#but the symbolism guys... the symbolism...
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when i was in high school i went to a federal technical school which had a student union. my parents (both registered commies by the tail end of the military dictatorship) explicitly forbade me from ever joining an union or attending a protest before i became of age because they were aware of the risks.
cue me innocently leaving school on a random wednesday, walking to my bus stop, finding out there was a protest right in front of my bus stop, trying to get out, failing miserably, and immediately getting tear gassed and pepper sprayed by the police while trying to get the fuck out of under the riot police's hooves
came back home looking like i smoked about a whole pound of weed, wheezing, in terrible pain, and when i said "i didn't go there it was an accident" my parents yelled WE KNOW THE CHILD WE RAISED
"Why don't Americans riot?" Which Americans cuz Black people did in 2020 (and many years prior lol) and white people responded with getting back-the blue-bumper stickers
#personal#then they cut the funding for our school and we decided to symbolically give the school a hug#and we got tear gassed and pepper sprayed AGAIN#so i went home pissed and said I WAS LITERALLY HUGGING A FUCKING TREE#and my dad said well if you were comitting a hate crime this wouldn't have happened#so#and another time there were massive protests called and i was leaving school to go to a doctor's appointment#and there were 4 national guard trucks and at least 30 officers with rifles pointed at us#so they called me over and said “where are you going can i see your bag”#and i had just tightened my braces and i was in terrible pain#so i went there showed him my bag and started crying and the guy was like why are you crying are you afraid of something#and i was like i haven't had solid foods in three days i'm hungry and i'm in so much pain i wanna kill myself#and he kinda startled. patted me on the shoulder. and said. oh no. you're just a teenager. LIKE HE HAD FORGOTTEN#i have many stories like this
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Eclipse
#dnp#dan and phil#phan#phil lester#amazingphil#art#daniel howell#phanart#dnpg#dip and pip#guys it’s symbolism#hes shy
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So god created us in his image, right? And that’s cool and all but what if it turns out god, like, hates his own image??? What then????
#Yeah okay#I don’t even like this as much anymore#But whatever#He makes me insaneeeeer#literally nuts#Bg text is just a snippet from paradise lost because I thought it would look neat and like. Idk biblical symbolism ig#Whateverrrrrrr#How do you think he feels abt humans having red blood. Like.#Okay I know that with Jack he was really big on it#Like excited#But Jack was just some other guy who happened to have red blood#He created us and he created us wrong#And it just so happens we also have his fucked up awful mutant blood color?#Yeah okay sure#It’s gotta feel like one last slap in the face in the cosmic joke that is his existence#It is inescapable!!! You flow through their very being!!! You are a cancerous presence that has invaded their very veins!!!!#You are the force that keeps them alive as well as the thing that kills them in the end!#Does this make any sense actually. Let me know#Anyway yeah that’s all#Byeeeee#i might draw more Erivris later but idkkkkkkk#My ipad is getting replaced soon so I won’t have to steal my brother’s to draw anymore#So hopefully more art then#okayyyy bye 4real this time#homestuck#homestuck fanart#karkat vantas#homestuck karkat#art#digital art
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attention conservation notice: atheist butchers proclus' theology
ive been relistening to some of the SHWEPisodes on proclus and i think proclus could have saved abrahamic theology (which like. okay obviously they are different. but like. theyre really not different. the amount of cross-influence in abrahamic theology is crazy. and also mutual influence from the same greek philosophers, which leads to cross-influence via cribbing interpretations of nominally secular philosophy. anyway).
so okay, religion has basically two threads, nirguna (without attributes) and saguna (with attributes). yknow, god as transcendent, indescribable, beyond comprehension, totally detached, etc, vs god as earthly, specific, with attributes and symbols and statues. just the former is boring and sort of without content, leads to deism, just the latter isn't even god, its just like... a powerful guy who might exist. not god, really. so you need both
but how do you have both? theyre contradictory. well, christianity tried to solve this with jesus and it sucks. so. not like that. BUT a mere 400 years later proclus figured it out. and a little bit of it spread around the greco-abrahamic tradition, because his elements of theology was shared around by people who thought it was by aristotle. but mostly, he didnt influence that much, which is too bad
okay so here's proclus' idea. first of all, there's the one. it's the ultimate nirguna. totally transcendent. cause of all being. etc. we cant talk about the one. we cant even talk about what the one ISNT. BUT below the one, there's the henads. the henads are not the one but theyre sort of. related to him. theyre the closest thing to the one than anything else is. and the henads "are" the greek gods. but actually, they just correspond to the greek gods.
from each henad there is a chain to lower and lower levels, with the earth at the bottom. and a statue of athena doesn't look like athena-the-henad. but it resembles her MORE than other earthly things do. and in fact everything is in the chain of one of the henads. so like, if you know a guy, and he has some of hermes' traits, and maybe a facial feature associated with hermes, thats because he's in the henad of hermes. some things, or traits of things, have a better "resonance" with the henads than other things. and because everything is connected via the henads you can do magic, by yknow, influencing things higher up in the chain, which then send their influence back down to other things in the chain (i guess it's less a chain and more a tree).
its a good theory of magic! its a good way of having the saguna and nirguna together! it makes the transcendent aspect do metaphysical work, its not just a trait its the mechanism by which ritual functions (another thorny puzzle for theologians!)
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Trans people are technically a minority. Intersex people. What about non-binaries? Are they minorities? They technically are. I’d argue diabetic people are minorities as he rejected making insulin cheaper.
Hitler literally made factories, facism is historically a far-right ideology. If Hitler was a socialist why did he work with the rich?
What if said illegal is a child? Don’t you support protecting children? Even then your grandparents were immigrants, they literally bought a boat ticket. You couldn’t even pass an immigration test
I don’t watch mainstream news like cnn, I think it’s all propaganda, especially Fox News.
Eh fair point but I’d argue MAGA hats and swastikas are historically… Hateful symbols. I’ve never heard a MAGA person preach love and acceptance like Jesus did. You all want everyone who disagrees with you in jail.
There are literally worldwide protests against trump, Mexico hates us, Greenland hates us, Canada hates us and they’re offering to buy our states which… sounds pretty good, free healthcare, abortion rights, pretty good deal. And what freedom do you have? The freedom to oppress others? Why do you preach “freedom” and yet you constantly tell people how to live their lives? You hate trans people. You hate women obviously. If we’re so free why can’t they have the freedom to abort pregnancy and choose whether or not they have to have a permanent responsibility? Even then what if the pregnant person can’t work and they go bankrupt? Thats capitalism for you, mothers don’t get 9 months paid leave.
I’d argue trying to overthrow the government through violence against police and storming the capital is quite violent. And I bet you condemn BLM for the violent protests, why do you condemn the left’s violence but cheer whenever someone talks about killing Joe Biden and overthrowing the government? I hate the government just as much as you but trump is gonna make it worse.
Oh really? Then do what Elon did at work. In front of your coworkers. Do it at your family’s next gathering, go on the news, right now, or any social media website, and do what Elon did. Right now. You won’t.
Why does he support far-right German parties? I’d argue those are some Nazis, even then why do you lick the balls of billionaires? Do they taste good? Fondling another man’s balls? You’re no different from a prostitute.
He’s literally surrounded by yes men too scared to say no to him. The second someone opposes trump you guys get irrationally angry that your boyfriend is getting criticized. Even then, they own most social media. What about Twitter? That’s really censored, you can’t criticize the government or people in power. You can’t fact-check there anymore. TikTok censors anything against trump, how he “rigged the election”
All of you fund genocide too, through sending all that money to Israel where they bomb Palestinian children. And grandmas. Why can’t you just be against the war? You’re not. You just want genocide of anyone who disagrees with you.
Yo, correct me if I am wrong please, but didn't Hitler rise to power because he promised to fix the German economy and people really liked that so they looked past everything else he was doing??? Like exactly what's happening in America right now???
