#connection rather than a genuine hatred of them)

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

In another universe Christine and Erik skipped town and they live happily together raising Gustave...

[fandomapocalypse]

Love and relationships in Hazbin Hotel

Episode 7 has something interesting and in the song that is called "Out for love" is sung by a character that is referring to a type of love different from a romantic or sexual one, Carmilla is openly talking about familial love. Vaggie of course relates this to her romantic feelings towards Charlie and how she wants to help her. But something else interesting happens in episode 7, Rosie is properly introduced as Alastor's bestie. This leads to showing another type of love: platonic love.

Now to the main point of this post: Alastor. It's canon that he is aroace and as an ace myself (I'm still questioning whether I'm aromantic or demiromantic but this post isn't about me lol) I'm extremely happy to see myself through him. Plus, the fact that the perfect Tumblr sexyman is aroace is genius and hilarious, you can't possibly top this type of humor.

Alastor for me has been a great ace representation and I've seen myself mainly in how he acts around his friends or other people.

When it comes to Niffty it looks more like a relationship between someone with their feral cat or their crazy little sister. But it's still a genuine connection and a fun chaotic one at that, he even lets her touch his hair and climb on him. In regards to Mimzy, he has shown he cares about her and welcomes her with open arms. He openly hugs her, which shocks everyone in the cast. This is extremely important because Alastor usually only starts physical contact to mock others or to pretend physical closeness as a manipulation tactic (like he often does with Charlie). When it comes to people he hates Alastor may touch them but will quickly wipe his hand on his clothes, like what he did with Lucifer. Personally, I don't like personal contact and only accept it if I start it and usually I use it as a way to show affection with close friends. Also, they have known each other since they were alive, so Mimzy probably knows a lot about Alastor that the rest of the cast doesn't. Mimzy also says that they used to dance together. But that doesn't exclude the fact that she uses Alastor's friendship and affection to save her own ass and taking into account how Husk reacted to Mimzy, this isn't the first time she does this. Also, the relationship between the two starts to crumble after what happened in episode 6 and Mimzy seems to be the kind of friend who will pretend that they are still on good terms and still ask Alastor for favors in the future.

Now jumping back to Alastor's true bestie: Rosie. They probably bonded at first over their cannibalistic natures but it's clear that it evolved beyond that. Personally, I don't ship Alastor with anyone, but when it comes to Rosie I headcanon they are in a QPR.

There are various reasons why this relationship is so great and wholesome, the first one being that there is no power imbalance, they are equals. Both are cannibalistic overlords and are on equal footing in terms of power. When Rosie first sees Alastor she is genuinely happy which is something new because most people react badly to him out of fear or hatred.

Alastor respects Rosie, he even compliments her, in her introduction he says she is "the most darling, delightful, and dangerous Overlord of this side of the pentagram". Considering how self-centered and narcissistic he can be, it means a lot. Alastor would rather die again than compliment another Overlord who isn't Zestial, which he respects but out of fear. Alastor respects Rosie as his close friend. When they stand next to each other they give an air of equals, something that never happens thanks to Alastor's ego and sadism towering over everyone else. With Rosie it's different and Rosie can openly tease Alastor with the "Look at you, so polite! Alastor you can learn a thing or two" when comparing him to Charlie when meeting her, or "I'm just kidding, I know you're an ace in the hole" to tease him about his asexuality. This is something that not a lot of people can do because Alastor is obsessed with control and respect. After all, we see how badly he reacted when Husk insulted him.

He also harmonizes with her, he willingly makes a duet with her in "Ready for this". He isn't interrupting her, instead, he agrees with her and they sing together in unison. This is the first time he doesn't openly hijack a song or fight for control over it, like he did with Vox and Lucifer (although this also happened because this is Charlie's song, but who cares the point still stands). Also, this is the first time we see him dance with someone, instead of forcing them to join his musical number (like he does with Charlie on various occasions). Alastor and Rosie are in perfect sync and it's so wholesome and precious to see him being so openly happy with her. Many have pointed out that the only times Alastor is genuinely smiling is when he is with Rosie and it shows by his expression in his eyes.

Finally, Rosie is the only one capable of bringing the most human emotions out of him, the most obvious one being confusion. In the scene of "ace in the hole" Rosie manages to confuse and surprise Alastor for a solid second, which is a huge change of his persona around everyone else of control and manipulation. Also, it's hilarious that Alastor doesn't know what being aroace is, he probably thinks he is above all that.

He is openly relaxed around Rosie and lets her touch him in an affectionate way, something that not even Mimzy can do. It may be because of the height difference but Mimzy only touches Alastor to hug him and to emphasize he is a "heartless son of a bitch" and Alastor clearly gets irritated by her touching him that way and even moves her finger away from him. This never happens with Rosie and he even welcomes her touching him by not having any walls with her. It's Rosie the one starting the physical contact and Alastor doesn't seem to mind and he never tries to use physical contact to take advantage of her like he does with other characters. Rosie is one of the few people who can touch Alastor without losing an arm and instead have a positive reaction out of him.

The most genuine relationship Alastor has is with Rosie, he even has the confidence and comfort to stop his elegant and reserved persona of not swearing. Which he only does when he is truly angry, like what happened with Lucifer. Or when he is threatening someone like he did with Adam. Or when he is shocked when his microphone breaks. He swears to insult Susan, which is someone they both despise equally. Something that you would only do with your closest bestie.

Finally, let's talk about Alastor's breakdown in the last episode. We've already seen that Alastor is capable of having friendships that aren't based on an end goal. Alastor knows this but he rejects it because he is at the hotel originally for selfish goals and doesn't want his emotions to get in the way. He is terrified of ruining his reputation as a sadistic killer and becoming an altruistic who cares about his friends. Alastor wants to stop himself from starting to care about the crew the same way he cares about Rosie, Mimzy, or Nifty to some degree. This is confirmed by his conversation with Niffty, where he admits he has grown accustomed to the main crew and perhaps he is growing feelings of affection towards them in his own way.

In regards to shipping him with Rosie, I see it as a platonic ship or a QPR. Some people have a headcanon that if they had known each other when they were alive they would have married for tax benefits and to avoid the social stigma, which is the only right answer. When they first met in hell they probably had dates in cannibal town where they ate human flesh while gossiping and trash-talked about the other overlords. Which is exactly what an ace person like myself wants from a close friendship.

As an ace, I really like Alastor not because he is the ultimate Tumblr sexyman or see him as hot but because he is an extremely fun character that I can relate to. I'm grateful for the crew and VA that take into account he is aroace and take seriously that aspect of his character. I don't mind that the aroace representation in Hazbn Hotel is a narcissistic psychopath, if you want a more wholesome ace representation you can check Todd in Bojack Horseman or Saiki in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

I don't mind people shipping Alastor, after all, it's just people having fun, but you can't ignore that he is aroace and how this affects his relationships. So yeah have fun and respect and aroace community :)

ok thanks for hearing my rant bye

[radical-revolution]

HOW DO WE move beyond the fire of anger and resentment? In Tibetan Buddhism, they say anger is what we reach for when we feel weak, because we think it will make us strong. So it functions to cover over a sense of helplessness, which for many of us is a nearly unbearable feeling. We want to do, we want to fix, we want results . . . we want control. The feeling of anger, in contrast to the disappointment and sorrow contained in helplessness, can convey, at least for a while, a sense of power, agency, pride, and righteousness.

Yet eventually, as James Baldwin said, “most people discover that when hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with their own pain.” In an interview for the Harvard Divinity School’s newsletter, Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens echoed Baldwin when he said, “Anger is always the bodyguard of our woundedness. There’s the trauma, there’s the anger, there’s the rage, but healing is about moving through that. Not distancing, not distracting, but moving through it to that really fundamental sadness and hurt that’s be- neath the anger.” Sooner or later, it becomes crucial to directly face that helplessness and pain: it is only when we can see them more as feelings born of circumstances in the moment than unassailable truths that we can start to genuinely move beyond them.

