#character studies my beloved

[princelylove]

I think it’s fairly obvious that mafiosi would have at least some sexism going on. It’s just shown differently, and it's hard to put them all in the same category because their psychology is different. For my freaks who happen to be into a little misogyny/sexism:

Call Guido old fashioned, but he thinks it’s wrong to be rough with a girl. It rubs him the wrong way. Yeah, of course girls can do whatever we can, he’s all for them working and voting and all the good stuff, but you just shouldn’t treat a girl like that. He tends to say ‘girl’ instead of ‘woman,’ even when he’s referring to someone that’s implied to be older than he is. 

When Guido interrogates Scolippi in the english dub, he says “I should end you for killing a girl,” and “You killed an innocent girl, psycho,” which could just be intentionally guilt tripping Scolippi, but Guido isn’t the guilt type. He’s an immediate physical punishment type. He hates men that harm women, no matter the degree. 

If he ends up having a crush on someone who is masculine, you might not notice at all (unless you pick up on his hesitation). Guido’s always been fairly handsy, he’ll put his arm around Pannacotta (who normally shoves him off), he picks up Narancia and won’t let him down until he gets his good morning cheek kiss, he’ll bother Giorno until he gets a little smoochie-woochie (said like that because he knows Giorno hates that sort of talk), and he sits way too close to his darling. He’s microdosing physical contact until he gets the nerve to actually touch you like he does Panna and Nara… Guys can play around, too, you know. But it’s different with his darling! He psyches himself out most times until he can find excuses to get handsy- like, he was just hugging Panna, he’s not gonna leave you out. Come on, man, you know you want one. 

With a feminine darling, he tries to be touchy and affectionate in the friend stage too, but he’s a little scared. You may notice his hands trembling as he picks you up, or that when he puts his arm around your waist, his hand hovers instead of resting on you. He’s strong enough to hold you up for quite a while, he’s just nervous. Poor guy. He gets rather panicky when he sees a girl in distress, if he ever scared you off, he doesn't even know what he'd do.

Narancia copies Bruno, but less in a ‘Chivalry is important’ sense and more of a ‘Masculine men don’t do certain shit’ sense. Which is missing the point of Bruno’s philosophy entirely. He doesn’t really have any women in his life, besides from Trish and she is not a role model for him or a spokesperson for all of womankind, so his only experience with women are the old ladies that pinch his cheeks and girl mags. 

He probably has a harder time with a masculine darling. He isn’t gay ‘cause he thinks you’re pretty, or whatever… You’re just, like… pretty, he guesses. Narancia tries to justify it- you’re pretty feminine for a dude! You have, like, soft hands. And soft hair. And… something else that justifies his crush. Oh! Oh! How you talk! Some people just sound feminine, you know? The words they use, and like, their tone. Like- Like Giorno! He’s a feminine guy, but he’s still a guy! Yeah, that justifies it for sure. Never mind the fact that you are not feminine in the slightest, Narancia will find some way to throw it on you so his crush is ‘ok.’

Leone surprisingly has nothing going on in the sexism department. Lucky him. He might speak a bit softer to a fem darling, but other than that, the experience is roughly the same.

Pannacotta’s distrust of women isn’t inherently sexist. It’s not like he thinks less of them, it’s just that it takes a significant amount of time for him to trust one. He gets along with men at the ‘normal, appropriate’ speed, he’d say. Never mind the fact that he’s distrusting in general and having a crush on a stranger is eating him alive. Strangers are never to be trusted- you just don’t know what they’re thinking about or what their intentions are. They could be perverse, or… just generally ill-willed. It’s unnerving. 

Trish is allergic to going fifty-fifty. It’s not that she’s super into gender roles or anything, it’s just that, she’s a girl, come on. Really? You’re gonna make her split the bill with you? She could be spending that money on, like, anything else. 

