#but I have the same instinct as a romantically-coded person

[itspileofgoodthings]

the way teenagers’ minds are just this direct channel to romance. hilarious and also something I understand on a PROFOUND level.

[fxckn-sxck-fr]

You're literally so fucking disgusting (said with absolute joy).

Anyways, which of your silly little comic book yandere men are into petplay? And are they puppy-owner-coded or kitty-owner-coded?

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒: 𝐏𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐘-𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐑 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐑…

!!! GN reader, petplay, can be translated as romantic or platonic, but the innuendos are 100% intended, collars, leashes, mentions of punishments, slight manipulation, drugging, I channeled my inner pet for this.

*Pulls out my 3 hour long slideshow* I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED, ANON.

First off, all of them are into pet play if I have a say in it. You will never catch me obsessing over a character I either can’t see collaring me or wearing a collar for me. So, really, this question boils down to if they’re a dog or cat person, LMAOOOOO.

Second, they all could go either way, honestly. These are just my personal thoughts on what they might gravitate towards. If you’re a certified puppy, don’t you worry, cuz the kitty enjoyers will love you the same, and visa versa.

Now let’s get started.

Bruce Wayne: I ALREADY CAN’T FUCKING CHOOSE, FUCK. My first instinct was to gravitate towards kitty-owner, but then I thought about his need to have some sort of physical tie to you (cuz he totally keeps you chained or handcuffed to him, DON’T FUCKING QUESTION ME), so he might be a puppy-owner for the sake of keeping you on a leash. Either way, you’re totally his little lap pet while he works in his office. Petting you gives him the strength he needs to finish all his paperwork. Also, everything you own is bedazzled to hell and back, from collars to toys. He likes to spoil his beloved little pet, okay?!

Clark Kent: I’m gonna go with puppy-owner. He might carry you around like a cat, but that’s only because carries dogs around like cats, too (that’s what happens when you have super-strength; everything is just so carry-able). Absolutely talks to you in that babying voice every dog-owner uses. “Who’s a good pup? Who’s a good pup?? You are!! That’s right, you are!! Aww, look at you!!” It might be annoying, but you better get used to it if you don’t wanna be locked in your uncomfortable cage while he’s gone. He knows you hate it, which is why he hates it, but it’s the only way to get you to behave!! Be his good pup, won’t you?

Dick Grayson: Very much leaning towards puppy owner. He’s all for training you into his loyal pup who follows him everywhere. Also lowkey talks down on you cuz you’re just a cute, dumb puppy!! You don’t need to be thinking big human thoughts!! Let your loving master take care of everything, okay? Ah, ah, ah! Silly, pup! You’re not supposed to speak! Now get back on your hands and knees… puppies don’t walk like people do, remember? Or does he have to get a little mean to remind you? You don’t want that, do you? Yeah, didn’t think so. Now sit… good job!! Why don’t we give you a treat, hm~?

Hal Jordan: Another one that can go either way. Honestly, though? The more I think about it, the more I’m digging kitty-owner Hal. There are so many ways this could go that it makes my head hurt. Is he a condescending owner? “Poor little kitty… got something to say? Hm? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Or a soft owner? “Such a pretty little kitty… did you miss me while I was away? Yeah? I’m so sorry, sweetie.” What about one of those cat-dads that started out as we-are-not-getting-a-cat and ended up getting totally attached? “What do YOU want? Huh? Whatcha up to, pusscat? AYE!! Get off of the couch!! Come on, you know better.” The possibilities are endless.

Jaime Reyes: You know, it’s kinda weird. I see him as a certified puppy by default, yet as an owner? He’s kitty-adjacent. You’re just the cutest kitty-cat ever, he can’t help but keep you as one!! Definitely gets one of those bell collars (with a cute bow on it!!) for you. It helps ease his anxiety whenever he hears it jingle. Better be a cuddly kitty, cuz he canNOT keep his hands off of you. Poor guy’s always on the verge of a panic attack at the thought of you running away. It’s a common occurrence for him to pull you into his lap, eyes shining with unshod tears as he quietly asks, “you’ll never leave me, right?” If you don’t want to sit there awkwardly while he hyperventilates, I suggest you be kind and nuzzle into him.

Remy LeBeau: 100% kitty-owner. Expects you to greet him at the door when he comes home. “Y’miss me, minou? Yeah… Gambit missed you, too. C’mere.” Whether you like to admit it or not, he gives the best scratchies. He’ll have you lay against his chest for hours, softly petting your head as he listens to your rhythmic breathing. Absolutely sits you on the counter while he cooks so he can feed you small morsels as a little treat!! Every chef has to have an adorable sous-chef, no? Oh my god, he is just so soft that it makes my heart melt. You’re his precious little kitty and he’ll never let you forget it!! Just don’t be up to any trouble, okay? He may be gentle, but he also knows how to punish naughty kitties.

Scott Summers: Puppy-owner puppy-owner puppy-owner pupPY-OWNER— you bet your ass he’s training you to be the perfect little puppy. When he’s through with you, you’re gonna be the most obedient pup around. Don’t get me wrong, he’s actually a very soft and sweet master!! Gives you tummy rubs, praises, and even treats (when you’re good). However, when it comes to obedience, he’s absolutely the no-nonsense type. Do not test him; the literal leash he has on you is short for a reason. Disciplinary Scott is a very scary Scott, so I’d suggest you start acting right if you don’t want to get the cruelest punishment ever. “That’s right. Be a good little pup for me. You know what happens to bad puppies. Behave.”

Tim Drake: Have you met him? Kitty-owner for sure. He wants a lazy kitty that’ll sleep in his lap whenever he works (read: he wants to drug you so you’re constantly lethargic and can’t run away from him). Be prepared to be a weighted blanket, cuz he loves when you lay on top of him. Whenever you wake up, he’ll always be the first thing you see. “Good morning, Kitty! Sleep well? C’mon, it’s breakfast time!” Does NOT let you do anything for yourself (not like you’ve got the energy to, anyway). He loves to take care of his cute little kitty!! Also, has about 3,000 photos of you on his phone so he can look at them when he’s away. He just misses you, okay? You’re all he thinks about on patrol!!

Wally West: The puppy-owner thoughts won. He wants a happy little pup to pounce on him anytime he comes home!! Oh… you don’t wanna do that? Well, it’s okay!! He’s very good at training disobedient mutts. A quick word of warning, you do not want to trigger his stern mode. He’ll dish out the most cruel and devious punishments, all with the “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” attitude. Soft and sweet owner Wally is where it’s at. Loves to make you do tricks and give you treats afterwards!! He can get a little condescending and tease you, but it’s all done out of love! Unless you’ve been bad. Then it’s completely intended to be malicious. But you would never be a bad pup for him, right? He loves so much and spoils you rotten, why would you ever be bad? Come one, now!! Walkies time!! If you don’t tug on the leash, he’ll give you a big reward!!

