himself, or how to shield surf down the best slopes

You were home, the very wilds he's grown to love and adore during his adventure, his house in Hateno was more like a inn he didn't pay for, rather than the warm fire you were sitting beside, lifting a blanket corner so he could curl up beside you

Zelda had understood, thankfully

She'd expected he would be different, memory loss can affect someone like that

But she'd said he seemed, better, lighter

Lighter than he ever was as a knight, even at the happiest she'd seen him

He'd helped some with the castle at first, but seeing how depressed he was, esp after she got other workers or Hylians to help, Zelda had sent him off

Under the flimsy excuse to go officially inform the rest of the kingdoms that she'd been freed and Ganon defeated

Link had unconciously returned to your favorite spots around Hyrule, and it had hurt in a different way to be around stables and have people ask where you were (you were more talkative than he was)

He'd started to avoid civilization unless absolutely necessary for supply runs, and he preferred to do so in disguise late at night..

So when Link's summoned on an adventure yet again to fight a threat so devastating it needs the previous incarnations of him...

He's actually looking forward to it.

Don't get him wrong, he wishes this weren't necessary to defeat the shadow, and he doesn't want anyone to get hurt, but if this is an adventure...

It means he might be able to see you again.

And he's willing to take on Ganon all over again, spend months at a time fighting and mowing down monsters, if it means you're allowed to be by his side once more

(He had tried praying to Hylia, which he didn't do much pre or post calamity usually, but for you he made an exception, and the blonde found that this was the one prayer that he could feel no divine eye turned on him for...? Her presence was practically gone when he prayed for you back)

But at least now, he realizes, he was right.

Thank goodness (not Hylia?) , he was right

Because Link could feel you,

As he'd learned towards the end of his journey, there was an innate 6th sense he had for feeling your presence, the closer you were, the more precise it was, even down to which way you were turned (all without him looking at you)

(He had ignored the strangely giddy feeling that bubbled up in his chest when Impa learned of this trick, and began to tell him, for the first time since his memories about it were gone, about soulmates)

Like familiar paths in Hyrule, he knew where a safe place to sleep was waiting,

You were waiting.

All he had to do was step through the portal, find his fellow heroes, and he knew, you would be there.

☆

This accidentally posted 💀🥲

Welp, i was about ready to post it anyway, hope someone got a kick outta this,

Im slowly gonna add all the Links btw lol

Thanks for reading, hope u enjoyed! :)

Peace Out,

🌙

[oseaflower]

mini analysis on babel stage maps

title: stage description

my thoughts

This goes through the normal and ex stages with the view that the stage descriptions of the normal map correspond to Theresa's journey, the stage descriptions of the ex map correspond to Theresis's divergence and subsequent journey (including the determination to kill Theresa, which is what the ex stage title show by taking the perspective of the assassins sent by Theresis). Someone on twitter made the connection that these were a conversation between the twins. For ease I include the English compilation:

BB-1 Great Aspirations:

I knew this day would come.

The Sarkaz’s ‘great aspirations’ but more specifically Theresa’s, because of the fact that none except her and those who believed in her could even imagine them ever coming true.

BB-2 Where Fate Guides:

Sarkaz [have] never been destroyed by war. We are strong.

INSANE title because neither of the twins believe in fate! Corresponds to the attack on Kazdel and also taking in Ascalon despite the prophecy. While they do not believe in fate they are still somehow GUIDED BY IT. Also can be interpreted as while fate guides the Sarkaz to war, they have never been destroyed and stand strong.

BB-3 Silent Crack:

Today, though, we face the tragic reality of disunity and betrayal.

Crack in the aftermath of rising sentiment against outsiders and non-Sarkaz in Kazdel bc of Babel. This ‘crack’ is not silent at all within Kazdel and the reality of disunity is clear for all but between the siblings, it is silent. 

BB-4 Long Voyage:

There will be no reconciliation. I have never shied away from violence.

A long voyage undertaken precisely because Theresa is aware there will never be any reconciliation.

BB-5 Fires of Uprising:

Some Sarkaz continue to seek a path of peace.

While the fires of uprising blaze, Theresa is dedicated to the ones who still seek peace, as their leader.

BB-6 Flickering Light:

The banner of war flies high in the distance.

The banner of war may cover the light of hope that Theresa brought the Sarkaz, and her light, this hope, flickers behind it weakly.

BB-7 Rising Shadow:

I see the Sarkaz’s desire for vengeance.

The Sarkaz’s desire for vengeance becomes the shadow that swallows the light of hope. 

BB-8 Final Countdown:

If this is your choice…

Both the twins make the choice to take each other out at the same time and that becomes the final countdown. One must die, because Theresa will accept this choice. 

Interpreted these as a sort of speech to Babel, telling them what has happened and why they must leave Kazdel. It is an expression of strength in the face of betrayal, and an assurance that Babel will carve its own path for the ones who want peace, because Theresa sees how there are those who want war and revenge; because Theresa wanted to respect their choice, she will respect even this choice!

BB-9 The Dust Has Settled: I’m sorry, child. This should have been my burden. Self-explanatory. BB-10 Goodbye, Goodbye: Farewell, Doctor. All this should have belonged to you. One’s memories, one’s being, should belong only to oneself. PERSONAL feelings that are only expressed to the people right next to her before death, Amiya and Doctor respectively. There is nothing left for Kal’tsit except for what she said through Amiya. 

Also, this is set in “you the future, take my gifts” because Amiya (the inheritor of her gifts) and Babel are the future that Theresa so carefully sowed the seeds for, becoming the soil that must never be able to watch these seeds bloom. 

Now for the EX stages, the description's of which are Theresis's perspective:

BB-EX-1 Pack Up:

You know that both of us have gone with the tide.

They both know that their people made the choice. Babel must pack up and leave, taking its great aspirations along.

BB-EX-2 Held Breath:

Sarkaz will render judgement with war. We are strong.

Is it fate that guides war to the Sarkaz, or is it the Sarkaz who render judgement through it as the strong must? They are in limbo with held breaths, but no reconciliation is possible anymore.

BB-EX-3 Severed Horn:

From betrayal, vengeance. From destruction, rebirth.

To kill Theresa, to betray her is necessary for the vengeance of the Sarkaz. Destruction is necessary if they are to be reborn, the destruction of both the non-Sarkaz and of Babel. The assassins sever their horns because they recognise their betrayal.

BB-EX-4 Wrapped Shroud:

Violence is the only answer to hatred.

This is Theresis's answer, but is violence the only answer to hatred? The hatred that is the Sarkaz’s own, or the one foisted on them? All hatred becomes the same behind a shroud - much like all dead people are the same underneath one.

BB-EX-5 Through the Wilderness:

Some Sarkaz continue to reproach their king.

And they are listened to, as the assassins traverse the wilderness in reproach of their king. 

BB-EX-6 Over Obstacles:

The roar of war echoes in the distance.

