#but now its like. oh you have obviously either been manipulated to or you have chosen to act like this to make a fool of leftists

[siilkmoth]

starting to feel like a lot of the inflammatory leftist activists who do insane shit for attention are right-wing psyops lol i cant fucking take this shit anymore

[envy-of-the-apple]

hii!!

i just saw that your requests are open. 🥹

i was wondering if you'd be okay with a request for a Soul Mate fic with a short!reader (5ft - 5ft2) who wears glasses x Yandere!Bakugo?

would it also be okay if the reader was written to be very sweet and caring to other people?

if you're not okay with the request for the reader's height/ glasses/ personality being too specific, then please, please ignore me.

thank you so, so much either way. 🥹

didn't specify which bakugou:))))

Yandere!Bakugou Mitsuki x reader

Doormat

(Warnings: toxic relationship, yandere, possessiveness, manipulation)

You tried to be a kind person.

You looked out for others, you cared deeply for your friends, you tried to make your parents proud of you. Eventually, your reputation became what you wanted it to be: dependable, responsible, kind.

Mitsuki had a habit of taking advantage of that.

"Again?" Suda scoffed.

You give a timid smile. "Sorry, but Mitsuki had a bad day today, so we're just gonna stay over at her place."

"Right." She rolls her eyes. "A bad day. Let her throw her trantrum alone. C'mon, we've been looking forward to this for a month! And suddenly you're just gonna ditch me like this? Those tickets were expensive!"

"I'm sorry," you repeat, truly apologetic, "Is there a way you could get a refund-"

"It's not about the tickets." Suda cuts you off. "It's about her. Seriously, when's the last time we've ever hung out with each other? I know you're in love, but can you really not see the way she's hoarding all your attention?"

Your mouth opens and closes. You don't know what to say to that.

Thankfully, you don't have to say anything.

Hands wrap around your shoulders, and a face nestles into your shoulder. The faint smell of something sweet floats in the air.

"Who's hoarding all your attention?" Your soulmate asks. She kisses your cheek.

Suda rolls her eyes at the blatant affection.

"Hey, Bakugou." She states. Mitsuki ignores her.

"What're you doing, here?" She asks you instead. "I asked you to wait for me after class, right?"

There's an edge in her voice that makes you shift around nervously.

"I needed to talk to Suda about the concert," you reply, "and also I was thinking I could-"

"Great! Since you're done with that, let's go home then." She interrupts, swinging an arm around your shoulder.

When you look behind you, Suda is shaking her head. Your stomach flips.

"A new cafe opened. Let's go there," Mitsuki says.

"Oh?" You give her a glance. "I thought you just wanted to go home. Didn't you say your professor really pissed you off-"

"C'mon." She bumped your shoulder with her own. "That was hours ago. Don't worry 'bout it."

You frown. If Mitsuki had gotten over her gripe so quickly, you wished she would have at least told you. Then, you wouldn't had to have that awkward conversation with Suda.

"Besides, I need to treat my soulmate out now and then, right?" She traces her name on your wrist.

Ah, there it was.

How the universe decided you two were the perfect match, you wouldn't know. Bakugou Mitsuki was top of her class, head of the cheerleading squad, an extremely useful quirk, came from a rich family, made people's heads turn. You were a quirkless nobody. You always feared that your soulmate would reject you because of how useless you were.

Mitsuki just calls you hers.

Maybe that's why you were so lenient on her demanding nature.

She pulls you through the cafe doors. You let her order for the two of you because 'its your first time here, obviously you're not gonna know what's good' even though it's her first time here too. A part of you wants to look at the menu, but she's already telling the waiter something and he's whisking off. It's fine. Besides, she's paying.

He comes back later with something too sweet and way too much whipped cream to ever be considered coffee. You don't complain. It's good. Mitsuki always has good tastes.

"Good right?" She reaches over, flicking away some whipped cream on the side of your cheek before popping her thumb in her mouth. You flush at her brash behavior.

"It's amazing." You honestly say. "Thanks for bringing me here."

She gives an affectionate smile.

"I just love spoiling you, sometimes."

You look away bashfully. She laughs.

It's a nice date. Mitsuki tells you about her project, how annoying everyone in her group is. If you could, you'd listen to her talk for hours.

But someone always tries to ruin it.

You don't know him, but he doesn't cast you a glance. Clearly, he's only interested in one person. He sits next to her with an easy-going smile. Flirtatious. You frown, sucking on your straw.

"Hey-"

"No." She instantly cuts him off. Just like that. No fake coddling, no polite smiles. She doesn't even glance at him. You hide your smile behind your drink. Your girlfriend's funny sometimes.

He puts his hands up immediately, scoffing with an amused smile. Then, he looks at you. Barely a glance. You don't even notice.

Mitsuki does.

The tone instantly shifts. She hisses, red eyes narrow to slits.

"Fuck off." She says, a sharp bite in her tone. You're grateful it isn't directed at you.

It surprises him. He doesn't expect it, clearly. Her voice is enough to jolt him up as he stammers through his words. When he's out of her sight, her lip curls into disgust.

"C'mon." She tells you. "Sick of this place. We're leaving."

You frown, looking down at your drink. She's already done with hers. You're only halfway through yours.

You stand up anyway, obediently following behind her.

She's still seething. You know she doesn't like it when people look at things that are hers. You know that well. When your fingers slip through her own, she relaxes, just the tiniest bit. You give her a shy smile.

Her grip tightens around yours.

You tried to be a kind person.

You looked out for others, you cared deeply for your friends, you tried to make your parents proud of you-

What a fucking lie.

You were just a doormat. You weren't kind, you weren't caring, you just bent over backwards for people. You needed to please others around you like a dog. You needed others to love you so you could love yourself.

It's why you were perfect for Mitsuki. You were too scared to ever say no to her. Hers to mold into her own image, a perfected being.

You were made for her. Of course you were.

You two were soulmates after all. Together forever.

[weepingchronicles]

yandere azula x reader headcanons this could be read as either romantic or platonic, whatever you wish! tw: yandere, violence, mentions of death, torture, manipulative and controlling behavior, degradation (also maybe a smidge of yandere aang??)

when I say you are fucked if you have this girl yandere for you, you are FUCKED

you are one of the last remaining air nomads, except for aang who is unknown to the world right now and presumed dead

the troubling part is that you have no bending abilities, you were practically raised in the fire nation belonging to azula

you have no spirituality connecting you to your tribe because you know nothing about your culture thus making it hard for you to bend

fire lord ozai had gifted you to azula to keep as a pet basically, only after ensuring you were not the avatar.

growing up with azula has its moments..

azula treats you as bad as zuko, perhaps even worse. she regularly mocks your deceased parents and tribe and knowingly withholds info on your culture in order to keep you dependent on her

you're also not allowed to speak to anyone but azula or a higher rank person.

once ty lee tried to play a game with you since you're both naturally agile people, the outcome was your hair almost catching on fire

as a result, you grew up very fearful of azula but naïve of any outside influence.

the only bright side in your childhood was that you got to keep your life while your parents didn't, and that you somewhat live safely in the palace.

azula likes to keep you on a tight leash, metaphorically (although she wouldn't be against actually doing so-) she has you sleep in your obviously smaller room just across from hers

she doesn't worry about you ever escaping because she has engrained in you that it's impossible, and why bother when you have no family to turn back to, except her? where you get fed pretty well, have a good place to sleep, etc

of course she doesn't mention how she likes to torture you daily

most torture games with azula are psychological, she likes to see you be manipulated to her side and cry but knowing no one else can do that but her

but sometimes her games do get violent

one time she handcuffs your hand to a table, and plays pinfinger on you, enjoying your expression as she pretends to "slip up" and accidentally cut you.

she never majorly hurts you though, she doesn't want her pet to be broken!

you may be thinking that azula doesn't even care for reader! she sees her as only a pet

while that is half true, she cares for you probably more than her own father.

when aang hears one of his last remaining relatives is being held captive, he has no other choice but to save you

when you're greeted by a 12 year old boy who is claiming to be your family and the avatar, you are wary. azula has always said your family is dead, wiped out so how can this be?

it doesn't take much to convince you though after he says he can help you escape.

together you fly away on aang's glider, and for once you feel hope and freedom.

when azula finds out you've been taken by the avatar, she practically breaks

the only thing that stops her from breaking havoc across the nation, is her dad appointing her to capture the avatar

oh she'll capture him alright, and make sure no one puts their hands on you again.