[shakespearean-snape]

I’m rereading OOTP right now and I find that scene between Severus and Sirius in the kitchen to be highly relevant in the context of Severus as a feminine-coded character (and Sirius as a representation of toxic masculinity). Sirius is very outwardly aggressive in this scene in a conventionally masculine way, while Severus weaponizes his sarcasm and wit in a way that could be thought of as a more “feminine” form of defence. While Harry describes Sirius’s voice as getting progressively louder and angrier, he describes Severus’s voice as “soft” in contrast (as he usually does, which is also interesting in the context of Severus as a feminine man/GNC character). Sirius gets up and tries to intimidate Severus physically, and Severus grips his wand inside his pocket in a way that reminded me of a victim of domestic violence preparing to defend herself against her abuser.

I’m not sure how much of this was intentional considering how rigid JKR’s views on gender have unfortunately turned out to be, but I can’t help but read Severus as a feminine character, especially since he’s meant to act as a stand in for Lily in the same way as Sirius acts as a stand in for James. It’s very easy to read Sev as gender non conforming and/or LGBTQ, although given JKR’s own views it’s doubtful she meant for us to read him that way (but fuck her, she’s a massive transphobe, the characters are ours now, we can do what we like with them).

Note to self, start checking your inbox regularly. These changes to Tumblr are killing me because the notifications when I get messages or asks are hit-or-miss at best.

Anyways, this is such a great observation! I'm only just learning about coding and that that is even the term for it from reading about it from other Snape bloggers like @idealistic-realism00, @raptured-night, and @professormcguire since I only took the required English courses both my undergraduate years and beyond that my major was in sociology.

So, I'm not really any kind of expert but I do have a lot of personal experience from being biracial and queer myself just with learning to read between the lines and find representation for myself where I can and I think that is the case for a lot of people from less represented, marginalized backgrounds. We have a certain instinct for these things so even without any kind of formal study we sort of know the "codes" (for better or worse depending on what the author's intent is and if it's a negative dog-whistle or something more positive to get around censorships of the time) if that makes any kind of sense.

For me, I always saw Sirius and Snape as two sides of a coin. There were some very obvious parallels and contrasts between them and this really goes to that in a lot of ways for me. Both Sirius and Snape are two men who made pivotal choices in their youths that very much define them and have led to a great deal of internalized guilt and impacted their behaviors as adults. Both Sirius and Snape find themselves confined to their childhood homes at different points, Sirius at Grimmauld Place with Kreacher and Snape at Spinner's End with Peter Pettigrew (both Kreacher and Peter are characters that also are known for betraying Harry and costing him someone he loves at different points and making a turn around in regards to Harry because of kindness or mercy he showed to them).

Where Sirius made the choice to make Peter the Secret Keeper with only James, Lily, and Peter knowing and it ultimately led to the death of the Potters and him being sentenced to twelve years in Azkaban, Snape also unwittingly delivered part of the fated prophecy that led to Voldemort targeting the Potters. Most interesting for me is that Snape's friendship with Lily and Sirius's friendship with James could be read as either platonic or a case of unrequited romantic feelings. There is the observation in SWM made by Harry that while Sirius was clearly a looker who attracted the attention of girls, his attention was fully on James and not on those admiring glances. So, when looking at Sirius's relationship with James through a comparative lens to Snape's with Lily they could be platonic friends or both Sirius and Snape could have had romantic feelings for their best friends while, ironically enough, Sirius had to watch James fall for and succeed in winning over Lily just as Snape had to do the same.

In the case of Snape and Sirius there is also a degree of regression and arrested development stemming from trauma (and both men at different points make the clear mistake of seeing Harry as a stand-in for James as a result of said trauma). Where Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban able to hold onto his sanity against the Dementors in part because he knew he was innocent and the truth of what happened was a deeply unhappy thing for him, Snape spent decades in Dumbledore's service at Hogwarts (a place with its own unhappy associations for him having found it was not a refuge from life at Spinner's End with Tobias as he had hoped but another place where he would be bullied relentlessly, overlooked by his Head of House and housemates for being a poor half-blood with no status, subject to institutional failures resulting from yet more adult authority figures in his life not protecting him, groomed by Voldemort's followers and responsible for alienating his closest friend as a result) teaching children when clearly he does not have the temperament and, courtesy of his role as a spy, concealing his own truths and intentionally not allowing people to know the best of him. In a sense, both men had a negative public image that ran counter to the full truth about them and both of them died without being able to see those misconceptions vindicated (Sirius died still presumed by the Ministry and general public to have been the traitor who turned his friends over to Voldemort and murdered innocent people and Snape died knowing he had delivered information to Harry that would lead to his death and unsure of the outcome of the war with everyone thinking him a coward and murderer).

There's just, a LOT of parallels there between the two when you start to unpack them as characters. Even the fact that they both came from domestic dysfunction and unhappy home lives. It makes their mutual antagonism all the more of a tragedy because if not for Sirius's prejudice (which is arguably more understandable given his family and their long tradition of being sorted into Slytherin) against Slytherins and antagonism of young Snape on the train and the years of bullying and bad blood that followed, these two men had the most potential to understand each other. Alas, they do not, but it is their likenesses that makes their differences in how they clash all the more interesting because, as you noted, there are stark differences there. Sirius is all overt masculine energy; hot-headed and physically imposing while Snape is more strained, the ice to his fire.

Most striking to me was always the difference in how little respect Sirius showed to Snape's body while he was unconscious (further demonstrating how little Sirius has changed from the teenage boy who once stood with James and exposed Snape to laughing schoolmates) versus how Snape conjured a stretcher while still under the impression he was the one responsible for betraying the Potters (and the death of Lily). In that way, we get to see how Snape has developed as a person away from his past choices and learned from them. He may still regress, as he does quite plainly when forced to return to the Shrieking Shack and is confronted by Sirius and Remus there, but he isn't quite in the full state of arrested development as Sirius (but given his circumstances in Azkaban that isn't entirely surprising either; there is a tragedy to Sirius's character for all that there is as much of a darkness as there was in Snape during his time as a Death Eater and the fact so many Marauder apologists who double as "Snaters" refuse to acknowledge that outside of romanticizing the angst of it all while vilifying Snape is quite possibly an even greater tragedy, imo) which is why Sirius's death came in part due to his inability to move beyond his past and find it within himself to treat Kreacher with a modicum of understanding or empathy (in addition to his desire to be part of the action again and recapture his lost youth when it was him and James in the Order together) while Snape's death came only after he had to reconcile with the fact his original raison d'être for becoming a spy (to protect Harry for Lily as penance) ran counter to what was needed to defeat Voldemort for good and he still chose to stay the course instead of pursue his own agenda and act on his own self-interests.

In short, Sirius's death was partly due to the fact he couldn't move beyond the past. While Snape's death came as a result of the fact he had grown enough as a character to set aside his past motivations and see things through because he had become someone who conjured stretchers even for hated enemies and risked his life to save all those who he could save (including Sirius and Remus).

Thanks for the ask and I'm so sorry it took so long to respond but it gave me even more to think about. The masculine vs. feminine coding just adds an extra element to Snape and Sirius's dynamic when it was already interesting to me and I've always had a lot of thoughts about how those two were written with so many parallels and points of contrast. Love this ask!