So many people said they voted for Trump, put a truly evil person in power, because he said he'd fix the economy, and a little voice in my head is going, "Isn't that what happened with fucking Hitler??"
But I've seen no one point that out so maybe I'm miss remembering???????
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Yous an Old Bitch
It was about normal day, and Marvel was being interviewed. It was a fairly normal interview. The reporter was asking normal questions and the topic of his age came up. Somehow, after more talking, he for some reason dropped this line:
Marvel: “Listen, if something has a lightning bolt like mine, I probably either made it, or someone inspired it off of me.”
This single line led to a manhunt, looking for items with the bolt. Museums have never been richer.
Person 1: “Did you make this?” *shoves their phone into his face*
Marvel: *pushes the phone away so he can get a better look* “No, it was made for me.” *staring at the photo of an unfinished statue*
Person 1: *enraptured* “Please explain.”
Marvel: “Well, it was a really hot day, and the sculptor guy was taking forever. So like halfway through, I flew out the window and just decided to avoid the sculptor guy. The guy died before he could finish my thing. That’s why the statue isn’t done!”
Someone videoed this and after seeing this, many more people worked up the courage to ask him about their finds.
Person 2: “Captain Marvel, did you make this?” *shows him a photo of a really beat up piece of metal that had a tiny lightning bolt*
Marvel: “Yes actually! That was my first actually good piece of metal work.”
Person 2: “You can do metalwork?”
Marvel: “Yup!”
Person 2: “What was it originally?”
Marvel: *nostalgic* “It was kinda like a tiara only this was before tiaras were things.”
Person 2: “Was it pretty?”
Marvel: “Of course!” *sounds proud* “In fact, it was so pretty that if it were up to me, I’d march right into that museum and restore it with some magic! Though I don’t think the museum would let me.”
Person 2: “Wait, who was it for?”
Marvel: “My wife!”
Person 2: “Huh?”
News that he had a wife spread like wildfire.
or
Person 3: “Did you make the newly discovered cave paintings in China?”
Marvel: “What cave paintings?”
Person 3: *shows him a photo*
Marvel: “Oh. Yeah! Me and a buddy were messing around there. See those symbols?” *points to some symbols*
Person 3: *nods head*
Marvel: “See, that was our language from back then and it basically says that the chief of our tribe sucked. In short, teenage caveman vandalism, only we weren’t teenagers.” *looks nostalgic* “Man, those were good times… I mean, sure, we got stoned to death for that, but still!”
Person 3: *horrified and intrigued*
Also FUCK ME because I had to rewrite this THREE FUCKING TIMES because it DIDNT SAVE. WHATEVER IS UP THERE DOESNT WANT ME TO GO BACK TO MY NORMAL POSTING SCHEDULE. THIS SHIT SHOULDVE BEEN OUT TWO HOURS AGO.
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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ flowers .𖥔 ݁ ˖
☘︎ . . . genre. fluff
☘︎ . . . pairings. bakugou x fem!reader
⤿ bakugou and yn have a tradition of exchanging flowers every week. it’s their words of showing love, one flower at a time.
Bakugou Katsuki never thought he’d be the type of guy to be surrounded by flowers, let alone look forward to them. But ever since he and YN started dating, their relationship had bloomed into something both tender and beautiful.
It all started with a single flower.
One morning, after an especially grueling training session, YN had handed him a single red carnation. “You looked like you could use something nice today,” she’d said with a smile.
Red carnations, he later found out, symbolized admiration and affection. He’d grumbled something about not needing a flower, but when she turned away, he found himself holding onto it a little too carefully. He’d kept it on his desk until the petals started to wilt.
The next week, he returned the gesture. A lone sunflower, bold and bright, left on her desk with a note scrawled in his messy handwriting: For the sunny idiot.
Sunflowers, bright and unwavering, symbolized loyalty and adoration. She’d laughed when she saw it, clutching the flower to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the world.
From then on, it became their tradition.
Every week, without fail, Bakugou and YN would exchange flowers. It wasn’t about extravagant bouquets or expensive arrangements—it was the meaning behind each bloom that counted.
One week, YN surprised him with a deep blue delphinium, carefully tied with a red ribbon. “It reminded me of you,” she said shyly.
Delphiniums symbolized strength and boldness, but also tenderness—a perfect balance for Bakugou.
He stared at the flower, his heart beating faster than he’d like to admit. “Tch. You’re such a sap.” But the flower ended up in a small vase on his nightstand, where it stayed for days.
In return, he gifted her a sprig of baby’s breath, the tiny white flowers delicate and pure.
“They mean everlasting love,” he mumbled when she looked at him curiously. She’d smiled at him in surprise, her expression soft. “You’re sweeter than you let on, Katsuki.”
“Shut up,” he muttered, ears pink.
What surprised YN the most was how seriously Bakugou took their tradition. His dorm room slowly became filled with small vases, each holding the flowers she gave him. Every evening, she’d catch him changing the water, trimming the stems, or just staring at them with an unreadable expression.
“Why do you take such good care of them?” she asked one day, watching him gently handle a tulip she’d given him earlier that week.
He didn’t look up. “You give me these, so they’re important. Gotta make sure they last.”
Tulips, she remembered, symbolized deep and unconditional love. Her chest tightened at his words, her love for him growing even more.
On the flip side, YN had a growing collection of pressed flowers, each one carefully saved from the pieces he gave her. Her favorite was a single red rose he’d handed her one evening after a long day of training.
“For putting up with me,” he’d said gruffly, refusing to meet her eyes.
Red roses, the ultimate symbol of passionate love, became her most treasured keepsake.
One Sunday morning, YN found herself standing at a flower cart near the dorms, scanning the vibrant blooms. She smiled as her fingers brushed over a single daisy. Perfect.
Daisies, with their cheerful white petals, symbolized innocence and new beginnings—a reminder of the pure joy she felt in their relationship.
When she returned to their usual meeting spot, Bakugou was already there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. In his hand was a sprig of lavender.
Lavender, calming and fragrant, symbolized devotion and serenity—qualities she often brought into his life.
They exchanged flowers silently, a smile tugging at both their lips.
“You’re a softie, you know,” she teased, twirling the lavender between her fingers.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, but his small smile betrayed him.
As they sat together on the bench, flowers in hand, it was clear their tradition wasn’t just about the blooms. It was about the quiet love they shared, the joy in small gestures, and the unspoken promise they made to nurture each other—just like the flowers they exchanged every week.
#jxwl4k#x reader#anime#fanfic#mha bakugou#bakugou katsuki#my hero academia#bakugou x reader#katsuki x reader#katsuki bakugo x reader#bakugou x y/n#bakugou fluff#bakugou fanfiction#katsuki bakugou#bnha bakugo katsuki#bnha bakugou#katsuki bakugo mha#katsuki x y/n#mha katsuki bakugo#bakugou katuski x reader#katsuki x you#mha oneshot#mha fluff#mha#bnha oneshot#bnha#flowers
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To add a little bit more to SAHSR with artist! Reader, imagine they draw a self portrait and it gets displayed in the museum...
How chaotic would it be when everyone sees it?
- 🤡 anon
Oh. Oh no. (Cue of Oh No! playing by MARINA)
For as long as the Museum of Divinity (yes, they named it that.) has existed, it has only ever displayed them. Their triumphs, their tragedies, their fleeting smiles and lingering sorrows. But then—one day, without warning—a new painting appears.
And it’s not of them.
It’s you.
When the museum doors creak open that day, the first person inside freezes.
At first, they think it's a mistake. That maybe the Celestial Painter has simply left behind an unfinished work.
But then they look closer. And they realize.
This is not just another painting. This is you.
Their beloved, unseen Creator.
For the first time ever—you have revealed yourself.
Welt and Himeko's Reaction:
Stares. For a long time.