[unreliablesnake]

I’ve got to know what it’s like to try and divorce Vincent. Love your work 🥰

Note: You know what? I wanted to know too. (Oh, and thank you ❤���)

“I want a divorce,” you stated as you handed him the papers.

There was no malice in your voice, you did your best to keep it as neutral as possible. You were afraid of his reaction, mostly because you had a feeling he wouldn't let you get away that easily.

And just as you expected, his jaw tightened as he took the papers and looked down at them, going through each page to see what it was all about. “Marital breakdown? Really?” he asked when he reached the part about the ground for the divorce.

You could have chosen mutual consent, but because of your dear husband, you didn't expect this option to work. So you took a risk, and apparently he wasn't happy with that either. Well, you doubted he would have been happy with any reason at all.

“Just sign it. I don't want anything from you,” you added.

Vincent threw the papers on his desk and took a step closer to you. “I won't sign this, don't even think about it,” he hissed as he looked down at you, eyeing you as if you had just stabbed him in the heart and twisted the knife.

“Please, don't make this more complicated than it should be. Just let me go,” you asked him. “We don't have a child, and like I said, I don't want anything from you. This should be a walk in the park if you sign it.”

“I am not going to sign anything,” he repeated, punctuating each and every word carefully in hopes of his message finally getting through to you. “And why do you want to leave me? Do you have someone waiting for you to be free of me?”

His question surprised you, because you didn't think he would ever have doubts about your fidelity. “Don't be ridiculous, I'm not having an affair. I just had enough of this between us.”

Letting out a sigh, he leaned down to place a soft kiss on your lips. When you pushed him away, he let out an annoyed groan. “I gave you everything, mon amour, how can that not be enough for you? What more do you want?”

“I don't want anything from you, Vincent. Just sign the papers, please. I want to leave Paris tonight,” you admitted almost guiltily. You didn't want to leave so abruptly, but you simply couldn't stay here any longer.

You watched as he took a deep breath then began to pace in front of you, his hand finding its way to his hair. “Tonight? You want to leave me tonight? It's two in the afternoon!” he said, raising his voice.

“I know it's sudden, but I'm suffocating. I've been thinking about this for weeks, and–”

“Weeks?” he interrupted you angrily. “You've been thinking about ending our marriage for weeks and you're just telling me now on the day you want to leave me?”

It wasn't fair, you knew that. But you also knew that if you had given him time to process it, he would have used it to change your mind, to convince you to stay despite your decision. And he could have manipulated you until you agreed to stay with him, which you obviously didn't want.

“Just sign the papers. My lawyer will jump in to get them tomorrow,” you told him, then walked out of the room without waiting for his response.

[oleander-nin]

Horrotober Day 14- Stockholm(Yandere 2012 Donnie x Reader)

A/N, not important: Any criticism is welcome, constructive or not. This is supposed to be a gender neutral reader, so if I screwed up somewhere, please tell me.

-Ollie

CW: Kidnapping, manipulation, Stockholm syndrome, blood, broken nose, implied death, battery, dark themes, yandere themes

Words: 1404

Summary: April tries to save you just a little too late

You sit in silence on the lab table Donnie left you on, swinging your legs back and forth over the floor. Your eyes were glassy, a thousand yard stare overtaking the once intelligent look you carried. You looked vacant, like you had been stripped down of your old personality. April watches you from behind the door, frowning. It hurts to see you like this, to see you so broken. She could barely remember the last time you had an independent thought, couldn’t remember the last time you smiled over something that wasn’t related to Donnie.

Sure, your smiles seemed real, but they were all child-like. Wide and forced, with teeth showing while you laughed. Not how you used to smile at all. You had forgotten so much of yourself, and April was tired of seeing you wither away. Donnie’s brothers obviously weren’t going to help, so it was up to her alone. The ginger breathes in and out, trying to gain some nerve. She knew Donnie was probably watching you through some camera, but she didn’t care. She refuses to let her friend be hurt any longer.

April walks into the lab, making a beeline towards you. She stops in front of you, waiting patiently and worriedly for your eyes to drift over to hers. A lump is stuck in her throat as she takes you in, Your face sunken in and doll-like from the years of torment Donnie had put you through.

“Hello April.” You greet softly, your voice airy. She sucks in a sharp breath at the sound, tears gathering in her eyes. She couldn’t believe this was what you sounded like now, so small and diminished. You were so confident before Donnie’s obsession changed to target you. April couldn’t help but feel at fault.

“Hi (Y/n). Where’s Donnie?” She tries to keep her voice even and soft, not wanting to scare you or make you feel uneasy. She wanted to make sure you trusted her. Trying to save you would not be easy if you found her threatening.

You shake your head at the question, your eyes already drifting to look at the walls behind her. Your focus was even worse than before, and your eyes were dull. It was like you couldn’t even see her anymore, like you were drifting through the world in a void that only kept you and Donnie in its clutches. It made her sick. April lets herself calm down, nodding slowly as she grabs your hand. She doesn’t miss how your eyes immediately snap over to the touch, your body shaking slightly.

Your hands were freezing despite the warm clothing you wore. The lab wasn’t all that chilly either, so April couldn’t understand why you felt like frost. April shakes her head. It wasn’t important. She could help get you back to health later, after she had gotten you away from Donnie. He was bad for you, and it was like April was the only one who could see it. Even Casey stopped caring once you seemed to reciprocate Donnie’s affection, the mutant's eyes filled with smug satisfaction.

“I’m going to get you out of here.” She mumbles, squeezing your hand in hopes to bring some warmth to the skin. It was tragic to see you like this. She couldn’t help but compare you to a corpse in her mind, something that had been dead for a long time. “I know, I should have helped sooner, but Donnie… He tricked us all. I'm so, so sorry.”

You don’t react to her, still sitting numbly on the table with your legs swinging back and forth. You pull your hand back, moving the cold limb to the inside of your sweatshirt’s pocket. “I don’t want to go.”

April stares at you in slight shock and wonder, her face crumbling into a look of pity. “Oh… Oh honey. I really am too late. Well, that’s fine. I’m not leaving without you. My dad’s a scientist, he can help. You’re going to be okay.”

She doesn’t take notice of the frown that pulls your lips, your face stretching into a more unnatural look for you as of late. April tugs lightly at your sweatshirt, trying to get you to come off the table. You may be smaller than you once were, but April wasn’t positive she could carry you. She needed you to walk. You don’t move despite her tugging, your legs no longer swinging as they try to clamp to the table your hands holding back.

“No! No, I’m not going!”

You push April back, your eyes cloudy and dark. April takes a step back, surprised. She didn’t think you were able to react at all anymore. She hovers just a few feet away, unsure how to move forward. She needed you to understand she was helping. She needed to get you out.

“(Y/n), I know it’s scary,” She starts, her voice gentle and smooth like she was talking to a wild animal. Maybe that’s what you were now. Something skittish and feral, only responding to your owners whims. “But you have to come with me. I’m going to get you out of here.”

April reaches out and tugs on your clothes again in an attempt to pull you down from the table, but you just simply push her back again. You look distraught, your face puffy while you start to kick and thrash whenever she comes near. It was annoying, but manageable. All April had to do was dodge your flying limbs. She shoots her hand out and grabs you by the collar, tugging you down from the table in short succession. You fall off and stumble forward, catching yourself enough to keep yourself from falling. 

April looks pleased, her face smug as she nods. She doesn’t see how blank your face was or the way your hands shook. She doesn’t care about the swirling fear and anger in your eyes. She never noticed how upset you were until you opened your mouth, and screamed.

Immediately, April starts to panic. She moves closer to you and tries to cover your mouth, hushing you and trying to get you to stop. It only makes you scream louder, your voice making its way through the lair and alerting every occupant. The door to the lab opens, and in comes a panicked Donnie. He assesses the situation in seconds, his eyes dark as he rushes over to you and shoves April to the side. He scoops you up into his arms with ease, your legs naturally wrapping around his waist as your arms loop behind his neck.