[twinkletwinkletruly]

Still can’t get over Kacchan’s parents!

I know it’s been pointed out a million times and one, but it’s so funny to me, that Katsuki’s mom’s way of flirting was to be extremely assertive and his dad is like “I guess she bullied me into marrying her, but I’m okay with that cuz, I love her so very much!” He even gets all “flower petals”-background when he reminisces about it X’D I just- I know what Katsuki has done from like, 4 to 14 (so around a decade) is not at all flirting, or even remotely close to it. It was straight up bullying. But at this point in the series, and even when they were still just in AU, sure, he’s trying to bully Izuku, but it’s not really working anymore. But he’s still more aggressive towards Izuku and wants his attention all the time. I know I’m just being a wishful idiot, and it probably isn’t what’s going on at all, but I feel like Katsuki and his mom have the same type, and the same reaction to getting a crush. The difference being, Mitsuki was an adult woman flirting with an adult man she’d just met at their shared job. Katsuki would be dealing with coming to terms with a few things.

It’s the one person he specifically targeted and bullied for a decade. But it’s also, somehow, the one person who knows as much about Bakugo Katsuki, if not more, than anyone else, perhaps even Katsuki himself. And it’s the one person Katsuki will literally risk everything for without thinking. The one person his body will instinctively move to protect, even if it may cost Katsuki his life. Now, I know it isn’t romantic-coded, but damn it, most would go “yup, that’s the end pairing” if it was a boy and a girl.

I guess, I’m trying to say that it’s interesting, that both Katsuki and Mitsuki are strong types, and Mitsuki’s way of flirting is being very assertive towards the guy she likes. I think in some way Katsuki inherited her way of showing interest, wether it be romantic or platonic, he’s just absolute crap at realising it or using it, which is a shame, cuz I have a feeling Izuku would have the same reaction as Masaru X’D

Just look at them!

Aggressive woman, who looks just like her son, with the same hair-trigger temper, and timid man she all but bully-flirted/flirt-bullied into marrying him and him being absolutely wipped for her to this day.

[tosahobi-if]

Sorry to bother but I actually get a bit triggered by cannibalism's metaphors because of some things I've gone through. So could you maybe put a warning or maybe a tag so I can block it?

And, would this type of text be a recurring thing in the game?

I know it seems weird, the thing is the blood nor death it was triggers me but the idea of cannibalism tied to romance, because let's just say that in real life it often appears in very toxic relationships.

You don't have to post this, just hoping that maybe next time you can put a warning?

(And btw is not because you were really descriptive, it's more just the concept itself)

don't worry, you're not a bother! i'll be glad to tag it. i also do want to say that the concept of hunger as desire is a prevalent theme within the story. the mc is very much a traumatized individual with a warped view on relationships. they don't have any healthy examples to base their own feelings off of, so they fall back on what they do understand (which is base instinct) to express themself, whether romantic or not.

you can kind of think of it like a child that thinks the only way to get attention is through being disruptive or acting out. they don't know any better because they've never learned any better. they do, however, understand that most people don't seem to feel the same way they do, and that brings a whole plethora of complications with it. this is, of course, not to say that it's a healthy or a conducive way to approach relationships but i hope it helps to explain their mindset!

i think personal comfort is first and foremost when it comes to interacting with media. imo i do think the story might be triggering for you, but i'll do my best to update the content warnings, and i'm currently working on coding a visible cw toggle into the game. please take care of yourself, anon! ( ´ ▽ ` )

[cherish--these--times]

I’ve been talking to my sister about TedBecca. She doesn’t watch the show. Described the Red Thread of Fate to her (btw she said it’s obvious they’ll get together based on that alone). And you know what? She’s right.

Wait. Don’t throw stones at me just yet. I stand by the fact that it remains unlikely because they are really clever about it and avoid going there by basically making sure they never spend time together. Which is hilarious when you think about it. And by hilarious I mean infuriating because they are the ones who have established they’re essentially in each other’s bones and have been since birth. They keep reminding us of that, and of the fact that they keep missing each other (Rebecca searching for him when he has a panic attack, or her losing her phone just when he decides he’d like to hang out in a pointedly not professional setting). They are hell bent on keeping them apart. By all accounts, possibly forever. Not even for the sake of preserving a fabulous friendship because it’s objectively not there. They’re not in each other’s pocket in that way. They are not each other’s go to person in crisis.

Yet… When you lay out all the evidence, you would be hard pressed to argue with my sister’s logic. It’s utterly obvious that they belong together. Yes, romantically.

The man she is really into is effectively Ted coded. She meets him just when Ted was trying to reach her. That’s ridiculous. That’s on the nose, guys. It just is.

She eats his biscuits every single morning and she’s almost feral about it. They’ve yet to address that and we can’t just move past it.

They are going on the same journey, just not together. Recovering from their ex partners. Craving love and a stable, loving family. Both of them. That’s their wish fulfilment. That’s their happy end. Funny, that.

Ted is a mess and so is she. They’re both really kind and a bit mad and they instinctively know when the other is down and what to say or do to pull them back up. Instinctively. It speaks of something deep and visceral. Gut and heart. But also they never hang out. Or when they tried there was something in the way. Funny, that.

Granted they’re not in love with each other.

Instead, the writers have established the following:

What Rebecca seeks in a partner is someone who makes her feel special and cared for. Makes her laugh. Likes to sing and is unashamedly corny. Bonus points if they cook delicious food for her. Funny, that.

What Ted needs is a person who loves his sense of humour and is not just humouring him (lol). Someone who cares about and understands his profound relationship with his son. Who senses when he is struggling (handy because bottling stuff up is his coping mechanism of choice) and would know what to do when his anxiety gets the better of him. Funny, that.

Period.

[web-novel-polls]

Aroace-spec Character Winners' Tournament

[Please vote for who you believe is the most aroace-spec character, not the most popular. It will never be acceptable to post "anti-propaganda" in this tournament or invalidate a suggested identity because "they're not aroace enough." You will be blocked unless it's clearly a genuine mistake / misphrasing.]

Propaganda underneath the cut

Xie Lian from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Submission 1: Demisexual

He's heavily demi coded. Man has no interest in sex what so ever for 800 years and then makes a strong personal connection to one (1) person and is shocked when he's suddenly interested

Submission 2: Demisexual

I think he is demisexual. He was canonically celibate for 800+ years and doesn’t seem to have too much of a problem with it, until he meets and binds with the love interest. Suddenly this whole celibacy thing becomes difficult. Seeing a character similar to me was an amazing experience and I think he deserves all the love!

Liu Qingge from Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Submission 1: Gay Grayace

He spends most of his life with one interest and that's fighting and then when he falls for a man he's confused by it and proceeds to flirt in the most awkward way possible. Also he has the grey-white-sometimes purple colour scheme

Submission 2: Aroace

The idea of him being asexual is presented right there on the page and you can't take that away from me. Yes I think he is in love with sqq yes I also think he is aroace. He can be both!

