#because they haven’t had any real meaningful connections with other people in a long time

[chickenchirps27]

More “nightguard” (mercenary) Y/N shenanigans !!!! Y/N’s a mercenary hired to find and incapacitate Vanny before she can become more of a threat to the higher up’s sales and plummeting reputations

Y/N is someone trying to start a new life while running away from their past. But they really weren’t actually making any meaningful progress until they lower their guard and try to make friends instead of self isolating

[cowboyjen68]

hi jen! i’ve been following you for a very long time, and i haven’t considered myself lgbt in any way (i just think you’re the coolest), but i’ve had a bit of a strange experience this year — i seemingly fell completely in love with this friend of mine, this strong and kind and beautiful woman. we’ve always had a very close and special friendship, and she’s basically everything i’ve ever wanted. like i said i’ve never felt something for another woman before, but she makes me feel really special. she makes me feel like i’ve never felt before. and it’s kind of been weighing on me, because the experience of loving her has been so much more enormously positive and joyous for me than the experience of loving any man i have in the past. and it makes me feel kind of comfortable to love her and be a woman with her. so i feel conflicted. obviously i know i don’t have to (or can’t?) redefine my whole identity because of this one experience, but it feels so special and different and right

Hi. I know our culture ( including the LGBT+ culture) pushes this notion that we must pick one and go crazy with it. Get the tattoos, hang up a flag, wear all the shirts. It seems everyone if very keen on making sure everyone has a tight grasp on their sexuality and must them immediately and head first dive into whatever they perceive as that "community".

The real facts are, humans are complex but in a world less full of constant information about sexuality and attraction and whatever other kind of boxes people seem to NEED us to fit perfectly in, sexuality would be simple. We would grow, learn, experience things and eventually understand what fulfills us and who we are truly sexually and emotionally able to bond with in a meaningful way.

Some of us figure it out early. Perhaps we can push aside the noise or we had good role models who gave us space to explore while setting healthy examples. Some of us just need experience and time. Others go through life not really caring to name their sexuality beyond the moment or relationships they are currently experiencing.

Being a lesbian I can't speak for or understand bisexuality except knowing that I have a firm sexuality and know understand who I am attracted to and why. So my best guess is any sexuality is like that, straight, bi, gay etc. It takes time and life experience to figure things out and bisexuality is often sort of either placed as a blanket on people as in "all people are a little bisexual"--(They ARE NOT) or " if you are bisexual you are probably just gay". Both bullshit information that is out there more than it deserves to be. SO hearing those things women who meet another woman who piques her interest think "I am straight, it is just this one time and it probably isn't real" OR " was i wrong all these years about men and I am really a lesbian". Being bisexual is lovely and powerful because you get to explore both sides of the human experience in a meaningful way.Being attracted to men and women should be celebrated as a unique way of experiencing the world.

Bisexuality is a real thing, Even if it is one special woman that wakes up that feeling and it never happens beyond that, enjoy that emotion and connection. You can decide if you would like to be "out" or not on either side of that relationship. It is up to you.

I hear later in life lesbians say similar things to what you say and there is a push in our society to be straight because that is the default, the majority of people are straight. It is up to you if you want to weigh the connection you have had to men and how you feel about this woman and decide if you past relationships were more based on what you though you were supposed to be doing and less informed by your true attraction and needs. In retrospect you might realize that all along your "attraction" to men was superficial, a duty or role you thought you had. It is okay to explore that. Don't worry to much about either label and it is okay to be wrong.

I believe it is not our sexuality is not what changes but, with time and experiences, our understanding of it does.

[dawnlotus1]

(I originally wrote this as a infodump for friends who haven’t seen it yet and that’s why it’s so vague and spoiler adverse but sure yeah tumblr can have it too)

Thinking about the ways the Bitb boys did and did not keep in touch,,,

It ended up being a long post so putting it below a cut 👍

I think Kian tried to keep in touch the most, like Grizzly mentions in the discord, Kian doesn’t feel cared for or loved out in Hollywood with only his therapist seeming to actually care a bit about him in any meaningful way. Nobody actually cares about him it’s all connections and shallowness even with the nicer and well meaning celebrities. His dream in his eyes failed even though he’s making crazy money as a stocks broker, he feels like a phony not living his true life that he promised for himself and that he wasn’t able to make his rock star dream a reality. He misses Becky. He wonders why she never came up to meet him like she promised. He still wonders if she’s still coming and still manages to think she’s just somehow 10 years late. He misses his friends. He would leave voice mails to Rand and Rolan with very short like one sentence “what’s up?” And maybe a joke, and on the occasions they picked up they would chat and laugh but it would always end up with Rolan or Rand pushing the conversation to be about whatever Kian was doing in Hollywood because, obviously his life is the best and most entertaining right? So Kian would give them a story, most of which was true as he still got around, and the rest weren’t lies but padding to get around questions that might show how he truly felt or how his daily life actually looked. He would find anything to talk about that would get a laugh out his friends, the people who were supposed to really care for him and the care that he needed but was paranoid that they too were going to grow distant and their knowledge of each other would get too wide with their time apart and soon he wouldn’t know the true them and they wouldn’t know the real Kian anymore and he would be totally truly unknown to those around him again.

Rolan would talk a bit about his own personal life, and would always find some way to construct it so it sounded like he was justifying everything he did. Because if he couldn’t communicate to someone else that he knew what he was doing how could he fool himself? How could he fool himself enough to keep going and fool everyone else that he deserved his job and his life and leaving everything behind?

Kian would bring up Galloway all the time for nostalgias sake and because it was something they both experienced and could talk about, but it always made Rolan uncomfortable. He couldn’t tell Kian that he missed it because then why did he leave. Why did he flee that town and everything he had in the dead of night with the clear intent to everyone left there he was escaping them. And he couldn’t tell Kian he hated it either because it was their old life, the one they had together and Kian loved it..and so does Rolan. He knows he loves his old life but he cannot look it in the face and cannot take his eyes off the present or he will crumble under his own mountain of questions he puts off answering for himself. And so he constructs a life where it’s all going well for him and Kians feeds him back a life where it’s all going well for him too and both are deeply saddened because they know that’s not telling the full truth and that their friend is no longer telling them everything.

Rolan and Rand do not talk, sometimes they receive information about each other through Kians calls and gossip or on very rare occasion some kind of too-formal-they-don’t-know-why-they-said-it-that-way call or voicemail. Rolan blocks out a lot of The Event and he associates it heavily with Rand even tho he wishes he didn’t. He knows Rand went though a similar thing he did, and he feels really guilty for not being there for Rand but can’t decide when he should try to be there for him, if it’s too late. He still has a lot of feelings he hasn’t figured out about Rand and whenever he tries to untangle them it hurts, he feels Rand resents him.

Rand feels like he’s losing a grip on everything. It’s all slipping out of his hands and he’s becoming more and more pessimistic about his own effort to hold on, a cycle looping to make it worse out of guilt and shame and self loathing. Some days he picks up the phone desperately when someone reaches out only to not know what to say, and other days he lets it ring and ring and just thinks about allll he wishes he could say.

Sometimes when he spares a word with Rolan he find himself slipping and often has to hang up before he ends up lashing out or saying something hurtful that he wouldn’t be able to fix halfway across the country when they don’t know when they will talk again, so he ends up shutting his mouth tight to keep his emotions in. Rolan doesn’t know what to do with this and after a couple of awkward ha-ha’s leaves with just telling Rand what info he needed to communicate, with their calls often ending with a couple seconds of silence while Rolan waits and Rand tries to work up the courage to say something else before Rolan gives a small goodbye and hangs up.

Rands calls with Kian go much better, and on a good day Rand will often end up laughing and joking with him for an entire day on the phone if Kian doesn’t get busy with something. Rand never gets busy. He never gets busy in their godforsaken lazy town on his own lazy ass. He hates the others for leaving and he hates himself for staying. He is jealous the others got out and so so so thankful they did. He is so so lonely and doesn’t want to talk to anyone. He wishes that he called more but really just wants them back in his attic again, sitting next to him, somewhere where he could see and feel them. If he convinces himself that he’s sneaking into Kians backyard and throwing rocks at his window he can call Kian. If he convinces himself that he’s going to ask Rolan why he left Galloway he can call Rolan (but he will never ask, it’s just to get him to punch in his number). A lot of his messages get sent to voicemail, his friends are busy when he isn’t, they have lives at 11:00am when he hasn’t left the house. They are sleeping (sometimes with babes lol) at 4:50 am in the morning when Rand gets so high he wishes it could just knock himself out and he needs someone or something to take him out of his current stagnant as the bayou life. He doesn’t have a life he’s waiting to live anymore, and he thinks he’s missed his window. One misstep in his life, and his sister is gone. One misstep and the rest of his life is a unfinished plan with empty pages until he dies.

TDLR : Kian desperate for the people he truly connects with calls his friends often to maintain his knowledge of their lives because if they drift there will be nobody left who actually cares about him.

Rolan needs to prove to himself and everyone else that every decision he makes was the right one because if he lets doubt slip through his regret and anxiety will destroy all he has scraped together for himself.

Rand has so many things he wants to communicate to the people he trusts but he can’t work up the courage to decide that “it’s the right time” to say anything. And all that’s left to talk about is whatever else is going on his life which is nothing at all.

[meat-wentz]

you are an mcr blogger stop posting about fob and leave it to the real fans

okay so i wanna actually talk about this because it’s something i’ve seen a lot recently and kinda came to a head last night with fob trending.

ya gotta understand that there was an obvious influx of bandom with the return of mcr. like myself, although i’ve had dedicated fan accounts on other platforms, made this account so i could actually *engage* with the tour in a way i couldn’t engage with it on other platforms. you gotta understand i’ve been on tumblr for 14 years (in a week it will be my main’s 14th birthday!) but i also haven’t been actively involved in tumblr fan spaces in a really really long time, like a decade probably. so this account came with some adjusting, especially considering how different of a space tumblr is (more suited for long posting, analysis, ongoing jokes and more stable friendships/relationships to mutuals). so yeah i came here for tour but stayed because it’s really one of the best online spaces for community i could recommend (not surprising, i’m still friends on facebook with a bunch of my mutuals from 2010).

but also something to consider is, for a lot of people, this is their first dive into bandom in any meaningful way. not only are they making connections in a generally positive environment, they’re also engaging with material in a way that you can’t really get on any other platform (analysis! parallels! deep dives! inside jokes that last more than three days when meme cycles run dry after 24 hours in other places! the ability to say fuck without punishment! a more open space for queerness to thrive! and most of the time, a general welcome to horny content) so there’s also an adjustment time for everyone else too, which is why we keep having to have the same conversation about bandom racism every few weeks, and now too why fob is coming up in reference to petekey, because mcr/fob crossover fans are noticing how the mcr fandom consistently reduces fob’s line of work down to a punchline (especially considering many of which do not engage with fob at all).

personally, now that tour is over, i started posting about fob because they are an equally important band to me and because they mean so so so much to my heart and wow! i finally have a space to talk about it with people who are interested in hearing my thoughts about it (or not, if i’m not for you, i’m not for you), AND i wanna hear about and engage with all the cool people on here about their thoughts too! and i think a lot of fans now have the brain space/dash space to actually talk about fob, or engage for the first time with fob, which is so awesome!!! the way i’ve always approached tumblr is as a personalized archive, so that’s why i’ve been posting things that may have been posted before, doing intro lore and jokes and dives, because i like having a place i know i can reference in the future.

i know this is an arduous process for people who are dedicated fob bloggers and have been for years, to see a lot of people blogging about fob solely in reference to a ship for months on end and then they get recognition on the trending page for the same damn thing but this time saying “stop doing that” i know it’s hard to see your favorite band only recognized not by their artistry or their members or their music or any of the cool things about them, but by their relationship to another band. i feel like right now it’s a transitional phase for a lot of people into bandom blogging just in general, i know a lot of blogs who have never been bandom blogs but now are dedicated bandom bloggers just in the past year! so there’s adjustments to be made, stuff to learn, annoying conversations to have, but don’t doubt for one second, i hold fob in my heart and always have and i am so so so grateful to have a space and community to express that love with. i’m sorry to all the fob bloggers out there that are seeing this awkward kinda messy transition, i know it’s annoying af and will continue to be but know there are bloggers out here who are genuinely in it for their love of fob and lots of new fans out there who will look to you to guide them into their new favorite band!!! for now there’s going to be a lot of rehashing of ground already beaten to death so apologies on behalf of the post-mcr wreckage.

to you, personally, anon, idk what you consider a real fan but i don’t have to prove my credentials to you, so sorry if that’s what you were looking for. like i mean this with all good intention, but if you don’t like seeing me around, you’re totally cool to block me! you deserve to experience your favorite band the way you want to and at the end of the day i’m just some guy, don’t let me be the person that makes you upset to come on tumblr and engage in a way that feels meaningful and positive for you.

[thefanficmonster]

Stranger In The Crowd

Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)

Warnings: None

Genre: FLUFF, Humor, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Having recently ended the process of moving, Y/N is rightfully very tired but also very excited for the new chapter of her life. Funnily enough, this new chapter includes a newly formed long distance friendship/crush with a very special person from San Diego.

Requested by @boiled-onionrings Hi darling! Thank you so much for your wonderful request and I’m really sorry you’ve had to wait so long for it to be posted but here it finally is and I hope you enjoy the read! Love, Vy ❤

I let out a heavy sigh, relieved to finally be at home after such a long day of standing around in the Georgia heat with only a thin layer of fabric to protect my eyes and head from the scorching sun. Yeah, anyone who says that tent did well at protecting everyone under it today is nothing but a liar. I was in a short, strapless white summer dress, the fabric of which barely had any weight and consistency to provide heat of its own yet I still damn near melted. Ok, I’ll admit, some of the roasting heat probably came from the energy and force I put into singing the songs of my band’s new album ‘Starting At The End’. 

The mini concert we held in this large open field was meant as an introduction to the city of Savannah where all the band members - myself included - are actually from but we all moved to the West Coast to pursue our music career. And now that we’ve grown, and the majority of us are married, one of us is a father now as well, we’ve decided to return to our hometown. The decision was so spontaneous and was executed so quickly due to no one objecting to it that it still hasn’t me that I’m no longer in LA. The heat isn’t helping my ‘processing’ process but I’ll get to it eventually. Do I miss LA though? Not sure I do - I think I more miss the people I was closer to while I was there.

Suddenly, as if perfectly timed, my phone dings, notifying me that I’ve received a message. I don’t have to look to know it’s from - there’s only one person I actively text and his name is....

C ~ Your virtual buddy Corpse here, making sure you didn’t die of a heatstroke today. If you did indeed survive, just reply to this message, if not....don’t do anything, I guess.

I can’t help but giggle at the sight of the message. I promised Corpse I’d text him after the concert to let him know I was ok, but the even dragged out for longer than anticipated so I’m guessing he got worried.

How cute.

Me ~ Alive and well, but I do feel like a popped tire of an overloaded truck. Hope that’s a visually appealing description

Corpse and I met on the charity livestream Jacksepticeye organized and invited our band to so we could play Among Us with some of the best gamers and streamers on the internet. It was a huge honor and a ton of fun, definitely an event I’d like to repeat in the near future because I had such a good time and I know all my bandmates did too. We all got acquainted and even became official friends with the gamers that were practically our hosts, Corpse becoming the closest friends I’d earn. That livestream happened months ago and we still text just as consistently.