If we learn to not get so lost in anger but rather to mine its energy, we begin to act less out of a desperate need to assume control. We are able to act out of a determined, courageous marshaling of our resources to try to make a difference. As the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi—a tireless advocate for the rights of enslaved children for over three decades—said in his 2015 TED talk, “If we are confined in the narrow shells of egos and the circles of selfishness, then the anger will turn out to be hatred, violence, revenge, destruction. But if we are able to break the circles, then the same anger could turn into a great power. We can break the circles by using our inherent compassion and connect with the world through compassion to make this world better.”

Sharon Salzberg

[thebadchoicemachine]

Jonah raised Jon AU

Can't get this AU out of my head where Jon was adopted and raised by James Write and then later taken under the care of Elias Bouchard, as per his father’s will.

1.) He's raised to be the perfect eye avatar and Knows plenty pretty quickly—even the stuff “Elais” never told him. He's helping Elias search for the perfect avatars to be part of their ritual (if only because it’s what been ingrained in his head since he was 8. It’s no different than studying for college to him. It’s simply something he, as an Avatar, does.)

2.) One day, when he’s just turned 18, he runs into a few people hanging out at a cafe. Or, more accurately, a person ran into him. With a bike.

3.) (Martin didn’t mean to hurt Jon. He saw a hot regal-looking guy outside a cafe and started daydreaming about a meet cute and then… oops. He’s not sure how it even happened, it was like something yanked the handlebars of his bike)

4.) While Jon and Martin are laying on the ground—Martin apologizing like his bloody life depends on it and Jon cussing him out, wondering why he didn't See this this coming—two baristas come out to help.

5.) Tim and Sasha burst out the front door, clambering to get a break from work help with the commotion outside the shop.

6.) After more outrage from a (much more entitled) Jon, Tim ends up calming everyone down with his charm and some pastries. They end up talking after Jon gathers his composure and demure. He finds the three intriguing and resolves to be friendly with them, even if only as an act to dig into their minds.

He ends up having a surprisingly good time, though.

7.) Also, Tim hits on everyone a bunch because you cannot escape polyarchives even here, though he's mostly joking.

8.) That evening Jon returns home with some news for his father. He explains the three people he met and how he was drawn to them… as possible avatars to be used.

Martin was the strongest, tormented by the Lonely and with a fierce potential for the Web. Jon could tell that, as sincere as he was trying to be, Martin was manipulating the converversation to paint himself as far more pathetic than he was. He wanted Jon to pity him. For what purpose? Seemingly nothing more sinister than wanting a connection of some kind. He was good at it too; if Jon didn't Know it, he'd never have guessed.

Tim had a deep-seated hatred of the stranger, though he didn't know what it was, making the connection rather vague. He hid it well, but there was a hunger in him for revenge and a willingness for violence. It wasn't purposeless or self-indulgent like the Desolation would feed from, but there was a seed to work with.

Sasha was the least interesting Avatar-wise. She was hard to read, which could be a sign of the Dark or Stranger, but she also had a drive about her that could feed the Hunt quite nicely if driven to extreams.

9.) Elias nods, thanks him for his reconnaissance, and lets him go to bed.

10.) Jon tries to sleep but lays awake that night, thinking about his first genuine interaction with people since he was eight. He was extremely sheltered living with his father, both bodies, and his interactions were limited to small talk and supernatural beings. Despite doing it for his father’s mission, he found that talking with them to be oddly freeing and even a little fun. “Elias Bouchard” was technically his gaurdien, not his father, and he was 18 now. He could argue for more freedom. Barring that, he was getting strong enough that Elias couldn't read him anymore, and he could tell when he was. Maybe, after a decade of being under All Knowing observation 24/7, he could allow himself another attempt at rebellion.

More of this AU under #Jonah raised Jon AU

[pearlprincess02]

short n' sweet by sabrina carpenter (album astrology)

virgo sun in 4th house

short n' sweet by sabrina carpenter radiates the energy of a virgo sun in the 4th house, grounding its core message in self-reflection, honesty, and the desire for authenticity. this album feels like a gentle invitation into sabrina’s inner world, where she’s both perceptive and introspective. much like a virgo sun in the 4th house, it’s meticulous in detail yet emotionally resonant, focusing on themes of growth, home, and intimacy. there’s an earthy quality to its presentation, showing a quiet strength that emerges from vulnerability and a genuine connection to one’s roots and personal truth.

“we never talk about it; all the silence just makes it worse, really; ’cause it leaves you so top of mind for me”

aries moon in 11th house

with an aries moon in the 11th house, short n' sweet brings an emotional tone that’s lively, bold, and unapologetically sincere. this album reaches out to listeners with a sense of fearless openness, infusing every song with an energy that feels both passionate and raw. there’s a refreshing directness to its emotional depth, as if sabrina invites listeners to embrace their own individuality and inner fire. the 11th house placement adds a sense of camaraderie and community, making the album feel like an invitation to connect on a personal yet universal level, as if she’s speaking to—and with—a group of friends.

“boy, it’s not that complicated; you should stay in my good graces; or i’ll switch it up like that; so fast, ‘cause no one’s more amazin’; at turnin’ lovin’ into hatred.”

gemini rising with gemini mars & jupiter & amor in 1st house

as a gemini rising with mars, jupiter, and amor in the 1st house, short n' sweet presents itself to the world with a vibrant, playful, and curious energy. its public image feels light-hearted yet sharp, drawing listeners in with witty lyrics and an approachable style that keeps them guessing. the album’s aesthetic and visuals exude versatility and charm, inviting people to explore different facets of sabrina’s personality. mars and jupiter bring a confident, dynamic quality to its presentation, suggesting both bold ambition and an easygoing spirit. amor in the mix adds a flirty, heart-centered touch, making the album feel warm and magnetic, as if sabrina is sharing personal stories with a playful sparkle that’s hard to resist.

“move it up, down, left, right, oh; switch it up like nintendo”

leo mercury in 4th house

with a leo mercury in the 4th house, the lyrical content of short n' sweet is bold, heartfelt, and centered on themes of self-expression and personal roots. sabrina’s words shine with a warm, creative flair, as if she’s speaking directly from the heart while drawing listeners into her world. leo’s influence brings a sense of confidence and charisma to the storytelling, giving each song a memorable, radiant quality. the 4th house adds a layer of intimacy, allowing her lyrics to touch on personal themes like home, family, and inner identity. together, this placement makes the album feel both powerful and close, with lyrics that are both self-assured and emotionally resonant.

“you’re so dumb and poetic / it’s just what i fall for, i like the aesthetic”

virgo venus in 5th house

with a virgo venus in the 5th house, short n' sweet carries an aesthetic that feels thoughtfully crafted, yet delightfully playful. there’s a subtle, refined beauty in its sound—every note and lyric seems precisely placed, creating an experience that’s both polished and genuine. the 5th house influence brings a warm, creative flair, highlighting sabrina’s romantic side with a hint of modesty. rather than grandiose displays, the album’s charm lies in the small, authentic details, making it feel personal and intimate. this virgo venus adds a sense of melodic harmony, capturing both elegance and a down-to-earth vibe that’s irresistibly relatable.

“if you want forever, i bet you do; just know you’ll taste me too.”

gemini mars in 1st house

with gemini mars in the 1st house, short n' sweet pulses with a lively, curious energy that keeps listeners engaged and on their toes. the album’s pace is quick, adaptable, and full of surprises, shifting moods and styles with ease. there’s a witty boldness in the music, as if each track has something fresh to say, and it’s delivered with a playful edge. mars in gemini brings sharp lyrics and rhythmic complexity, lending an assertive but lighthearted vibe. in the 1st house, this energy feels immediate and captivating, creating a confident, dynamic presence that leaves a memorable first impression. sabrina’s passion comes through in her versatility and willingness to explore, making the album feel like an adventurous conversation with the audience.

“wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?; oh, i hear you knockin’, baby; come on up”

all observations are done by me !!! @pearlprincess02

main masterlist

[akane-kurokawa]

“Does Oshi no Ko NEED the reincarnation aspect to work” is a sentiment I’ve seen a lot lately, especially on the subreddit (which I still check regularly despite what it’s devolved into) Personally, I think that’s the wrong question, you should be asking “WHY is the reincarnation aspect present.”

