#because so many of those people are truly blinded by their hatred

[randydragonredfoxy]

Tbh what bothers me the most about kokichi haters is that at least 80% of them would choose a literal pedofile over kokichi and that genuinely scares me

[thorough-witness-enjoyer]

The Witness and Why It (and its demise) Means Everything to Me (A POC Perspective)

Hey everyone!! The Final Shape has ruined me and has brought me to levels of not only grief, but hope, that I did not think possible, so I decided to give my thoughts on the different aspects of it that moved me to a place where I can be at peace with many things in my life and look forward to paving a better future!!! I think I’ll be making many posts pertaining to the Final Shape as a way to help me express my thoughts on how important this DLC was to me, but we will see!

Please note that these are just my loose, not fully structured thoughts and I’m yapping. My opinions are subject to change and I’d love to hear the input of others! We will be talking about subjects such as slavery, religion, black experiences, and personal experiences of mine!!! It’s very long too, so I’m sorry about that and any writing errors!!

Though I do not believe what I speak of was fully Bungie’s intentions when making the character, the implications and views you can take on the Witness do relate to what I will discuss.

I wanted to start off my return to tumblr with one of the many, many reasons why I have such a deep attachment to the Witness (Precursors and Dissenters will get a different post bc they mean the world to me too!!) , because truly, this entity owns my whole life. I think of it all the time, it lingers in my thoughts, my art, my writing, all of it. It has been so deeply intertwined with my enjoyment of Destiny since it appeared and has offered so much to my perception of the world. I do not think I will truly get over it and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t draw it every chance I get. It appears in every single thought of mine, it’s bad you guys.

I love the Witness so deeply because I have never harbored such a personal level of DISGUST for a character before. As much as I joke about it being silly and the love of my life, the very existence of the Witness revolts me to the core and the tragedies it has directly or indirectly caused squeeze my heart empty. This festering rot of an egregore SICKENS me as it is the beliefs that has robbed me and many others of family, culture, and livelihoods given form. My love for the Witness comes from how it instills in me such HATRED, and truly, we were far too kind to it in game.

For context, I am Caribbean American and have a tumultuous relationship with my heritage for many reasons, but it wasn’t until the Witness and its many victims that I felt like the religious imperialism that has affected my heritage was represented in a way that crept into my spirit.

My Caribbean mother always said to me that we are of this world, not in it. That the hearts of men are wicked and sin (cruelty) was embedded in existence itself. It is only when we give ourselves to a higher purpose that we will be free in the end from all suffering. To her, this life and everything in it did not truly matter for it was a temporary challenge to overcome in order to earn an eternity of salvation. A perfect paradise was awaiting us all if we just gave into the way and left everything else behind.

These were all convictions she held to her very core as she tried to shed away all other aspects of herself to give into this “truth”, especially her Caribbean culture.

She did not always believe this way, but to her, the island she came from did not truly matter at all. Those “wayward people” she grew up with were not worth anything and would die as nobodies on that nowhere island for their lives were not saved, even if they knew of the “truth”. In her adopted views, those people believed in false gods and practices (such as Vodou and beliefs that belonged to those taken from Africa and indigenous populations), they invited in frivolous wants of the flesh such as lust (with „improper“ attire and certain dances), and committed crimes that proved to her that they could never be anything more than what they already were (though she would be blinded to the fact that these behaviors are a result of hostile environments created by the systems established for slavery and racial subjugation). If she wanted to be fit for “walking the right path”, those people had to be left behind for they were lost causes who could not be saved unless they were delivered by the “respectable” ways of life. She had to discard her black mannerisms, hair, speech, and more to have a place amongst the truly chosen.

Religious imperialism has a long history of being heavily tied to discussions of race and colonialism as those who participated in subjugation believed themselves to be more enlightened than the people they brought devastation to, giving them an entitlement that drove them to force their way of viewing religion onto populations. After all, in their minds, they were doing the greatest good for they were setting the people they subjugated on a path for eternal paradise. There was no cost too high in this finite life for infinite salvation to colonizers and all efforts to convert populations who did not see this truth would be “necessary”. People would die or be forced into servitude in mass to support the ambitions of the “enlightened” ones, whole cultures and populations being scrubbed from the face of this Earth in an attempt to “heal what is sick”, to “break broken bones again to heal them right”. I think of all the generations lost to war, slavery, colonialism, and every other act done to deliver “purpose” onto others, all the people whose names will never be known because others used the breath needed to utter it on preaching of their own virtue, and I am left in ruin.

I think of how my mother speaks of those lost to destitute lives because of the social pillaging of the island as an unfortunate side effect of guiding them to the truth and I look at how her world view has been ruined.

My mother thought she was saving me by keeping me from my culture, my people, my family. I did not get to know the language, the customs, the land, but I did get to know how much my mother thought those were distractions. She spent my whole life trying to cement the truths given to her by the same people who left her island in such as state that she felt like she had to run from it, to ensure I would not grow into a person, but a vessel of the righteous message. After all, to be a person is to be complex, nuanced, and flawed and there was no room for that in the visions given to her. The complexities and human flaws that came with our culture would only distract us from giving our whole lives to freeing ourselves from the curse of existence.

The cruelty the Witness delivers with such gentleness as it razes civilizations, its unwavering belief that it is the objective truth and other perspectives are blind to this truth, the means it will use to get that “justified” end, its gut wrenching to me and all that has been lost throughout human history to ideologies that bear the same qualities. Its zealous, static nature that relies on circular reasoning keeps me up at night and makes me mourn what could have been if the unfamiliar and hard to understand parts of human expression were allowed to flourish instead of being eradicated for diverging from someone’s vision of what makes a life worth living. I see this big eyed vessel, incapable of growth and convinced of its own righteousness and my chest feels like it is going to cave in. I see its disciples and pawns in the faces of too many people I know and recall their stories in moments that remind me how poisonous what the Witness represents is.

The Witness is an evil that has hollowed out lives, homes, land, and futures, especially for those who come from heritages that have persevered against attempts to “rectify” them. I still grieve the empty life my mother lives and the people left to suffer the consequences of daring to create their own meaning. I look at the face of the Witness and think of the “burdens lifted off my mother’s shoulders” by those who thought themselves as witnesses of a truth that could not be contested with interpretations that could not be questioned. She prides herself on being a weapon wielded to correct the sinful hearts of men, but I just wish she prided herself on being a person because those who “delivered” her robbed people of color of personhood entirely.

The Witness is not a person, but the embodiment of these deeply rooted ideologies and concepts that affect so many. It’s horror, both in game and the parallels it has in reality, is far too grand and unfathomable for me to bear its weight on my soul and not agonize. Its very existence is monstrous, despite the understandable intentions that went into its making, and my stomach churns at the mere thought of it.

How many species in the Destiny universe will we never know about because their whole galaxy was used to get closer to the Final Shape? How many star systems were left barren because of the Witness’ ambitions? How many children, spouses, artists, philosophers, siblings, neighbors, and more, people who were something, became nothing because of eons of the Witness‘ justifications? Bile boils just thinking of it.

What the Witness represents has hung over my head my whole life and its perverse touch lingers on the whole Destiny universe, tracing many of the depraved atrocities in the game back to itself. It’s death in the Final Shape, at the hands of those it had turned into victims and left to deal with the repercussions of its influence united together, moved me in ways I do not think I could ever properly articulate. To see beloved characters I had given a decade of my life to come together from different backgrounds with different reasons to defeat such a heinous entity, I felt like I could do my part to bring others together, despite our struggles and differences, to rebuild what had been taken from us.

As a person of color from a group of people many still think are undeserving of life, seeing so many characters I have related to over the years say “I matter because I decided to and you can’t take that away from me” to an entity who thought itself so refined that it got to determine everyone’s worth strengthened my entire being. Existing as a person of color is bold in and of itself, but the defeat of the Witness at the hands of people who wanted to exist so bad they risked everything for it ignited in me a flame to be audacious. My existence and culture as a poc is unsightly and heretical, but TFS encouraged me to take on the prejudices of others by saying “Here, despite generations being molded into a “perfect” image and so many lives lost in the struggle to live personal truths, ergo sum. Ergo sum and there is nothing wrong with that”.

To me, the Witness’ death showed me that the stains left behind by social structures such as religious imperialism and colonialism can be overcome by people banding together to make the future different from the past. When we embrace the subjectivity of existence, we can create spaces for different views on life to flourish and reconnect with the nuances of this world. We can better the lives of our people, no matter who they are, not by abandoning all cultural practices and ways of life that were deemed meaningless, but by rebuilding our societies to allow for fulfilling lives and self efficacy for all.

My people no longer have to let imperial powers decide our fate for us or decide that we can be nothing other than the „nature of our race“ that they believe is inferior. Instead of looking up at others who asserted themselves as more enlightened for salvation, we can look at each other and realize there is no one truth to life, especially one worth all the devastation and cruelty placed against those who lived differently. The intricacies of life often lead people to belief systems that allow for comfort and understanding, alleviating the anxiety of possibly living an improper life that will forfeit a desirable afterlife. It is up to individuals to decide what makes their life fulfilling and what beliefs will guide their actions, for no one can make your fate but you.

