#but in general people need to be more chill about labels

[em0-opossum]

"can I be [x gender] if I..." "can I still call myself [x term] if..." yes. yes. if you like the term then use it. do whatever you want forever. labels are just little words we use to categorize our infinitely complex existential experiences on this floating rock !! no two people who use the same label are going to experience it the same way and that's the beauty of it !! use "contradictory" labels, use labels that don't make sense to anyone, change your label every day or not at all, explore anything and everything, use no labels at all or every label under the sun, confuse people or correct them or let them assume things rather than explaining, I promise nothing other people think about your identity is worth your happiness !!

[lefluoritesys]

A list of ways hosts can be hosts because a lot of systems stress about it a lot, including us:

Somebody who stays at front the most, AKA the general definition. You got somebody here who you see most often despite there being many people in the body.

Somebody who stays in the body as default. Nobody wants to front? We have a person right here.

Somebody who does school/daily tasks. Everybody else is there for backup and to fool around, and while they help out as much as they can, the host will be the person to do all the daily stuff needed to function.

Somebody who takes care of the physical body. While you have soothers and caretakers, a host can be somebody who is also a physical protector. There are systems in which alters literally cannot eat, bathe, or sometimes even walk on their own, which is when the host helps out.

Somebody who is best equipped to deal with that specific period of time. Whether the host will change when that period ends or not, there are hosts who become hosts temporarily, doesn't matter for how long. The amount of time can vary from a few days to a few years.

Somebody who manages the outside world. And no, that might not be the same as doing daily tasks and school. Whatever managing the outside world means is different for every system, and is always valid.

Somebody who's been stuck at front for an incredibly long time. Whether they are still stuck or unstuck, they can still be called hosts if they want to.

Somebody who stays being the host for sentimental reasons. Whether it be they spent a long time at front beforehand or something else, there are hosts who can stay being hosts for pure sentimentality.

Somebody who is best equipped to deal with the outside world. And again, no, that does not always mean the statements stated previously. Somebody who is best equipped to deal with the outside world may be anybody, depending ont he system's needs.

Somebody who chills at front and lets others take care of everything. Whether it be because the host is resting or not.

Somebody who wakes up in the body no matter who fell asleep in the same body before them. They might be the default, they might not be, but brain makes sure to make them switch in their sleep.

Somebody who the system decided is host, and who feels like a host. It doesn't matter how often they front, because hosts being more often than others in the body is outdated information, and a label not all systems have in the first place.

Continue the chain if you so desire.

(Note: This is not about the desire to be host or who they are as people. Hosts are still hosts if they want to be or don't want to be, whatever sexuality or race or nationality or personality, yes, however, this is all about functionality.)

-physical persecutor

[laroserie]

— Various x-men characters, with a queer ! reader

— characters ; Scott Summers. Jean Grey. Logan Howlett. Rogue.

— warning ; Reader is implied to be at the very least multisexual in general BUT it's very vague - reader is just not straight. Can be platonic or romantic depend. Include a 'when you come out to them section' but it's also just general headcanons. I included my personal hc about their sexuality. No one is homophobic or anything !

— note ; i said i'd something for pride and poof, there ( yes ... it's the 29th but better late than never! ), yes i do headcanons most xmen characters as multisexual, i wrote this at 3am so if some part doesn't make sense and all sorry

– Scott Summers.

Now, Scott is bisexual himself (with a little bit of self internalised homophobia) so he'd be very, chill, of course with you being queer. But he sometimes do say stuff that make your eyebrow raise, he isn't exactly the most informed, but he is still very respectful, just a bit clumsy. If you try to correct him on something he said and - or - 'correct' him, he will listen and keep that in mind.

Scott could be the type to start being more inclusive in his language once he knows, like he will say 'partner' or 'spouse' when asking you about your relationship. Or not ask about them at all ( if you aromantic for example ).

He probably accidentally out-ed you at some point, he doesn't think twice and just say what's he thought. He will very much apologize for that, and after the first time it never happens again.

When you come out to him, he gives you a simple 'okay, that neat' and a thumb-up. If you use a label/term he doesn't know, he may ask you about it but probably later, like a day or two, he'll come up to you and ask you 'hey, by the way, what does [label] means ?'.

– Jean Grey

Jean Grey, like Scott, is very chill about it. Sure, she doesn't know much about the community and she only knows the 'basic' terminology, but she still very much support you.

If you need to vent about issues related to your sexuality, she will be there, her arms are wild open for you and she has always a box of tissues on hand. She may not get everything, but she'll try to help you as much as she can, by simply comforting you or by trying to give you advice ( not necessary about the problem in itself, but about how to cope around it ).

Jean is absolutely the type to accompany you to pride, if you want her to of course, she is kinda like those straight mothers that accompany their kid to pride !

When you come out to her, she is the sweetest, she'll listen to you and assure you that it change's nothing to her.

– Logan Howlett

He doesn't gives a fuck, the man has seen all type of people thru the years, it's normal and he obviously accept anyone no matter their sexuality or genders but he just doesn't care that much ( my personal headcanon is that Logan is pan but let's be honest, he himself doesn't give a fuck about his sexuality ).

Logan probably goes to the pride parade once in while, depending on the city he in currently, and he'll probably accept to go with you to them - if it's your first, he'll try to keep you in sigh but if not and that you can be left alone and be okay, he will 'abandon' you and you'll only see him when it's time to leave.

When you come out to him, he looks at you and just drop a 'ok', he may add a 'thanks for telling me ?' if you are visibly confused by his answer.

– Rogue

She'd be very happy knowing you are queer too ! ( again personal headcanon that she is bisexual ) She thinks it's nice to have a friend whose also part of the community and if you are newer to it and the terminology, she'll try to teach you about them as best as she can.

If anyone is a bigot to you about your sexuality, Rogue will be there to comfort you about it and, maybe, perhaps, try to fight the person.

When you come out to you, she will be very happy that you have enough trust in her to tell her, she'll probably give you a big hug before asking you question about it ( like 'when did you know ??' but not in the intrusive weird way )

[badchoicesworld]

heard you were desperate for requests!

im oriented aroace and i'd LOVE to see a hobie x spider!reader where they're not dating or putting labels on it, they're just in a mutually loving and supportive symbiosis. everyone in the spiderverse keeps trying to figure out if they're in a relationship or not and are incredibly confused that hobie will straight up kiss the reader's neck and they'll give him massages at work but they refuse to say they're a couple

where you and hobie have the most loving connection, but don’t label it

hobie brown x gn!reader

u just like me fr i miss when u could platonically kiss people, was that just me ?

warnings: none

pairing: hobie brown x gn!reader

requests: OPEN

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

so you two have a completely unlabelled dynamic that benefits the both of you w the untethered love you can just casually give out without really giving a second thought

there might be something romantic, there might not be- you’re not naming it anything at all

it’s completely natural for the two of you to hold hands, kiss, comfort each other and generally just be there whenever the two of you need it

you’re not afraid of PDA, especially if hobie’s involved. you physically cannot shy away from PDA, the man simply won’t allow it

naturally, speculation will start over your guys’ relationship and the exact details

are you dating ? is it something less or more ? is this a prank ?

but those questions remain unanswered

hobie will either shrug or say something along the lines of “we’re just there for each other,” or if he’s feeling a bit snarky he’s like “wouldn’t you like to know” but that fucker knows what you’ve got going on don’t got a label at all, just the way he likes it

again, you two will straight up refuse to confirm or deny questions about your relationship- it’s no one’s business but yours and you both are completely comfortable remaining unlabelled but loving as fuck

cause why do we even need to label that at all ? stop limiting love u fucks

hobie views it as people tryna dictate your relationship sometimes and he doesn’t give it the time of day

actual benefits of this dynamic ? spontaneous affection whenever you need it, words of affirmation.. hobie’s capable of being real loving i think

almost always has an arm around you, especially around spider society

within HQ there’s always an arm around your shoulder or maybe you guys hold hands, he likes to playfully tug you along with him randomly while you hold hands

like you could literally just be following a group together and for some reason he’s pulling at your hand as if you’re walking the wrong way, y’know he’s smiling too while he does it

you two are probably way too comfortable around HQ, too

especially since you guys don’t really label your relationship as anything, so you don’t see why you should hide certain actions if they’re not inherently romantic, y’know ?