First, let’s talk about parasocial relationships. The idol industry is built upon them, more-so than any other industry. Idols are supposed to be the ideal -yet unattainable- partner to fantasize about, to the point where they’re forbidden from having those kinds of connections in real life without facing scrutiny.

Ai Hoshino is the “Ultimate” idol. She doesn’t have ANYONE she has those genuine connections with, even her fellow group members hold her at the same untouchable distance that her fans do. She became an idol in hopes of loving others, and recreated the motions so perfectly that her lie became all anyone wanted from her. To the point where her true humanity was rejected, like by Nino in 45510.

Enter our protagonists (Layer One)

Sarina Tendouji is a hospital bound fan of all of B Komachi, but especially Ai. She idolizes her for being a girl her own age with a pretty face and incredible singing and dancing skills. This especially resonates with Sarina who’s studied B Komachi’s choreography non stop, but was tragically not able to dance herself due to her condition.

Goro Amamiya is an OBGYN in a small town that became a diehard fan of Ai after Sarina’s passing, superimposing the two in his head as he described it. When he met Ai in real life and became her doctor during her pregnancy, he found her off camera personality charming and internalized her philosophy about lies.

Then of course, after his death they were reincarnated as her twin children. During that time they saw her in a much more human way, worrying about money and providing for her family, harboring insecurities, being the best mom that she could be despite her circumstances.

They saw the way she gets treated by the industry and public she came up in as well, her parts cut out of her first drama due to corporate politics, her being speculated on and called a whore for just talking to an old classmate, and especially how her death was received. By this point, their relationship with her is much closer than the parasocial place it began.

But has it?

Enter our protagonists (Layer Two)

Sarina Tendouji was a girl rejected by her mother as her condition got worse. She loved her mother deeply and wanted to be just like her when she got older.

In the last few years of life she never even saw her mom, that void filled with the presence of a doctor loitering in her room to slack off work, and the idol she watched. What she wanted more than anything though was for her mother to come see her again.

Goro Amamiya was a boy born from a woman who hid her pregnancy and died in childbirth. That death painted the entirety of his life going forward.

Even then he’s haunted by his feelings of helplessness when he loses the child patient he had befriended early into his residency. He’s become a passive person, following the whims of others because of his perceived helplessness.

Both of them take these complicated feelings into their next life, and it paints their relationships with Ai after her death.

Ruby wants to follow in her moms footsteps once again and be just like Ai, to the point of naming her idol group B Komachi. Ultimately, I think she mostly takes positively from her time as Ai’s daughter, and looks more to Ai’s life rather than her death.

Aqua on the other hand, witnessed his mother bleed out in front of him in almost a metaphorical recreation of his first mother’s death, and this has shaped him irreversibly. Except this time there’s an object for his hatred other than himself. This time, his mother was murdered. He could do more than follow in the motions of preventing it from happening to others. This time he could get revenge.

Now “Why is the reincarnation aspect present.”

Ai Hoshino was never understood by anyone, her parents, her idol group, even her trusted adults. But two people, born with traumas and biases that paint their perspectives, were both brought into this world with their goal to try.

Aqua more investigatipvely, tracking down loose ends from her past, holding onto people with the ability to profile her from videos and images. Whereas Ruby is on a more personal journey of understanding her, recreating the steps of her journey more directly and coming to her own conclusions about it.

This leads us to the 15 Year Lie, the potential climax of the series as a whole, and the event referenced from the prologue chapters. The movie that began as a documentary meant to tell the true unfiltered life of Ai Hoshino as she always wanted. It had even made some headway prior to her death, but it’s hard to say how much.

This movie finds itself as the roadmap of both twins journey in understanding. Aqua now has the resources and connections to speak to anyone from Ai’s past, her mother, her fellow idol members, and likely more. But by this point, Aqua also knows the name of the man his tunnel vision hatred is focused on. And hatred is seeping into this story down to the script itself

Ruby is also now in the position of very literally playing Ai, the arguably highest point on her journey to walk in her mother’s shoes. Compared to Aqua, I think she’s getting much closer to her goal.

Of course, it’s still too soon to say how that will go for her, I expect her journey of understanding will continue for the entirety of of the movie filming process. There’s still the entirety of Ai’s relationship with Hikaru and her children as well as her death to be covered and I’m sure Ruby will have plenty of challenges and breakthroughs with those too.

In conclusion, not only is the reincarnation aspect needed, I think it’s crucial to what the story is trying to say thematically. If they were just children who lost their mom young and tried to understand her it would be compelling, but thematically it wouldn’t carry nearly the same weight as fans pulled across the parasocial line with their own projected baggage.

Remember, being ‘reborn as an idols child’ is inherently a parasocial fantasy.

[bl00dlight]

I'm hoping Alys loves him next season! I liked Aemond amd Heleana until this leak which I didn't want to see but it's in my Helaemond tag on tumblr!! I just hope he finds love. Thoughts?

Welllllllllllllll, I don't know about that. The alys plot line is pretty dubious in the books. Like, fairly certain she sorta is his concubine. She is more so described as his paramour and given the nature of TV show Alys, she seems to be intolerant to cruel men.

And Aemond is about 10000000x worse than Daemon. It will actually be VERY interesting how that reltionship plays out given, Aemond literally commits genocide and burns the Riverlands to a crisp. She's very weirwood, of the trees, anti-men vibes. Where as in the books she was more of a seductress.

I think what we are gonna get, is Alys manipulating him for her own survival. I'm about 99% sure she is going to put a spell on him, to prevent him from killing her. And we'll get a Daemon-esq arc that pushes Aemond further into madness. He'll probably use her to some extent I'd say. And in truth? Do I really want Aemond to find love in Alys? No, not really.

I think Aemond's arc is going to be exclusive of that love, maybe she'll act as a surrogate for his mother like the Madame did? But I think Alys will fundamentally challenge Aemond to face all the horrific things he's done. I don't really think it makes much sense for an actual romantic, loving relationship to bloom between them. Given the fact Alys seemingly saved Daemon? It seems to me homegirl is probably going to lead Aemond to his death. Because let's me honest, Aemond is SO much worse than Daemon. When you look at how they are paralleled, Aemond consistently chooses the dark and Daemon, always ends up choosing light. Even if it takes him a while to get there. We've seen his arcs have always taken him to a place where, he let's go of his ambition in service of love. Whether it be for Viserys or Rhaenyra.

But Aemond? Is the opposite. Aemond pushes away love, again and again and again for his own ambition. Helaena parallels Alys in telling Aemond how he will die.

And his reaction is rage and hurt. When Alys tells Daemon? He looks genuinely, saddened and scared?

Alys is telling Daemon the same thing Helaena tells Aemond.

You will die here. And Harrenhal is the place where men with ambition die. It's built into the walls.

I just don't see, and I will very surprised if Alys and Aemond have a healthy, loving relationship. It also just seems out of character for both. She is meant to be like 400 years old and Aemond is 18/19? She probably thinks he is a baby. He is also a genocidal, Valyrian supremacist who hates bastards. And Alys is neither Valyrian and is also a bastard. So... I think with her current characterisation, she isn't gonna take kindly to Aemond's fucking hatred of the Riverlords and him... killing all the bastards there. She gagged Daemon for alot less.

Also? Aemond literally RUINS her home. He burns the Riverlands to toast? And she is in total connection with the lands. I'd much rather see Alys gag him over simping. And I don't think the Alys x Aemond dynamic is tragic enough for me? Alys will go on living, she is a witch and even in the books doesn't grieve Aemond's death. She just moves on... and there is theory she claimed to have his bastard?

Whereas Aemond himself as we know him in the show, his heart and wounds lie in his family. Like Daemon's does. Alys seems to act as salt in those wounds. I think Aemond's most interesting points come from his family and wanting their love.

That for me is why I love Helaemond because it's completely doomed. It's fruitless. And it plays directly with both of their wounds, them as neglected, rejected siblings who are connected but also distant. And that Helaena as something which is purely good, and kind is hurt my Aemond's actions.