She has these expectations of you no matter your gender, don’t make her pay, give her your jacket when she’s cold, carry her shopping bags, get her flowers on valentine’s day, things like that. It’s less ‘I’m the girl in our relationship’ and more ‘I’m spoiled and won’t be bending anytime soon,’ but you could argue she has some internalized sexism going on. In fact I am making that argument.  Trish doesn’t have ‘boy’ hobbies, she’s vehemently opposed to doing masculine work. It isn’t sexist to have preferences, but it is sexist to scoff at your partner who is struggling with carrying something and go “You’re supposed to be stronger than that, you’re a guy.” Poor darling. You don’t get out of it if you’re feminine, either. She’s the girl, you’re her not-man. Perfect! When she eventually matures, she’ll help out a bit more, but it’s probably never equal.

[beauzos]

let me tell you, it always feels so damn good getting back to writing after not doing it for a while. i haven't written since i finished SOBR back in December or November or whenever it was. it's so refreshing to be back.

[bapbidibop]

Uhhh okay so this is part of a piece that I don’t think it works in, anymore? M proud of it though, so I’m posting it here quick :3

I've hoarded your name in my mouth for months, days gone, roughly 600 words.

The two of you do leave eventually, and the lack of a third feels like a sort of defeat, but that line of thought’s between you and her photo, pulled out of your wallet and tucked carefully away into your vest. You like to think that you’ll get used to that, anyways, right next to, well. Managing to get out of town with Boozer was nothing short of a fuckin miracle, you’re not dismissing it, it’s just that. Were you too selfish, back at that heli? Too naive? Your last thought before shaking the topic away entirely is that maybe you weren’t selfish enough.

Your missing ring glowers at you. Your missing ring burns, somehow.

How dare you think you could save both of them.

You recall the rooftop, Sarah’s injury too severe to make getting her out and to medical care anything less than urgent, and a part of you may later mock NERO for bugging out in a world gone to shit, but there’s a MISSING (-not dead, not dead. Not dead. … right?) sign and it’s plastered all over you and you can’t scratch it off because then she’d really have to be dead, and you, in the thousands of faces, thousands of brothers and sons and sisters, daughters, parents, have no proof of anything.

>[what were your other options, again?

a) you didn’t have any other options.

b) Sarah and Boozer, both on the helicopter and you on the rooftop, alone, in a burning city

b.1) you lose both of them that night, or the next. See point b.2

b.2) you don’t make it out of town. You don’t live to know the difference

c) you and sarah fly away and leave Boozer on the rooftop

c.1) it was hell alone getting to the roof, but getting out of town was near impossible even with him. you doubted the possibility of the two of you making it, and as you survive gunfight and fire, youre all the more certain that neither of you would’ve, on your own.

c.2) it’s easy for your brother to talk about riding away from town as though he hadn’t been limping for hours, so he soon talks instead about how you would’ve died as well

c.2.1) he’s been there to save your hide more times than you can count, not that you would. he’s your brother, after all.

c.2.2) along that note, how could you look at your life, which you could-but-do-not owe your brother, and reject it? how do you look him in the face, after years on the run from creatures and cultists and gangs, after you both have survived long enough that it’s stood the end of, hell, everything else; how could you ever admit to him just how keenly you wish you’d died with her?

d) you didn’t have any other choices.

d.1) you fucking coward. stop thinking about what you could have done. think about what you did.

the thought. doesn’t help you sleep. but youve never been one for sugarcoating, so you stay quiet, and you toss and turn. you don’t think about it]]]

[caseykinnie]

Her whole life, Casey has heard tales of heroes. Perseus and Odysseus and Achilles.

Too bad she'll never be one of them.

[giantkillerjack]

Me: hm, I want something to put on the TV as background noise... Huh. Looks like YouTube is recommending something called The Last Unicorn. That's perfect, it's probably some old shitty animation that has aged poorly! I can watch it ironically!

Me, 2 hours later as the credits roll: *crying, cheering, buying the book, composing the songs*

Me, 2 weeks later: So I have compiled all of the quotes from the book that I think could make good tattoos, and also, HOW HAVE I NEVER LEARNED ABOUT HOW THE LAST UNICORN FUCKING SLAPS??? This gay-ass little fairytale fed my soul! Watered my crops! Transed my gender! Can't believe I heard of this story from youtube recommendations, of all places!!