spider-people can literally find hobie chilling in ur lap whenever in headquarters while he fixes his makeup or you fix it for him

you can swear on ur life it’s just a more practical way to do it, or that you’re just lending a hand

dozens of spider-people are so sure you’re dating, it’s split evenly down the middle

the other half think ur gross and need to get a room

there’s probably one or two hobie x you fanatics out there (pav, it’s pav. probably peter b too, loves young love)

you guys don’t help your case when you get back from missions and hobie’s massaging your hands from swinging all day- if you’ve got organic webs he’s working away the kinks in your wrists too

hopefully he’s wearing a mask to hide that concentrated, idle look he’s wearing that’s somehow charming

the speculators are even further convinced when you’re eating one of those miguel burgers in the cafeteria and hobie appears from literally nowhere, bends down to kiss you on the side of your neck while he snatches some of your food and then walks off

daylight robbery

now everyone at the table is perplexed, including you when you realise he just stole ur fucking chips

in meetings you two are fucking insufferable i just know it

if you’re more sensible, you can probably distract hobie by letting him draw on your hands during the meeting

if not, you two always sit together and are so bothersome (ily)

plz stop snickering in the back miguel cant take this stress in his old age

naps around spider-society are top tier

make like a web hammock suspended from anything and you two are sharing it, out like a light

hobie loves it cause he’s simultaneously shitting on the establishment while he gets to bask in the comfort you two share

probably a community game about the locations people have found you guys slacking

loves it when he can come back from a mission and kiss you casually before telling you all about it, pulling you away from everyone else with an arm around your neck

you are not spared from his typical hobie-ness however, still preaches anarchism to you on the daily while saying the most outrageous punk statements like you guys don’t share a bed every other day

he just incorporated compliments into it somehow to be supportive

“you’d make a great anarchist” thanks man

miguel will claim you guys cause a hostile work environment and all hobie’s gotta say is “i don’t believe in hostile work environments” before walking off w you to go set a miguel burger on fire or smthn

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

if hobie drew on me i’m getting that shit tattooed i’m just sayin

[glitchinginthegarden]

OC Smash Or Pass

I'm doing another one because I can. No pressure tagging: @matapang-coffee, @totentnz, @perhapsrampancy, @hiighborg

RULES: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

A/S/L (or something)

Full Name: Virgil "Gil" Vickerström / changed to Gil Vickers in 2071

Age: 35

Height: 6'5 / 196cm

Eyes: Cloud gray Kiroshis, naturally brown

Hair: Teal/phthalo green 'hawk, dirty blonde sides/roots (sometimes dyes his short hairs for fun)

Gender: Cis man

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Pros +

LORGE. In every way. Yes, that way too.

Polite AF. Gil grew up corpo and a lot of the etiquette he had drilled into him during that time stuck. He says his "please" and "thank you"s, is usually the first to offer a handshake, holds doors open for others, will carry your groceries, etc etc.

Generally just a flat out good dude.

Extremely laid back, friendly, chill - to the point that it makes some people wary of him because they think it's not genuine. He is guilty of using this to his advantage if the situation calls for it though.

Grade A cuddler. You will never be cold, you will always have ample tits to rest your weary head upon, and he's content to spend an entire day like that.

Cons -

He participates in street fights at least one or two nights every week. He will come back bloody and bruised and possibly in need of stitches. And he will be thrilled about it. He will not ask for anything from you in tending to these wounds.

Watson's local ('ganic) weed man. If you don't like the dank, this ain't gonna work. He used to deal hard drugs too but stopped years ago.

Drives a candy grape panel van (or in-universe a Mahir Supron) and has no interest in upgrading his wheels.

His laid-back attitude can sometimes make his partners feel as though he's not invested.

He takes a loooong time to actually open up to someone. If you want more than a quick romp, he takes work.

Can "flip a switch" when he needs to be cold/ruthless/etc. Putting this in cons because it's jarring and borderline unhealthy (thanks, Arasaka).

Extra Propaganda

Most commonly seen in an open pink bathrobe, boxers, and nothing else. Will run errands like this. Take that as you will.

Connections out the wazoo. If you need something, he either has it or knows who does.

Extrovert and well practiced in carrying introverts through social situations.

Most things are low stakes to him. He's not the type to get upset or take it personally if someone turns him down for anything. Very "go with the flow".

Ex-hit man. If you need someone gone in Night City, he'll have it done in a week, max, but it'll cost you.

Likes to feel useful and that extends to bedroom. He's very service forward. Ultimately, an absolute switch though.

Good luck getting him to keep a shirt on.

[peachjagiya]

Hello hello - I’m fairly new to all things BTS, took me a few months to kind of catch up on the most important things but it’s impossible to watch everything - I’ll need more months for sure 😉

BUT I wanted to ask you and your followers about something. It seems like Jungkook changed quite a bit, especially in 2023. Sometimes when I see footage of 2022, he seems like a different person to me. I’m solo era especially he seems less carefree, less smiley, more grumpy or on edge or just way more / even more guarded. Like he’s annoyed mode easily or fed up with a lot of things. I’m not saying his character changed, I don’t know him, and of course people change, grow, evolve. And we can’t forget that he probably was under a lot of stress and pressure to do well with his own music. And add onto that the constant observation, public opinion, paparazzi etc. I get it. But if you compare footage (I know that is also not 100% authentic or the big picture) he seems more at ease, more content and just happier in 2022 or up to 2022. I wonder what caused that switch and as a Pisces I can’t help but worry too. I really hope that - no matter how much he may not like it - his time in the military helps him to reflect on everything, take care of himself, prioritize his health and also just come back in 2025 and be able to enjoy everything a bit more, without the seemingly heavy load on his shoulders sometimes!

(And since that is a Taekook account, I also want to mention my impression that his behavior around Tae simultaneously changed similarly. He seemed a lot more guarded, less open, less smiley and way less touchy around Tae, at least in public. Could be due to him somehow wanting to fiercely protect and shield him and then more. Or he did change a lot, also towards Tae. Who knows. We’ll see in 2025, maybe :))

So yeah I’m interested in all your thoughts, especially those who were around for the years and how it was in real time! And if it was something that the fandom noticed? Cause the switch up in appearance and behavior (not good or bad, just observation) is quite noticeable. And don’t get me wrong, I’m always here for artists just doing themselves and wanting to break free from label and fandom expectations etc. but that always comes with worry too cause it indicates that the artist maybe reached a limit re certain topics or in general etc.

Ps: I know he is not 22 anymore, I know he’s a grown up and he can do what he wants or needs to in order to cope with this lifestyle, fame, pressure and the possible hide & seek of a relationship on top. 🤍

Pps: it truly comes from a place of curiosity and love. I hope that came across 🙏🏼

My own perspective on it is that the reason we talk so much about the importance of Solo Era is that it was the first time when group obligation wound down significantly enough for them to begin making decisions about how their time was spent. And more importantly, level out to more authentic versions of themselves.

You also have to bear in mind the dynamics. He's the maknae amongst his members, right? He has a silly relationship with Jin, a soft big brother thing with Hobi, a hero worship of Namjoon. But in Solo Era, he's just Jungkook without the other people to bounce off. It's gonna change how he comes across.

But it's not just Jungkook. The company thumb came off them all and it shows. Namjoon seemed more chilled out than he used to be without expectations of leadership. Hobi and Jimin seemed a bit more serious sometimes.

Tae didn't spend much of Solo Era fitting into his soft squishy wide-eyed company assigned role either. He definitely let more of his acerbic wit, intelligence and ethos come to the front.

It just seems like Jungkook might also have let himself be more real. Can you imagine previous years JK standing up for himself and being open about his real thoughts and principles the way he was in 2023/4?

Also worth considering that it's a period of having to strike out on their own with military service impending. It wouldn't surprise me if that was on their minds, as you said.

I guess I just consider pre-2023 to be the more constructed character in a way so I'm happy for him to be more serious.

All that said, we still had some of his most intensely silly moments over 2023! Army Magic WAOOW, skipping along on set, dying at food and practicing his smiles stick in my head:

As for Taekook, the cameras were off a lot more so it feels difficult to compare levels of physical affection from group times to solo times because we simply don't have the dizzying amount of content. And you're right - maybe there's a protectiveness. To be very delulu about it, what if finding they still worked in solo era was a crystallisation of what they already had? What if this freedom and getting to spend time together unbothered by obligation made it all the more precious?

What we did see felt like two matured people very comfortable with each other: A live where JK is basically twirling his hair and kicking his feet; Dreamiere where JK is giddy and shy; Inkigayo where Tae is dutifully calming JK before his performance; Suchwita where JK is happy to say Tae looks good without makeup; AYS Jeju where JK is skipping along to a restaurant and being silly as he usually is. A picture from Hawaii where JK is holding on to Tae's neck as they get ready to skydive and pulling a silly face behind Tae.

As ever, bear in mind I got here in early 2023. Other people have better knowledge.

Thanks anon. 💜

[the-smut-analyst]

A defence of the Good Guy / Bad Boy love triangle

It is no secret that mainstream YA & NA fantasy gravitates towards an angsty love triangle. But is this trope's popularity due to vapid teenage vanity... or something far deeper?

Warning: in this post, I will be referencing: True Blood/The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Legendborn, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger Games, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and The Vampire Diaries. Some minor spoilers, mostly relating to the romance side of things, may be involved.

I have stumbled across a bunch of articles lately analysing why love triangles are popular in YA and NA fiction - and all of them, in my opinion, missed the entire point.