Alys I feel, is given so much more agency now in the show. I didn't really like the idea of her character in the books, it felt quite.... misogynistic? But her show arc proves her to be challenging and demanding, without fear of the men around her. And most of all TRIFLING. To her Daemon and Aemond are little boys playing at power they don't understand.

I think I prefer that over, weird seductress simp Alys.

So there is also that dynamic of, ehhhhh kinda feels weird for this 400 year old force of the weirwood to become a simp for an 18 year old incel. Which is kinda what Aemond is really. He told his own mother to go back to kitchen essentially.

I appreciate it, and I do legitmately want Aemond to find love/tenderness. But I think I would've preferred to see it throughout this season with Helaena. And not even romantically, just moments where Helaena is kind or gentle to Aemond. Which she kind of is in the last episode. I think that's actually what Aemond needs and ultimately what he desires.

The Madame... Alys... they only really act as substitutes for the love he wants from his family. I don't really need to see romance from Aemond, it would feel really out of character.

That Madame scene was PUSHINGGGG it already because there was no lead up to it. So I think, Aemond is a character who I'd prefer seeing him rectify the loves he craves and has pushed aside from his own family at times; over Alys x Aemond as GRRM wrote them - which is basically just Aemond taking her as his kept woman to pat his head, and suck his dick.... who also happens to be older than his own mother.

Which is even weirder... when you consider book Aemond is like 17... so it's like.... okayyyyyyyy

It's kinda the same with Nettles. Don't really wanna see a teenage girl, taking baths with 50+ year old Daemon.

[kagoutiss]

I kind of love how you have all these interesting hcs for Ganondorf like animals loving him, his weird dynamic with Sheik, the approval he seeks from his mothers etc. while at the same time being like “he’s a horrible gremlin and bloodthirsty and no one would want to stay near him”. I feel like it really captures how absurd and chaotic he is. Thank you for your service.

oh…im holding this ask very gently…..this means a lot to me because like!! yeah all these things are sort of true to me and i feel like he’s one of those characters where the more you dissect him, the more discordant things you find, and yet they all somehow intertwine in a way that makes him compelling and whole :-) retroactively putting a warning here that i ended up talking a lot and going pretty off-track but. like,,, one of the main roots of his absurdity to me is that he just has these fundamental problems with connecting with people (outside of clever manipulation, which he is good at), which are very effective at driving people away, even when he genuinely loves them, and i think he does this thing constantly where he wants people to despise him and he wants people to think the worst of him, because he is so much more comfortable with that than just? learning how to actually differentiate between love & hatred? and to not immediately feel threatened by gestures of love as some kind of deception, because he probably can’t quite make out the difference? despite having such a high level of emotional intelligence otherwise? and this primarily ties in with the idea that the biggest most terrifying enemy he has ever known in his entire life has been the neighboring kingdom, which professes to be the epitome of love & light & benevolence while at the same time committing the most egregious hateful bloody acts of cruelty in the darkest recesses of kakariko’s catacombs

and like. i think all of his formative experiences have still led to him being fully capable of things like feeling love, but also consequently not having the faintest idea of what the definition of that actually is, or how it works, or how to relate to someone you care about without just projecting all your own experiences onto them, or communicating your affection in ways other than just. being mean. and him purposely antagonizing people who do love him and are kind to him is a kneejerk reaction that he might not even realize is nonsensical, just a way of avoiding the most fundamentally disconcerting thing he knows, which is the ambiguity of something that claims to be kind or good. and so i think he‘d find a weird comfort in things that either don’t have that ambiguity, or subvert it entirely

like animals! who are far less capable of deception, or monsters, who like him, are deemed inherently evil. or spirits, who shouldn’t technically even be bound by the concepts of good & evil, even less applicable to wayward souls than to living beings. above all other humans though, he is definitely closest to his surrogate mothers, who supposedly are the true highest authorities of the gerudo tribe, and who treat him more like a deity than a son, and might moreso love the idea of what they want him to be, rather than the person he is. and he is in fact mortal, and a human being, and extremely flawed, and prone to recklessness under stress, and makes silly mistakes, and is emotionally unstable, with an attention span that doesn’t actually seem particularly well-suited to politics or government. and i accidentally wrote way too much in one sitting again, but.

but yeah, he’s like. my point is he is so full of things. he is completely absurd and chaotic and yet also i think there are recognizable patterns in what he does, if you think about him way too hard for way too long. he’s an infuriating swiss watch of a person that functions with seemingly inexplicable precision, but is made to say rude things to you instead of showing you the time, and yet you can’t really judge him too harshly after making the difficult effort of trying to understand him, because it becomes more & more evident that. that’s just. the way he is. that that’s the inevitable way that he came together, entirely due to circumstance. he’s a reflection of the completely nonsensical universe that he lives in, an antagonist since the day he was born, defined as such by the world’s Inherently Good Authorities, who are themselves objectively guilty of mass kidnapping, torture, murder, displacement and genocide, and yet are still, by the immutable definitions of these words as they’ve established them, Good. and i NEED to go to bed but yeah i love him for being a horrible insufferable bitch, actually, because it’s meaningful in and of itself, and i love him for not being normal, and having unmanageable fears of inadequacy, and mommy issues, and ADHD and autism, and for bullying teenagers, and being more fond of monsters & parasites than people, and literally using his emotions as a weapon, and referring to himself as king of every evil thing in existence, and almost never bothering to explain his actual motivations to people who he knows have already decided that he is the crux of all the world’s problems, because he’s fully internalized that trying to be understood by anyone at all is completely pointless. wife material

[blues824]

The remarried empress with a female Scaramouche.

💙Her falling out of the sky and and being found by sovieshit.

🖤How would everyone react to her being a doll that was created by a goddess who she has mommy issues with because she didn't give her her birth right (if I was correct it was his heart. )

💙Her being over 500 years old and holding grudges against humans and now is in a world that she doesn't know about doesn't help her especially sovieshit and rattrash doesn't help her hatred towards humanity.

🖤Her becoming a lady in court who has a enormous attitude towards people but still respect because of her status as a person created by the gods .

💙She does not need to eat drink or sleep making them panic at first but she do not need the things humans need to survive.

🖤What would they think of her outfit (I love Scaramouche his hat ngl ) and her ability to fly.

(Like I said I'm still new to genshin impact so if I made a mistake feel free to correct)

The story of Scaramouche is high-key sad, not gonna lie. This one is just three characters: Sovieshu, Rashta, Navier.

Sovieshu

He had met you after Navier took you in, and to say that he thought you were beyond childish would be an understatement. You clung to his wife as though she were your mother, and he got feelings of jealousy out of nowhere. You even said that he was stupid for abandoning her for that ugly woman that he calls his ‘mistress��.

From that point, your relationship just went downhill from there. You had a more popular and agreeable reputation as a creation by the gods themselves, so you were in a place of power. He could see that you used it to your advantage, and you made your hate for the Emperor public. But, under the order of the High Priest, the worst he could do was lock you in your room. Best not to anger the gods, after all.

Any attempts to try and find out anything about you were all in vain, as you were not a citizen from this world. You weren’t even human. You’re a doll that’s sentient. You were able to be mean to anyone and not suffer any questions. You were untouchable, to say the least. All he knew was that you probably had a bad experience with both gods and humans because of your distaste for them.

Rashta

She was very excited when she heard that someone new would be joining the palace, but less excited when she found out that it was because Navier had found you. So, she had her claws in you already… She honestly thought that the Empress was taking advantage of your status as a ‘creation of the gods’. 

This feeling was especially apparent when you said something about how she was taking advantage of Sovieshu’s status and power. Actually, you said things like this to everyone, but because of your reputation you were dismissed. This made Rashta so angry, as she could be as kind as possible and people would hate her because of her beginnings.

You didn’t really like her either, as she was living proof that humans couldn’t be trusted. You would rather go back to Raiden than have to be taken care of by her. That being said, you tried to stay away. Your job as a lady of the court that was serving Navier meant that you wouldn’t come into contact with Rashta much anyway, so it was perfect.