My mother still likes to wear the patterns of the island and keeps paintings of island scenery in her room. She talks on the phone in patois when she doesn’t feel the pressure to be “proper”. She misses her mother because she used to make dishes from home. To relate it to Destiny, she still has the coordinates to her Lubrae in her pyramid despite convincing herself abandoning it all was for the best and there was nothing there worth keeping. I once thought reconnecting with our heritage alongside her would be a frivolous endeavor, but I hope that with time and understanding, the Witness may not have power over her anymore and she won’t look back on her disassociation with relief. Time and understanding will make our island grow and flourish, free to decide what it wants to be, not held back by preconceived notions of the worth of its existence.

Despite all the Witnesses in the world, I will persist on and try to acquaint myself with my culture without shame. The Witness is everything to me because I hope one day it desecrates nothing ever again. I hope the Witness becomes nothing at all and the cultures it has corrupted make themselves something audacious.

Thank you guys so much for reading!! I hope you guys don’t mind the vague language, I chose to spare some details for my own sake and to make the message more applicable!! I’d love to hear the takes of other people about this bc I love hearing people’s perspectives!! And always remember, no one makes your fate but you!!! Go be audacious!!!!

[dinarosie]

Beyond the Fan Theories: Insights from J.K. Rowling’s

I see bizarre fan theories and headcanons about Severus Snape every day that never happened in the books. The problem is, these headcanons are repeated so often that some Harry Potter fans believe them and forget that they are just fan fiction and not the truth. Therefore, I am sharing this old interview with Rowling to remind of some facts.

1. Like many insecure, vulnerable people (such as Wormtail),Snape craved membership in something big and powerful, something impressive: It’s interesting that 17 years have passed since Rowling's response, yet many people still believe Snape joined the Death Eaters because he was a sadistic, racist, antisocial person who wanted to harm people and use dark magic to destroy Muggles and Muggle-borns.!!! However, the writer believes Snape's goal was not to kill and torture Muggle-borns, nor was it racism. He was a poor, insecure, and damaged youth who had never known security or peace in his life. His childhood was a nightmare, and his adolescence was filled with humiliation and bullying. He was seeking acceptance and thought that becoming a Death Eater would give him power, attractiveness, and a family that he never had. However, it is clear that these factors led him to make a big mistake.

2. He never really understood Lily's aversion: Severus Snape didn’t want to harm or retaliate against her. He was simply blinded and misled, so foolish and ignorant that he didn’t realize how deep and serious Lily’s hatred for dark magic and the Death Eaters was. He believed that becoming a Death Eater would make him so powerful and captivating that Lily would be influenced and change her beliefs, convinced that dark magic was extremely attractive, potent, and intriguing.

3. Given his time over again, he would not have become a Death Eater: This sentence shows that he has truly changed. Rowling claims that if Snape had a second chance, he would never join the Death Eaters again. Snape's genuine regret is that, starting at the age of 20, he attempted to make amends for his past actions until the time of his death. He refused to make the same mistake again, unlike Wormtail, who eagerly returned to serve Voldemort when given the opportunity.

4. Like Snape, Harry is flawed and mortal: Do those who see Snape as the story's villain and an unforgivable character understand that, in the author's opinion, Harry is also like Snape? Do they understand that Harry can be flawed and potentially harm others? Harry is never described as a saint. He tortures someone and uses unforgivable curses; he can be arrogant and aggressive while remaining brave and heroic. Snape is flawed and mortal, just like Harry. He makes many mistakes, but in the end, he remains brave and self-sacrificing, and, like Harry, he saves many people's lives.

5. James always suspected Snape harbored deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James' behavior toward Snape: Listen, this is one of the reasons James Potter had for bullying Severus Snape for seven years. Please refrain from saying things like, “Snape was bullied because he joined the Death Eaters” or “because he was interested in dark magic,” as none of these reasons are canonical. These reasons belong to James Potter’s fans, not James Potter himself. The author of the book has clearly explained James Potter’s motives. James Potter just had two reasons for bullying a person for many years:

_He existed (in a way that was ugly and poor). _He was close friends with Lily Evans.

6. It was Voldemort's attempted murder of Kreacher that really turned him: Isn't a change to save a living being's life familiar? I don't understand why Snape's change for Lily's salvation is seen as demonic motivation, whereas Regulus's change for Kreacher is considered epic. Recently, in fan fiction, Regulus has become the little knight of the Black family, whose parents tortured him so much that he is forced to join the Death Eaters and then rebel against Voldemort's ideology to eradicate racism in the wizarding world. But Snape's efforts, sacrifices, loyalty, and spying over the course of 19 years are reduced to being a loser obsessed with a dead woman!!! Such double standards are embarrassing.

I'm curious: If Regulus Black were not Sirius Black's brother and not from a pureblood family, and Voldemort had killed Kreacher while Regulus survived and fought Voldemort, how would fans react to Regulus? How ridiculous would it be to say, "Oh, Regulus Black? He is simply a deviant who was obsessed with his dead elf"?

"Please do not change the characters based on personal preferences and instead see them as written. The writer uses Lily's and Kreacher's salvation as symbols of redemption to demonstrate the characters' growth and maturation. If the concept of love, loyalty, and friendship has changed over time among new generations, this is not the fault of Severus Snape."

[altocat]

Eating the drywall over Sephiroth rn. He's so,,,, Square is really hitting it home that he was a victim of prolonged and sustained abuse since the day he was born with very little in the way of reprieve. He experiences so much loss and suffering, yet tried to be kind and compassionate where he could be for so long. The only thing that separates him from the party is how his anger and rage became pointed at Everyone instead of purely his abusers.

I think one of FF7's big themes is about anger and how it's directed and manifested. Anger isn't a Bad thing; sometimes it is necessary to confront atrocities and to confront those who caused you (and others) such pain. Like Barret says to Tifa after the plate collapse "Hold on to this. This...anger. Okay?" because they all need to remember that their ire against Shinra Is justified; to not direct it at themselves or anyone else. And it's a complete mirror to Sephiroth telling Cloud in Rebirth "Hold on to that anger. Let it fill your hollow heart with rage" because it is both a manipulation tactic and what Sephiroth let happen to himself down in that library. Sephiroth's anger is ultimately directionless. It splashes on to all of Gaia without care for who are innocent or victims and who are the oppressors. His anger consumed him to the point that Humanity became who caused his pain; who caused his "mother" pain.

It's the same message that Aerith's speech after the trials is hitting that. That they can't allow the pain and hatred to consume them whole without remembering what they're fighting for because That's What Happened to Sephiroth.

And I think that what EC is doing is deconstruction, permanently, the idea of Sephiroth as this untouchable, callous person even before Nibelheim. Crisis Core started it and EC is ensuring that Sephiroth is seen not at all being different than Cloud, or Aerith, or Barret, or Tifa, or the rest of Avalanche in terms of the pain he was caused by Shinra; that his life was stolen from him the second he was injected with Jenova cells. But still positioning him as being fundamentally different from Avalanche in how he chose to handle his pain once he lost his entire sense of self (Tbh also making his narrative foil as Cloud's enemy all the stronger in the process).

That's an excellent analysis! And yes, I think there's a clear intent to show how Sephiroth's brand of "justice" differs from that of our heroes.

Not that Avalanche hasn't caused damaged of course. Their actions result in a LOT of people getting hurt and killed. But their goal is to ultimately save the world, whereas Sephiroth intends on destroying it. His hatred is limitless and directed at EVERYONE, and he essentially corrupts what was left of his humanity in order to enact it. What he forgets is that there were still people in his life who were kind to him, worth preserving. He loved many people in his life, and many people loved him in turn. It was an indicator that there WAS hope and there WAS the chance he could rise above the circumstances of his birth to become something more. But instead he succumbs to his rage, succumbs to his hate for humanity. He trades it all for Jenova, who surely could never truly love him the way he desires. But he's too blinded by his own anger and lust for vengeance to care. And subsequently, he is forever lost.

[thedivineladyinwhite]

𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓪𝓶

Summary: You’re just a rebound or plan B to them. Or all in all, you’re nothing to them, they just need you just because. characters:(individual) Diluc, Zhongli, Ayato x Fem! Reader Warning: pregnant reader, angst, not proofread, grammar mistakes.

there are spoiler lines in the last part of each one of them, make sure to remember those lines, they maybe important authors note: MOMMAS HOME WOO!! yeah, I redid my work yippie, I changed Childe bc I don’t rlly like him lol :3..WHO MISSED ME >:DD

Diluc 

you were so dumb. blinded by how your first love finally acknowledged your hard work and asked you out, after 7 years of you trying so hard to make him fall in love with you. However that wasn’t the case at all. He never loved you, he never felt anything towards you, you were only a rebound, his plan b if Jean would ever reject him, he loved Jean, saw a future with her, but in the end she rejected him. He was devastated, but then he remembered you, you were waiting for him. You were nothing like Jean, but you’ll do. You were just just his best friend who knew so much about him, he wouldn’t hurt to try right?...oh dear how wrong he was.

