#catalyst for growth no matter how good or not-good they end up being

[avrorean]

i am taking the origins crew and holding them all in my hands. its about taking people who have given up in some shape or form and helping them back on their feet just by being willing to understand them. by reminding them of their agency and that they deserve to live. acknowledging their choice. the warden touches them in some way or another but it's not about devotion to the warden as a person, the arcs are always about rediscovering what pushes them forward. love is a motivator to want better for yourself and knowing that you're worth living for and in this essay I will-

[thewickedkat]

long post incoming; meta enthusiasts may wish to digest this in chunks.

i am so completely exasperated with Laudna as of the latest episode. however, i temper that exasperation with my enjoyment as a viewer; indeed, i am feasting on the conflict, thinking finally, some good fucking food, because i think (and have always thought) that Laudna is terrifically interesting as a character and she presents wonderful opportunities for growth not only on her end, but as a catalyst for others.

that being said. the sword. how she handled it. how she handled her own trauma bubbling up, how she handled (or didn't) Delilah, how she handled Orym and Chetney and Dorian and the whole miserable mess she made.

it was selfish. there. i said it. you may disagree with me, i care not, but her course of action was terribly selfish and destructive.

i know many people out there have been likening her behaviour to that of an addict's (and there are many common factors there: the hiding, the lying by omission, the shame, the acquiescence to bad behaviour), but i think in some ways that to do so is reductive, and also removes agency from Laudna herself.

she is allowing her trauma to almost make her decisions for her, allowing it to define her, and she is not giving herself the opportunity to realise that growth beyond it is possible--or, perhaps, she does realise this and is simply too afraid to reach out and grasp it. i think even if Delilah weren't trying to subsume her, Laudna would still be self-sabotaging and self-destructive and still try to hide the parts of her she felt were undesirable; Delilah in many ways simply makes it easier for Laudna to do so and, if pressed, provides a rationalisation for Laudna's choices and actions (as in 'it wasn't me, it was her, she made me do it).

first and foremost, Laudna was a victim of heinous trauma, being murdered and then being put on grotesque display. then she was further traumatised in coming back from the dead and being forced to isolate herself from people for many years, with only Delilah's honeysweet venom dripping into her ear for that time. then she is murdered again as an object lesson for the woman she loves, then stuffed down so deep into her own psyche by the one who first killed her; she is fought for and brought back by her friends...who then seem to do little to check in with her, to make sure she is stable, or coping, because they each have their own baggage and oh by the way, the world is possibly ending. to be fair, there is little time for therapy and stability when you are literally running from crisis to crisis and trying to stop something you haven't even conceived of in your nightmares.

she feels dismissed, often, minimised, and she never developed healthy people skills or coping mechanisms (i am sorry but as much as i love Pâté, a dead rat does not a support group make). so she lashes out, has poor emotional regulation, and Does Crappy Things. so i also understand when she said 'what else have i to give, but myself?'

all that being said. what she did with Orym and the sword was fucking selfish. she is behaving like a child, as if she is the only one whose tragedies matter; she's playing Oppression Olympics, and can i just point out that Orym was the one to say 'i'm sorry' but Laudna never apologised for accosting him while he slept and hurting him? saying 'i didn't mean to hurt you' is not the same, because that implies that if she had not hurt him, stealing from him was perfectly acceptable and reasonable.

i don't believe her when she said 'i accept responsibility' because that means one must accept the consequences of their own actions, and right after she said that, she argued with everyone, told the oldest member of the Hells that he had no right to talk about loss to her, and then fled. that isn't accepting responsibility; that is mouthing platitudes in the hopes you will sway others to your point of view and when it fails, leaving in a huff like a child having a tantrum.

she didn't even bother to ask Orym why he kept the sword. she just tried to take.

Laudna often reacts from a place of fear: of pain, of more trauma, fear of inadequacy, of loss. all of these fears are valid. they are understandable, given all that has happened to her. but just because her fears are valid does not give her the right to make others pay for her emotional baggage. this is what makes her behaviour in ep 95 selfish. all of her actions in the back half of that episode are things she chose to do, and now she must sit in the mess she made. Laudna seems to be falling into the same mental rut that many victims fall into when their trauma isn't dealt with in a healthy fashion: they start fucking others over, as if being a victim excuses it. it does not.

and before others come for me, i say that as one who used to do the same fucking thing but i was lucky enough to have therapy. Laudna doesn't have that luxury--none of the Hells do. there simply isn't time to make space for any of their issues, not just Laudna's. Imogen is still wrestling with her mother; Fearne is wrestling with her parentage; Orym is just trying to keep his feet under him and do what he feels is right without betraying anyone he cares for (yes, including Laudna, shut up); Ashton is still trying to process the loss of Fresh Cut Grass (for gods' sakes, the crafting night was a fucking wake for the lil guy); Dorian just lost his brother and watched his friend succumb to a Betrayer God that turned her into a monster; and Chetney? Chetney is an old man who, i personally think, can pick his battles and knows how to compartmentalise better than any of these kids.

Laudna is not unique in that she has suffered horribly. no one is saying she hasn't, but her behaviour implies that she believes they are saying that. her actions imply she believes not only that she does not trust her friends (thanks, Dorian), but that acknowledging others' losses somehow negates hers. there just isn't time to healthily process any of this, which sucks. it does. i do think her friends love her, care for her deeply, and i think part of the reason they haven't checked up on her as much as they could is because a) they're afraid that her problem with Delilah is much worse than they thought (duh, it is); b) they can't fix the Delilah Problem right now even if they were qualified to do so (even Pike couldn't scour that bitch out of Laudna, she said as much); and c) they run the very substantial risk of wholly alienating Laudna if they press the issue too hard, thus not only losing an asset in the fight against the Vanguard and Ludinus, but also a friend and lover.

it's shit, all around, we all know that. but to pretend that it's okay she did what she did to Orym--or worse, somehow transfer responsibility from her onto him and make it his fault--is infantilising and disingenuous at best, and more than a little insulting.

[cupcraft]

Feel free to completely disagree w me i just want 2 share my thougjts after rewtaching bombshells last night: As much as Cuddy wants to believe that she left House because he couldnt be there for her in the way she wanted to (which is valid but its rlly not what happened imo) She ultimately broke up w him because he relapsed. Forgive my poor memory i may be recalling wrong but the end of the episode vicodin relapse reveal hinted that house had been back on vicodin since before cuddy’s cancer scare, and the moment that Cuddy found out she dropped him. The vicodin was the catalyst in a sense she saw him relapse back into drugs and she was like Nopeee. like it was the longest he’d been sober since he developed the addiction which is a good thing but its like. the expectation that you will relapse at least once. and yeah cuddy had just gotten a big death scare but she had also found out her boyfriend had fallen back into his addiction and instead of allowing them both to comfort eachother on their respective issues she left him liek broo😭😭😭youre dating a known addict and the minute he starts addict-ing you turn away. Also ntm even though cuddy told him outwardly she didnt want him to change, she definitely had inward hope that She could he the one to change him, that he’d love her so much he wiuld change for her and that didnt happen so she quit

No your 100% right and now I'm going to rant about huddy and a missed opportunity for her character's writing.

Cuddy historically has been a character who has understood House's addiction and thus in turn his chronic pain and disability almost the least. She has a repeated history of ableism in the show towards House, but I am going to focus on her lack of understanding around House's addiction and how that ties into why she dumped him and ultimately was a failing on character growth on behalf of the writers.

In season 7 it is implied House has relapsed before the surgery date, and it's implied that he relapsed because of his intense fear of losing Cuddy due to cancer and he loved her and WANTED to be there for her, and in a way this triggered a relapse. In the world of addiction relapse can happen as addiction is a lifelong chronic illness and moments of stress, loss, etc can be a common trigger for relapse. And the fact House wanted to be there for her without panicking, definitely also makes sense why he considered relapsing. Cuddy's problem here, is that she moralizes it. It's understandable she doesn't address her subconscious thoughts on "huh, I wonder if House has relapsed..." because she's actively undergoing a panic of "am I going to die", so it makes sense she doesn't address it until she's finished surgery. But her problem is she MORALIZES this action. Think about what she tells House. She does think House couldn't "be there the way she wanted" and that "he'd never change", but those are the excuses to rationalize how she feels being in a relationship with an addict. She tells House by "being high" he wasn't "REALLY there" for her when she had the surgery/medical scare. Though House might have been pretty high (which is hard to confirm it's never really stated, and House does have a high opiate tolerance to consider), but in the end it doesn't matter if he was. Cuddy thinks House being on Vicodin is in a way subverting his love/care/attention away from her. Instead of seeing the relapse as a concern, as her terminal illness scare, fear of loss of her, wanting to be there for her, she sees it as a means of NOT being there for her. That of course, in the end, House chooses "drugs" over her. Here's a few notable quotes:

Cuddy quite litereally says the pills mean something, as in his addiction is a moral choice in which House chooses to be a careless loveless asshole who is selfish and only cares about himself and in turn cares only about avoiding pain instead of "being there for Cuddy" which is an insane way to look at someone's addiction, and blatantly fucked up. She quite literally dumps him because of this, the relapse, of because he is an addict.

Because the reality is, like I stated, House wasn't afraid Cuddy would hurt him. House isn't afraid to be there for Cuddy. House has also gotten to a point in their relationship by season 7 that he isn't afraid to love Cuddy. He didn't fear experiencing pain, he feared losing her. And he knew, and he WANTED to be there for her in her potentially dying moments because he loved her. And that in turn triggered relapse. Cuddy's interpretation here is that House never changes, but in reality we should see this as Cuddy has never changed. She's never changed since season 1, not understanding how addiction operates.

Early seasons in which Cuddy has a history of the following: Making House go cold turkey and being cruel when he experiences withdrawal instead of intervening to help him, Cuddy telling House his "pain" is just made up in his head and worsened by the Vicodin (not in a medical sense, in a moralizing sense) such that she ignores his bad pain day and tricks him into getting a saline shot and then uses his brief "distraction" from the pain as confirmation it's in his head/drug seeking behavior (again not from a nuanced position of how mental health and chronic pain intersect, instead moralizing it), she doesn't at all ever understand how opiate addiction operates nor how to treat someone's addiction (ie with methadone...foreshadowing for later) and again moralizes his choice to remain on Vicodin (The entire tritter arc), she is ANTI methadone entirely a known medical treatment for opiate addiction enough that instead of recommending House go to a methadone clinic for increased safety and monitoring threatens to fire him unless he agrees to let her control everything about his methadone treatment plan, and etc.

The writer's have posited Cuddy as someone who cares about House, who loves House, but at no point takes a moment to understand his disability, chronic pain, and his addiction. She moralizes it. And when he enters a relationship with her sober just nearly avoiding relapse, she's almost ashamed to be with him. She enters this relationship, ashamed she could be with someone like House. She takes that scene intervening in his relapse as a moral commitment he will prioritize her over drugs, thus entering the relationship without ever really wanting to understand or be compassionate dating someone who has a history of addiction. This is a missed opportunity for her to develop as a character.

Instead, the writing goes as Cuddy doesn't get to change but the narrative wants us to believe it is House who never changed or cared about her enough, because drugs and addicts bad. Which is really fucked considering they took a lot of time making Wilson grow more understanding of addiction. There's that one episode he fears House has relapsed and he says "relapse is common!" ready to help him and when he relapses after the breakup he recommends House get help instead of moralizing it. He even yells at Cuddy for leaving him, not just as a partner but as a friend.

Sorry this is long but I hope...this makes sense

[sagemoderocklee]

Hello, I hope you’re feeling well :).

I just wanted to have your opinion about Temari x Shikamaru? I love the way you write about them. I think Kishimoto would be jealous lol.

I also cannot wait for your updates, especially for “The Art of Love”. Please take care!