Navier

She had found you lying on the ground in her secret spot within the garden. She was definitely worried, but this was the first time a human had actually shown genuine care towards you. You hated to admit it, but you almost immediately grew attached to the Empress, but she didn’t mind it. Instead, she treated you as though you were her child, making sure that you had gotten a good education so that you would be knowledgeable. The connection you had with Navier was like mother and daughter, and it made you feel like your past could finally be forgotten.

When the High Priest came to visit you, he saw your abilities and deemed you a creation of the gods. He was actually right, but not about the gods that created you. The archon Raiden had created you, and you told your new mother about how the goddess had abandoned you and thought you were a failure for being a sentient vessel that wasn’t capable of holding her gnosis. 

You had been through so much, but to be fair, you had been around for 500 years. You became a lady of the court, and she made sure that you stuck by her side. Actually, she took you in, claiming you to be a child. For once, you didn’t mind, as you were happy that your new mother made you feel like you were enough; like you were a normal human.

[shadowsandshapes]

FFTB | CH 9: Delayed Indulgence (Dabi/F!Reader)

Summary: You escaped the scene, only to have Dabi manhandle you into a corner. He seems troubled, but you quickly realize his anger is not directed at you. No - he's furious with himself and his emotions reach a boiling point. His heart spills over… Contains: Inner Turmoil, Payoff To Pining, Comfort!, Fluff, Spice Light

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“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

The phrase echoed against the damp pavement and brick walls. Your heart hammered against your ribs in anticipation. Despite the venom and hatred he had expressed, Dabi had come to your aid when you needed him. While he had been cold and cruel to you before, there was no sign of that same vitriol now. Anger – yes, but it wasn’t quite directed at you in particular. 

Rather, Dabi seemed more upset with himself than anyone else.

His rescue had left you breathless and now he was fuming. Stomping his feet like a stubborn child as he paced the width of the alley. You tried to think of a genuine answer to the question rattling around in your mind. Frankly, you also wanted to know what your problem was. And Dabi’s problem for that matter. Something about his stride looked frantic and unnerved. You swore it felt like he was scared to be near you – avoiding your eyes and bitterly muttering to himself. Like he was trying to outrun you without actually leaving.

The thought almost made you laugh. Dabi wasn’t afraid of anything – nothing could shake him like that – and certainly not someone like you. No matter how much you liked to pretend you could have that effect on him, it all seemed a little ridiculous. Still – you couldn’t shake the feeling you were on the cusp of something important.

As for Dabi himself, he hadn’t expected to come and find you immediately when he heard you were in the area. Fuck  – why did he have to be nearby when you were around? He had more self-control than that. That’s what he kept telling himself whenever you were spotted by one of his sources or informants. Jumping at the chance to see you again was pathetic and desperate. But curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had to see you, he had to see for himself how you were doing.

Were you just as miserable without him as he was without you?

Tracking you down had been far too easy. Even taking into consideration your careful nature and thorough understanding of the villain underworld, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid Dabi forever. He had eyes in every faction. Connections with various villain watering holes and mercenary joints were hard to come by, but Dabi had made the effort for the sake of his goals. It’s all about who you know in this world. He had never imagined using it to search for a woman though. Yet here he was – using everything at his disposal to get to you.

Only to then find you grinding on some greasy bastard in a nightclub.

The very sight of you with another man made him want to hurl. Let alone two of them. It inspired an unstoppable sense of violence in his heart. A sudden, burning need to hurt everyone in his path. Anyone who stood between you and him was a threat. A problem to be snuffed out and dealt with. Dabi wanted to claim you like that man had. Wanted to touch you like him, hold you like him and much more. You were a scourge he couldn’t get rid of. The second he saw you in person again he was lost. Desperate to reach out and take your hand.

Despite this sickening obsession still running rampant in his heart, Dabi had managed to suppress the urge to swoop in and take you away. Instead – he had resigned himself to let you be, choosing to watch and wait. The compulsion to seek you out would vanish eventually. Walking away would have been the right thing to do. You didn’t need him. The mistakes you chose to make were your own and had nothing to do with Dabi. Those guys could have ruined you. He shouldn’t have cared. But he did. He strafed back and forth in front of you, mind racing with a million and one questions.

‘Why’ being the most prominent one.

Why did he intervene? It didn’t make any goddamn sense. He should have let you go. You were moving away from him and that very notion brought him to action. This was some weak Hero bullshit. Feet moving on their own accord. Springing to action to save another. Dabi was a villain. He didn’t do that. Why was being away from you such agony? You were just some girl he had met in the midst of all this chaos. A passing interest on his way to bigger and grander goals. Who was he to lay claim over you when he was the one to push you away in the first place? He couldn’t stand it. The way his chest tightened and burned for you.

Every time you looked his way with those pretty eyes, he couldn’t fucking breathe.

“Dabi –” you started, reaching out in an attempt to soothe his frantic pacing. This was the first time you’d seen him so expressive. The guy was clearly going through it, even if he tried to hide how he was really feeling behind an angry scowl. The sound of your voice calling his name so gently was unbearable. It was too kind. Far kinder than he deserved for how he had treated you. Before you could do anything to calm him, Dabi threw his hands up and motioned for you to stay back.

If you touched him now he would break. Shatter beneath these confusing, overwhelming feelings.

“No – no, let me talk. Just listen – I messed up, (Y/n). Colossally. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. You’re everywhere. All the time. I thought that by getting rid of you I could stop feeling like this.” You quietly watched Dabi rattle off his grievances, every word spat out like a resentful confession. 

He didn’t want to tell you – but he had to. 

With each stride he made back and forth between the walls of the alley, Dabi ran his fingers through his raven hair. Harshly pulling at the strands. You flinched at how aggressively he yanked at them, fingers threading the hair and wrenching at his scalp. Despite how excruciating it may have seemed to you, the action seemed to bring him some kind of relief. It did nothing, however, to slow the unstoppable torrent of words from pouring from his lips.

Honesty was so fucking awkward and painful.

“You’re a fucking nightmare. I burned your things in the dumpster out back but it didn’t help shit. Then I saw you with those guys and I –” He couldn’t say it. Admitting he was jealous meant admitting to something he was vehemently trying to deny himself. Dabi was so close to the truth but couldn’t bring himself to accept it. Couldn’t see what was in front of him. “It feels hot and chaotic and I can’t stop wanting to be near you. When I caught you leaving that day, I just couldn’t let it happen. Instead of talking to you I – ” He paused, tripping over his tongue and thoughts at the same time. “I’m fucking obsessed with you (Y/n) – and I’m sorry.”

Finally calm enough to brave your eyes, he let out a deep sigh and stopped pacing. Dabi felt lighter. For the first time since your falling out, he could breathe again. Even if you’d seen him act so irrationally. Breaking down like that was something he hadn’t done since he was a child. He felt small and vulnerable next to you. Pathetic and weak. But it had to done. You had to know how sick he felt without you. Dabi’s fingers relaxed as he withdrew them from his hair, hands falling to his side in resignation. All that was left was your reaction. Whatever it may be – he would have to accept it. Dabi didn’t even know what he wanted from you, really…

Forgiveness, comfort – did he deserve any of that after what he’d done?

You stood in silence, giving him a moment of reprieve from his own feelings. It clicked into place then. The attraction. The lashing out. The lengths he had gone through to push you away. It all made sense. Dabi might not have realized the gravity of his confession in the moment – but you certainly did.

You stepped forward and grabbed onto his coat’s collar. “Kiss me.”

“What?” Dabi blinked – confused.

Did he really need you to spell it out for him?

“You’re in love, dipshit. Please Dabi just fucking kiss me or I’ll do it for you.”

With your permission given, Dabi’s last shred of restraint was broken in an instant. His kiss was searing and passionate. You squeaked against his lip as a hand grasped the back of your head – pulling you closer. In contrast to your last run-in, there was no malice on your tongue but the taste of desperation had increased tenfold. Dabi felt the difference. Your arms locked around his neck as you stretched to kiss back properly.