“I hate you! after all this time, you thought me of as a second choice a rebound!?”,your voice was loud enough to be heard from outside the manor. Diluc standing there, in such a pathetic state, not knowing what to do. ‘How did you find out?’ he thought. “You’re shocked on how I found out, am I right?”, you glared at him, your gaze full of hatred and sorrow. “I saw your journal. You left it at our bed table last night, I wanted to give it back to you when you returned, I was being nosey, I admit. Good thing I was being nosey or I would live a lie my entire life.”, your voice hoarse from all the crying and shouting.

“I...I’m sorry, forgive me..”, Diluc’s voice all quiet, his lips quivering in fear, not knowing what to do.  “You’re not forgiven. I’ll be leaving tonight” The last time he saw you was when you were leaving for Liyue.

‘So..what now?’

Zhongli

You should’ve never have confessed, what an idiot you are. You knew your resemblance with Guizhong, you knew how many people complemented you because of your looks and how you act like Guizhong. You didn’t let it get past you though, you thought it was nice being resembled to a god, a dead god to that. Maybe that’s why Zhongli returned your feelings. the way you smile, talk, act, you resembled her. Zhongli isn’t the type to get mad but when you do something out of character, he gets slightly irritated, your supposed to be like her...but are you really her?

“ If you truly loved her, why didn’t you die along with her, then?”, all you could see was red, your words stung him, and you were enjoying everything bit.

“I am truly sorry, my love. It was a mistake, I promise to do better in the future!” His voice shaking, afraid to lose you, afraid to lose her.

“There is no future between us”, your eyes all dull, no emotion showing, oh how you enjoyed seeing the retired archon breaking down, right in front of you. Begging for you to forgive him.

“I’m not doing the same mistake, ever again.”

And you were no longer seen again.

‘Live for me, please! I can’t afford to lose you!’

Ayato

Being in an arranged marriage with Ayato wasn’t easy, he was always busy with work, thats what he said after spending the whole entire day hanging out with Lumine. He knew he could never be with Lumine because of this darn arranged marriage, he stayed cold and mean to you and uses the excuse of him being busy with work. He thought you wouldn't find out. But luck was not on his side this time.

“ You’re really bad at hiding, Ayato.” your voice cold, you could freeze anyone with your aura by now, but he stood his guard and defended himself “She’s just a friend! why can’t you understand that!”, his eyes full of hatred.

“But do you think friends kiss? do you think friends hang out and go on fancy dates, friends do say ‘I love you ‘ to each other.” His eyes widen in shock, so you saw, huh.

“...” he had nothing to say anymore, he was speechless

“I’ll send you the divorce papers tomorrow, I knew you’d never be good at parenting due to all the so called ‘business’ you have” You looked over your shoulder one last time, seeing his horrified face.

‘Is the child..mine..?’

[saturnspar]

i don’t really know everything in the world about the rankings after the end of the series, but i think it would be so full circle for shoto to reach a peak of #2 hero at some point in his career. i think it wouldn’t happen immediately since the class are still so new to the field by the time the manga ends but i think it would be so meaningful for shoto to reach the rank of #2 and just. be okay with it.

because shoto was raised as a weapon. he was created for the sole purpose of beating all might and becoming the new #1 hero. he was abused and his family was abused and he saw the hatred that the hero rankings brought into his family. he was a firsthand witness to his father’s rage in trying to move from #2 to #1.

because endeavor was #2 hero for sooo long! and it was drilled into shoto since he was a child that he needed to work hard and grow up to be the #1 hero. he’s had this idea beaten into him since he was 5 years old, when his shiny new quirk had just come in. his sole goal for the longest time was to become the #1 hero without using his fire, and this goal was fueled out of hatred, not dedication. so when he finally got comfortable with his fire, this idea of being the perfect #1 hero was pushed more by his father

because now he was the son of the #1 hero. and those are big shoes to fill, especially when you’re as strong and powerful as shoto is.

his whole life had essentially been based around hero rankings and numbers. so when he grows up and becomes an extremely powerful and kind pro-hero in his own right, it is easy to assume his sole goal is to climb the ranks and become #1, just like dear old dad. but this assumption would be wrong.

because shoto is not his father. and though it was endeavor’s goal for him to become #1, shoto’s goal ended up being simply to become a helpful, kind, strong pro hero and save as many people as he can. and i think that it would be so profound if shoto reached a peak of #2 in the rankings and he was happy with this ranking. because #2 hero is so extremely impressive to achieve as a hero, and shoto can recognize that because he is not blinded by hatred like endeavor was. he is happy for himself, and he is happy for everybody else in the rankings too.

because at the end of the day, although he was created to be #1, he was never truly meant to be. his whole life was dictated by numbers and hero rankings, and i think it would be the perfect full circle moment for his character to not care about rankings so much as the people he saves and the lives he impacts.

[mxtxfanatic]

JC better be fucking glad that the whole "i was given a boon from BSSR b/c of my mom" thing was just a lie made up for the Golden Core transfer. that could have been the last fucking thing WWX has from his mother and he just has zero qualms about taking it. both he and his mother truly believe WWX owes them all that he has, including his life, his gratitude, and the memories of the parents he barely remembers.

JC screams "you're the reason my parents and sister are gone!". yeah? well your mom has been actively taking away and destroying the memory of WWX's parents and you just proved that you'd also do the same if given the opportunity.

an actual brother (blood or not) would show concern about what WWX was offering to sacrifice. JC did not, not even years later.

Jiang Cheng lives his life by what he believes others owe him, not what he actually owes others. Even when he knows he owes someone else, he will not repay it if he sees the debt as a "hardship."

Wei WuXian finally lost his temper, “Jiang Cheng! What- What do you think you’re talking about?! Take it back—don’t make me give you a thrashing! Don’t forget. Who was the one that helped us burn Uncle Jiang’s and Madam Yu’s corpses? Who returned to us the ashes that are in Lotus Pier right now? And who took us in when we were chased after by Wen Chao?!” Jiang Cheng, “I’m the one who fucking wants to give you a thrashing! Yes, they helped us before, but why in the world don’t you understand that right now any remnant of the Wen Sect is a target of criticism! No matter who they are, with a surname of Wen they have committed a most heinous crime! And those who protect the Wen are at risk of being condemned by everyone! All the people loathe the Wen-dogs so badly that the worse they die the better. Whoever protects them is against the entire world. Nobody would speak for them, and nobody would speak for you either!”

—Chapt. 73: Recklessness, exr

[Jiang Cheng] could manage to tolerate others, but definitely not Wen Ning, the Wen-dog who put his hand through Jin ZiXuan’s heart and ended both his sister’s happiness and her life. Just a look, and he felt the urge to kill him right there. How dare he step foot on the earth of Lotus Pier—he really was looking for his death!

—Chapt. 89: Loyalty, exr

With a shove, Jiang Cheng pushed aside the panicking Jin Ling who was supporting his side. Though he was already losing blood, blood still rushed to his head in his anger, making his face cycle through shades of white and red. He spat, “What gives you the right? Wei WuXian, what gives you the fucking right?” From behind Lan WangJI, Wei WuXian said stiffly, “What right?” Jiang Cheng replied, “How much has my family given for you? I’m his son. I’m the heir of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. But all those years, I was never enough next to you. Their love, their dedication, even their life! The lives of my father, mother, older sister, and even Jin ZiXuan! Because of you, all that’s left now is an orphaned Jin Ling!” ... “And then look what happened? You went to shelter some outsider, haha! From the Wen Sect, of all people. How many years did you eat their food and drink their water?! You betrayed us in an instant without any hesitation! What do you think my family is to you?! Endless good deeds, you’ve done them all, whilst every fuck-up was always because you had no choice! You ‘had no choice’! What difficulties can’t you explain?! What hardship must you hide?! Hardship?! You don’t tell me anything, you treat me like a moron!!! “How much do you owe my family? Shouldn’t I hate you?! Couldn’t I hate you?! What gives you the right to suddenly make me feel like I should be the one that’s sorry?! What gives you the right to make me feel like some fucking clown after all these years?! What the hell am I?! Do I only deserve to be blinded by your glory, by your light?! Shouldn’t I hate you?!”