Then immediately tries to analyze every single detail.
"This is monumental. Their first self-portrait… What does it mean? Why now?" "Is this how they truly look? Or merely a representation?" "What if it’s symbolic? What if they’re trying to tell us something?!"
March 7th: "Guys, it’s literally just a painting."
Them: "It’s NEVER just a painting when it’s from them.”
Blade and Dan Heng's Reaction:
Blade stops breathing for a full five minutes.
Stares at the painting like it's the only thing that exists in the universe.
Dan Heng is equally frozen, but his hands tremble ever so slightly.
This is you. The one who knows their past, their pain. The one who has shaped them without ever being seen.
They have waited so long to know you.
And now they finally can.
Aventurine and Sunday's Reaction:
Aventurine takes one look and whistles. "Well, well, well. About time we got to see our dear artist."
Sunday? Oh, he’s on another level.
"FINALLY! The Celestial Painter unveils their true form! Oh, this is a BLESSING upon the universe!"
Dramatically poses in front of the portrait, as if basking in its presence.
"Ah, the divine hand that has graced us for so long… And what an EXQUISITE form it takes!"
(You regret drawing this already.)
Kafka and Black Swan's Reaction:
Kafka smirks. "So… this is what you see in the mirror, hm?"
Immediately starts analyzing your expression, posture, even the brushstrokes.
"Are you happy in this painting? Are you lonely? What were you thinking when you painted this?"
Black Swan gently traces the painting’s edge.
"To leave behind an image of oneself is to wish to be known… Do you wish for us to see you?"
(You just thought it’d be fun to paint yourself. Now you’re having an existential crisis.)
Luocha and Jing Yuan's Reaction:
Luocha bows slightly before the painting. "At last, the artist steps into their own masterpiece."
Jing Yuan chuckles, arms crossed. "And what a fascinating subject they make."
The two of them exchange theories about why you would suddenly paint yourself.
"Perhaps they grow tired of being unseen?"
"Or perhaps they simply wished to remind us that they are still watching."
March 7th and Sparkle's Reaction:
March gasps so loudly that it echoes through the entire museum.
"GUYS. GUYS, LOOK. LOOK IT’S THEM. IT’S ACTUALLY THEM!!!"
Immediately tries to take a photo of the painting. (Fails. It’s impossible to capture with any device.)
Sparkle is just as dramatic. "Finally, a face to the omnipotent hand that crafts our fates!"
Insists that a festival must be held in your honor immediately.
No one leaves the museum for HOURS.
People start guarding the portrait like it’s a sacred relic.
Characters now visit DAILY, just to look at you.
(Some even talk to the painting when no one’s around.)
The Stellaron Hunters consider stealing it.
Argenti wants to write poetry about it.
Sunday requests a massive, golden frame.
Blade and Dan Heng? Yeah. They don’t let anyone touch it.
And worst of all?
You can never take it down. Because if it ever disappears…?
Oh. Oh, they would lose their minds.
#x reader#honkai star rail#hsr#honkai star rail x reader#hsr x reader#hsr aventurine#aventurine x reader#hsr aventurine x reader#aventurine x you#sunday honkai star rail#blade hsr#dan heng hsr#kafka hsr#himeko honkai star rail#black swan hsr#march hsr#sparkle hsr#self aware au#sahsrau#artist!reader
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Just wanted to point out this movie also inspired the iconography for the Anti-scientology protests that happened in 2005. I don't know how many people still remember those, but back before the abuses of Scientology were well known, that movement organized WORLDWIDE SIMULTANEOUS PROTESTS that led to multiple countries outlawing Scientology as a scam parading as a church (the first amendment doesn't allow the US to outlaw religions in general, but it was a massive blow to the organization).
So if you need a symbol that has a proven track record of Getting Shit Done, might I suggest a Guy Fawkes mask?
seeing all the 14-17 y/o queer kids who don’t know what v for vendetta is…. u mean the blockbuster film written by two trans women about a masked vigilante who decides to singlehandedly take down a fascist alternate version of england set in the distant year of 2020… and his driving force was getting justice for a lesbian who he never met but whose diary he found, who was separated from her wife before being killed by said fascist gov…. and it stars natalie portman…. okay
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So I’ve been really enjoying your Lady Rocks stuff especially the world most ridiculous family tree one. And it made me think of a silly crack theory I had a long time ago.
Basically Sabo doesn’t look like his parents but as a child he looks a lot like Doflamingo did as a kid. So theory is that his clout chasing parents got a tip about a Celestial Dragon, sent a maid or something to have a one night stand in hopes of getting a World Noble baby, only to find out his family line was banished and that included their new newborn. So they were just stuck with Sabo, without the perks they wanted, but he was still something of a status symbol so kept him. And they just never told Sabo about it. The rest is history.
Idk if you’ll like it, but I guess potential for an even crazier family line.
!!!!
*lol*
I had to think about this, because it's very possible that Outlook heard Garp chatting to someone (Tsuru?) about that Celestial Dragon that's been keeping them on their toes in the North Blue (of course Garp would be shouted at to keep his mouth shut but he's all "you didn't hear anything, did you??" to Outlook who just agrees very easily, but is internally rubbing his ambitious hands.)
But that maid must be quite courageous (or loyal??) to go through with that. While Goa, as a member of the World Government and being so close to the Redline, might have regular trading vessels going to the North Blue because the WG does allow people officially crossing the Redline if they go through the regular process.
(It might also be that a young Didit was ambitious enough to pack her sexiest lingerie and go herself. But eh, I don't know.)
So it might not be too hard to do very rudimentary research and then put the maid on a trading vessel to the North Blue. And then she'd just have to place herself in a bar frequented by some unsavory characters, bid her time and make her move.
(Now the question is just: is this maid then taken out of the picture by the tragic mother's curse reigning in the OP world or is she paid off and living a pleasant life on a beach somewhere, never wasting another thought on this kid?)
And I think it makes sense that Sabo's parents would keep him. He was a costly investment and surely even expelled, there's got to be something in Sabo's Celestial Dragon blood that makes him fated to rule. Maybe it just takes a couple more steps until they can ascend to the Holy Land! First! Make sure he is raised as husband material for the princess of Goa. The rest will surely come. X3
(I think I also like the fact that Sabo muses on how he feels like a bird in a cage. A cage he has been put into because of who his biological father is - a guy famous for his devastating bird cage attack. *eyes emoji*)
Anyway. Stamp of approval for the most insane timeline expansion *lol*
(And if Doflamingo ever finds out, he's going to be so insufferable about co-parenting with Crocodile and Dragon. Especially Crocodile, I doubt he cares enough about Dragon apart from just enjoying pushing any buttons he can uncover *lol*)
P.S. the idea that if Doflamingo takes the glasses off he has Sabo's round eyes under them just flashed through my head! I know he doesn't as we've see one of his eyes in the flashback but still X'D
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writing my thesis feels like putting together a big cato the younger cringe compilation
#so far i'm like. well he was a bad stoic and a worse politician and not a great guy and his opinions all sucked and basically the only thing#he did well was killing himself to become a Symbol. and he is my special princess <3
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LaDS guys receiving flowers
Caleb
Caleb would feel a bit conflicted receiving flowers. His initial instinct would be to downplay it, even if the gesture was deeply appreciated. Caleb’s pride and self-reliance might make him feel somewhat uncomfortable with such an outward symbol of affection, especially if it’s in front of others. He’s used to being the one who takes care of others, not the one being cared for. Receiving flowers might stir a mix of emotions—thankfulness, a hint of discomfort, maybe even a slight defensiveness as he tries to reconcile this with his more stoic, soldier-like nature.