You fucking troublemaker.

How had he not seen it? Maybe because Dabi had always considered himself above petty things like love. It wasn’t for him. Vengeance and retribution had been all he needed to stay alive up until this point. Then you showed up. Made him laugh and cared for him when no one else would. Most importantly: you saw right through him, catching glimpses of the boy Touya used to be – and you didn’t look away. If anything, your constant prying was what scared him the most. 

Now he realized it wasn’t a bad thing. 

You were fearless when faced with someone as ugly and depraved as Dabi – more than that, you loved him for it. He could feel it in the way you kissed him. The warmth of your lips. The quiet, gasping moans that poured from your mouth as he pushed you up against the wall – your legs wrapping around his waist as he hoisted them up. It was more than proof enough that you were serious about this. The fact that you wanted this as much as he did was both relieving and terrifying. As was the realization that you were right. 

He was in love with you.

His fingers dug into the skin of your thighs. Dabi marveled at how tender the flesh was. Soft and delicate, perfect in every way. He pulled away to catch his breath – azure eyes eagerly tracing every inch of your blush-dusted face. That enchanting view was something Dabi never wanted to forget. You were gasping, eyelashes fluttering as you attempted to come back to your senses. The weight of your lovely, strong thighs tensing around him was driving him insane. He’d wanted this for so long and didn’t even realize it. 

You were fucking intoxicating and he couldn’t wait to get a proper taste.

However, as much as Dabi wanted to shove you behind the nearest dumpster and make this official, this wasn’t the most sanitary place to take his cock out. With no small amount of reluctance and chagrin, he set you back down on the pavement. Wanting to commit the scene to memory, Dabi rested his forehead against yours and admired the adoring look in your eyes. Love was a beautiful color on you, he decided. Something he could definitely get used to. And he would have to. 

All of this still felt incredibly foreign, but for you, he was more than willing to try his damndest to make this work.

Dabi needed to say something – anything to fill the silence before you changed your mind about the whole thing. He finally had you in his arms and the fleeting thought that this was temporary caused a spark of panic. “Toga misses you.” he said, cringing as soon as the words left his mouth. 

You could have said anything but that, idiot.

Just barely managing to muffle the noise with your hand, you barked out a laugh into your palm. “Toga, huh? Does Toga want me to come home?”

“Yeah…” Dabi smirked and kissed you again – a quick, affirming peck on the lips. “And me too of course. Most importantly me. Me and fuck everyone else honestly. I don’t really care what they want but I’m guessin’ they’re gonna be happy to see you. Don’t worry about Shigaraki. If he throws a fit about you leaving I’ll torch the place to hell.”

You grabbed Dabi by the chin, giving it a playful shake as he snapped his teeth at you in retaliation. “Easy on the arson, hotshot.”

Dabi couldn’t help but grin at the palpable affection in your voice. Fuck. He’d missed this. It had been so long since you’d talked to him like that – he’d almost forgotten what a little shit you were. A precious little shit, though. His little shit. The thought made his heart race. You wanted to be with him. 

Willingly and unapologetically.

“So are you gonna take me home, or what?”

A/N: We needed this. Sorry for the wait (: Confession scenes are hard. Especially when Dabi struggles to accept what he is confessing to. But we're here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, darlings <;3

Taglist: @kelin-is-writing @dynamars @dabislittlemouse @simpysheep @ohnoitsthatonekid @tonysttank

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[astrahannah]

Broke (me until a few days ago): Siegvinn is just Rorveth with a dash of religious guilt

Woke (me now): Maybe on surface. Really, Siegvinn is nothing like Rorveth

If you care about my rambling about a ship that I like too much for it having no freaking foundation (I mean they never talked IIRC), sorta about Rorveth, and comparison of the two, you can see below (spoilers for the first Witcher game and for the second (those being more minor, I didn't finish it yet))

Like, the similarities are obvious - on one side, a member of the Scoia'tael, on the other, an member of a faction opposing it. The representatives of the two sides Geralt can choose, them standing directly against each other.

Iorveth seems to have respect for Yaevinn (even if he finds him an idealist) and Roche and Siegfried seem to respect each other (based on the interaction in front of Loc Muinne).

But their attitudes towards their rival are so much different.

Roche and Iorveth are so much more intense. They are directly angered by the other's existence, want the other dead, they throw insults at each other... There's genuine hatred there. Sure, their factions are still important, but it's really personal.

Yaevinn and Siegfried? No personal vendetta Iorveth and Roche have. Like I said, they never talk on-screen. They've fought off-screen, but just as a part of their faction. Not even directly against one another, I think. It's not about Yaevinn for Siegfried, or vice versa. (it would make no sense vice versa, after all. Yaevinn is the leader of Wizima's Scoia'tael in the games, while Siegfried is just a run-of-the-mill member of the Order - that potentially changing at the very end of the game, only if Geralt takes the Order path) The most close they've gotten is standing next to each other as illusions on Geralt's path to fight de Aldersberg if he goes neutral.

Rorveth would be the more typical enemies-to-lovers story. They hate each other, but one day, it hits them that the line between love and hate is thin, and that they are feeling some desire for the other. Not even love at first, maybe. I think they could grow to love one other, but there'd be a good enemies-with-benefits stage between that.

That wouldn't happen with Siegvinn. They just don't feel that for each other. There's no intense hate to grow into something else. They hate the groups the other belongs to, not each other. They'd have to meet first, gain a personal connection, but even then, I don't think they could be like Iorveth and Roche. Their personalities just aren't like that. I've gone on the Order path (well, neutral till the hospital bank (edit - I forgot what the spot was, where you couldn't stay neutral. dunno why I thought it's a hospital) ordeal) and on Roche's path (but tbh I'm mainly on it bcs I wanted to meet Siegfried - my favorite character - on friendly terms. If not for that, I'd probably be on Iorveth's), so I mainly know how Roche and Siegfried differ, but I know Iorveth and Yaevinn are different too.

If a relationship was to grow between Yaevinn and Siegfried - now, I'll be taking inspiration from the two fics for it on ao3, but I think they have a point - it couldn't be through an intense tension turned lustful (even if we ignore Siegfried's vow of celibacy). It could be rather from feelings fostered through occasional wandering thoughts on the battlefield growing into some sort of a infatuation, that's not really sexual in nature, or - and this is my thought - I think it could most potentially happen with some sort of a truce happening between the Order and Scoia'tael in Vizima, with the two forced to negotiate instead of fighting, getting to know each other and starting to see the other as more than the stereotype of a Scoia'tael member/Order of the Flaming Rose member they have build in their heads.

Not that it's in allignment with canon, since Grandmaster Siegfried (important enough to negotiate with the opposing leader) and alive Yaevinn can't coexist. But the two as a couple aren't in any allignment with canon anyway.

They'd, of course, also be devastated to learn they're in love with the other, but for other reasons than Rorveth. With Rorveth, their "factions", as I've called it, would also play a role, but I feel like the personal would be the main source of the anguish. With Siegvinn, it's about the factions, and not hatred towards the other, but these feelings igniting a hate for themselves.

Siegfried vowed to help humans, loving a member of the Scoia'tael goes against that, and more importantly, vowed to be celibate. Loving, wanting at all goes against that. And I think he'd be horrified at it being a man, at that. As far as I know, being queer generally isn't illegal in the Witcher world, but it is frowned upon, especially in lower classes (if I recall right? feel free to correct me on that), and I think Siegfried couldn't really "afford" to be gay openly.

A paradox is that despite me saying this, I usually write his homosexuality as a side issue, with me writing a oneshot where he's actually semi-open about it, before his relationship with anyone (not published, none of my Witcher fics are)

Yaevinn, on the other hand, is rumored to having his lover killed by the Order. (at least the Witcher wiki says so, I never heard it in-game, but I'll believe it) In which case, he'd most likely feel awful for loving someone from the Order. I imagine it would make it even more like a betrayal than it already did, then loving a human would.