—Chapt. 103: A Hatred for a Life Part 6, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, looked about ready to lose his mind on the spot. He said, “You? You?!” The force of the punch had been too powerful. Not only did it go right through Wen Ning’s chest, the shock of it also shattered part of his vocal chords. Unable to form a single word, he fell towards the ground. ... Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi went to the corner. Wen Ning was still half-collapsed onto Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling in an awkward position. Wei WuXian laid him flat on the ground. After studying the dark hole on his chest, he fretted, “Look at you......What should I use to fill this now?” Wen Ning asked, “Young Master, is it serious......?” Wei WuXian said, “It’s not serious. You don’t need the organs here anyways. But it looks bad.” Wen Ning replied, “It’s not like I asked to look good......” Jiang Cheng was silent.

—Chapts. 107-108: Concealment Parts 1 & 2, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

[witheredoffherwitch]

Not here to start anything but did you not reach out to the person who was the victim of racism here to see her opinion on it? Because she's been quite vocal and clear that things with Em are patched.

Hi nonnie,

I am taking your ask because this ABSOLUTELY needs to be addressed. Your question is a prime example of why I made that post in the first place. So many of you are completely missing the point: this is not just about "fanfic drama" between two people anymore. The main post that detailed all the leaked text messages is WILD to me, because while they revealed some nasty mean girl behaviour from some, it also showed a blatant display of participation and encouragement in bullying, harassment, and racism from everyone involved. And yet, the most disturbing part is the reaction from your community. It's beyond baffling atp!

To answer your question in a nutshell, I joined this fandom after all that drama went down. When those texts came out, I was honestly confused and had to reach out to my own desi community to figure out what was going on. Turns out at the time, Shruie mentioned getting racist attacks but Bel had everyone convinced she was lying - and since Shruie was a considerably smaller blog, she was ostracized and her concerns were brushed off as mere ploy to get attention and sympathy. And now, with the recent revelation of Bel's use of rat emojis, do you see why that part is crucial here? Can you grasp why even the slightest knowledge of Bel's despicable behaviour is significant here? And, do you comprehend how the lack of condemnation only perpetuates a culture of racist hatred towards this person of colour? It's time to confront and acknowledge these issues head-on.

This drama happened back in July of LAST YEAR (?) and now it's being leaked? And you expect us to just forgive and forget because they made up with one person involved? Sorry, I'm not buying it. They only reached out to the victim because they had a falling out with the main perpetrator. If they truly take responsibility for their actions, then GOOD! But excuse me for being wary of this community who will coddle these grown ass women to tell them repeatedly how they are an “integral part of this fandom” or how they “meant well” while making these mistakes over and over again.

Some of us don't see this as just a petty fanfic squabble anymore. And if you still don't see it, then I don't expect you ever will. Your biases blind you - and frankly, I no longer have any interest in trying to make you see. This ain't my first rodeo with people who want to jump on the anti-racism train but are actually part of the problem. My post was meant to call out the toxic behavior that has gone unchecked for too long. Grace, @the-heartlines said it perfectly, so I'm linking her post here for those who need it spelled out more eloquently. This isn't about the fanfic community - because let's be real, I'm not even a part of it. You're all too focused on maintaining your little popularity contests and chasing upvotes to see how your own biases affect your actions. My words are for the rest of the fandom, who can see through the facade and finally speak out against this BS.

[alagaesia-headcanons]

you know, we have only Oromis words to tell how was Morzan when he was a kid, how can we be sure that he doesn't' exaggerate? Morzan was a rebellious kid, who could be rude and maybe cruel? A lot of kids can be cruels, it's doesn't mean they're fully bad from the start. I just think that Morzan had need of a parental figure who would correct his attitude and would CARE for him, because it what Oromis should have been: a teacher AND a parental figure since the kid was 10 when he took him.

YES THIS I 100% agree with you!! Forgive me for the very long rant I’m about to go on because I have many thoughts about Morzan that I’ve wanted to get down for a long while now. I find it super interesting to interpret that he wasn’t entirely malicious or irredeemable from the outset.

I really, REALLY don’t like the old order of Riders. From all the things we learn about them, they had a seriously objectionable system. The way they took human kids when they were 10 years old and then left them to the discretion of people like Oromis is brazen evidence of that. I’m really intrigued by the possibility that at least one of the Forsworn joined Galbatorix to dismantle the Riders out of a genuine aversion to their abuse and a desire to put an end to it and build something better, not just from a personal lust for power.

Given the way Galbatorix talks to Oromis and Nasuada, I think he would have presented his intentions that way to distract from his real deranged vengefulness. It would have fascinating implications for any of the Forsworn to have truly fallen for that, and then as the consequences of their actions fully unfold and Galbatorix becomes an even worse tyrant, for that Forsworn to burn with regret and resentment and hatred towards him. It would make for such an interesting dynamic during the Empire’s reign. I just want one disloyal Forsworn who hates Galbatorix because they feel tricked and used, it’d be cool!!!

Admittedly, Morzan is the only one of the Forsworn we have any background for at all, so it doesn’t mean much to say he’s the best fit, but the backstory we do have can potentially line up with that role very well. Morzan was very young when he met Galbatorix, and thus inexperienced and impressionable. He spent more time with him and would have been exposed to a lot more of his manipulation. And I think he would have reason to be predisposed against the Riders before they met, a resentment Galbatorix could have fueled for his own benefit.

I’ve made it no secret how much I loathe Oromis. Tbh the fact that Morzan spent years training under him is a huge reason why I’m able to sympathize with him lmao. I would also start killing people. That man could have never given the necessary care and tolerance and emotional support to a ten year old, but it seems like the new Riders were entrusted entirely to their mentors. We see how horribly Oromis mistreats Eragon and how that affects him even when he’s sixteen- his callous neglect inflicted on ten year old children is a disaster waiting to happen, especially if any of those kids weren’t well cared for to begin with.

Also, this is slightly pedantic, but when Oromis is talking about Morzan, he specifically says that he “grew so proud and cruel,” which implies that this issue was less significant or not there at all when he first took Morzan. His harmful behaviors apparently developed over time which should be addressed and cared for by whoever’s raising him. Oromis is the only one in a position to raise him and he still turns a blind eye to Morzan.

In my headcanons, Morzan grew up impoverished and neglected. He doesn’t know what fair and caring treatment looks like and so he also can’t identify Oromis’s abuse, but its impact is compounding on an already present wound. Morzan is starving to make something of himself because no one has acknowledged and loved him for who he already is, which makes for a horribly volatile mixture with Oromis’s penchant for demanding his students prove themselves against an arbitrary and merciless standard. Morzan’s susceptibility to Oromis’s pressure makes him viciously desperate to prove himself, intensely competitive, and highly reactive to disapproval. It creates a perception of inadequacy that bleeds into everything Morzan does.

When he’s unpressured and at ease, Morzan’s nature is actually quite reserved, slow, passive, and methodical, but he is so, so easily incensed. Because he’s so fixated on proving himself, he assumes everyone initially holds a very low opinion of him and that’s what necessitates he fight for approval. He just can’t fathom receiving acceptance, respect, or care without proving he deserves it, and so he’s perpetually clawing for more. And falling short feels so devastating because he’s never been shown his worth beyond people’s expectations.

To me, that’s why he ends up attached to someone like Brom, who idolizes and defers to him. For Morzan, it would feel like his endless efforts to prove himself have actually proven something. Because he thinks he has to earn love, Brom’s affection would also feed into Morzan’s ego, providing a long desired vindication. The fact that Oromis trains both of them makes their relationship so much worse. I feel like his relatively positive relationship with Brom could have balanced out and helped Morzan adjust with time, but there’s an unfortunate competitive aspect at play. As Morzan scrambles for Oromis’s approval, now Brom is also being trained and the differences between them present another metric that could make Morzan seem lesser. So he puts Brom down and fights against him for their master’s care and validation like they’re limited commodities.

I think, over time, Morzan comes to recognize elements of Oromis’s abuse. He simply doesn’t have the energy to constantly struggle for his approval forever, and as that starts to run dry, it reveals some things. He resents that Oromis belittles his struggles and only values efforts that yield the results he wants, so he stops putting in the effort. If Morzan still doesn’t matter to him after trying so hard, why should he keep trying? He hates that Oromis can never give a true justification for the standards he demands they reach, and he starts ignoring them. He despises how he lies when says he cares for him and wants the best for him, because he prioritized his utility to the Riders over his well being in every moment since they met.

So, when he meets Galbatorix, Morzan is bitterly resentful and disillusioned. He joins him out of desire for revenge on Oromis and to tear down the system that abandoned him to his abuse. I do believe Morzan genuinely loved Brom in a certain way, despite his mistreatment, and he starts trying to incite him against Oromis not solely because of his own vindictiveness but also out of concern for Brom. As Galbatorix’s plans start to move, Morzan balks and begins seriously doubting him, even more so as the scope of slaughter unfolds, but he swallows his misgivings and stays determined to recruit Brom to the winning side. When one of the Forsworn kills the first Saphira despite Morzan’s insistence they be spared, he’s vehemently outraged. I think of Galbatorix’s disinterest in his uproar as the turning point in Morzan’s loyalty to him. As the Empire takes form, that disloyalty solidifies and Morzan hates Galbatorix for being even more cruel, manipulative, and uncaring than the people he wanted revenge on. Galbatorix tolerates it because forcing his vengeful resentment into subservience gratifies his sadistic impulse.