^///^ thank you so much anon! for the compliment and the well wishes!

all updates are currently only being done through my fundraising campaign for Palestinian families, but if you would like to see TAoL updated, that IS one of the fics that can be sponsored! The next chapter of TAoL is estimated at around 15k words for a total of $60USD in donations, which do not have to be all one person donating! I hope you'll consider donating to help families!

i absolutely LOVE ShikaTema and i love writing them into all my fics, even when they are barely there. their relationship had so much potential and then boruto ruined it.

kishimoto's problem--and thus Naruto's (and Boruto's) problem--will always be misogyny. i love all the girls (minus hinata), but no matter how bad ass or fun he makes them, they always suffer under misogyny (including Hinata), and so do their relationships--especially the romantic ones.

and this is getting extremely rambly so more under the cut

i think shikamaru and temari suffer more in boruto than in classic or Shippuden--i'd even go so far as to say that relationship suffers the most out of all the ones presented to us because the building blocks in Naruto/Shippuden never supported what Boruto delivered--but i cant speak broadly on that since i refuse to engage with boruto beyond some old silly jokes about metal looking like gaara. i do know through just hearing about it that temari gets the like the shrill, overbearing wife treatment, and obviously she went from being an active duty shinobi to being a housewife, which is so insulting.

if anything, shikamaru should be the stay at home parent. temari should continue her diplomacy work, she should not have just up and left her village for good, and she shouldn't be treated like an overbearing wife.

my preference is to always have Temari and Shikamaru split their time in Suna and Konoha. Shikamaru might ultimately end up being a stay-at-home dad but i do think he still wouldn't abandon his duties as the head of his clan. he'd have a proxy for when he's not in Konoha, but they'd still need to report to him regularly while he's in Suna, and he could always be recalled back to Konoha for big issues within the clan. i think at a certain point he does retire from being a shinobi to focus on the kids, while still being willing to be like a consultant for strategy if need be

but ultimately i think Shikamaru is just a wife guy. i think that's what was being set up for us. Shikamaru being this dumb pre-teen kid who thought girls were gross and was falling into these misogynistic ideas, only to have his world view rocked by Temari. i think she's the catalyst for his growth but not the sole reason for it. i think it was just like the women around him on a daily basis and his own just like growth as a person, but he needed someone to come in to put the first chink in the armor, so to speak. Temari was someone he didn't really know or have any notions about beyond her being a girl and what that meant to a 12 year old boy.

once she proved to defy his expectations and also challenge him, i think that's where he starts to grow.

i think temari and shikamaru's relationship has to be built on equity, respect, and understanding, which kishimoto and anyone else writing these relationships don't grasp.

one thing that should have been emphasized more, imo, is that Temari is on par with Shikamaru. i think she's a genius too, but she's not as lazy and bored by the world as he is, and i think that challenges him. i think she's interesting to him because she's his equal, and often times his better. like she pushes him. he's a lazy mf, but he's brilliant; she's brilliant AND not a lazy mf. she's driven, she's passionate, she's funny, she's playful, she's a lil mean sometimes but has a big heart...

like deadass shikamaru should WORSHIP the ground she walks on. he should be so in love with her, but he always keeps it close to the chest. he's not like tryna play it cool he's just like that. it's not like he's scared or even embarrassed, i just think he's reserved in how he shows that to he world, which works well cause i dont think temari is publicly very lovey-dovey either.

i think temari is just as in love with him--again equity and so on--but i do think she also has other priorities like her career. i think shikamaru could give a rat's ass about being a shinobi and the only thing he really cares about related to shinobi work is his teammates and his clan, but that's still all wrapped up in duty. temari is his choice. which i think is something that anyone from a clan really would be drawn to--clans are about duty, shinobi life is about duty. but loving someone outside of the clan, choosing who you marry--that's choice and that's freeing.

i think temari is freedom for shikamaru, and she needs freedom from him. he's not overbearing. he's not insecure. he's willing to do shit a lotta other guys wouldn't do--like be a stay-at-home dad. and he loves her without reservation and without expectation. i think for temari, expectation is the root of all evil.

she's the daughter of the 4th Kazekage, people expect things from her because of that. she's a shinobi--a kunoichi--a woman, so people expect certain things from her because of that.

get married. retire early. have kids. can't be too ambitious. not allowed on the council. so on and so on.

all these gendered expectations of her from the world around her, but not from Shikamaru.

like obviously he does wanna marry her and have kids, but it's not a demand. he never expects her to do anything she doesn't wanna do. and it's not like she doesnt want kids. she absolutely wants to get married and have a family, but she also wants her ambition. her career. her passion. she wants to change the world alongside Gaara, not sit idly by while the men in her life do and do and do.

shikamaru gives her that. she defied expectations because she didn't marry a man from Wind, she didn't retire, she's having kids who'll have dual loyalties which means from the council's pov her children aren't viable heirs to the Kazekage title, she retains all of her ambitions and passions and keeps fighting for the equity of women in the shinobi world.

Shikamaru is for Temari, what she is for him. he challenges her as much as she challenges him; he gives her what she needs from a partner, as much as she gives him what he needs. emotionally, mentally, and physically they both challenge the other, support the other, and understand the other.

they just make a good team. they make each other stronger and smarter and better, and they make each other happy.

anyways, this is all really rambly. not feelin that great today so i hope this rambling mess is fun to read!

thanks for the ask and for reading my fics <3

[yearoftheflop]

can i get any commentary you have on seagull causing a storm :3 maybe something on the "are you ahead or behind me" bit of dialogue if you have anything to say. i always thought that part was interesting

hiii good morning 🧡 commentary to a fic as a whole? i guess i'm just going to rumble on about my vision for it, etc. ty for the ask🧡

in general I just wanted to muse around themes of fate, the butterfly effect and choice. the fic starts in the little scene at the end when they both choose each other at the same time, but it's a drunken subconscious decision, rather they collide. that event is a catalyst for a whole year of events that follow. the night left some heavy tension and reopened old wounds, as I imagined that it just didn't lead to anything good at the moment. bojan pulled back, kris got his hopes up and got hurt.

kris was clearly already in love for a long time and his arc is really all about these motifs around fate and small actions that lead us to each other. he sees that bojan doesn't love him at the same volume (or doesn't want to show it/accept it, whatever) he's just not there and he might never be. he is kinda refusing to think about being left/hurt/used by bojan's inability to reciprocate but is also acknowledging that his affection still runs on the background, it doesn't die despite the years or the hurt. he's more focused on the reasons to hold on to the love.

meanwhile bojan is on his own journey of personal growth, self-reflecting and finally self-accepting, all of it more rapidly since meeting jere and having that whole esc experience. I guess I should've made this part more clear and just expanded more on the topic, but at the time kris's attempt to start a new relationship as a remedy that ultimately failed resulting in just more pain piled on top of the other one seemed more interesting.

and I guess it's all about these mysterious ways we exist next to each other, and what some may call fate. kris & bojan & me by the end denounce fate because ultimately what leads them together and breaks the wall of tension, of things left unsaid, etc isn't fate, it's every choice they made along the way, big or small. it's kris picking up guitar and saying I want you no matter the cost, and then sticking to his choice for years no matter the hurt of seemingly unrequited love, it's bojan making the call despite the fear of what's to come, despite not knowing what to say or how to say it, despite knowing they might hurt each other again. I think it's much more rewarding to know that the other person chooses you over and over again and is willing to work and hurt for it than believing in fate.

regarding the line first time it came up as a text from bojan and when I typed it i was like hmmmm wait here a second mister wouldn't it be a bit fun to play with the wording of timezones and "depends on the topic" is for the readers to indicate that we are wrapping this line in double layer. and next time in the conversation bojan basically asks are you like me, just coming to fully realize what you mean to me and being okay with it or are you way ahead of me and already know? he’s so silly for that. just a guy. kris should’ve hung up on that mf not realizing he had this shit figured out for years. I knew those babes aren't gonna have a normal conversation in that scene anyway so why not have a little play with words just for our reading pleasure 💋

[devilagent]

💔Least favorite ship for the muse?

i think out of all the pairings with him, i'll say the most least favorite that came to mind which is Nicholas/Angelique

i got a separate ask regarding the both of them so i will save a lot of my ramblings for when i reply to that one! but i'll keep this one a bit more brief for now.

i have expressed this privately already, but i view nicholas and angeliques relationship as disastrous siblings. i am aware that nicholas being her brother is merely a ruse ( which i will also discuss more in the other reply ) - but even with that being said i enjoy viewing their dynamic from a #worst sibling ever lens

i may been influenced by not so lovely fics i have read on this pairing as well, most often ending up abusive on nicholas' part toward angelique ... which doesn't really sell the ship for me. i do understand the appeal that people have towards them in a romantic sense, as for me i view their relationship in a more nuanced way than that!

my secondary choice - which may come as a surprise to some people maybe considering how passionate i am about them - is Maggie/Nicholas

don't get me wrong, there is no doubt in my mind that nicholas would treat her like a queen and she could do no wrong in his eyes, it is already canonly established that he treats her with upmost love, tenderness and devotion. and his feelings for her are sincere, the closest he has ever been to sincerity. but even with that being said, i cannot see them together as an actual couple. for multiple reasons, none of which has to do with nicholas feelings or how he'd act in a relationship with her. nope! his devotion to maggie is unquestionable.

a very glaring reason would be the fact, simply put, that nicholas butted into maggie & joes pre-existing relationship together and sabotaged the both of them. he inflicted a lot of suffering onto joe in particular, not only to get him out of the picture but to appear like a compassionate shoulder to cry on for maggie. it is very much on purpose, because joe is a good man, and nicholas wanted to appear the same way to attempt to win over maggie.

another reason, which is probably the biggest factor of all, is that maggies heart belongs to joe. that is not to say that she doesn't have any feelings for nicholas, i do believe she does even in spite of the fact nicholas set it up that way, however her feelings for him really pale in comparison to her absolute love of joe haskall. he is truly the love of her life! and he was with her long before nicholas entered into the picture.

maybe in an AU scenario it'd be interesting, although i don't really have much interest to explore that personally. i have said this many times privately, but i think nicholas as a character would benefit greater by accepting he cannot be with her.

i do feel that he will always love her though, no matter whether he can be with her or not. it'll be difficult for him. but for the sake of progressing his character forward and allowing character growth, he needs it. his character circles around maggie whereas i think she was a good catalyst for his character vs revolving around her.

[tirorah]

I think it's fair to say that Hina is a quick and easy obstacle to Usagi and Mamoru's Miracle Romance. Her presence delays the eventuel relationship and extends the will-they-won't-they drama. Which is fine and all, but I initially saw it as a bit of a time-waster. Most viewers will already be familiar with the Miracle Romance.

But...on this rewatch, I'm starting to understand a bit better how this fits into the tapestry of PGSM's story.

First of all, it's a believable catalyst for Usagi's character growth. She's been learning and adapting for the entire show, but I feel like the majority of that is related to her Senshi duties or interacting with her friends. Becoming a better fighter, and gaining a better understanding of how her three emotionally scarred friends work, is good stuff.

But so far, nothing has truly challenged her. Because PGSM allows the other Senshi to bond outside of their friendship with Usagi, they've also been capable of working things out between themselves. Usagi might help, but she doesn't always need to improve herself to solve a situation.

The Hina reveal hits her where it hurts. She's truly heartbroken, and now it's up to her to grow and learn from that experience. What will she do? Which path will she choose? This is her test of character to overcome. Her friends might be able to assist, but it's not something they can solve for her.

...No matter how much they try, because that's the second thing I'm seeing here. Now that I fully understand how this situation is affecting Makoto's behaviour, I can see how this is building up to a certain upcoming development. Rei's fight with Minako has pulled her away from the team, and now Hina's presence is doing the same to Makoto. Another link in the chain is becoming loose and it's all because of believable character flaws. Awesome!

And finally, although I was already aware that Hina is a sweetheart, I'd forgotten how...vulnerable she is here. Anxious, too. She's putting her heart on the line here. I really like that. I like that the surprise girlfriend is actually a super nice, just all-around good person who is allowed to feel insecure. She's just a human being, like the rest of the cast.

Of course, as we suspected, her love seems destined to end in tragedy. She's in love with her childhood friend, but people change. Mamoru's changed.

He's not in love with her. He just thinks he has a duty to be with her. A moral obligation. Mamoru isn't exactly averse to conflict or tough situations, but he absolutely sucks at communication. How sad. Not even someone nice and uncomplicated like Hina has it easy in PGSM.

[haruwrites21]

Embrace the Journey: 15 Good Quotes About Life to Inspire Personal Growth and Happiness

Life is a remarkable adventure filled with experiences that shape our perspectives and drive our growth. Navigating this incredible journey can be sometimes overwhelming, but having a collection of good quotes about life as your compass can inspire personal development, happiness, and a greater understanding of the world around us. Let's explore 15 Good Quotes About Life that will awaken your curiosity and boost your motivation to embrace life's beauty.

1. "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

This quote reminds us of the importance of living a full and purposeful life. Instead of merely counting the years, focus on making each moment count by pursuing meaningful experiences and cherishing memories.

2. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein

The essence of this quote lies in understanding the value of momentum. Life requires constant adaptation, and maintaining momentum can help us stay balanced amid inevitable challenges and uncertainties.

3. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs

Find joy and inspiration in your work by seeking tasks that align with your passions and values. Loving your work not only fuels personal growth but also contributes to overall happiness and satisfaction.

4. "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain

This profound quote inspires us to explore our purpose and discover what truly drives us. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and let it guide you towards a more fulfilled and happy life.

5. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Eliminate self-doubt and nurture self-confidence to unlock your true potential. Believe in your abilities, and you'll find the inspiration to conquer your fears and achieve greatness.

6. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

This quote encourages boldness and risk-taking. Embrace new experiences, chase your dreams, and create unforgettable memories by daring to step outside of your comfort zone.

7. "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

Strive for simplicity by letting go of unnecessary complexities and focusing more on the things that truly matter. Adopting a minimalist approach to life can lead to greater happiness and personal growth.

8. "Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." - Simone de Beauvoir

The time for action is now. Seize the opportunities presented to you and work towards the life you've always dreamed of, without hesitation or fear.

9. "Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing." - Seneca

This quote emphasizes the importance of a quality life that is built on meaningful relationships, achievements, and experiences. Focus on living well rather than simply living long.

10. "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." - Charles R. Swindoll

Your attitude is the catalyst for personal growth and happiness. Embrace a positive outlook, and you'll gain the ability to adapt and thrive, no matter what life throws at you.

11. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

Being brave empowers us to explore new horizons and face challenges head-on. Unleash your courage, and your life will expand in myriad ways.

12. "Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." - Dalai Lama

Take charge of your happiness by focusing on meaningful actions and cultivating a positive mindset. Remember that happiness is nurtured, not simply handed to you.