Firstly, they focus entirely on the "love interests", while wilfully ignoring the fact that the romance element is often a subset of these stories, rather than the main focus (more on that later).

Secondly, these articles often attribute the appeal of the love triangle to "teenage vanity". They either directly state or imply that young women are drawn to the idea of "provoking" two men into a fight for their affection.

Look, I get it.

Or at least I get how a middle-aged man tap-tap-tapping away on his computer might draw that conclusion. Especially if the crux of his knowledge regarding female-centred fantasy rests on blog posts ripping apart Twilight.

But regardless, the fact remains that labelling YA love triangles as a conceited sexual fantasy is a gross over-simplification. Why? Because romance is rarely the point of the story. Instead, the love triangle is a vehicle through which the author complements and elevates the standard Hero's Journey plot beats.

To demonstrate this argument, I will go through each of the critical plot beats in the Hero's Journey. For each beat, I will demonstrate (with examples) how dual love interests can underscore the character development of the protagonist and highlight her emotional struggles during each stage.

The outline for this analysis will be as follows:

Introduction of the Female Protagonist / Refusal of the Call

Meet the Good Guy / Meeting the Mentor

Meet the Bad Boy / Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Death of Innocence / The Ordeal in the Abyss

Heartbreak / "Death" of the Mentor

Grief for Lost Innocence / Refusal of the Return

Self-Discovery / The Road Back Home

Female Protagonist Accepts Her New Self / Master of Two Worlds

For reference, here is a rough outline of the major plot beats in the Hero's Journey:

Alright. Time to rip apart some assumptions.

Let's go!

Introduction of the Female Protagonist

Refusal of the Call

Mainstream fantasy love triangles almost always centre a female protagonist hence why people love to hate on them. The introduction of this protagonist generally follows your fairly standard Hero's Journey opening.

We meet the protagonist, usually a teenager or young woman, going about their "everyday life" in the ordinary world.

But then the Call to Adventure comes - sometimes referred to as the Inciting incident. For Feyre (ACOTAR), this moment is when she kills a wolf who turns out to be Fae. Or for Katniss (HG), her sister's name is drawn, prompting her to offer herself as a tribute instead.

The Call to Adventure or Inciting Incident marks a point of no return - even though the protagonist might not realise it at the time. It is the moment when life as they know it ends. Afterwards, nothing will ever be the same, including the protagonist.

The following beat is usually the Refusal of the Call, where the protagonist resists any change coming their way. Buffy (BTVS), for example, wants to continue her life as a regular teenage girl instead of being burdened by the duties of being the Slayer. Similarly, Sabrina (TCAOS) is hesitant to participate in the dark baptism, scared of its implications for her ties to the mortal world.

But for the plot to move forward, something or someone needs to prompt the protagonist to leave the "ordinary" world behind - and in turn, take those first few tentative steps into the "special" world (unknown).

Enter...

Meeting the Good Guy

Meeting the Mentor

The Mentor doesn't always have to be an Obi-Wan-style character who teaches the protagonist everything they know about lightsabers. In its simplest form, the Mentor archetype is a guide. Someone who takes the protagonist by the hand, either literally or metaphorically, and leads them from the ordinary world into the special one.

This transition is known as Crossing the Threshold and it is the beat that marks the shift from Act I to Act II.

Now, there is a good reason why the Meeting the Mentor plot beat often serves as a precursor to Crossing the Threshold. And no, it isn't because the protagonist is incapable of doing anything by themselves.

Instead, the Mentor character is often employed to explain how this new world works to both the protagonist and the reader alike.

Through the protagonist interacting with a "guide", the rules and systems of the new world can be revealed through dialogue and action, rather than excessive exposition and info-dumping.

And this is where the "good guy" as a Mentor character stand-in comes into play. His arrival serves the dual purpose of propelling the protagonist into the Crossing the Threshold beat and guiding her once she does.

For example, Sookie's budding romance with Bill is what introduces her (and us) to the Charlene Harris's world of vampires in True Blood. Or, in Tamlin's case, he takes his role in "helping" Feyre to cross the threshold quite literally and abducts her, forcing her to leave the human world behind in place of the world of Fae.

Now, there are quite a few exceptions to this good guy/mentor rule and they generally occur when the good guy is a childhood friend or sweetheart. Examples include Harvey (TCAOS), Gale (HG), and Malyen (SAB).

When this happens, the good guy often provides the protagonist with a much-needed link to her previous life and/or the ordinary world. He takes on more of a "grounding" role, rather than a guiding one.

But regardless, what these good guys have in common is a fairly standard set of traits. They are protective, have a strong moral compass, and are incredibly loyal to the protagonist.

Furthermore, they are almost always the protagonist's "first love". They offer her the emotional support she needs in order to move forward by making her feel less alone in the world.

Regardless of whether the good guy is a childhood friend or a mentor-like character, his relationship with the protagonist usually marks a time of both innocence and self-discovery. He is a source of love and companionship while the protagonist takes those first few tentative steps into the unknown.

Meeting the Bad Boy

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

The Hero's Journey is, at its essence, a Bildungsroman-like story. Or at least it is in the YA/NA genres. It is a coming-of-age tale, with Crossing the Threshold being a symbol for leaving the child behind in order to discover the adult that awaits.

What follows is a collection of plot beats known as Tests, Allies, and Enemies. This stage of the story is often fraught with missteps and small triumphs, good times and bad times - much the same as adolescence.

And this is where the bad boy comes in.

Sometimes the bad boy manifests as an enemy who the protagonist must face in some kind of test like Spike to Buffy. Other times, he presents as a Temptation beat, like the Darkling does to Alina (SAB), trying to lure the protagonist away from their path.

But regardless of how he makes his entrance, the initial purpose of the bad boy is almost always to bring the protagonist face-to-face with the dangers of this new world.

For example, through Eric, Sookie realises that not all vampires are polite and restrained like Bill. Similarly, Feyre's first encounters with Rhysand show her an even darker side to the Fae.

Even bad boys who are not outright evil still tend to behave in a way that the protagonist finds confronting, like Peeta (HG), whose ruthlessly practical survival tactics disturb the very moral Katniss.

In this sense, the bad boy fashions himself into a symbol of the harsh realities of adulthood. Much as a child might find their first encounter with the cruelty of the world shocking, the protagonist is shocked and appalled by the bad boy.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

However, it is important to note that the bad boy is usually just one component of the beats involved in the Tests, Allies, and Enemies section. Again, this ties in with my argument that these stories are a Hero's Journey first - with the love triangle simply underscoring that fact.

The friendships that Buffy forms with Willow and Xander are shown to be her two most enduring relationships, while her love interests come and go. In Legendborn, Bree's quest to learn the truth about her mother's death has nothing to do with romance at all. And Sabrina's rivalry-to-friendship arc with Prudence gets significant screen time across multiple episodes and seasons.

During the Tests, Allies, and Enemies stage, the protagonist is usually starting to come into her own. She faces challenges, forms friendships, and encounters enemies. And yes, with love triangles there's usually some lust and romance thrown in there, too.

But the main focus of this stage is that the protagonist is starting to learn who she is. She is becoming more and more powerful with each setback and triumph.

The Death of Innocence

The Ordeal in the Abyss

The Ordeal into the Abyss, also known as The Belly of the Whale, is a plot beat where the protagonist encounters their greatest test thus far.

Rather than this beat being the climax of the story, The Ordeal is generally a challenge that the protagonist must face before the final confrontation or battle - and they must do so alone. It sees them hitting rock bottom and coming face-to-face with their greatest fear, whatever that may be.

This plot beat is a transformative one. It forever changes the protagonist and readies them for the final battle ahead. It is a death of innocence. The moment when the "girl" becomes the "woman", so to speak.

And in this sense, The Ordeal in the Abyss comes with loss and gain in equal measure. Yes, the protagonist is stronger for the experience, but not without cost.

To get to this point, she has been to hell and back. Sometimes literally (cough, cough. Sabrina). The protagonist is now well acquainted with the darkness of this new world but, in order to survive it, she has to absorb some of that darkness into herself.

If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you.

The aftermath of The Ordeal usually sees the protagonist having conflicting feelings over what she has discovered about herself.

On the one hand, she might relish her newfound power and strength. But on the other hand, she may also be afraid of who she had to become in order to emerge triumphant.

Heartbreak

"Death" of the Mentor

The Death of the Mentor isn't always a literal death, but rather, it is a plot beat that forces the protagonist to stand on their own two feet.

By losing the mentor, the protagonist's safety net is ripped out from underneath them. It places them in a "sink or swim" situation that is critical to their growth as a character.

This is why the relationship with the good guy must either falter or end at some point, even if only temporarily. Their breakup serves as a stand-in for the Death of the Mentor plot beat.

Because despite romance featuring heavily in these stories, there is still an inherent idea within them that there are certain steps in a woman's coming-of-age that she must take alone.

The cause of this breakup is almost always due to the transformation that the protagonist underwent during The Ordeal. The good guy no longer understands her, even though he may want to.