That said, if the flowers came from you, Caleb would likely feel a deeper, softer reaction. He would appreciate the gesture more than he let on, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. Flowers from you would remind him of his vulnerability, and he’d treasure them in a way he wouldn’t with anyone else’s. Caleb might keep them close, even if he didn’t fully understand why they meant so much to him. They would become a symbol of the love he sometimes struggled to express, something to keep as a reminder that, in this one thing, he doesn’t have to be the strong, unshakable figure—he can let you love him in a way that feels different, but still significant.
Rafayel
Receiving flowers, on the other hand, would be a very different experience for Rafayel. He’d appreciate the gesture, of course, but there would be a part of him that’s unsure of how to handle it. He’s someone who values deeper, more personal connections, and while he’d love the sentiment behind receiving flowers, he might not always know how to respond in the moment. His pride could make him a little awkward with such an outwardly “romantic” gesture. He’d appreciate the beauty of the flowers, the thoughtfulness, but the attention might make him blush or fumble over his words. In his mind, the flowers would be a beautiful token, but he’d still see them as something outside of his more personal, intimate connection with you.
Deep down, however, receiving flowers from you would touch him in a way that goes beyond his initial reaction. It would remind him that you notice him, that you care about him in a way that feels very tender. He’d likely keep the flowers for as long as possible, perhaps even preserving them in a way that allows him to keep the memory of the gesture close—because, despite his usual aloofness, moments of emotional sincerity are ones he holds onto tightly.
Sylus
Sylus would find it somewhat unusual, maybe even a little uncomfortable at first. Flowers—such delicate, fleeting things—are not something he often associates with his world of power, strategy, and control. He would likely accept them with his signature coolness, perhaps offering a polite smile, but internally, he might feel a little out of place. It’s not that he dislikes the gesture, but it’s not his usual mode of communication. Sylus prefers actions that have substance, that are tied to results, not symbols of affection that fade too quickly.
That said, if the flowers were given by someone he cares about—especially you—he might soften, just slightly. The gesture would still feel foreign to him, but the fact that you took the time to choose something for him, something so intimate and vulnerable, would cause a shift. He would appreciate it in his own quiet, understated way, perhaps in the way he keeps them nearby, his usual aloofness momentarily replaced with something gentler. Still, he’d never fully embrace the idea of receiving flowers as he would with giving them—it would always be a bit of a curiosity to him, a contrast to the power-driven world he inhabits.
Xavier
Xavier would likely feel a moment of surprise if someone gave him flowers. It’s not something he’s used to, and the gesture might make him a little uncertain about how to respond. But once the initial shock passed, he would begin to recognize how special the moment is. The flowers would likely hold a deep meaning for him, and he would appreciate them not for the act itself but for what they represent: attention, care, and connection.
He’s not the type to outwardly express excitement over receiving flowers, but inwardly, he would feel grateful and touched. There’s something so intimate about someone giving you flowers, and for Xavier, that would feel like a small, precious gift. He might keep the flowers in a place where he can look at them quietly, perhaps on a windowsill or a small table by his bed, allowing them to remind him of the person who gave them.
Xavier is more likely to treasure the flowers over time, allowing them to serve as a reminder of the bond shared with the person who gave them to him. Even if the flowers eventually wilt, the sentiment behind the gesture would stay with him. He might even be the type to preserve the flowers somehow, pressing them between the pages of a book or keeping them in a special place as a token of that shared moment.
Zayne
if you gave him flowers, Zayne would appreciate the sentiment and the effort behind it, even if he didn’t outwardly show it as much. He might not immediately show the emotional impact, but deep down, he would feel touched by the thoughtfulness, knowing that you understood him enough to express your care in a way that was uniquely meaningful to him. In a quiet moment, he might even keep the flowers in his office or by his bedside—hidden away, but cherished in his own way.
#Xavier#Xavier x mc#Xavier x reader#Xavier x you#Xavier love and deepspace#Love and deepspace#Rafayel#Rafayel x mc#Rafayel x reader#Rafayel x you#Rafayel love and deepspace#Zayne#Zayne x mc#Zayne x reader#Zayne x you#Zayne love and deepspace#Caleb#Caleb x mc#Caleb x reader#Caleb x you#Caleb love and deepspace#Prompt#Sylus#Sylus x mc#Sylus x reader#Sylus x you#Sylus love and deepspace
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i’m gonna try to keep this one short but, genuinely, why is damian going to hell never mentioned? like jason’s death is mentioned 24/7 and damian’s death is basically never even referenced (to my knowledge). did his death get retconned?
and even then—why don’t fics mention it? damian went to hell! literal hell! that’s prime angst material right there. i don’t understand people sometimes. everyone ignores the important aspects of jason and damian’s deaths, they only take note that they died. like the fic ideas i have for this is limitless.
catholic jason todd dies and sees nothing. no heaven, no hell. no jesus, no devil. he comes back brain damaged, then fucked up in the head, and when he finally gets his feet underneath him, he has a crisis of faith. then damian wayne fucking does, comes back a year later (double it and give it to the next ts). bonding ensues.
“You trashed it.” Tim notes, looking down at the shirt that’s covered with paint, grime, and the distinct scent of the sewer.
Duke looks over at the shirt and scrunches his nose, glancing between it and Damian. “Just throw it in his closet. Maybe he won’t notice.”
Tim gives Duke a look. “It reeks of the sewer. Dicks not that messy.”
Damian frowns at the shirt. His trip through Gothams sewers hadn’t been intentional, it was a detour he had to make when an assassin cornered him. Unfortunately, at the time he was wearing Dicks blue ‘Nightwing’ shirt (yes he has his own merch. Yes it is because he is full of himself).
A low whistle draws Damian’s attention away from the shirt. He looks up and meets Jason’s eyes. His hair has grown out since Damian last saw him two weeks ago. If he refused to go to the barber then he should at least let Alfred cut it, do the entire world a favor. “Oh, Dicks going to kill you.”
“I hope not,” Damian says absentmindedly, putting the shirt down. Lest he start smelling like the sewer again. It took four hours to get the scent out of his hair, an additional two to get it off his body. “I’m not dressed properly.”
It’s meant to be a joke. Him and Jon aren’t exactly ‘working on them’ but he has been a test dummy for a few. Damian came to realize Jon laughed at everything, no matter if it was funny or not. The trio in front of him laugh as if it’s funny—Damian is about to dedicate an entire thirty seconds to basking in glory at the victory of making three out of four of his brothers laugh—but it’s when Tim speaks that Damian realizes it was interpreted wrong.
"What, you too cool to die in a hoodie and sweats?" He gestures to Damians outfit, a Gotham Academy hoodie paired with its matching Gotham Academy sweats. Underneath the black hoodie, is a black long sleeve shirt that had the Gotham Academy symbol on the sleeve.
Duke straightens up to get his own joke out. "Obviously.” He says with complete seriousness. “He has to die wearing Prada. Keep up, Tim.” He looks over at Jason, “Get a loud of this guy.”
Jason snorts in response. “Gotta die in style. Dying in uniform is so outdated.” That earns a loud laugh from Duke, the only person who has yet to tire of Jason’s ‘I died’ jokes.
“Imbeciles.” Damian rolls his eyes, his tanned cheeks were probably coated in pink dye to embarrassment. He would never imply he had to die in a certain outfit if it wasn’t half-true. “That is not what I meant.”
“Please do explain, O-Wise one.”
Damian clicks his tongue at Dukes nickname but does as asked. “When I died before,” He doesn’t miss the way Tim and Jason stiffen at the mention. Duke just kind of pauses. “It was hot. You cannot exactly ditch clothes in hell.”
He’s met with silence. Well, he didn’t expect to be met with laughs.
Jokes aren’t funny after you explain the joke. Damian busies himself with folding the shirt he had previously let go of, the one that smelled of the sewer. “You…” Tim pauses, tilts his head, then continues. “What?”
“You broke Tim.” Duke comments, though he doesn’t seem fully there either.