“What are you doing?” He hisses at April, taking a step towards her. The red-haired girl stutters as she steps back, trying her best not to trip over anything. He stalks towards her, forcing her deeper into the lab before her back hits the wall. Donnie stands over her, his red eyes covered in full white as he looks down at her. April shrinks back, patting her pockets for her Tessen. 

Her heart drops as she realizes she can’t find it, her stance slowly changing into one for fighting. She was unbalanced and unsure, not at all prepared to fight. Donnie snorts at the poor form, shifting you in his arms. April ducks at the punch Donnie throws, realizing a second to late it was a feint before Donnie’s knee crashes right into her nose. She crumples over, a gargled scream coming from her lips as blood pours down her face from her smashed nose. Tears spring in her eyes, the pain from her broken face making her sob. She didn’t even notice when Donnie brought his foot down on her head, her vision quickly going black.

Donnie steps back, adjusting you to fit in his arms better. He walks backwards to his room, not wanting you to see the mess he made on his lab floor. He grimaces, knowing he’d have to clean it up later. It was a miracle his brothers were out still.

“Thank you, love.” He mutters, kissing your temple as he crosses the threshold of his dim room. You mumble something he can’t quite understand, but Donnie brushes it off. You had done what you were supposed to, and he was forever thankful. He leaves you on the bed, making sure you are comfortable before heading to the supply room. He had a mess to clean.

[apple-orchards-writings]

(this is very much inspired by @/fauxyandere's self aware kylar, i've caught myself rereading it so often, its so good!)

Thinking about self aware Kylar, that one day gains sentience and realizes he's not meant to be alive, he's not meant to be anything past words on a screen. This is all fake, his parents aren't real, his world isn't real, his love isn't- Wait...

The person he knew as his love may not be real, but... Who is this, he can faintly see behind them, seemingly tied to his former obsession ? Who is this person, this ghost, this puppeteer ? He tries to ask PC who you are, but he's only met with a blank stare and silence. Is he the only one that can see you ?

What are you, anyway? Are you PC's guide, are you some sort of God ? He needs answers, now. He continues trailing PC, but with a different intention now, he needs to learn more about you, you obviously are more than a ghost. You seem so detached, so nonchalant. You're obviously not from his "world", no, you seem greater, much much greater. He's started to notice that, sometimes, the universe stops moving, and it seems like time completely stops, but only he is aware of it. Clearly, you're in control here, I mean, the world stops and starts at your command, doesn't it ? You're the one making the world go round, you're like a god !

He needs to make his way to you, he can't be trapped here forever in a facsimile of life, no, this isn't fair! No no no, he needs to get to you, I mean, you guided PC to him for his happiness back when he was still a fool, surely you only have his best intentions at heart. He's sure of it, and he starts giving you little hints as to his awakened state.

Instead of "Something is watching you", it's "Someone yearns for your gaze", instead of Kylar mainly staying at the park or the arcade (or the manor), you can find him pretty much anywhere in the game. Oh, you're getting a check-up with Dr.Harper? He's restocking on some meds and ready to escort you out. You're bartending at the strip club ? Guess who just decided he should start building up his tolerance ? (he's the lightest of weights let's be real, one flute of champagne and he's out like a light, he's so cute) Even Remy's farm isn't safe (or unsafe ?) from him, he's either becoming a hucow himself or just rescuing you by manipulating the code in his favor, something he had to learn to do because you kept ignoring him...

After what feel like days of trying to him but are probably only a few minutes to you, he reasons he has to get more aggressive, so he starts just leaving you "cute reminders" every two or three pages of text, like: "don't keep me waiting too long, my love" or "please get me out soon, i want to see you darling!"... He gets more and more impatient, surely you see his little notes ? What are you waiting for...

On your end, you're just thinking you downloaded the wrong update, and you wish the next one will fix all the weird bugs you've been getting, you're pretty sure your encounter rate isn't supposed to be his high... And man does Kylar take up so much of it, you're just trying to find Whitney in peace and it feels like he's just there at every corner. You're starting to think you should delete this save, but you have so many hours in it, it'd be kind of a shame, no?

Meanwhile, Kylar has gotten tired of waiting, and has just decided that if you won't try to get him out of this hell prison nightmare torment place, then he has no choice but to bring you in as well, so you can see how much he had to suffer, and surely this will bring you to see his side, right ? Then you can both leave and live happily together, never to see this fictitious town again. Won't that be nice, darling ? Be ready, you'll be with him soon.

[arthurtaylorlester]

i’m going to have to be honest, i don’t think today’s episode was very good.

of course, there were bits i loved as is with every malevolent episode, like jarthur saying each other’s names like that and arthur styling his hair after clark gable and john remembering, john literally acting like trying to kill oscar was nbd :), it was all very endearing.

but man. some of the other stuff threw me off so bad. there were NO STAKES, any sense of urgency created was immediately destroyed by jarthur literally talking their feelings out. one second is literally jumping on walls like a rabid dog, the next he’s calmly communicating with john and then he’s acting superior and calling him a child.

like, we’ve seen what triggers arthur’s erratic behaviour (usually a distinct lack of john) and how he acts when he’s like that, and sorry but just don’t think this was a case of that.

furthermore, arthur calling john was weird. not in the oh no! is john is canonically a child so you cant ship him with anyone because fuck that, that was not the implication, but in the sense that i think it was incredibly ooc of arthur to say that. like, he recognised that yellow was Like That because he was awful to him, not because he was a child. so why is he saying this to john? he says john can’t handle his emotions, which yeah because he can only talk to you which john makes very clear. arthur says its unfair for john to expect that he never speak to anyone again, but that’s not even what john asked. he doesnt want to be ignored and rather be included, which is a totally reasonable thing to ask for! he even says to arthur when he’s going off the rails that he’s used to being ignored by arthur by now and i don’t think this is another manipulation tactic.

seems like both of them forgot the main goal of the show: separating john from arthur without the king taking him back.

the friendship breakup with oscar at the end was ridiculously tacked on and in my opinion shouldve been the beginning of the next episode. but no, obviously that couldn’t have been done since the next episode is the season finale.

which brings me to my next qualm: this is a terrible penultimate episode. penultimate episodes are supposed to raise the stakes higher than theyve been the whole season so the finale is literally unhinged. and malevolent has been excellent at doing that (see: part 27 the roots). But all this episode does is nullify the stakes, we’re not looking forward to anything next episode. John and arthur are in their healing era (there was no divorce this season let’s be real), theyve left oscar, the stone is gone, the butcher is in police custody and daniel is fine.

so how is the season supposed to end with them (presumably) in the dark world? around a year ago, harlan said dark world arc soon. when is soon.

the lack of stakes in s4 has been a persistent problem for me i think, most conflict has been resolved either within the episode or soon after, especially jarthur relationship problems, which are like the core of the show

don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying i dislike s4, i love it, especially the first half, i think part 31 is the best malevolent episode to date. it’s just that with how well written it’s been, i was taken aback by this one just being…. ok?

i think that because every malevolent episode is such a banger, this one kind of being all over the place, especially with arthur’s characterisation, is kinda disappointing? ofc, ik basically all of harlan’s fam and himself were sick during november + they had a whole baby, so i’m hoping the shift in quality was a circumstancial thing.

[coffinbrotherr]

Istg I keep seeing videos in my recommend that have either Andrew or Ashley sprites in the thumbnail and it's always in the lines of "shock storytelling is BAD" or "this needs to STOP" (I'm not providing examples as to not install a witchhunt but if youve seen them, you know EXACTLY who im talking about.) and I dont...I don't get why? Like, ok genuinely I'm having an actual hard time understanding why because being disturbed and being made uncomfortable is quite literally the definition of horror, so why is it a problem now.

To I guess throw my hat into the ring, I'd like to explain why i personally think incest integral to Tcoaal not only because I'm just fucking tired of seeing people not like the game just because of that aspect and I'm not knocking those people because of it because people can not like things for specific reasons, for example I am not one for horror involving teeth or the mouth so I tend to ignore horror media that prominently use those as setpieces. I'm mainly talking about people that bash it without actually playing it and people that see it at surface level and just make a Baseless assumption because to me and obviously a lot of other people as it still has great reviews, Tcoaal is wonderfully written and that IS thanks to its incest themes.