For example, Feyre's experience Under the Mountain sees her outgrow her coddled life with Tamlin. Similarly, when Katniss returns to 12, Gale can't fully comprehend what she went through, nor the role she is being forced to play as a result.

Grief for Lost Innocence

Refusal of the Return

The combination of The Ordeal and the Death of the Mentor take their emotional toll on the protagonist. She mourns for the girl she once was, the loss of her first love, and the ordinary world that is now a stranger to her.

What follows is a low point called The Refusal of the Return. Sometimes this beat sees the protagonist running away from her problems, as Buffy does when she flees Sunnydale after killing Angel.

Other times, The Refusal of the Return is a period of rebellion. Grief manifests itself into rage and the protagonist leans more heavily into that darker side of themselves that they discovered during The Ordeal. Like when Elena turns off her humanity following the loss of her brother.

It is usually during this stage that the bad boy begins to take on a more prominent role. (Welcome back to the plot, bad boys!)

At some point, either during this beat or perhaps earlier, we see a different side to the bad boy. Most often, this occurs when the bad boy shows the protagonist some kind of vulnerability, leading her to second guess her first impression.

In the Darkling's case, Alina recognises his profound loneliness. Sookie witnesses Eric's grief at the loss of his maker, Godric. And Rhysand confides in Feyre about the horrors he endured at the hands of Amarantha.

However, seeing this "other" side isn't just a plot device to justify the protagonist's developing feelings for the bad boy. But rather, it serves as a mechanism through which the protagonist's assumptions and beliefs are thrown into question. Not just about the bad boy, but about the world in general.

Disrupting the protagonist's foundations is essential to nearly all emotionally-driven storytelling. Through shattering the her beliefs - whether it be in a system or person - the narrative is propelled forward as the protagonist is then forced into come to her own conclusions.

And this - THIS! - is where the "good guy / bad boy dynamic" becomes so much more than just a blatant over-simplification of male archetypes pandering to female sexual fantasy.

The dichotomy of "good" and "bad" expands here to represent larger choices that the protagonist has to make. Comfort or danger? Honour or Power? Altruism or ambition?

Furthermore, the protagonist's conflicting feelings about the two love interests underscores the very real push-and-pull we all feel during adolescence. Where we crave the adventure and independence of adulthood while simultaneously mourning the safety and protection of childhood.

And this is why the good guy / bad boy love triangle can be such a great plot device. It's not only fun to read (when done well) but it makes sense that the protagonist might find herself drawn to someone whose darkness matches her own.

Who the bad boy is - and what he has done - creates a safe space for the protagonist to explore this darker side of herself. To rebel. To fall apart. To be selfish for once, instead of selfless.

At a time when others in the protagonist's life, like the good guy or her friends, my judge or simply not understand her, the bad boy offers a reprieve. But whether this reprieve positively or negatively influences the protagonist tends to vary from story to story.

Sometimes he is the one who encourages her Refusal of the Return, as the Darkling does for Alina. Other times, the bad boy helps the protagonist in returning to her path, rather than luring her away from it, by offering her his understanding.

Peeta gets what Katniss is going through in a way Gale never can because he went through it, too. Similarly, Stefan can't provide Elena with the reassurance she needs after becoming a vampire because he has never come to terms with his own loss of humanity - therefore, enter Damon.

Self-Discovery

The Road Back Home

The Road Back Home sees the protagonist emerging from her Refusal of the Return. It is when she embarks on the journey to fully reconcile the girl she once was with the woman she has become. To do this, she needs to confront her trauma from The Ordeal and forgive herself for whatever darkness it might have awakened.

This is usually a gradual process that takes place over many chapters or episodes. In many ways, it is a mirror to the Crossing the Threshold beat. Except this time around, the protagonist is looking inwards not outward - instead of discovering the new world, she is discovering herself.

During this time, the bad boy's relationship with the protagonist is often explored more deeply. Being loved by the bad boy - darkness and all - is usually a precursor to the protagonist beginning to accept this darker side of herself, too.

But a distinction needs to be made here between "accept" and "embrace". The former does not necessitate the latter, and whether or not the bad boy gets his own redemption arc usually serves as the distinction between the two.

In the Darkling's case, he certainly helps Alina to come into her power, but ultimately, Alina rejects the path that he is trying to lead her down. The Darkling might have helped her to accept her darkness, but she does not fully embrace it the way he does.

Other times, when the bad boy gets his own redemption arc, we see a precursor to self-love through their relationship. Because in pursuing her feelings for the bad boy, the protagonist has to reconcile the fact that people are nuanced, and no one is entirely good nor evil. In forgiving the bad boy for his past wrongdoings, the protagonist sees that it is possible to forgive herself, too. Damon and Elena's arc (in the TV adaptation) is a good example of this.

But regardless of where things may or may not go with the bad boy, the next plot beat has nothing to do with romance at all. Now, the protagonist is ready for the final battle.

The Female Protagonist Accepts Herself

Master of Two Worlds

Everything the protagonist has been through has been leading her to this moment. Her triumphs, her defeats. Her discoveries and lessons. Her friends and mentors and lovers.

She's faced evil, maybe even embraced a little of it, and come out stronger and better for the experience. She has finished mourning the child she once was and accepted the woman she has become.

Now she is ready, as a master of both worlds, to face whatever comes next. And we, as readers, now get to enjoy the final battle!

Basically, the protagonist is a certified badass now - and she's going to win.

Now, where the romance goes during or after this plot beat is very, very varied. Sometimes, the protagonist stays with the bad boy, like Feyre does with Rhysand. Other times, the relationship is temporary, like Eric and Sookie. Or, in the case of Buffy, neither the good guy nor the bad boy remains in the picture. In fact, a very deliberate choice was made with her story to avoid an "end-game" romantic pairing.

And the reason why the romance is pretty damn varied is because, well, it doesn't really matter. The romance is the cherry on top of the story, not the whole damn cake.

Conclusion

I understand that love triangles might not be everyone's cup of tea - and that's okay. But to paint the entire trope under the broad strokes of teenage vanity and wish fulfilment is to do it a disservice.

Because for the most part, it isn't just some vapid romance. A lot of the most popular stories within the genre are actually complex YA fantasies in and of their own right, driven by your standard emotionally-driven, coming of age beats. They just happen to feature a female protagonist who falls in love.

Okay, maybe in this example she falls in love a few times. But so what? Getting your heart broken and mended again is a part of growing up, so why shouldn't it have a place in YA/NA fiction?

If young men are allowed to froth over some guy getting bitten by radioactive a spider and getting superpowers, then we can have two sexy vampires pining over the same girl.

[veritas-scribblings]

sharp - @bartylusmicrofic - words: 812

Barty hates snow. He hates the cold. He hates the wet. He hates how his socks get soggy when he isn’t careful enough. How the frost and the chill makes him sneeze. How his beanie squishes his hair and his scarf suffocates him. How his fingers freeze when they’re exposed and feel like puffy marshmallows when they’re covered with mittens. He hates, most of all, how it makes it very difficult for him to use his wand properly.

Sometimes, though, Barty loves snow. He loves how it dusts Regulus’s shoulders when it falls on him. He loves how Regulus’s curls peak out from beneath his beanie. How Regulus breathes out furls of white like a beautiful little dragon. How Regulus’s nose goes pink and his cheeks go pink, and how adorable he looks with his mittens and his gloves. He loves how Regulus sometimes tries to draw pictures in the snow. How he sometimes absentmindedly squishes the snow into a ball and creates a pile of snowballs that Barty calls his ‘croquembouche tower’. 

On a relatively clear day, the snow brings students outside to skate on the lake and to build snowmen and to have snowball fights. All those wonderfully juvenile behaviours that Regulus and Evan scorn and Barty thinks actually looks like fun, because he really wouldn’t mind pelting people with snow and cackling at their despair.

Barty watches longingly as a crowd of first-years begins to build what looks like incredibly demented snowmen. The idiots have taken their scarves and beanies off to dress their creations, and between the lot of them he reckons there’ll be many a cold developing. But hey, survival of the fittest, right? 

Gathered by the lake, they’re stationary targets, prime for the pelting. It would be a lie to not admit that Barty is tempted, because he really is. A good lesson, Barty thinks, in being more aware of ones surroundings. He has good aim. Maybe he could even take them out from where he current is, seated nearby under the trees.

However, he has Regulus in his arms resting against his chest, his fingers carding through Regulus’s hair. Regulus has snuggled close for warmth as he reviews what looks like some poorly written potions notes.

‘Such an idiot,’ Regulus scoffs. ‘He has labelled snake venom as a poison. It’s a venom. It’s in the name! Meanwhile, he doesn’t understand the function of starches as a thickening agent or a stabiliser. I wouldn’t trust him to purchase from an apothecary, let alone be anywhere near a potions lab. The moron will probably end up blowing himself to bits.’