C ~ Oh I know EXACTLY what you mean. Anyway, as to not exhaust you further to force you into typing, how about you send me pictures to sum up your thoughts and emotions and plans for the evening

This is OUR THING trademark, mine and Corpse’s and no one can take it away from us. It’s a significant element of our friendship that enables us both to understand one another when one of us feels the way I described in my message - a popped tire or a deflated balloon. I’m usually the exhausted one - blame the many shows we do and the many meet-and-greets we organize for our lovely fans. It’s the type of exhaustion none of the band members mind at all, but we definitely need some time to recover from it.

As I go to sit down on my couch, the flower crown I’ve been wearing slips off the top of my head, falling on the floor, creating a soft noise that attracts the attention of one of my many cats - Sasha. She’s the youngest and most curious kitty in the family, always protected by the other four - Luna, Cassie, Silver and Lynn. Those four are far lazier and a lot more disinterested in comparison to Sasha who immediately runs over to see what’s fallen.

I smile to myself, taking the flower crown and undoing it to lessen it by a few stems to make it smaller, all the while being watched by the curious Sasha whose interest is rewarded in the end when I put the now adorably tiny flower crown on her head.

While she still hasn’t shaken the thing off I manage to snap a pic which I send to Corpse who opens it mere seconds after it was delivered. 

C ~ Sasha’s pulling off your aesthetic better than you. Sorry, someone had to let you know

I burst out laughing for two reasons - 1.The message itself, damn it! It’s hilarious; 2. Corpse has learnt the name of each one of my cats and never mixes them up - not even Luna and Lynn who look almost identical. That amount of attention to detail is astonishing and very meaningful to me, it genuinely warms my heart and that may or may not be dramatic but it’s definitely not exaggerated.

Me ~ You think I haven’t caught on yet? 

C ~ Well, if it makes you feel any better you pull off my aesthetic better than I do

He’s referring to the e-girl look I did for one show the band had in downtown LA one night. I was drunk and looking forward to trying new things so I improvised the hell out of my outfit but I apparently looked presentable enough to leave a good impression on Corpse despite the pic I sent him being a bit blurry and being a mirror selfie in the bathroom of the very bar we were performing in. It goes without saying that the mirror was dirty too - had a bunch of writing on it which Corpse said only added to the aesthetic. Looking back on it now I kinda agree, and luckily so did the fans in the comments of that same photo when I posted it on Instagram.

Me ~ Means a lot actually. Nowhere near enough to aid the burn of having a cat pull off cottagecore better than I do, but still helps XD

As if sensing that we’re talking about her, Sasha hops on the couch, poking her head over my phone to look down at the screen.

Now this is gonna be golden.

I take a selfie with my phone in my lap, the camera capturing both me and Sasha at a rather unflattering angle which has me losing my mind laughing when I send the picture to Corpse who immediately sends back a string of cry-laughing emojis.

C ~ I can’t tell which one of you is cuter

Me ~ If that was a compliment, I gotta say I appreciate it greatly

C ~ Just telling the truth ;)

It’s times like these that the butterflies in my stomach remind me just why I’ve started catching feelings for this man despite all the distance between us and despite barely knowing him - he knows me more than I know him but I don’t mind it, oddly enough.

I’m fond of our connection and though I sometimes dream of something more, I’m also content with what we already have considering that ‘something more’ seems rather unattainable as of now.

My phone dings again, clearing the fog of thoughts and presenting me with a new message from Corpse.

C ~ Oh, by the way, look what I got....

That message is followed up by a picture of a ticket. A plane ticket to Georgia! 

While I’m still busy stomaching this and dealing with my quickly rising excitement, he sends another message.

C ~ I hope to catch a The Silver Rays concert while I’m there. Heard they had an adorable frontwoman ;)

My breath catches in my throat as a wide grin spreads across my face. The thought of having Corpse so close to me sends those aforementioned butterflies in my stomach into a raving mood and they practically explode my insides with excitement and joy like I’ve never felt it before. I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that we’re about to go from having an entire country between us, to being just some ways away - him in the audience and me on stage without a single clue of who to look for. That’s part of the excitement though, I guess, part of the guessing game that’s gonna make our meeting all the more interesting.

He’ll be a stranger in the crowd and I’ll be a performer on a stage - seemingly two people who have no relation whatsoever. But damn does it go beyond that: No one has to know how hard I’m falling for that stranger in the crowd.

Me ~ I’ve heard so too, can’t confirm it though

If this is gonna be a guessing game, I’ll flip the tables a bit - I won’t take any guesses. I’ll let the answer come to me. I’ll give the first move over to the stranger in the crowd, let’s see what he does.

C ~ I’ll check and let you know, don’t worry

Not worried whatsoever, Corpsie. I’m not worried at all.

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[byulsgrease]

if you arent too busy, can you write a idol!hwasa x idol!reader, wherein they both have to practice with each other for a special stage. However on the first meeting they become starstruck and cant believe somethings are real, but soon warm up to each other?

i'm not terribly busy but this still took a while anyway oops - sorry this took so long anon! here you go :D

if anyone has requests for the other members hmu cuz I've got 2 more hyejin reqs after this one (not that I'm complaining)

"who says we can't do something on our own?"

(hwasa x idol!reader, ~1.2k words)

cw: food + alcohol mention (y'all know how it is)

I named someone Minjeong - it's not Aespa's Winter, idk anything about 4th gen gg's - 민정 is my Korean name so it's just what came to mind

"Hey, wake up. You've gotta see this. GET UP," a voice piercing through the fog of your sleep.

What a rude awakening. Your shoulders being shaken vigorously by a pair of small hands meant they belonged to none other than Minjeong, your youngest group member. You rolled over to glare menacingly at her with one eye open, trying to pull your brain out of the slumber. All you could see was the bright light of her phone shining in your eyes - a video of some kind. But then you heard the audio:

"Have you seen the clip?" asked the interviewer.

"Yes, my members and many MooMoos made sure I saw it"— Moos? Oh, it's Hwasa. WAIT. Both your eyes flew open as you sat up and snatched Jeongie's phone out of her hand to stare at the video. Your mind immediately flashed back to the interview you did last week - they asked who you most wanted to collaborate with, if there were no limitations. Your ears started to heat up at the sheer thought of the flustered mess of an answer you gave - of course you said Hwasa. Both of you debuted relatively close to each other, within a year, but never interacted much over the years. Mamamoo as a group was a force to be reckoned with, but there was just something about Hwasa specifically. You mostly just admired her unique singing voice and undeniable stage presence, and her relentless drive to always be herself in an industry constantly trying to fit women into a box.

Finally snapping out of re-living that embarrassment, your attention turned back to the phone in your hand. The interviewer must've asked her to send a message in response to you, because you couldn't believe that she was waving and saying, "How haven't we gotten to know each other better over all these years? I'd love to work with you on something sometime," curtly dipping her head in a slight bow.

"SEE? You needed to see that," Minjeong rushed to say, full of energy. "And close your mouth, your jaw's on the floor," jokingly pointing.

You side-eyed her and shut your mouth. "Is this what Loco felt like when she called him during Hyena on the Keyboard?" you wondered aloud.

"At least she's not calling you while on camera," she commented, knowing full well that you'd probably embarrass yourself again if she did. "But hey, at least she noticed you! Can I have my phone back now?" It would be a dream come true to collaborate with her, but cross-company collabs... always a pain. that couldn't be helped. The fantasy abruptly ended with demands from your rumbling stomach. Done with your what-if's, you placed the phone back in your maknae's outstretched hand to get up and make breakfast.

~~~~

With award show season rolling around, the crazy scramble of rehearsing for special live stages without leaking sets and collabs began. Checking your email that morning showed a schedule to record the backing track for a special live stage, but that was it. With who? You texted your members a screenshot, but they all told you that block of time in their schedule was empty. A solo stage? The solo mini-album you released this cycle did relatively well, the title track got a music show win, but not a multi-week chart-topper by any means. Possibilities turning over in your mind, you stepped out from your place to head to the company, totally in the dark about what was in store.

The recording studio always smelled the same along with the couches, a comfort for all the insanely long nights and crack-of-dawn early mornings over the years. With a bit of time to kill, you plopped down on one and gingerly patted the worn cushions as some kind of symbolic thank-you for supporting you (literally).

A hesitant but loud knock sent your gaze directly to the door. Watching it slowly open, you leaned forward to see who it was. Needless to say, your jaw fell to the floor again as you clapped a hand over your gaping mouth, eyes widening. Like a soldier obeying a command, you immediately stood up as straight as possible and bowed profusely at Hwasa, sporting a very similar expression on her face (which you failed to notice, your mind running a million miles a minute).

After a series of frantic bows and miscellaneous utterances to each other, she spoke. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said with calm, surveying your frenzied state. "I guess we're granting that collab wish from your interview, huh?"

The red-hot embarrassment leapt to your face. "I...I definitely made a fool of myself answering that question. And our maknae showed me your interview clip too, which was cool, but never did I think it would actually happen," you stammered. I should probably stop talking.

"Well, here I am," she half-smiled coolly. "Let's get started, I'm really looking forward to finally work with you on this," a gleam in her eye and a hint of excitement in her voice.

The studio suddenly felt a lot smaller with her in it, despite there only being your managers, the producer, and the both of you - less people than you and your members alone. Both of you remained relatively quiet the whole time, rather unsure of what to say or talk about. You watched enough MMMTV to know that all the members on their own were shyer than together, and Hwasa knew the same was true for you. But the work basically took care of itself, seamlessly taking turns in the recording booth, witnessing each other's work style and process. The both of you knew your way in front of a mic, seasoned professionals by now. Upon wrapping up, you bowed politely to each other after a quick exchange of KaTalk info, a short and sweet goodbye.

That was... anticlimactic. I mean, it's finally happening - I can't believe it. But maybe I was too idealistic about maybe creating a meaningful relationship with her outside of work... What does she think of me?

~~~~

In the days leading up to the collab stage, you kept going back and forth on whether to reach out or not, despite now being in possession of her contact info. What would you even say? Thoughts of a witty one-liner or relatable meme came to mind, but maybe she'd assume the worst - that you were clout-chasing, or something. Anxieties abuzz, your phone vibrated in your pocket. The KaTalk notification sprawled across your screen. Speak of the devil, it's her.

"Hey, awards season has me stressed. I know you must pretty busy right now too, but I somehow get off early tomorrow if you wanna grab dinner after work?" You had to reread that one. Oh, what? She's inviting me?

Trying not to be weird about responding too quickly, you typed out, "Wow, yeah, that sounds great! ^^ wait, your company doesn't care about you going out to eat during award season?"

"nah, they stopped having that kind of control over us a while ago, we are the money-maker of the company, after all 😏"

"so I guess this means they don't check your phone either ㅋㅋㅋ"

"nope :)"

You proceeded to set a time and place to meet, someplace with meat.

In the process of feasting on an inordinate amount of gopchang imbued with a splash of beer, you learned a fair amount about each other. You talked career, professional aspirations, the weird habits of your members, and more. What surprised you most was the amount of things she already knew about you, having admitted to watching some of your behind-the-scenes content after seeing your interview clip.

"Ah... I'm sorry if I came across as distant during that first recording session," she confessed, pausing to sip her beer. "I honestly didn't know what to do with myself, I felt a little star-struck."

"Oh what?? I felt the exact same, so no worries - and sorry if I came off similarly distant," you rambled back. A bit of silence fell between you, acknowledging the mutual sentiment. You spoke up after a bit, "Thanks for inviting me out tonight, I didn't realize how much I needed this."