We see that throughout the game, Ashley obviously loves her brother, not only in the romantic sense but also in the power dynamic. While some aspects have yet to be revealed about thier relationship as we still only have two chapters, Ashley obviously manipulates Andrew and has since they were little as evident by the hide and seek flashback. It's incredibly obvious that Ashley likes control over people and since she doesn't really have anyone else that's closer to her, she uses Andrew exclusively as he's always been there with her figuratively and literally. While this behavior definitely comes from a sense of loneliness and fear of losing the one person that tolerates her as not even thier own parents wanted to stay around them let alone her, I think it also comes down to enjoying the control. Genuinely think about the story of the game for a sec, could you imagine being in that exact situation we see the siblings in. The closest thing we can even relate it to is covid, and we could at least still leave the house to an extent and have things sent to us that we wanted. Imagine going through all that not being able to leave, literally having the bare minimum of food being dropped off to you and being FORCED to stay inside not with a slap on the wrist but with active threats of death even though you know other people get to freely live outside peacefully. Not only is that terrifying but it gives a lot more insight to Ashley's character as she's literally stuck in a place she cannot control in an unfounded situation that is positively awful, but she does have one thing she can control, she has one person she can make exclusively hers and make him do whatever she wants through manipulation and the connection with love. The same goes for Andrew as we know Andrew was at least a bit more popular with people to the point where he even had a girlfriend (Julia) and to have literally all that stripped away from him is tragic, however for him there's one more person he can interact with, one person that cares about him and truly does love him in a way only they can share. It's a beautifully horrific way of telling a story because on the outside, it just looks like "oh hah hah, that's the incest cannibalism game" but if you actually played it you would see not only is the writing genuinely funny but also incredibly smart with its subtle meaning and player interpretation. It's NOT glorifying incest, it is actively showing an incredibly toxic relationship that was made through the circumstances and actions taken with both characters and to say it's just "shock storytelling" or "it's just trying to glorify incest" is just wrong, it's using the incest to further the narrative and that's why I personally find this game to be my favorite work of horror.

But that was just my interpretation, I'd love to hear your guy's views on it because I'd love to further the discussion and potentially add to my analysis as this was just something I wrote at 12:30 AM in bed. I could go on and on about my personal analysis but a lot of it would just be me being genuinely pretty annoyed with the games detractors and overall just make for a poor reading experience.

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 19th May ✨

I have had my heart ripped out through my ears this week by certain shows *cough* Small Victories *cough* but here’s everything I listened to! 

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E10) these ghosties may be incorporeal but the chemistry between them sure isn’t!! I loved hearing Leo find a role that they feel fits them but found myself burying my head in my hands again as they continue to be manipulated by Frank. I love that it’s been written so that there’s definitely something suspicious going on but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is exactly. It’s so much more like real life than if Frank was just obviously rotten and if (when) he reveals himself to be a rat bastard, I hope it helps people examine their own relationships with people who might be manipulating them! 

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (152) Clem 😭 I hate that even as a listener I compare her to Riot but her sense of humour in the face of being pretty much ripped to shreds is SO much like Riot 😩 

And, oh. Oh, Raj. Maybe he hasn’t made a covenant with Syrensyr …. maybe the real eldritch power was grief all along. This killed me. 

I’m hoping at some point (either in the canon or as a bonus) we get to hear the Nikignik/Marolmar conversation in its entirety from start to finish. I love getting snippets but I also want to hear it in full!! 

🧳 Travelling Light @monstrousproductions (22) ooooh I do love a spooky tale and would happily listen to an entire series set in the world of this story! 

🏛 @the-mistholme-museum (TRANQUIL) What a lovely ending to an astounding show. It’s so comforting to know that, at the end of everything, there will still be stories 🥺💙

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (16) Poor Alice ☹️ I really enjoyed the multimedia additions in this episode, it made it so much more entertaining to listen to!! 

🍎 @notquitedeadpod (XXXVIII) Oh lord. Maybe Casper isn’t the angel we assumed him to be 😩 I literally didn’t trust Neige at all when he was first introduced but, god, I am so soft for him now. If it turns out that he’s the one manipulating Alfie I’m going to lose it. What on earth are they going to do with Casper now?? 

🌞 Small Victories by @wgc-productions (2.05-2.07) oh my GOD!! Marisol!!! I can’t even believe what has happened in my ears. CHRIST. I think what hurts the most is that it actually took zero effort for her to find the oxy in the end - she was REALLY stopping herself 😭 she could have taken it at any time and didn’t. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this show has been written and acted, the writing and performances are so spot on that it feels like real life!

^ So I wrote this and then finished off the rest of the season and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! Shit, man. I completely didn’t even realise who ‘The Host’ was until she apologised to him at the start of the last episode 😭 don’t do this to me, I’m too fragile 😭 ugh, it’s all just too much. I need season three right now. 

Please, everyone go listen to Small Victories!! And if you're having a generous audio drama Sunday, Stories from Ylemore by @itmeblog is crowdfunding and you should support them!!

[cowboy-robooty]

no guys see robooty itager is the slowest burn fucking imaginable. because i think that 1) italy would have to initiate them dating since germany thinks hes rejected forever after buon san valentino (my boy loves one sided crush) and 2) if they dont slow burn theyll crash and explode. because i think italy takes forever to realize he genuinely really fucking love germany and ONLY loves him and is willing to be loyal 'n treat him well to have him. Since i think italy isnt the type to really love ever since his kindergarten crush so he takes forever to recognize what he feels is genuine love (plus his love is born from a sense of entitlement but thats a whole 'nother enchilada). but yeah and because they take forever and are fully developed in their feelings when they date things are happy happy sunshine swag peace and love ❤️ they do stupid shit as bros the only difference now is they make out sometimes and japan cries himself to sleep everyday ^_^

but in a world where somehow they started dating BEFORE italy completely sorts out his feelings then OHHHH MY GOD. HELLWORLD. LITERAL HELLWORLD. because italy would totally cheat on germany and germanys heart would have youtube poop glass shattering effect explosion and italy would be #unloyal and #mean #scumgong and he would break up with germany for being so clingy and upset about him breaking his heart everyday or germany would break up with italy because everyone in his entire life (2 people: japan and prussia) is telling him that he needs to because italys making him chew glass (they take like 6 years to convince him and have to resort to saying its for italys own good if he breaks up with him). and then when they break up germany would hashtag die and explode because he obviously still loves italy but hes held back by prussia to not come back to him and tries to satiate his autistic brain by thinking "he was mean to me and told me to leave. im sorry ill leave now sorry for bothering you" and he also doesnt feel close to anybody except italy and has to go "brother....... i am.... not feeling good right now........" and cant say much else bc WE SAW IN THE ANIME GERMANY WANTED TO VENT ABT ITALY AND REALIZED HE HAS NOBODY BC HE ONLY IS CLOSE ENOUGH IN THAT WAY TO ITALY. and then cut to italy and hes partying it up because hes pissed off at germany for being on his ass hardcore every single day for the past god knows how long (hate my wife syndrome) until a while later the partying slows down and he has a bunch of moments where he thinks "well usually right now germany would do [thing]" and that builds up until he is hit with the full realization that germany is not going to stay by his side anymore. because hes run away now and hes never ever coming back. and that realization is like the evil version of italy realizing that he loves germany and wants him to ALWAYS be by his side; so much so that hes willing to do what it takes and compromise and be loyal n shit to make that happen. and now italy is freaking out because he doesnt feel this urge ever and now hes already fumbled the dude hes fr in gays with. but this realization is evil because its under a sense of panic and shit so its also motivated by italy feeling a sense of entitlement to having germany by his side and like HES SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