“I don’t understand.” Damian furrows his brows look from Duke to Tim. Finally, he decides to look over at Jason.
Jason doesn’t seem tense, the only sign he was was the hand he had clenched together in a fist, which he quickly got rid of. In reality, it’s his face that gives him away. Jason’s always been emotional, you could read his emotions far too easy off his face if you were trained to do so. It’s a good thing he wears a helmet. “Hell. You went to hell.”
“Yes.” Damian says, because, was it ever a secret? Did he forget to mention that? He didn’t exactly have to write a mission report on his death. “I assume you did not.” His voice is stiff. Hell isn’t his favorite topic.
“No. I didn’t.” Jason confirms.
“How was Heaven?” His tone is slightly bitter, he can’t help it. Even though he knows Jason was good pre-death. Didnt lay a finger on a soul, and when he did, they were deserving of it and walked away breathing just fine.
“Wouldn’t know.” Jason shrugs. “Wasn’t important enough to get either.” He explains.
and yk bonding brother stuff. the potential is just sitting there untouched. like if someone doesn’t use it ill tweak out. feel free to rec fics, im clearly in need. only crossover fics id enjoy are marvel/mcu and criminal minds.
use this for an idea if you want, give credit obv.
edit: i've been informed that jason, in some iterations, did go to heaven but just doesn't remember it. so...even better ngl.
crisis of faith, thinking there's no heaven and hell, then boom bro finds out he actually did go to heaven. also the little writing bit i did was made in like twenty minutes at like 3 am, so sorry for it being shit. if i do ever get a great incredible idea for a fic on that, ill let yall know.
#damian wayne al ghul#robin#batfam#dc comics#ao3#batman comics#tim drake#batfamily#batman#damian wayne#jason todd#damian goes to hell#damian wayne dc#archive of our own#fic ideas#batfic idea#justiceiscalling#damian al ghul#damian al ghul wayne#jason todd death#damian wayne death
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Excuse me, do you have any posts on writing well written female characters/protagonists?
Writing Notes: Female Characters
Conducting research through observation – including self-observation – is the very first step in creating memorable women characters.
We observe the women in our lives. We watch and learn, noticing how they engage relationally with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.
Creating memorable women characters is much like developing memorable relationships. The only way to have meaningful relationships is to be real:
Be willing to share.
Be honest.
Listen with an open heart.
Love without judgment.
This is all very easy to say and much harder to do.
But it’s what’s necessary if we want to have rewarding and lasting friendships and partnerships. And the same is true if we want our female characters to connect with audiences.
Let your female characters speak to other female characters about something that matters. In doing so, you will make women and girls visible.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before writing from a woman’s perspective:
Why are you assigning a female gender to this character?
Are you just doing it to show how cool and hip and progressive you are?
Are you writing a biting, sardonic social commentary?
Do you want to create a realistic portrait of a woman?
Is there an added level of symbolism to your gender choice?
Let the answers to these questions dictate how you assign gender to all of your characters, not just the female ones.
Using men and women to foil each other can create an delightful dynamic in your story, as long as you avoid stereotypes. Here’s a list of stereotypes:
The delicate flower. She barely talks above a whisper, she’s sad, so terribly sad, suffering from the pain of a mysterious past.
The femme fatale. She’s a sexpot, only wears skin-tight clothes, and has a gun with your name on it.
The crazy girlfriend. She’s also got a gun.
The stay at home wife. She’s wholesome, virtuous, and dependant. Her only will for living is to be a wife and a mom.
The career driven. She’s cold-hearted and she wears designer shoes.
The most beautiful girl in the world. She’s so beautiful that she doesn’t even know it, but every other woman around her hates her.
Stereotypes make a character fall flat.
They deflate what could be an interesting character.
Refer to the Bechdel Test. By no means is this “the end all and be all,” however the test is useful in determining whether you story supports two active female characters who aren’t solely wrapped up in a guy and/or his journey. A story passes the Bechdel Test if it has:
two named female characters
who talk to each other
about something other than a man.
The tool is a great reminder that females, even in a love story, can discuss other matters that don’t include a man or romance.
There is no formula for creating complex female characters.
For that matter, there’s no such thing as a step-by-step approach to crafting compelling stories with complicated characters of any gender.
But we can begin to intentionally reflect on how we think about gender representation in film, television, literature, and other media.
We can think about the people we love and consider how the screen stories they see will impact their lives, today and in the years to come. We all want our loved ones to feel confident and empowered and inspired.
We’ve recommended films, television shows, and books to our family and friends not only because we think they’ll enjoy them, but also because we think the stories will in some way be helpful to them. Our stories can help.
They can make viewers/readers laugh when they feel down. They can help them process their feelings and experiences, escape into a fantasy, or visualize possibilities for their future. The benefits of screen storytelling are limitless.
And if we populate our stories with characters that represent all of humanity, in all its complexity … who knows? Maybe someday this conversation will be outdated and unnecessary.
STRONG CHARACTERS. Come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. Every creator has a different idea of how strength is expressed, but there are a few ways to ensure your audience understands the type of character you’ve created when your focus is on writing a strong female character.
Writing Tips: Strong Female Characters
Creating strong female characters is the same process as creating strong characters in general—they need backstory, motivation, and depth in order to cultivate a three-dimensional profile that makes them feel like believable, real people. Here are some ways to write strong female characters:
Give her complex emotions. Vulnerability and emotional depth are important characteristics for good characters of any gender. A strong woman shouldn’t be written as a one-dimensional trope—she can be a stoic warrior who cries when her best friend dies, or a sweet kindergarten teacher who boxes to deal with her rage. People are complicated and often unpredictable, so giving your female character the same complex range of emotions you yourself experience as a human being is a good way to start writing stronger characters.
Give her multiple kinds of strength. Physical strength isn’t everything—even the most hulking adversary can be taken down by smart, tactical fighting—and a female lead doesn’t have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete in order to be strong. There are different types of strength that female characters exert. They can have confidence, wit, and mental fortitude. They can be brilliant scientists who stand up for themselves when no one else will listen. They can be stay-at-home mothers who won’t tolerate their spouse leaving a mess. Female characters have their own strong opinions and morality and aren’t just generalized for being women.
Give her female allies. Sometimes writers try to make a female character appear stronger by turning her into a “tomboy” who only has male friends. However, your female protagonist can just as easily draw strength from the women who surround her. Giving your female lead character female friends can help her feel more like a real-life person.
Give her more than her looks. Describe the way your female protagonist looks in a way that informs who she is. Does she have a defining physical feature that is integral to the storyline? Does her body language denote a particular personality trait? Brainstorm ways to avoid or subvert clichés (“she was pretty but didn’t know it”), which can weaken an audience’s first impression of your character.
Characteristics of Strong Female Characters
Strong female characters can encompass many different types of women, with varying opinions on what is considered “strong.” In order to write strong female characters, old tropes and stereotypes (like the damsel in distress or the nagging wife) should be avoided, as they can be detrimental to how your female character is viewed as a whole. If you’re looking to write a strong female character, check out some common characteristics below:
She has her own opinions. A strong female lead will listen to her own instincts and make her own decisions based on her own value system (even villains have their reasons for their choices). She’ll make mistakes, but she’ll always try to learn from them. A strong character isn’t immune to influence, but they have their own thoughts and feelings about their world and the things that happen within it.
She is her own person. Strong female characters don’t all have to be single, independent women. They can be in relationships and care about their partners without being weak or codependent. However, a strong female character has her own identity and trajectory that she follows, as well as her own ambitions and goals outside of her relationship with another person.
She has flaws. Strong female characters have struggles and flaws just like everyone else, but what makes them strong is how they deal with their shortcomings. Even the strongest characters have weaknesses, but that’s what humanizes them and makes them relatable to audiences.