The roar of war passes over any obstacles in its path to come closer, closer, closer.

BB-EX-7 On the Ship:

I hear the Sarkaz’s call for love.

The ship, Babel, speaks of the Sarkaz’s call for love, but it is only when the assassins have made it there in the name of hate. Who listens to the call for love? ALSO ITS ONLY NOW THAT THERESA LISTENS TO THE CALL FOR WAR, AND THERESIS LISTENS TO THE CALL FOR LOVE. LIKE ARE YOU CRAZY.

BB-EX-8 Towards Death:

Goodbye, my enemy. Goodbye, my kin.

If this is your choice… goodbye, goodbye. Go towards death, my kin.

NO EX-9 or EX-10 stages because there are no personal thoughts that Theresis can express to anyone after Theresa’s death. While Theresa died she had Amiya in her arms, but Theresis was alone on the steps of Westhaleg. Also, this is set in “you the past, ward me” BECAUSE THERESIS AND THE SARKAZ WHO WANT WAR ARE STUCK IN THE PAST!!

[saladmix]

can we discuss totmnt? we get a bit more insight into them as characters which is great! i like that donnie & mikey got a bunch more moments to shine! also! leo saying hes nothing without his brothers, raph's insecurities being touched on with the whole "your bros are in danger because *you* couldn't protect them and aren't strong enough" DUDE its the best. i like how this show added some aspects of their rise versions in that way & i enjoy it bc i liked how they were represented there. leo being anxious & insecure as his role of leader, raph's tough/aggressive veneer bc he feels like its his job to be the protector. + those little chunks of info we got from their character descriptions where they say raph is sensitive and "wants someone to talk to." more realistic & less one note for them!

ugh YES! we sure can it's all I want to talk about anyway I sit at my little corporate job answering my little corporate emails but inside I am like DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

Anyway, that's embarrassing! Thoughts below the cut so I don't clog up a dash with spoilers and rambles <3

I'm going to address these in (as Jenny Nicholson says) an internet-friendly numbered list! And also adding that these are just my opinions, as I am but a nobody on a rock floating through space.

Also these thoughts are SO HALF BAKED this is like stream of consciousness if you ask me what I said here I may not remember I'm just living a turtle life.

Leo saying he's nothing without his brothers ugh you are so right that was such good content! This strikes me as such a core Leo trait, maybe not shared across iterations in 100% the same way but I really do see that sentiment under the surface frequently. I found it so charming that in Leo's little re-telling of what happened with Bishop and the ambush, he basically made all of his brother's seem like these useless side fools, bolstering up his own role (even lying and saying he was the one to check out the hologram), but then we quickly see that he doesn't at all feel that way. In fact he feels the opposite, and it just felt like such a young growing teen thing to do, try to make yourself the hero. It's also my personal interpretation of why specifically this version of Leo wants to be a leader so badly! He's not the muscle, he's not the brains, he's not the charm. So what is he? He has to find a way to make himself feel important when he feels like maybe he has no other stand out qualities to contribute. But I also happen to think it's the right role for him! He shows his bravery again and again, and his ability to put together a plan, when other people are in need. He can't seem to muster that same courage for himself yet, that's part of his growth, but for the people he loves he comes out in front. I think TotTMNT did a great job with that aspect. <3

Raph! Raphael! What a lad! I really latched onto Raph in this iteration more than I have in previous ones, I really enjoy how he's written. I've always found Raph's anger across iterations to actually really make sense. Of course he's angry, he's a mutant turtle living in the sewers with no real sense of place in this world and no way to interact directly with it! And Rise Raph, while not displaying that direct explosive rage that Raph is known for, kind of showcases it in the stress and responsibility he feels for his family. Anyway, all this is to say we get both of those aspects here in this version along with the flavoring of what appears to me as some real teenage excitement for a little bit of chaos. And that scene was extremely telling I super agree with you!! I mean Raph sees all of his brothers as little shaking chihuahuas, particularly Leo which was VERY charming to me. He definitely sees himself as the protector, but even more, honestly, I think they do to. I mean Leo basically assumes Raph can handle four mechazoids on his own, he's got a lot of faith in his brother's ability to be that brick wall for them. And even though Leo is still the oldest, I do feel like they brought some Rise Raph energy to his character with how responsible he feels. Typically we see Leo as the character who is two seconds away from blowing his top off with all he takes on, but I see that a lot in Raph here too.

Donnie's interpretation of the ambush actually made me so so sad. Like it was basically how he thinks his family views him, as the one who has to save the day but gets no respect of it and doesn't have the tools to do it. He thinks they view him as this megamind that should be able to handle it because what else is he good for? All the others had flashback sequences that kind of center them as a hero, and while Donnie's did have him the last one standing, it didn't have that same kind of vibe. And in all the brother's flashbacks, we see that while they do see him as this dorky nerd, it's never said with any anger or annoyance. I'd call it more of a silly little fondness. But I think this insecurity is an important aspect of Donnie's character that we see in a lot of iterations. The big change here is that Donnie really does feel like just a kid. He's not out here ready to build high tech weaponry or distill medication. He's just a kid who is into coding! He's still learning! And I really enjoyed that. And in that second arc, we get another taste of how level-headed Donnie can be in a crisis situation, which for me tied back to how in the Mutant Mayhem movie, Leo kept looking to Donnie for help and answers. Leo is a frazzled lil man, and Donnie seems to be his source of stability. So it really did break my heart that this poor sassy and sweet boy thinks his family doesn't value him. It's a different flavor from Raph's and Leo's, both of whom have insecurities but they're mostly internal reflections. Donnie seems to feel that coming from the outside, and has twisted that into his own self-image.

Mikey is such a fun character like what a scene-stealer he's so funny in every part of this show, his VA is K I L L I N G it I find his voice acting so charming as Mikey and it brings such life to the character. But I really love how this version of Mikey is so dynamic. Mikey has always, always been a really dynamic character but I think it was a little more hidden, if you know what I mean. Rise Mikey flipped a big script and I like how this version really feels like a true combo from the rise version of Mikey to the traditional core Mikey energy, if that makes sense. I LOVE....this Mikey. He might be my favorite Mikey ever and I am a huge Mikey fan I am probably the only 2007 Mikey Super Fan out here in the world. Anyway, I love how his episodes had him forcibly shaken out of his comfort zone as lil bro. In the first arc he's suddenly in charge of a whole new mutant and Useless Man of the Year Rod. In the second arc he's got to save a whole store of people and a cat! It's A LOT of responsibility for this lil child! And he does a great job! All while expressing the whole time that he doesn't really know what he's doing, and he's afraid he's going to mess it up. It reminds me a lot of how other version of Mikey were often thought of as the weak spots by their respective families (intentionally or not). It was always Mikey the goof. TotTMNT Mikey is a HUGE goof but he's also got this energy to him that PROVES how I always felt about Mikey: I CHOOSE to be a goof, but I can and will step up if I need to! And it makes sense that he looks up to his big brother, that Leo is the one he tries to emulate in times of stress. When the going gets tough, Mikey has to get going, and Leo is his framework for how to do that.

boy was this a ramble and a half. I just had a lot of thoughts. Was any of this coherent? Jury is still out. Thank you so much for sending this in!! And listening to me ramble. I really agree that this show did a good job of bringing in a lot of different traits from different iterations it's so much fun and leads to really dynamic versions!