13. "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost

This quote emphasizes the importance of resilience and adaptability in the face of life's adversities. Embrace the ebb and flow of life and learn to navigate its ever-changing landscape.

14. "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

Be present and savor every moment, rather than becoming too absorbed in planning the future. Embrace spontaneity and opportunities as they arise.

15. "The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates

Personal growth and happiness come from self-reflection and introspection. Take the time to examine your life, beliefs, and actions, and you'll discover a richer, more meaningful existence.

By reflecting on these 15 good quotes about life, you can find the inspiration to embrace your unique journey towards personal growth and happiness. Let these wise words serve as guiding beacons, illuminating your path towards a fulfilled and joyful life.

[kakiastro]

Fame in Astrology Part 6

Topic: Politician

Disclaimer: this is just for entertainment and learning purposes. I’m also aware politics is a sensitive topic for many people especially more in recent days but I’m strictly just going to talk about where in a birth chart a person might be interested in this profession. Please don’t copy my work, thank you!

Hey y’all, I’m back with the last part to this series. I’ve had a lot of fun making this series and I appreciate the support I’ve gotten. Last post we talked about writers and where in a chart you can see it

Here is a link to that post:

Now we’re going to talk about what makes a person interested or choose to be a politician? Now I know every country has different political rules but I’m from the US so I’m going by my country

I’ll use Barack Obama for examples.

Okay let’s get started!

1. So first we’re going to look at the Moon + 4h

The moon just doesn’t rule your family, it rules over your home country as well. It’s your place and how you view your country. However you view it, this is what prompts you to choose what political stance you’re on

Ex. Obama has a Gemini Moon 5h and Taurus 4h with ruler Venus Cancer 6h. So Obama became president during a time when America is still healing from the aftermath of 9/11, change and healing was and still is needed. With his Gemini moon, he was seen as intelligent, a great communicator, he knows how to make you feel heard. With his Taurus 4h and venus cancer, he became instantly popular (venus) among families(4h).

2. Next we’re going to look at the Sun.

The Sun rules over Leaders, they represent our country, hometown and city district.

Ex. Obama has Sun Leo/ Leo stellium(Sun, Mercury, Uranus) also North node in the 7h. Sun was in his home sign so he was seen(Sun) right for the job. Now 7h rules over open enemies and you can say there’s a lot of people who don’t like him but honestly that’s what any politician or famous for that matter, you’re either beloved or hated maybe even both lol. With a Leo stellium, he’ll be remembered though.

3. Now let’s look at Saturn

Saturn rules over government, Karma, rules and regulations. Politician are the ones who make the rules. I feel like Saturn is the most important part because you can see the political stance a politician may reside in

Ex. Obama has Saturn Capricorn 12h. Now the 12h rules over pass life, just the pass in general and hope, unknown or deeply hidden. Capricorn also rules over the pass , government and karma. Obama is the first Biracial president, he broke down a wall in this country that no one would thought was possible. The 12h rules over hope and faith , Saturn also rules over breaking barriers. Spiritually speaking and this is just my opinion but I think his presidency brought up some deep issues that’s been swept under the rug for generations, tough discussions that’s still being talked about till this day. I believe every president brings up pass life energy that needs to be discussed and healed in order for a country growth to happen but that’s my just opinion lol

4. Now we’re going to talk about Pluto and Mars

I always look at Pluto because he rules over hidden , corruption, transformation, death and rebirth. How a politician rules can be a catalyst of events in a country, those events can be good or bad. Let’s just be real here, we don’t always know what happen in politics, we want to hope that our leaders have good intentions but at the end of the day we don’t know a lot of things which is very Pluto energy lol

Mars rules over how a leader choose to act, especially to threats or just the basic needs of their people

Ex . Now Pluto is a generational planet but we can look at his house placement or aspects.

Now he has Pluto Virgo 8h with Mars here as well. He came out with the Obama healthcare act. It was the first of something like that(mars energy) so generationally he created something that would help people with healthcare(Pluto Virgo).

I hope you all enjoyed this reading, I’ll be taking time In thinking of my next series, I’m thinking of doing royalty, past and present. Let me know what you guys think!

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor x MC Westmoon CH 10 (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to be released on the global server. ♡

Please do remember to read CH 9 before continuing: Here! ♡

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

I’ll be adding bullet point summaries for the parts that aren’t necessarily significant or don’t focus on Victor x MC~ :>

Just a little heads-up so you guys don’t get a shock later LOL: This update of West Moon connects it back to the Black Cabin, and this world-line happens to be another “observation project.” So, we are acquainted with the terms Evolvers, Evol, MC’s QUEEN identity, and the QUEEN gene – from the main story~ :>

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

✧ [CH 10-1] ✧

MC finds herself awake beneath the scarlet moon of the Demon Realm with Victor’s blood-stained double-edged sword in her hand.

MC realizes she’s truly a hundred years back in the past.

MC recalls the warnings Victor gave her (on his 3/4 deathbed) for protection before sending her away.

MC starts looking around and finds the entire demon realm too calm, unlike how the eve of war is supposed to be.

At this moment, MC notices a “giant bird” illuminating the night sky and hides in a nearby bush.

She then sees a round door emerging from the bird’s abdomen, and a group of people walking out of it.

MC watches a group of people tied at the very front, looking like hunters from around the Demon Realm. And at the back are people wearing clothes and with artifacts she’s never seen before.

Among these people, there’s a man in a cloak, whom MC discerns to be their leader.

MC hears these people talking about some failed experiments and such in a joking manner.

AT THIS MOMENT—— One of the hunters cries out in pain while those cruel people order him to keep quiet. Soon, every one of the hunters cries out in pain and a dangerous black mist enshrouds each of them, collapsing to the ground. MC realizes they are all being bedeviled, enraged.

Then MC overhears them talking about Evol energy, experiment data, QUEEN gene and needing it as a catalyst for their experiment.

Obviously, MC is unable to understand a single word of what they are saying LOL~ (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠) But she is certain that these foreign visitors are the very culprits behind the countless tragedies in Westmoon.

Just then, MC’s Master intervenes in the discussion as he also walks out of the bird’s abdomen, causing her to freeze, literally.

MC’s Master warns the man in the cloak that this is his project and he won’t tolerate any intervention. There’s a brief back and forth between the two, ending with the cloaked man warning the Master to play his role of the “The Great Oracle of Westmoon” properly, or else he will truly take matters into his own hands~

After those people leave, MC’s “Master” reveals he’s already noticed her.

He notices Victor’s blood-stained sword in MC’s hand, and immediately discerns Victor as a Space-Time Evolver, and realizes how he used his heart’s blood to send the “QUEEN” from the future. He also adds that Victor’s Evol strength should have reached the threshold by now~ ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ

Utterly horrified, MC ends up addressing him as “Master”, to which the man says such a relationship with MC will indeed make it easier for his “observation”, and that “his plan is going smoothly in the future.”

Though MC has no idea what any of these terms mean, she still puts two and two together –– “her master” is the very person who tampered with her Occulstone, the person who gave rise to the conflict between Humans and Demons.

Pained and desperate, MC rushes forward (in tears) to attack her master, only to find herself collapsing.

In this brief moment of unconsciousness, MC’s master realizes how this girl has very strong emotions which she will need as the “QUEEN.” There’s also a moment of self-reflection –– he says he won’t hurt or deceive her as it’s not good for her future growth. He only wants to see which path to evolution she chooses.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [CH 10-2] ✧

MC finds herself floating through the chaos of time and space until she finds a beam of light in the darkness, only to find herself surrounded by a group of soldiers in this new place, a sword pressed to her throat.

A soldier suspects MC to be a spy of the demon clan, causing everyone on the site to be alarmed and MC unable to think straight.

At this moment, like always––

–

?? (Victor): Back off first.

At the sound of the familiar voice, I can’t help but lift my head.

The moonlight pours down, and the jet-black strands of hair dance in the wind, playing across the man’s youthful and sharp face.

MC: VICTOR?!

That pair of deep eyes, serene as a placid lake surface, gazes at me, a trace of doubt slowly sliding across his indifferent face.

Victor: [sounds... hopeful in some way]  Do you recognize me?

I narrow my eyes as I look at him. It’s unmistakable that the person in front of me is Victor, but he seems somewhat different from the one in my memory.

He is attired in strong armor, his facial features are juvenile, and his tone of voice carries the boyish charm of early youth. And what’s even more odd is that he doesn’t seem to know me.

–

MC’s mind races million miles a second, and she takes this opportunity to take in the surrounding.

After her deduction upon the sight of what clearly is the middle of a war–– MC realizes, she was lost in the gaps of time and space and ended up landing on the eve of the war between humans and demons a few years ago, thus the sight of Victor~ ಥ_ಥ

First things first, MC tries to clear herself of suspicion:

–

MC: Thank you for saving me, General.

Victor: Where have you come from?

I hurriedly remove the Royal Occultist’s talisman from my waist and hold it high above my head.

MC: Reporting to the General, my name is MC. I come from Serenos, and I’m a Royal Occultist.

–

MC tells Victor that the Guild has sent her to the Retrobyss to investigate the truth since the demon aura is rampant nowadays, and she entered the army camp by mistake.

Victor takes her talisman, puts on a show of checking it back and forth before returning it to the nervous MC, and commands her not to enter this area again.

Just as MC is about to be taken away, the military adviser objects, saying MC’s behavior is suspicious and suspects her to be a henchman of the Demon Clan. Though fearful, MC asks him to send someone to verify her identity, but the adviser objects to that too.

–

Victor lifts his eyelids, his gaze sweeps past the bent figure of the military adviser, and lands on me. Surprisingly, a cold smile plays on his lips.

Victor: What the military adviser has said is reasonable. We should indeed be cautious.

Victor: Guards, bring her to my tent. Wait for me to interrogate and deal with her personally.

Military Adviser: General...!

Victor: Adviser, have you forgotten the reason we are standing here at the moment?

Victor’s eyes are majestic, and an aura that causes humans to be quiet in fear and demons to be terrified to their core washes over instantly.

Victor: Or would you like to join me in enacting the punitive measures on the Royal Occultist?

Victor’s words clearly denote that the military adviser has overstepped his authority.

The military adviser bends his waist even lower. His actions are utterly respectful, but his tone is rather indifferent.

Military Adviser: I wouldn’t dare.

It’s truly baffling that Victor, who has always been meticulous in his actions and is not a lenient person would try to save me, a person of unknown origins, several times.

I vaguely have a feeling that there is some other purpose behind his actions, but I’m unable to figure out any clues whatsoever.

–

Just as MC is being escorted to Victor’s tent, a strong demon aura suddenly hits her while passing by a group of kneeling prisoners.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [CH 10-4] ✧

MC hurriedly uses her Occult to check on the prisoners and realizes they are greatly contaminated with demon aura.

The military adviser urges Victor to give the order for their execution.

-

Instead of responding, Victor turns to me.

Victor: Since you’re a Royal Occultist, do you have any methods to suppress their demon aura?

MC: I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I can give it a try.

I straighten my waist and extend my hands to hold it up over several people, pushing the Occulstone within me to activate.

The black demon aura lingering around those people gradually dissipates, dispersing along with the dry desert wind.

It’s not until the last wisp of demon aura has also dissipated into thin air that I finally heave a sigh of relief. My entire body can’t help but tremble.

Rashly pressing the broken Occulstone to annihilate the demon aura is indeed a tremendous drain on my body.

MC: ...they seem to be all right now.

Victor nods, giving orders to the deputy general.

Victor: To the Deputy General, since the demon aura has been successfully annihilated, there is no need to carry out the execution anymore. Pass on the order to make separate arrangements for these men, and each troop is to return to the camp in their order.

After the deployment, Victor walks over to my side and inclines his head towards some of the guards.

Victor: Return her the weapon you’ve collected.

The young Victor’s gaze lingers on my sword for a moment, then he says to me––

–

[T/N]: Weeping in hands since the sword MC refers to as “mine” actually belongs to Victor. It’s always the little things~ ;-;

–

Victor: I’ve got some questions for you.

I follow Victor through an endless succession of tents, my apprehensive heart unable to relax all along.

Victor used his flesh and blood to serve as a guide, enabling me to travel back in time. Since I already know the truth of a hundred years ago, staying here for too long will only add to his burden.

But right now, let alone finding a way to return to the future, it’s difficult to even guarantee my personal safety.

As I mentally calculate what I’m to say later, I’ve already followed the young general into his tent without realizing it.

A faint scent of medicine lingers in the tent. I take a deep breath. Now I can only take one step at a time.

Victor sits down at the table, motioning for me to sit in the guest seat. His gaze lands on my face as he hesitates a little to open his mouth.

Victor: I... once heard the voice of the Sorceress in the courtyard of the Heavenbright Academy.

–

[Tidbits]: Victor is referring to their first meeting at the academy as teenagers~

–

I can’t help being stunned, immediately understanding what he means.

MC: ...I’m indeed the Sorceress.

He could’ve gotten straight to the point and revealed my identity on the spot, but he didn’t expose me in front of everyone. It signifies that he has a different plan.

MC: So, you’ve already recognized me long ago. You kept me in the camp... is it because you wish to use me to save those bedeviled officers and soldiers?