She’s tough in her own right. What makes a female “tough?” The term is subjective. Is toughness just a character’s ability to physically bring down foes? Or can it be her ability to think fast under pressure or negotiate with powerful figures? A stay-at-home mother can be just as tough as a soldier—a woman’s role does not necessarily dictate who she is as a person.
Give her conflicting personality traits. Conflicting personality traits make a character interesting. Balance traditionally feminine and masculine character traits, as well as give your characters several flaws and strengths. Conflicting character traits not only make your female character three-dimensional but also provide for interesting internal or interpersonal conflicts in your story. You can imagine characteristics—positive, negative, or neutral—in pairs of opposites, such as:
Bookish & arrogant
Gossipy & trustworthy
Pensive & uninhibited
Kind & tactless
Empathetic & selfish
Examples of Strong Female Characters
Strong female characters are not flawless and unemotional—they’re complicated, just like everyone else. Authors, along with screenwriters for TV shows and film, have portrayed a great number of strong female protagonists in a variety of roles. Here are a few that are especially memorable:
Buffy Summers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a powerful heroine with awesome fighting skills who can be both tough—even when chasing a love interest—and empathetic—even towards those who have wronged her. She is a three-dimensional character, and she always tries to do the right thing.
Ellen Ripley: Sigourney Weaver plays alien-fighting heroine Ellen Ripley in the film Alien. Ellen Ripley is straightforward, physically strong, and a smart main character—but she also has strong maternal instincts that sometimes drive her decisions. All of those traits coexist with one another without lessening the strength of her character.
Katniss Everdeen: In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Katniss is a young woman living in a dystopian world, who volunteers her own life in order to protect her younger sister. While sometimes impulsive and susceptible to the manipulations of others, Katniss grows throughout her story arc, becoming a skilled warrior who makes sacrifices to keep the ones she loves from harm. Although she has love interests, most of her decisions are based on survival and not romance—because as long as she’s alive, she can keep her family safe.
Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
Here are some notes and tips I compiled from various sources. It's interesting to see where the authors' advice overlap. Choose which ones work best for your specific story. Hope this helps with your writing!
#writing tips#character development#writing reference#writeblr#literature#writers on tumblr#dark academia#spilled ink#writing prompt#creative writing#writing ideas#writing inspiration#writing advice#light academia#writing resources
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I Love You, I’m Sorry
Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader
Synopsis: You left the BAU and your boyfriend, Spencer, after a case took a hefty toll on you. You only left behind a letter, explaining yourself and why you had to leave. Four years later, you find yourself back in DC on a whim. You learn that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.
Category: Angst
Warnings: NO HAPPY ENDING, mentions of a past case, mentions of trauma, case related things, reader getting kidnapped but only mentioned, reader lowkey being stalker-y, arguing, mentions of 2x15 “Revelations” but it’s brief, takes place in Season 9 but this is with the Season 7 team, angst angst angst
It’d been four years since he last saw you. You’d left the BAU after a particular case took a massive toll on you and you’d decided the best thing to do at the time was leave.
It was a case in your hometown, no less — the team had no leads and all they had to go off were three bodies tattooed with some kind of weird symbol on their bodies. Before joining the BAU, you were in the taskforce and you’d dealt with something similar. The victims had all been women and the symbol was some kind of branding initiation. You never caught the guy.
And when the team finally got a lead, you and Morgan were sent to check the place out. Unfortunately, it ended with Morgan being knocked out cold and you being kidnapped.
It took the team four days to find you. You were tortured, slashes on your body and the amount of mental trauma you endured during that time was disturbing. He managed to gather most of your team’s belongings and present them in blood as if it were proof that they were dead. You were led to believe that your team was dead for four days.
But by the fourth day, they realized that their unsub was someone who worked for the PD and luckily, they cracked it down and found you. You almost believed that they weren’t real, that everyone was a figment of your imagination. It took Spencer approaching you and actually touching you for you to realize that this was real. That your team was still alive.
And the case took a toll on you. Even after you passed your psych evals and came back to the BAU, you were still flinching at anyone touching you. And unfortunately, it just became too much in the end that you left.
The only person you explained yourself to was Spencer. You left behind a letter for him, I know, not great thinking on your part considering that’s how Gideon and his father left him. But you knew if you talked to him face to face, he would’ve talked you into staying. He was your boyfriend, he always had a way with words that no one else did. And you knew he’d try and get you to stay because this was where you belonged. But you felt totally alone. Even though the team was there for you, you still felt alone.
Four years have passed since you left. And as expected, the only person that found you was the BAU’s very own Penelope Garcia. You only allowed her to tell the team that you were okay and that you were safe but not to tell them where you were. For the last four years, you thought about the team every day.
So what exactly pursued you to come back all of a sudden? Call it homesickness, say it was only because you missed everyone dearly and started thinking about them a lot more recently. Or maybe it was because you only missed Spencer. That’s why you were standing outside of his apartment unit, right?
You were outside, staring at the tall building and you had no idea what brought you here but you were here. It was like you woke up and all of a sudden, you were here. You had no idea what brought you here. But you walked out that door and your feet took you here.
Spencer had been invading your mind as of recently. You had no idea why but it probably had to do with the fact that his birthday was recently. His thirty-second birthday. You wondered what he did, you wondered how he spent his birthday. Did he spend it with the team? Did he spend it with his mom? You wondered if showing up was a mistake. Maybe it was.
Spencer, on the other hand, was carrying about his night in his apartment. It had been one of those nights where he couldn’t sleep, so he’d started the day off at 3am. Probably not the smartest idea because he’d be tired by the end of the day, but at least there was coffee.
He’d turned on the coffee machine and got his crossword of the day ready at the kitchen table. He’d decided to bring some light in by walking towards the curtains and opening them. Granted, there wasn’t going to be a lot of light, but it would’ve helped. Plus, something told him to just open the curtains, so he did.
When he opened the curtain, he usually has a good look at the front of his building. Who’s coming, who’s going, what’s going on. And when he looks down, he sees something odd. Something that makes him question if he’s hallucinating. Have the schizophrenic symptoms finally taken over? Because there’s no way he’s seeing you, right here and right now.
And you’re staring right back at him. In the flesh. And you’re not a figment of his imagination, you can’t be. There were times after you left, where he thought about you and that other women he’d passed by were you. But this wasn’t like those other times. This was different.
Spencer was quick to scramble out of his apartment, almost toppling over his own feet as he struggles to get his slippers on and quickly rushes out of his apartment, down the stairs and towards the entrance of the building. Mind racing with questions and wanting answers as opens the door and blinks as he looks around for you. Because now you’ve disappeared.
Spencer looks around. You couldn’t have gotten far. He even opts to call out your name to the gods. There was no way you were figment of his imagination. You couldn’t have been. You were staring back at him. He’d almost forgotten what you looked like. And he doesn’t forget anything.
You’d managed to escape right when you saw him back away from his window and grabbed a taxi and ordered the driver to take you anywhere but here. You looked behind you and saw Spencer was in the middle of the street, wondering where you disappeared off to.
You had to leave. It was the only option you needed to take. You ended up getting a hotel early that morning. You still had no idea what you were doing here in DC. And it didn’t do you any good with Spencer seeing you. You hated to think it but you’d hoped that he thought that maybe you were just a figment of his imagination. You didn’t want him to go and ask Garcia where you were since she was the only person that knew. And you knew she’d give in because she wasn’t that great at keeping secrets.
Since you opted for staying for a few days, you had to be incognito. And that meant avoiding Spencer at all cost. That didn’t help when all the places you used to go to, you introduced him to.
You thought you were safe going to your local coffee shop this morning, but you walked in right when he was getting his order and you were quick to hide behind a very tall, burly man and rush out of the coffee shop.
Unfortunately, to your luck, Spencer saw you. Or at least thought maybe he did. He’d spotted you the minute you hid behind that burly man and then when you practically ran out of the coffee shop.