[cloutchaserkineme]

wow... just wow...

5:29 p.m. October 9 2024 at my house in a state of spiritual disquiet

I have found another obsession to mull over and it is F1. I have thoughts on this that I cannot articulate at the moment because I am supposed to be writing articles for work but just a very very quick synastry interpretation for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg bc wtf

pictured: natal chart of nico rosberg (left) with unconfirmed birth time; and natal chart of lewis hamilton (right) with alternate rectified birth time on astro dot com

mandatory disclaimer - this is for FUNSIES only, and since they both have unconfirmed birth times and are unlikely to care about this reading, then you shouldn't too. I only want to know how their whole dynamic can be reflected through an astrological lens.

First of all - The Moon-Mars synastry in Cancer means we will never know the extent of the "historical context" fully, because the whole scope and breadth of it is incredibly personal to them. Mars is action and will and drive, Moon is emotion and body and nostalgia (not time, but the sentiment of it). It's like someone holds a knife, and someone has a warm jacket, and they are both standing next to each other. Perhaps, with that combination, you have an unspoken agreement not to hurt each other. Trusting that the knife person won't use it to hurt you. Trusting that the jacket person won't use it to smother you. Trusting that the knife person will use it to carve wood, to peel fruit, to cut cords and hair, for the benefit of the both of you. Trusting that the jacket person will let you borrow it for warmth, to use as a backpack for carrying things, for respite under the harsh sun. Fly under it as flag and banner.

Moon-Mars synastry is incredibly electric. Unless you've been shot by lightning yourself, you will never know the tension of that, the jacket and the knife. The comfort and the pain.

Until of course, one day, when you turn on each other.

LH has a Cancer moon regardless of the birth time, and because it is a planet in its own sign it is powerful. He is also a Full Moon person, with Capricorn Sun and Jupiter, and therefore has a more solid sense of self. He feels things deeply, expansive ego, generous to a fault, but he knows where it ends.

NR on the other hand has three planets in Cancer ruled by Libra Moon, which in turn is ruled by Venus in its own sign in Taurus. A lot of talk, a lot of emotions that have to be packaged pleasantly. NR is the knife person, but he has to compromise in public a lot more than LH. This is a source of pain, because in order for your sense of self to be strong you have to be okay with not pleasing everybody.

LH, while he has more to lose emotionally, has the bigger sense of self. Meanwhile NR has had an upper hand of some sort, but has to follow the rules of something else in order to keep that upper hand.

Astrology is not the place to discuss what ifs. Let us not dwell on the reason as to what that upper hand could be.

(Edited after posting: It's race. The upper hand is race. NR as a white man is inherently at pole in F1, so to speak, since it is an old boys' club type of sport, and he had a background, and the name to go with it. LH was basically working twice as much to get the same recognition until he didn't have to.)

Aside from that, nothing else hits in their charts, aside from the generational planets of Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto- which they share with the other racers of their time and generation.

Sure, there are no more conjunctions or oppositions (aside from LH's Capricorn sun and NR's Cancer sun, which at its most general just means that they are sister signs - two sides of the same coin), but both of them have planets in water and earth signs aside from that Cancer-Cap axis of family and tradition and nostalgia and foundation and recollection.

These water and earth planets- NR's Taurus Venus hungry for the good life and nourishment, LH's Pisces Venus and Mars eager for tradition and exaltation of success, LH's kingly signature of Cap Sun & Jupiter, NR's highly compelling and emotional Cancer Sun, Mars, & Mercury- they all sextile each other, and therefore move with grace, a river with a solid rock bank, an ocean with a tight shoreline.

Since we don't know the houses (and I hope we never will, if only to provide these two with privacy), we don't know what areas of their life the other has poured water into, what areas they have built for each other. Just that it encompassed quite a lot. It was an incredibly supportive energy, and I am sad for LH because the loss of such a grounding energy in the grid must be something else. He has no peers, and while he has friends, he has no best friend. He is old hat at the grid, and these newcomers all have their own histories with each other that he, by virtue of age and a different time, will never relate to.

(Alonso is the closest to getting this sense of melancholy and seriousness within LH, due to him experiencing the breadth of time as well, but Alonso is a Leo- he has an even more solid sense of self than LH. The sun has never needed anybody's permission to shine. Alonso is here for the love of the game- he places his value elsewhere.

But Capricorn Sun and Jupiter is Saturn ruled- while LH now is a king that has rightfully earned his crown, he needed to be crowned in the first place- addressed by others, ranked above, ranked differently. But to be exalted, you have to be set apart from others. And LH no longer has anybody he could call who could understand the path he took to get to the sky without explanation. Earth and Water don't deal well in ephemeral things, cannot express itself easily through words and ideas like Fire and Air do. And the grid right now is hot- all fire and air, all chaos and pushing and rage. Fitting for motorsports. But perhaps not as enduring as a personal legacy, or a shared history.)

F1, as all motorsports are, is heavily Fire and Air. It is gasoline and metal, it is a sport born out of wartime (engine manufacturers didn't know what to do with all this knowledge of machinery, and like boys who grew up uncertain of the fate of their fathers, they decided to take these engines, put it into steel boxes and wheels, and turn war into play). The racetrack brings out the Martian qualities of everyone.

LH has Sagittarius Mercury - the only traditional planet he has that isn't Water or Earth. This is the streak of temper lost- this is the centaur on the hunt, the big picture talker, the goal setter. This is the kid who got into a go kart and knew without a doubt that he would be sitting in it forever, who aimed an arrow at the stars. But Mercury, the planet of hands, messengers- it doesn't like being in big picture Sagittarius, this grand sweeping of all things, this idealism.

And that's where NR comes in. NR has no Fire, but he has two Air planets- Jupiter in Aquarius, and Moon in Libra. LH's Sagittarian racehorse, warsport dreams would've been crushed under the weight of practicality and those-that-came-before, if not for NR's constant feeding of that fire. All that expansive, supportive air- talks of dreams, of not letting down those ideas, of saying "yes, shoot for the stars- I have a map. This would be better if you had a guide. If you saw the map"

Just the same, despite NR being the knife person, he would be stuck forever in thinking mode, all the innovative, crazy, weird ideas and the diplomacy it took- were it not for LH's fire, also prodding it into action. Of saying "fucking stop shuffling your feet and just run and go for it"

It was a beautiful partnership, perfect on paper.

But of course- perfection doesn't exist.