Now all of this is well within the realm of extrapolation and interpretation- none of these details directly suggest this version of Morzan’s character and motivations. They give the potential, but not real support, and they can just as easily be seen in any number of different ways. However, there is one single thing that actually grounds this in canon, which is that Morzan was a name-slave from very early on. When Eragon is telling Murtagh about the chance to change his true name and challenges his hesitation, Murtagh says, “[Galbatorix] has been creating name-slaves for over a hundred years, ever since he recruited our father.”

This detail fascinates me. There is the possibility that it’s a lie, but I can’t imagine Murtagh would make it up considering how much distaste he expresses towards his father. And I don’t think it would make sense for Galbatorix to lie to Murtagh about it either. If he didn’t actually have control over Morzan’s name then, claiming he did would discredit that real loyalty Morzan would have had to feel for him and his cause to do everything of his own free will. I think it’s the truth. Galbatorix learned Morzan’s true name more than a hundred years ago, before the fall, when he recruited him- which, to me, feels like before Morzan even helped him steal Shruikan’s egg.

Morzan either knew his true name already or Galbatorix went through his mind to find out, and the latter seems far more likely. Given the way Morzan’s described: young, arrogant, weak minded- I highly doubt he knew and the way Murtagh brings this up implies Galbatorix’s skill at uncovering names. Morzan either felt so loyal to Galbatorix at that point that he willingly let him in his mind, he was coerced into agreeing to it, or Galbatorix did it by force.

This still doesn’t mean Morzan wanted to dismantle the broken parts of the Riders instead of fully destroying them and that Galbatorix manipulated him into starting a war he found appalling- but it makes that idea much more feasible. If Morzan did realize Galbatorix’s intentions weren’t what he said and that he didn’t want to take things so far, he couldn’t back out. Any reluctance or disagreement would have been overridden and things would unfold exactly how they did.

I think Morzan was wounded and angry and starving for true respect and care that lured him to Galbatorix, and the precarious pride he clung to made him look away from the severity of Galbatorix’s actions. Then he realized his desperation was preyed upon only when it was far too late.

[animentality]

The main miscommunication I’m seeing with the Wyll Gortash drama is that for fans of Wyll, they feel that Larian is uplifting popular fan ideas and adding it to the game while ignoring an already established character. And they’re right that Wyll is being ignored but they are wrong to say that Gortash lines were added because of fandom. For Gortash fans, they feel that people are purposely ignoring the canon history of Durge to create their own edgy Tav. And they’re right that Durge needs more features of an Origin character and add these lines expands on Durge’s most important canon relationship. Where they’re wrong is thinking Wyll fans are only going after Gortash because they truly think the 5 lines added took something from Wyll.

The improvements Wyll needs for his story are overarching additions that would be best to add all together in an upcoming patch. I understand the frustration at seeing what they see as a side character being given lines when more time should be added to Wyll but those lines are a lot easier to code, write, and implement than adding more dialogue, interactions, and quest for Wyll.

We should be uniting over knowing we as fans can get Larian to add stuff to the game and expand on existing characters!

Thanks for letting me just chat into the inbox. I think you also see the miscommunication and it’s frustrating when others just seem to talk past the point instead of actually sitting down to think about it.

Also question for your pronoun preference, do you prefer someone picks he/him or they/them to use or switching it up when speaking about you? And do you like words like dude, guy, or bro being used?

You bring up many excellent points that I hadn't considered.

The addition of Gortash/ Durge characterization is NOT fanservice. It rounds out two major villains, ONE OF WHOM IS AN ORIGIN. It gives Gortash just a tiny bit of extra character, and it's not that big of a damn deal.

Five goddamn lines, this kerfuffle is over, which is just ridiculous.

But it's also true that Wyll also needs more quests, scenes, and a character arc?! These two things are nuanced, and they can both be true.

I have always complained that the Dark Urge is fundamentally flawed and suffers from some truly bad writing. Giving them more humanity IS a good thing for the story.

It's just a shame that the anti Durge/Gortas/Durgetash crowd is just blinded by hatred.

They don't like the two characters, so they accuse US of forcing the devs to do something for them - bullshit.

Larian is trying to fix its narrative issues.

Durgetash is, and I say this as NOT a Durgetasher...Durgetash is actually good for the story. It makes both of them more interesting and complex.

But what would the anti Durgetashers know?

they don't know anything about the dark urge. or gortash. and they don't care to learn. which would be fine, if they weren't attacking us for something i don't even know we necessarily did.

[moonlightdancer26]

I just discovered your blog and let me tell you : You're a breath of fresh air. I needed a break from the madness of the marauders stans. I hate how they stripped Snape of all his layers, all his complexity, and either gave it to Regulus or erase it. They reduced him to a one-dimensional bully. But the worst, is when they say that James and co. did nothing wrong, that they were just funny pranksters, that it was a RiValRY ( because 4 or 2 against 1 is clearly fair ). As someone who has been bullied as a child, that chapter made me want to vomit. How can anyone excuse that bs ?

Just to be clear, I will not excuse Snape's mistakes. He did fuck up many times, no excuses. But I truly believe that if he had a HEALTHY support system, and if there was therapy in the wizarding world, he would've never become a death eater. That guy joined Voldemort because he thought he had no choice, he pretended to be racist because he wanted to fit in. How can anyone be blind to that? And that's coming from someone who's had a crush on Sirius Black ( the adult one, the younger one can die ) before they turned him into a woke sissy.

That’s one of the biggest compliments I could ever receive, thank you so much 🥰

I completely agree, I don’t really have much of a problem if they think Severus is a bad person (he certainly was morally grey, so it isn’t that big of a reach), but there’s a difference between thinking a character is a bad person and stripping them of all their complexity and painting them to be a villain with zero redeeming qualities. Over the years, Severus has become a symbol of grey characters, and he is genuinely one of the most brilliantly-written characters I’ve ever seen or read. It’s so unfair of them to strip all that away and disregard his whole arc.

And the fact that they do all that while pretending like the most irrelevant characters ever (James and Reginald Regulus) had his best traits and were more canonically interesting than he is and then acting superior to Snape fans is insanely ridiculous. They do it with so much confidence too 💀 as if we were the ones who had to give the Character We Hate Whose Character We’ve Purposefully Simplified’s best traits to our non-existent faves.

As someone who has been bullied as a child, that chapter made me want to vomit. How can anyone excuse that bs ?

Ikr?? I read OoTP a few years before the same thing happened to me. And honestly, when I was a kid, every time I reread SWM after it happened I would get panic attacks. (It usually doesn’t happen now, but I still get filled with hatred whenever I read James physically immobilising and stripping Severus.)

I will not excuse Snape's mistakes. He did fuck up many times, no excuses. But I truly believe that if he had a HEALTHY support system, and if there was therapy in the wizarding world, he would've never become a death eater.

Absolutely. His trauma was left unattended and he was a 18/19 year old who was recruited by a charismatic man who promised his young followers power and respect. So many of the DEs we see in Harry’s time were recruited in their late teens/early twenties, and I think it really says a lot. Those are actual methods used in real life cults in order to groom, manipulate, and sometimes even emotionally blackmail people into joining. Severus was clearly a victim, and even if he had the worst intentions when joining, he eventually defected (and by eventually I mean literally less than two years) and fought for the light side 10 times longer than the amount he followed Voldy for, and he was vital to his demise. That more than makes up for it, and seeing people saying shit like “you’re not a hero for cleaning up milk you spilt” makes it clear that his haters have zero reading comprehension or critical thinking skills.

And that's coming from someone who's had a crush on Sirius Black ( the adult one, the younger one can die ) before they turned him into a woke sissy.

lol I’m still obsessed with both the adult and younger one

[samanddean76]

Ye Of Cumbersome Faith

Sam had always believed.  In most anything, really.  Believed in God, in angels, in demons, in saints, in sinners.  Believed in the inherent potential good of the overwhelmingly vast majority of people, but he also believed that our weaknesses were sometimes the doorway to true evil.  Because Sam believed in monsters too, but the evidence of their existence precluded the need for faith.  No, what had always captivated Sam was the thought that if he was somehow good enough, if he completed a sufficient number of gloriously valorous deeds, if he vowed to protect and fight for those who couldn’t defend themselves, then he would be proven to be worthy.  And then he would be allowed to enter heaven.  To reap the ultimate reward for all of his righteous labors. 