and from there italy would get back together with germany either easily bc he would just ask and say sorry and germany would go "well to be fair I should have been better as well. yes we should try again i want to too, i will try my best to not fail you this time." or it would be hard because germany would have his mind made up (with prussias support and urging and shit) to be like no italy we arent good for eachother and i cant (shouldnt) forgive you for doing those things to me and italy would be like Oh. and chew glass and freak the fuck out until he decides hes going to use #emotional manipulation and sob to everyone about how germany wont take him back and make everyone hate on germany and call him a terrible guy n shit to make germany feel so guilty and think hes an awful person to italy that he takes italy back. but even then their relationship is now fucked up forever because they live in perfect symbiosis thats their entire thing but now they dont because germany now has doubt of italy because of how he went into their relationship before and didnt give a fuck and italy unlocked his evil paranoia because now when he gets scared that germany will leave him he cant be comforted by thinking that would never happen because IT DID. HE WAS SEPERATED FROM HIM IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE GERMANY RUN AWAY. and because of that italy gets a lot more freaky about not wanting anyone to like germany so germany wont like them more than him and being emotionally manipulative and possessive and yandere shit because his paranoia is driving him to it. itager is great because it has so much potential to be evil like italy could emotionally manipulate germany so hard and all that shit but it would never happen because germany is so loyal and obsessed with italy that he never makes italy feel paranoid and like he has to. theyre like imagine if someone who has potential yandere gene in them dated a person who loved them more than anything in the entire universe and bends to their every will and never even glances at another person. that yandere gene is never getting activated bruh and at most manifests when italys like WAHHHH GERMANY YOU WONT LIKE RUSSIA MORE THAN ME RIGHT?? WHY DONT I HAVE THE MOST GERMAN TOURISTS IN THE WORLD WTF IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT ME I NEED TO CHANGE????? but in the world where they rush things they break up and it disrupts all this homeostasis and makes them a little evil afterwards because italy has excessive paranoia that cant be quenched and germany has autism doubt because "he betrayed me once...... so hell probably betray me again *cries*"

[aslongasimhereyoureinvincible]

what are your neurodivergent headcanons for hq characters?

asdfjhgfds sorry this has been in my askbox for a few days ive been busy w/ Life Stuff TM but anyways ND haikyuu headcanons lets gooo

hinata:

ik bc hes Sunshiney and Loud lots of ppl read hinata as adhd, which i can deffo see, but personally i read him as autistic

hes extroverted and good at adopting introverts (kageyama, kenma, yachi, tsukki) but when u stop to think abt it hes also actually kinda bad at social ques and 'normal' behaviour?? i think ppl dont notice bc hes also rlly nice but hinata is actually pretty blunt lmao

his special interest is literally volleyball cmon now

its canon that he dislikes being in classes too long or doing homework bc he finds sitting still for too long difficult, both me and my autistic older brother used to get up and pace around our classrooms when we were younger

even though hes rlly athletic and has insane reflexes obviously, hes also pretty clusmy and especially bad at judging distances which to me looks like dyspraxia which is really commonly comorbid w/ autism

ive also read a few fics where he has tourettes syndrome w/ body tic and i can deffo see why ppl would hc that

idk hes just reads as autistic so well in my mind like idk why its not a more common take

kageyama:

this one is less of a headcanon and moreso just interpreting the text correctly; hes definitely autistic

like its my belief that furudate either knowingly wrote kageyama as autistic or like based his personality off of an irl autistic person they knew or SOMETHING bc its actually insane how well he reads as autistic

the lack of social skills? the anger issues? the deep special interest in volleyball? the just wanting to express your feelings/opinions but coming off as rude but not knowing how to fix that? middle school being a living hell? having that one family member who Got you? the high level of skill in one particular area? hes literally the texboox definition of autism

even the little things like how he files his nails and jokes go over his head and he accidentally insults ppl bc hes calling it how he sees it and how he basically had no friends growing up bc he was too focused on volleyball and how he struggles to smile on command like!!! thats autism babe!!!!!!

oh also hes dyslexic bc im dyslexic and i say so

ushijima:

same as kageyama i bet he was either knowing written as autistic or based off of an irl person who is

blunt as all hell, monotone voice and facial expressions, volleyball as a special interest, bad at social interaction, accidentally rude, the list goes on and on

like his whole thing about how his left handedness makes him different but is also a gift that benefits him in some ways? thats a metaphor for neurodivergency dont @ me

oikawa:

i hc him as having narcisstic personality disorder, not in the ableist reddit-user 'all ppl w/ npd are evil manipulative abusers' way but in the ' i have npd and know what it actually looks like' way

hiding massive insecurities by acting like youre amazing?? that fuckin marina lyric thats like 'i feel like im the worst so i always act like im the best'?? that was abt oikawa tooru and npd

feeling threatened the second someone as good or better than you shows up? fixating on one specific thing that you have to be the best at? those are npd as fuck traits

the way he can basically get along with anyone and adjust his play style to suit them but only has a few close friendships where he can let his true personality rlly shine through

hes literally so npd coded augh <3

bokuto:

i read him as adhd and having cyclothymia

i think he was unmedicated in high school and unknowingly had depressive and hypomanic episodes which affected his play

he also very much reads as having rejection sensitive dysphoria if u ask me

and the way he talks and bounces around and has All That Damn Energy gives me adhd vibes, esp pared w/ his poor volume control ad the way he ignores social cues lol

okay quickfire round bc im getting tired of typing

atsumu is autistic, so is osamu for that matter, theyre just at very different points on the spectrum and rub each other up the wrong way a lot of the time bc of it

kita is also autistic bc no neurodivergent person is that particular about doing things the 'right' way

hoshiumi is autistic and adhd

asahi and yamaguchi read like they struggled w/ anxiety and depression

sakusa has ocpd and ocd (contamination ocd specifically) and mysophobia

kyoutani has aspd, again not in a 'aspd = violent agressive psychopaths' way but in a 'i actually have a cluster b personality disorder' way, and adhd also

kenma is autistic and has social anxiety

yachi has social anxiety too bc cmon now

tsukki reads to me as having chronic depression, i think i could also make a case for him being autistic too ngl

tendou is some flavour of neurodivergent, probally audhd, probably some other stuff, idk but hes definitely not neurotypical

like hinata, lev reads as autistic to me even tho hes got that goodball energy thatd make lots of ppl read him as adhd bc like,, he just fuckin sucks at social interaction like he is accidentally rude all the damn time lmaoo

fukunaga and aone are both autistic w/ selective mutism and/or partial to moderate non-verbalness

obviously its none of my business and i think having headcanons abt irl ppl is Fucking Weird but i wouldnt be surprised if furudate themself was autistic bc truly so many characters in haikyuu can be read that way if u ask me, although maybe im just projecting lol

[thesugarhole]

sanrio?? hello??

violin* and obsessed with money???? since when??? i mean. alright. i can give the violin to him AND cherry but its like, very barely there violin??

me to the sanrio ceo: "berry is violin" shut up if youve seen the stuff kuromi circa 2006 used to do youd hurl

also i dont think wallet status has ever been mentioned about these guys... in any media/franchise. they live in an abandoned looking mansion for the halloween aesthetic, not because of money. i can believe 'obsessed with money' but not 'poor'

hoping its either just google mistranslations or some recent developments ive been blissfully unaware of

>cinnamon

>her

its mistranslations. also this is personal headcanoning time based on how often the confusion happens but man you cant do this to cinnamon notorious trans man icon cinnamon. if he doesnt mind it then ill mind it for him djkhfdksj 'cherry is competitive and selfish' is correct btw this has always been her description. well maybe not competitive but definitely selfish. iirc it was always around "berry is stubborn cherry is selfish and theyre both tsundere" genuinely dont know where violin came from its gotta be a mistranslation on the nuisanse/stubborn aspect. i also dunno where 'weakness is strong-willed girls' came from, it might be talking about his friendship with cherry and how he might given in easier to what she tells him (at least i choose to think so) so i got no comment on it

all the pronouns being mismatched is so funny man come on shjfhdgfdsjvfdsjv is this profile using some sort of neutral language that left google confused as hell?

i. uh? should i be worried about espresso?

this ones... correct? espresso is more of a culture savant than a celebrity.... anyway berry if you kick him out there will be no one there to make you the food you love

nope! its magic and mirror manipulation. pranking is their hobby and favorite pass time but their magic is not limited to just the -its joke- context (sorry to once again quote the worst season ever of OMM, but they both tried to help out bakus family by making a photo of food they had emit scent, so the family would have an easier time eating plain rice. no jokering no jestering no clowning no malicious behavior whatsoever).