‘Why are you even bothering with this? Let him fail. Survival of the fittest, you know. All that.’ Barty tucks his cloak around the both of them when Regulus shivers at a particularly frosty gust of wind.

Regulus rolls his eyes. ‘Slughorn asked me to tutor him. Wicker is in remedial potions. He needs all the help he can get; the guy doesn’t even know what end of his wand he should be casting from. And,’ Regulus stresses, his brow creased into the smallest, most endearing little frown, ‘if I can reduce the stupidity and incompetence of the general wizarding population by even the slightest of fractions, I think I might be doing a service for the future of our people. Prevent the collective lowering of intelligence over the generations.’

‘Must be all the bludgers to the head. Lost him some braincells.’ Barty laughs and presses his face in Regulus’s neck, causing Regulus to yelp in protest. 

‘Stop, your nose is cold!’

Barty cackles, traps Regulus in his arms and does it again, this time nuzzling. When Regulus begins thrashing around, Barty leans close and whispers, ‘Careful how you wiggle about, Reg, you’re getting me all excited and there are kids present.’

Regulus huffs, but he goes still anyway and rests back into Barty’s arms. ‘Getting you excited,’ he mutters with a sharp, sidelong look at Barty. ‘You passed excited a kilometre back.’

‘Your fault,’ Barty chuckles. ‘You’ve been wiggling about for a while now. I’m a healthy adolescent and it’s a perfectly natural bodily function.’

Regulus rolls his eyes and tucks away the potions notes (an essay by the half-witted Wicker, Barty presumes). He’s holding back a smile, Barty knows. It’s a small, soft smile, the kind that Regulus has when he speaks to Barty with gentle, soft words. None of that cold and sharp and acid he has for others. 

Those soft words and soft smiles warm Barty’s heart, and when he has Regulus in his arms, Barty knows he isn’t alone. That Regulus is his and they are forever. And he knows that together, they’ll weather any darkness and they will prevail.

And maybe they’ll even gather some snowballs and pelt those silly first-years together, and it’ll be a whole tonne of fun.

[nymph-ette111]

Hello! I’m grateful you wrote my request and this is in no way me complaining, I only want to answer what you said about accuracy and all. I’m well aware than npd is not well researched so I’m putting this more so as a way to give you more insight than complain about your portrayal, I’m chill with it. Sorry for the long message. It’s kinda hard putting this stuff into words, but I want to bc I’ve seen one too many posts about all ppl with npd needing to be ‚separated from the society, put down or castrated to stop their kind from spreading’ so I’m not about to waste an opportunity to put out a different perspective. If you don’t want to publically respond I’m chill with that, this is just some info for you if you wanna know more

I really resonated with the part where you said Toby loves like a dog because that’s also the metaphor I use to explain npd. Bc it kinda feels like you’re a dog, you love like one certainly. It feels like you were raised for cagefights. They taught you when you need to bite to survive and get a pat on the back. Taught you that if you didn’t, things get ugly for you. Taught you that everybody is a threat. You have never been prepared to read emotions because surviving and winning were always synonymous and both consumed your youth too much to genuinely learn social clues. And maybe, now you’re out of that place. And suddenly you’re expected to be a good dog, to love and be soft and kind. But the best you can do is act and frantically look around the room for a sign of a threat, because at this point you expects to be hurt. Sometimes you still bite. You know how to fight for your life but you flinch when someone wants to hug you. You’re mean and bitter at heart because as far as you know anyone could hurt you for any mistake you make. Showing weaknesses is out of the question, so you put on a mask. You need to be the best and to be perfect because you know what happened when you weren’t. You hate yourself for every mistake and see that as a life-or-death threat. You seek patterns to be safe and you learn to respond well to things without knowing why you should perform a certain way. You remember that when you used to make a wrong step, it was hell for you. And it’s hard to make a connection when you fear everybody hurting you. When you can’t grasp why anybody would keep you around if you’re not benefitting them. So you act like you’re great and hope that people believe you enough to think you’re worth having around

When I met my roommate in the school dorms I really liked her. A few weeks into knowing her, she started giving me food and trinkets. And many times, though I acted with all the gratitude that I always had to show and I did all the things you’re supposed to do, I felt lost. Because I wasnt very useful to her. She had no benefit from giving me things. Shamefully, I do admit I sat there alone tearing up at a chocolate bar or two that she left for me because it felt so confusingly nice(?) and I still don’t know why she does it. But of course I know (by observation) that people are uncomfortable when others question things like that. So I don’t, I just try to be useful and hope she decides I’m convenient to have (a ‚pleasure to have in class��� of sorts)

With manipulation it’s hard to say how much of it is true because most of the diagnostics were based off of male case studies and generally when the label of ‚npd’ has been slapped on someone, most things they do are seen as kind of evil. I know I do avoid conflict and use my words to my advantage if I feel threatened, yeah. Just yesterday had a friend getting progressively more heated at me (we have very different opinions on things as it turned out) and I did subtly framed it as ‚I thought you were more mature than that, it’s really childish to blow up on me’ bc I know he feels like the group doesn’t treat him seriously. Is it good? Maybe not, but a threat is a threat and I’m not about find out what he does when he gets really angry lol

As to the ‚look at me, I’m the best’ kind of thing, you have to put yourself first because you’ve been put last by everyone else. In a sense, it really does feel like fighting for your life and then being thrown into a setting where nobody had that growing up so you feel like you need to act like them and count days before everything turns ugly again because it’s hard to believe most people aren’t cruel and dangerous. That’s all you’ve known and all you prepared for

So you have a hard time forming honest connections. You feel like an empty shell and discard your smile as soon as you’re through the door. You’re tired. And you don’t know how to act in this new world. So you still do what you need to survive, despite everyone telling you that it’s not about that anymore

Like, ofc I have some personality. I know I like making music and enjoy a quiet evening. I know others tell me I’m fun at parties, funny, charming. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what is me and what is my survival instinct kicking in though. The way I see it, the modern mirror of Narcissus is in other people’s eyes. And I just try to do anything to keep seeing admiration instead of hatred in them

To be fair I feel like that would work (somewhat) with the creeps, because they aren't super well either and someone who can see patterns in their behavior (how they act when something is wrong etc) could work better bc I don't see then opening up and talking about feelings either. Sure, all those things kinda suggest that they could also mentally destroy me if they wanted (but I would let them bc I love them, especially your portrayal of ben 😌😌). Also I heve a feeling BEN is the kind of guy to show you gore videos for fun and talk about tormenting others for funsies so inability to emotionally connect with others would probably make it easier to enjoy yourself around him lmao idk about others probably trauma bonding would work?? Lol

-⭐︎

HELLO?? I FUCKING LOVE THE WAY YOU DESCRIBE THINGS OH MY GOD I'll try to respond to every point in this message because I really like it and thank you for reaching out so often I love when people interact with me :) literally get so excited once I see that little star emoji at the end of requests because I know it's you lol. I mostly based the headcanons off of people on Quora (other than more research on different sites) since it's people with said disorder talking about personal experiences and other people who don't have npds' interaction with people who do have it.

I fucking love when people use the dog metaphors for toby when writing him.

I agree on the point that some creeps would have this, Jeffrey comes to mind, I feel like a lot brush him off as an evil person but I see it as a sort of defense mechanism for him? I can definitely see Jeff relating to this for sure.

IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE MY PORTRAYAL OF BEN X3 and that's so true I literally mentioned it in one of my headcanons like that stinky fucker would show you gore and legit go 'its not even that bad' when you start freaking out. Definitely pops up those videos on your devices randomly. He's so annoying I love him.

One thing I don't like about creepypasta headcanons that revolve around the reader having a personality disorder is the creators make them act so...nice? Like I know that's what people want to read but let's be honest these serial killers never experienced a day of comfort in their lives, I genuinely don't see them being all that nice about it unless it's more of the kinder creeps like Liu or Jane or Nina but even then they'd be awkward about it. The most they'd do is notice (unless you straight up tell them) and that's it. I wouldn't say they would straight up fucking degrade you for having a disorder but I don't see them caring because they're all traumatized, I don't see them sympathizing with reader so yeah that's something that kinda bugs me in creepypasta headcanons.