But as Sam had found out in an incredibly brutal fashion, that was all just a well-crafted fantasy.  God was nothing more than a cruel and capricious child, whose only amusement was found in the abject suffering of others.  Angels were winged dicks whose self-righteousness was so legendary, that they made Genghis Khan seem like a hermit shut-in by comparison.  Demons were at least honest in their devious intentions, wishing to corrupt and damn all that they could to a hellish existence in their afterlife.  Saints were little more than true believers who lived long enough to do an ample amount of good works before their blind faith doomed them to a horrible death.  And sinners, they might be the purest of the bunch.  Simply doing as they pleased, and caring so little for their immortal soul, that an afterlife in hell might actually be considered an upgrade. 

Yes, Sam had been a believer.  He had prayed to the good Lord above every single day.  Fallen to his knees and asked the angels and the saints for their guidance, their assistance, and vowed to do the best that he could.  He hadn’t always had the best intentions, but he had always fought for those that needed help.  He had killed countless monsters, sent innumerable demons back to hell, he had helped to avert a goddamned motherfucking apocalypse… 

And what was his reward for that incredible sacrifice?  It was to be trapped in a cage with a fallen Archangel whose only interest lay in hearing his own voice wax philosophical about all things unfair, unjust, undeserved, and unwarranted that had been sprung on poor old, little innocent him, just because he had wanted to show his misbegotten father how wrong he was about his new favorite creations.  The hairless apes.  That’s what the angels called humans, Uriel with such venom in his tone as he spoke the damning words.  An insane hatred flaring to life at the mere mention of God favoring those he deemed so unworthy of his father’s love. 

Sam had gone to literal fucking hell and all he had to show for his heroic deeds was to be trapped in a cage while he was being raped, endlessly, by Lucifer and Micheal.  The two brothers had finally seen eye to eye on something, unfortunately for Sam, it was his complete and total degradation. 

Sam’s last hope had been Michael.  The supposedly good Archangel.  The one that had obeyed his father, that was prepared to fight valiantly so that the many people that populated the earth might continue to live, might carry on with the legacy that had been passed on from one generation to the next.  But Sam should have known better, especially after all of their interactions with Zachariah.  Even the good ones aren’t truly good or pure.  They are simply less dickishly evil than their siblings.

Sam was being held down once more, as Michael pounded into him, whispering to him as he violated his immortal soul.  “Do you like that?  Does it feel good?  Oh, you like that, don’t you?”  On and on it went.  Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, until finally Death had strolled into the cage, and shown the two bastards who had never taken a break from tormenting Sam for the entirety of his stay in the cage, that they were little more than whining children who were in desperate need of a time-out.  And that Death was taking their favorite toy with him.  It was an image that still haunted Sam, the looks of pure, unadulterated rage that graced the brother’s visages.  How they raged as the only being in all of creation they truly feared, could simply dismiss them as if they were mere errand boys, little more than children playing dress-up. 

Sam clutched desperately tight to the arms that held him close.  As he buried his face into the side of the neck that was above him.  As he whimpered, with each and every stroke of the rock-hard cock that was pleasuring him to within an inch of his life.  He tried to block out the memories of Lucifer forcing him down, and driving in until Sam had screamed himself hoarse, until blood ran down and coated his thighs, but they always crept back in.  Even though he had pleaded with Dean to show him how much he had missed him, the hellscape trauma would always bleed back in.  Always ruin what had always been so perfect, before. 

But Sam still had his faith, he did.  But now he was placing it in someone who was worthy of it.  Someone who would sacrifice for Sam, a being that would slaughter the entire world if it meant that Sam would give him another dimpled smile, a brother who had always cared for him, as best as he could, in the direst of circumstances.  Always fought against all of the incredible odds, always strived to find his way back, to his Sammy. 

To his baby boy. 

Sam felt the thick fingers curl around his cock, and in just a few strokes, he was being torn apart as he came hard, knowing that Dean would put him back together again.  Would soothe every hurt, heal every trauma.  Would move heaven and hell, just so that his Sammy would be whole once more. 

Yes, Sam did have faith.  And he had finally placed it in the right being.

“Love ya, De.” 

“Love ya too, Sammy.” 

And Sam did give him that fragile smile, but then the image faded, and Lucifer began to cruelly mock him once more.  Because even the most fervent faith can’t keep true evil at bay.

Dean could only stare down at his Sam, as he screamed, as he writhed, as he desperately tried to get away.  Simply knowing that he would find something that would fix Sam, even if he had to burn this entire world to the ground to find it. 

So help him God. 

[likeafairytale]

"I'm a servant. Slave, actually. And you might be a princess, but you're a prisoner just as well. Or have you forgotten that prince Aeron still didn't give you your bracelet back?" - Yasmeen to Calypso

What happened following Yasmeen words was something Calypso never thought, in a million years, she would do. She slapped her. She always knew she was a bit fierce and bratty. That she could have a bad temper when she wanted. She was the golden child after all, used to everyone giving in to every whim she had. But she never thought of herself as mean. Or maybe she was, but people just never told her, because she was her realm's delight, so no one wanted to upset her? She wasn't sure, but Yasmeen words resonated in her and made her took action before thinking. Calypso was impulsive and she has shown many times she was capable of being a brat when she wanted, after all, she cut her old maid's hair just for being a Fae.

❝I may be a prisoner here but I still am a Princess and I won't let anyone disrespect me!❞ She was herself surprised by her words. They came out by themselves. It was as if her body wasn't hers anymore, as if someone else took control of it.

She knew she could go to extreme length when she was angry, once again, her first maid might remember that too well, at least her brothers liked to joke about this incident. But she thought her action with her previous maid came from a place of hatred, because she was a Fae, and therefore ignored her most of the time, so she obviously believed she would never had to be harsh to Yasmeen like she was to her.

But it might also be because the truth was that Yasmeen was right, and Calypso hated that. Not that the human was right, but that she was herself a prisoner. People still referred to her as ‘Princess Calypso’ well the few ones who were talking to her at least, but was she a princess still? Because she didn't feel like one anymore. The only privilege she still had of a princess was a constant companion, in Yasmeen, but since she surprised Yasmeen and Morgana talking a few days earlier, she realized that Yasmeen wasn't given the role of maid or friend or confident, but the role of jailer. Making sure Calypso wouldn't left. Not that she could anyway. Hence the whole discussion right now.

Without thinking she touched her wrist where her bracelet was supposed to be, her eyes still on Yasmeen. Her stormy eyes were full of sadness that she tried to hide her best, but she wasn't really sure she was succesfull to do so. Compared to Yasmeen or her oldest brother, she wasn't good at hiding her feelings. Just right now, the reality of what she have done, hurting Yasmeen, hit her and she felt sick in her stomach. She didn't want to. She didn't plan to do it. But maybe she was truly her father's daughter. Maybe violence was in her veins after all, instead of the kindness she always thought she had from her mother.

Calypso was shaking now, and she took a step toward Yasmeen, but this latter might have thought that she was about to slap her again, or worse, blind her, because she took a step back and the mermaid just wanted to cry. She never thought she could be menacing to someone.

❝Yasmeen, I... I'm...❞ she started, unable to finish her sentence.

She couldn't say the words. She was sorry. She truly was. Calypso wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry she was and how much she regretted what she just did. That she was still her friend. That she needed her. And she wasn't angry anymore. Because those were true; she wasn't angry now she was sad that it turned sour so quickly and it was part of her fault too, she had to admit it. But, once again, Calypso was Triton's daughter, and though it was acceptable to apologize to your family, it wasn't to apologize to other people. She wasn't teach how to do so. She know she could but she had too much pride. Her father's words came to her and she hated how often them came to her lately: if you show weakness to other people, and apologize after your first strike, you're doomed. They will know they can keep hurting you and that you will crawl back to them, like a weak little goldfish. Deep down she was scared of those words being true.

❝I won't need you any time soon. You can tell the Queen and my husband that I'm not feeling well and won't assist to any dinner or meeting for a few days. Not that my presence will be miss anyway.❞

She tried to switch between sadness and concern to indifference, but she knew it didn't work as she wanted to. She had a lot to learn and she vowed to herself to ask lesson to Yasmeen on how to do it. Because they won't be mad forever, right? At some point they will talk back... Everything was so blurring and uncertain now, she didn't know what she did to deserve this falling from grace... Yasmeen didn't say anything, actually, Calypso only knew she left the room because of the door closing behind her and once it was done, she did something that she didn't do since her mother's death; cry. True tears, not this tearless cry every merfolks were doing. She was wasting her tear for her friendship, for the loss of her friend, not knowing if it will be forever. For the loneliness she will feel now. And she knew damn well that somewhere, Aeron and Morgana will probably laugh at her, thinking that she should have seen it coming. And for the next two weeks, not only Calypso didn't leave her bedroom, no matter how hungry she could have been, but for two weeks straight a light rain poured nonstop on the Fae Kingdom, the only indication that Princess Calypso wasn't over it yet.