[arolegos]

innate instinct to draw him when i have a blank canvas

[crabsnpersimmons]

Happy valentines day!

happy valentines day to you too!

i didn't plan any art for valentines day (besides my gift for the valentines secret santa event), but here's a little hairdresser Sun i drew as a pre-class pick-me-up this morning (added some heart stickers to make it valentines-y):

[parasocialcelebritycrush]

jonny boy in college

[l3xdrigo]

Something about Vertin being the black sheep of the foundation is taking over my thoughts.

(I am terribly sorry if this is poorly written at the moment, brain is not functioning well👍)

Black sheep in biblical terms are mostly represented as those that have gone astray or have denied the faith and teachings of God. It's used to represent rebelliousness as well, and I think most of those match up on how the Foundation sees Vertin. But, like in Christianity, a black sheep can be found and saved from what it is by God, and that's what Constantine and the Foundation tries to do. They try to "help" Vertin by putting her in Artificial Somnambulism to try and get her trust and faith back to the Foundation(It doesn't work, obviously) but yea.

Vertin has been in the herd of white when she was a student, she used to be just a white lamb as well, but as curiosity grows, she slowly becomes astray. Now she stands along with people in white, wearing a suit and coat with a darkish blue color, her hat with a neat ribbon attached. Vertin is a lamb of the foundation who has gone astray, but she chose this rather than to live as a part of herd whose lives are made to be sacrificed for half-truths and a deception of faith and lies.

[neversetyoufree]

Since writing my last post about how Vanitas understands "salvation" as the preservation of one's self, even at the price of death, I've been thinking about how that plays into Vanitas's thoughts on resurrection. It's only two short lines, but I find the view he expresses in this scene absolutely fascinating.

Vanitas tells Misha that the dead "don't come back," and the fact that he phrases it that way stands out to me. He doesn't say that resurrection is impossible on a physical level; he implicitly concedes that maybe Misha could "bring back" something that looks and acts like Luna. He doesn't quibble about the practicalities of reanimating someone whose body turned to ashes or bring up whatever concept of the afterlife he may have.

Instead, Vanitas says that a resurrected Luna would simply be "something else that looked like her." A resurrected Luna would lack some fundamental part of whatever it was that made Luna who they were in their first life.

But what would they lack? I don't think he's implying that a resurrected Luna would lack their soul—not really. Setting aside the absence of souls as a conceptual presence in VnC, I think that would be too concrete and specific for what Vanitas is gesturing toward. Rather, he's conceiving of the Self in a somewhat ineffable way. On a metaphysical level, a version of Luna brought back from the dead simply Wouldn't Be Her, and he can't put it in more concrete terms than that.

So why does he think this way?

I think the concept of resurrection is awful enough to Vanitas that he has to reject it outright for his own stability. He cannot even slightly entertain the notion that resurrection might be possible, because that would destroy one of his main coping mechanisms.

Resurrection is nightmarish to a man that relies on death as an escape. Vanitas is suicidal, but beyond his self-hatred, his relationship to death is very particular. He's someone whose body and being has been corrupted and violated several times—through violence, through experiments, and through Luna's bite, and he's desperate to retain control of himself in the aftermath. He's desperate for control in regards to everything in his life, but especially his body and his death.

Vanitas is being slowly transformed into something inhuman, and he plans to die someday to escape that fate. The idea that after he's gone, someone could override that decision and force him back into living a life he doesn't want must be unacceptably horrific to him. He dismisses it out of hand because he has to.

Vanitas says a resurrected Luna would, on some level, not really be Luna. Whatever comes back might look like them, but it would lack some fundamental self that makes Luna "Luna." Thus, if Vanitas himself were ever "resurrected" after his death, it would be the same. Death remains an absolute escape for him, and even if someone contrives to bring back something that looks like him after he's gone, it won't be him. That life won't be his problem.

In addition to whatever beliefs Vanitas might have about death and afterlives the feasibility of resurrection, I think this is a key part of his relationship to the concept. He lives his life knowing that death waits for him as an escape valve. He needs that looming death as his salvation. Thus, faced with the concept of resurrection, his argument basically boils down to "nuh-uh." He shoots down the concept and declares that a resurrected person wouldn't be themselves in some nonspecific way, because the possibility of anything otherwise isn't something safe for him to consider.