Cancer and Cap are in opposition (two sides of the coin are pressed into the same metal but they are on opposite sides- how will they see each other?).

Libra squares both of them (NR feels friction from this partnership- where is the caution, the compromise, the balance? they worked too well. And LH has both Cap and Cancer= he worked too well, by himself. and where is the justice in that?).

Sagittarius doesn't see Cancer, or Taurus. (for all LH's goal-setting with NR, at the end, it was the stars he was aiming for. if you already have a map then why not take the journey on your own? what are you waiting for, if not to close the gap? if you cannot get with the program then get the hell out of the race track. )

Mars, at the end of it all, is a knife. It works best when it severs.

(30) 6:23 p.m.

[tmwcs]

Masterlist (Not for minors)

- Heeseung-

My Girlfriends Roommate / MGR (1st arc of series) Chapter 1 - Mmkay Chapter 2 - Oooooookaaaaay Chapter 3 - Getting there Chapter 4 - Almost Chapter 5 -Oh damn Chapter 6 - ........ Chapter 7 - Here we go Chapter 8 - Omg theres fluff Chapter 9 - Fluff, fluff, fluff, and fluff. Chapter 10 - OMFG Its finally happening!!! 18+ Only Chapter 11 - ...THE HELL!?!! O...M...G 18+ Only Chapter 12 - DAFUQ!!!? ERMAHGAWD!! JDASHWGEI!!!!! 18+ Only --End-

MGR SMAUS:

Vicky's Roommate

Knowing me, Knowing you Part 1

Knowing me, Knowing you Part 2

Its not enough Part 1

Its not enough Part 2

Frustration

Wont you say my name?

!!!!!!!!Netflix and Chill SMAU should be the very last smau to read after reading all the other smaus (to include in MRE and HHP) because the references in it will be too confusing. I highly recommending reading MGR at the very least before reading this SMAU as well. it's very sentimental and also..there's tension that hits deep that can only be felt once you read MGR. Enjoy.

Netflix and Chill Part 1 - Read after all SMAUS in all arcs first and MGR

Netflix and Chill Part 2 -Read after all SMAUS in all arcs first and MGR

Netflix and Chill Part 3 - Read after all SMAUS in all arcs first and MGR

My Roommates Ex / MRE (Sequel to MGR, 2nd arc of the same series/universe)

Chapter 1 - Oooooh the fluff be strong in this chapter

Chapter 2 - Drama, drama, drama.

Chapter 3 - Let the juiciness commence. 18+ only.

Chapter 4 - This made y'all go crazy a little bit, huh?

Chapter 5 - Don't say I didn't warn you. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter, its one of my favorites actually. (18+ only)

Chapter 6 - Let me know what you guys think of this one. This is the last chapter for this arc, working on the third arc of the same series as we speak along with MT. (18+ Only)

MRE SMAUS:

Olive Juice Part 1

Olive Juice Part 2

Say it again and move with me

What is "it" ??

Send me a selfie or else...

I worship you.

Why are you not answering?

I need you

You really wanna know?

One and Only...

Give and take back

Unknown Number

Group Chat Part 1

Group Chat Part 2

Car Door

His and Her Perspectives / HHP (Sequel to MGR/MRE, 3rd arc of the same series/universe)

Chapter 1 - Yay first chapter! (18+ Only)

Chapter 2 - Heeseung/Ethan POV on you, omg such a beautiful chapter. (18+ only)

Chapter 3 - Just another day in the life of you and MGR/MRE/HHP Heeseung. Only for those that are 18+ older. Adults, enjoy!

Chapter 4 - Enter beotch Tiff, you guys aren't going to like her at all and she is based off of a very unpleasant person that was rude to a friend of mine back in HS. so yeah. 18+ only for this chapter so minors, pass over on this one pls.

Chapter 5 Part(s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. - sorry this is divided into so many parts, tumblr was acting up and would not let me paste anything beyond 1k words at a time for some reason.

Chapter 6 Part(s) 1 , 2, 3, 4,

Chapter 7 -

Chapter 8 -

Chapter 9 -

Chapter 10 Part(s) 1, 2, 3

Chapter 11 Part(s) 1 , 2 , 3, 4 OMG......This chapter i swear to God.

Chapter 12 Part(s) 1, 2 .....aaaah...redemption.

Chapter 13 Part(s) 1 , 2, 3. (Part is adult rated MDNI)

Chapter 14 Part(s) 1, 2, 3. - PLEASE understand that this is a very dark and twisted chapter. Heethan is PISSED and he's not in the right mind and shit just got real. but read the warnings bc Eden even gets back at Tiff....in a very brutal way. (recall her warning to her in earlier chapter when Tiff tried to confront her in the campus building) so please read at your own risk (it's still a good read)

HHP SMAUS:

Come rain or shine

Vegan Food

Good at acting :P

The Sun and the Flower

Ethan's hungry

Jealous

Feeling a little lonely

Freaks

Blood and Carnage

MGR/MRE/HHP One shots

Halloween Part 1

Halloween Part 2 - coming soon

Jealous - coming soon

Needy

Shark Week

Mermaids Tale (New series)

Chapter 1 - Slay! You are the Daughter of the Seven Seas

Chapter 2 - Whoo hoo! Chapter 2! I really like this story guys.

Chapter 3 - Yay its finally here! there's alot to this chapter, please feel free to send anon asks or message me if you need me to explain because alot of historical (made up, mythological) references are in this one.

Chapter 4 - Coming 05/31

Upcoming:

You're a fan. I'm a fan. - One shot (maybe a couple chapters long) but is going to be good. Smut writers, this one is for you guys. (hintity hint hint)

[leftclown]

My favourite hozier songs are in a week and I, carrion. I'd love to know what that says about me

I'm gonna do them all bc I know it's tough to pick a favourite with him. Also I think it's funny because I went on about how most of his songs are not genuine love songs and then you picked three that actually are genuine love songs

1. Obscurity rating (again, the higher the more obscure)

I, Carrion - 2.5/5; One of the more popular songs on Unreal Unearth, I think most people who keep their finger on the pulse would know about this song but it's not one of his hits. A casual listener might know about this song just because it's new and he's gone viral this year. I think if you ask me again in a year or two I may rank it like a 3/5.

In a Week - 2.5/5; This one equals out because anything from his first album (except take me to church) is automatically gonna be a little higher on that scale, but also, this song is like a queer cult classic. All the gays want to lay down in the woods and decompose together.

I Could be Yours - 5/5; I mean admittedly I didnt even know this one existed. It's an unreleased song so I dont think you can get more obscure than that :^)

2. My assumptions about you

I don't want want to get invasive but dude you're like pinemaster 5000. Prince of Pining. You might pine more than Hozier himself.