Submission 3: Asexual/Ace-spec

I think he’s sex repulsed given his icy or horrified reactions when sexual topics are discussed. He was also once forcibly aroused when hit by an aphrodisiac, and he responded in a way that implied he had never experienced that before. Additionally, his instinct was not to do anything sexual, but to commit acts of violence.

Mod Propaganda

Canonically not interested in romance by word of God

MXTX: “[Liu Qingge] isn't interested in Shen Qingqiu. He isn't interested in anyone. He's only interested in fighting. He wants to be the strongest and the best.” (Source)

Canonically had no clue he was sexually aroused in the Succubi Extra / interpreted it as “wanting to fight” (which isn’t the same as not experiencing sexual attraction, but that’s also not a trademark of allosexuality)

Speaking of, he never specifically seems interested in Shen Qingqiu romantically or sexually - he’s usually shipped with him bc of his devotion, not a clear desire for romance. Though that’s pretty much just up for personal interpretation

[presidenthades]

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 10!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

In the book, Aegon II is capable of being very vicious, and I think Tom Glynn-Carney once described Aegon as being good at spotting people’s weaknesses. So it makes sense to me that Aegon would figure out Alyssa’s weaknesses for lemon cakes and shamelessly use her to deprive Daemon of sleep.

Luce has been hiding in her family’s apartments the last three days, so when Aemond (who is probably visiting his mother) sees her from the window, he *ruuuuuuns* outside to catch her. I tried to frame it as a very romantic scene (if you ignore that Daemon, Joff, and Otto are all eavesdropping) so the rejection would be more painful. 🥲

I think when the Targ kids were growing up, they all had this implicit understanding that of course Jace would marry Aegon, and of course Luce would marry Aemond, and Joff would probably marry Daeron because she’s not going to put up with anyone else. It isn’t until the adults share their opinions that they realize this might not be the case.

The ring Aemond gives Luce is a tension ring which is useful for knitting and yarncraft. That’s why Luce wears it; not only is it from Aemond, it also has a functional purpose.

Show!Aemond seems to have a code of honor, and he realizes he and Luce acted very inappropriately. Nobody is forcing him to marry Luce, but he *wants* to. Aemond is the kind of person to hold onto the past as long as he doesn’t have closure, so he’s clinging to the relationship he had with Luce pre-Driftmark, but he’s also clinging to the letter where she wrote that she hates him and never wants to see him again.

Part of him is genuinely upset/angry that she would send a cruel message like that after his eye incident, and he wants her to acknowledge that. But Luce doesn’t acknowledge it because she doesn’t know about the letter, and Aemond is too proud to bring it up directly, so he just makes passive-aggressive allusions instead 💀

Meanwhile, Luce is confused and frustrated because she doesn’t understand what Aemond is alluding to. She thinks Aemond is putting words in her mouth, and that upsets her, but she’s also too proud to directly ask about it so she just fights with Aemond instead 💀

Of all the marriages Luce has seen, the most successful one is Corlys and Rhaenys’s (Luce wouldn’t know about their private disagreements). They never argue in public and they seem to have good synergy with each other. That is the opposite of her and Aemond, so she’s afraid that after the initial hormones wear off, she and Aemond might regret each other, even though her instinct is telling her she wants to marry Aemond (but that same instinct gets her in trouble a lot soooo…). She’s also been assured by her family that she doesn’t have to pick a husband right now, so she’s taking the gift of time they’re offering.

Aemond asks Luce why she’s saying no, and she points out a lot of the above, which is what provokes Aemond into finally showing her the letter (which he carries around because even though the contents hurt, it’s the only letter she’s supposedly ever sent him).

This is the moment that Otto launches Operation Celtigar. He previously warned Aemond not to act on his feelings for Luce but Aemond isn’t listening, so Otto is resorting to drastic measures.

Jace’s life has been seriously disrupted by her broken nose. Image is very important in this society, and if she looks like she got punched in the face right after her wedding (broken noses often come with black eyes and other bruising in the area), some people was the culprit simply because he’s her husband. Also she’s feeling very self-conscious (she’s a young girl), so all in all it’s better if she stays out of public eye until she���s healed.

It takes a broken nose 2-3 weeks to heal (thanks, Dr Google), and those 2-3 weeks are prime time for Jace to schmooze with all the wedding guests before they leave. (Most are waiting a while after the wedding to go home because travel takes a long time.) Even though she doesn’t want Aegon to break Daemon’s nose (she views violence as the last resort, not the easy solution), she does want him to confront the consequences of his actions. Daemon won’t actually be helpful interviewing the ladies-in-waiting, but it’s a punishment that works for him because he hates it so much. (I, on the other hand, would choose a royal tea party over being punched in the nose any day.)

Elinor Massey is a minor character mentioned in Fire & Blood. Elinda Massey is named as one of Rhaenyra’s ladies-in-waiting, and she’s the only named LIW on the show. I decided to make them niece-aunt in this fic. Historically, court positions like LIW could be hereditary; if you find a good servant, the first place you look to hire a new one is their family.

When the book and show canon diverge to the point of being irreconciliable, I usually pick show canon (although there are exceptions, namely Aegon being a rapist). One of these divergences is Daemon/Laena’s marriage, and the show depicts it as not as happy as it could have been (Laena says something along those lines in Episode 6). My interpretation for the purposes of this fic is that Daemon tried to make it work and he did love Laena, but not enough to make him forget about his life in Westeros with Viserys and Rhaenyra. I think Rhaena was closer to her mother, so she judges him particularly severely for this.

Garmund Hightower is Rhaena’s second husband in Fire & Blood. In this fic, she selects him as a potential husband not because of love (she and Helaena are going strong). Rhaena wants a husband who will leave her and Helaena in peace, but she wants to avoid an Androw Farman situation (Queen Rhaena’s last husband; you can read about him on the ASOIAF wiki). For a variety of reasons, Garmund suits all of her needs.

Still, Rhaena doesn’t especially *want* to marry, and she’d be okay being a spinster as long as she’s in the capital with Helaena. But she’s preparing for the possibility that she’ll be called upon to form a marital alliance, whereupon she can produce her own candidate. Of course she knows Daemon would hate Garmund on principle, so she isn’t planning to mention Garmund until she has to, but Luce spills the beans.

I also think there would have been a certain poetry in Rhaena and Helaena marrying husbands from the other’s mother’s family. It would actually counterbalance the Blacks and the Greens a little.

I said most of my thoughts above about the letter situation, but I want to point out that Luce *is* aware she’s bad at controlling herself around Aemond. She acknowledges that Daemon’s meddling played a role in their estrangement but it wasn’t the entire reason; she and Aemond need to learn to communicate in a healthy way. (Driftmark = Love Island? Lol)

Daemon thinks life would be easier with all boys, but that’s just canon HOTD and we know how that turns out…

Chapter 11 commentary here

[acourtofthought]

I recently saw a theory about the Elucien bond being fake or missed assigned.