MC: As long as everyone knows that those who are bedeviled can be “purified,” these people may not need to die.

A look of applause flows through Victor’s eyes as he nods his head.

Victor: You’re smart. In addition, I need to confirm since we’ve been blessed with the visit of the Westmoon Sorceress – your true purpose for coming here.

This isn’t an ordinary question, but a test and confirmation. I don’t answer, rather throw this question back to Victor.

MC: General, what’s your purpose in coming here?

Victor: When you head for the battlefield, it’s only natural that you’d want to sweep clean the calamity and chaos.

I take a step forward, looking straight at Victor with resolution.

MC: Do you truly think that if you win this war, the calamity and chaos can be swept clean?

Victor: ...

Victor doesn’t speak anymore. His gaze strays far into the distance, and he seems to have sunken into the memories.

As the General, he’s fought countless victorious battles. But with each following battle, his back became a little heavier than the time before.

There’s never been a shortage of sacrifices behind him, yet these sacrifices have brought merely a few years, or worse, only a few days of stability. The outcomes are far away from what he hopes for.

What he yearns for is a long-lasting peace, a future where no one would be separated in life and death by the fire of war.

MC: ...you hesitated. I suppose I can take it that you are no different from me and believe that the Demons are far from the origins of the chaos and calamities.

Victor: Even so, until the real chaos and calamities are identified, it is my duty to win every battle.

I nod, my tone softening.

MC: I know. So, there are some things that I’m obliged to do. That is also my duty as the Sorceress.

Victor remains noncommittal. He simply stands up and walks to the corner, lifts the pot of medicine, and looks at it, before pouring the boiled medicine into the jar.

Victor: Come with me.

–

Victor brings MC to the cell of the camp. To MC’s surprise, none of the captives are “prisoners”, rather hundreds of officers and soldiers who got bedeviled.

–

I feel extremely powerless. I can still “purify” these few people, but compared to the entire continent of bedeviled people, it’s nothing more than a drop of water into the ocean.

Victor leans down to examine the situation of these soldiers, his face wearing a complex and worried expression I’ve never seen before.

Victor: There’s no cure for bedevilment. I can only find some medicinal herbs to calm their nerves as a reprieve.

Victor: It allows them to sleep a little longer, or at least will keep them from causing more harm.

The number of bedeviled officers and soldiers in the battalion is increasing day by day, causing a huge challenge for the camp in terms of food, water, and manpower.

It’s at this moment that I truly understand just how much difficulty Victor had overcome to protect these people.

In comparison, the plan to reveal my ability to “purify” seems like the easiest part of the process.

MC: Can I ask you a question?

Sensing the cautiousness in my tone, Victor nods without any concern.

MC: In your eyes, what is the difference between humans and demons?

Victor: There is no difference.

Victor replies calmly and frankly.

Victor: After all, I have crossed paths with the demons for a long time, and I’ve asked myself how much I truly understand about them, not to mention the fact that these bedeviled soldiers have once been by my side morning and night.

Victor: The demon soldiers with whom we are at war for years on end are no different from the human race in their words and deeds, except for their stance.

Victor: As for these people, I’m more inclined to say that they’ve fallen ill.

With that said, the corners of his lips curl with a trace of imperceptible loneliness.

Victor: You are the Sorceress who has lived deep in the palace for many years, so naturally you have no real feelings about what I said.

MC: No, I agree with everything you’ve said.

MC: Someone once told me that everyone sees the world differently, with their eyes.

–

[Tidbits]: MC is referring to what Victor told her in CH 9~ 🥺

–

MC: My eyes have allowed me to see you clearly, to see the demons clearly. Naturally, the same goes for you too.

As Victor stares on in astonishment, I pick up the medicine bowls and feed the soldiers one by one.

MC: However, this is only a stop-gap measure for now and their arrangement will always be a problem...

Victor’s brows are slightly lowered, and he doesn’t speak for a very long time. After a good while, he draws a breath, seemingly having made a choice.

Victor: I’ve already taken this into consideration. Don’t worry.

I nod my head in astringency, but a wave of bitterness floods my heart that I can hardly quell.

When these officers and soldiers were bedeviled, they still had Victor who took care of them and exhausted the best of his capabilities to protect them at the risk of his own life.

But when Victor was bedeviled, who had ever stood by his side, guarding a side of the moonlight for him?

As I’m thinking this, I look up at the sky. The lonely moon is hanging high, just as it has always been in the days that have gone by.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [CH 10-5] ✧

I spend this night tossing and turning restlessly in bed, unable to get a good rest as I think about Victor who is far away in the future, and worry about how to leave this place.

–

Early in the morning, MC rushes outside hearing the soldiers screaming, only to find that Victor is injured.

CONTEXT: Victor led the troops to the Chasm Bridge earlier. Despite having the upper hand, Victor’s soldiers who were stained with the demon aura suddenly attacked him. Knowing they aren’t doing this on purpose, Victor didn’t fight back as he should have done and ended up being stabbed in the back. ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

The physician wants to tend to Victor but of course the goddess of compassion and righteousness ——

–

Victor: No need. You go ahead and check on the situation of those people.

While the physician is in a bit of a quandary, I step forward in a rush.

MC: General, I’ve learned some medical knowledge at the Guild. Allow me to help you.

Victor nods. The physician, though still anxious, no longer hesitates, bows, and goes to examine the wounded men.

I cut open Victor’s blood-clotted garments and find a deep, long wound on his back, clearly caused by a sneak attack.

I dare not delay and hurriedly clean his wounds. At this moment, I hear the physician open his mouth.

Physician: The demon aura accumulated in their bodies is too much and it’s already penetrated so deep into their bone marrow that it’s hard to bring under permanent control.

Victor’s eyes are slightly closed. He’s already anticipated such a situation, therefore he doesn’t hesitate.

Victor: Take them into custody first, and then we’ll draw up the plans.

Military Adviser: General, with all due respect, you’ve repeatedly taken in bedeviled soldiers. You’re being rather too soft-hearted.

The military adviser takes a step forward and lowers his gaze slightly to Victor on the couch.

Military Adviser: Turning into a demon is a betrayal of the Westmoon Kingdom, and they should be punished according to the crime!

Victor: They are tainted with demon aura, and their minds aren’t clear. What’s the crime of betrayal you’re talking about?

Military Adviser: Reporting to the General, the crimes of these men are too numerous to mention. Allow me to state them one by one.

Military Adviser: Willing to be a lackey of the Demon Chasm, treason, one. Sneak attacking the General, the crime of rebellion, two. Irresolute temperament, the crime of disloyalty, three. Failing to control oneself, wrongly convicted crimes, four.

Military Adviser: Failure to report the military intelligence in time, the crime of negligence, five. Wavering heart, the crime of throwing the army into disorder, six. Leaking our military information to the Demon Chasm, the crime of divulging secrets, seven, and occupying the camp’s water and food, the crime of embezzlement, eight!

The military adviser cites eight major crimes in a row, and his words are conclusive. Clearly, he’s deduced them in his mind long before. He pauses, his tone turning mild.

Military Adviser: General, we don’t know how long this war is going to last, and today you were attacked by some mere insignificant little demons. You don’t need to...

Victor: What are you trying to say?

Just when he is about to utter the words “you don’t need to go into the battlefield,” he is forced to swallow them back by Victor’s knife-sharp gaze.

Victor: In that case, how about letting you lead the army to attack the enemy?

The military adviser stumbles over his words. Only when Victor turns around coldly does he breathe a relaxed sigh and murmur in grief.

Military Adviser: In the world of chaos, the men of today have sadly degenerated. If someday in the future, more people are wounded by those traitors, the army will be in great turmoil, and it will become even more irreversible...

What an use of gentle methods and force simultaneously to narrate the crimes and the situation! Sure enough, people are incited by him in succession, clamoring for Victor to rescind his order.

I can’t help clenching my fists and glaring at the military adviser in rage. 

When Victor was still the general, these people were able to distort the truth deliberately and single him out in a corner. When he was bedeviled, what kind of “hostility against the common enemy” attitude was displayed by the army?

I know full well that my identity is in a delicate position, and I shouldn’t speak up. So I only put my hand on Victor’s shoulder, trying to give him a little strength.

Victor reaches out and gently pats my hand, then straightens himself and stands up.

Victor: The camp only needs to shelter these people for five days.

Even though he is wounded, he still stands tall like a mountain, overlooking everyone in the tent in a commanding position.

Victor: Within five days, the Westmoon Kingdom Cavalry will step across the Chasm Bridge and force the army of the Demon Clan to retreat.

Victor glances at the military adviser indifferently, his every word powerful and resonating.

Victor: As for the punishment for the crimes mentioned by the Military Adviser, the General’s office will take over the matter and report it to the imperial court.

A momentary silence of fear hangs in the military tent, which is then followed by a succession of loud cheers as everyone embraces the high fighting spirit. Compared with killing their betrayer comrades, what they want more is a swift return of victory.

Victor has won the game of people’s hearts. But in my heart, I know better than anyone else––

For Victor, this is a war that is doomed to no victory.

–

After everyone leaves, I tuck Victor in, then sit on the edge of the couch to watch over him.

Just when I think this silence is going to last, he suddenly opens his mouth.

Victor: I once heard my father say that the vision of ordinary people can be either very small or very big.

Victor: However, as the General, too small or too big of a vision is a hindrance.

MC: Why?

Victor: The General has an established standpoint. He should have his eyes on the stability of the entire Westmoon Kingdom, and he can only protect the common people of the Westmoon Kingdom.

I stare at him. Amid the half-bright and half-obscure light, his side profile is calm and lonely.

MC: And what about Victor?

That pair of serene eyes gaze at me. Though somewhat bleak, a resolute light gradually solidifies within that gaze.

Victor: The “common people” of Westmoon Kingdom that Victor spoke of includes not only people but also demons.

Victor: The chaos and calamity that need to be swept clean are not the demons, but the desires of the human heart, the uneven distribution of benefits, and the prejudices of the races.

Victor: For this reason, even if I’m to be despised by the entire world, I will not regret it.

At this moment, his figure overlaps with the one of him from years later. Momentarily transfixed, I want to reach out and caress his cheek.

Watching his astounded expression, I suddenly become aware that I’ve now only met him by chance, and so this action is really inappropriate. I withdraw my hand.

MC: General, although it might seem somewhat strange to you for me to say this, I’ve made up my mind a long time ago that I will stand by you.

MC: So, you don’t need to worry that there’s no one behind you.

MC: No matter what the entire world thinks of you in the future, no matter what you become––

MC: I will always stand by your side, and I will work together with you to find a future where humans and demons coexist.

I add after a pause.

MC: And there will be many more people like me. There will always be someone who can understand your intentions, pledge their life to follow you to the death, and stand by you.

Victor: ...

Victor: Where exactly are you from?

MC: I-I’m from Serenos...

Victor: ...the Sorceress is supposed to be still in the palace at this time, and it’s impossible for you to be outside the palace for too long.

Victor: What I’m asking you is, are you from the past or the future?

Seeing that I’m too surprised to get a single word out, Victor shakes his head and suddenly takes my hand, pulling up my sleeve before I can gather myself to react.

MC: ...!!

He stares at the glowing Demon King’s Pact on my arm, raising his eyebrows.

Victor: ...the Demon King’s Pact.

Fearing that he would mistake me for a spy of the Demon Clan, I no longer conceal the matter.

MC: If... I said I’m from the future, will you trust me?

Victor shakes his head, but a slight frown emerges between his brows.

Victor: However, there is one more thing I’d like to ask.

There is a slight pause in his tone, which is rare.

Victor: You... what’s your relationship with the future Demon King?

I freeze, and give him an answer that seems like one, yet not quite.

MC: [nervous wreck]  It should be analogous to... the relationship between you and I? Supporting each other, and trusting each other and things like that...

When Victor sees me faltering, his thin lips draw out into a handsome arc.

Victor: You truly are a confidant no matter the time and space

When Victor was younger, he looked sharper on the outside, but less unperturbed and reserved afterward.

Victor: All right. I’ve seen that you’ve constantly been agitated these past two days, but you should be able to return soon.

MC: How do you know that?!

Victor: I seem to have a sense of time, and I can perceive the traces of space-time distortion on you. 

I was originally supposed to be happy being able to go back, but the repressed emotions in my heart are hard to liquefy.

Only the power of the Demon King can have the perception of time and space.

–– which means... he is close to being bedeviled.

I incline my head somewhat distraughtly and force myself to pull out a smile, and only now do I turn my head to Victor and give a nod.

MC: That’s really... wonderful.

Victor watches my tangled expression and creases his brows into a frown.

Victor: Don’t put on a long face like that. Although we haven’t spent much time together, we can always see each other again.

Victor: I’ll return to Serenos when we’ve won this war, and I will watch you dance in this time and space.

Victor: Until then, I promise you. No matter what dangers and difficulties I encounter, I will not give up easily.

MC: ...yes, we have a pact then.

Words seem to be lingering on Victor’s lips for a long time, and he looks at me deeply before finally just shaking his head.

–

Light and splendor faintly spill all around me, and the next instant, the world turns upside down.

Before an immense quietude spreads over my ears, I hear the young General’s final words to me.

Victor: No need to say goodbye. We will certainly see each other again.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [CH 10-6] ✧

I walk in the waves of time, the ripples are of unfathomable depth. As far as my eyes can see, there’s only a gray on my horizon.