[papirouge]

I don’t like how modern tras behave because it’s easy to see how so many are degenerates and predators online but this hunt against Imane the Algerian boxer just feels like a collective effort from conservatives to publicly shame a woman for not looking like their version of traditionally feminine. Having masculine features makes these weird radfems act up and call other women men for having them. Florence and the Machine is a female artist that I’ve seen before called a man when she’s just tall and has thinner lips. It’s rooted in narrow beauty standards and I have a theory that this outrage is pushed to shame women into also consuming products and routines that would “fix it” like hiding our loses and softening our natural features or encouraging women to do more “delicate” workouts and sports so we don’t gain muscle

I read Harry Potter as a kid and JKR had these magical creatures that were like sirens that would be the most beautiful creature any man can see. Like they could hypnotize a man instantly. And how she described them were typically blonde slim and blue eyed. But when they get angry they get “ugly” and turn into harpies with “bigger noses that turn into beaks” and all that. JKR really likes those European beauty standards. Anything else that’s different and you’re an ugly man

this hunt against Imane the Algerian boxer just feels like a collective effort from conservatives to publicly shame a woman for not looking like their version of traditionally feminine

and you know what's funny? It's that the same flock of "feminist" going after Imane and straight up asking her DNA test results will weep against the "scrutinization of the female body". Bestie, there are hardly anything more (biologically) intimate than your FREAKING GENETICS. Are they for real?? And then weirdo smartasses will be like "if he doesn't show those results, it proves that's a man😏" I DEADASS wouldn't show my DNA results to a flock of haters oddly invested in whatever that's between my legs, are you serious?? I'll side on the TRA on that one : radfemistan and other anti TRA went wayyyy off the rails, this time and obsessing that bad about some's genetic is giving weird and 40s bio essentialist fascism, and it's crazy they don't have self awareness to realize that. Hatred truly blinds..

EVEN IF IMANE EVENTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE A MAN if will not condone this behavior of anti TRA feminists. Because what people don't understand, it that once you enable it for people you don't like, that shit will come back right against you the next round. Better not play victim then. That's why I'm so embarrassed by all the Black women supporting this mess - we should know more than anything that White people pulling out a hate campaign against a POC (under ANY circumstance) ain't one hill to die on. Because too many times WE have been at the other end of the stick.

Radfemistan discredited itself forever. There's like...no coming back from what they did. I will never trust them ever again when they say they defend GNC women.

And yeah, JK Rowling is one tweet away from full on White supremacy rhetoric under the layer of "defending real women uwu". The Black women who blindly stanned her *after* what she did against Imane will eat their words. Dummies.

[grechsblog]

Player 101

Sometimes, Kris finds themself thinking, Player is stupidly, stupidly powerful.

They're strong, they're omniscient; Kris doesn't doubt that, if they really wanted to, they could predict every enemy's move and skill. “patterns,” Player says. “the world has so many patterns, that when you notice them you will not be able to not see them.”

And god they saw them, patterns akin to strings in clothes: a warning, to where an attack will land. It's sewn into the universe, and Player can see the embroidery.

It's so cool. Really, it is! Especially, when they explain it, absolutely fascinated, about little boxes of red as a no-go zone. It's their special interest, so to speak, because they talk and talk about them like it's the most underappreciated and overlooked thing in the world. Which is probably true, because if Kris can't see them the way Player does, with Player themselves being a part of them to some extent, they doubt anyone else from here can either.

Player looks like a complete dork and far younger than they are when talking on that topic.

That doesn't mean, though, that it doesn't scare Kris every time when Player becomes… annoyed.

Honestly, Kris saw them like that only two times in their life.

One of them was Jevil, which is fair enough, considering how many times they needed to restart the fight over and over again. It was exhausting, to both of them, so Kris understands the annoyance. They still remember that very long ramble on how Jevil's attacks are such an ass to dodge, and how it gets so unfair over time, and how it needs to be 'pixel perfect', whatever the hell that's supposed to mean in this context, and-

(It was long. Very long. Kris was scared, because their sibling continued, with such strong opinions on Jevil, psychopathically going to his cage. They won't even call it 'determination', because that was a borderline obsession with winning that fight.

Kris learned that day that their sibling was a 'try-hard' kind of Player. It was objectively terrifying to watch, and even more so to learn that that wasn't even the sickest way people like them had fun.

* You are psychos.

“shush, you don't even know what we do for clout.”)

Spamton's fight, on the other hand, had been pushing them far harder. It almost made Player cross the thin line between just being pissed off, and being enraged.

Dare Kris say — it wasn't pretty.

("DO YOU SEE ME, [Heaven]!?" Spamton screeched, metal clanging against metal, strings snapping one by one, creating a horrific symphony.

Teeth grinding, Kris stood strong against the attacks, watching a majestic Player's dance, waving between the bullets occasionally sending their own. They got hit, they heard them, or Susie, or Ralsei's wordless grunt, and the yellow light shone brighter, near blinding.

Player moved in silence, absolutely mute, and in that silence their attacks grew relentlessly faster.

All Kris could really focus on was their burning anger. Hatred, even. It felt like a volcano eruption, and freezing cold at the same time. It left a taste of copper in Kris' mouth, soaking their mind in those feelings. Making them feel what They feel, think like They think, veins pumping with an elaborate desire to hurt, to kill, — almost, — and all Kris could think is-)

In that fight, they suddenly understood what Heaven truly meant. What that power can do.

Before, Ralsei told about Angel's Heaven, the exact thing that should be Banished per legend, as an eternal Entity. Powerful enough to destroy the world as it's known — from its core to shell, and every living being within. The Entity can control and twist, and change the wants and needs of people. Can switch the perspective to reveal unspeakable knowledge and drive the hardest mind insane.

And Player was that Entity.

It was rather… awkward, at a time, for several different reasons to hear Ralsei talk about them with such panic in his voice.

When Player switched perspective to watch over Susie, or was more forced to do so anyway in King's castle, Ralsei started to explain what they were. The bits and pieces, broken shards from different legends that somehow connected into one big puzzle, painting a weirdly horrific picture.

"It's powerful." He said, in between his highly running imagination. "Controlling and wild at the same time. It needs to be gone."

Kris merely blinked. Player just began to become their friend, if not a powerful ally and, perhaps, a family — what in the fresh hell was he on about?

(Now Kris knows: a lot, and even more than that.)

They asked Player about it after, as soon as Ralsei was distracted, and was greeted with a lot of explaining; stories of lives they'll never see or hear, the world's and universes they never existed in. Player also didn't pass the moment to brag, of course, about how they fought some demons almost barehanded, and won. It made Kris snort in amusement, maybe even several times, but soon enough Player began telling more, and that whimsical attitude quickly switched to something more… solem.

They couldn't go into more details at that moment, — the King still needed to be fought, after all, — so Kris hadn't heard some of the more bitter truths until later that day, when they asked Player to continue explaining.

The mood behind that chipper voice dropped significantly.

“it will be a lot to take in.” They said, warning palpable in that sentence.

However, it would take a lot more to deter Kris from begging, if needed, to know more. They both knew that already.

* I am ready. Whatever it is, I will... Try to accept.

Player was silent for a second, then huffed. “very well. but never say i didn't warn you.”

The dialogue that happened after was informative, in the way that Ralsei's vague words never would be able to recreate. The countless worlds saved, countless worlds destroyed, more than infinite waiting for such fate. People that never knew what was happening to them, people that did, and yet never been able to do anything about it. Monsters and deaths. Black and white, and gray that knitted the universes, that knitted the very thoughts of those they ruled above.

“i think we are born with this knowledge, you know? i know i instantly knew what i appeared for, even if i didn't understand what that implies.” They said, and Kris had a feeling if they had a body to call their own, Player would be sitting with their knees to their chest.

Maybe that's because they always mirrored Kris.

* And what did you come here for?

“i… don't know. i've got a word, if you can call it that, from an old friend. told me to help him with some experiment, make a body to suit myself, and then in a blink i was here.” They said, and something about their tone shifted. “you knew i was here.”

Kris furrowed their brows from the way it implied some untold truths.

* Is it a bad thing?

“not particularly, not- well, maybe. very likely, yes. i had yet to see the universe where it wasn't a bad thing, at least partially.”

They hummed, and it wasn't happy.

“it means that the world can break, and the cracks are already showing. that it's- it's kind of an inevitable fate, that something would threaten the very things that keep other things together and working. it's a big deal.”

Kris exhaled through their nose.

* …Oh.

Player snorted. “oh indeed.”

* And- and what do you do about this? The worlds like that, I mean. You said that there was, or is many more like mine with someone knowing stuff, so I'm a bit curious.

There was a second of silence.

“it is… going to sound very morbid, what i'm about to say, so bare with me.” They took a breath. “i do not like how it works, and i know a lot of people who aren't alright with it too. it's-” They made an uncertain noise. “we- we either salvage what is left, sometimes almost rebuilding it anew if we get the chance, or-” They let out a giggle, breathless and without humor. “or, well, help it collapse. finish what's started. i personally watched, helped a couple of those.”

Kris-

Kris felt… they don't exactly know what they felt.