He definitely wasn’t imagining you now. He’d seen as you ran far away from the shop and called your name, probably looking like a total lunatic as he yelled your name across the street. You were most definitely caught now. Your jig was up. You should’ve expected this to happen.
Penelope 💕: You’re in town?
Sent 12:34pm
Penelope💕: And don’t even try and lie, Spencer blew your cover.
Sent 12:34pm
Penelope💕: Also, he tried bribing me with a croissant to figure out where you are. I can only hold on for so long!
Sent 12:35pm
Penelope managed to spam your cell phone when you got back to the hotel after your harrowing escape. You decided to send a quick reply with a sigh falling from your lips.
You: Please please PLEASE don’t tell him where I am.
Sent 12:37pm
Penelope💕: Okay, fine. But under one condition.
Sent 12:38pm
You: Which is?
Sent 12:38pm
Penelope💕: Come out with us to O’Keefe’s tonight! It’ll be lowkey, everyone on the team will be there! And you get to straighten this whole thing out because even JJ is asking questions now!
Sent 12:39pm
Your biggest thing was that you didn’t want anyone knowing you were here. You don’t even know what sparked you even showing up in the first place. What were you going to tell them if they’d asked why you were here? There were so many questions you wanted to avoid. Because you’d just left without a trace.
You: Oh, Penny. I don’t know… :/
Sent 12:40pm
Penelope💕: Oh, just consider it! It could be fun for you!
Easy for you to say, Penelope. But she had a point. Maybe it could be fun, seeing the team again. Morgan, Rossi, Spencer. Then again, you almost wanted to avoid him because of how you left him. Was he the only thing holding you back from going tonight? Not to mention, did anyone else know exactly how you left him? They could’ve hated you just as much as you knew he hated you. Your phone dings again.
Penelope💕: I know your gears are turning but trust me, everyone really wants to see you again! Emily was literally talking about you the other day. Please! With sugar on top!
Sent 12:43pm
Okay, that made you feel a little bit better. You did miss them. Maybe Penelope would be the one to help you with your decision.
You: Fine, I’ll make an appearance. But only for an hour!
Sent 12:45pm
Penelope💕: YESSSSS 🥳 I’ll send you deets after work! 😊
Sent 12:45pm
Your plan to avoid Spencer backfired on you, oh, so greatly. Maybe you still could avoid him. Maybe he decided not to go to O’Keefe’s once he found out you were gonna be there.
He never liked the bar scene anyways. He hardly drank since what happened with Tobias Hankel. You prayed for the slight chance that he wouldn’t come drinking with the team. And you even hoped Garcia may have been so excited to tell Spencer that you were coming, she’d blurt it out to him and maybe he wouldn’t go. You hoped you were right.
I hate this already, I hate this already, I hate this already. You thought in your head as you walked to O’Keefe’s. It’s been a while since you’ve been in this area. Your mind is built with memories of walking these same streets with Spencer, arm in arm as he rambled about just about anything. Your heart broke in two as you thought about those times, so simple and delicate before they got ruined. By you.
You walked towards the bar and entered the building, scouting out to look for the team until a chippy voice shouted your name. “Y/N!” Your eyes trailed over to the bubbly blonde, “Over here!” She waves her arm over and you walk over pretty slowly as you join them.
“Well, as I live and breathe!” Morgan stands from his seat, welcoming you with a hug. “It’s good to see you.” You muffle into his shirt that it’s good to see him too and by then everyone pretty much follows with a hug and Rossi kisses both of your cheeks in welcoming. Everyone seems happy to see you. Everyone except Spencer, who keeps sipping his drink and looking anywhere but you like you don’t even exist. And he has the right to that. But he’s not gonna ruin this, tonight.
The night consists of everyone asking you how you’ve been and what you’ve been up to. And not that Spencer cares but he overhears as you mention you work at a desk job in California — the place he knows you’ve always wanted to live — and that you recently got a new cat and that you don’t have a boyfriend. Again, not that he cares.
And then he catches onto something you say. About how you were sorry you left the team so abruptly. And Spencer scoffs under his breath as he spoke — “Least you’re explaining yourself in person now, right?”
Spencer met your eyes and everyone sat there awkwardly after the fact. You knew what that was. A diss at how you left him. You knew how he was. He got petty. And when he got petty, he got mean. It didn’t help that he’d been nursing his drink a bit, too.
Garcia had distracted everyone, asking to join her on the dance floor, to which Morgan, JJ, Emily and even you obliged. Spencer had declined, deciding to stay at your table and Rossi and Hotch went over to the bar to get more drinks for everyone.
Spencer’s jaw clenched as he watched you dance with the rest of his team. How can they act like you didn’t just up and leave them three years ago? Like everything was fine again? How could they just sit there and laugh with you when you broke their hearts when you left? He didn’t forget how Garcia cried for weeks, or how frustrated Morgan was when he found out, or how Emily kept turning over to your empty desk to tell you something but forgot you weren’t there and how heartbroken you left him when he read your letter over and over again.
I can’t stay here anymore. I love you. I’m sorry. He could see your handwriting in the back of his mind. The wires in his head crossing as he wrapped his head around the fact that you were here. I can’t stay here anymore. I love you. I’m sorry. He told you that you two were gonna be fine, you were going to get through this together. I can’t stay here. I love you. I’m sorry. But you left. You left and you didn’t turn back. How could you leave him like that? The same way his dad did, the same way Gideon did. I can’t stay here anymore. I love you. I’m sorry.
Finding himself growing frustrated, Spencer decides to leave. He can’t stay here. Not while you’re here, not while the team can act like they’re happy to see you. He’s infuriated. And he needs to go.
He slams a twenty down at the table and lets Hotch and Rossi know he’s leaving. They don’t even attempt to get him to say, exchanging a knowing glance at the fact it was because you were here but he wasn’t going to pay any attention to that. He heads for the door but he doesn’t realize he’s had an audience this whole time.
You were watching him. You couldn’t help it. You hated the way he glared at you. It pained you that you caused this. You were the reason he hated you. So, when you saw him leave, you decided that maybe you needed to talk, one on one without anyone else present.
You excused yourself to everyone, saying you going to get some water and that you’d be right back and exited the building, seeing as Spencer was about eight feet ahead of you and calling his name. “Spencer!”
Spencer scoffs, turning around as you fiddle your hands together, approaching him. You did that when you were nervous. “Can we talk, please?” Spencer turns back around and continues walking. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“Yes, we do. And you know it.” You say as you catch up to him even if he continues walking away from you. “Spencer, I know you hate the way I left. And trust me, I did, too but you can’t blame me forever.”
“Well, I have,” Spencer turns around and faces you. “You left, or did you forget that? Because I sure as hell didn’t.”
“Spencer—”
“You left. You wrote a letter to me, just like my dad and just like Gideon because you were a coward and couldn’t face me. We could’ve worked it out, we could’ve talked about it, Y/n!”
“I couldn’t talk to you about it!” And now here you were, shouting at him, this was the last thing you wanted when you decided to come here tonight.
“Why not?”
“Because I know you’d talk me out of leaving!” You take a deep breath. “And I didn’t want that. I needed not to be persuaded by you, I needed to think about this. And I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t. And I hated that I did that to you, it haunts me every single day.” Your voice wavered when you said the last sentence. “Not a day went by that I didn’t think about you. You have to know that I’m sorry.” You go to touch him but he’s quick to back away from you.
“Oh, and you’re making amends now?” Spencer questioned. “You’re just acting like what you didn’t matter? Well, it mattered to me, Y/n. You left and you didn’t care!”
“I did.” You argued.
“No, you didn’t. ‘I can’t do this anymore’? ‘I love you, I’m sorry’?” You furrow your brows at this. And all he can think is — how can you not remember the most painful words you’d ever written to him? “You wrote that to me in your letter. Your letter that you left behind to me, along with your badge and gun. You can’t just slam this door closed and pretend like you’re not at fault when you’re completely at fault. You hurt me, in the only way a person could. How could you do that?”