[9800sblog]

hybe labels tarot reading

reputation in the kpop industry

[ hybe labels include every company under their umbrella, artists, staff and ceos ]

* I changed the opinions of idols for artists in general, because I wanted to include producers, stylists, designers, etc.

in general

the star, page of swords, 4 of cups reversed, 10 of pentacles, knight of swords

needless to say, these are very intelligent people, strong mentality, an interesting and maybe unusual way of doing business, they may not have very typical hierarchy in the company. definitely a force to be reckon with, the lyric "I'm a newbie soon to be butterfly" from le sserafim - smart, describes their reputation perfectly, this business model, groups and plans may have been created when they were very young and/or new to the job, and it's been working out exactly as planned. the term "hybe family" used by fans is quite accurate, from the 10 of pentacles and the star cards, everyone seems quite comfortable and easy-going with each other, may often exchange encouraging messages and visit each other. these are very hardworking, passionate, focused people, the knight of swords represents well what strong opponents they really are. this isn't talking about other entertainment companies and/or other artists, it's about people that try to ruin them (like the people spreading rumors, mistranslations, etc. about them oftenly), I think the whole situation happening right now is a good example, it's very obvious they're not fighting with each other, but towards the same goal, in one direction, and the people that are obsessed with the "feud" pretend to not be able to connect one thing with the other. this seems like a funny business model as the star card in my deck is a literal clown making jokes. the young women are great examples of what the company is all about, like le sserafim saying they'll secretly change the industry while everyone makes fun of them, and they're having fun, making things easy for them and those like them. the 4 of cups reversed really represents their introspection level, in the card, the person is chilling with the cups they already own, while a random being tries to offer them a different cup and they just laugh, it's quite an interesting company that many like to study. they're definitely helping the justice system, it's easy to notice in this spread, nothing new, most of them seem to have police license and/or training. very weird people too hehe

channeled song:

closer artists

wheel of fortune, the devil, 2 of cups, king of wands, the sun

again, they're really a force to be reckoned with, there's no reason to go against them, so if you do, you will screw yourself and your adjacents. karma seems to be on their side more often than not, because they accept bad consequences for their mistakes. again, it really seems they all have some sort of really strong training like military level, these cards are really impotent. it's easy to make business and get to an agreement with them, they're very nice people, treat fans and admirers with sympathy. they have each other's backs and those that are equally nice to them, they aren't afraid to be mean or senseless tho, it's something about the culture of their founders. fantasy and science are a big part of the company, they have a lot of respect in general! oh, they lie for fun, for sure! because those that need to know the truth, get it easily, so it's funny to see people try to crack their codes. they're very accepting of all types of people, it's a very accessible environment, place and community. nobody in the industry seems to be really scared of them, when it comes to ador vs hybe, it seems to be one of those things very obvious to those that know about business and entertainment, it doesn't seem to be about min heejin vs hitman bang, it's more about what they represent, what their names mean in documents, etc.

channeled song:

staff

8 of pentacles reversed, king of swords, the lovers, 4 of wands, 9 of cups, the world reversed

wow!!! criminals are really screwed in this company, don't worry, none of the public figures involved in this "feud" are bad people, otherwise, they would've had their consequences a LONG time ago, nothing pass by them unnoticed hahaha 😆 people there are really strong, really intelligent, and so is their businesses, staff outside of the company are very impressed! don't underestimate anyone involved there, including minors, they already know more than you if you do so haha it's a really accessible company, and easy, simple people, with a lot to show off for, most about them is misinterpreted and they really don't care, justice is on their side, as a whole. they don't care about a good reputation or money, they're just having fun and following laws, it's a very strict and by the rules place, not very square people tho haha they don't have to try very hard or work much, they're too smart omg hahahah it's not just about dancing on stage, they do a lot more behind the scenes, as usual in kpop! their names are very established, hybe may die, but none of the public figures would suffer from that at all (everyone you can find their names in documents (specially court docukents), internet, associations, etc. they're all considered public figures). none about this screams paying to win awards, actually the 8 of pentacles reversed would insinuate the opposite, as the card literally shows someone making money, if it was upright in this situation, it would insinuate money laundering or general corruption, but they don't care enough about fame to do that (the world reversed). this spread literally says "it's not my fault that everybody loves me". they're not ruining common people's lives, it's just another attempt to ruin working people's reputations, but as britney spears said "hoping I'd resort to some havoc, end up settling in court, now are you sure you want a piece of me?"

channeled song:

female artists (including those that work there/with them)

temperance, 4 of pentacles, 6 of cups, 5 of swords, the hermit, the hierophant

oh literally trust them with their eyes closed... they feel very safe around everyone and everything there, this is literally the opposite of how people have been trying to taint their image. they're very into psychology, spirituality and other ways of being respectful of all beings, it's like how they have fun.. this whole mess seems to be about charity being taken advantage of, the 5 of swords explains well, a typical business thing that usually happens behind the scenes, but they're probably taking advantage to fix other things, including different industries. for female artists, these are just regular people trying to do what they like (including business), being sabotaged by people they lowkey depend on, seems like politicians, since kpop is a part of south korean government for a few years now, and we've been having a surge of poorly made politics for over a decade. they like the way people think over there, the way they live and how they treat what is 'other', the 4 of pentacles seems to represent culture and hobbies in this spread. it's a wide range, it has a lot of history, people have many stories to tell, it holds a lot of life, talent is never-ending, those are very good brains. there's a lot of secret information, as accessibility has been very relevant in the reading so far, in this spread it seems to mean that a lot of them are disabled or innately sick, so they have a different type of business indeed. endless knowledge.

channeled song:

male artists (including those that work there/with them)

queen of pentacles, king of cups, 6 of wands, the tower reversed, the empress

very similar vibes, they feel well taken care of and respected there, it's easy to have respect towards everyone too. hm, it's a very organized company and people, that like to clean up mess, they're fun, easy going, respectable/celebrated, talented, nurturing. associating with them means you'll probably get to get your ducks in a row, the people in power are easy to get along with, easy to understand, relatable and helpful, not at all the "dark ceo vibes" title people been trying to stick up their asses. just very similar opinions to the female artists, just different cards. they do want the public and/or people like politicians to stop interfering with their work, cause they end up having to do things they wouldn't usually do.

channeled song:

before anyone talks about the military training thing, that's a very common thing for entertainers since the beginning of the industry, I mean, royalty used to wear clothes and crowns that weighted multiple kilograms just for paintings, these people are often in situations of danger and they have to be able to not depend on personal security service, or else they'd have to pee and sleep with them. txt literally debuted with morse code, aka military communication, and bts - dope mv "this is bangtan style", they're all dressed up in some kind of police uniform. non militaries cannot wear military attire, it's illegal, yet we often see kpop idols wearing camouflage and other similar styles. why would they spend years training under these companies to debut "poorly singing, poorly dancing, no stage presence" like it's so common to hear online? it's an industry after all, not children playtime.

[red-balloon12]

Natemare Headcanons!

(Note that all of my versions of the Battle Egos….and basically all egos in general, aren’t inherently related in any aspect. They are they’re own individual creations. Also these H/F’s are self indulgent as hell so warning-)

General H/Cs

Name: Natemare

Age 32

Species: Nightmare Demon/Amalgamation (basically he can shapeshift his body into a nightmare-ish amalgamation. There are different phases and he can morph into any phase he sees fit at the moment)

Sexuality: Bisexual/Biromantic (leans more towards guys)

Specific H/Cs

Natemare doesn’t really need sleep because he’s a nightmare amalgamation but he chooses to sleep for fun. He does get tired though.

Natemare’s primary sense of style is a punk/goth mixture

Mare is a prankster and often pulls light hearted pranks on the other egos. Heathen is the only ego that hasn’t fallen for these pranks

He likes to write music and draw in his free time but he gets frustrated easily when he can’t think of songs during a certain period. Ironically his best work comes to him when he isn’t trying to write songs/draw.

Overall he’s a pretty chill and fun loving person but he does have a short fuse…which makes it easy for a certain person to tease him.

Boi has SO many abandonment issues you can fit a whole sonnet about it into him. He tries to make it seem like he doesn’t have them but he does.

Mare knows a lot people just sees him as the “Emo FNAF ego” which he doesn’t like but he also still likes FNAF. And so he makes it his mission to be more than that label while still enjoying his favorite game franchise…which is difficult-

Natemare is…high key jealous of Phantom because they both know Phantom is the “more popular ego” and Phantom is very vocal about it, which causes the two of them to be rivals of sorts. But Mare secretly admires Phantom from afar and he does understand why people like him so much. (Mare believes he and Phantom would be very good friends if pHNATOM WASN’T SO SMUG ALL OF THE TIME-) But he hates that no matter how hard he tries he can’t seem to get to that standard. So he plays it off as being unbothered by it which comes off as lazy and uncouth from Phantom. But DAMN does he actually care-

Mare also may have a bit of a…crush on Phantom and he mAAAY be a bit of a tsundere about it lol.

Even though he doesn’t need it, Mare has an emergency axe in his room somewhere.

He’s besties with MadPat and Virgil Sanders (Anti is more of a frenemy of his). Mad often teases him about his obvious crush on Phantom despite his (onesided) crush on Mare.

Mare acts as a big brother for Skelly/Pumpkin. He loves the kid dearly and will destroy anyone that harms him.

His favorite music genre is punk rock, Nerdcore and…Will Wood. He doesn’t have a favorite band. He likes a lot of bands.

Mare likes to cross dress from time to time. It makes him feel pretty and badass.

Mare’s favorite animals are ferrets.

Despite him being punk/goth he doesn’t mind dressing up more formally for certain events…or for fun. He’d rather die than let Phantom dress him up though.