[papaya-140]

Waiting for a Trojan War retelling about Patrochilles but it’s different…

…but honestly I’m just putting down an AU at this point

Patroclus, kindest of the Acheans, feels sympathy for the captured Trojan women like in Silence of the Girls.

Patroclus, who acts as Achilles’ compassionate mentor (since he’s 1-2 years older), because King Peleus wants to balance his Achilles’ impulsive nature with Patroclus’ gentle patience

But! Patroclus’ heart is breaking because of Achilles’ period accurate misogyny. Achilles emulates the other men in their behaviors, causing their relationship to fracture in their heated arguments on treating women like property or people

Patroclus remembers their childhood and growing up together, and wonders where on earth is the boy that would do anything for him?

Where’s the charming boy that would make him laugh?

The boy that he taught the importance of kindness and compassion to?

He looks deeper, and to his horror, it’s the small slivers of light that pop up in the dark war monster that Achilles has become.

The way he looks at him. The way he gently wipes the blood off of Patroclus’ armor. The way he holds his hand during an anxiety attack after returning from the battlefield. The way he stays for him.

How could this be the same man? he wonders. Wrathful and horrifying Achilles, both kind and gentle.

Patroclus pines for the good old days, à la Song of Achilles, but he cannot ignore Achilles’ war crimes and treatment towards women.

Neither can Patroclus ignore the blood he has shed as a warrior and as Achilles’ second in command.

He doesn’t even realize his own actions- participating in keeping captured Trojan women (in his attempts to save them from other men)- still perpetuate a cruel systemic practice of enslaving women. Patroclus still remembers stopping Briseis from mourning her dead family.

He remembers the look on her face.

It tears him apart.

Patroclus just wants the past back. But war says otherwise, and shows him the worst sides of men and the worst of Achilles. And worst of all…

It shows the worst in him.

Just… morally grey Patroclus, my beloved!

Can I see this in a retelling for once?!

[dreameroftheblue]

I have lost my mind, he hijacked it and lives there now

[mintmentos]

How is it that such a popular book series can have a 2 films and a tv show and the best adaptation is still the musical with such a low budget but so much love to give

[dark-dragon-8]

In case you guys couldn't tell, Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing, is my favorite DC character. Specifically because I can just write/imagine him however way I want, within the realm of (fanon) reason, and someone will agree with me/there's already a fic about it.

Want to read about a murderous character? Nightwing has once killed the Joker and (as far as I know) didn't regret it. Not to mention Renegade also exists (along with former Talon AU, secret/resolved "killer" AU, where he kills but doesn't tell anyone, and more minor ones as well) and there are several fics where he takes on that alias in order to deal with some "unfinished business" regarding his family.

Want to read about an undercover character using their looks and flirting to their benefits (and having the attention of everyone at the bar by simply existing and being hot)? I have read so many undercover Dick Grayson that wore the sluttiest outfits just to get info. Even read a few where he did it to make his siblings (mainly Jason) more comfortable since they weren't comfortable with it yet that was his forte (regardless of whether or not he liked doing that as well).

Looking for a rich (kinda spoiled, an act, but still lovable and amazing) Nepo baby that everyone thirsts over in the gala? Richie Wayne is right there and is the eldest Wayne/heir, that's bound to cause some drama at parties/Galas (esp with protective Batfam) and I love that (please give me more fics like that, I can barely find any).

Want a badass vigilante that can beat the absolute life out of criminals and defeat Batman with relative ease? Nightwing is one of the strongest members of the Batfam, if I remember correctly he even defeated Cassandra/an opponent equal to Cassandra before.

Want to read an angst filled story about a character that feels like they're being objectified all the time and just wants a break? Do I even have to say it?

Want a character study about how the annoyed/stubborn/exhausted guy from the comics turned into an "attention whore" on fics? I remember reading (and even writing) character studies where Dick is suffering from stuff such as hypersexuality and anxiety issues where he needs people to see/notice/pay attention to him as a result of his sexual trauma (the assault & other stuff he went through).