"Thank you for making the time, I had fun getting to know you better," she articulated with a smile. "Maybe it'll make the collab stage better," she added on jokingly. You responded with a nod and expression of mutual affirmation.

~~~~

After that, messaging each other became a regular occurrence, that gopchang outing having broken the ice. Honestly, you tried your best to talk about anything besides work, but the baseline of shared understanding connected you in a way that came more naturally than it did with your non idol friends.

You stood across the way from her at the sound check for the final stage, dressed in joggers and slides. Funny to think that you'd be recording this for real in a couple hours, making eyes with the blinking red light on the cameras surrounding you. It sucks that fans wouldn't get to experience the energy and atmosphere of the performance - Hyejin alone is one thing, but adding someone else into her stage presence? Unmatched. There's nothing quite like a live performance - and while you knew everyone in the industry dealt with the consequences of the pandemic, it certainly took a toll to perform and not feel the energy from fans. But realistically, nothing you could do about it. The sound check went over smooth like butter. The stage chemistry came flowing naturally between you both, even when bare-faced and dressed in just sweats.

And when the time came for the actual filming, you both absolutely killed it, an upbeat mash-up of TWIT and your title track. At the very end came a sliver of hesitation before throwing your arms around each other with a big smile for the ending fairy, proud of the work you accomplished together, and a mental fist-pump to yourself for making friends with one of the industry's finest.

Once again walking to a restaurant that served mostly meat to celebrate, you playfully proposed, "We... should do that again sometime." A little puff of air came out her nose in amusement.

"Yeah, we should. Too bad we're gonna have to wait a whole cycle before we can release anything else together again," she sighed longingly.

"Who says we can't do something on our own?"

[portsidewonderland]

Okay, I’ve been wanting to write this for the last three weeks, but I’m finally - finally - sitting down to do just that.

First, I’m a Rogan shipper. I’ve been a Rogan shipper for the last 20 years, but in that time, I’ve grown, I’ve experienced my own sense of love, and I’m a writer so I’d like to think I’m familiar with structure, characterization, and the like.

Second, I’m focused on the film franchise, strictly speaking. Just wanted to make sure that is clear.

Having said that, when I discuss how utterly wrong the X-Men franchise is, I’m talking about from a story standpoint. When I speak of Logan and Rogue, if that ship isn’t your jam, fine, but the points I make still stand.

Finally, spoiler alert for all of the movies.

Okay, I think we’re ready to jump in.

1. After the first movie, everyone forgot the heart of what made the first movie so special: Wolverine & Rogue

I don’t necessarily mean together. I mean, the movie focused primarily on Logan’s story and Rogue’s story. It was told through THEIR POV. This is important because, essentially, we’re asked to connect with these two characters AND WE DO.

The dialogue, the acting, and their stories (which reflect each other’s as well as stand on their own) draw us in and we are hooked.

Even the critics thought some of the best scenes are the ones Logan and Marie share together. Multiple critics discuss chemistry, how they add to the scene, etc.

Regardless of whether you ship them or not, there’s a compelling story between the two. This vulnerable, slip of a girl is the most powerful X-men out there (or one of) and this growly, fierce angry, broken man who’s been alone for so long that out of everyone he’s met and seen, THIS girl brings him to his knees.

And it’s because she isn’t scared of him.

Even after watching him beat the shit out of his opponent, even after seeing the claws threaten humans and slice through a barrel of a gun, she still thinks, I can trust him.

And when he catches her in his trailer, she STILL isn’t afraid of him. She gives him lip. She calls him out on his shit.

That’s how she manages to slide through the cracks.

And that is BEAUTIFUL.

I’m not here to talk about the performances, but Jesus Christ, I love this scene so damn much. The chemistry RADIATES. The glances, the confusion, the curiosity, and the attraction. (Sorry not sorry, it’s there on both parts, I’ll die on this hill.)

Anyway, the first movie is about how this girl brings the savage, feral Wolverine to his knees. How she gets him to STAY. How she gets him to open up.

Yes, Logan wants info on his past, but he’s staying for Marie. We all know it.

When he threatens Jean after first waking up, Jean is scared. And for good reason, obviously.

But Logan STABS Marie with his claws, and guess what? She’s still not scared of him. She’s worried about him.

This is THEIR story.

Do you really think Wolverine is going to go running around in leather for anyone but Marie? Yeah, I don’t think so. I mean, he literally STABS HIMSELF IN THE CHEST to free himself and get to her.

He PROMISES her that he’d take care of her. Do you think Wolverine bullshits? Hell no, he doesn’t.

And that’s why....

2. The whole Jean thing was just not great.

Okay, can I tell you something?

I don’t see Jean as a sympathetic character. She’s engaged to Scott and suddenly, Wolverine comes strolling in and she can’t get her shit together?

I mean, okay, I get it, let’s be real.

But Scott isn’t a bad guy. He nay be a dick, but he treats Jean well. Because we’re not in Cyclops’ or Jean’s head, we as the audience don’t see any marital/romantic issues between them. Hence, when Jean gets flustered by Wolverine to the point where she lets him goad her into reading his mind, she knows what she’s doing. She likes it. She likes Logan’s attention.

Not because she likes Logan.

(I read this fic where basically Jean tells Logan he could have been anybody, and I thought that was so perfect)

But because he’s giving her attention. He makes her feel desired.

And she leads him on.

Right there, I don’t like her, and I think that’s why a lot of Rogan shippers don’t like her is that she has no problem toying not only with Logan’s feelings, but with Scott’s.

But that’s not even the worst part of this.

At the end, when Logan asks for Marie and Jean makes her comment, she adds, “I think she’s taken with you.”

Like - why would Jean say that? Why mention it?

That’s petty ass shit right there.

To me, what she’s trying to do is align herself with Logan as adults and belittle Marie for having a little crush on him. Like it’s so juvenile.

And the worst line of this whole movie is when he says, “Tell her my heart belongs to another.”

Want to know why?

Because the writers/director haven’t SHOWN this. This line is forced here to TELL the audience that we should be shipping Jean and Wolverine. It’s sloppy writing. It tells me they think the audience are idiots.

Really, Logan?

Jean has your heart even though you completely go against Tall Dark and Feral to pick up a girl, then stay at the school with her, leave a fucking mansion to bring her back, make a promise to her, go after her after she’s kidnapped, stab yourself in the chest, fling yourself on the Statue of Liberty AND RISK YOUR FUCKING LIFE TO SAVE ROGUE’S JUST BY TOUCHING HER and you want me to believe your heart belongs to Jean????

Please, tell me, why the FUCK should I buy that?

Oh, because they’re the same age?

LOL no.

Anyway, I didn’t like Jean’s characterization because of that. Because she’s leading people on, because she needs to put down Marie’s feelings after her ordeal because of her insecurity, because of it all.

Which is why I’ll never ship them together.

Logan is at his worst when he’s around Jean.

Anyway.

And Jean is just the worst.

3. They took something meaningful and they fucked it

Logan promises to take care of Rogue. Do you know important that is for both of them as individuals and their relationship?

Rogue only goes back because of Logan. Not for anyone else. Not even Bobby. She comes back, she stays, for Logan.

Where do we see that after the second movie?

He’s so goddamned focused on Jean, on everything about her, that he barely notices that Rogue is ready to get the cure.

I’m GLAD they got a scene together. Because of their looks.

I am.

But shit.

It’s like Logan has completely forgotten all about Rogue, and I’m sorry, but after that first movie, I just can’t buy that.

I can buy that he leaves to check out his past. The dog tag scene is one of my absolute favorites. That’s perfect. Makes sense.

(Also, side note: Fic is so beautiful about this but he isn’t afraid to touch her. Like, he doesn’t HAVE to play with her hair but he does. It’s playful and flirty. It IS. He could have just said he liked her hair BUT HE HAD TO TOUCH IT. And this is HUGE for Rogue because honestly SHE’S afraid to touch and of herself but if Logan isn’t afraid, she stops being afraid - if that makes sense.)

But seriously? He’s not calling the mansion, not writing to Rogue?

I don’t believe that for one second.

This is why I will never watch The Wolverine after that first time (I refuse especially after the director said he was contemplating adding Rogue at the end and didn’t and FUCK EVERYTHING.) because he just leaves because he’s upset about fucking JEAN

I’m sorry but the Wolverine isn’t ABOUT Jean.

If that was the case, we should have had point of views between Logan and Jean in the first movie, not Rogue.

We should have SEEN their development, but we didn’t.

We’re TOLD it.

I’m sorry, but how do you want me to believe that the big bad Wolverine runs off to Japan because he’s sad about Jean? Like, so he’s just going to leave Rogue alone with all of those threats? Are you fucking kidding me?

Show them keeping in touch or SOMETHING. You can’t expect me to see such a huge transformation arc in Logan in the first movie that just gets shit on in every other movie (besides the second). Because that makes Wolverine look like a big, gigantic ASSHOLE and I get that he’s supposed to be that way, but NOT with Rogue.

Which is why Days of Future Past pisses me off as much of the rest them (I’m only discussing the Rogue Cut because I refuse to acknowledge that Bryan Singer - who gave us the first movies - regulated Rogue to such a fucking small cameo.) because Rogue was treated as garbage.

Now, I’m going to assume Logan doesn’t know about what really happened to Rogue because no one told him. But honestly? If he cares about Rogue the way I know he does, he should be asking about her every single time he and Xavier talk.

I love that Logan can sense Rogue when she steps in to help. I love that Rogue refuses to let go of Logan’s mind even in the heart of danger (@bigfrogbestfrogs has an awesome breakdown of these scenes). But I’m appalled at how Kitty is chosen before Rogue? Like, even when coming up with the idea for this movie, why not involve Rogue more?

I refuse to discuss Bobby and her together at the end.

Fuck that.

4. The timelines

Look, I’m not even going to go into the shit that is the timelines.

But honestly?

Fuck everything about that.

I get Singer wanted to retcon X3, but I don’t care.

Based on Apocalypse, the future still sucks so everything failed and then the movie LOGAN takes that shit and amplifies it.

5. LOGAN (the movie)

I’m sorry, but this movie is amazing in some ways and sucks in others.

Want to know why?

Because it takes everything about what made the first movie great and emphasized it.

Laura is too young to be a love interest, so clearly, it’s paternal, and I’m here for it.

But there are so many parallels between logan and Laura and Logan and Rogue that for Logan not to say anything or feel anything in a way tgat tells the audience he’s feeling something just boggles my mind.

Even if he carried HER picture or played with the dog tags and thought of her, something that shows the audience he remembers her, dammit, and she MEANT something to him.

But FUCK how could he NOT?

And that’s why the scene where he’s reading that comic book and he sees himself saving Rogue is so poignant.

Because his gaze lingers.

I mean, obviously I’m assuming she’s dead (which is bullshit but whatever). But still.

And then when he’s dying and Laura is holding his hands and you get that prophecy of him dying with his heart in his hand and I loved how they paired it with the Logan and Rogue song. I loved that callback.

And if the films in between them weren’t such shit, it would be enough.

But it’s not enough for me.

There was so much potential and everything got shit on and it angers me soooo much.

Anyway.

That’s me venting.

Luckily we have so many talented Rogan fic writers and that our ship has survived 20 years.

But still.

What could have been...

Shit.

[audreycritter]

IDK if you take asks from the woodwork so feel free to disregard, but this is prompted by your recent Arkham post. You mention video games and it made me think of the Arkham Asylum game. I really like your point about how games are organized towards the player’s interests—hitting stuff— but you also talk about how Arkham is a place of incredible nuance that (imo) can be both horror and ideally healing at the same time, and I guess I was just curious about your thoughts on the Arkham game(s) and their place in Bat-mythos, especially given they did try to thread some needle of “how do we bring Batman into a real(ish) world and all that may mean.” It was an exploration of the Asylum as a place with an intrinsic character, which I personally hadn’t really seen before save for maybe Serious House Serious Earth, but I was curious if you had thoughts/opinions you wanted to share. Love your blog, and have a great day!

I don't mind asks!

I haven't played MUCH of the Arkham games, and I'm not opposed to them. I like the horror concept of Arkham having its own kind of identity, or Arkham as a character.

But I am gonna stop you right there (kindly, gently). The Arkham games have their own stories-- some of them engaging, I'm sure-- but it's still fundamentally a video game. Video games aren't inherently violent, but the Arkham series is by design about being able to do lots of cool fighting. That's totally fine! Its fun! But we have to be really careful in engaging with media to not make the mistaken correlation between grimdark and realistic.

Good character models and emotional stories don't even make something realistic. It's a thing that comics, games, and movies have struggled with for a long time, and not just in Batman canon, but Batman canon does suffer pretty significantly. The Arkham games are in no way about a meaningful engagement with reality or what Batman would look like in the real world. We might be able to draw on some interactions and further explore those as fans in a way that connects closer to reality, but it's not at all the real world.

My guess is that a nuanced, realistic exploration of Arkham would be difficult to pull off because the actual daily grind of mental health care in institutions holding highly violent offenders is ... a grind. It's a lot of doing the same thing over and over for small returns, because it's hard for people to change. It's a lot of small victories other people don't understand the scope of, because just walking down a hallway and being civil can be a huge accomplishment for someone who actually tends toward the kind of social disconnect rogues are often written to have. It's a lot of disappointing setbacks, and if you hype up the drama of any of those things, it's going to feel exploitative. Personally, I'd like to read it? I'm sure lots of other people would enjoy it, too. But it wouldn't be the kind of high energy drama that people are drawn to in comics, and treating it with too much realism makes the world fall apart in other ways.

Within the constraints of the universe, the rogues aren't real. We've had good and bad media that's tackled the idea of criminality and mental illness, and I don't think that's a bad thing to try to deal with sometimes? But overall part of the conceit of comic-media (and its derived forms like film and game) is that we actually understand that the rogues aren't mentally ill, not in any realistic application of clinical terms. They aren't real. They're themey symbols of different kinds of evil or corruption or selfishness, designed to be cycled through struggles with The Hero, because readers find comfort in the familiar. And to do that, we need a holding tank for them so comics aren't accidentally implying they just rule Gotham when Batman isn't chasing them.

In a story that engaged with Arkham realistically, he'd put most of them in once and they'd never get out again. The few that did get out would maybe get out once or twice, tops-- years and years apart. There might be an outlier, but most of them aren't escape artists. The problem is, nobody really wants a realistic Arkham unless it's in a closed short story form, because a functional Arkham would break the narrative cycle. Fandom just ends up making the mistake of holding Batman as a character responsible for the narrative function of his own world-- they want to treat him as a failed hero for not correcting the things about his world that make the stories keep happening. Like, yeah, he could kill the Joker-- then what? Nobody writes the Joker ever again? That didn't work the last time he died.

He could "fix" Arkham somehow. Then what? The entire rogue gallery is permanently retired and a few of them "recover?" That maybe makes a great epilogue but it doesn't support ongoing stories, and then the second someone is used in a story again, it's somehow Bruce's fault for the narrative requirements of the fiction he's a character in?

Part of being a comics fan-- specifically a comic fan of an intellectual property that's been around for decades-- is understanding that we don't get final resolution. When LOTR ends, the story is over. We don't watch canon make Frodo & Co destroy the ring over and over in hundreds of different ways. Fanfic might explore alternatives, but canon has given us resolution to the plot. Batman doesn't get that in most media because Batman isn't ever over. And I think sometimes fans (and writers, ngl) make the mistake of trying to hold Batman as a character responsible for the cyclical nature of his own media, and the things we see as "problems" because we instinctively want resolution in a landscape that doesn't have it.

Anyway, I think I went off on a tangent. I don't mind the Arkham games, but they're just a another entry in a long line of media that likes playing with Arkham as a horror concept.

[beneathstarryskies]

Could I request a fluff alphabet for young and older Johnny Lawrence?

Thank you so much for the request! I’m sorry it took me so damn long! ❤️

Answers for older/current Johnny are in italics!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

    Johnny is pretty affectionate, but there are two sides to him. On one hand, he tends to seem more possessive in public. Always has an arm around your shoulders or waist, and makes it a point to kiss you in front of people so they know who you belong to. It takes him some time to show you the more tender side of himself, and it is truly reserved just for you. He likes to pepper soft kisses on your face, and whispers about how beautiful he thinks you are. He tends to shy away a bit from receiving the same amount of affection though, thinking it makes him look weak.

    Having faced a great deal of rejection and heartache, he is really slow with showing affection. It takes him a while to even admit he has feelings for you, and then from there even longer for him to act on it. However, the possessive nature of his youth has faded into a need to just be loved. He’s more open now to letting himself just sink into your touch. He loves it when you play with his hair and kiss his nose. In return he’ll shower you with compliments, and kisses you every chance he gets. He proudly holds your hand everywhere you go.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Most of Johnny’s friends at this point are connected to Cobra Kai, so chances are if you weren’t in Cobra Kai there probably isn’t much of a friendship. However, he might just “accidentally” become best friends with you after being forced to work on an assignment together. He’d expect you to do all the work, but after realizing you won’t stand for that he begrudgingly works with you on it. An unexpected friendship blossoms.