Instead of being led back to reality by the Demon King’s Pact, I’m trapped in the gaps of time, unable to find a way out.

MC: Is it really going to be like what Victor said, that I’m going to be trapped here forever?

Victor’s face appears before my eyes. I take a deep breath and continue to walk forward.

MC: ...he is still waiting for me.

I don’t know for how long I’ve walked before golden lotuses suddenly spring up beneath my feet, dyeing the ash color into bluish-green waves.

At first glance, the waterfront radiates brilliance, painting a hundred sceneries of the human world.

The sound of paddling, the shadow of lanterns, precious horses galloping on their feet –– a prosperous ambiance.

Here in the streets, lanterns are first lit in the early evening. There is no demon aura raging the paths, no swords, and knives, no difference between human and demon, no deceit and treachery.

I’m moved by this sight and unconsciously immerse myself in it. Suddenly, however, I see a person.

A girl with a fuzzy facial appearance sits alone on a street corner, drooling over the hundreds of brightly colored flower cakes, her eyes full of disappointment.

Girl: Oh no. I was in too much of a hurry before heading out and forgot to bring any money...

The girl feels so very familiar and inseparable to me that I can’t help walking over and handing over the coins.

MC: Ma’am, I’ll have a piece of flower cake.

The girl takes the Osmanthus cake in a daze and can’t help raising her eyebrows in delight, smiling as she calls out a name.

I’m unable to hear it clearly. In the next second, the scene has already changed.

I see that same girl lying on her stomach in front of the dog hole in the corner of the Heavenbright Academy wall, trying with all her might to reach the pastry that has fallen between the bushes.

I walk over to the hole and push the paper bag forward. The girl stiffens for a moment and then pulls the snack over at lightning speed.

MC: What exactly are these sights? Why are they so familiar?

These images seem to have been harbored in the bottom of my heart for a long time, but I’m unable to recall anything about them. The scene has already changed, once again.

I stand amid a layer of crimson veiling the entire sky. As far as my eyes can see, there’s only red in my eyes, the symbol of celebration. It’s so boundless that it seems to have no end.

The girl stands across from me, staring at me blankly. The wind sweeps up the red silk, laying out a long, splendid, and warm backdrop behind her.

She and I murmur in unison, opening our mouths.

MC: Victor...

The moment I call out this name, the girl’s facial features become clear. She’s actually me.

My figure and hers gradually overlap and eventually merge into one. And Victor’s place, the place where I’ve been originally standing thus far, is empty.

–

[Tidbits Time]: The first memory of the “flower cake” is from Victor’s destiny of desire, where Victor buys MC the flower cake for her first ever flower day. The “Heavenbright Academy” memory, as already mentioned once before, is Victor x MC’s first meeting as teenagers (also from destiny of desire). The “red silk” memory is from their “Light and Shadow Date”. 🏮❤️‍🔥

–

I seem to have caught a strand of thought.

These all appear to be in Victor’s eyes, those images are that we’ve experienced together.

Perhaps it’s because of the chaos in the flow of time that I’m able to glimpse these fragments.

I close my eyes, and all the clamors of the mundane world are instantly faded into silence.

MC: ...Victor.

The Demon King’s Pact on my arm gradually warms up, growing hotter and hotter, until it turns so scorching as if it’s going to burn my arm.

In the next instant, the fragments of time leap about in a tumultuous manner, weaving together into complete shapes.

A tall figure envelopes me once more, filling the lonely vacancies in the fragments.

Victor evades into nothingness. In the twinkling of an eye, the white moon is a thousand miles away, dispersing every bit of the misty fog.

It doesn’t take too long before I get to see him again, but I feel as if I’ve surmounted time worth the world taking on a brand new appearance.

I don’t know when but my eyes are already overflowing with tears. I fight back my tears, only calling out his name in a muffled voice.

MC: Victor...

Victor is slightly taken aback, wiping away the moisture from the corner of my eyes.

Victor: I’m here.

The chest area of his robe is already soaked with blood, and his entire body appears to be on the verge of collapsing. I’m just about to use my Occulstone to heal him when he shakes his head.

Victor: We’ll need your strength to get out of here. I can still hold on for a while, so do as I say first.

I have no other choice but to nod my head. Victor waves his hand, and a splendor suddenly bursts into bloom beneath us.

Victor: Try to pour the power of the Occulstone into my sword, and use it to pierce the eye of the Demon King’s Pact. Perhaps we will be able to get out.

I nod, my heart shivering. A cold light suddenly appears in the long double-edged sword, sending out waves of resonance with the formation!

Amid the dazzling radiance, the stars around us have shifted. The tide of time rushes towards Victor and me, the power of which seems to be turning everything upside down.

Victor holds my hand tightly from beginning to end, allowing the monstrous tides to drown us in them.

–

When our visions revive, we have already returned to the palace of the Demon Realm once again. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Victor collapses straight down.

MC: VICTOR!!

His heart gurgles with blood, and his entire robe is drenched. He has persevered until now with tenacious determination.

A little dizzy myself, I use all my willpower to summon the other demons to take care of Victor with me.

MC: Physician, how is Victor’s condition?

The physicians shake their heads, all of them looking deathly pale.

Physician: Your Majesty, the King’s body has suffered too many injuries. The demon aura within his body has fallen into a frenzy. We are afraid it will be hard to suppress...

MC: What is to happen if it can’t be suppressed?

Physician: We fear that… His Majesty will become a completely unconscious demon…

I lean over and look at the sleeping Victor, steeling my mind.

MC: I understand. I’ll take care from here.

I’ve once told him that, no matter what and no matter when I will stand behind him and give him strength.

Now, it’s time for me to honor my promises.

I stand up, stretch out my hands, concentrate my mind and breath, and force the Occulstone to activate with an unprecedented amount of numinous power.

In the next instant, a powerful torrent of Occult gushes out of my body, firmly wrapping the man in front of me.

MC: Victor, I’ve honored my promises. You... mustn’t break yours.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [CH 10-7] ✧

I don’t know how long has passed, my eyes are a blur, and I’m only pushing the Occulstone relying on my instincts.

It’s only by thinking about Victor’s appearance in my heart, thinking about the time we’ve spent together that I keep persevering, blindly and stubbornly.

Someone’s shadow seems to move in front of my eyes. I blink my eyes but am unable to see who it is.

I eventually collapse to the floor and lose consciousness.

–

When I open my eyes, what greets me is the intricately carved and painted ceiling of the Demon Palace. I try to sit up, but my body is extremely heavy.

Victor: You’re awake?

Given a jolt, I find that Victor is sitting on a golden Chinese redwood chair not far from the bed.

 A soft glow envelopes his entire body. He is so beautiful that it seems like an illusion.

MC: …am I dreaming?

Victor walks over with a helpless expression, reaches out, and taps me on the forehead.

I rub my forehead in pain, my mood also calming down subsequently.

Victor: Are you awake now?

MC: Yes. So many irregularities occurred when I traveled back in time that several times I thought I would never be able to come back…

MC: So now that I’m truly back in reality, I’m still finding it a bit hard to believe.

Victor: Rest assured. I said I would bring you back, and I don’t break my promises.

When I hear him say that, I can’t help but think of his injuries again. My heart tightens.

MC: How are you feeling? Has the wound on your chest gotten any better?

Victor lets me have my way with him to check his wounds. The corners of his lips suddenly curve into a bright arc, as if to soothe me.

Victor: Thanks to a certain dummy obstinately clinging to her course, I’m no longer in any serious condition.

MC: You’re talking as if it’s no big deal. Do you have any idea how worried I was!

MC: I couldn’t eat, and I couldn’t sleep these few days. Whenever I had the chance, I felt my arm to see if the Demon King’s Pact was still responding…

MC: I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to come back. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find out anything. I was even more afraid that you wouldn’t be there when I returned…

Victor silently listens to my venting and simply nods, holding my hand.

Victor: I know.

Victor: But whenever we have encountered difficulties in the past, we have always been able to overcome them, haven’t we?

Victor: So, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

He says it with such calmness and frankness, which in turn causes my heart to soften.

MC: I understand. I just don’t want you to be the hero and shoulder all the responsibilities alone.

Victor: The harm caused by forcibly activating your broken Occulstone is irreversible. Calling me a hero, what are you then?

Victor clasps our fingers, holding my hand even tighter. He then pulls me over to the table.

Victor: All right. Be that as it may, I should also host a sumptuous feast to apologize.

He pours the fragrant tea into the empty cups. The rising aroma of the tea lifts my spirits, dissipating my bitterness and astringency by multiple folds.

The table is decorated with many sumptuous dishes of every color and flavor under the sun, which is an enormous temptation for me who’s constantly been on the move lately.

MC: Humph, I shall reluctantly accept your apology then~

I sit down at the table, and first scoop a spoonful of the congee, the fresh and tender fish fillet sliding into my mouth, extremely delicious.

My eyes light up, and I busy myself with picking up a few more of the peculiar dishes with chopsticks. Each of the delicacies is actually delicious, no less so than the imperial cuisine in the palace.

MC: There’s actually such an amazing cook in the Demon Realm! Every dish is so delicious!

Victor smiles and hands me a handkerchief.

Victor: You’re stuffing yourself for someone who’s just woken up. Be careful not to choke.

Laughing, I take the handkerchief and wipe my mouth, then take a sip of the tea.

MC: I was planning to tell you about my experiences in the past to help with digestion.

MC: I wonder if the Great Demon King is willing to take the time to listen to this very long story?

Victor tugs at the corners of his lips, holding up his cup.

Victor: That depends on whether the story of this “storyteller” is compelling enough.

As I enjoy the delicacies, I tell him about the stories of those former times.

I talk about seeing my Master, and also tell him about my meeting with the young General.

Hearing me describe the situation of those bedeviled officers and soldiers, Victor frowns unconsciously, as though recalling the scenes of the past.

MC: Really, my deepest realization from this traveling back in time is that there is in fact no difference between human beings and demons.

Victor: How so?

MC: I had formerly received teachings from the Westmoon Kingdom palace, taught to think that demons are all bad.

MC: And then, I met you and your men. Then I found out that demons can also be loyal and righteous, and they are no different from people. So I took it to be that demons are all good.

Victor shakes his head and helps me pick up the shrimp into the bowl that I couldn’t reach.

Victor: The world has never been black-or-white.

MC: Mm-hmm. My master once asked me, “Has no one ever become a demon because of their great desire for power?”

My tone sinks as I think about the unfamiliar appearance of my Master I’ve seen when I traveled back in time.

MC: Now, I understand that there’s good and bad in every existence, and it’s not something that can be concluded so simply.

Victor: Every existence has its differences, and these differences give rise to pride and prejudices. Pride and Prejudice are the beginning of conflicts.

I understand what he means. As long as there is the existence of living beings, the conflicts will never cease.

The conflicts will never cease, nor will the fire of war ever be extinguished, and there will always be people who will fall into misfortune as a result of all this.

Seeing that Victor is a little gloomy, I take his bowl and bring a few dishes for him as well.

MC: I really like these dishes in particular. Try some~

Victor takes a few bites and nods indicatively.

Victor: Pretty good, indeed.

MC: As soon as I’m done with these matters at hand, I’ll go visit this cook to formally become an apprentice. And when I’m done with my lessons, I’ll open an inn in Serenos and will surely make a fortune!

Victor: …that sounds like a promising prospect.

–

[Tidbits]: It’s hinted in Victor’s split route that the cook is our master-chef himself! On another note, Victor you literally just got out of deathbed, LIKE LITERALLY! ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ Of course, he would still cook for her~ 🥺💘

–

He releases a sigh but is unable to conceal the smile at the corner of his lips. Somewhat defiant, I toss him the question.

MC: What about you?

Victor: What about me?

MC: What do you most want to do when the conflict ends?

Victor: Haven’t thought about it.

MC: Aren’t you even the least bit curious?

Victor: …I’m not like a certain someone, eating and drinking every day, doing some daydreaming, and going to bed when she’s tired.

Victor: If I must say, when the conflict ends, I’d like to see you dance again.

His eyes are filled to the rims with a soft light. When I look into his eyes, I immediately feel my cheeks growing burning hot, and turn my head.

MC: Now, I’m no longer the Sorceress. I don’t have a stage anymore, nor am I as adept in my dance steps as before.

Victor: Do you only wish to dance on the Occulsoul Platform?

I pause slightly, shaking my head.

Victor: If dancing is what you like to do, why should you be stuck in your identity?

Victor: The entire world can be your Occulsoul Platform, and the flowers and plants, rivers, and mountains will eagerly look up at you as you dance.

Victor dips his chopsticks into the tea and casually draws on the table.

Victor: You have the freedom to go wherever you wish, whether it’s Serenos or the Demon Realm.

For a long time, I stare blankly at Victor, a moist mist emerging in my eyes.

MC: Formerly, the dance was supposed to be for the entire Westmoon. If I can have the opportunity, I would like to dance in the Demon Realm.

MC: When that time comes, I must drag you along to be my first audience.

We continue our chatting for a while longer when someone knocks at the door.

–

[Tidbits]: The latest EN translation has localized “Ashan’s” name as “Sam”. So I’ll be using that from now on for consistency~ :>

–

Sam: Your Majesty, the sentinel has brought back news from the Demon Chasm.