Both of them would try to repress these feelings, hating the fact they feel them, feeling like traitors to their cause, but with next to no hate towards the other man himself. Unlike Roche and Iorweth, who hate each other, Siegfried and Yaevinn hate what the other symbolizes.

And if they didn't manage to repress those feelings, I feel like it'd be less enemies to lovers, but forbidden love/star-crossed lovers sort of thing.

Which really summarizes it all. Rorweth - personal hate, enemis to lovers, Siegvinn - not personal, it's the fractions, forbidden love were the relationship to happen. That's what I've been running into the ground here.

Another difference is that Rorweth has more canon base, but that's a whole another thing. I honestly hope that they at least have Siegfried and Yaevinn interact in the planned remake. I don't want them to have a Roche/Iorweth sort of relationship, but I'd like to see them talk.

Really, there's this Rorveth fanart I have to thank here (https://www.tumblr.com/abi-kamikakushi/655332732248948736/rivals-for-witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo?source=share), without it, displaying Siegfried and Yaevinn having a discussion while the other two pairs fight (well, questionably for Rorveth), I wouldn't have had thought of this. And, it was cool to realize (and kinda embarrasing I didn't sooner) and think about, so I'm glad.

And I'm glad for anyone who managed to read this down to here, especially considering I've never seen a Siegvinn post on tumblr (the ship is not even called that! I made the name up, only I call it that. I never saw anyone else give it a name) and it has three fics on ao3 (one being a translation of one of the other two, so, technically, two fics). So, yeah, thanks if you got here, I'll cut it here😅

[practically-an-x-man]

Enemies-to-lovers AU?

Thank you!!!

A few of my stories could already be considered enemies-to-lovers at least in part (Prometheus' and Indigo's especially, I think), so I'm wondering whether I'd rather start from scratch with one of my other OC's or just take one of their stories and just remold them to take the whole "enemies-to-lovers" thing a little further...

I do think it might be neat to look at an enemies-to-lovers thing with Eris and Rick, if I could engineer it right. It would be tough since Eris is such a vicious, merciless warrior when they set their mind to it, but I think it could be neat to explore something where they're the rogue metahuman and Rick is part of the organization trying to snap a power dampener on them and ship them off to Belle Reve. I'm not sure if it would even work out in the end, but I think it could be neat to look at that sort of an idea with them

Or, like I said, I could take an existing story and push that dynamic further: instead of Indigo and Hux bonding little by little from the beginning, with the "enemies" portion being more of a perceived systemic split (first with neither of them realizing the other was also a Resistance mole within the Order, later understanding the generational hatred between their families), they end up meeting earlier and having a much more unpleasant set of first encounters. I mean, there's a lot there that I could've gone further with - Hux pushing the abuse he experienced from his father and later Ren onto his subordinates instead, Indigo having grown up in an incredibly callous, dog-eat-dog world of Corellia, more of that generational hatred between them both- and instead decided that both of them were so starved for genuine human connection that they'd both just grasp for it after that first heart-to-heart in the elevator.

It made sense for me in the main story to give them that tenuous connection at first and focus more on the fact that it was more about them having been raised into the expectation of being enemies than it was any real malice on an individual level, so it became a story more about loneliness and the trauma of having grown up in war and tumult, but I absolutely could've gone with a pure, dark, enemies-to-lovers story with them if I wanted to.

(lowkey struggled to even think about that second one bc when it comes down to it, Indigo sees everyone as a human being before she even sees the allegiances. she even talks about it multiple times in the fic, how the main reason she doesn't want to be forced into a Jedi role is because she doesn't want to be a weapon for someone else's hatred when fundamentally most people out on the battlefield are just trying to survive. It's why she's able to connect w Hux in the first place but it's also a trait that makes it very tough to do a genuine dark enemies-to-lovers thing with her)

[dailyanarchistposts]

Joyful militancy and emergent powers

When people come into contact with their own power—with their capacity to participate in something life-giving—they often become more militant. Militancy is a loaded word for some, evoking images of machismo and militarism. For us, militancy means combativeness and a willingness to fight, but fighting might look like a lot of different things. It might mean the struggle against internalized shame and oppression; fierce support for a friend or loved one; the courage to sit with trauma; a quiet act of sabotage; the persistence to recover subjugated traditions; drawing lines in the sand; or simply the willingness to risk. We are intentionally bringing joy and militancy together, with the aim of thinking through the connections between fierceness and love, resistance and care, combativeness and nurturance.

When people find themselves genuinely supported and cared for, they are able to extend this to others in ways that seemed impossible or terrifying before. When people find their bellies filled and their minds sharpened among communal kitchens and libraries, hatred for capitalist ways of life grows amid belonging and connection. When someone receives comfort and support from friends, they find themselves willing to confront the abuse they have been facing. When people develop or recover a connection to the places where they live, they may find themselves standing in front of bulldozers to protect that place. When people begin to meet their everyday needs through neighborhood assemblies and mutual aid, all of a sudden they are willing to fight the police, and the fight deepens bonds of trust and solidarity. Joy can be contagious and dangerous.

All over the world, there are stories of people who find themselves transformed through the creation of other forms of life: more capable, more alive, and more connected to each other, and willing to defend what they are building. In our conversations with others from a variety of currents and locations, we have become increasingly convinced that the most widespread, long-lasting, and fierce struggles are animated by strong relationships of love, care, and trust. These values are not fixed duties that can be imitated, nor do they come out of thin air. They arise from struggles through which people become powerful together. As people force Empire out of their lives, there is more space for kindness and solidarity. As people reduce their dependence on Empire’s stifling institutions, collective responsibility and autonomy can grow. As people come to trust their capacity to figure things out together rather than relying on the state and capitalism, they are less willing to submit to the fears and divisions that Empire fosters.

These emergent powers are at the core of the Spinozan lineage, of this book, and (we think) of many vibrant movements today. Drawing on Spinoza, we call them common notions. To have a common notion is to be able to participate more fully in the web of relations and affections in which we are enmeshed. They are not about controlling things, but about response-ability, capacities to remain responsive to changing situations. This is why they are a bit paradoxical: they are material ideas, accessed by tuning into the forces that compose us, inseparable from the feelings and practices that animate them. Abstract morality and ideology are barriers to this tuning-in, offering up rule-bound frameworks that close us off from the capacity to modulate the forces of the present moment.

Similarly, we have come to think that while trust is fundamental in transformative struggle, it cannot be an obligation; trust is always a gift and a risk. Common notions are inherently experimental and collective. They subsist by hanging onto uncertainty, similar to the Zapatistas’ notion preguntando caminamos: “asking, we walk.” For the same reason, common notions are always in danger of being stifled by rigid radicalism, which tends towards mistrust and fixed ways of relating that destroy the capacity to be responsive and inventive. Joyful militancy, then, is a fierce commitment to emergent forms of life in the cracks of Empire, and the values, responsibilities, and questions that sustain them.

[mortalkombartwistedreflectionau]

Mirror Scorpion/TR Scorpion Bio

Born in the Shirai Ryu clan hundreds of years after the clan was put under the Edenian Regime’s control. By that time the culture of the clan and the daily life of its members had already been adapted to the Edenian ones. Hanzo in particular, as the son of a Shirai Ryu warrior, was prepared to become a good soldier from a young age.

Hanzo was instilled in the Edenian ideals of ‘peace’ and how it was the mission of the clan to contribute in preparing Earthrealm’s eventual ‘pacification’, as well as trained to be a deadly warrior. He mastered many arts of combat, such as the kunai and the shuriken, and was also able to learn magic thanks to the knowledge provided by Edenian instructors, which he took advantage of to turn pyromancy into one of his main skills.

Hanzo developed himself as quite a skillful warrior during his training and achieved the admiration from many of his fellow Shirai Ryu, there were few he could truly hold dear. It was the kind of life many Shirai Ryu warriors lived since the Edenian Regime’s culture was enforced on them. Their mission for eternal ‘peace’ was way more important than any individual and their life, so the likes of Hanzo usually preferred to focus on their duties rather than dedicating their time to connect with others. Of course, there were always exceptions, and Hanzo had a clear one.