    At this point his friends are his family. So he is fiercely protective and loyal. However, he’s not much for emotional support because he just doesn’t know how. He’s been taught to more or less repress it, so that tends to be his offered solution. His attitude can sometimes be a bit flippant.

    Probably met at the bar, maybe you were a bartender or something. Most likely he’d deny you were his best friend because of the whole “I don’t need anyone” attitude. However, if you needed him he’d drop everything to be there and he knows you’d do the same for him. He’s still not great at emotional support, but he does try at least. Or rather he tries to keep you distracted from whatever emotional thing is bothering you, because that’s truly the only way he knows how to deal with emotions.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He loves to cuddle, but good luck getting him to admit it. You usually have to initiate it, but you will have to deal with him pretending he’s only doing it to make you happy. His favorite thing is when you fall asleep with your head on his chest, and he can just play with your hair while listening to your steady breathing. It’s in these moments that he truly experiences peace. That is until you wake up and he has to pretend he didn’t like it.

He loves to cuddle, and he’s really not afraid to admit it anymore. He just wants to hold you and be held by you. Closeness is what he’s been craving his whole life, and he’s just really tired of pretending it’s not. He’s tried getting through life on his own, and he hated it. He just wants to come home and curl up with you after a long day. He wants to snuggle against you while you twirl his locks between your fingers.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

It’s definitely in the cards to settle down one day, but he’s not particularly in a hurry about it. He’d assumed he would end up settling down with Ali, but since that didn’t go the way he planned he’s a bit unsure of where he’ll end up. There’s a whole big world out there, and he thinks it’s his for the taking, so why worry? He’s a bit useless when it comes to cooking and cleaning. Honestly, he doesn’t even try. Pretty much a typical teenager in that regard.

He’d be open to settling down, although more it feels out of reach to him at this point. It’s certainly something he is a bit afraid of, having already failed at the task. Johnny would have to feel completely secure and confident in a relationship before he’d consider marriage. He’s still somewhat useless at cooking and cleaning, but he is willing to give it more of an honest effort.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He might be a little bit cold about it, since at this point he’s fully immersed in the “no mercy” teachings of Kreese. Once he’s decided it’s over, he just tells you as such. He doesn’t really provide any explanations, and if he cares at all he doesn’t show it.

    He’s terrible at break ups. Especially since for him to be in a relationship at all takes a bit of time, and he’s found it’s not easy for him to just carelessly break hearts anymore. That being said, he will be an accidental asshole in the process. It’d take a lot of effort for him to build up the confidence, and then he just goes for it like ripping off a bandaid.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

    After Ali, he becomes pretty commitment phobic. He tries to form meaningful relationships, but always pushes people away when they get too close. He’s just not sure if he can ever open himself up again.  If he wants to get married at all, it would take a long time. Most likely, he has no real interest in it.

Pretty much the same, although as he’s gotten older he’s opened up more to the idea of getting married. He likes the idea of having a partner to get through this life with. Someone to always have his back, and for him to support as well. While he doesn’t feel marriage is necessarily a required commitment, he’d be more open to it if you wanted to get married.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Gentle is not a word you could use to describe Johnny Lawrence at any age. Emotionally he is about as gentle as a hammer to the head. He just doesn’t understand at all. Occasionally he may muster up some gentleness, but it’s very rare since he associates it with weakness. 

Physically, he’s generally not gentle. He likes to pick you up and spin you around. Sometimes even enjoying to play fight a bit. However, sometimes he can surprise you with little spells of gentleness. Especially if something has happened to make him worry about losing you.

The above is the answer for Johnny of all ages, except he no longer thinks of having gentle emotions as as weakness. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Johnny loves hugs and will hug you all the time if he can. He’s very handsy with it, often cupping your butt while he hugs you-if you’re okay with that kind of thing of course- and will often sneak a kiss on your cheek.

He still loves hugging and he still tends to get a bit cheeky with it. One difference is that he takes more time to savor the moment; feeling your heartbeat and really breathing you in. Usually he holds you for as long as you’ll let him, insisting on a kiss before he’ll release you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He doesn’t. It’s not something he’s super comfortable with, but he will express it in other ways. Usually by reminding you to be safe when you leave him and wanting you to call him when you get home so he knows you made it safely. He’ll also do little thoughtful things like bring you coffee or remind you to eat if he thinks you’re not taking care of yourself. There’s a nurturing side to Johnny he often hides, but he’ll open up a bit to show you how much he cares.

Like his younger self Johnny tends to take to being somewhat nurturing in order to express his feelings for you. Once he gets a cell phone, he even takes to texting you throughout the day to tell you he’s thinking about you. He tries to make sure you know he loves you and you’re on his mind. He will eventually say the words. It just takes him a very long time to come around to it.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Oh boy, is he ever jealous. Seeing someone else flirt with you drives him crazy, and he has gotten into many fights over it. He’ll jump right in between you, ready to fight before you’ve even had a chance to handle the situation yourself. If you express disliking this behavior, he will attempt to hold back. It’s still written all over his face, and sometimes it can lead him to making accusations.

There’s still some jealousy, but he’s less likely to jump in unless someone is being particularly pushy after you’ve expressed disinterest. One thing he no longer does is accuse you of flirting/cheating. He wouldn’t be with you if he didn’t trust you, and he wants you to know that.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He’s surprisingly tender with his kisses. Early on in your relationship, it’s the one tell of how insecure he feels deep down. Often times not deepening the kiss until you’ve given some indication you want him to. He likes giving kisses on your cheeks and neck. He really likes when you kiss his forehead, although he’s a little sheepish with admitting this. He also likes it when you kiss his neck and shoulders.

He’s tender and takes his time teasing out reactions from you. Overall he’s more confident in his abilities, which just came naturally with age and experience. He still is prone to giving cheek and neck kisses, and really enjoys that. However, he’s also learned that he likes the way you react when he kisses you behind the ear. His own favorite places to get kissed haven’t changed.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Terrible, and no interest in getting better.

Slightly better and more willing to learn. He’s still pretty useless with any kid under the age of about 10. And really the only way he knows to relate is through karate.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He’s usually up somewhat early to go train or work out. So if you don’t want to do those things, he’s usually not around much in the mornings. However, he will come in all sweaty and give you a kiss before raising his arm up with a smirk and teasing you about smelling how sweaty he is. Usually resulting in you rolling your eyes and saying, “I smelled you as soon as you walked in the room.”

Mornings now are more laid back. Usually there’s about an hour of cuddling and complaining about having to get up before you finally drag him out of bed. Then one of you cooks breakfast while the other makes coffee and pours cups for you both. You eat breakfast together and talk about what you’re each planning for the day before getting started. Johnny is always running a bit behind schedule. It never stops him from kissing you a dozen times before leaving the apartment.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

The average night contains lots of making out, brief intermission of a random activity, then probably more making out. Occasionally you guys go out to parties with friends. Johnny likes spending quality time with you. So more often than not you end up doing something just the two of you. He likes to take you out riding, usually ending up at the beach.

At least once a week you guys go out to have drinks, but usually he prefers low-key nights in. There’s still usually lots of making out and cuddling, but usually it’s on the couch while a movie plays in the background. You might have a drink to unwind, and talk a bit about your days.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

The thing about Johnny at both ages though is that he actually wears his heart on his sleeve way more than he realizes. If you asked him he’d probably say he’s the strong silent type. He takes a long time to purposely reveal his feelings. However, considering how much his feelings show through his actions and demeanor, you’re definitely already aware of his insecurity. You just pretend you haven’t already caught on, because you don’t want him to retreat again. Him actually opening up is much better than having to infer it, and he’ll begin to work through why he feels the way he does deep down.

The answer is the same for adult Johnny.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

There is no patience in Johnny at all. He is very hotheaded and quick to anger. It’s probably the biggest issue in your relationship. Truthfully it’s his biggest issue in general.

He is still pretty quick to anger but much better at controlling it-especially with you. He gets hotheaded and acts stupid, but it takes a bit longer for him to get to that point. It is still a big problem he’s having to work on. Johnny is slowly starting to realize he can’t punch or kick his way through every problem.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Johnny remembers the really important stuff, but doesn’t remember the little details at all. If it doesn’t involve partying, fooling around, or karate he kind of tends to ignore it.

He has definitely done a lot of growing in this area. Johnny still remembers the really important stuff, and has gotten better at holding onto the little details. He won’t remember everything you ever talk about, but he doesn’t file it away just because it doesn’t involve his main interests anymore.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Probably the first moment he saw you, and realized he wanted to win you over. He just loves remembering the way the electricity between the two of you was so strong.

The moment he realized he was in love with you and it didn’t scare him. He felt so open and safe in your relationship. It was the first time in ages he didn’t feel the need to keep his walls up high. It might be the warmest feeling he’s ever had.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He is super protective. He will fight anyone who messes with you, and will always put himself between you and potential physical danger. Other types of potential protection (like emotionally) he’s not great at. He doesn’t particularly feel like you need to protect him. Once you try to jump in and defend him when Sid is bullying him, which of course results in further chastising from Sid. Johnny gets kind of upset with you over it.

Johnny still has no problem jumping in to protect you physically. Except he has gotten a bit better at the emotional side of it. He is protective of you when it comes to people who may hurt you emotionally. If he gets a bad vibe from someone he will usually try to persuade you to steer clear of them, but this can be a bit misconstrued as jealousy or him trying to be controlling. He also now feels warm and fuzzy inside when you take up for him instead of getting mad. He now understands it’s a sign of your love for him and not an attempt to emasculate him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Sometimes he gets so distracted by karate and stuff that he can be sort of a bad boyfriend. So he puts the most effort in dates and gifts to make amends for not always being the best at remembering things like anniversaries.

Johnny puts a lot more effort into being around for the everyday tasks. He can’t afford to take you on many dates, so when he can take you out he puts a lot of effort into it. Same with gifts. Usually he saves up for a long time to buy you something really nice for anniversaries/birthdays/holidays because he just refuses to buy you something he thinks is crappy. Also, he struggles with the fact that you’d love anything he gives you because it’s from him. He still thinks he’s gotta give everything he’s got just to get some sort of love and acceptance in return.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Let’s see fighting, partying and generally just being extremely arrogant. Taking too much care of his car and his looks, but not much else. In most ways he’s just a normal teenager in this respect.

Still fighting, but now he just generally drinks too much without the partying-which in a way is worse. He doesn’t always take care of himself. He puts blame on himself over everything that goes wrong.

A/N: I think I went a little too deep for this one?

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He is secretly very concerned despite his overly confident demeanor. He puts a lot of effort into seeming effortless. For him it is maddeningly effortless, so really he puts in too much effort.

He doesn’t really care at all anymore. Occasionally he gives himself a once over in the mirror. He’s more comfortable with himself overall, and realizes he’s a pretty handsome guy without having to try so hard.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely, but it’s not always a good thing. In general, He can tend to lean a little too hard on his significant other. It was a bit of an issue with Ali as well. It’s not something he does on purpose, and if you mentioned it to him he’d be embarrassed. He just doesn’t feel as comfortable with that many other people. Even with his pals, he’s still putting on a bit of an act. With you he’s totally comfortable, and it makes him a bit too dependent on you.

To an extent, but he handles it better overall. He doesn’t want to be too overbearing, so he will give you a bit more space than when he was younger. Not to mention he’s not completely dependent on you for comfort. He’s gotten to a point where his attitude is more, “This is who I am. Take it or leave it.” And you’ve proven more times than he can count that you won’t leave (just maybe give him a metaphorical kick in the ass when he needs it).

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

 He was still a virgin when he graduated high school, and he lied about it to keep up his cool appearance. The truth is, Ali didn’t want to have sex when they were together, and he wasn’t going to pressure her.

Johnny absolutely tears up a bit at heart tugging films in general. However, he avoids watching anything dealing with father and son relationships. It’s a reminder of not only what he missed out on, but what he was unable to give Robby.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

In general he doesn’t like things he considers nerdy or uncool. That’s about as far as it goes. He’s not super deep about things he doesn’t like. You’re either cool or you’re not. He doesn’t like it when his partner is too picky or finicky. 


This is the same for both eras.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He generally just tends to sleep on his stomach without a shirt. He’s warm natured so he pretty much always ends up kicking the blankets off.

There’s no real habit to be had. He just kind of falls into bed, and whatever happens then just happens.

[mnemosyne-musing]

when you build your house then call me home (river/12)

Here on ao3

They lie back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and not saying a word. There are mere inches between them physically but it might as well be lightyears for all their connection in this moment.

 Still half-dressed, with sweat cooling on his body and his heart rate still pounding, the Doctor risks a sideways glance at River but she’s staring straight ahead and not meeting his eye. He glances away and steels himself. They need to talk about this. Laugh about it. Make a joke and try again and then it will all be fine.

 He takes a deep breath and rolls on to his side, one hand reaching out for her. But he’s too late and she’s already sat up, clutching the bedsheet to her as she turns away from him. His fingers close around empty air as she stands up from the bed.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she says quietly, still not looking at him as she pads over to the bathroom and closes the door behind her with a firm click.

 He stares at the closed door for a long moment before falling back against the pillows, letting his hand fall back over his eyes as a frustrated noise escapes his lips.

 They should’ve talked first. Dinner had been lovely but they’d skirted around any meaningful conversation. Ever since he’d told her ‘twenty-four years’. He’d suggested a walk to the towers afterwards but she’d shaken her head and they’d headed back to the TARDIS, the atmosphere now heavy and tense between them. Again, they should’ve talked but neither of them had been able to initiate the conversation and instead they’d fallen into their old patterns and stumbled into bed together.

 However, where previously they’d been able lose themselves in a lust-filled haze and avoid any awkward conversation amongst a litany of ‘gods yes’, ‘please’, ‘more’, ‘harder’, ‘oh yes, there…’. This time had been different. 

 This time there was a disconnect between them. His ring had caught in her hair. She’d fumbled over his shirt buttons. His nails had scratched her when trying to undo her bra. And had bras become more complicated? Foreheads had bumped, teeth had clashed, and not in a good way. He’d kneed her in the stomach, winding her in his haste then almost taken out her eye with his elbow. He’d thought his last incarnation clumsy but this performance made Bowtie look the picture of poise and elegance.

 And the sex itself? Well, that seemed to be over almost before it had begun. It had been a long time for him but he’s sure that River used to be more- well, more enthusiastic and certainly a lot more vocal.

 He lets out a long sigh and sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he shrugs his shirt back on. He casts another longing look at the closed bathroom door. What he would give in this instant for the confidence to stroll in there after her, pin her to the shower wall and lavish every inch of her with attention until she screamed his name in ecstasy.