“I know, I know!” You tell him, shutting your eyes as you pull your hair back away from your face. “I shouldn’t have left you like that. But I couldn’t be there anymore. I wasn’t the same girl that you fell in love with. And you deserved better.”
“I deserved better than that.” Spencer retorted and you nod with a sniffle, “Yeah, yeah, you did.” You admit defeat, wiping your nose.
You walk closer to him as he stares at the ground. “And I’m so sorry,” You tell him. He still avoids your eyes, opting for the ground until he feels your hand on his cheek and you force him to meet his eyes. “And I’m telling the truth. I thought about you everyday. And I love you, I could never lie about that. Ever.”
Spencer looks into your eyes and you can’t make what’s in them. Anger? Sadness? Regret? All of the above? “Why did you come back?” The question lingers above your head and you try to come up with a valid reason in your head. But you can’t come with anything. Why did you come back? You could’ve left this alone, you could’ve moved on because that was the way life went. You could go on, forget anything happened. Was it some form of a guilty conscience for leaving him? Was it closure? Did you need to move on? Did you need Spencer to move on before you could? “I don’t know.” You answer.
“That’s not an answer.” Spencer tells you and you back away from with a scoff, “Well, then what do you want to hear, Spencer? I don’t know why I’m here. I just know that I am now.”
“Why? Did you expect to get back together or something? That maybe I’d just forget what happened and leave it behind in the past like nothing did?” It was obvious he couldn’t forget it.
“No, I-I didn’t expect that, at all—!”
“Then, why?”
“I don’t… know.” Maybe you did know why. Maybe you still loved him. But you couldn’t. Not in this way at least.
“You can’t just stumble your way back into my life simply because — what? You’re lonely, all of a sudden? Is that it?”
You’d had enough. This was pointless when all he was doing was arguing with you and making you feel even worse than you already did. You shake your head — “I don’t have to listen to this.”
“Maybe you need to,” He argued. “Y/n, you were cruel to me. And somehow, you were also the best thing that happened to me. I loved you, did you know that? I tried moving on, I tried — but that didn’t even work out.” It makes you wonder why. But it’s not your business. “When I saw you again, all I could think about was how you left. And how much it hurt when you did. And you’re back now and now I’m more confused than ever. I hate you for coming back. But… I… I can’t even wrap my head around this. I can’t… I can’t be around you. I need to go.”
Spencer shakes his head and begins to walk away. You watch as he does so but not before you tell him — “I knew,” You say and he stops in his tracks. “And for the record, I loved you, too.”
Spencer stands still for a moment before he continues walking. And he turns his back on you, just like you did him years ago. There was time where he would’ve spun around and forgave you and held you and kissed you until you needed a breather but that time was long gone. Because now, he couldn’t even stand to be around you. You watched as he walked away from you and you know you deserve that.
You two were on different paths and maybe that’s the way it had to be. You’d book a flight back home when you got back to your hotel tonight. Because he was right, you couldn’t stumble back into his life, begging for forgiveness when you left him the way you did. That was the way life went, you move on.
And you supposed you should start doing that now. Since Spencer was on his way to doing so, already.
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So the differences between these two cover a lot. They are both con men. They are both autistically obsessed with their special coats. They do pay careful attention to fashion trends and tailor their appearances to the space they're trying to infiltrate, something that seemed fun and easy to them to begin with. (Altho I do get the impression Captain Jack signed up initially out of some sense of duty or protecting his fellow sapients.) They're both family men who are terrified of endangering their families. The type of guy is likely to draw the same crowd in a lot of cases. The details vary a lot.
First, erotic relationships - while Constantine sleeps around whenever he's single (or, rather, used to when he was younger), he's a serial monogamist at heart. He falls fast and deep for whoever's caught his eye this minute, even when he's trying to keep it casual. He always expects it to be long term, and his overly intense expectations inevitably cause him to fuck something up. While he's open to sexual experimentation with his current partner (orgies, etc.), he can't really handle polyamory. Captain Jack, on the other hand, is capable of understanding monogamous relationships (it probably exists as a queer identity where he's from), but he struggles to engage in one. He meets people where they are, though, and so sometimes engages in relationships that are dispreferential to him, figuring he can fill that in elsewhere.
Second, killing - Captain Jack considers himself a soldier, even when he's doing civilian things, even when he's on the run, even when he's working for a very different cause than a war. War shaped him, and war stole away his limits. He has no hesitation about killing people if it's necessary. Even when he knows them, loves them, doesn't want to hurt them: when he knows it's necessary, he simply acts. He doesn't enjoy hurting or killing people, but he does consider it a tool always available to him. Constantine is capable of killing people, but just barely. Even when he knows it's absolutely necessary, he will hunt for every other possible option, often until the time is up. He's incapable of killing a child even when he knows that child will grow up to destroy the universe. Until his life or the life of a loved one is directly threatened, he has trouble acting. Counterintuitively, this means that Captain Jack feels directly responsible for any death that he orders or obliquely causes, while Constantine in much more picky about what blood he carries on his hands.
Third, trauma - Captain Jack exists to embody heavily dramatized impossible traumas that, while they have analogy to real people's problems, exaggerate and contort them until they're safe to deal with in a fantasy context. Constantine does the opposite. Constantine's traumas are almost exclusively meant to be very real, very concrete things that happen directly to real people, and where his reactions to them are realistic, even when they involve magic (in either causing or healing the trauma). Captain Jack's bad memories are symbolic, metaphorical, allegorical. Constantine's bad memories are relatable and believable. (Both of them are direct explorations of common queer experiences, though.)
Fourth, powers - Constantine is almost entirely self-taught. While he did obtain mentors and friends to help him expand his repertoire later in his career, this was after he learned everything that was dangerous with no guidance, oversight, or support. He's often said to be a relatively weak magic user, and most of his impressive skill comes from the fact that he had to learn loopholes and exploits to do everything he ever did, from the ground up, instead of following any established pattern of magic users. That and making terrible bargains with all manner of more powerful creatures, most of whom only ever had his worst interests at heart. Captain Jack, on the other hand, was taught rigorously by many different organizations. He was considered exceptionally skilled, a prodigy even, and always enjoyed easy support from his colleagues. Everything else is from one specific accident born from love.
Fifth, self-image - Captain Jack has lots of regrets and lots of wishes, but in general, he thinks of himself as someone who's trying to do good things. He doesn't think he's the worst person just because he's not the best person, and he always strives to improve, because he believes in himself. He's suicidal mostly because he thinks it's unnatural the way he exists, and because of grief. Constantine hates everything about himself at all times. He's trying, he's desperately trying, but he doesn't think he's capable of turning himself into someone who deserves to be alive. He has all kinds of internalized bigotry that he'd be horrified if anyone else said, but believes is true about himself. He firmly believes he is the worst person who ever existed and yet he's afraid to die.
Themes Constantine focuses on that Captain Jack doesn't:
addiction
religion
sexual abuse and recovery
poverty/systemic classism
solidarity and mutual aid
footie
Themes Captain Jack focuses on that Constantine doesn't:
exile/cultural history erasure
chosen family
the ethics of coverups
the universalism of violence/the universalism of kindness
ties through time and place
workplace sex
Themes that both focus on:
grief and loss
alienation from wider culture
power and responsibility
star-crossed love
how good and evil on a grand scale interacts with the personal
monsterfucking
You seem like you would know the answer to this question, are Jack Harkness and John Constantine the Same Guy? I know they're from different things and only have the vaguest dashboard osmosis idea about either of them but the instinct is so strong. What is causing this? Help
you've osmosed them into a single slutty bisexual disaster man that doesn't mind his own business and refuses to die
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