Perhaps it could be called shock, or hollowness, or coldness from that statement. It was their emotion, the slight tilt of horror, but it was also... muted. It was under the rubble, so to speak, quiet and barely there. Fear, that should've come in pair with that, never even dared resurface its head, and pity hid in shadows. Rage and anger shimmered somewhere behind, almost fully consumed in the other noise.

They felt deep sorrow with a tint of despair that singlehandedly overpowered everything, and Kris was pretty sure it wasn't theirs.

“i- it destroyed the basis of those worlds, you know? awareness made them fragile. after the collapses i could no longer access them. it never happens in the universes that aren't aware, even if they crumble too. if- when i tried to come back to the unaware ones it almost looked like an infinite loop. they forget- people forget everything and make the same mistakes that leave the world on the hair breath from death. and yet- yet, no matter how they try, no matter how they want to, those worlds can never truly die.”

Kris harshly crumpled the sleeves of their sweater.

“the aware ones do, so i was- i was pretty scared to understand what it means here.”

Everything felt detached after that. They don't know how long they stared at their feet, accepting and reaccepting the information. At some point they even felt one of their hands slowly stroking the other, one of them out of their control. Kris heard Player softly humm.

“i told you it was a lot to take in.”

It was. It was more than Kris could process in such a small amount of time, but there's still one, for now, question that was yet to be answered:

* What about this world? Is-

There wasn't even a slight pause, question cut before it could be finished.

“no.” An instantaneous reply came. “don't even think about it — the answer is no. it's too unbreakable for that, and whatever made it a slightly bit more vulnerable for you and Ralsei to know didn't let it go near the worrisome level.” Player paused, unease seeping through the careful assurance. “unless- unless someone deliberately will try to force their access outside of the world, it's nothing that needs worry. plus, i am already here; and whoever would be bold enough to try will need to go through me first.”

Kris forced themselves to swallow. It all felt far too distant.

* That's- that's good. You're a tough opponent to fight.

Like it wasn't happening with them, or their world for that matter.

“yeah. i am, i can promise that much.”

Like it was just a weirdly detailed dream, and when Ralsei's words came to Kris' mind, they could only question why and how it's all connected the way it is. Player is their friend, bordering on closeness of a family, and despite them admitting to every horror the Darkener told Kris about, it felt like an elaborate lie. Cruel joke.

It all didn't stick together, with how attentive Player is to even the smallest of distresses, with how emotional they were over Susie's protective stance at the King's Castle, or Ralsei's vulnerability showing. They aren't some otherworldly being that can easily tilt the fate of the universe, forcing it to end, or a manipulative entity with a sickening taste for fresh blood.

Back then, they thought it just can't exist in the same person. Not without one bleeding into another, and they hadn't noticed such things.

But Kris knows better, now.

They know from the way Player was almost spitting venom when Spamton dared to mention something about tearing them out of Kris' chest. The anger still persisted when he was defeated, when he was nothing more than a trinket to hold onto in their pocket.

They know from the way Player sometimes goes away, — always telling Kris about it beforehand, — and come back colder. Quieter. Sharper. It goes away with time and some playful nudging, but it happens, and nothing Kris did had prevented it so far.

They know, because sometimes they look for Noelle. When they find her, happy and content with her father or chatting cheerfully with others, the first thing Kris feels from them is hatred. They are perfectly aware it's not for her, or the ones she's talking to, or for Kris themselves, but it still makes them flinch, or shudder. Or both.

Kris does know better, and it's… terrifyingly sad to know. To understand, to really get it.

Player has the patience of a saint, and knowing they are a religious being here, it might even be a funny thing to say. Still, to endure so much and not snap at any convenient opportunity? Miracle, no less. Taking into consideration that Player also capped themselves at the age of a teenager, which is quite famous for the most explosive reactions and emotions ever, its wonder of a statistic skyrocketed into space.

(“i have godlike powers and psychological issues about that!”

* One day I will ensure your way into the therapy room.

“well, well, Iid like to see you try; you'll never find any therapist that willingly would try to tackle my problems!”

* I will become that therapist, don't tempt me.)

Yet it's- well, still sad.

Player is omniscient and powerful. They see too much, know too much. Kris is unsure how much is 'too much' for a normal teen, as they personally hadn't been living normally in the way human children do, but it's way more vivid in the attitude Player displays in some situations.

They freeze when some topic flies too close for their comfort. As much as they are patient with the problems of others, it drops to near zero if someone is even mildly threatening the way they don't like — a knee-jerk reaction almost. They are sometimes closed up in a shell, never telling if something's wrong unless pressed, and seem tired from the way they are worshiped as a savior.

Like it was all they were seen as for a long time.

Player is powerful, and it's scary how specifically powerful they are, with the way they got experience of different fights from their adventures. They don't necessarily need help, they can do a lot of things alone, and isn't that even a slight bit terrifying to know? That they have every ability and knowledge and drive to conquer everything, destroy everything, and what they lack they could astonishingly quickly learn? That they could manipulate the very basis of things, grow their charm with all they knew, to get what they want?

Kris can understand Ralsei with his wariness on that; if they hadn't interacted with Player and only heard some unspecific bullshit, they'd be scared too.

But they did.

They knew better now, and if Player did use such 'dirty tricks' to achieve Kris' loyalty, then, well, maybe they deserve it. Maybe they deserve to have yet another soul that considers them their family.

Kris' answer is that it can't be that bad.

---

My general hc for players in selfaware and not games is that they just drift around from one game from another. They kinda- appear without even a poof soundeffect and go on their merry way with everything they need to know to begin their journey

They know how to access the world and how to look for clues or where to seek help and all that. Every other skills, such as social and physical development is still tied to their 'age' and firsthand experience, but they instantly knows how to like. Eat. Read. Talk. Walk — just basic stuff that other still need to learn while they're young; plus added stuff like how they can go to different game and how to use inventory, but the last one is still more codependent on the world they currently in- cuz you can't use some shooter's arsenal the way you use sandbox weapons, just how you can't use rouglike trinkets the same way in simulators

Im making players a magical ageless race. So what? They really are in the eyes of anyone outside of their species i can do whatever i want about it. You can't fucking stop me

[cloneslugs]

.

loyalty as a major part of brock's character really interesting, he obviously has no real feelings of obligations to respect authority just bc they're authority (sgt haynes in the invisible hand of fate) but his loyalty to those he deems worthy of it is insane . he has a sort of blind loyalty to hunter as his mother figure & mentor which is really interesting when it ties into/clashes his devotion to the ventures as family, the second hunter is back in the fray he is back to her side & back to listening to her no matter how many times she lies or double crosses him or uses him, really tracks along w the thing in viva los muertos where she (in a dream) tells him to forego morals & ethics & feelings because none of that matters & is a tool to be used, and its interesting in how strongly dedicated she is to doing her job & doing it right at the expense of those around her (not that she sacrifices people left and right, but there is a disregard for feelings & etc in an effort to follow protocol & do things right) she's hard & firm & uncaring & ruthless in her approach to things, and she isnt afraid to use people if it means helping the cause/greater good, the first thing she teaches brock being to trust no one (but he has absolute trust in her & follows her orders) they just have a really good & interesting relationship this isnt to say she doesn't care about brock obviously but she prioritizes different, and she rules for her more apathetic approach to things, i think you really see her switch gears especially when she goes from SPHINX to OSI just bc she's handling the reigns of a much bigger much more detrimental & important operation

all to say brock's devotion to the ventures is very different, obviously when he's bodyguaring he has an obligation to keeping them safe above all else, but he has a very strong familial tie to them as well, when they're truly in danger its not about doing his job right, it's an anger at people targeting HIS family & he feels very strongly about his place in his family, and there is a loyalty to just following whatever Rusty suggests/says that he never really says no to, even though he has every right to turn him down but he's just very obedient by nature i think. i think like looking at s4/s5 it would be easy to say that loyalty to hunter outweighs loyalty to ventures just bc brock leaves the ventures but i dont think its that easy, and obviously stated in s4 he feels gutted for leaving the boys & not being able to tell them theyre safe (but not enough to return) but hes also going out of his way to protect & help the ventures despite his other obligations, but its not super black & white + i do think hes just kind of messed up in the head regarding such things (loyalty, obligations, morality) is interesting when hes in the OSI he wants to write off the Ventures as just a job w no familial ties to Amber in AT&G-2 and other times he kind of downplays it w Shoreleave when thats obviously not the case, he shows off Hank bc he cares & he's so petty & jealous of Hatred being the bodyguard (even though its bc of his own actions) bc he cares and because he's defensive of his spot in the family, but he plays it off like it doesnt hurt him/like he doesnt care, which the point of this was really meant to tie back to Bot Seeks Bot in that he acts like his obligation is to the OSI above all else & Hunter above all else but he's willing to throw away the enture organization, put his life at risk, put the peace of the nation pretty much at risk bc when it comes down to it he's willing to start a war between the Guild & OSI if it means protecting his family