i remember being mentioned in older descriptions that berry had some potion making proficiency but they havent focused in that in years so who cares now amirite. i dont remember if cherry had any sort of distinction like this, theyve always overfocused on her crush on espresso :pensive:

"what about cherry"

"who? oh idk write smth about espresso again"

(hobbies include PRANKS, attempting to make friends (a general trait) making music (2018 rankings), having ballroom parties (cinnamon trip!! by oster project) and watching sentai/magical girl anime (onegai my melody). berrys particular hobby is to mess with cinnamon, cherrys particular hobby is to go after espresso. i guess.) (but again most of these are old one offs, and currently unfocused aspects of theirs so. whatever)

also i really would like to know the plans about the alt designs for them that are technically their true form and always show in their shadows and (sometimes?) in mirror reflections. it hasnt been completely dropped but, its never been hard defined either so idk. i guess i feel a bit bummed that its also been attempted to be forgotten to time because (to me feel at least) it feels very obviously based on the episode kuromi turned herself into a human and it could be something they were trying to establish to devil inspired characters back then.

thanks for coming to the lloromannic autism hour its nice to think about something else other than current personal events sometimes

*censorship

[sleepykamukura]

i think ashe is one of the most agonizing characters for me to think about because she’s just like me

her family is a shitshow. i’ve never seen people acknowledge that her parents were genuinely abusive past “ashe’s family sucks.”

neglect is abuse, manipulation is abuse, and it’s implied in a one-off that her mother threatens to hit her

so, long long ramble analysis of ashe’s parents

Graduation Day

ashe’s day starts well, excited to graduate, finally be out of a shitty school with shittier peers. her parents promised to be there, and they weren’t. this also isn’t the first time, according to ashe

she’s upset, she wants to be alone. unfortunately, being alone is what gets her into trouble

The Fight

so obviously a 17yo girl getting cornered by two teenage boys is definitely not a great situation, and the cops not believing ashe was defending herself baffles me

her parents have me even more confused. do you have so little care for your kid that you’re more worried about your image than your safety?

they tell her they’ll disown her, which is fucked. this is a threat, this is abuse

Calamity

when the original gang(tm) have her come up with a code name for their trip to cutthroat trout’s, ashe doesn’t think of a nickname or something badass, she thinks of her mother fussing at her over an accident

The House

this is the biggest piece to me.

ashe’s parents are home on her birthday, they’re angry, they’re either unaware of or unbothered by the fact a kid (cole) has been kidnapped off their property, they’re unbothered that their daughter was inside a burning building, they’re more bothered by their money being at risk

“Oh honestly, Elizabeth,” she said, sounding exasperated, “did you really believe we were going to disown you? Our only child?”

Ashe blinked at her parents, utterly bewildered.

“You were out of control,” her father continued. “You needed to be taught a lesson. Yes, it was a drastic step to make you think we were going to cut you off, but something needed to be done to convince you to clean up your act!”

The world seemed to warp around Ashe, twisting in some way she couldn’t comprehend. Were they telling the truth? Or was this simply a performance, a rewriting of the punishment they’d threatened, in order for her parents to save face in front of Bellerae’s police force?

Something needed to be done.

You needed to be taught a lesson.

to me, this implies that ashe’s parents rewrite their punishments frequently when it doesn’t go how they want to emotionally confuse her

Her mother looked surprised, but only for a moment. Then her eyes went hard. “You know, Elizabeth, I used to think you were misguided, a little too spirited for your own good. I thought having to confront the idea of being on your own would be to your benefit. But now I know better: At your core, you’re nothing more than a base, common criminal.”

“Strange,” said Ashe, glaring right back. “I would have thought that made me the perfect candidate to work with you and all those corporate buddies whose boots you line up to lick.”

Her mother’s hand flickered up, as if she was about to slap Ashe, but it stopped halfway. “Sheriff,” she called instead. “Get over here.”

wow! ok! even if she doesn’t actually hit her, its still wrong to threaten people (let alone your kids) with physical violence

The Aftermath (Part One)

Less than an hour later, she was free. And poor, once again. Her bail, covering the many crimes she was accused of, had been astronomical—taking almost everything there was in the gang’s shared account. That had left a feeling like a hole in her gut, but it was nothing compared to the one eating deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by and the Diamondbacks still had [Cole]. And yet, she couldn’t help but reflect on how her parents’ interference had left her exactly where they had intended—eighteen, penniless, and without anywhere to call home.

But even if her blood relations had cast her aside, Ashe had found a new family to take their place.

And one of those people was in trouble.

ashe’s family isn’t blood anymore. her parents have hurt her over and over again for eighteen years, and to me i can interpret this of her being drained of every possible drop of love for her parents. they don’t seem to love her, why should she be obligated to love them? the gang treats her better, they respect her, they’re an emotionally stable environment.

The last few months had been the first time in years she’d been happy in this house. Now she was walking its halls for what was likely the final time.

The thought didn’t bother her half as much as she might have expected.

the house is devoid of ashe’s real family (the gang), making it worthless to her in the end.

Packing only some clothing and a few personal items. Everything else, she was happy to abandon. It wasn’t her, not anymore. In the end, the entirety of her life at Lead Rose Manor came to less than half a rucksack.

nothing in the manor mattered to her, i interpret this as her only things she brought was things she bought with her own money

If her parents had kept their promise, she never would have met [Cole], or Julian, or Frankie. And that opened a bigger hole in her than the thought of never seeing Lead Rose again.

This was no longer her home. Arbalest was no longer her company. And her parents were no longer her family.

<- refer to last excerpt’s comment

The Aftermath (Part Two)

right after ashe declares the gang is her only family, it’s revealed that julian is the one who betrayed her. obviously this is messed up, it’s upsetting, and she’s angry.

Frankie’s expression turned even stonier than when she’d looked at Julian. “I’m not saying I don’t understand, but … I’d never betray you—or Jesse, or even B.O.B.—like that. I thought you’d know that by now. But I’ll give you that one mistake.” She locked eyes with Ashe. “Next time you doubt me, I’m done. That’s not something I’ll forgive twice. Understood?”

to me this feels like ashe’s treatment in her childhood has altered her perception of others. her parenrs betrayed her and broke promises a lot, at least as far as we’re told. obviously ashe is quick to jump to conclusions, but luckily frankie is willing to give her a chance to learn not everyone is like that

But even though [Cole] was smiling, one of his eyes was nearly swelled shut, and there was dried blood on his chin from a split lip.

Ashe wheeled on Bez and shoved him into the wall of the cavern. “What did you do to him, you son of a—”

this isnt super important, to me it’s just ashe taking on the overprotective role her blood family never did for her

Seeing them now, gathered and wearing their new insignia for the first time, triggered a strange feeling, one that was so unfamiliar it took her a moment to identify it.

Home. This felt like home.

“But more than a gang,” she continued, “we’re a family. And like a real family, once you’re in Deadlock, you’re in it for life.”

ashe’s blood family is gone, but she has the gang now. maybe her methods are harsh, but she does it in a way they gives out the feeling of love and safety her parents never provided for her

The Aftermath (The Finale)

although we don’t see cole’s betrayal, to me it’s implied he was forced to cut contact with ashe. maybe it’s just a throw away line, but ashe remarks that cole promised he’s right, yet he never did. ~20 years with no contact doesn’t seem like something usual for cole, even if he was disagreeing with how deadlock was straying from its original path.

ashe had been stabbed in the back before, first her family, then julian. of course it hurt when she thought cole betrayed her, the first person to attempt to even understand her, the person she was willing to risk her life to save.

cole having contact with ashe probably wasn’t forcefully cut off, but he instead decided it was safer for her and the rest of the gang for him to not contact him, in preparation of his contact being tracked by overwatch to potentially do another operation on the deadlock gang

okay it’s 4:30am and i’ve been writing for 2hrs now and i’m done uhhh i would love any additional content and observations and analysis ^_^ i like seeing other people’s interpretations

[genericpuff]

Fun fact, the story of Hades and Persephone has actually been romanticized since long before Twilight came out. Never mind antiquity, but in terms of modern media, the earliest example I can think of comes from Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, where the episode that retells the Homeric Hymn to Demeter came out in 1995! And if we do account for antiquity, the Ancient Greeks themselves saw the marriage as ideal and there actually are a few ancient sources that basically have Persephone preferring Hades and the Underworld to being aboveground with Demeter, but it should also be noted that these sources are Roman and not Greek (specifically Virgil's Georgics and Lucan's Pharsalia).