 Instead, he turns towards the door. He would go make some tea. Perhaps that would help.

 --

 Tea did not help.

 He’d left a mug for her on her bedside table but when River didn’t reappear after her shower, he’d gone back to the bedroom in search of her. He’d found her curled up on top of the duvet, fast asleep with her hair still damp. He’d pretended not to notice the tear tracks on her face and had covered her with a blanket instead. Her now-cold, untouched cup of tea remained where he’d left it.

 That was two weeks ago. Since then, they’ve been dancing around each other and avoiding the subject. They haven’t even kissed, let alone had sex again. In fact, they’ve barely touched one another. It’s almost funny really. He’s been vehemently avoiding touching people this whole regeneration and yet he’d pretty much give up the rest of his lives if she’d just reach out for him now. If she’d take his hand, run her fingers through his hair, snog him silly or just brush against his shoulder the way she used to.

 But she doesn’t. He thinks she’s going to on a few occasions. She reaches out as if on autopilot, then catches herself and stops. Maybe she thinks he doesn’t want her touch anymore? Or, maybe she doesn’t want him? He’s no longer her youthful-looking, floppy-haired, dashing husband. Instead, he’s old and grey and so very, very tired.

 It’s this worry that keeps him up at night instead. It burrows into the pit of his stomach ‘til it makes him feel physically nauseous. He almost manages to bring it up in conversation. He opens his mouth numerous times to ask but his courage fails him at the last moment and instead he asks if she’s hungry. Or wants another cup of fucking tea.

 He’s ventured outside today without her for the first time since they landed here. There’s an estate agent with an office in the main town near the towers. If they are going to stay here then it might be nice for them to have real house.

 If they stay here.

 He refuses to think about that too deeply.

 He’s halfway down the end of the road when he realises he hasn’t got the shopping list River had handed him that morning. Swearing under his breath as he pats down his pockets, he turns on his heel and heads back to the TARDIS.

 He pushes open their bedroom door and wanders over to the dresser where he’d left the list, calling out for River at the same time. “I forgot the list. Was there anything else you-“

 He trails off as he catches sight of the open suitcase on the bed. Halting in his tracks, he takes in the piles of clothes packed neatly inside next to River’s spare blaster and various other possessions.

 “Doctor?”

 He looks around as River suddenly emerges from the bathroom carrying a robe and looking startled.

 “Are you-, are you leaving?” he manages to choke out, that feeling of nausea welling up inside him with renewed ferocity.

 “I-, well-“ River stutters, looking guilty before she squares her shoulders and glares defiantly at him, “I thought I’d spare you the indignity of a goodbye. I know how you hate them.”

 He stares at her aghast for a moment. “Spare me?” he repeats, his voice sounding too harsh as he notices her flinch, “You’re planning to sneak off while I’m out and it’s to spare me?”

 She purses her lips against a retort and turns away from him, packing the robe in her suitcase.

 “Don’t pretend you haven’t been planning your exit as well,” she mutters tersely, “I’m just saving us both the time.”

 “Saving us-? River, I-“ he angrily takes a step towards her, hardly able to believe what he’s hearing. He wants to grab and her and shake her until she listens to him properly. Shout at her that she’s being ridiculous and stupid and how on earth had they let it get to this.

 Suddenly his anger disappears as quickly as it had flared. He scrubs a hand tiredly over his face and sighs. “I’m sorry.”

 River looks up at him questioningly. “Sorry for what?”

 “I thought I was giving you what you wanted. I thought this,” he waves a hand vaguely around them, “This time was what I could give you.”

 “Doctor, it’s not that, it’s-“

 He ploughs on miserably, regardless of her interruption. “But it’s too late. I know that. You should be here with him.”

 He risks a glance up at her but she’s standing in front of him, hands on her hips and a confused expression on her face.

 “Be here with who?”

 “Other me. Bowtie,” he clarifies despondently, “I know you’d rather it was him here, but-“

 He doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence as River’s palm catches him across his cheek.

 “Ow!” he stares at her indignantly, raising a hand to nurse his stinging cheek, “What was that for?”

 “That is the most singularly self-loathing yet self-pitying thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she snaps, glaring furiously at him, “And believe me, that’s saying something.”

 “Well, you didn’t need to slap me!”

 River ignores his comment and continues glaring at him. “Why would you think that?”

 He gestures vaguely with his other hand around the room. “Because, well, you know-“

 “It has never mattered to me which face you wear,” she retorts vehemently, pacing away from him as he stares at her, “You know that.”

 Suddenly feeling his anger flare up once more, he blurts out what’s been eating away at him these past two weeks. “Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it!”

 “What?”

 He watches as she turns back towards him in confusion and instantly wishes he could take the words back. He’s not sure he can cope with her confirming his fears out loud.

 “What is that supposed to mean, Doctor?” she presses again, her voice sharp.

 He glances away for a moment before licking his lips nervously. “You-, you don’t touch me anymore,” he mutters, almost too quietly for her to hear and gods, it sounds pathetic even to his ears. No wonder she wants to leave him. “Not like you used to.”

 He risks a glance back at her, steeling himself for her admission.  Instead, she stares at him like he’s grown another head.

 “Because you don’t want me to,” she states matter-of-factly, like it’s the most obvious thing in the universe.

 He stares at her dumbfounded, shaking his head as if he’s misheard her. “Why on earth would you think that?”

 “Because you told me, Doctor!”

 “No, I didn’t!”

 She nods her head, frowning at him. “Yes, you did. You told me this body doesn’t hold hands, or do hugs. Or touching in general.”

 He throws his hands up in the air and virtually growls in frustration. “I didn’t mean you!”

 “Why not?” River shrugs. He thinks she’s trying to seem nonchalant but he can almost feel the tension radiating off her. “I thought you-, this body,” she waves a hand in his direction, “I thought you didn’t want me like that anymore.”

 “For heavens’ sake, River, of course I do,” he pinches the bridge of his nose and breathes in deeply, trying not to snap at her in his frustration, “You’re my wife. I love you. Of course, I want you.”

 He glances up at her with what he hopes is a sincere expression and then falters when he sees her staring, glassy-eyed back at him.

 “What?”

 She swallows heavily. “Nothing. It’s just-, you’ve never said it before?”

 He frowns at her. “Said what?”

 “You love me.”

 It comes out as barely a whisper but it stops him in his tracks. The same feeling of total self-loathing that had swept over him when she’d made her passionate declaration in front of Hydroflax now resurfaces with a vengeance.

 “Of course, I have.”

 She shakes her head and bites her bottom lip. “Well, once. But you were dying. And needed me to save you, so-“

 He gapes at her open-mouthed in horror. “But-, but you knew? You always knew. That I-, that I’ve always-“ he trails off as he watches her, her arms wrapping protectively around herself.

 “Yes. And no,” she shrugs again, clutching herself tightly, “Recently, it’s been difficult. You’ve been so young. And then Manhattan-“

  “But, it was all-, all those trips from Stormcage, all those dinners, every birthday, every anniversary. It was all because-,“ He closes his eyes in shame, cursing his younger self for every missed opportunity to tell her how much she really means to him. For ever leaving her in any doubt.

 “And now?” she asks tentatively after a moment, as if she’s afraid of the answer.

 “And now, what?”

 “You’ve seen me in my full glory,” she says, a hint of bitterness in her voice, steeling herself as if braced for his rejection, “’What I get up to’ as you put it, when you’re not there,” she throws his words from Hydroflax’s ship back at him.

 “River, I didn’t mean-“

 “I was happy to kill Hydroflax, Doctor,” she continues over him, lifting her chin defiantly and looking him in the eye, “I wouldn’t have regretted it.”

 “You’ve killed me as well remember, I thought that was just what you did with your husbands,” he quips, trying not to let the exasperation creep into his voice but she simply glares back at him.

 “Don’t be flippant, Doctor,” River snaps and he half expects her to slap him again but instead she turns away from him once more, chewing on her bottom lip with anxiety, “I can cope you know,” she adds more quietly, her fingernails picking absently at the sleeve of her shirt, “If you leave. It won’t break me. It will hurt. But I won’t break.”

 Another wave of self-loathing washes over him and he has to forcibly swallow the bile that rises to the back of his throat at her words. He watches as she keeps her gaze averted from him. He can tell she’s trying to stay strong, trying to keep it together but he can see how tightly she’s strung. He breathes in deeply before taking a small step towards her and then another one.

 “I know,” he says softly, watching as she tries not to flinch at his words, clearly preparing herself for the worst. He raises a hand and gently brushes the back of his fingers down her cheek so she glances up at him. “But it would break me.”

 There’s a small intake of breath as she tries to stifle a gasp, her eyes searching his desperately as she looks to see if he’s serious. “Doctor, you-“

 But he cuts off the rest of her sentence by pressing his lips to hers and softly kissing her. It’s a gentle, chaste kiss, completely unlike their frantic, biting kisses from before but he tries to convey everything he can’t quite say out loud to her. Just how much she means to him and how terrified he is of losing her.

 Pulling away, he rests his forehead against hers and gently swipes his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the single tear that’s spilled over.

 “I want this, River,” he whispers hoarsely, looking desperately down at her, “You, me, twenty-four years.”

 “But, you don’t really-“

 “I do,” the Doctor insists earnestly, “All of it. Every last sodding domestic detail. Sunday papers, breakfast in bed, evenings in front of the telly.  I want it. Hell, we can even get a cat if you want.”

 “I hate cats.”

 “Fine, no cats,” he deadpans before adding more seriously, “But the rest of it.”

 River stares up at him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as if she can’t quite trust what she’s hearing. “All of it?” she asks hesitantly, “Because we don’t have to-“

 He frowns as she trails off. “Don’t have to?”

 She pauses for a moment before answering reluctantly. “Sex. I know you say you want me but I know tastes can change and I don’t want to make you feel-“

 Again, he cuts her off mid-sentence by kissing her. This time, the kiss is more demanding. He nips at her bottom lip and when her lips willingly part, his tongue slides against hers, tasting her as he stifles a groan. His free hand slips into her hair as she winds her arms around his neck and pulls him closer.

 When they pull apart this time, they are both breathing hard. Still catching her breath, River tries again, her hands sliding down to rest on his shoulders. “But, that first night here-“

 “Was a disaster,” he interjects firmly, “It’s been… a long time.”

 River quirks an eyebrow at him. “How long?”

 He pauses for a moment, looks away sheepishly then back to her. “Since you,” he admits, watching as her eyes widen before a slow smile spreads across her face, “I’m a little rusty.”

 River trails one hand down to the open neck of his shirt to toy with the top button. “Well then, sweetie,” she murmurs as she looks back up at him and the Doctor feels his hearts stutter in his chest. For the first time since they arrived, she’s not looking at him with a guarded expression on her face, like she’s waiting for him to disappoint her. She looks happy. “They say practise makes perfect. And we now have the time.”

 “We do indeed.”

 “Twenty-four years.”

 He leans in towards her, one hand gently cradling her cheek as he tilts her chin up towards him. “Twenty-four years,” he echoes against her lips as he kisses her again.

 --

[daily-douma]

Demon With No Name

An analysis on Upper Moon Two: Douma

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba spoilers!!

Hello! ❤ I wanted to discuss the significance on Douma’s real name never being revealed to us in the KNY story.

I'd love it if you guys could share your thoughts on this with me please!

Before I start:

Disclaimer: I do not speak Japanese at all, I’m basing all quotes off of the first manga site i could find. Translations may vary depending on the source. Also I may not be aware of alternate meanings of words that may have been lost in translation for the most important quotes! So please forgive me if I misinterpret something!!

A lot of the demons in KNY’s story are either nameless, or go by an alias that isn’t their real name. Examples of the former include most minor demons, such as the Temple Demon, Swamp Demon, Older brother/sister, Mother, and Father Spider demons, etc. Examples of the latter are mostly are more relevant Upper moon demons-- Daki, Akaza, and Kokushibou, whose real names are Ume, Hakuji, and Michikatsu respectively. The other upper moons, Nakime, Gyokko, and Hantengu, however, don’t have their human names revealed, along with Douma. However, these 3, did not hold as much story significance as Douma.

Then in addition to that, there are some demons who go by their human names still, such as Rui and Kaigaku. I assume it is because they are young enough relative to other demons age that they haven’t forgotten it (or maybe they just like their human names lol).

(I don’t know if Gyutaro’s name is his actual name or a fake name and, if it is a fake name, I don’t remember if his real name is actually given, which is weird because his sister’s was. But that’s a topic for another day.)

However, Douma, who holds the rank of Upper Moon 2, is one of the most relevant demons in the story, yet his real name is never disclosed. Even in the Kimetsu Acadmeny chapter extras, is stated that his AU version’s real name is unknown.

So, why is that? Douma even said so himself that he has great memory. He remembered many details of his life but he failed to ever disclose to us his name. Was that one thing he did forget? Was it not important to him? Did he simply not have a real name before becoming a demon? (Maybe his parents thought he was above having a normal human name?) And most importantly, was this intentionally done by Kyoharu Gotouge?

Before I continue, first we should know the meaning behind Douma’s name. His name is officially 童磨. According to the Kimetsu no Yaiba wiki,  童 ( dō ) means “child,” and 磨 (ma) which can mean “polishe,” “grind,” or “improve.” (Someone also said it can mean magic but I don’t have the source im sorry :( ) Based on these, Douma’s name has a meaning somewhere along the lines of “magical child” or “polished child.” This is most likely to reference how his parents thought he had divine powers at his birth.

For most people, your name is one of the most significant aspect of one’s identity. It’s the first bit of information you to give to anybody upon introduction. However, Douma’s unknown name is a demonstration of his own lack of personal identity.

If we take a look back at Douma’s childhood, he’s been put on as the figurehead of the Eternal Paradise cult from the day he could even sit up. His entire life he was put on a pedestal for an identity he did not make for himself, but one manufactured and forced onto him by his parents. In chapter 142, Douma admits that he can’t speak to the Gods or have any spiritual connections that his parents believe he has. In fact, he doesn’t even believe in any of it. If that’s the case, why does he seem so fixated on the idea of bringing his troubled followers to “paradise” as his sole reason for being born?

Earlier I mentioned that one large aspect of identity is our name. However, another important aspect in defining our identity is the personal relationships we have around us. Who we value and surround ourselves will shape our own individual perceptions of ourselves. However, Douma, who has admitted to having limited capability in feeling emotions, is unable to form meaningful bonds with people around him. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is story where most, if not all, the main themes revolve around love, family, and friendship being the main motivators to drive characters in the pursuit of goals. However, here we have a character who serves as a direct antithesis to of all these themes. He has nobody he loves and nobody who loves him.

In chapter 157, Kanao calls out Douma in their fight, telling him she can see through the fake persona he puts on. She then proceeds to question him: “Why were you even born?” (damn....) Douma gave clearly visible cues that he was not pleased with what she had to say. The important observation to take from this scene is Douma’s reaction. The man who was just revealed to not feel any emotions, who is usually unbothered by harsh words thrown at him from demon slayers and other members of the upper moons alike, showed an emotional response to the cutting words of a child questioning his existence.

Based on this reaction, I think there is reason to believe Douma has an innate dissatisfaction with his own identity, or moreso his lack of identity. From his childhood, he’s been more than aware of how he cannot feel emotions the same as others. Even in his dying thoughts in chapter 163, he thinks back on how he was “always been this way.” He thinks about how human emotions to him were nothing more than  “mere dreams.”

I think should we take a close look at the word choice used here. He could have simply said something along the lines of “I’ve never felt emotions;” however Gotouge specifically phrased it as a metaphor comparing it to dreams. This word choice conveys a sense of longing associated with the idea of being able to experience emotion. This suggests that there is a chance he did wish for a better understanding of emotions. After all, like Kanao said, what’s the point of living if one can’t truly indulge in all of life’s pleasures associated with the emotional bonds we build with one another?

However, what does all this of this have to do with Douma not having a name? Douma not having a name is symbolic of his entire character. He is a man with no true identity of his own. He was unable to maintain any close, meaningful, interpersonal relationships with anyone around him in the hundreds of years he lived. He lived every day with a false persona knowing deep down inside of him knowing he was different from everyone else around him, but not in the “spiritual way” that was expected of him. And in his own Nihilistic opinion, he felt his own life was pointless. But as a direct contradiction to those beliefs, he continues to lie to himself, telling himself the people need him to save them. It’s ironic--Douma, the man who mocked demon slayers’ efforts to do whatever they can to achieve their goals, is doing the most to do whatever he can to mask the emptiness he feels inside. His boastfulness of his cult, his over-acting of emotions, and his insistence of friendly and polite conversation even in the face of insults and attacks from opponents all demonstrate this. While he may not be able to process and understand emotions like most people, there is one thing that Douma appears to have in common with many people: wanting a sense of purpose and meaningfulness in life.