This is what it said:

The cauldron lie because when Elaine was made AZ was dying and so it picked the next suitable male.

Also; feyre and Nesta describe the bond as a tug on their soul whereas Elain describe it as a thug on her ribs.

I call BS.. pardon my French, because there is so much more that debunk this however what are your thoughts?

First, what kind of bullshit system would mating bonds be if they were randomly assigned simply because one person was injured? 😂. If that's the story we're going with than why was Feysand made mates while she was human, with a mortal lifespan and near starvation at certain points?

Mating Bonds aren't randomly given, they are decided well before people are even born (we have proof of this in the TOG series). New mates aren't assigned in adulthood just because one person from the pairing is injured. Azriel wasn't dead despite his injuries and I'm pretty sure the system that decides who is paired with who isn't going to randomly look at a bleeding guy and go "hmmmm, there's a chance he's not making it, on to the next random Fae male within Elain's vicinity!".

I think this is yet another attempt to discredit the Elucien bond because for all the cries that Elain doesn't want a mate and how Elucien's don't respect that, I think the bond still a worry for them considering SJM is a Fated Mates author.

This is how Feyre once described Rhys pulling on their bond:

I was pulled from sleep by something tugging at my middle, a thread deep inside.

If Feyre can feel a tug in the general area of her stomach ("her middle") or possibly lower since middle is probably more in the area of your intestines and she turned out to have a legitimate mating bond then I feel confident that Elain feeling a tug near her ribs (which protect the heart) is a bit more romantically coded and would also indicate her bond with Lucien is real.

The only time the bond is described by Nesta or Feyre as a thread between souls or something merging them together is when the bond is consummated:

until I felt and saw and smelled that bond between us, until our scents merged, and I was his and he was mine, and we were the beginning and middle and end. We were a song that had been sung from the very first ember of light in the world.

The golden threads shimmered and sang, and she couldn’t take it, the music between their souls, the feel of his body on her and in her, and—

Since Lucien and Elain haven't been physical (yet), we're not going to have the same kind of language in reference to their bond. Lucien went a bit feral over Elain being taken back to the NC. Mor used her gift of truth on him. Az can scent the bond. Elain and Lucien both felt the bond snap at the same time. Feyre used her demati powers to slip into Lucien’s mind and confirmed his feelings and instincts towards Elain as being sincere.

Not only would it be really odd for SJM to have to turn around and explain how every single person was rendered completely clueless for multiple books by this supposed false mating bond but what would the point of it be?

"Your bond is fake".

"Oh, thank goodness! I'm so relieved we spent the last two years feeling angst and confusion and guilt over the past loves we thought we were betraying, all for nothing! Now we're free to be with who we want even though we could have been with whoever we wanted the last two years anyway since we really didn't spend that much time together in the first place. Let's shake hands and part ways, sorry about all the discomfort and tension!"

It just makes no sense and I get they're trying to pull a TOG storyline to make a mating bond between E/riel a possibility but no villain is trying to have Lucien or Elain swear loyalty to them because they're so distraught over the loss of their mate who was never actually their mate. Lucien and Elain aren't really talking so what does a fake mating bond add to the plot? Not only are they not talking but they're both spending time with the character who some claim are their "true mates". Which again, doesn't make sense if the goal was to keep them away from their "true mates" 🤦

[bacchanal-if]

Hi!

I just played the update, and damn it was so great! I love the variety of reactions our MC can have to everything, and how they impact dialogues in general. I'm trying to strike a balance between having a MC who is naive, but at the same time build his sensitivity. I like the idea of someone who instinctively reads people pretty well, but is basically naive in his ideology and doesn't know much of the world. I think it makes for such an interesting character!

Also, I now already live for Ellis. They are so sweet and aaah I love them! Our father dearest though... that's a different matter. Oh well, at least my MC is a hopeless romantic who still wants to believe this marriage will go well so there is that. Can't wait to meet E to be honest. I'm just going feral over that... weirdly fairytale(-ish) story (well, at least as far as my MC is concerned), in which he truly hoped for a mariage that would make him happy despite it being an arranged thing, and it actually being a happy one in the end just because of the unexpected compatibility of what the two involved people want for their lifes to be. I adore the fact it - at least on paper - works so well, considering how unexpected it is with E's personality. But well, nothing you said on this blog up until now would lead me to believe it won't work, so yeah.

Aaanyway, that aside, I wanted to report a few things and had a question too!

^ This page seems a little bit OOC for my MC, based on the previous choices. I picked for my MC to be pretty optimistic about his father's summons - explicitly saying perhaps it's not so bad etc. No to mention, also the fact my MC was always obedient and that his father was never mad with him specifically. So I feel like my MC acts too worried here? Considering just how well the rest of the story flows with our previous choices and all, this page seems at odds?

^ An issue with the code here. Considering my previous choices, I think it should be the "acceptance" version in my playthrough. It seems to be showing all versions that would depend on a variable or something atm.

And for the question I had! So, we know E is possessive and tends to keep MC in a gilded cage, but would let some specific people close if really needed - at least if I remember correctly. What about Ellis? They are close family (if the player choses so), and so I'm wondering if they would let MC see them?

I think that's all! A pretty long message to be fair, so thank you for taking the time to read it!

Have a great day!

I am so happy you enjoyed it!! I always fret on updates.

It's such a hard thing to navigate, a naive but sensitive character, and I hope I've been good about the balance.

Ellis is such a sweetheart 💜 I was sad writing the dialogue for when you aren't close with them, because they are so in need of love. And I'm glad you see the fairy-tale aspect of it! I did knock the MC down a few worldwise points when their initial reaction is to think it could be love or admiration, which I am personally amused by, but having a hopeless romantic MC who hopes for a fairy-tale ending was always a MC I wanted to include.

Thank you so much for the feedback! It seems I had the stat gate too high for the text that should have shown for a meek but joyful MC, so I have fixed it, as well as the bug!

As for Edith and Edward, Ellis would certainly be allowed, but if Ellis starts trying to get the MC to rebel against E, they would start restricting the visits.

Thank you for your message!