All of these are incredibly romantic songs and they all convey like...honestly a submissive position compared to the subject of his love. So I do kind of assume that in a relationship you take on the role of service, your primary love language may even be acts of service. I think that you maybe pine for the kind of relationship where you serve and the other protects, built on mutual respect and not a power imbalance, because there are plenty of love songs of his that explicitly talk about toxic or abusive or imbalanced situations but these are not it. The fact that you are drawn to these shows an appreciation for gentleness in love. And Devotion.

It did not escape my notice either that 2/3 of these songs have to do with death/dying/being a corpse. I don't know what to make of that besides that you have an affinity for death and morbidity (affectionate-- I do too).

3. My Opinion

I, Carrion - It's a really beautiful song, it is one of those that I expect to hit me a lot harder than it does now. This happened with de selby pt 1 where when I first heard it I didnt care for it and then one day, I started crying while listening to it.

In a Week - CW for pettiness; I don't like this song very much, but for admittedly dumb reasons. Its undeniably a beautifully macabre song with strong vocals and good lyrics, so I can appreciate it from an artistic standpoint.

However, there was a period of time before Wasteland, Baby came out that Hoziers queer listeners were like "Hozier is a sapphic icon let's go rot in the woods together". Its 100% peoples rights to feel that way and I understand why they do but I, a gay man, have never felt sapphic once in my life. This song was the exemplary standard of what people expected from Hozier at that time, and it was so strongly associated with sapphic feelings by its reception that I just never cared for it.

I Could Be Yours - You are actually the person who introduced me to this song, and I fuckin love it. Granted, when I was younger I serenaded my husband during our courtship with the song "I Wanna be Yours" by Arctic Monkeys....very much the same sentiment I think. That may also be why he has never released a studio version of it. I love that its folksy, but I would also love to see what he'd do with it in a studio. I just love love love songs that he hollars in.

[akkivee]

Penny for your thoughts, but I'm wondering if the upcoming Kuko angst is going to be related to him getting true mic'd. Like one of the first things he establishes way at the beginning the importance of making your own choices, and how he wonders if coming back to Nagoya when he did was right or not, but is the choice he made. But he didn't. And like immediately finding out he complains of being shrouded in doubt during "when six colors combine" drama track.

i like where your head’s at!!!!!! love it actually lmao!!!!!!

idk how to try and support your ideas without breaking down each and every verse lol, but i’ll try to keep it short. i think in this song preview, we listened to kuukou question everything he believes in, but as the song further and further progresses, we see him reassert his beliefs and give them focus, quite literally saying to never waver again. what set that off is the big question and i do think it’s linked to that very verse

the only time he’s ever mentioned such a sentiment is towards ichiro actually; ichiro always wavered in his heart and it’s the one thing kuukou could not stand about ichiro, so there’s potential it could be about ichiro

but this is a bat track lol and besides, ichiro and kuukou are very similar people. what he hates in ichiro could be actually reflective of something he hates in himself for a past choice we aren’t privy to, or even that very ‘choice’ to have left ikebukuro

as for it being bc of true hypnosis mic thought, i don’t see why it couldn’t be!!!! esp since kuukou himself didn’t sound very happy with the way he was called strong for breaking free out of the true hypnosis mic in the six colours track. if he needs maybe we’ll get some insight as to how kuukou broke out of the true hypnosis mic???

something that caught my eye while looking over the lyrics was that both he and hitoya have a similar verse about ‘illusions,’ hitoya plans to unravel its lies and kuukou’s is about how those illusions became reality. idk lol!!!!! that kinda sounds like a nod to the true hypnosis mic to me!!!! plus!!!! we had hitoya accompany ichiro, jakurai and gentaro’s block party mission to find out about the hypnosis mics, so that gives bat another connection to the hypnosis mic lore, as small as it is rn lol

on kuukou’s end, he true hypnosis mic had the power to strip away the value of choice. kuukou’s talked about how the hypnosis mic can change your fate in glory or dust and fate for kuukou is directly linked to choice. choice affects karma and depending on the karma you accumulated in life would affect how kuukou faces the buddha at the end of his life. so where does a choice like his actions the true hypnosis mic made him do fall under??? what’s that karma???? maybe it’s why kuukou’s thinking at some point in this song that his heart’s conviction isn’t enough, as evidenced by that verse ‘even when closed, with unwavering resolve in our hearts / this belief itself extinguishes like a flame,’ if his will had been strong enough in the first place, maybe he wouldn’t have succumbed to it is his thought process and that’s very harsh for kuukou to put onto himself lol

and lastly lol, about hirono-san uncharacteristically tweeting about kuukou it was def a hint lol 🤭 our first hint was hayama-san’s post and pic with bimi in may, the second was hirono-san’s kuukou bday tweet and the third was the fact kuukou’s sukajan was falling off the exact same way hirono-san liked to strip tease and then, hirono-san posting that very pic himself after the drop lol

[thepringlesofblood]

so. i watched the trailers for the A:TLA live action netflix series. i went in expecting nothing, and I gotta admit some parts look intriguing. the casting, the set, the bending, the costuming, all look pretty cool. not a big fan of the cgi or how it always seems to be the dead of night in the fire nation, but i was considering watching the first episode at least, out of curiosity and mild respect.

then I saw Zuko's scar.

I thought well, it is really dark, I should wait to get a better look at it before totally freaking out.

are. are you kIDDING ME?

[important: I know nothing about this actor, this aint a dunk on him, I doubt he had a lot of input into his makeup.]

for reference, here is zuko in the OG show.

zuko’s scar isn’t a fucking bad eyeshadow job. His ear is half-melted. It takes up like 1/4-1/3 of his face. It’s not just his eye - it’s his cheekbones, it’s his forehead, it’s all down the side of his head, boy should not have a second eyebrow! I swear to god if they spend their money animating each individual hair on appa but don’t bother to get something as iconic and central to the series as zuko’s scar right? it'd be like messing up Spock's ears, except real-life people don't have Spock ears and struggle with how they are perceived by society because of it.*

*that I know of. maybe there's a secret Spock ears genetic condition I don't know about in which case I apologize

also... there was this bit. we get a quick flash of this shot

ok, we know this shot. we've seen this shot. it's the agni kai where zuko gets his scar. note the relative positions of the two people, and what the floor looks like.

then a little later, we get this shot

it's clearly the same scene. it's ozai burning zuko. but. why is there fire on both sides of zuko? it looks like he's deflecting it. like he's fighting back.

it. it is so so so important for zuko's arc and character growth that he refuses to fight his father in his first agni kai. he shows mercy when ozai does not. he is a child - he does not think to defend himself against his own father. throughout his whole arc, the whole show, but most especially season 1, it is so important to remember that the last time he showed mercy and humility, he literally got burned. that's why he's so aggressive and angry and scared and defensive.

so. why is he defending himself? is this why his scar is less pronounced? because they decided to mess with established history?

maybe we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say this is a different agni kai, or zuko re-imagining how it could've gone, or something, but like. why choose to show this then?

further rant below the cut bc its very long I haven't felt righteous fury this strong in a while

I just. I personally don’t have a facial scar or birthmark or anything, but when Hollywood sugarcoats or makes them look less “gross” or “obvious” it’s a real fuck you to people out there who do have obvious scars, birthmarks, differences, that don’t fall into the neat lines of what is considered “presentable” by the film industry. It’s important that it’s not downplayed bc then the people who see themselves in the original get betrayed by the adaptation that tells them they’re not pretty enough or that they’re “too much” to be seen on tv in live action.