While Douma’s reason for becoming a demon is never explicitly disclosed in the manga, I think we have reason to suspect him of becoming a demon for the purpose of finding an identity to call his own. Muzan Kibutsuji is notorious for taking advantage of humans who are at their lowest points in their life. They have lost everything that mattered to them and have no one else to turn to. However, it was a different case with Douma--a man with no loved ones, no purpose, no real identity--already had nothing to lose to in the first place.

Despite all Douma thought he though he “dedicated [...] to people and made contributions to the world,” in the end, his choice to become a demon never brought him the sense of identity and purpose he sought out by the time of his death. Unlike even other demons, who had family members they could happily reunite with in death, he would simply be forgotten from the rest of the world. Sure, maybe the demon slayers will remember him as Douma, one of the strongest demons. However,there was not a single person who knew the real Douma, the real name behind the man who served as Upper Moon 2 under Muzan. He will just continue to remain nameless even in death. A cruel reminder of how any way Muzan’s involvement in any other demon’s life did nothing to improve any of their lives, if not worsen it.

I don’t think I worded this well but I hope it still makes sense to everyone 🥺

[swiftgronmasterpost]

Late Stage Swiftgron Part 1

Update from November 2021 - I really don’t believe much of this is meaningful at all.  I don’t think they’re sitting around referencing one another on social media or anything but some of Dianna’s interactions with Karlie are interesting Dianna shows up explicitly in Taylor’s life a couple more times so I’m leaving these sections here.;

From here on out everything but the 2014 AMAs and Dianna’s somewhat shocking appearance at Taylor’s 2019 SNL performance are just odd social media shenanigans (or subtweets) between the two, and Taylor appearing to release at least one more song about Dianna (Babe in 2018) (and let’s be honest you can make a strong argument for The 1 being about Dianna as well other post 1989 songs.)

Some of this might be complete crack or coincidence but as you all know I want this to be the most thorough Swiftgron document possible.  

If anything it proves they both certainly still have similar interests and they really do seem to be in touch.

There are some interactions claimed by others to be Swiftgron related that I’m not going to include because they’re just a bit too reachy for me (though I completely support the theorizing!) but in general, if I personally can see the hint of a Swiftgron connection, I’m going to include it here. Draw your own conclusions and take everything, particularly the alleged subtweets/social media shenanigans, with a grain of salt.

And yes there’s tons of Kaylor and other Gaylor/Gaygron content that will be left out of this segment because this masterpost is focused on Swiftgron.  Someday it would be cool to make a giant masterpost/timeline that documents all of it, but for now it’s just going to be Swiftgron stuff. August 26, 2014 - Dianna tweets, and then deletes “Withdrawals, clearly…we had fun.” 

There’s no screen shot of this tweet but some retweets/responses of it remain:

If Dianna is indeed referencing the song Clean (in which their relationship is compared to an addiction hence, “withdrawals” from it) then Taylor would have had to give her advanced knowledge of the song since 1989 did not come out until October 2014.

Taylor did claim she ran 1989 by the muse that inspired it and they were both in LA in late August 2014. Maybe this is when.

November 1, 2014 - Taylor posts about Clean

November 19, 2014 - The 2014 AMAs Kaylorgron Explosion Extravaganza:

Taylor, Karlie, and Dianna are at the event.  Taylor and Karlie are clearly on a date and Dianna is there to present Sam Smith’s performance of I’m not the only one.  Dianna seems a bit out of her element/gloomy when interviewed on the red carpet and Taylor flexes Karlie hard, dancing with her throughout the night and even sitting on her lap during an interview.

Click here for photos, video, gifs, and a live L chat reaction to the night.

December 28, 2014 - The writer for the tv show The Originals, Carina Mackenzie, tweeted that 1989 was about Dianna:

It’s of course notable that someone in the industry is “confirming” Swiftgron on main (particularly before gaylor went mainstream with Kaylor being so obvious in 2015/2016) however what’s even more interesting and notable about this tweet is that an actor named Michael Trevino was on the show The Originals and he dated Jenna Ushkowitz from 2011-2014.

Not only that but Michael was at Dianna’s 26th birthday when Taylor was in attendance as well.

It’s possible that Michael witnessed Swiftgron in real life and spilled a bit to the writer of the TV show he was on.

January 5, 2015 - Taylor likes a Swiftgron related post on Tumblr of Dianna saying she’d go on the road with Taylor and carry her bags at the Giffoni Film Festival in 2012:

February 9, 2015 - Style is released as a single

February 13, 2015 - The Kaylor “Best Friends” on a road trip Vogue Spread comes out.  You’re probably familiar with it but if you aren’t google it.  It’s incredibly romantic and pda filled.

The Style music video is released on this day as well.

We don’t have to go through the whole video but one egg I just have to note is the cave pictured in the MV is in Morocco the same country Dianna seemed to flee to after Swiftgron was outed:

February 14, 2015 - Dianna tweets 143 remember those days (for some reason it has not been deleted) seemingly in response to the Kaylor vogue shoot:

143 is a code that means “I love you” that originated from Mister Rogers.  Both Taylor and Dianna have publicly shown that they are fans of his.  Taylor has even made certain songs 3 minutes and 41 seconds long seemingly referring to this number and wore a Mister Rogers pin on a jacket for a photoshoot once.

Here’s a bit more in depth analysis on the significance of the 143 post.

This tweet is how we know that it is 100% in Dianna’s character to occasionally subtweet Taylor and why a lot of this social media analysis has been done.  

February 16, 2015 - Just two days later Dianna attends a fashion show in which Karlie walks and is noted to “have kept a smirk on her face” during.  Dianna doesn’t clap at the end of the show and looks miserable in photos of the event:

February 17, 2015 - Taylor releases Wonderland

I’m going to pause here and discuss the song Wonderland for a brief moment because it is some of the most incredibly airtight evidence for Swiftgron available.

Dianna’s favorite book of all time is Alice in Wonderland.  She brought it up in interviews all the time, tweeted about it, auctioned off a signed copy of it for charity, her private Tumblr and instagram account are called whosirmesir which is a reference to it, her private Tumblr is filled with reblogs about Alice, and her public Tumblr was called fell down the rabbit hole.

So the fact that Taylor writes an entire song describing a relationship through the lens of and packing full of references to Alice in Wonderland is incredibly interesting.

Let’s take a look at some of these lyrics:

Flashing lights and we, took a wrong turn and we Fell down the rabbit hole (literally Dianna’s tumblr name and url)

Didn't you flash your green eyes at me (Dianna is famous for her beautiful almost hypnotic green eyes and yes they are green)

Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds (queer coded)

Too in love to think straight (queer coded)

But there were strangers watching And whispers turned to talking And talking turned to screams (seems to reference when they were outed) You searched the world for something else (Dianna very publicly went travelling around the world right after April 2013 when they seem to break up)

Taylor literally put Dianna’s Tumblr URL in the song.  Frankly I’m kind of shocked she released this song at all it is so obviously and clearly about Dianna.  Truly a Swiftgron anthem!

Back to the timeline...

March 8, 2015 - Taylor posts Flamingos for her dad’s birthday:

The caption was “Happy Birthday, Dad. Thanks for all the unconditional love, sarcastic comments, and interesting Christmas presents.”

May 1, 2015 - Dianna posts a flamingo for her birthday (post is now deleted):

The caption was “This is 29. Spoiled rotten. Funny enough, at work they were painting the hallways white and the roses (hallway doors) red, then I actually went to Wonderland (@AliceUnderLdn) and came home to a surprise flamingo. Here we go. Another year around the sun…feeling lucky and loved and loved and lucky.”

Taylor also gave Emily, another rumored ex, a flamingo bandana for her birthday.  i also think it’s odd that Dianna mentions Wonderland specifically in the post.

January 15, 2016 - Dianna’s engagement to Winston is announced and Kaylors notice Taylor is liking sad posts on Tumblr including several posts related to Clean:

November 7, 2016 - Lorde’s birthday party where Kaylor is together in public for the last time for 20 months.

January 5, 2017 - Claire (who is still very close with Taylor) comments on one of Dianna’s Instagram posts):

March 2, 2017 - Dianna posts her James Dean inStyle UK photo to Instagram:

This is actually the second time she has posted this as a throwback photo.  She also posted it on February 4, 2016 with simply the caption “TBT” and did not include the “rebel without a clue” bit which is a reference to James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause). She’s never posted the same TBT photo twice before or after this (as of the writing of this post in October 2020).

It I may be permitted to go real far out on a limb here it’s almost as if she wanted people to connect that photo of her in the UK InStyle magazine to James Dean.  James Dean is of course the way Taylor describes her lover in the song Style.  

At any rate it’s very odd that it’s the only photo she’s posted twice whether it’s related to Taylor or not.

April 25, 2017 - Fans notice Dianna is having her script tattoo removed:

This is significant because a part of the tattoo was dedicated to Alice in Wonderland - it said “We’re all mad here” 

Tattoo removal is a years long process:

So it’s possible she started getting it removed around the time that Wonderland came out.

It’s also possible part of the tattoo was dedicated to Lea (the part that said “here I am”) so this whole removal situation is very interesting.

In 2019 she was still getting it removed and commented this at a Cafe Carlyle session:

"i was like i don't know i wanna explain all my tattoos or the one that i'm getting removed on my side...you know you're like...WHATEVER we're stopping we're moving on"

February 13, 2018 - Dianna attends the Carolina Herrera fashion show, so does Karlie. Dianna is introduced to Karlie by Derek Blasberg and very audibly calls Karlie “gorgeoouusss” as they meet. 

Kayda play “Gorgeous” by Taylor Swift.

Click here to keep reading!

[buildingrelationshipsinanarchy]

A New Intimacy Model

So what spurred this project is a culmination of a few things. Namely, frustration with the imprecise and incomprehensible words, Platonic, Romantic, and Sexual. The English language hasn’t been great at adapting the words for personal relationships as our times and values change.

I fell into Anarchism only very recently, stumbling into the language of ‘relationship anarchy’ through the internet in discussion with forms of polyamory years ago when I started this blog. Over the last year, I’ve been getting into radical politics and finding how my un-politicized opinions were validated, and then stretched the more I learned and studied up. While I’m still learning more about Radical politics, Anarchism, Marxism, Queer and Feminist theory specifically, the more I wanted to link some of my perspectives on intimate relationships with these political and theoretical texts.

“The Personal is Political.” - Carol Hanisch, Feminist Author.

@mythr1der​ wrote a post detailing a bit of the frustration I also share in regards to how the Dichotomy between Platonic and Sexual (which almost all definitions of Romance boil back into), leave much to be desired when discussing attraction, desire, intimacy and relationships in general. I believe that this very simple dichotomy reflects, oddly enough, capitalism and the history of the role of state power in culture. I rant a little bit about it as a response to @mythr1der​‘s post here. 

It’s long, and incomplete, but I proposed an idea of just building entirely new words, so we can build an entirely new map for talking about love, desire, attraction, and relationships that actually discuss what its like to be next to someone you like to be next to! 

What is intimacy? It’s closeness right? To be near some ‘intimate’ part of another person, or them near something meaningful about why you’re you. I wanted to start this series by talking about what it means to be close to someone. If you remember my birthday without Facebook, that might make me feel a bit special. But if you remember how badly I was abused by an old friend, its because I trusted you enough to share some of the sadness that I’m not as loud about.

Intimacy isn’t always trauma, sometimes its tears of joy hearing that your cousin is out of prison, or the laughter of your friends. Being close to each other in a hyper-digitized age is a bit tricky, but phone calls, facetime, snapchat are only some of the tools we use to keep each other updating on what we’re feeling. Whether its about our love life, sex life, work life, or home life, just sharing that information can be real special, and bonding.

When we say that we have friends or that we are [Queer] Platonic Partners, does that mean we’ve decided how often we’re gonna talk or what we’re gonna talk about? What if we just send each other memes or rant about politics? Am I supposed to devalue those interactions because they aren’t the person I’m crying on the phone with?

Intimacy can be as deep as childhood scars and as simple as surprising me with my favorite snack. It all just means you know who I am, what I like, and what I care about. I want to intentionally forge those connections. And this why I set these definitions first. 

Other Words:

A Daekkon (n.) would be person/partner whom you’ve developed intentionally this kind of relationship with. 

If you desired this kind of relationship with a certain person, you’d be feeling Daekeen (adj.) for/about that person.

People who are desiring or actively doing these activities together are Daekkoning (v.). 

This would be understood as Daekkonic (adj.) behavior; as in, “My roomate isn’t super talkative with me, but is deakkonic (adj.) with Sandra from the Mosque.” 

“Tom is going through it, he’s felt deakkonically (adv.) deprived since the move.”

________________________________________________________________

In our sex-negative, ironically repressed culture, we seem to think that if you’re touching your bodies together at all, it means *something*.  I want to remove that idea. I want to reclaim physical affection. I want to be touch and be touched by others. I don’t want my afab friends who have experienced some sort of sexual violence in their lives, to ever feel weary about the fact that I’m physically affectionate. It’s been my #1 Love Language for the last 10 years. 

Fighting r*pe culture is a full-time fight, but I think adding a word, and therefore an idea[l], can be useful in reclaiming safety, and boundaries regarding bodily autonomy, for all of us. Clear communication and respected boundaries and asking consent for everything are the bedrock we need to continually practice. And as trust builds, I believe this could be very useful theoretically tool for improving the quality of our relationships and help create clearer discussion about our individual boundaries, needs, and desires. I feel like this leads me to a relevant question. What activities are inherently platonic, romantic or sexual? Is holding hands inherently romantic when almost all of us have done it with a friend? What about those of us who are religious or spiritual and have held hands with members of church, mosque or synagogue; do you think we’re out here non-stop blushing at the Pastor? Or when we held hands with family members? Doesn’t sound like it holds up, huh? 

What about snuggling a roommate? Holding a teammate while celebrating a victory? The kiss my bestfriend gave me on our shared birthday dinner? Are we left to through our Aro and Ace friends’ out of the discussion, just because our culture has bad takes on sex and romance as the only forms possible of significant physical touch? Physical touch is such an important way to communicate love and affection, as well as care, concern, and comfort. They don’t get to cast their shadow on this space anymore!

Other Words:

If you had this desire for someone, or wanted to approach cultivating these forms of affection in a relationship, you could say you’re feeling Phaddish (adj.) for that person.

.Participating or initiating acts of a non-sexual physical intimacy Phadronic (adj.) quality are said to be phade-ing/phading (v.).

A Phadrone (n.) could be the name of a person/partner you share this kind of relationship with. 

Phadroning (v.) would the act of cultivating this kind of intimacy with another person. 

Phadronically (adv.) could describe a certain level of intimacy implicit in a physical touch between to particular people.

________________________________________________________________

Now lets talk about Sex. That’s the thing the everyone’s mind always gravitates to when discuss words like, intimacy, attraction, desire. It’s the thing we want to stay away from when you use the Platonic or Friendly. But, lets be real. Haven’t many of us had sex with people didn’t even consider friends? Or people who became our “Strictly Platonic” friends after we may have had sex, once or several times, with them?

People who gravitate toward polyamory or non-monogamy tend have had a “hoe-phase.” The boundary between friend and lover, or partner and fuckbuddy have been blurred in a good chunk of people’s lives. Non-monogamous or not, I think it’s useful to talk directly about our sexual experiences, desires, fantasies, and how different it can be with different people, or in different stages of our lives. But what makes an experience sexual? Maybe that sounds redundant or obvious; I mean, it’s got the word SEX in it, maybe that’s got something to do with it? But maybe not... 

Lets ask an odd question. Is sex inherently sexual? Who wouldn’t assume the answer is automatically yes? Well, my first thought is to talk to those in the Adult Entertainment industry or friends of ours who are sex-workers, in whatever capacity. Is every client sexy or shoot erotic? Those of us who have sex, have we never been doing it and been bored through most of at least one experience? 

If sex is inherently sexual, why do we have so many Sexual Health Educators, Marriage Counselors, Pornstars, Yoga Teachers, Personal trainers and Writers telling us how to have sexy sex? Dating Coaches and Websites, telling us how we are getting something that’s supposed to sound so easy wrong.

I’ve come to the opinion that sex isn’t about body parts, genitalia, certain body motions, or even clothing [or lack thereof]. I believe that sex, or eroticism, is all about the context and the people involved. There’s nothing inherently sexy about fruit, or food in general, but if woman eats a banana in public, there are at least several men in area thinking of something than her healthy food choices. 