Don't get me wrong, Twilight definitely had a lot of influence here, I just thought I'd point out that this interpretation of the myth has been around for way longer than most people probably realize.

Oh I know, but that's sort of next to the point I was trying to make in that previous post. When I compared it to Twilight I guess like... I'm comparing it to the entire genre and trend of shitty manipulative romances being both romanticized as well as turned into "global phenomenons". Like they were romanticized before but at least they were just shitty cheap books in the back of the bookstore, you know? Now that they're turned into these big Hollywood fiascos, it makes it even easier to normalize these types of relationships and concepts. Even if we look back on Twilight and 50 Shades now and call it out for what it is, there are still a lot of people who absorbed those books/films in incredibly damaging ways (especially younger audiences in Twilight's case). You are what you eat, is what I'm saying. And it's a much bigger problem than LO but I do think LO is a symptom of the problem, which is - instead of stories being written by men through a toxic male gaze in which women are objectified and hypersexualized and men are told not to cry, now we have stories being written by woman through a toxic female gaze in which women are "empowered" by being carried around like dolls by an emotionally stunted man who wants to cry but just whips them in the bedroom instead.

It's still pretty much the male gaze but with extra steps.

IDK if I'm explaining that well though LMAO Obviously I don't want to generalize and reduce the entire dark romance genre to its worst writers but this is why it annoys me to no end that stories like Twilight, After, 50 Shades, and LO keep getting propelled to the forefront of the genre zeitgeist. It makes the people who aren't a bunch of creeps writing their kinky self-insert power fantasies look bad just by affiliation. And it sets an incredibly shitty standard for those who are introduced to the genre through these works.

The reality is (and I'm speaking very candidly here from my own experiences so take with grains of salt if you must, you don't have to agree) being a woman - or being an under-represented minority/individual in general, whether you're LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent or POC - doesn't mean you're magically protected from thinking or writing the same stuff as the problematic majority. You are what you eat. If you grew up consuming toxic heteronormative content (which EVERYONE does because it's FUCKING EVERYWHERE LMAO) then of course you're gonna go on to write the same stuff unless you challenge it in some way, either by reading other opinions that don't "play it safe" just to look good, or reading other content entirely that isn't subject to the norm of "what's popular". Always be willing to broaden your horizons and don't forget - just because it makes a lot of money doesn't automatically mean it's good.

[starknife-starmimi]

Hello again and it's good to see you.

This is New Year anon back from the depths of hell I think? I've been working a summer job so the heat is what I'll be considering hell. If the angry confessions post is still up for debate please do either 3, 7, 8, or 10? Later down the line I might give it a shot with my own interpretation through the asks as well (if I have some time to breathe) but yeah ty if do.

Welcome back! It's nice to see you in my ask box again! I hope everything went well at your summer job!

I did prompt 3 and this is honestly one of the best things I have ever written so I hope you enjoy it! You're very welcome and thank you for the prompt! If you end up doing any in the asks I will be happy to read and share them! Now on with the angst!

[ AO3 Link ]

Doctor Starline proudly supervised the Eggperial City from one of its many towers. He had won and successfully conquered the Eggman Empire as his own, now more than ever his world domination would be inevitable. Once Surge and Kit finish their heroic inspirations the cycle that has plagued mobius for years on end will finally be under his control and his only.

“ So this is what it was all for? ”

The platypus gently fidgeted with one of the cuffs of Eggman’s iconic jacket which he now wore as his own personal trophy. Now it was obviously quite oversized for him, but he could have it tailored later. Oh, how far Starline had come. Nothing could stop nor distract him now, he truly was on cloud nine.

A familiar scratched voice echoed into the room.

Starline swiftly turned to see Mimic entering the room, taking in the tower’s futuristic interior. 

Out of all of his former allies that could’ve returned, it was the one who not only threatened to take his life, but turned his entire team against him out of a lack of trust. Starline would have never expected Mimic of all individuals to come crawling back, likely to finish what he started, to kill him.

“ I thought you were smarter than this, Mimic. I really did, but it seems you want more than ever to finish what you've started. ”

Starline harshly spoke, activating the Tricore without hesitation. He wasn’t going to flee this time, not after everything he has worked for. The doctor wasn’t going down now.

Mimic’s headtufts quickly twitched to the response just in time for him to realize Starline charging towards him for the first hit. Yet reflexes were on the octopus’s side as his tentacles quickly stopped Starline’s attack, tangleling and tightening around his arms until he couldn’t push forward, or step back.

“ This isn’t what it looks like, Doc! ”

“ Oh sure, this doesn’t at all look like an assassination attempt! ”

Starline mocked.

“ Do you really think I would’ve announced my presence if I was here to kill you? ”

Mimic asked, tussling against Starline’s attempts to escape his suctioned grip.

Starline had to admit, Mimic's lack of stealth upon entry was quite out of character for him, but Mimic was also a manipulator. A more tame approach could have easily been made in hopes he would let his guard down. That would’ve given Mimic the perfect opportunity to strike.

“ Do you really think I’m going to fall for that? ”

Starline snapped as the Tricore’s strength allowed him to pull himself out from Mimic’s grasp. Finally free, Starline attempted to kick Mimic, determined to inject him with the neurotoxins in his heel spurs.

Yet Mimic grabbed Starline’s leg before he could experience the impact, quickly tossing Starline off of his feet before grabbing him from the ground and shoving him against the wall. A tentacle quickly wrapped around one of Starline’s heels and lifted it off the ground preventing him from trying to kick again.

Starline deactivated the Tricore, hoping to give Mimic the illusion that he had won.

“ And here I thought you had moved on from the events of Eggnet Hub, considering how quickly you had moved on after you killed your old team, but I shouldn’t be surprised that you spent months tracking me down just so you could find me. ”

“ Do you not hear how fucking paranoid you sound right now?! ”

“ What? Isn’t that exactly what you did? ”

“ No… Well actually yes, but not to fucking exterminate you! For fuck’s sake if I was going to actively seek someone to kill at this point it probably be Eggman just to get him off my back for good. ”

Mimic paused, taking a split second to look Starline up and down.

“ But it seems you’ve already done that for me. ”

“ I suppose that means you owe me. ”

Starline sharply joked before reactivating the Tricore in order to punch Mimic in the face. 

“ OW! For fuck’s sake- You bastard! ”

With the assassin off of him Starline quickly made distance between them.

“ I just want to talk! ”

Mimic yelled, truly beginning to lose his patience with the platypus. Not only had he wasted literal months just trying to track Starline down, but he practically risked his life getting in here only for the scientist to not let him get a word in.

“ And I have gratefully enjoyed this little chat of ours! Though I have more important things to do than deal with your pesky shenanigans. ”

Starline sassed with a smile before snapping his wedded fingers, commanding a troop of Eggpawns to storm into the room and surround the shapeshifting intruder.

“ You know I can’t help but feel sorry that you didn’t place more trust in me back then. I had considered keeping you around, folding you into my masterplan, but it seems now I have no other choice than to cut you out of it… permanently. ”

Starline said as he watched his Eggpawns shuffle and strangle in order to grab Mimic, let alone keep him held.

“ Well maybe if you hadn’t rambled on a damn recording about how you were going to kill us, maybe you would’ve gotten your way. ”

“ And maybe if you had placed more faith in me back then, you wouldn’t have gone searching through my computer. ”

Mimic attempted to squirm loose from the robotic grip, only to freeze once he felt the edge of a gun against his mantle. Fear finally flooded him. He was going to die over this, wasn’t he? No… Not yet.

Starline strolled back over to Mimic, gently cupping his head up in his webbed hand with a smug grin.

“ It truly is a shame, Mimic. What a great thing you could’ve become if you had just stuck around. ”

“ Well, I’m sorry I fell in love with you, okay? But it happened and I can’t do shit about it! ”

Mimic had snapped without further thought, desperate to keep his life.