Victor: Got it. I’ll head over there in a moment.

Seeing that Victor has official business to attend to, I lay back down on the bed, yawn widely, and close my eyes.

Victor comes quietly to the bedside, brushes away the strands of hair that were lying scattered on my face, and tucks in the coverlet again.

Victor: Get some rest. I need to go out to attend to some matters. If there’s anything you need, send someone to contact me at any time.

I nod in a daze and feel a small, almost inaudible sigh coming from above.

Victor: Don’t force yourself.

–

Victor’s wounds have healed considerably while he still has to attend to matters at the Demon Realm. MC, on the other hand, stays by his side at the Demon Palace all along, reinvigorating her body and mind.

One day, while MC is out on a stroll for fresh air, she notices some celestial abnormality in the sky and realizes there must be something ominous going on again.

MC hurriedly seeks Sam and asks him to let Victor know why she has to leave while leaving a note for him herself, reassuring and promising him over and over again that she won’t use her Occult carelessly~ 

–

CH 12 (Victor’s split route): Here!

—

[thebibliosphere]

So I'm currently unemployed because I got fired for taking too much sick leave (it was legally sketchy blah blah blah but in the end I just can't work and take care of myself and investigate my mystery health problems at the same time). So I've been spending more time writing!

I really admire your writing and loved Hunger Pangs. I'm looking forward to the poly elements developing and I'm wondering if you have any advice for writing about poly. I've made one of my projects a snarky take on "write what you know" ... Apparently what I know is southern gothic meets Pacific northwest gothic, chronic illness pandemic surrealism, and falling back-asswards into threesomes.

I know this is a very open-ended question and I don't expect an answer, I'm just curious about it if you have the energy. As a writer, trying to write honestly / realistically about polyamory/enm, I'm curious if you have any thoughts on what's different about portraying monogamy or nonmonogamy in books, romance or erotica or otherwise.

I'm trying to read examples but it's hard to find examples that fit the niche I'm looking at. Excuse me if this question is nonsense, it's the cluster headaches.

I'm sorry to hear you've been dealing with all that and solidarity on the cluster headaches. But I'm glad you're finding an outlet through writing! And I hope you're happy with an open-ended ramble in response because oh boy, there's a lot I could talk about and I could probably do a better job of answering this sort of thing with more specific questions, but let's see where we end up.

There's definitely a big difference between writing polyamory/ENM (ethical non-monogamy) and what people often expect from monogamous love stories.

Just even from a purely sales and marketing standpoint, the moment you write anything polyamorous (or even just straight up LGBTQIA+ without the ENM) you're going to get considered closer to being erotica/obscene than hetero romances. It's an unfair bias, but it's one that exists in our society. But also the Amazon algorithm and their shitty, shitty human censors. Especially the ones that work the weekends. (Talking to you, Carlos 🖕.)

So not only do you start out hyper-aware that you're writing something that is highly stigmatized or fetishized (at least I'm hyper-aware) but that you are also writing for a niche market that is starving for positive content because the content that exists is either limited, not what they want, or is problematic in some fashion i.e. highly stigmatized or fetishy. And even then, the wants, desires, and expectations of the community you're writing for are complex and wildly varied and hard to fit into an easy formula.

When writing monogamous love stories, there is a set expectation that’s really hard to fuck up once you know it. X person meets Y. Attraction happens, followed by some sort of minor conflict/resolution. Other plot may happen. A greater catalyst involving personal growth for both parties (hopefully) happens. Follow the equation to its ultimate resolution and achieve Happily Ever After. 

But writing ENM is... a lot more difficult, if only because of the pure scope of possibilities. You could try to follow the same equation and shove three (or more) people into it, but it rarely works well. Usually because if you’re doing it right, you won’t have enough room in a single character arc to allow for enough growth, and if ENM requires anything in abundance, it’s room to grow.

And this post is huge so I’m going to put the rest under a cut :)

There's also a common refrain in certain online polyam/ENM circles that triads and throuples are overrepresented in media and they may be right to some extent. Personally, I believe the issue isn't that triads and throuples are overrepresented, but that there is such minuscule positive rep of ethical non-monogamy in general, that the few tiny instances we have of triads in media make it seem like it's "everywhere" when in actuality, it's still quite rare and the media we do have often veers into Unicorn Hunter fetish porn. Which is its own problematic thing. And just to be clear, I’m not including this part to dissuade you from writing "falling back-asswards into threesomes." If anything, I need more of it and would hook it directly into my brain if I could. I'm just throwing it out there into the void in the hope that someone will take the thought and run with it, lol.

I’d love to see more polyfidelitous rep in fiction, just as much as I’d like to see more relationship anarchy too. More diversity in fiction is always good.

Another thing that differs in writing ENM romance vs conventional monogamy is the feeling like you need to justify yourself. There's a lot of pressure to be as healthy and non-problematic as possible because you are being held to a higher standard of criticism. Both from people from without the ENM communities, and from the people within. Granted, some people don't give a shit and just want to read some fantastic porn (valid) but there are those who will cheerfully read Fifty Shades of Bullshit and call it "spicy" and "romantic," then turn around and call the most tooth-rottingly-sweet-fluff about a queer platonic polycule heresy. That's just the way the world works.

(Pro-tip for author life in general: never read your own reviews; that way madness lies. I glimpsed one the other day that tagged Hunger Pangs as “ethical cheating” and just about had an aneurism.)

And while that feeling of needing to justify yourself comes from a valid place of being excluded from the table of socially accepted norms, it can also be to the detriment of both the story and the subject matter at hand. I've seen some authors bend so far over backward to avoid being problematic in their portrayal of ENM, they end up being problematic for entirely different reasons. Usually because they give such a skewed, rose-tinted perspective of how things work, it ends up coming off as well... a bit culty and obnoxious tbh.

“Look how enlightened we are, freed from the trappings of monogamy and jealousy! We’re all so honest and perfect and happy!”

Yeah, uhu, sure Jan. Except here’s the thing, not all jealousy is bad. How you act on it can be, but jealousy itself is an important tool in the junk drawer that is the range of human emotion. It can clue us in to when we’re feeling sad or neglected, which in turn means we should figure out why we’re feeling those things. Sometimes it’s because brains are just like that and anxiety is a thing. Other times it’s because our needs are actually being neglected and we are in an unhealthy situation we need to remedy. You gotta put the work in to figure it out. Which is the same as any style of relationship, whether it’s mono, polyam or whatever flavor of ENM you subscribe to* And sometimes you just gotta be messy, because that’s how humans are. Being afraid to show that mess makes it a dishonest portrayal, and it also robs you of some great cannon fodder for character development.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to my current pet peeve in how certain writers take monogamous ideals and apply them to ENM, sometimes without even realizing it. The “Find the Right Person and Settle Down” trope.

Often, in this case, ENM or polyamory is treated as a phase. Something you mature out of with age or until you meet “The One(tm).” This is, of course, an attempt to follow the mono style formula expected in most romances. And while it might appeal to many readers, it’s uh, actually quite insulting. 

To give an example, I am currently seeing this a lot in the Witcher fandom. 

Fanon Netflix!Jaskier is everyone's favorite ethical slut until he meets Geralt then woops, wouldn’t you know, he just needed to find The One(tm). Suddenly, all his other sexual and romantic exploits or attractions mean nothing to him. Let's watch as he throws away a core aspect of his personality in favor of a man. 

Yeah... that sure showed those societal norms... 

If I were being generous, I’d say it’s a poor attempt at showing New Relationship Euphoria and how wrapped up people can become in new relationships. But honestly, it’s monogamous bias eking its way in to validate how special and unique the relationship is. Because sometimes people really can’t think of any other way to show how important and valid a relationship is without defining it in terms of exclusivity. Which is a fundamental misunderstanding of how ENM works for a lot of people and invalidates a lot of loving, serious and long-term relationships.

This is not to say that some polyam/poly-leaning people can't be happy in monogamous relationships! I am! (I consider myself ambiamorous. I'm happy with either monogamy or polyamory, it really just depends on the relationship(s) I’m in.) But I also don't regard my relationship with a mono partner as "settling down" or "growing up." It's just a choice I made to be with a person I love, and it's a valid one. Just like choosing to never close yourself off to multiple relationships is valid. And I wish more people realized that, or rather, I wish the people writing these things knew that :P

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough. I hope this collection of incoherent thoughts actually makes some sense and might be useful. 

----

*A good resource book that doesn't pull any punches in this regard is Polysecure by Jessica Fern. It's a wonderfully insightful read that explores the messier side of consensual non-monogamy, especially with how it can be affected by trauma or inter-relationship conflicts. But it also shows how to take better steps toward healthy, ethical non-monogamy (a far better job than More Than Two**) and conflict resolution, making it a valuable resource both for someone who is a part of this relationship style***, but also for writers on the outside looking in who might have a very simple or misguided idea of what conflict within polyam/ENM relationships might look like, vs traditional monogamous ones.

** The author of More Than Two has been accused of multiple accounts of abuse within the polyamorous community, with many of his coauthors having spoken out about the gaslighting and emotional and psychological damage they experienced while in a relationship with him. A lot of their stories are documented here: https://www.itrippedonthepolystair.com/ (warning: it is not light material and deals with issues of abuse, gaslighting, and a whole other plethora of Yikes.) While some people still find More Than Two helpful reading, there are now, thankfully, much, much better resources out there.

*** Some people consider polyam/ENM to be part of their identity or orientation, while others view it as a relationship style.It largely depends on the individual. 

[class1akids]

I can feel your disappointment about this chapter. You sounded hopeful before. As distraught as I was reading it, I was still optimistic but the points you made about Bakugou's character being reduced made me realize how unfortunate this is for Bakugou and we didn't get the fun fight we wanted from him. I don't know if I like this direction of everyone getting a quick moment then brutal injury. Even Shouto's fight felt wrapped up pretty quickly, for now. I'm worried for when we go back to him if Hori is gonna fumble characters like this. It happened so fast

It was not a fun read regardless. It's very painful to see Bakugou down like that.

I am still hopeful that it can play out differently than people are expecting (Deku-sama swooping in with a rage-boner to save his love interest and whoop Shiggy's ass for dissing Bakugou - but if Bakugou is just a damsel than Shiggy is speaking the truth).

I've been thinking about this set-up and all of fandom is expecting Bakugou to be out for the count as far as serious fighting is concerned.

But it reminded me that we have seen this exact scenario before.

Hero down with arms broken:

Biggest attack (first and second OFA 100%) shrugged off:

Being targeted to get to someone else:

Being outmatched, injured in a completely hopeless situation...

And still being able to pull "1.000.000%" out of the strength of his heart.

If Deku was allowed a showcase like that in a position of vulnerability and weakness, with two broken arms - well, why shouldn't Bakugou be able to go plus ultra as well?

Or does this story have one rule for the MC - who gets to have power-ups from a place of vulnerability - while everyone else's heart, will, growth won't matter?

What Horikoshi will do with Bakugou to me will break or make the story. I know he can't win against Shigaraki - not fully. But he deserves a good showcase, he deserves to display his unbreakable spirit and to be given the chance to show a fierce stand and not just be used as someone else's catalyst.

As for Shouto - I do expect more pain. Iida hasn't had his moment yet. But Shouto needing help now won't hurt so bad, because he did get his win and he showcased his growth in a spectacular way.

I hope he still gets to do something in the end - but it was a great, emotional fight for him, so I'm happy with that. (Hope Touya survives though, otherwise, it's going to be kind of meaningless).

[gofancyninjaworld]

The Tareo Effect; or Moral Development Doesn't Occur in a Vacuum

For once this isn't actually about Tareo himself, but the role he played for Garou.

Going to the webcomic for a moment, Tareo didn't have a name. He was an unnamed boy known only as the Ugly Child and he didn't have much to do with Garou, being a kid that he came across in a park being bullied, felt bad for and subsequently protected from monsters.

The manga put some really high-quality legs under it, but the essential nugget remains the same between manga and webcomic. That boy clarified for Garou that he would always act as a hero when pushed, no matter what words were coming out of his mouth.

Important edit! @the-nysh has done a fantastic meta on just how important Tareo became to Garou in the end. As Saitama put it, it's Tareo who taught Garou to be a hero.

https://the-nysh.tumblr.com/post/184712005351/i-know-that-thatwcscene-is-so-emotional-but

I've just realised that in the manga, Tatsumaki has been a similar moral catalyst for Genos, playing an equivalent role to Tareo. Only it's not over heroism. Genos is pretty sure about that.

Now she's not cute (well not to him at least) innocent kid. She's not a nice person. She's not even someone he likes. In fact most heroes are leery of her and for good reason.

If you asked Genos what strength was, it's been very simple: destroy enemies. By any means possible. From the very first time we saw him fight, we've known that any means possible included killing himself to take a monster with him, regardless of the collateral damage.

However, we also come to know that something else that drives him is the desire to protect people. Often, those twin goals are not in conflict: kill the monster and people are saved. But what if they do conflict? What's the strong thing to do then?

One can make and enact very harsh judgements when one only sees humanity in broad terms. That's why Tareo, by being a singular, individual person, was so important for grounding Garou. And that singular person is what Tatsumaki comes to be to Genos.