[briarborealisart]

favorite writing trope?

im joking HAHAHA but also im not joking at all i LOOOOVE TROPES TROPES ARE THE BACKBONE OF STORIES EVEN SUBVERSIVE FICTION MUST FIRST PICK A TROPE TO DECONSTRUCT OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM I LOOOOOOVE TROPES I LOVE CREATIVE SPINS ON TROPES I LOVE GOOD OLD FASHIONED "YOU'VE READ IT A THOUSAND TIMES BUT IT STILL HITS HARD" TROPES UGGHH SO FUN!!!

if i HAD to pick a favorite. just like. held at gunpoint. my first instinct is found family. BUT EVEN THAT IS SOOOO BROAD. so here are a list of some tropes that i LOVE off the top of my head

mentor + student relationship (familial coded) bonus if the mentor is begrudging at first

characters using formalities/nicknames/titles up until a key moment when someone calls them by their real name and it hits soooo hard every time

accurate healthy sibling dynamics

sick fics (LOVE sick fics)

5+1. this is less of a writing trope and more of a fic format but i will eat it up every time

any phrase or sentence being "reprised" in an emotionally devastating context. then when you go back and reread it you get hit with the first time the line is said and u have to bite rocks

on that note: subtle foreshadowing that you don't pick up on until your second go around

REVENGEEEE well thought out COMPLEX revenge

alternatively: a character not pursuing revenge because the person who hurt them isn't even worth the effort

brothers in arms type relationships where it could be construed as romantic or familial or strong friendship but really it's none of those things because the sheer loyalty they have to each other transcends labels

family dynamic in which the eldest sibling had to basically raise the younger sibling and now there's emotional confusion over whether they're parent and child or just siblings. "i don't know whether you're my brother or my dad" just hits different (same for sister and mom)

ok i have billions of these so i'll stop there. if you want me to never stop talking just ask me about tropes i love Tropes

[late-to-the-fandom]

How about Renathal and Sire Denathrius for the ask game?

Thank you for the ask! This was a fun break from writing

Renathal

1. One aspect I love: His sense of humour as coping mechanism. Such a mood.

2. one aspect i wish more people understood about them: he’s not “good guy” coded. He’s more like, the enemy of my enemy is my sexy friend.

3. one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character: I only have a million but here’s one I’ve recently developed as I work on Wend - Renathal has spent several eons systematically “borrowing” books from Denathrius’ private library, copying them, and creating his own copies. He hand copies them all himself, partly out of necessity (he can’t trust a secretary not to leak this to Denathrius) and partly out of a love of writing things and it is the reason his handwriting is so accomplished.

4. One character I love seeing them interact with: honestly? The maw walker. I love how flirty he is with your player character.

5. One character I wish they would interact with more: The Accuser. I love the little glimpses into their obviously terse relationship and I’m surprised at how it has grown on me and how big a role she has in Wend.

6. one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character - why not Renathal and the Accuser! My headcanon for them was always that Renathal secretly has a lot of respect for her as one of the more earnest and worthy Venthyr, but her lack of respect for him (she thinks he doesn’t take his responsibilities seriously enough) irritates him and keeps them historically at odds. It takes the rebellion to put them on the same side and allow them to develop a tentative friendship.

Denathrius

1. One aspect I love: he’s hot. I’m not particularly proud of that

2. one aspect i wish more people understood about them: that he either was never good or hasn’t been in long enough to matter. He’s straight evil, not misunderstood evil.

3. one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character: personally, that he has no loyalty to the jailer. He’s in it to win it and siding with the jailer is just step one in a plan that is wholly about him.

4. One character I love seeing them interact with: I liked seeing him with the Accuser because it’s fun to see him lose it with someone who is absolutely immune to his charm.

5. One character I wish they would interact with more: I wish there had been more time for the maw walker to interact with him. I would have appreciated being flirted with more

6. one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character - a headcanon I have for him and Renathal important to me is that Renathal’s creation was more akin to a physical birth than a creation out of clay. To me, it explains why, no matter how cruel he can be to Renathal, he can’t quite bring himself to kill him. Renathal came from him and is part of him and even an evil being has an instinct to keep all parts of themselves alive. Which is also, why as far as I’m concerned, Renathal is Denathrius’ son and a romantic relationship is a big fat giant no.

[skeppsbrott]

I went on a One Piece binge and apparently the only way people appreciate Usopp in this country is by shipping him with Sanji which isn't the worst thing out there by any means but I have thoughts:

I just don't really care for fan narratives which demand a lot of diversion from the canon one and Sanji being his ladies' man type self with Usopp but no other men doesn't really do it for me.

So either way I do think pairing the two of them, in any capacity, gives both of them a bit of shine. Sanji is often just compared to Zoro and Luffy as a lesser fighter but next to Usopp his strategist side becomes more viable. Sanji is also relatively human compared to the other fighting men, which I think flatters Usopp and makes his less favourable character traits feel more real, less comic relief. While both of them are absolute nutsos compared to Most People, they also make for two quite sane men, which I don't think comes through in the big group but makes a nice break when they are paired up.

It seems silly to me to treat Sanji's ladies-man-behaviour as a real indicator of emotional interest or capacity. Within the universe it is firstly a gag, secondly a point of friction to create interesting character dynamics, thirdly a foil in battle. Either way it is superficial: Sanjis more genuine expressions of affection comes through other kinds of work and when read in a tone that is more romantically honest (as most types of shipping demand) it is IMO difficult to see it as emotionally sincere. At least past a devotion for and attraction to certain types of womanhood, or as part of performing an image of character or gender, which might be more or less genuine or self-aware.

All this to say that I think the Usopp and Sanji relational dynamic gets less interesting when that ladies-man persona simply gets redirected at Usopp (and no other men - especially when Usopp has never been drawn in the way Oda illustrates men who read as conventionally attractive).

There is, nonetheless, a lot of interesting opportunities here. How self-aware is Sanji? Is this an affect he would apply, intentionally or not, if he did become romantically interested in Usopp on a more sincere level? Is Sanji capable of differentiating between romantic and sexual attraction? Does his attraction differ in expression between men and women (I like this route, personally)? For me, it's not really even about breaking the tone of the original all that much, or introducing levels of angst or self-interrogation.

I think my instinct tells me that what I want is Usopp helping out in the kitchen, with a very low-key but sincere and domestic expression of affection, followed and contrasted with Sanji's very over-the-top displays of attraction towards the women. Same as it was, but different, on a different level. You sail for a few years and your crew and its dynamic is mostly the same except one day you realize that the cook never really brings the girls he flirt with back to the ship and that your sniper knows the code lock to the refigerator but will not share it and that when one is at the wheel the other will come with a cup of coffee without question or comment and that sometimes the two of them will stand shoulder to shoulder at the bow in quiet conversation. And Sanji still gives heart eyes to the girls and Usopp still has to psych himself up by bragging and lying. But at some point you all just know. Whether it was ever a secret to begin with you have no idea, nor when it happened, you're not sure they do either. It doesn't matter much, you've all been family for so long, either way.

Admittedly, this all comes from a very cursory search, so I imagine a lot of what I would be interested in can be found if I were to dig a little bit deeper.

[melorambles]

Hi! Ace person (not demi, but under the same umbrella and also starved for representation) and Lucanis fan here!

OP summarized really well how annoying it feels to have the writer go "yeah this was totally intentional the whole time, the company just didn't advertise it the way they did all the other rep." The company made such a production about all the companions being romance-able by any PC configuration and then said it was because they were all pansexual, 'because representation' not because they were making the companions 'player-sexual', but then the company outright denied having ace rep. I could put that down to corporate PR teams not understanding that asexuality is a spectrum that demisexuality falls into. If I was inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, I might even be persuaded that Mary Kirby was planning to be more blatant about it, but the scenes/dialogue were cut. But I'm not inclined to give the benefit of the doubt (especially given that some of those cut-scenes were apparently 'steamy'). It feels a lot like claiming credit after the fact for brownie points.