This is why talking about sex directly is good. And understanding it as an energy that you imbue to any activity or circumstance, could help have better sex; and and on the flip-side, show us how we may need to more aware of how we may take up space with our body language. I do also feel, that in part, some of our Ace friends (those who aren’t sex repulsed), may be able to find some resonance with this model; sex doesn’t have to feel passionate or any particular way at all (other than good?), because sex isn’t about sexiness, but about human connection and pleasure.

Other Words:

Serotic (adj.) activities include any activity that is engaged due to, or is infused with, sexual desire and/or erotic intention. It also describes the type of desire you’re feeling for another person. 

A Serato (n.) is any person you engage in serotic activities or feelings with. 

An activity that was originally un-serotic (adj.), but became sexually or erotically charged, we could described as having become Serotically (adv.) charged. 

When you are cultivating or charging an act with serotic energy, you are Seroticizing (v.) that activity

________________________________________________________________

Lately, especially since diving into Radical Politics, I find less and less desire in defining Who I Am as a part of a relationship unit. It’s an overlay from monogamy, The Couple being the only social unit that is recognized, as it’s necessary to the Nuclear Family; a super important thing for Capitalism to sustain itself. The relationships I cultivate with others, with whatever forms of intimacy or interactions therein, cant be understood by that model. I am more than my interactions with a handful of people; I am a human person, and my engagement with the world isn’t actually reducible to whether or not I’m having sex with someone or not. 

We’ve talked about multiple forms of intimacy, and some of the desires or interests associated with them. Have you noticed that in the desire, or need, to discuss relationships on a basis of, ‘sex: yes or no?’, that we haven’t talked about the webs that form because we are all reliant on each other to survive? Not everyone in your community or workplace or online spaces, you’ll get to know or talk to. Do they, as people, matter less because they aren’t in your contacts list or your DM’s?  

This is a space where not a lot of us to tend think or engage as much. An easy word to discuss this space is community. But is a community the people or the place you spend your time, whether online or off? Is the community the place you live and your neighbors? Is it the people who may share some of your identifiers or face similar forms of oppression, despite living in a different city, state, country?

We are multi-dimensional beings, and with the use of technology, there are so many ways to form relationships, and share resources. I think the ‘community’ is any space you find yourself in, which means that mutual aid is something you are always able to engage in. Whether it’s feeding the homeless guys who hang out by the intersection, or dropping a few bucks in a trans kid’s venmo, mutual aid is so much easier.

But what if that feels so inconsequential? It’s not! But it does, from time to time, feel like the problems of the world are so big, and that you and so many you know are suffering in ways you wish you could help. Well, community organizing is always happening somewhere, online and off. It becomes important to join up with others in order feel like we can actually make a positive impact on the lives of others. We don’t have to wait on a government who’s interest isn’t ours, don’t have to wait for some politician to fail on a promise to Make Things Better.

We have each other, and we are all we really have. At the end of the day, all of our concepts are man-made. COVID-19 showed us how drastically things could be different if the people in power made decisions that actually benefited us. A lot of us understand the need to do something. Capitalism says that competition is what drove human kind into evolution, the fight for survival in a meaningless, terrifying world. Anarchism, as I’m learning, throws the whole idea in the trash where it belongs.

Peter Kropotkin, whose been called both the Godfather and Santa Claus of Anarchism, penned in Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (1902), “under any circumstances sociability is the greatest advantage in the struggle for life.”

We are better off together. Capitalism and the property relationships in our compulsively monogamous society try to tell us other wise. We don’t have to follow that model.

Other Words:

To Mudshop (v.) is to build a mudship with a particular person, organinzation, or community; Mud-shopping (v.). 

A Mudshipper (n.) is an individual in a mudship of any scale. 

I’ve said a lot. I hope this reads as accessible to as many people as it can be. I built this because I want to tell the people in my life why I love them as dearly as I do. And that I’d love to build relationships with as many awesome, lovely people as I can.

If you try to use the words Romantic and Platonic while you look at this post, and find it almost impossible, I’ve done my job.

I hope those words die along with oppressive ideas they uphold.

[practicalmagicintuitions]

SH general + general love reading

DISCLAIMER: If you will send me an Anon, I will answer in the same tone as your ask, opinion is written.

All information and statements made in this reading or any other post of mine are all alleged until proven to be fact and for entertainment purposes & usage only. All information stated is based on my intuition and my tarot cards. Opinion only. The readings have no intention to cause any harm to the individuals, people featured in it

I have to tell you I know nothing, absolutely nothing about SH. I haven’t seen him in anything. So it was a challenge for me, but I loved it. Therefore I cannot really answer questions about him which is not about this reading, but anyhow if you have questions or want to tell me something, go on! 

I used The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson so we will have a few different cards potentially, I will describe those. 

General Past-Present-Future This part of the reading is everything, carrier, love, everything. 

Four of Pentacles, King of Cups rx

4 of P is about financial stability. investments it is also about hoarding being guarded, closed.

 I think in the past he was maybe unnecessarily worried about money and his number one goal was to establish himself financially. This caused that KofCrx situation where he didn’t really have the time or urge to have a meaningful deep relationship. Or even if he had he wasn’t acting really nurturing in it. He was turbulent, overwhelmed and guarded. Maybe he has a fear that women want only his resources, money, fame, or he thought he can only focus on one thing at the same time and he chose finances not emotions to focus on.

4ofP also means saving for a bigger thing. House, travel etc. With the rx Cups, it could mean work alcoholism in the past. As a father, partner etc this king could be moody or overly protective. But this King could be very kinky too. If this would be a future family reading I would say this could mean fertility problems.

4ofP sometimes comes up if someone's upbringing was lacking money, so hoarding, saving is important. This card also means someone has a belief in themselves. He has a clear vision of who he is, where his boundaries lie etc. This also could mean someone is a little bit of a control freak, likes orders or if their things are in order etc. This card also means (because of the closeness and guarded part) that someone is very private. He doesn’t like to share any part of his life

Present

The Magician.

His present is filled with creativity and goals he wants to manifest. He is a very independent thinker. confidence, self-rule, freedom is important to him. He is charming and has leadership qualities. I think he has a clear vision of what he wants and is working on it to make it a reality. Maybe he is spiritual, connected to his higher self or believes in God etc. The Magician has all of the symbols of the 4 suits, so I think he finally feels he has everything he wanted to take the next step, to create his dream future. Especially if he was hoarding in the past, so this is definitely a step up. 

Future

Seven of Swords, The Fool

I think with the 7ofSw he will release everything that holds him back. In this deck this card is more like acceptance, leaving something behind kind of acceptance. Accepting that we made some mistake that’s why we didn't have success in certain areas in the past ( I am getting that is more like about his private, love life) And with the Fool is a very new beginning

In this deck, this Fool is not some daydreamer who is wandering around and bumping into the Magician by accident. No, this Fool is quick, fast, knows what he wants, knows his goals.

It’s a pagan deck, and the Major Arcana is based on myths and legends of medieval Wales. This fool is Peredur (or Parsifal) who was one of the knights of the Round Table. Here he is only a “fool”. His mother was who advised him to seek Arthur and claim his knighthood. So he has a goal right at the start. His mom gave Peredur many pieces of advice one of them was he should seek the love of a fair, esteemed woman. So this maybe could be real-life advice he received from his mom or his family. 

Which led us to the relationship part of the reading. 

It was interesting to see that the relationship part was in tune with the general one. 

Past- Page of wands rx

In the past, he was unreliable, lazy. He was not ready for a real relationship but he always made excuses for it. He probably felt it is too much effort and he wanted to focus on his career. He was tense, he wanted to move all the time. Maybe physically maybe from relationship to relationship. He was a charmer who maybe spent the night with you but he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic in the morning. He was the “I have to run, I am late” guy. 

Present - The Star

This card is again, being calmer, after the storm (this card comes after the destruction of the Tower). Being one step closer to our goal. This is the realisation that purely earthy goods are not enough and we need a deep soul connection too. With a partner, with friends, family. It could mean he is involved with some type of charity work or social causes, maybe he could meet someone through it but I get more like a general vibe, maybe this type of work will help him to be more open, not that guarded. It is also peace, freedom, guiding star. For me, with the Magician above means that he is very aware of his presence and what he want to achieve in the future and he is hopeful about it. And again, the Fool in this deck is a very determined one. But the Star card itself is a long journey type of card, you need to be patient. But I think he knows this. And this is not just romantic love it is more universal love, that’s why this can be about charity. 

Future - Seven of wands rx

This card is warning you being too patient or doing nothing can be dangerous. So while he is on his patient and calm route with the Star this shows it has a flip side too. But I don’t think this is the strongest message here. What I am getting more and this is an overlooked meaning of this card, is that he will find new ways and approaches in a future relationship other than battling or confrontation or just sneak out from inconvenient situations. Especially, if we look back on his past with the PofWrx and with his general future card with the Fool. So he knows or will know he needs new ways. He is hopeful while trying to manifest that and make it a reality ( the Magician, the Star). He is ready to let go of his guarded way of life, the battling and let people in.

In general, I think at this moment he doesn’t really have anyone specific, maybe he is dating or seeing someone casually but what I get is that he is ready. In his soul in his mind, he is more familiar with the idea to have someone serious or give a chance to have a meaningful, serious relationship. And I think this is an amazing phase. This is the energy I got. So I feel from now on it is up to the circumstances and not to him, because he is ready. He has done the hard work, the most important one. And one law of the universe is we get back what we put out. So I think he has a good chance in the romantic field to receive back amazing things because he learned and done the work. 

I hope you enjoyed it, I know I overlooked a few things and it could have been 2 pages longer but I wanted to type it because I promised this a long time ago. I also had a little health problems in the last 2 weeks and on top of that I am refurbishing my house and this is a nightmare but I didn’t want to use those as an excuse. But the last 2 weeks was not calm for me, so I couldn’t do a longer reading. Hopefully, the next ones will be longer. 

I hope you enjoyed it.

Be blessed.

[writing-for-me-at-this-point]

iv. Relationships w/ MC | Obey Me | Actor AU

Request: Hello! I saw that your ask box is open, so I have come bearing a request. I found ur blog thru your OM actor au and I adore it to bits. Your interpretation of the characters was delightful and the gag/bloopers had me laughing so hard! May you please expand on the au by sharing your relationship headcanons of how the cast interacts or feels about MC (platonic/romantic)? I hope this finds you well 💖💖💖

Word Count: 3225 words

Page Count: 9.2 pages

A.N. Hope you guys enjoy this!

Tags: @weebartistinc​

[ M A S T E R L I S T ]

Lucifer / Benjamin

        The relationship between Benjamin [ Lucifer ] and MC would more like master and apprentice. Think of RDJ and Tom Holland. Ben is more lax than his show counterpart for sure. Where Lucifer would be prideful, Ben is humble, where Lucifer is smug, Ben can be self conscious. I'd like to think the MC of the "real world" thinks much more logically, doesn't throw themselves into things head first and is more calculating. Maybe something more like Satan? 

        Between the two of them, they are lax and playful, throwing inside jokes and playfully fighting. Ben [ Lucifer ] is like the "cool dad" that loves to mess around with his kids, which makes sense because he does have his own, they are fairly young and I can see MC babysitting in case it was needed. There's a deep trust between the two that can't really be described. Ben really wants MC to prosper in their career and will guide them- but he doesn't want to baby them either, he wants them to test the waters on their own. If they ever get overwhelmed he's there for them though.

        His dumbass is forgetful to check his sugar as well, so you can catch MC helping to remind him to check it/eat/drink if needed. He didn't have the most welcoming background- he didn't have the support system a child needs, so he strives to be that and forgets to care for himself often.

        "I want to give my kids everything I never had and more, just like how I want it for you too, MC."

Mammon / Avery 

        Avery [ Mammon ] is very business oriented and formal. MC and him would get along well, like their Obey Me counterparts, but just more lax and less chaotic. I see them as the type to go on coffee dates to catch up and get away from it all, seeing as how famous he is, he often likes to find smaller and less well known places to dwell. Enjoys the small and peaceful moments with MC and they can relate with being the most famous of the cast- so they often get treated the same.

        I can see them having a deep platonic and familial connection while also being distant. Avery has trouble opening up due to being frequently used for his money, and though he and MC are on the same playing field, he has his moments where he needs to back away and recuperate. And though he is distant, if MC or himself were to ever need anything, they're at each other's beck and call. Think of the relationship as: MC is the younger sibling that was born like... 10 years after Avery and he is the older brother, they are distant at times, but still love each other deeply and fiercely.

        "MC, what do you think of this new script- who is that on your page? They're liking too many pictures at once... a bit desperate- don't you think?"

Leviathan / Jackson

        This one... is a little complicated. Really- he's a fuck boy and he doesn't care. I can see him as very... objectifying- and not just sexually either. He can see how to use someone to their fullest advantage, but only for his sake, just for to further himself or satisfy any needs he has. MC is a playful flirt, but once Jackson [ Leviathan ] starts to pull the moves, I can see MC pulling back quickly and isolating away from him. Until there is a serious moment where Jackson can prove that he can provide something meaningful to the relationship- it's going to remain cold and formal. MC isn't playing games.

        This can be one of the few relationships that, if managed properly by MC and Jackson [ Leviathan ], can make their relationship to a more friends with benefits type or something romantic. Jackson [ Leviathan ] needs to learn how to stop seeing people as tools and more like... people. MC, in turn, would need to learn boundaries for themselves. They'd probably be so used to accepting people that keeping Jackson at a distance would be weird and almost foreign to them. If they both want things to work out for a proper, and healthy, relationship- it's going to be a lot of work.

        "MC, come here, I need you for something. Hm? No, no- nothing like that. I thought maybe... we could just hang out? Normally?"

Satan / Ross

        Honestly? MC could do better than Jackson [ Leviathan ] and Ross is it, babes. He is definitely the most understanding of MC and takes their own emotions into consideration. Wow kinda like Satan. He still does those live streams and gets smacked on a couple of grams, so MC is there either smoking as well or just getting hot boxed, their tiger dyed cats running everywhere. The live stream then turns into a kitten purring ASMR, then eventually, everyone is asleep on a live stream together. Ross [ Satan ], is a sweetheart as well, remembers the little things about MC and will make them special gifts or gestures for them. Is the type of boyfriend to leave random kisses on them just because.

        Ross [ Satan ], also likes to talk, so he does like to pick MC's mind and see how they think- which in turn touches their heart because WOW. A guy they like isn't using them or being a general ass? He doesn't play around, so if you want a relationship prepare to be in something for the long haul, family affairs are now your business as well. He is super close with his younger brother Dmitri [ Luke ], so you need his approval as well. Ross also can help with building confidence and a stronger self image, but a major downside is that he is lazy, like, he is really fucking lazy. He's tired though, with his job, the animal shelters, watching his brother, and avoiding... them- he wants to just be a homebody. MC does a lot of home dates, but they end up very fulfilling because it's Ross, he knows how make make even the smallest moments feel like everything.

        "Look at ya, MC! Damn, you always have me fallin' for ya all over again."

        "I'm in sweatpants and a tanktop, babe, nothin' special."

        "And you make 'em look fine as hell. Now come 'ere, let's watch a movie, look-! An MC sized space is here, right between my arms, neat right?"

Asmodeus / Micheal

        He's like the best friend who acts like the wine mom. He's the wine mom. He's mom. Always come to him for help, from either something as small as a rant to larger issues like contracts and relationship advice. This a more platonic/familial relationship that MC would develop. They can delve into more personal and private conversations, confident Micheal has the best intentions and advice, and in turn MC helps him out with what their generation is up to these days.

        Pinching MC's cheeks? Yeah, it's a ritual at this point. Likes to joke that MC is actually his illegitimate child. He also invites them to his vlogs, taking MC out at 2 am to Wendy's and talk about the most random stuff. Maybe hint at new things that are upcoming on the show. He writes TSL, not Alex [ Simeon ], so MC will help him with plot and point out any plot holes as well. 