She's not a person in the abstract, nor even a 'hero'. She's the person he's flown in the teeth of the most incredible monster we've seen to date to give her space to work. She's the person he's plunged down a mile to summon help for, then clambered back up to guard her when she could no longer protect herself. She's the person he's carried in his arms, giving his back to every obstacle and blow so as to keep safe. Furthermore, he's seen and empathises with Fubuki's fear for her sister's well-being and that impels him to try that much harder for Tatsumaki.

So, when push came to shove, when surrounded by millions of monsters against whom there was no tenable way to fight, Genos looked at what he'd normally do without hesitation -- destroy them all at one go -- and decided which of his moral principles was more important. It wasn't just protecting people in general; it was not throwing Tatsumaki's life away.

Breaking into the Monster Association hideout and protecting Tareo from the three monsters that tried to stop their escape did something remarkable for Garou; without being a near-death experience, it really pulled an incredible amount of power and growth out of him.

People with pissholes where their eyes should be like to claim Genos is fragile. Even so, when he made the decision to shield Tatsumaki with his body, the toughness with which he held fast was one to raise an eyebrow to. A million stamping, taunting monsters could not put a dent in that back. A million monsters couldn't pry him free, nor goad him into retaliating.

Now it's entirely possible that that morning when Kuseno said this build was unbalanced in favour of offense he was exaggerating, but this is a resistance like none we've seen before. Given the weird way will manifests itself in OPM, I wonder...

...anyway, back to my thesis. Anyway, the moral clarity of where they actually stand wasn't something either Genos or Garou could arrive at entirely on their own. It took interaction with others to force them to confront what their true values were.

Trust ONE to come back and emphasize that we need other people to become ourselves. There's no such thing as a hero without a society to be one in.

[tarysande]

S6 Thoughts: A Tale of Two Brothers

But wait! There’s more. Thoughts on the overall arc of the series, Heaven and Hell edition:

In S1, Lucifer is “vacationing” on Earth but doesn’t plan to return to Hell. Amenadiel spends that season trying so hard to force Lucifer back to Hell, where he “belongs,” that he himself Falls. We’ve got this role reversal of an angel doing evil things to return the devil (doing ... good things, like solving crimes) to Hell. It’s all very “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” 

In S2, Lucifer still has no plans to return permanently to Hell, but he’s willing to face it to save Chloe. Of course, this then leads to him experiencing his own forced hell-loop. Amenadiel is also conflicted. Though he’s changed enough that he no longer wants to force Lucifer back to Hell, he’s still uncertain where that leaves either of them. In fact, even when Lucifer pleads with Amenadiel to return him to Hell, Amenadiel refuses. However, when Mum plants the idea of returning to Heaven as a family, Amenadiel clings to that. He’s looking for a purpose. Lucifer, on the other hand, is still very much aboard the Heaven nope train. Here, we also get the foreshadowing of celestial war, and Lucifer’s rejection of Mum’s plan because “In war, there are always casualties.” He would rather sacrifice one--Mum, Uriel--for the many. But it hurts him. If he belongs anywhere, he thinks, it’s Earth ... but, ultimately, that’s shortsighted because we know he doesn’t actually want to be on an Earth that doesn’t have the people he’s coming to care about on it.

S3 is, as we all know, a bit of a mess. But, hey, it’s actually thematically appropriate! Lucifer’s having an identity crisis (wings) that just keeps giving (or taking), and even though subconsciously (we later realize) he gave himself the wings because he was, in fact, making progress reconciling his past and present, his conscious is backsliding like (pun not intended) hell. Much as he wants Earth to be home, he’s got these non-stop reminders of both Heaven and Hell. It makes complete narrative sense that this season reaches the point where he can no longer hide from himself--or from Chloe. 

In this season, we also see Amenadiel really start to settle into the idea of staying on Earth, of embracing humanity. He’s shedding the aloofness he once had. He’s learning (we later realize) how to be the kind of God who sheds mysterious ways in favor of boots on the ground. I mean, he doesn’t realize this. But Dad ... well, he has a Plan. Lucifer begins the season with sudden wings. Amenadiel ends it with his wings’ very deliberate return. 

In many ways, this season is about Hell on Earth and torture at the hands of an entity far more intentionally and deliberately evil than the actual devil. This is why the catalyst of Cain is so important. He is all the things Lucifer has been accused of being, only he embraces it in ways we’ve seen Lucifer reject and recoil from again and again. This season is torture (lol). It’s Hell. It’s every ugly thing lies beget. And much as we love Lucifer, we’re given an extreme close-up of how his omission of truth is very nearly as devastating as Cain’s outright lies. Of course, this nearly results in Chloe’s death (in more ways than one; you can’t tell me that godforsaken marriage wouldn’t have been like dying), and the devil’s vengeance results in the removal of Lucifer’s choice about the where and when to reveal his true nature to Chloe. 

Which brings us to S4, aka The Season of Angst. For Lucifer (and Chloe), anyway. Not so much for Amenadiel, who is set on the path of fatherhood, of responsibility, of partnership and not just commands he expects to be followed. In case we’ve forgotten how much Amenadiel has changed, Remiel “mini-Amen” shows up to remind us. In Linda’s “When angels fall, they also rise” of it, Amenadiel is rising again. He’s not the same as he was, no, but ... we didn’t like old Amenadiel very much, did we? Like Lucifer, Amenadiel is on a journey of learning who he is, the good and the ugly, so he can choose the parts he wants to keep with both eyes open. 

Of course, while Amenadiel is rising, Lucifer is falling. In having to deal with Chloe’s reaction to his devil face, Lucifer is put in the uncomfortable position of either growing enough to face his own darkness and self-loathing or retreating, very literally, into who he used to be because it’s comfortable and less frightening than the prospect of change and the unknown. Until it isn’t, right? The more he becomes the devil Eve remembers, the more uncomfortable he becomes. And the more frightening he becomes. Not to Chloe, as he fears, but to himself--though it takes a while to recognize it. If nothing else, we have to hand this to Lucifer’s subconscious: when it wants him to PAY ATTENTION DUMMY, it’s pretty good at getting its point across. If S3 was Hell on Earth starring Cain as the devil, S4 is Hell on Earth starring, well, the devil as the devil with bonus demons. It’s Lucifer’s earthbound iteration of a guilt-induced hell-loop. And at the tragic end, he chooses to return to the place he swore he’d never return, losing everything good in the process, but doing it for selfless reasons. So, that’s new. And it’s why there was still a sliver of hope even when things looked impossibly dark.

S5 begins with Lucifer in Hell--farther from the things he cares about than he has ever been, but also closer to his true calling. Not that he realizes it; this is Lucifer we’re talking about. So, of course it makes sense that as the season goes on, he’ll end up confused by suddenly having everything he always thought he wanted within his grasp. The Lucifer who led a rebellion against his father because he thought he could do better than God? Of course that part of him wants to be handed the job now. No--he wants to earn it. And while some of his reasons are not great, others are. His heartbreak about the injustice and unfairness of life, well ... who hasn’t felt that way? Who hasn’t wanted the power to unilaterally make things better? But that’s not how free will works. That’s not how choice works. While Lucifer wrestles with the necessity of becoming God, Amenadiel recoils from what his S1 self would have seen as his right and his calling. S1 Amenadiel would have made a terrifying and inflexible and absolute and judgmental God. Perhaps even a God closer to our imaginings of Evil than Good.

S6 is about how sometimes personal growth means we grow out of old dreams and acquire new ones. Sometimes, it’s about reimagining those old dreams, rebuilding them with new information. For Amenadiel, that means recognizing that the person he is now is the best man for the Big Job. It means recognizing that Heaven can be (a place) on Earth if he wants it to be. It means he sets aside the pride of “If God wants something done, he sends ME” in favor of delegation and accepting help--and in doing so, helping others (his siblings) discover their callings too. He learns to lead by example, tempered with love and humility.

In Paradise Lost, Milton’s Lucifer famously declares that it is better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. But our Lucifer ... his calling isn’t ruling in Heaven. That’s the old dream of a person who no longer exists. Ironically, Lucifer’s calling is to serve in Hell. Not to serve a distant, ineffable, unfathomable being’s mysterious ways, mind you, but to tangibly serve the humans he has come to love, and who have taught him so much about himself. Who have taught him about love and sacrifice and light and darkness and second chances and hope and faith. When Lucifer chooses to return to Hell, he does so with his eyes open, just as Chloe returns to the LAPD with her eyes open. It’s a lesson that revisits the first episode of the season: Truth and wonder don’t have to be at odds. They can go hand in hand. The mysteries at the heart of pain and suffering and trauma--those are the ones Lucifer wants to solve. Because solving them isn’t about trusting to a higher power (aka the justice system, which is flawed) or designing the perfect torture. It’s about quite literally helping others set themselves free. Finding release. It’s about being a guide, not a judge. And it’s about fulfilling not the temporary desire that merely scratches the itch, but offering the tools necessary to help others determine--choose--their path to the desire they may not even realize is buried beneath the layers of scar tissue within them. And what could be more wonderous than that? Especially when you have a partner who makes you better at your calling, even as you make them better at theirs.

In the end, Heaven and Hell are what we make of them. One person’s Heaven is another person’s Hell. Love is what matters. In all its many, many forms.

[ynainna]

The Grave of Cecilias

synopsis: Despite it having been several hundred years since the end of the Archon War, Venti’s heart is still heavy with the grief of those he’s lost.

word count: 1,800

pairing: venti x f. reader

genre: angst

warnings: some spoilers from the recent last archon quest (aka the ver 1.1 story update), bad writing lol, angst (but not really I think?)

notes: look, originally my first fic was going to be a Diluc fic so it would be a perfect catalyst for my dumbass self but Venti is just perfect for some angsting time. Sorry in advance for my writing lmfao. I also think some of these facts are inaccurate but I’m a bit stupid and didn’t completely connect some dots from the wiki that I should’ve and due to the fact, ya know, p l o t. Feedback is also welcome but pls be nice about it. This is also extremely bad and  I high key think this is horrible lmao. It’s so bad.

In the days of the Archons, years before the eruption of the Archon War, Gods roamed. Each God was responsible and represented different things, often symbolizing what their powers were. In which there was the God of Dust and the God of Blizzards. Gods had been abundant that it isn’t a surprise that there was once a Goddess of Flora. 

It is no secret that gods gained their power from the worship of others. Due to the Goddess of Flora often being pushed aside to give way to the stronger gods, she had very little following from the people of Teyvat, making her one of the weaker gods. Instead of growing bitter at both her situation and her people, she had embraced her lower status. She was often heard saying, “It is better to be loved by a few who love you for yourself than to be loved by the whole for greed,” in response to them asking about it.

In her small following, there was a civilization that had worshipped her the most. The small civilization had been the ones responsible for the creation of the Cecilia Garden, their gift to the ancient god who had favored the common white flowers, Cecilias, as her favorite.

Cecilias, in the age of the Archon War, wasn’t a rarity and was often the cause of the white sea. The only traces left of the said white sea in the records were from the Cecilia Garden where it was said that it was such a common flower that it was written as “the sea of white flowers”. 

The legends tell very few stories about the fate of the Sea of White, often only found in the debris and faded writings in the ruins of old. Cecilias of this day and age are often only found to grow in the high cliffs, specifically numerous on the infamous Starsnatch cliff. 

Not many know the history of Starsnatch Cliff. Long before it was Starsnatch Cliff or the place where the last of the Cecilias grow, it was simply the plains. 

Cecilias were abundant in the age of the Archons, never far from your sight at every turn. It is a wonder to a few on how a flower had only grown exclusive to one area. 

While not many know the history of Starsnatch, the most one would have to know is it was where the end of a love story between two gods, torn apart by war, was.

Venti’s favorite flower is Cecilias. It’s not his favorite flower due to its simple beauty or even its rarity but due to its history. Prior to the Cecilias, his favorite had been the Dandelions, which was no surprise to others. He had only started to favor the Cecilias near the beginning of the Archon War and even then that was only due to you.

Starsnatch Cliff is many things but to Venti it had only been a reminder of his grief. 

To Venti, it’s your grave.

Venti has lived for more than a thousand years so it’s a given that he would have a few missing memories of the past and a hesitance to recollect any memories from the age of the Archons. Despite it, there are a few he remembers very vividly.

He remembers your smile. It was a soft curve accompanied by cheeks tinged with a faint glow of pink. He remembers your eyes, twinkling, crinkling in the corners in your glee. 

And while he remembers very few things now, he has always remembered every part and memory he has of you, good or not.

The last he has of you was near the beginning of the Archon War.

The first he has of you were at the end of Decarabian’s reign and the death of his dear friend.

He remembers, mourning his death, readying his burial when you appeared with your gentle hands and kind understanding smile. In your hands had been Cecilias, freshly picked.

With your hands you guided him to a place and helped him bury his friend, silence was the only thing between you. You were kind enough to ignore the tears and the sniffles. You finished at sunset. The only trace of you that was left was the picked Cecilias he had first seen you with. Despite his grief, Venti felt the corner of his lips tug up to a small smile.

He doesn’t ask until later on in your friendship about why you had given his friend the Cecilias. You only answer with a small smile at his question. To this day, he still doesn’t know why but he has a feeling.

He treasures the memories of him loving you and mourns the memories he retains of everything of the love lost between you.