As an ace person, I'd like to expand a bit on what OP said about Lucanis being traumatized. To preface, I like that Lucanis is said to be demisexual. I'm so damn starved for ace rep. And I appreciate that the ace rep here is a man in his thirties who doesn't go through an arc 'figuring it out' or stressing about how he experiences romance/attraction. (So much of existing ace rep involves angst about it. I feel no angst about my orientation, only vague irritation that it takes a power point presentation to explain. Seeing people angst about it does not inspire an 'oh that's me' response, it makes me feel sad for them.) He just is the way he is, and lives his life. Dude has bigger problems than swapping bodily fluids with people. I also like that he's inexperienced and doesn't angst about that either.

But they made the ace (demi, if you prefer the distinction) character a deeply traumatized person whose hesitance to be intimate can be attributed to his trauma. The PC gets a whole personal quest for Lucanis dealing with his tendency to internalize his reactions to everything but especially the trauma. Then the final romantic cut-scene implies intimacy without commentary regarding hesitance of any kind. As if the early instinct to pull back was overcome with the trauma. I'm really damn sick of ace-coded characters being traumatized. My sexuality was not formed by trauma. There is a misconception that people aren't actually ace, they're just traumatized or repressed or haven't 'met the one' yet (which, btw, sounds a lot like demisexuality doesn't it?). If trauma formed sexuality, there would be a lot less people interested in men (yes, that's generalizing, but come on, look at the statistics). I am the way I am. Can I have one ace character that doesn't angst about it or wasn't traumatized in an extremely violating fashion?

Also, Lucanis doesn't discuss his lack of intimate experience with the PC. It's tucked away in companion banter with Emmerich. If the PC doesn't bring the two of them along enough, you could easily miss it. Again, Lucanis is a character that has a lot more going on than dating troubles, but if the PC romances him, it would just be reasonable character writing to have a scene about 'oh yeah, this dating thing, never really done that. never really done the physical intimacy bit either. but I would like to do that, with you.' The fact that there isn't a scene or discussion or dialogue like that makes me feel like the writers had more plausible deniability to say he isn't demi, than they deserve credit for adding demi rep.

I wasn't looking for him to say the words. I actually prefer it that they don't. I liked what they did with Krem and Maevaris: in my opinion, they balanced affirming how they identify with setting appropriate language and reactions they have to deal with. It breaks my immersion in the setting when characters start using modern terminology for things that sometimes even the average modern person isn't familiar with. But one, one singular line where Lucanis says that before the PC, he's never truly thought about someone 'this way' would have done a lot of heavy lifting.

You know who would have been revolutionary as ace/demi rep? Davrin. The nice, handsome, sociable, heroic, knight in shining armor, ready to martyr himself to save the world, trying to raise a griffon, no intimacy related trauma to be found. Romancing him has been described as straightforward but intimate. Which is great, he's a lovely character, I'm very fond of him. But if he was ace/demi? On the far side of the map from every stereotype people think of? I would have lost my mind. Again, I really like Lucanis as a character, but if I have to seek out fanfic to fill in the gaps, the writers didn't accomplish what they said they were aiming for.

I openly accept any corrections, especially from actual Lucanis fans or demisexuals. If you disagree with anything I say this point onwards, please tell me!

The way Lucanis went from "bisexual disaster " to "panromantic demisexual" after the game came out feels weird (Both are direct quotes about Lucanis from Mary Kirby). Before I get into this I'd like to clarify, neither is a problem, Lucanis being demisexual in a vacuum is not what I take issue with.

But it feels like another excuse. Being demisexual means something it's not just another word for inexperienced or hesitant. If Lucanis is demisexual why does he fall for Neve or Rook nearly just as fast as any other companion does and why does he never acknowledge that?

There are many hints that he's never dated before (not sure if it's ever outrught stated), and again, he is shown to be hesitant... but nothing uniquely in the direction of demisexuality.

This game clearly isn't afraid of using real terms (it has an entire codex going over different non-binary labels), so why is this where they draw the line? Why does Lucanis never acknowledge the fact that he requires a deep connection before he feels certain things?

I've seen people call Krem from DA:I bad trans representation because he's never called transgender, which I respectfully disagree with. Still, Krem is explicitly trans and then Lucanis's demisexual coding is just... pulling away before you can kiss? It doesn't help that the scene happens after something that would definitely explain why Lucanis would need to clear his head.

That's also paired with the fact we do get told constantly that he's traumatised and he mentions having little faith in people prior to his romance (at least with Neve). This isn't to say he can't be demisexual, not at all, but there's always an explanation for his behaviour that people would think of before demisexuality and there's no effort put in to otherwise lead us to it.

For a game that is on the nose about everything, I find it hard to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was the one thing they handled with subtlety.

Best case scenario, Mark Kirby was just trying to... I don't know, set up expectations to defy them? Worst case scenario, this is just another case of someone from Bioware lying to us about this damn game.

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Yandere Phillip Graves Headcanons

Warnings: Yandere behabiour, toxic beahviour, kidnapping, no pronouns used for Reader except 'You', flirting, Graves is jealous, Graves gaslighting himself, etc.

This man is the definition of gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.

And not in a funny way.

You captured his attention with your skill, your humour, and your overall personality.

He's cocky, arrogant - tries to wow you with his flash lifestyle outside the military.

Btw, he would definitely use his money to keep you docile (or, in the beginning of your friendship, impressed); try to buy you expensive things to keep you happy where he himself could not satisfy you.

Lowkey flirts with you; like he really tries to make it subtle.

He thinks it makes you feel special when he's understated with his attention to you, feeling more genuine as opposed to him basically charming his way into your bedroom as he usually does with other people.

If you don't even reciprocate his subtle flirting (which you totally pick up on), he'll take that as a challenge.

Will increase the flirt factor when speaking with you.

"Looking mighty fine today, darlin',"

"Wish I could say the same for you, Graves."

Lives for the challenge you present to him - like you're a code he needs to crack.

Begins to over-analyse every interaction you have, trying to read it and find a double-meaning.

He's like a teenager with a crush; his thoughts are only of you.

Eventually, he'll start seeing signs that aren't even there.

You offered to help him plan a tactical attack on the enemy? You're making time for him - you want to be around him.

You give him your extra bread? You care for him. Deeply. The bread is a metaphor for your heart--

Stuff like that.

He literally gaslit himself into believing you liked him romantically.

Graves began spiraling a few months into his 'relationship' with you.

You saw it as a friendship, but Graves, apparently not.

He's always thinking of your safety and well-being, even when it's not necessary, basically forcing you to get medical check-ups you don't need because he "Doesn't want to risk it."

Risk what?

Well, your health, of course!

Absolutely gives unsolicited advice about how much of what vitamins you need in a day, what you should and shouldn't eat, etc.

Goes everywhere with you.

I'm serious, he will NOT leave you alone.

He's like a dog or a puppy, and, while endearing to you, his presence is downright menacing to others.

Shoots absolutely disgusting look at people who stare at you. Or just look at you.