Excuses I have seen thus far (mostly on reddit admittedly)

“They didn’t want to make it look too gruesome so that kids would want to watch it too" Think about that sentiment for 10 seconds, and tell me what it says to people out there who have scars like this. Are they too “scary” to be seen by children? Is their existence automatically PG-13? Something horrible and uncontrollable happened to zuko, and because of that, his life and body are irrevocably changed. People with scars like his who related to and felt seen by his representation and the way he struggles with acceptance, both by himself and by others, will receive the message that can only happen for people with less “gruesome” scars than that. Seriously.

“Of course it’s going to look different in real life vs in animation” Yes, it will. I’m not talking about the appearance of the burn necessarily, but the extent of it. The new series has it limited mostly to his eye. His ear and eyebrow are unaffected, as are his cheekbones and forehead. That is not the case in the animated show. I’m not expecting a big monochrome pink and purple blotch like there is in the OG show - animated visual shorthand is different from live action. But it should look like burned skin. And it should be as extensive as it was - it goes over his ear and eyebrow, and partway down his cheek. the whole point of it is that it’s big and unavoidable and horrifying, and that zuko was a 13 year old kid who didn’t deserve it, but now is stuck with it. That’s war. That’s what ozai is capable of.

“The makeup would be too hard” It really wouldn’t, especially not for something as important to the series as this. Zuko’s scar is central to ATLA as a whole - a symbol of the cruelty of his father and the fire nation, and more importantly his survival and eventual resistance to it. Even if it did take extra time to apply, which I don’t think it would, I’d say it’d be worth it. I’ve seen cosplays and Halloween costumes [and this excellent fan film] without access to a professional makeup and prosthetics team that looked closer to show accurate than what they’ve currently got going.

Let me also point you to examples of both comparable and much more dramatic makeup/prosthetics used regularly (as in every episode, every week, for many years) on 2 shows with smaller budgets, older technology (as in, from the 1990s), and many more seasons: Star Trek: the next generation & ds9

trust me. they can do it. this is a choice.

“What it if made it hard for him to act?” See above for examples of other actors in much more dramatic prosthetics crushing it.

"Well at least it's better than the other live action adaptation"

that CANNOT be the bar we measure things by. standing still and doing nothing is also better than getting brained with a shovel: that doesn't mean it's good.

"He has darker skin than the animated Zuko. the burn probably blends in more."

that's not how burn scars work. it's not just a darkening of the skin - the skin itself is fundamentally changed in texture and color. and again, even if the burn has a different general appearance, it should at least be as big and extensive as it is in the OG show, and it's clearly not.

“They probably didn’t want to shave his eyebrow” No, really I saw this as a point on a Reddit post. Drag queens and cosplayers have been making their eyebrows disappear and reappear for decades without access to a professional makeup and prosthetics team. He’ll be fine I swear.

[lalalian]

i don’t remember if you said you’d elaborate on this or not, but can we get some more information on eudora’s government system?

HI SO I FORGOT TO POST THIS 😭😭😭 I looked over this and I’m pretty sure it’s bc of the grammar mistakes.. I went through it again to edit them out!

Again I’m rlly sorry I didn’t upload this sooner 😭😭

(Hello hello, I’ve edited some of the names back to what they were originally in my brainstorming document, the names were changed in this post *in it’s first form* because I couldn’t find the info abt this part of the gov in my brainstorming document, I completely forgot that I included them in the filled script! Names should now line up with the quote in my filled script… sorry about that yall!)

hihi!

I don't know if I did or not either, but I'm happy to do so!

Eudora has a unique government in comparison to other kingdoms and empires. Why? It’s because Eudora has a three-court system (sound familiar?) rather than a monarchy. Why choose this court system over a monarchy? Well, the monarch would literally have to make the final say on everything in a monarchy. This would be completely unreasonable for an Empire as large as Eudora.

Not only that, but Eudora shifted to this system due to three founding values, fairness, transparency, and strength.

Fairness

Similar to our government, Eudora's three court system foundation represents the virtues of the people. You may have seen that there's a noble etiquette class, but isn't the existence of nobles the definition of unfair...? Nobles were perceived differently than other kingdoms and empires; the traditional sentiment was that nobles were there to serve the common people. Everybody has a role, and everyone's role is important. Nobles could not function if the lower class refused to work. Nobles received a lot of money because ruling over land isn’t necessarily a simple task; a duke would have to be meticulously trained to be able to manage their land to avoid mistakes. Mistakes with this kind of job can lead to devastating tragedies.

In the present day, many nobles strive to embody this ideology, but do they really believe in such sentiments? Or do they want to appear as if they do?

I did mention that dragon riders are sacred, right? Well, only higher-tiered riders are. Even S-ranked riders born non-noble are often disrespected in newspapers and balls.

Transparency

Eudora has faced many issues with transparency. Former monarchs ordered for many of the Empire's major libraries to be burned to the ground simply for slander or even criticism of innocuous ideologies that contrasted with their own; another monarch encouraged the high nobles to hide the ingredients to the antidote of a fatal disease from the poor during a plague… I'm sure you'd know the aftermath of that kind of bullshit...; one of the earliest monarchs lied about the nature of magic to benefit from the power of the poor (similar to the book A Court so Cruel and Lovely).

All of these events led to a strong desire for transparency between the government and its civilians.

How was this quality implemented? Way more people are involved in court; having so many people in the government means more mouths, and there's bound to be at least one person with loose lips. These political gatherings are oftentimes (not always) public. Journalists often attend these meetings (anyone can attend).

In the last few decades, the western border has been relentlessly attacked by creatures no one's ever seen before. The government has been investigating this dilemma for quite a while now, but not a single detail has ever really been revealed to the public. Are the courts still upholding this virtue?

Strength

A large population comes with an increased chance of having dragon riders born in the empire. Dragon riders are an extremely valuable asset-- more dragon riders usually always make an army stronger. Over the years, Eudora cultivated the most prestigious dragon rider academies. This is where the fairness quality comes in (once again). Eudora passed a law around 40 years ago that allowed for riders from other kingdoms and empires to attend their rider academies if they had a scholarship. There are two ways of obtaining a scholarship, one is to be rich and buy one, and the other is to pass a series of trials. This is also why parents are desperate to have their children learn how to fight in some kind of way early on in childhood.