And these are all of my current (and updated) headcanons on my blorbo. If you guys want a romantic/NSFW version let me know. I’ll be more than happy to make one. Next ego up is Phantom!

[dog-park-dissidents]

I’m a queer anarchist, and your music has really helped me accept myself, so here goes…what advice do you have on loving my radical self? I find myself trying to look respectable and chill to avoid being a stereotype, opting out of actions to please my family, and just internalizing a lot of BS about what it means to be an anarchist in the world. Thank you so much!!

David Graeber, RIP, guy at Occupy Wall Street who coined the slogan "we are the 99%," often said he was a "small-a anarchist" and that anarchism was a thing he did, not an identity. That is probably the healthiest way to engage with anarchism in a modern world where political identities and political language have been turned into sports teams and brands, completely divorced from anything that the words behind them actually mean. US politics at least have turned into "are you a LIBERAL or a CONSERVATIVE" which sort of means something but also means nothing, and its meanings contradict each other to the point of uselessness. They're not real ideological frameworks, after all. Nobody can give you a coherent manifesto of US American "Liberalism" but it's the thing you're supposed to agree with if you don't think gay people should die?? Maybe??? It doesn't even have any connection with the philosophy of classical liberalism, which is closer to stereotypically Republican fiscal politics, EXCEPT for when the ostensible "left wing" liberals actually agree with that shit? Anyway yeah it's a mess and it's no wonder why the younger generation is desperately trying to find an alternative way of labeling themselves so as to signal that we're outside of all that bullshit.

So don't do that. Actually be outside of all that bullshit instead of coming up with an edgier sports team to root for. Not that you're necessarily doing that, but just, remember not to do that.

Focus on the material circumstances you live in: the state and money and laws and all that shit are just things somebody made up one day before you were born. You exist in a world you had no say in constructing. Your goal is to figure out how to survive, and then to thrive, and then to be happy, under these circumstances. And ideally make them better for everyone else.

Now as for opting out of actions to please your family. Sounds like you're stuck in a family situation where you're not free to go where you want and be yourself without scrutiny, and that sucks. From the perspective of an effective anarchist, remember that it's from each according to their ability, and you don't have to feel any guilt about not doing your part to change the world.

But from a queer perspective? That queerness sounds a lot more like what's causing your tension about making yourself look more respectable. And that plays into this feeling you have of being trapped by family, or by capitalism, or whatever forces are making you feel the need to put yourself in a box. Obviously you've woven your queer identity pretty deep with your anarchism, which is good, but that definitely makes the desire to express your anarchist identity a whole lot stronger. It can feel like the same thing as your sexual orientation or gender when it's such a deep part of your worldview.

And that makes for a big contradiction in a world where political labels have turned into deep personal identities at the expense of any coherent intellectualism. Whoops. Everybody else has been forced to pick a vapid red or blue choice and here you are with an extremely deep sense of pink and black. Uh oh.

But that's the great thing about queerness, is to be comfortable existing as a contradiction, as category-defying, as someone that doesn't need to be intellectually consistent because you simply ARE. So be you. Don't feel like you have to debate the chuds in your head to explain your existence.

[theartisticcrow]

I don't make my own posts often, but I feel like I need to write this down for myself. I don't know what to say my gender is. I, for the past few years, have found myself comfortable going by any pronouns because my gender doesn't really concern me much and it feels nice when people sometimes refer to me as they or he. I'm generally just quite chill with how people refer to me.

But something I also realised about myself while learning more about the different sexualities and idk, queerness in general, is that growing up as a child, it felt strange to refer to myself as a girl and sometimes I thought I felt more boy-ish. It wasn't something that I felt all the time though, but I did feel that way a fair bit. Never mentioned it to anyone cause I thought that it was normal, but I realise now it wasn't quite what I thought.

And now, some days I'll be getting undressed to have a shower and I'll look at myself in the mirror and see myself and feel comfortable and confident about the way my body looks, but then some days it feels wrong; I can't stand looking at the shape of my body for too long. Some days I feel like embracing the way I look, no problem wearing some feminine things, because I look good in that fashion, but sometimes I have this need to put on my tightest sports bra and wear clothing more masculine (though just as stylish). Sometimes I'd like to wear a bit of dark makeup, sometimes I'd rather rub dirt on my face; Sometimes I wear my hair messy going just past my shoulders, sometimes I tie it back to make it look shorter; Sometimes I wear slightly tighter fitting clothes that outline my body and make me feel a bit sexy, sometimes I wear long jackets that hide my hips and sometimes it's a mix of all these things.

And I'm really beginning to wonder just what am I? Who am I? Does it really matter? Do I have to put a label to it? I don't know, but these past few months I've really wondered about it. "Maybe I'm trans?" "Am I agender? Or perhaps nonbinary?" "I might be genderfluid..." I know I don't have to put any label to it, I know it wouldn't change much, I know I'm only a teenager and I still have PLENTY of time to figure it out... But I do still wonder.

Maybe I am genderfluid. That's what I'm thinking right now. It seems to fit. Is there any point to this post? Not really, but sometimes writing out my thoughts helps to figure stuff out, and who the hell knows. Maybe some other person will find this helpful. It's a tricky thing sometimes, figuring out how to define yourself, but I know who I am regardless of any labels. I'm wicked, sharp, stylish and sarcastic and nobody, not a single person, can tell me who I am other than myself.

For anyone else struggling with similar problems in figuring out their identity, just know that whoever you are, you are loved an appreciated. Never stop being yourself.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Blackpink Energy Reading (September)

I will be reading on their general energy, career and love life for the month of September. I thought I put them all together, since they are a small group. Here we go.

Group Energy: Knight of Wands: They could all be very intellectually motivated. There might be a lot of information on the group, or they may share a lot. This energy is very communicative, very chatty and can be gossipy, so there could be a lot of gossip around them. Aren't they making a comeback soon? Not sure, I thought I heard that, but I don't keep up to date on most Kpop groups. This is a month for them to take action on all their ideas, but they should make sure not to say or do anything rash with this energy.

Jisoo:

General Energy (Knight of Wands rv)-Flipped out or slid out in reversed, as I do not usually read reversal, but I don't ignore it when it comes out that way. It may be hard for her to pursue her passion right now. There may be lack of creative outlets for her right now. She may be a bit stifled creativity wise or lack the creative juice or determination.

Career (Judgment)- It will be a month for her to make some choices that are best for her personal development. A time of re-evaluation on what she has done. I also see this card as someone seeking approval from a higher up, so take that or not if you like.

Love (8 of Pentacles)-She's in a place of just wanting to chill with someone. She may want someone to come home to and relax, a good support system. Not sure if that is something she has or wants. I mean she hasn't been in a long-term relationship from what I know of, so this may be something she wants or may need in love, during this month. I just see with the career card of Judgment, she may feel judged in her career, and it would be nice to have a partner that supports her, rather than judge from this card.

Jennie:

General Energy (9 of Pentacles rv)-Another reversal here, a lack of freedom, a lack of independence on her part. Didn't she create her own label?, not sure she has much freedom with it, or things aren't working out how she may like. In this deck the reversal can indicate conformity and trying to fit in, or someone trying to fit the mold of others, kind of makes sense.

Career (Queen of Wands)-Totally makes sense, in this deck, I see a very beautiful, charming woman who is very magnetizing and charming to the public eye, that's her. She has a way of getting people's attention. She may shine a bit more this month with this energy. This is a time for her to use that creative fire she has as well. a time to step into the spotlight.

Love (Knight of Pentacles)-This kind of gives me she is focusing on her goals and career. She may not be too focused on love. If she is, she is cautious and slow to move forward. I mean she is a Cap, we are about our bag and goals at the end of the day.

Rose:

General Energy (8 of Swords)-She may be feeling mentally stuck and trapped. She may feel like her hands are tied. Like she may not have control of much of the situation she is in.

Career (King of Swords)-Not sure how I feel about the KOS, with the General energy card. It gives me this person has a lot to say regards to her career. This is definitely a guy who believes they know it all, a very smart man, but arrogant and slightly stubborn in his opinions.

Love (8 of Cups)-There is a lot she may have to work through and heal from regarding love, a need for distance, a need to step back and reflect on things. Why I am getting, just tired of the bs *sighs* So yeah, not sure she wants to engage too much regarding love.

Lisa

General Energy (The Lovers)-She might be connecting with someone she relates to on a soul level right now. This is a time for her to make decisions that align with her right now, and making work with people that also align with her.

Career (7 of Cups)-The Lovers also popped out again, both these cards indicate decisions, so yeah, she is trying to decide what is best for her regarding her career, there is a bit of confusion and uncertainty there, but there are options for her to take, it is about choosing the best path for her.

Love (2 of Cups)-Umm yeah, this is a relationship card, so this could indicate someone in her life. She isn't still with that dude, or is she? How I don't keep up with them, but hey, makes me less bias here. She is either very in love and connected with someone or that is something she strongly wants. I see connections will be important to her this month.