        "MC, hon, take a nap. You're tired and haven't slept well. I got you food too- no, not Wendy's, actual food. Eat that and go sleep, alright?"

Beelzebub / James

        This can be another contender for a romantic relationship! James [ Beelzebub ] is one of the few actors who is pretty similar to their character, so if you love Beelzebub, you love James, sorry I don't make the rules. It's law. He is still new to the acting scene, so unless MC was an actor as a child as well, they'd bounce tips off one another- things they learn from whoever takes them under their wings. In MC's case, Benjamin [ Lucifer ] is their mentor, and in James' case, Alex [ Simeon ] is his mentor.

        He's very thoughtful, understanding, and compassionate. But, he is a bit of an airhead at times, or he often gets lost in his own head. This is due to him trying to think things through, he gets anxious and wants to perform well in every aspect of his life, so he tends to overthink and try to fix his problems in his head. MC will help him with opening up and stilling his mind into calmer waters. He feels the weight of his family, seeing as he now makes the most, he feels like he should be taking care of all of them- even when they tell him to just enjoy his life as it is. MC would realize he's a family man, so this would be another relationship where commitment is expected, James would rather not just have something casual due to how hectic things in his life get. He also is often with Dmitri [ Luke ], watching him and making sure he's okay, because if his younger siblings were in the same situation, he'd want someone to look out for them too. Dmitri is in love with both MC and James, often messing around or just relaxing with them of Ross [ Satan ] isn't around, so their often known as the "Realm Trio" due to their characters each being a different race.

        "I'm fine, really! I was just... thinking, that's all. I'm happy, really I am, and I want everyone else to be as well. That's it."

Belphegor / Conner 

        MC definitely becomes more chaotic with Conner, he's a sweetheart, but damn can he not sit the fuck down. He can be a bit draining for MC if they aren't in the best of moods, and even then, he just holds this light that makes them happy or feel peaceful. Another romantic/platonic relationship that can happen. This is a relationship where no matter how old they get, what is going on in life, how overwhelmed they feel, MC and Conner [ Belphegor ] will always manage to laugh.

        He is clumsy, especially with the tail, so MC will worry over him on and off set. He is very humble, and grateful for every opportunity he gets, so he faces each day with a smile and the classic southern hospitality- where you say thank you after everything, help anyone even if they aren't struggling, all with a southern drawl that makes MC melt. This is the healthiest relationship to exist, due to how easy Conner can communicate with MC and how MC can pick up on things he might not, there isn't any big issues because they both can just talk it out. Even if it doesn't end up romantic- it's still one of the most fulfilling relationships MC and Conner will have due to just being... them.

        "It's so easy, being with you, and I love that. Loving you is never painful, never tough on me, it's always so... light. So perfect, like you."

Barbatos / Thomas

        Oh my god. He is an absolute ass. He is like the uncle you never wanted, always sarcastic, roasting someone, but in the end he means no harm. MC and him definitely have a darker sense of humor together, getting either morbid or just downright weird, and no one else can decipher that the fuck they're saying because there's too many inside jokes and little intricacies. In the end, he is a ride or die, may not be the best to work with- but MC is now family and Thomas [ Barbatos ] will now kill for them. Congratulations on the achievement!

        Will not allow MC to go to openings or any large events alone, and even if they have another cast member with them, he still keeps an eye on them. He gets anxious, and almost paranoid, his younger sister went missing years ago and never got closure. He see's MC not as his missing sister, but as someone who is in need of that older brother figure, and wants to take that role because it feels so natural. He still ends up as that cool asshole uncle, but he likes that too, as long as MC is with him. There are times where MC will need to help him through some issues, just by being a shoulder to lean on, and in turn they get closer. Thomas didn't expect to get close with many people on the cast, other than his old friends, and taking MC into his family was a surprised for all.

        "Come here, ya annoying ass little kid, give me a hug! What! Come here or I'll chase you around his big ass house, MC!"

Diavolo / Roman 

        MC can be the romantic partner for Roman if you'd like, but I just remembered that I made him have triplets, so unless MC is his partner and willing to have kids, Roman would end up as another Uncle/Father figure. If you go the romantic route, Roman is so deeply in love with MC he will sometimes feel empty of he doesn't tell them he loves them everyday. He is attentive, watchful, and optimistic, always bringing fun into the relationship and making MC feel fulfilled and overflowing with love. But, now with the triplets? Love bomb x10, he loves MC with all his soul, he does, but now he realizes the kids come first and appreciates that they do the same. Prefers to be more private though, won't post whatever he does with the kids or anything like that, he doesn't want spotlights on his children when they never asked for it.

        A more platonic/familial relationship though? Best. Man. Ever. Always taking MC out to eat and keeping up with their needs, doesn't baby them, just keeps a watchful and caring eye. Does this with all the younger cast as well. MC will feel loved, safe, and in harmony. He is a wine dad though, so MC will often bring him drinks so he can unwind, even make cocktails time to time just for practice and will make sure to give any tips he can. MC gets a little too tipsy at a party? Well, since he knows where the party is, shoot him a call and he'll pick his 6'5 ass up outta bed to bring MC either to their home or his. 

        "I've got you, always have, always will. I won't ever let you down, because you deserve the world and all the happiness in it, I just hope I can even be a little piece of it. A reason to make you happy."

Luke / Dmitri

        MC is close with Dmitri no matter what, he's always on set, and MC can't seem to let him leave their sight. Kinda like a parent at the park. Won't exactly just stare at their kid, but will always know where they are, and make sure their within a safe distance. Hollywood is full of some sick fucks and MC will be damned if they'd let anything happen to Dmitri. He gets overwhelmed sometimes, will cry and shake, due to holding in stress from the public. MC will teach him how to cook, rather than bake, because food always brings people together and he wants his family to be together in any way he can do it. 

        Spending time with him means spending time with Ross [ Satan ], so MC ends up close with Ross anyway, and will often be filling up Dmitri's Instagram and other social medias. He is the younger brother MC never had and is ready to be another older sibling for him. If the show goes on for multiple seasons, then it will be set in stone, MC and Luke will be a found family along with the rest of the cast.

        "Thank you for everything, MC. I love you, really, and I want you to be as happy as you can be! You're the best and more!"

Simeon / Alex

        Alex [ Simeon ] is another potential love interest/ close friend. This is the only other relationship that can compete with Ross [ Satan ] and Roman [ Diavolo ]. He is known for his temper, but usually plays it up for comedy, and will never actually "blow up" on anyone that isn't deserving of it. He is a sweetheart, but has a tendency to be materialistic, due to his rich upbringing. He knows material things aren't the answer, but it's a habit/mentality he's working on fixing. He prefers to be more affectionate in private, because he wants to enjoy intimacy with MC without the eyes of the public on them, not because he would want to hide their relationship. 

        He is intelligent as fuck, so MC will be filled with the knowledge of the gods, always learning something new and living a student life that isn't more of a student- but someone that has a love for learning. You know Leonardo in Ikevamp? Yeah- that bitch. That's Alex. Even as a friend MC and Alex would always confuse people due to how close they are, which can be annoying if they are with another cast member, but in the end they know the truth.

        "Ah fuck, MC, I'm trying to cook here, ya dork! Don't yank me around the kitchen! Hey! Loving me isn't an excuse to squeeze the life outta me! MC! Don't run now!"

Solomon / Derek

        So, I honestly had Derek [ Solomon ] as the original love interest, going with the childhood friend trope. MC and Derek would be the ultimate set of goals, and living a fantasy life that most people dream of, the thing you'd see if those overly fluffy fan-fictions. Derek is the more caring and nurturing of the two, while MC is more outgoing and aggressive, and manage to find a happy medium between them. Derek has a calming aura around him and yet is the most socially awkward one in the cast- he will put Leviathan's character to shame with some of the things happened in the past. MC is the biggest tease and will have him flushing like a virgin school boy- and it isn't even sexual, he just flusters easily.

        With Lovely and Blue, MC and Derek are known as the babysitters and pet sitters, and are often looking out for the casts pets and children whenever they need it. The couple everyone wants to end up like. You will never see them in scandals, drama, or anything of the sort- even if they become household names, Derek and MC prefer to keep the details of their lives lowkey. I can't see major issues in this relationship, romantic or platonic, because after knowing each other so long, they can communicate in their own ways.

        "Blue, stay stiiiiiiiiill. Fine, leave. MC, come here, I need a pillow and Blue won't love me. Thank you- oh! Now you come, Blue? Jealous much?"

[kitkatopinions]

I know alot of people thought this volume was Weiss time to shine but her contribution has been marginal at best. Now she's in the same situation as Blake and Yang then their arcs were ended in volume 5. This means when can we expect her to be shipped with someone and be mostly useless?

The way that Weiss was benched this season and the way her seasons-long story was just glossed over is confusing and frustrating. I was really looking forward to seeing Weiss not only interacting with her family in meaningful ways, but seeing her - the Atlas born and raised girl who’s used to how everything works there - not considering things as big of a deal as the others, being something of a celebrity, coming up with solutions only an Atlas born person might know, her having a full arc with her brother Whitley, her interacting with her team more and relying on them for strength instead of being mostly a support character. Instead, Weiss’s arc with her family not only is resolved like it’s easy, and Weiss doesn’t have to grow at all to get it, but it also barely involves Weiss’s friends at all. Also was Weiss treated like a celebrity? Or recognized by the people of Atlas or Mantle? As the very public singer-celebrity daughter of Jacques Schnee? And also, Weiss has spent the past volume acting like Ruby’s sidekick, barely doing more than throwing in some quips and taking four minutes or so to talk to her brother, and then the rest of her story in volume eight is just, being an extra fighter, making the appropriate faces when the creators want us to be shocked or sad or smug. Her last thread with Whitley and Willow has been tied off in a very unsatisfying and weird way...

And oh gosh, you’re right, this sounds really familiar.

Caution, this post isn’t super kind to B//umbleby or the characterization of Blake in particular. Bees I’m sorry if this shows up in your tags, I tried my best and used filterable tags. This is all just my personal opinion.

As soon as Blake’s arc, which was tied up in the problematic White Fang/Faunus racism plot was mostly solved in volume five, the quality of her character started going down, but there was still something there for her until they killed her abuser, and then her whole character was more or less stripped away and she was left hinting at her past in awkward dialogue, doing nothing but emoting in the proper way, occasionally patting Ruby or the others on the back, and being one half of a non-developed ship. Blake has had two moments in the past two seasons that seem to even somewhat include real fleshed out character, and that’s when she decided to trust Robyn, convincing Yang to go along with it, and now showing anger because Neo ‘killed’ Yang. Both of these are framed - and taken by the fans - as ‘bees moments’ though, so it’s still all tied up in her romance.

Now we’ve had some of the same sort of thing for Weiss. Her arc was also tied up in the problematic White Fang/Faunus racism plot (considering her family’s history that Weiss was originally trying to ‘reclaim’ despite her own racism never being fully called out and addressed in a meaningful way.) Once Weiss had broken away from her abusive father and thus at least somewhat solved her arc by volume five, then her quality of character started going down in volume six, and then she had a couple moments with her family in volumes seven and eight - although again, solved in fairly unsatisfying ways. Outside of only a couple of semi significant scenes in the Atlas arc, Weiss has been regulated to emoting in the proper ways, occasionally patting Ruby or the others on the back, and being an extra fighter in the group.

It is possible that she’s going to get some kind of romance and then kind of just... Fall into the same kind of stuck position as Blake and Yang - CRWBY won’t commit to them enough to give real confirmation or make them grow their relationship in significant ways, which means that in order to get across that their is a relationship, they keep the two mostly together, have them seem to revolve around each other and care about each other more than anyone else, and diminishing the connections the other characters have with both people in order to make Blake and Yang’s connection seem clearer. To be completely fair to CRWBY, Yang has been allowed to branch out and have real and natural interactions both with villains (taking on Salem, protesting Emerald’s involvement) and teammates (arguing with Ren, talking with Jaune, acting like Ruby is her close little sister again!) This season, Yang has started to act like her own character again, but Blake hasn’t been allowed much growth. I’d say Weiss would more likely to wind up in the ‘Blake’ position than the ‘Yang’ position as far as being allowed to grow, especially because we’re already seeing her character start to kind of falter now that they’ve tied up her arc in a messy bow, and especially if she wound up with Ruby or Jaune, who I think are the most likely romantic partners for Weiss at this time. But there’s also the possibility of them starting to force a relationship between her and literally anyone else, including any of the three boys waiting in Vacuo, or Emerald, or Marrow.

As a quick note, please keep in mind that this is all speculation for fun and it really might not amount to anything. It would be kind of funny and frustrating both if CRWBY repeated how they’ve done Blake with Weiss, but it’s possible that they’re going to give Weiss a more significant arc and growth in season nine, put more focus on her relationship with Whitley and Willow once things cool down a little after all of season eight was equal parts ‘a crisis mode’ and a ‘sit around and wait for the plot to come around’ storyline. This post is kind of running on in length pretty badly, but here are a couple of ways I think Weiss could really shine next arc.

1. Have her and Yang trapped in the void together without Ruby and Blake. I’ve talked before about how Ruby’s ‘protagonist’ framing swallows up her friend group before, and how Blake and Yang’s relationship tends to swallow up one or both of them, as well as other characters having to be a bit more diminished to try and make bee moments more significant, and I think splitting up the team between Weiss and Yang, and Blake and Ruby could make Weiss grow more significantly and have her and Yang interact meaningfully again (which we haven’t gotten since season five.) In an ideal situation, I’d personally throw Jaune into the mix as well, since I’ve started to enjoy both the concept of him and Yang as friends and the concept of him and Weiss as friends. I think it’d really speak to Weiss’s character and show growth if she made the choice to go in after Yang, since Ruby is needed more in the world immediately (because of her Silver Eyes,) Penny is needed too (because of her Maiden powers) and Blake is needed at least somewhat (since she’s the one with the connections to the reformed Faunus group and Ghira and Ilia and all.) This could add a layer to angst, with Weiss proclaiming herself the least important, but also make Weiss’s character seem much more selfless, as she’s willing to risk her life and is willing to risk being alone in the Void herself even though her whole thing is loneliness, in order to save Yang. Jaune then surprising everyone by going with Weiss, and having an emotional moment where Ruby and Blake realize they have to trust Weiss and Jaune to do this and try and force themselves to still fight and work while they wait and panic and worry... That’s some good stuff! Of course, that would unfortunately bench Weiss’s relationships with her family, but I’d still be very happy with this outcome.

2. Have Weiss go on to Vacuo and not go after Yang, but be the one to rally the people, help them all to the city, deal with Theodore, etc. If Blake and Ruby went after Yang, or Blake, Ruby, and Jaune went after Yang, or just Ruby and Jaune, I think there could be some interest there. Not quite so much for the Void Team, but for the Left Behind Team. Having Weiss have to deal with being thrown into a leadership position when she’s not a leader at heart would be really interesting. Having her trying to hold it together and not let any grief, worry, or panic take her over so she can focus on her mission would be really interesting. We could have at least one member of Team RWBY facing the consequences of their actions and taking the brunt of it, while defending their choices and trying to find a place for millions of refugees. Once again, this could play into Weiss’s themes about loneliness, and Weiss could maybe even wind up resenting her team for leaving her and knowing it’s unfair and knowing they did what they had to do, but it would still create tension when they come back. And this sort of arc could also really push and flesh out her relationship and interactions with Whitley. There’s a lot that CRWBY could do with their relationship in this sort of scenario, but I would love it if Weiss’s themes of loneliness played a part in the early episodes of the volume, with her kind of secluding herself because she doesn’t have her friends and she thinks she’s alone, but then getting closer and closer to Whitley and realizing that she’s not alone, because she has her little brother who she loves. Idk, I just think it could be really good and sweet.

So... Yeah. Those are the ways I think Weiss’s character could grow and be fleshed out. Currently, I’m not happy with how she’s been, but there’s still hope for her. However, I will laugh so hard if she gets some romance and starts being one half of a pairing. XD