Riders have become the symbol of strength, and an abundance of riders comes with the value of power. With the continuous attacks degrading the Western Front, is power still going to be associated with Eudora in the future?

Now that we've gotten the probably really unnecessary values of the government system and its hypocrisy aside, let's get into the more interesting parts. The Courts.

The Court of Scales

The Court of Scales, also known as the Court of the Blindfolded, is Eudora's justice court. The Court of Scales can be broken down further into two types of courts, the Court of Crimson and the Court of Amaranth. A Crimson Court hears criminal cases and an Amaranth Court hears civil cases; there are plenty of these courts scattered around the empire. You can apply for your case to be re-heard once to a different court, but it needs to be approved for a second hearing beforehand. The Court of Scales acts as the Supreme Court, except more precautions are made. You affirm to the High Justice (the judge hearing the trial) and Themis, an artifact in the shape of a woman wearing a blindfold and holding a scale, that you will only speak the truth.

This artifact has the power to tell whether someone is lying or not and is usually used to verify if a witness is lying. If they do lie, the scale closest to the person tips down, symbolizing the heavy weight of a lie.

(Does that make sense...? If a person situated to the right of the room lies, the right side of the scale tips down.

Breaking the oath results reduces the validity of the witness's statement, but the trial still goes on. Sometimes, the judge will decide to hide the statue, but there will be a person that supervises the statue the entire time to document any lies.

The Court of the Olive Branch

Known as the Court of Pillars in the northern regions of Eudora.

The High Sovereign and the ruling family are apart of this court. The High Sovereign is a hereditary position. Similar to a king, the current High Sovereign chooses who will become the next High Sovereign. The heir to the throne is almost always direct offspring.

The High Sovereign has the right to declare war (needs to be approved by the Court of the Olive Branch beforehand), attends ceremonial events, appoints the head of other courts (including the court of thorns, I’ll talk about this court in another post), and is part of the consul. Should the High Sovereign die, if an heir hasn’t been officially chosen, the next oldest sibling of the High Sovereign will assume the throne.

The Court of the Quill

Law making court, it’s also known as the Court of the Public in the northern regions of Eudora.

All dukes are apart of this court.

This court is mostly public, but all consul meetings are private. Consul meetings only consist of all the dukes in the Eudora Empire. They make their most important decisions in the Room of Consuls, and are (likewise) referred to as consuls. Why the room-specific title change? The idea is to take the power away from the dukes, and to decide on things without the pressure of each other’s titles. Despite the fact that everyone is supposed to be on the same playing field in this room, there’s still that power struggle between every consul member, including the High Sovereign (who is essentially the ‘president’). But aren’t most of the members dukes? Yeah, they are. But dukes with more land or more wealth tend to hold more power. Disputes between other consuls can lead to inner turmoil within the empire, including refusing trade with each other and even war. There is always an odd number of consuls; if another kingdom joins the Empire, they’d have to split their land in half. Two dukes would join as a result of the spilt, keeping the number of members odd.

The member count is always odd to make in-voting easier.

Consul only meetings are always private, but meetings with other people including consuls are often public.

Each ducal household tends to uphold a way of thinking, creating two ‘parties’. I wouldn’t really say they’re parties honestly, but it’s similar. In Eudora, these two sides are called factions.

One side is prefers to uphold the empire’s founding values. This side is referred to as The Traditionalists.

The other wants to veer away from it. This side is referred to as The Radicals.

It’s important to note that the members in each faction do not all support the same principles, but they do tend to have a similar central value.

For example, Miaene’s father is apart of this court. He is part of the Traditionalist faction.

More on this in another ask abt government!

[vanibear]

Genuine question: do you think people are more likely to paint sora as (emotionally) naive, rather than a more book-dumb kind of way? like being too trusting of people, that kind of thing

ahaha anon So i kind of accidentally wrote an essayish in response, but it ended up moving on from ur question to expanding on thoughts i have abt characterizations of sora, oopsie 

but TLDR: To answer your question anon, i actually think its about equally both, and i think perceiving him with a lack of emotional maturity can bleed into perceiving him with a lack of intelligence; sentiments like friends as your power and leaving no one behind can seem naïve and irrational if one doesnt think that sora comprehends his odds and still chooses to proceed because his heart believes it is right. while sora does have a ways to grow emotionally, especially in regards to his own feelings, i dont think that he lacks knowledge when it comes to relationships and understanding others emotions, which is actually rather his strong suit. i also think that sora is generally very smart, and just dont quite understand why people portray him as not quite being so

~ the aforementioned ramble ~ ooo good question ! hm. i think more often i notice people characterizing him in a book dumb sort of way, but honestly that could be bc it bugs me more. however, we dont know if sora did well in school or not/what level of education he got, so instead of a strictly textbook smart sense, i see it more as a lacking the characteristics of someone who is book smart sense? basically, people painting him as airheaded, oblivious, or not very eloquent; i think especially with jokes or complicated subjects going over his head. but, if you look at his dialogue (and, while this is more subjective, puzzles and challenges he has to overcome in the gameplay), thats usually not the case? hes delivered plenty of introspective and articulate lines; hes witty, sarcastic, and even sometimes rude; hes incredibly adaptive and resourceful considering the situations he’s thrown into, and hes a quick learner, as shown by his keyblade skills.

however, i think some of these perceptions do come from how he is a very emotionally driven person. he follows his heart and is loyal and trusting to a fault, and that can cause him to take actions that seem impulsive, illogical, and naïve. however, i think sora is very knowledgeable of emotions because of how he connects with people. he’s incredibly empathetic and understanding of others and has made friends with nearly everyone he meets because of that; which i believe is an incredibly difficult accomplishment. while his feelings can lead to mistakes, they are also his greatest strength; he will try his best to fix those mistakes. where i believe he really struggles is in processing his own emotions.

and on that, sora is pretty self-deprecating, and laughs off a lot of things, which sometimes can cover up just how talented he is because even he denies it. i think that oftentimes, sora himself believes that he’s dumb, or lesser in comparison to others, which can lead to people taking that at face value if they dont look deeper

however. sora is still a cheerful and silly guy, and thats an important part of his personality too! he is an energetic, optimistic teenage boy who really just wants to have fun with his friends and thinks that everyone should have a happy ending.

sora has a lot of different dimensions to him, but unfortunately characters that have a seemingly cheerful disposition and noble motivations that come off as idealistic can often get sanded down to being stupid because they’re seen as too naïve to understand the gravity of their situation.

to clarify, i dont think that soras never been dumb. keyboard (and keyblade) smashing is probably not the best idea if a computer isnt working. but, in my opinion, i think sometimes we dont give sora enough credit in our depictions of him, and tend to exaggerate certain qualities of his while forgetting others

[maybevillage]

oh my god i am so glad you liked ardbert he is one of my all time favorites in ffxiv. by the way. if you level up a healer, a tank, a physical dps, and a magical dps, you can do these quests where you learn more about him and his little crew. it's a lot of work but just thought i'd put that out there. emet-selch is a great character! i felt like by the end of shb, he was waiting to die, like he was at this impasse where he was too tired to carry out the ascian goals anymore, but his sense of duty forced him to. so what better way to die then to let this tiny insignificant scrap of azem kill him? this scrap that has finally proven itself worthy. anyways, i love hearing your thoughts about the game!