[asthedeathoflight]

I think its interesting to be an autistic aromantic person because a lot of aromantic people seem really staunchly opposed to the concept of romance or even love in general meanwhile i just kind of think its made up? Im not opposed to romance i just think romance isnt really a thing? I think people are trying to apply labels to something that is inherently unlabelable in a really unhelpful way. I believe in the existence of relationshipsa but i think "romantic" as a signifier is not useful.

Which is why i would like to introduce you to my alternative theory of relationships, which is "chill" vs "unchill." "Chill" is a quality generally associated with platonic relationships, whereas "unchill" is generally reserved for romantic relationships. However this doesnt actually work in the real world because we are all monkeys and as i said romance is fake. Unchill "platonic" relationships and chill "romantic" are all over the place.

Chill vs unchill is not a matter of depth of feeling but rather urgency of feeling. A couple who spends all their time together, if they are apart is always thinking about their partner, and prioritizes that relationship above other things in their life would be very unchill. Meanwhile a pair who see each other rarely but always feel as though they have each others back when worst comes to worst, even if their schedules dont reflect that, would be very chill. These qualities can be applied to any emotion, really. You can also have a chill or unchill nemesis. (I have a chill nemesis, personally. I will eventually destroy her but theres no need to rush.)

Chillness or unchillness are not inherently good or bad qualities. Conflict in relationships often stems from when people are not in agreement about the level of chill they want from that relationship. People who prefer chill relationships may find unchillness overbearing, and unchill people may think chill people dont care. Like everything else in relationships, it all comes back to communicating about what you want.

Ultimately my point with this dichotomy is that its more helpful when thinking about relationships than the ephemeral platonic/romantic divide. It doesnt matter if those two friends of yours are dating, because you have noticed that they are unchill and that is the end of the speculation. It doesnt matter what specific feelings you have about a new acquaintance, because you can evaluate the level of chill vs unchillness you feel and act accordingly. If you find the platonic/romantic labels helpful, thats fine, but having language that doesnt boil down to "well what do you feel in your heart" (when everyone's hearts are VERY DIFFERENT) is very helpful for me, friendly neighborhood autismman, to discuss relationships.

[darianias]

My view/TED Talk on Tengen Uzui and a platonic relationship with wives (not canon lol)

⚠️CW:⚠️ adult topics are addressed but nothing explicit is mentioned what so ever, probable typos everywhere, this is composes of half-awake ADHD tangents that wouldn't leave my mind so I'm writing it down so my brainw will chill and I can sleep lol. Meaning this isn't planned out in the slightest. No professionalism here. 😅 Also due to the tangental nature of this, don't take this as an attack on anyone or thing. Please. 🙏 That is the opposite reasons why I am posting this.

⚠️DISCLAIMER:⚠️ This talks about Tengen and his wives not being in love; despite me shipping it otherwise. (this isn't hate it's more so to help people be more comfortable and have access to more fics comfortably lol. I will not tolerate bigotry towards: polysexuals, polyromantics OR anyone LGBTQIA+. You will be blocked and reported.

Explanatory tangent about why I'm making this and QPPs:

feel free to skip the intro if you already understand lol the entire tangental for the most part anyay.

Into & brief? Personal QPP explanation

I'm writing this in the wee hours of the morning because I was trying to get settled to sleep reading fics... when I remembered that alot of people can't read a lot of Tengen fics as they're not into poly or aren't into women one way or another. It... somewhat bothers me that people get upset, but I also understand where people come from at least, as I just have a different mindset, and I think it could help some people's destress with this???

I am among those not really into women and am picky about polyships in general but esp with y/n. However, I am also aspec, specifically demisexual and demiromantic are the labels I'm most comfortable with in these cases. Why do I mention this? Well...

Among the #Asexual & #Aroromantic community we can feel and have relationships that can be labeled as Queer Platonic. (I imagine it can happen with any sexuality but that's not the point here.)

A Queer Platonic Relationship is a kind of strong platonic love that's stronger than just friendships but without the romantic or sexual feelings of a romantic or sexual relationship. It doesn't have to be between two people of the same sex or gender, it can be oppsites.

Also I'm not expert so do you research, a this is from a personal pov here to try and give an example.

I am in a Queer Platonic relationship of around 10 years now. The love I feel is just as real as others but it's different. In a way it's like how some animals become a bonded pair or set. I would do anything for her, but I would never feel comfortable or desire to kiss her, date her, or "sleep" with her. 🤢 Cuddles are the furthest I'd go and since we don't live alone we'd never do it around my dad, as most people don't seem to understand and I'd rather people not think we are in either of those kinds of relationships, but that's me. Other people in these relationships may feel differently and have different levels of comfort and confidence lol. My QPP and we each have our own wants and desires for other people... specifically fictional men for the most part. So sharing a bed is a nono and while we can share a room as we had to before- we respect each other's need for "alone time." Also snuggles and the like are human and mammalian nature, but society likes to just group it into two small boxes: young child/baby familial or romantic in nature. Which is weird when you think of our needs as a social animal or social mammal, it's not really healthy.

Anyway if you want to learn more, I suggest starting here:

Onto Tengen & His Wives

Anyway the POINT IS, in my head in tengen x y/n situations, tengen x sonas or tengen x other character but not in a poly way, I apply these types of feelings to. Hell I kind of do in canon as well, as for me the love and care he has for his wives is real, but I feel it more in a QPP way as I don't.... have any real vibes that tell me otherwise, regardless of them being canon. It's just how I vibe. I'm not against the relationship by any means as in aus not dealing with him as a main focus (these are private aus and my QPP and I are literally both Tengen simps and also ship him with Kyojuro), Tengen and his wives are very much are all in love with each other. So I'm not really against the actual ship or relationship. I do wish it was more fleshed out tho, I am overally more comfortable with the idea that everyone in the polycule love each other romantically and sexually in this case as otherwise it's uncomfortable for me. 😅 That's just how I like my Polyships.

With that in mind, I am comfortable with the idea of plantonic cuddle puddles, caring for each other, taking care of each other as long as it doesn't become romantic or sexual with the other women or between the trio and Tengen.

So... how do we begin to tackle this? Well look at some of the facts:

They were in an arranged marriage with prior relationships not being detailed whatsoever. Tengen didn't want to have 3 wives to use as tools as his ninja clan ruled. He wanted to save them from that fate as well.

While in canon they all did fall in love with Tengen there's many ways to take this relationship. They have some base level of care for each other be it friends, familial, QPP, romantically or so on.

Example 1:

One thing I like to do is ship the wives in their own polycule, but this is back in the day in Japan 🗾 so I sometimes apply the fact that with a divorce they all would be legally separated due to this, and Tengen whose relationship to them are more platonic, wouldn't do that to those dear to him. Meanwhile adding another wife is still more socially acceptable seemingly in this world albeit much isn't specified so we really just need to guess.

That is an idea I more so apply when reading fics rather than my own story creation.

Example 2:

A similar idea is that they all are in a way "trauma bonded", they went through hell and back together as ninja, and escaped from their clan, that isnt a simple or safe task when dealing with shinobi, ao them all joining the slayer corps makes sense. While they may not love each other romantically/sexually, they all love each other and are loyal to each other. You can take this ship the wives together or only two of them or find them partners outside of the group. Wanna ship Suma and Mitsuri or Makio and Giyu??? Go for it. They can join the family.

In the end...

I can kinda go on and on with tons of different examples, my point is, if possible, open your mind to these ideas, you can enjoy so much more of the fandom this way. Yeah there's no wives of wifeless fics and the like, but most people here are fine with being the 4th wife or an additional Husband or 4th significant other to Tengen. There's nothing wrong with that. But I see people get tense with that or annoyed and I can't help but feel this want to kind of bridge things if at all possible. There's ways you can enjoy many of these these fics, headcanons, scenarios, etc. without having to feel as though you have to be in an actual polycule if that's not your taste or thing.

End Statment

I am a NOBODY on this site, half of my small pool of followers are bots and the others mostly just followed be back/are moots??? I mostly like and reblog other people's things. My creations are mostly between my QPP and I and in our heads and random discord messages as just, we don't have the spoons to write or draw that stuff more often than not. 99% of it is entirely self indulgent lol. BUT there's a tiny chance this could help someone, y'know? Maybe it won't. Maybe it'll cause more problems. 😰😬 I'm not deep enough in any fandom to see drama and ship hate and the like. 😅 I'm more or less a fandom hermit in my own little corner or bubble. I am passionate about this series. I've been hyperfixating on it almost non stop for about a year now. 😅😂 I just want others to enjoy it as much as possible. As long as you're not being a bigot to others. 😌 So please don't think I'm trying to start crap, as long as what you ship is *legal* hint hint, nudge nudge. idgaf what you're into as long as you're not harming or harassing others lol.

Also getting these tangents out of my head makes it so my brain can settle down more lol ADHD is a pain in the ass at times.