The Archon War had not been kind to anyone, even to you and to him. 

It is common knowledge that the Archon War had killed off a lot of gods, many of whom are buried under the grounds and some being sealed off. It was a time of turmoil, you don’t expect or hope to come out of it alive, you only fight and hope it is enough to survive another day.

You were the Goddess of Flora, responsible for the growth of the world’s vegetation. Due to such low status, your responsibilities were very little. The growth of vegetation, the worry for the changing of seasons, and your people had been the only things that were your responsibilities. 

You had no desire for power nor anything more. You had only wished to care for your people to the utmost best of your abilities and to continue living the way you had lived.

But war does not discriminate.

It didn’t matter if you didn’t have the desire to fight others. You fight or you die. You, a god once often seen at the sidelines or invisible, was pushed into the fighting ring built by greed and arrogance.

While you may have not wanted to fight in the war, you had to, if not for you, for your people. In your death, your only thought had been about your people and Barbatos. It had only ever been them.

It’s raining. Venti thinks the world is laughing at them or maybe the God of Storms or Rain is mocking them for being weak, for falling in love at a time like this where it is a sign of weakness.

His hands are bloody and shaking as he holds you closer to his body. His sight is blurred by his tears that are blending in with the rain. Grief is clogging his throat and he can’t breathe. There’s not enough time for anyone to save you.

The previous battle had taken a toll on both of you and Venti. While Venti’s were only fatigue and mild injuries, yours were fatal. You had taken a wound to your gut and while it isn’t often a major injury to gods, your powers had been drained and the fatigue you feel is what makes it fatal. There’s nothing that can fix it.

You know it.

He knows it.

But despite this, logic can’t seem to get through Venti’s panic. His mind is going rampant and he can’t seem to know where to put his hands or what to fix. 

You look at him with your heavy eyelids, lips quivering as you strain your body to move. With great difficulty, you bring your bloody and mangled hands towards Venti’s cheeks, landing heavily. Venti freezes, his eyes wide at the contact.

With a heavy heart, he turns his head towards you to meet your eyes. His hand slowly creeps up to the hand on his cheek. He feels his grief to come back up, scratching and clawing at his heart. When your eyes meet, you smile. Strained and quivering, but a smile nonetheless.

He feels his breath hitch at your smile. You smile like the sunset, the gradual end. The tears come up again, you had only ever smiled like the sunrise and to see it grow smaller, to see it fade is another type of pain.

“Love, no,” he whispers, throat dry as he looks at your eyes. “Don’t leave me. Hang on, please. You’ll be okay. Please. Please. Please...” Venti pleads, voice growing hoarse as the grief creeps back up with ravenous hunger. 

“Barbatos...” you wheeze out, eyes slowly fluttering as you try to hold on for him, just for a few seconds, “I...I... I love...you. T-Thank you...for... for-for lo...ving me.”

“No love, stop. Stop trying to say goodbye, please, no. No. I love you. I love you so much so please don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you,” Venti heaves out with a raspy voice, clutching your hand with a harsh grip in hope of keeping you here, with him.

“Don’t leave me” he cries out.

Even with your injuries and numbness, the sight of his tears and grief caused a pang of pain to erupt. 

“Love,” you rasp out, tears pouring out of your eyes, that were once glittering and now dull, “you have... to let me go.”

“NO!” he denies your pleas. 

“Please... just give me more time with you... anything for you. Please.”

You cough, blood coming up and the cold hands of death creeping closer to you.

“I love you... so much. L-Live on for me... please.”

You don’t hear anything after that, not your lovers sobbing and pleading for you to come back, to hold on.

Not long after, you fade into a million different golden dust. No body left to bury.

In your death, the Cecilias slowly disappear from the world despite your followers trying their utmost best to keep it from dying away. But without their god and with no protection, even they eventually fell. With their fall, the Sea of White was no more.

In memory of you, the world created a grave for you. 

Due to his love and memory of you, Venti caused the winds to only carry the Cecilias seeds to only fly around your grave and causing your grave to be the only place where Cecilias grew. Despite it having been several hundred years since the end of the Archon War, Venti’s heart is still heavy with the grief of those he’s lost.

History doesn’t write of the Goddess of Flora, there isn’t a lot of text written about her in fact. No hints about a possible connection with the Anemo God. And no one needs to know.

All who does is Venti. It’s all he has left of you that’s his and his alone.

In your death, the winds had howled and grew rough and sharp. 

Long before Starsnatch Cliff was anything, it was your grave.

It was the Grave of Cecilias.

[phoenixtakaramono]

Cosmic again!! (Not Comsic 😅 guess that typo serves me right for typing out all my thoughts as I was literally running out the door for work lol) Thank you for answering my ask and for sharing your own thoughts in return! I agree with pretty much everything you said: I’m also a writer, so you were on the dot when you said that character growth is necessary in order to have a satisfactory resolution/payoff to Stolas and Blitzo being endgame (IF they are endgame; more thoughts on that in a bit.) I hope you don’t mind if I ramble to you a little more; I PROMISE I’ll give you a break after this 😂😂

Blitzo… my poor baby… there’s no two ways around it: it’s only a matter of time before he reaches his breaking point, and when he does, that’s probably when Blitzo and Stolas (hopefully temporarily 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼) go their separate ways. This confrontation is likely going to be the catalyst for Stolas reckoning with the ways he’s treated not only Blitzo, but his daughter as well. I don’t believe he hurts people intentionally. Rather, I think he’s oblivious to the feelings of others, and projects his own emotions onto them, i.e during the Loo Loo Land ep, maybe he assumed Octavia was having fun because *he* was having fun. I think it also partially explains his refusal to use Blitzo’s real name in spite of the fact Blitzo doesn’t seem all that thrilled with it and has actively called him on it: I mean, his unchecked privilege is definitely one factor lol, but it’s also likely due to the fact that, because he *intends* it to be an affectionate nickname, that’s how Blitzo feels about it too. Once the boys have confronted their inner demons (😏), it’ll make the potential healing episode all the sweeter 💕💕

Real talk??? I would also welcome a few different endings to Blitzo’s and Stolas’ story. While I’m really, really holding out for them to make things work and become a family (Stepdad Blitzo/Stepdad Stolas are my lifeblood 💖) or at least very involved in each other’s lives—I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t desperately curious to see Stolas and Barbie Wire interact— I… would actually be okay if they ultimately don’t work out. As much as it would break my heart, if the writers decide to go that route for reasons that make sense story-wise and character-wise, that make me go “as much as this hurts, I completely see why they made this decision and when I *really* think about it, there really wasn’t any other way this could’ve ended”, then yeah, I could live with that. (I’d still forever be Big Sad, though)

WHEW. OKAY. I think that about sums up my feelings about everything thus far. Other than my brother, no one else I know watches HB (it’s our sibling bonding show 😂😂) and it’s always interesting to see how people come away with different thoughts and ideas and interpretations in spite of watching the same show/reading the same book/etc.

(And btw: that Stolitz comic you drew?? *chef’s kiss* absolutely delightful. Thank you for feeding us such a delicious meal)

(Referencing this original post.)

Cosmic! (Truly, I wasn’t certain but I put the original “Comsic” just in case in the Ask and asked in the tags. Good to know my gut instinct was not off, ha.)

That’s really interesting! I liked reading your thoughts and your theorizing. Happy to bond with another creative. ;) Now you have one more person, with your brother, in your circle who you know watches the show, haha~. I pretty much am in agreement with what you typed. Our babies have so much to work through, and I hope to see them grow onscreen. And to see them interact with more characters (like Barbie Wire!) and see how they tackle whichever hurdles the plot requires them to handle. There’s indeed so many different directions the show could go down in and so far I’m excited to see what they bring to the table from a creative standpoint.

Ah, regarding being bummed out if Stolitz doesn’t work out in the show (which is a 10% possibility, I’m not denying it!), I think that—theoretically—there is very low probability of Stolitz not happening in show canon. And here’s a big reason why:

I’ve seen people theorizing why Stolitz is endgame because that is the expectation that seems to be hinted from the show, and fans have pointed those out aplenty with analysis of multiple episodes. I offer a different and brand new perspective that I haven’t seen people consider before, and that is profit and a creator’s pressure to deliver a successful show.

Personally I don’t think it’s IF; it’s a matter of how “ambitious” the creators want to be and how self-aware they are when it comes to what makes a show successful. Vivziepop is one of the content creators creating animation history by basically making an indie animation show entirely made by her hands and her curated team of VAs and artists, so they are under a lot of pressure to do well (if successful, they are essentially a case study/ business model to look up to for future aspiring creators; if they fail to deliver, then you can expect quite a few retrospective vids hailing HB as one of the biggest disappointments in YT animation history; I direct you to the videos critiquing actual TV animated series such as Star/vsthe/Forcesof/Evil and I suppose Vol/tron which had started off great but tanked in the later seasons, with the last season especially being harangued and toted as a writing failure by some reviewers lol sorryVol/tronfandom, sorrySvtFoEfandom). We’d don’t like to think of shipping being the “end all, be all” of a show’s success, but it truly is the backbone of what makes or breaks a show (as well as good writing and animation). I do think Stolitz IS endgame because shipping is a controversial matter in shows, and a great show can die in a blazing fury of disappointed fans when the “ship” that is introduced from the start, which has set the kernels for growth potential and launched thousands of fanart at this rate as well as fanfiction, isn’t fulfilled. A person’s expectations would be betrayed, and I think HB—which is popular and trending presently—might actually turn people away if the Stolitz ship does not become canonized.

Mind, this all said based on what we’ve seen from episodes 1-6, as well as the pilot episode, and what we see from the official “not truly canon Instagram accounts” a lá Blitzo and Stolas. But with Vivziepop and the storyboard artists liking/ retweeting Stolitz fanart or tweets on Twitter and/or following certain artists and/or making their own fanart and based on the interviews the voice actors have done live on YouTube (remember the question a fan asked the cast, about what advice the VA would give their own characters, and I believe what Stolas’ VA said I’m paraphrasing is Stolas needing to learn that it’s okay to love who he wants to love and be happy/ be true to himself), with all these shippy fanservicey kernels they drop, it will blow up in their faces if Stolitz is not endgame.

Take a look at what Kevin Smith did with the rebooted He/Man, and recall why it’s still divisive to this day. Let’s look at Steven/Universe, and ask ourselves what the reputation of the show would be if Steven broke up with Connie. Let’s take a look at Owl/House and ask ourselves what’d happen if Amity and Luz did not get together despite the shippy moments being set up in the show. When you set things up, you have to follow through—or else all your foreshadowing and build-up become plot holes. You would have betrayed your audience’s expectations otherwise, making them feel like they were lied to. And that is what a show should avoid.

I mean, yeah, sure, there are those fans who are more open-minded or would be alright seeing Blitzo together with any other character (*points to Striker, (Robo) Fizzarolli, Verosika, a threesome with Moxxie, etc*) so long as the animation continues to be good and the story remains serviceable, but their numbers cannot beat the large numbers that make up the Stolitz fans. That is a lot of money that the crew would be turning down if they do not “make them work out” in the end, and a lot of disappointed fans.

I’m not saying this from the perspective of a Stolitz writer and artist, but from an objective point of view of someone who would prioritize numbers and YouTube engagement. At the end of the day, HB might be a show on YT with full creative reign given to the creators, but it still makes money from engagement and views. Income is generated from viewcount, engagement, and merch—which goes back into the show and paying everyone for their work. Furthermore, a show dies when there is no interest or if people become less engaged or less interested in the story, and I guarantee that they will lose a SUBSTANTIAL number of viewers if they decide to “subvert expectations” by not making the Stolitz relationship canonized.

It is a possibility that they could end the show with both going their separate ways or having Blitzo in a different relationship and/or Stolas being a single dad or having reunited with Stella, etc etc, but that isn’t something I expect will go over well with the target audience—especially those who have been following the show for so long and have hanged their banner under this ship. If this ship sinks, the show will probably tank or suffer a viewcount loss. It is the undeniable reality. It would probably incur a lot of people’s rage (Lesson 101 of film and animation: never betray a fan’s—shipping—expectations; if you set it up, you better deliver or you are just asking for trouble and backlash).

Furthermore, HB is an indie show and passion project produced by passionate creatives like ourselves; it is not being overseen by a faceless corporate entity who decides what goes or doesn’t go in a show based on TV ratings and what they think will appeal to a broader audience—and missing the mark by a long shot, haha. We don’t have higher ups who decides what gets censored or not, what gets taken out, and when the show gets axed or not. I mean, yes, the content they choose to animate has to be carefully considered because of YT guidelines but the Vivziepop crew has more creative freedom over the writing without fear of their show being canceled early.

So I’m rather hopeful for the Stolitz ship in the foreseeable future, even if there is a small possibility of it being unfulfilled. But I’d like to remain optimistic and hopeful! 😊

Whew! This was long! Welcome to my TED Talk! Hope this was interesting to read through. :)

EDIT: Tysm! 💖 I’m happy to hear that! The comic really blew up on Twitter, haha, and even here on tumblr! As thanks for all the love, I’ll make one follow-up illustration to the comic as an “aftermath,” fully colored. I’ve provided a sneak peek of it on Twitter this morning (it’s DILF Blitzo; now we need a DILF Stolas to complete the cycle).