He's mad territorial; can't stand to see you talking with anyone else.

He can get extremely jealous and will often punish those he deems as a threat to your 'relationship'.

But never you.

He could never bring himself to punish you.

Eventually, after the two of you got closer and he realised he liked you romantically, he acted on instinct immediately.

He lured you to some secluded area of the Base under the false pretenses of having "Somethin' real cool to show ya!"

Turns out that "something cool" was a chloroform-soaked rag, which he pressed to your nose and forced you to inhale.

You resisted, of course. Tried to put your military training to good use, but Graves was stronger, both physically and mentally, and your body gave out.

When you woke up, you were in a penthouse.

You could recognise the decor as your blurred vision came into focus, Graves having bragged to you many a time about his salary and the many houses he owned in God-knows where.

Coming to think of it, he never actually told you where his penthouses were located.

Sneaky bastard.

When you fully came to, you found yourself on a bed, unlike anything you were permitted in the military.

It was soft, plush, like two mattresses stacked atop each other.

The room was large enough that you assumed even your thoughts would echo within it.

Everything was a neutral cream or beige, lacking any personal touch and resembling a hotel room rather than an expensive villa.

That is, until Graves' voice crackled over a microphone.

"Hey, darlin'," he said, his voice bouncing from the walls, making the origin impossible to locate.

"Now, you'll be wonderin' why I've brought you here, and the truth is that--"

There was a pause.

"--that I...like you. More so than you've probably noticed--"

You scoffed. Jesus, his attempts couldn't have been more obvious that if he'd outright told you what he was planning on doing to you.

The voice didn't react to your show of 'disrespect', and you gathered that the message was pre-recorded.

Of course, Graves was far too busy keeping up appearances for the 141 to come and see you in person.

“And because I— like you— I had to take you away - protect you.”

Despite having kidnapped you, Graves sounded more bashful than anything else. No remorse, no nothing except for embarrassment.

"I had to bring you somewhere you'd be safe, and happy, and...loved-"

Even the recording seemed to freeze as you did upon the word 'love' permeating the air.

This isn't love, you thought.

You, on the other hand, were fuming.

How long had he planned on doing this to you? Who else knew? What made him think he had the right to do this to you?

You tried leaving, but found the door all but soldered shut, the windows such a great height off the ground that, if you were to even try to lower yourself down from the ledge, you'd most certainly break your legs.

Graves had you right where he wanted you; dependent and reliant on him and him alone.

And, unless you can outsmart him, you'll stay that way for the rest of your life.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously :-)

Masterlist Masterlist [Continued] Masterpost Modern Warfare AI Masterlist

AO3 Wattpad

[kestrel-of-herran]

Were others as uncomfortable as me when Yijin in ep12 said, 'It doesn't matter that she (heed) doesn't know what she's doing; I know.' Maybe it's a mistranslation, but in the present version, it came across as paternalistic and very odd.

*sigh*

listen, i get you. it’s very easy to misinterpret or misunderstand this line, and i don’t think there’s anything wrong with your reaction. the way we react to text within or without context comes down to our interpretation, and sometimes our instinctive reading does not take into account the larger picture shown in the entire text.

i can’t speak in terms of translation, but i’m going to tag the lovely @consigliere-vincenzo in case they have any remarks about the translation of this scene as a whole (please feel no obligation to engage with this unless you want to!)

what i can offer my take on is the meaning of the line as i hear it and understand it within context, because context is where the majority of meaning is formed.

firstly, i hear two implied endings to this line:

1. she doesn't have to know what she's doing, because i know what she’s doing towards me.

2. she doesn't have to know what she's doing, because i know what i’m doing towards her.

i believe that both of these endings exist at the same time; they are equally implied within the first part of the line, and are equally important for the negotiation of meaning behind it.

what comes across to me in both of these versions is a statement of trust and a vow of reliability.

in the first instance, i hear the meaning of even if hee do doesn’t understand the full meaning of her actions, i trust her to do things the right way. even if she doesn’t realize what her actions towards me imply, i see her feelings and accept them. even if it takes her a long time to translate her feelings and actions into words, i know her well enough to understand her without her needing to explain herself. i know what she’s doing about our relationship and i’m going to stay by her side until she sees it through. i know her well enough to see her heart.

in the second instance, what comes to focus is the difference between yi jin and the “cutie pie character” (never letting him outlive this) in the way they approach a potential romantic relationship with hee do. while the “cutie pie character” doesn’t know what he’s doing, as he’s just as likely to be serious about his relationship with hee do as he is to get tired of her after abusing her feelings, yi jin knows what he’s doing. while the ex-boyfriend is careless about how he treats hee do, yi jin is careful to never hurt her feelings, to never overstep or take advantage of her. while the ex-boyfriend doesn’t know hee do well enough to harbor any real feelings towards her as a person and not just a pretty face or a successful fencer, yi jin knows every facet of her personality and knows that there is real feeling behind his actions towards her, and her actions towards him. while the “cutie pie character” will approach the relationship without responsibility towards hee do’s needs and feelings and prioritize his own, yi jin naturally puts hee do’s needs first and doesn’t even dare to cross the line between friendship-coded behavior and romance-coded behavior, because he values her emotional well-being more than his own. so hee do doesn’t have to know what she’s doing in terms of their relationship, or whether she’s doing things the right way, because she can count on yi jin to know what he’s doing. she can make mistakes for both of them, because he is careful not to make any.

with yi jin, hee do can be vulnerable enough to do things by instinct instead of by logic, by feeling instead of by thought, because yi jin trusts her instincts and feelings, and because yi jin is committed to always putting her first.

as this line is the culmination of yi jin’s speech, all of these meanings are encoded in the statements he makes before this one and supported by his previous behavior and words towards hee do. if yi jin’s reaction towards the ex-boyfriend seems out of proportion to the conversation, that’s because yi jin’s feelings are much bigger than the ex-boyfriend’s. it’s because he cares intensely while the ex-boyfriend is willing to toy with him and hee do that yi jin gets really angry, because who is this person to question their intentions towards each other when his own do not come from a place of genuine love? who is this person to accuse yi jin or hee do of not knowing what they’re doing, when he clearly doesn’t know the consequences of his own actions?

if anyone is being “paternalistic” in this situation, it’s the ex-boyfriend, who keeps infantilizing hee do by calling her by a pet name, and tries to verbally “win” the right to date her, as if the matter should be solved between him and yi jin, without taking hee do’s opinion as a factor at all. yi jin is clearly uncomfortable with this conversation from the start, and systematically counters the ex’s usage of the pet name by placing emphasis on hee do’s name in his sentences (it’s not always translated but listen and you’ll hear it), thus continuously asserting her autonomy as a person and not the idea of a girlfriend. when the ex questions hee do’s judgement, yi jin implies that even if hee do is unable to put a name to her actions and feelings, he trusts her to know what she’s doing, and she can rely on him to know what he's doing.

interpretations are subjective, and your feelings are valid -- but i hope my analysis helps you understand the line in the way that i do.