Starline’s face shocked blank, like a computer facing an error. At first, he couldn’t believe it. How could Mimic of all people fall for him? He couldn’t possibly be his type, right? Sure, he hadn’t been afraid to mess with the short-tempered assassin back when they worked together. It was entertaining to watch Mimic become flustered and annoyed over his occasional flirts when no one else was around to witness, but he had never expected those teases to maintain a lasting effect.

Mimic’s face fell into a similar shocked expression yet more cowardly, he couldn’t believe he had fucking said that. A wave of misery drowned Mimic’s mind as he slipped his head out of Starline’s hand, attempting to bury himself in his cloak. Just waiting for the Eggpawn’s firearm to shoot. Then this month's worth of suffering would end. It was all going to be for nothing anyways.

“ You… What? ”

Starline finally asked, his voice now soft and hushed.

Mimic didn't respond, only muttering curses under his raspy breath. He was more vulnerable now than he'd ever been. It was weak, it was sickening. This overwhelming fear and sorrow, like a child lost in a storm. He hated it, this feeling, this whole situation. He should've never come back. The one time he let his emotions take hold of him and now it was going to cost his reputation and his life. He had ruined everything he had going for him.

Starline waved his hand a couple times, queuing the Eggpawns to drop Mimic and leave the room. When Mimic didn't get up from the ground, Starline kneeled down in front of him.

Deep down, there was a small part of Starline that feared this was a trap, but this vulnerability is something he had never seen Mimic display before. Trap or truth, it was intriguing.

Yet the longer Mimic remained silent, the more time it gave Starline to reflect. He could never remember why he had exactly flirted with Mimic back then. It was probably just to get under his skin, some selfish entertainment… or being fired by Eggman… Either way, Mimic had never returned those words and gestures, only snapping and cursing at him. Sure, it did fluster him back then but the doctor always thought that blush was out of embarrassment than interest. It could have even been a mixture of both for all he knew.

A light chuckle left his bill, Starline couldn’t believe he might have actually swoon Mimic into falling for him considering how persistent the octopus was in hating him. Though it wasn’t all his doing, not likely. The more he remembered, the more he could recall how much he had found himself missing Mimic after the events at the Eggnet Hub. How foolish was that? Missing a man who ought to slit your throat. Yet he had, and deep down he still did. Starline had just managed to bury himself so deep in his work that he forgot about his emotions, his feelings. They were nothing but a distraction back then anyways, but now, he was starting to reconsider.

“ Why didn’t you return sooner? ”

Mimic’s head perked up from his cloak. It felt as if the whole room was changing, one minute he was being held at gunpoint for intruding, next he was being asked why he didn’t intrude sooner. He should’ve been dead by now. What was going on?

“ I tried, but you decided to start running around like a headless clucky after the group split. It was near impossible to find you, and that's saying something coming from me. ”

He answered, still on the sharpest edge of fear.

Meanwhile, the doctor knew he wasn’t exactly wrong, Starline had been moving from base to base in order to keep anyone from tracking him down, though it was clear to tell that hadn’t exactly worked.

“ Well it all doesn’t matter much now, does it? You’re here now. ”

Starline said, continuing to soften his voice as he stood up and lended Mimic his hand to help him up.

“ I guess. ”

Mimic replied, hesitantly taking Starline’s webbed hand. He still couldn’t believe he wasn’t dead right now, let alone that this was mutual.

As Mimic stood in front of him, Starline finally began to take in how much he had missed him. It felt warm to finally have him near again after so much time. The whole world finally felt alive again.

“ What now? ”

Mimic asked, finally making direct eye contact.

“ Well… I don’t exactly know… ”

Starline quickly turned to one of the monitors against the tower’s window, on it displayed a screen showing the location of Surge & Kit. They were near the edge of the city, still chasing down their light-hearted counterparts. At first Starline couldn't help but be somewhat annoyed that they had not completed their mission yet, but on the other hand…

“ But we have all the time in the world to figure that out. ”

[send-up-my-heart-to-you]

theories for chain of thorns

i had these posted on my gr from like december, im just posting them here

- lucie will now be an antagonist lets be honest we all know it. necromancers are NOT good people and thats the path lucie chose for herself by wanting to save jesse

- someone major will die idk who it is yet, but my instincts tell me its matthew or alistair. the second wouldnt make sense tho – if alistair dies, how would the carstairs line continue down to emma??? hopefully itll be tatiana that bitch

- jamie x daisy its inevitable guys, have you seen the snippets? im rooting for them theyre perfect

- thomas and alistair are NOT gonna end up together this was a gut feeling when i wrote it but as of jan 5 i have a legible reason as to why they would not be happy and its the next theory

- IM SCARED THOMAS IS GONNA DIE the “found family tree” says that thomas died TWO YEARS before barbara. i understand cassie has repeatedly stated that its been manipulated (she hinted that it was changed by the silent brothers) and isnt reliable. but isnt that disturbing?? esp considering theres at least part of it thats reliable, and thats the fact that alistair will 100% go on to marry a woman despite being gay. if alistair doesnt have kids, and cordelias children are all herondales, then the carstairs family would die out and emma would not be related to jem (even tho its been stated that they are related by blood). “oH bUt SoNa iS pReGnAnT mAyBe ShEs GoNnA GiVe BiRtH tO a bOy” first of all, theres a chance the baby is born a girl second of all, the baby might die third of all, where is the son on the family tree? fourth of all, SONA IS, ACCORDING TO THE TREE, DEAD BEFORE THOMAS. PLEASE.

- grace x christopher i despise grace but she acts like a different person around kit… maybe he can fix her

- anna x ariadne she cant fuck up ALL the gay relationships, now can she?

- the merry thieves are gonna forgive alistair (specifically matthew) bro he literally made out with one of them TWICE. if matthew doesnt think “well shits gonna get awkward if i dont forgive the sorry bastard” istg~ 💀

- this is more of a hope than a theory MATTHEW FAIRCHILD SHALL ACHIEVE THE HAPPINESS HE DESERVES smth tells me he wont get a happy ending tho… i mean, if my above theory abt thomas is correct~

- SO DOES ALISTAIR I MEAN CMON GUYS #justiceforalistair he regrets the shit hes pulled and therefore your hate against him for it is invalid PLUS HE GOT BULLIED BY RACIST PIECES OF SHIT HE DID WHAT HE COULD TO MAKE IT STOP

- matthew will open up abt his secret its like a routine at this point, in every shadowhunters series. a character has a secret that nearly kills them outta despair, they open up to friends, theyre met with love and support. jace loving his “sister”. wills “curse”. emma and jules’ relationship. ty bringing back livvy. alec being gay. you get used to it lol

- either lucie or matthew would have their marks stripped lucie for attempting/committing necromancy, and matthew because sobh said he doesnt have a specified death date (also i think cassie just hates him)

- jesse will be evil bro wouldnt that be cruel… like imagine after lucie brings him back hes like “haha i manipulated you to bring me back i never loved you” and then sHe GETS HER RUNES STRIPPED FOR NECROMANCY and its worse bc the shadowhunters are already out to get the herondales bc they refuse to accept tessa as anything but a warlock no but in that case she would prolly go to live with wills parents OKAY BUT IMAGINE HOW HEARTBROKEN CHARLOTTE WOULD BE WHILE DOING IT WHILE JAMIE IS CRYING AND MATTHEW SCREAMING AT HER NOT TO AND WILL TELLS HIM TO STOP WHILE TEARS ARE GOING DOWN HIS FACE

- a “seven husbands of evelyn hugo” thing with anna x ariadne and thomas x alistair (credit to my good friend wiz/nisha for saying this) maybe cassie is going to have thomas marry ariadne and anna marry alistair so that they could have a good old switcheroo, so they can swap lovers?? obviously it cant be anna and thomas lmao theyre cousins but thomas and ARIADNE…

- matthew and cordelia ARE going to kiss at one point HOL’ UP I DONT SHIP EM, i think its gonna be a climon kinda thing where they kiss and dont like it as much as they thought they would, and end up deciding to stay friends i think thats the best way cassie could deal with matthews crush on her without breaking anyones heart, i hope to god it wont be like him confessing and her rejecting him plz oml