YEAHHH

they really made ardbert so sentimental. it was a nice thing to do w his char T_T also i did the tank one w granson my bestieeee. and youre right it was kicking my ass. only one of them is mandatory to complete shadowbringers at least but i do want to do the others...i did not realise how much they'd be incorporated into post but oh well its okay......... also somehow i did not pick up at all that that's who emet-selch saw in you help i just completely missed that during the time hythodaelus (idr how to spell their name but i am not looking it up) gives you the crystals bc i know they mentioned azem but i was just like ok whoever that is and moved on.....lol my brain......agggghhhh....! he's such an interesting character i hate it GRRRRRRR

and you're so right oh my god... i sure do love characters that just seem like they're waiting to die....... the sense of duty being so strong and almost impersonal i really like. i like that a lot about elidibus too.

anyways i'm happy you think so! i enjoy talking about this game!

[aloisapologist]

tell me your alois head canons :)))

ohhhh you are so so so kind to me okay

gonna stick mostly w modern day headcanons bc I’ve covered a lot of my canon era headcanons in my fic so

- his music taste varies WILDLY. he listens to a lot of female rap artists but he is a doja stan till the end, hes also big on kacey musgraves, glamrock music, and for childhood sentimentality (and also Bc her music fucks) lorde. he’s not much for pop punk but likes the occasional paramore, and enjoys Sidney Gish quite a bit !

- he has no active opinion on taylor swift (except light disdain) but will clown on ciel until the day he dies for liking her music. he respects reputation era bc he thinks its camp (and he’s right) (but he does secretly really like don’t blame me)

- following up on the lorde thing, ‘the love club’ is SUCH an alois song To Me. listen to it and join me in understanding

- okay enough about music, he is very into the y2k trend. he is a menace on thrift stores for this reason. (ciel will not touch him when he’s wearing thrifted clothes until they’ve been washed at least 5 times). his other style inspo is Harley Quinn in birds of prey. you know that one outfit? w the pink top and the caution tape jacket? that’s how he dresses

- he gets a strong following on tiktok when he’s a bit too young to, and after processing a lot of the shit in his life, quits social media entirely for a year or so, and eventually returns with a well-curated instagram and an occasional youtube where he makes longer-form content (gothic novel reviews, rants about shitty YA books, hauls and try-one, videos where he drags in Lizzie — popular in her own right — and Ciel — literally no non-business online presence — to play video/card games w him). his youtube doesn’t do a tenth of the numbers his tiktoks did but he’s happy enough !

- he actually Can drive! he is not good at it by any means, and is as aggressive as any jersey driver, and has absolutely terrible road rage, but ciel refuses to get a license and lizzie is a bit inattentive, so alois is often the one driving

- Lizzie and Alois besties in every single universe. concept for a modern au where Lizzie and Ciel share an apartment in college and Lizzie brings home her new friend she met at the doja cat concert and oh fuck it’s that guy who tried to kill me when we were 13.

- alois gets a rescue pitbull as an esa and her name is peaches. he takes some warming up to the amount of clean up (and dog slobber) but eventually comes to love that dog with everything he is

- his favorite movies include: velvet goldmine, wolfwalkers, but im a cheerleader

- he has transfem swag

- once he’s processed most of his problems, he learns to vent his more sadistic tendencies by being absolutely cruel to his sims (his sim world is fascinating)

- he always orders the weirdest ice cream flavor on the menu. this was once cicada ice cream with real cicadas. he very much enjoyed it

my final and most important headcanon:

- it takes time and it takes work, and it is not always perfect, but he gets to a place where he is, overwhelmingly, happy

[space-prophet]

Hey since PJO was apparently one of the most talked about book series this year I wanted to make like a really simple post about an issue I've had with the series since I was a kid. Spoiler warning for up to the Trails of Apollo I think.

Rick Riordan sees very little power in any form of femininity and its pretty obvious. All of his female leads/supporting cast that are GOOD activly reject it and any girl who shows that side of themselves is activly demonized- ei Piper is the best in Aphrodite cabin bc somehow the goddess of love almost only gave birth to vindictive bitchy airheads who break hearts on purpose. Selena, the most feminine "good" character let's her emotions get the best of her and it kills both herself and the man she loves. Biancas sentimentality gets her killed. Zoe is kicked away from her family, Calypso and Echo are tragically abandoned time and time again, and characters like Gaia Circe and Medea are all feminine villians who seem to have no real personality aside from traits of either motherhood or suduction. Even Hera in the confines of the story is demonized worse then Zues and motherhood in general isn't something most of the characters can do even half competently. Annabeths step mom, Hazels mom, and the Grace's mom come to mind immediately. Leo, Frank, and Percy's moms are the only non-demonized motherly figures and they all sacrificed everything about themselves for thier children (this will come up later).

Femininity in the riordanverse is equated to helplessness, ficklness, and vanity when in reality thats...well that's just misogyny, baby. We're either lead to look at the feminine women in the story with contempt or pity.

We are never asked to sympathize with Hera, Demeter, Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Kihone, Gaia, or any of the other women on Olympus in the same way we are narrativly forced to pity Apollo Hermes or Posideon through the storys language and structure. The only goddesses we are not actively in contempt with seem to be Athena (who is a well written flawed character in her own right) and Artimes who just serves as a basic girl boss no boys allowed figure.

And once a girl is no longer needed for a storyline they get shafted HARD and either die or go solo in a "I need no man" form of feminism. Once Thalia is done threatening Percy's manhood and role in the prophecy she runs off with the hunters as to not get in the way, Rachel is turned into the oracle who can't date anyone so Percy doesn't have to make a decision, Reyna (my poor girl) also becomes a hunter for some fucking reason (I could go on about this but I wont), and Zoe, Hazel, Bianca, and Selena all die horribly as the cost of thier own mistakes- theres an implicit theme of female sacrifice for the greater good (most often the good of a male character) that's present here. Bianca dies for Nico, Hazel for Sammy, and Selena for the memory of Charles.

Of course there are really well written girls in PJO, but there is an overarching problem with the way "Strongly Written Female Character" alwsys seems to equate to "I'm not like other girls, so im strong" and the way that girls are activly written in a way that leaves them supporting and caring the burdens of their male costars. It's not entirely Rick's fault of course he's an old man I don't expect him to write 12 year old millennial girls with skill, but it is something that gets me about his work and has since I was that age myself. Sorry if this wasn't as coherent as I wanted it to be, It's late and I'm not going to proofread this bc it's PJOblr.

TERFS DNI 💖