And so much more. The duality of that man, when a character has such a variety of interpretations and ways to write about them it just fills that writer/storyteller/reader in me with joy. That complex potential that I seek in characters, like being able to kill someone while also being a hero loved by the hero community, a celebrity loved by the world and a few beyond it, a spoiled rich kid when he likes to indulge himself and a victim that has suffered through so much, it's natural to give them different ways (separation anxiety, exhibitionism, aversion to touch, etc) to cope and deal with the horrible hand that was given to them. It's just something that is very rare to come across in a character, especially one so well known and loved for all of those different things rather than only one or two of them taking over the entire character and its interpretation, and I really love Nightwing for being that character for both writers and readers looking for somethings and finding all they could ask for and more in just a singular tag (ofc I know the other characters have a variety as well, Dick just has such a big variety and his "spectrum" is so big, vast and versatile, he has a piece of the fandom for everything, like a bunch of different characters smacked into one, all sharing the same name, it's why I chose him specifically and why I love reading about him the most specifically).

[nnomsu]

some Lion sketches-studies

[queenlucythevaliant]

Coming Home

i. Shasta heard a story once—he could not remember where—in which two brothers lived on an island covered in gray soot. Everything on the island was colorless except the brothers, and every day they looked at each other to remind themselves what color looked like. Shasta didn’t remember how the story ended.

ii. “Home” was not a thing for which he had context. Neither was “Brother.” “Father” meant only cruelty and neglect. And yet, Shasta was home now. His brother pulled him into mischief by his elbow and his father asked after his studies at supper. It reminded him, now, of that story from long ago. He was trying to see the world in color, having known only gray soot all his life.

iii. Had he ever seen a violet like the alpine glow off the mountains at dusk?

iv. Shasta went out walking sometimes, trying to understand it. The grass withered and turned brown, and the frost came swiftly behind. It crunched underfoot the way sand did not.

iv. “Father,” Shasta would say, “What color do you say the ice is?” “What color do you think it is, my son,” the king would reply.

v. The ice was many colors. White snow on the ground. Blue where frozen lakes reflected the sky. Faintly green where it hung in icicles from his window. Gold when sunlight passed through it.

vi. Long ago, Shasta had been born the Crown Prince Cor. He’d been born to all of this, to home and father and brother, even if he’d never known of it till now. These were Cor’s tall green trees. These were his violet mountains. This was his family, and his colorless wind that nipped the nose whenever he stepped outside.

vii. And yet sometimes, even years on, Shasta would wake expecting to hear the sea.

viii. He asked Aravis once if she knew the story of the two brothers on the island. She nodded, “Of course. It is from a literary epic in which a bride cleverly tells her husband a story each night in order to postpone her own murder. But how,” here she raised an eyebrow, “did you hear of it?”

ix. Cor (Shasta) shrugged wordlessly, a little embarrassed. He made Aravis give him the name of the story, then turned and scurried off to find the court librarian. “Can you find a book for me?” he asked.

x. He was learning to read, you know. It was difficult. What a strange world, in which the illiterate sons of fishermen must learn to become kings.

xi. One day, during one of his walks as spring was arriving and all the ice was beginning to melt, Shasta (Cor) stood at the edge of a cliff and saw a rainbow arch across to the other side as though it were a bridge. It felt, obscurely, like a promise. 

xii. Cor was clumsy-footed and uncertain, but Aslan kept him back from the ledge. He'd build a bridge for Shasta to cross into his verdant, mountainous home. The Great Lion stood fast at every cliff, to make certain that Cor would not fall. 

xiii. Aravis found him in the library, struggling over the thick tome which contained the story of the two brothers and their colorless island. The language was more archaic than he was used to, and some of the letters were drawn with flourishes that got in the way of reading.

xiv. But then, Aravis sat down beside him and said, “Would you mind if I read aloud? I did so love that story as a girl.” She did not seem to be making fun of him, so Shasta handed her the book and settled in to listen.

xv. At the end of the story, the brothers escaped the island to a land where the sky was blue and grasses grew tall and green beyond the desert.