Harumi had lived a similar life to Hanzo. Also a child of Shirai Ryu warriors, their education and skills were almost identical. During their teenage years, they were recommended by their instructors to work together during their first assigned missions due to having been some of the best students in the clan, and they accepted. This led to both of them inevitably getting to know each other better. It started with them trusting each other enough to confess little personal things, such as Harumi telling Hanzo that she had managed to get an autograph from Princess Kitana once. Then a genuine friendship, with them always trusting each other to look after them when they needed to. And finally, once they were adults, a deep love which would culminate in their marriage and the birth of their son, Satoshi.

The new responsibilities that came with having a family of their own caused different reactions in Hanzo and Harumi. On the one hand, Harumi eventually decided to give up her life as a warrior, preferring to dedicate herself fully to her new life, and trusting her allies enough to believe they would fulfill their mission of ‘peace’. On the other hand, Hanzo became even more motivated in being a warrior and contributed to their mission, in hopes he could build a ‘peaceful’ world for his son. They both respected each other’s decision.

Through the years, Hanzo became quite feared among the Shirai Ryu’s enemies, the Lin Kuei especially. Under the moniker of Scorpion, he was a dangerous opponent only the best of the best could match. Among those who could face him, there was a particular Lin Kuei warrior: Bi-Han Liang, also known as Sub-Zero. They met each other in battle enough times to consider each other enemies, though there was no real personal hatred between them. They faced each other one last time in a big clash between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu forces, which would end up changing both lives… after their deaths.

Hanzo could feel Bi-Han’s ice dagger piercing his heart just as much as his katana’s was piercing Bi-Han’s. He knew it was his end, and all he could feel in his last moment was anger. Towards his enemy for having caused this, towards himself for having failed, and towards the mere fact that he may not be able to see his family again. This anger marked his afterlife, for his soul would be sent to the Netherrealm, where he would respawn as a Spectre, a kind of undead in the Netherrealm capable of using their strong emotions to manipulate hellfire. 

He didn’t even know what he could do now. He initially wandered, trying to find the followers of Lady Cetrion (the allies the Edenian Regime had in the Netherrealm), hoping they would allow him to go back to Earthrealm and his clan. Nonetheless, he discovered that he was in the first plane of the Netherrealm, one of the planes under the protection of Shinnok’s Brotherhood, far from the fifth plane and below, where Lady Cetrion and her followers inhabited. When he questioned people from there if he could get access to the fifth plane, he was answered that such a place could only be entered by the most powerful sorcerers of the Brotherhood, such as Quan Chi.

He knew no one in the Brotherhood would agree to let him enter their enemies’ territories, not that he trusted those who the Edenian Regime considered enemies in any case, so he decided to try and capture Quan Chi to force him into opening a portal to him. His stealth and abilities for espionage allowed him to discover the base of the Brotherhood in which he was, and infiltrate further than many would have achieved. Nonetheless, he was ultimately stopped and captured when he tried to attack Quan Chi.

Hanzo was taken to a jail, and would have eventually been sent to a trial (an aspect the Netherrealm society had changed enough to develop, alongside avoidance of torture, when it came when dealing with tainted souls who continued causing trouble after death), if Quan Chi hadn’t decided to discover more about him. While Hanzo wasn’t willing to give Quan Chi any answers about who he was, the genius sorcerer (so he called himself during the conversation) found his way. All he needed to do was recognize in him some speaking patterns the Edenian Regime allies had (usually counting how many times the word ‘peace’ came out of their mouths was enough), and that he had to be what was known as a ‘ninja’ from his attire, to deduce he was a Shirai Ryu (a clan he had studied alongside the Edenian Regime and other allies of Cetrion). He then proceeded to offer Hanzo a deal.

Sometimes Quan Chi decided to take his own approach when dealing with those who went to the Netherrealm but still had potential to change, especially the Edenian Regime allies, who usually were motivated by their twisted version of ‘peace’ rather than malice. He thought it might just take them living in a better environment to have a change of heart. Some in the Brotherhood thought he was too hopeful, and said he should let the rehabilitation process for the professionals. But what could he say? It was what had worked with him back in the day, he wanted to give it a try even if it didn’t always work. And so, he offered Hanzo the chance of helping them deal with the Followers of Lucifer, a group which both the Edenian Regime and its opposition considered heinous, under the excuse that his abilities as a spectre would be really useful for it. Seeing both a chance to deal with heinous torturers who opposed ‘peace’ and one to at least escape that cell and plan his next move, Hanzo accepted.

Of course, Quan Chi was hopeful but not stupid, and had Hanzo be constantly watched over by his allies in case he ever tried to attack. Hanzo himself was made aware of it, and knew he would have to wait for the right moment to act, which luckily for him and everyone else never came. In the meantime, he decided to actually collaborate with the members of the Brotherhood, if only because he had a chance to put an end to the Followers of Lucifer and unleash her new spectre wrath against them. Although the latter turned out to be impossible outside of combat, since the Brotherhood insisted on treating defeated prisoners humanely, one of the first aspects which was alien to Hanzo due to the kind of life he had lived, but most definitely not the last.

Through his tense cooperation with the Brotherhood, Hanzo was able to observe and experience the kind of life the Edenian Regime forbade. The Netherrealm society had changed enough for many of its inhabitants to live genuinely happy and peaceful lives despite the constant problems many still had to face for the conflicts of their realms. He could see children playing and spending time with their families rather than being trained to be soldiers from the start, warriors being able to form many emotional connections with others despite their job as well as being allowed to judge their superiors’ decisions without getting threatened or punished for it, those who had committed mistakes in their lives being offered a second chance rather than condemned forever, etc. Quan Chi couldn’t help but smirk every time he noticed doubt was growing in him, as much as Hanzo tried to deny it. The sorcerer knew the ninja was already going through the same process he did once, and hoped it would end well.

Perhaps what started fully turning him was discovering what Lady Cetrion’s followers truly did to others in the Netherrealm they considered ‘unvirtuous’. Her methods for ‘purification’ were just pretty words for mind control, slavery. Those affected by Cetrion’s powers (or Ashrah’s kriss by extension) were not really able to have any thoughts if the former Elder Goddess didn’t allow it. And he didn’t hear it from someone he considered ‘deserving’ of such a fate any longer, but from a young child of a member of the Brotherhood (those he had grown to consider people rather than just enemies), who was crying about how their parent had never been the same since Cetrion’s forces took them. That was an activity the Edenian Regime supported…

In the end, even if it had taken some time, Hanzo finally saw it. The Edenian Regime, and by extension his clan, wronged countless lives across the realms. He took the most difficult decision of his life when he decided to not just renounce everything he had believed in for all his life, but to actively oppose it. Quan Chi couldn’t help but be glad upon hearing it, as well as seeing Hanzo thanking him for offering him a second chance. From then on, Hanzo became a genuine member of the Brotherhood rather than a loose ally.

Now mostly known as Scorpion still, since he thinks using the monikers most people recognized him for after his change of heart could help give people an example that change is possible, he battles to stop the Edenian Regime and its allies as a way to redeem himself. He also hopes that one day he can help his family see what he has realized, and finally be reunited, this time not as loyal agents of the Edenian Regime and their clan but as a free happy family. Quan Chi always tries to support him and give him hope in that matter. After all, if both of them were capable of realizing their wrongdoings, his family could too.

[alexiethymia]

The poetic cinema that it was Mr. Ji’s inkblot he made in anger which caused Chi yeol to discover that he was the one who kidnapped Haeyi and the fact that the first episode dealt with a mostly harmless stalker while the dangerous stalker was by his side all along.

Love or hate the murder plot, I do love the twists, not necessarily with regard to the suspect or motivation, but how it’s a scathing social commentary. Because wow, it really is the adults who are the most reprehensible, huh? Because kids absorb everything around them like a sponge, but adults should know better.

And Mr. Ji, as much as I would love to hate him, I really can’t because he is far too tragic. He’s no mastermind. All of his crimes have been sloppy. Even his choice of weapon - a slingshot and not a gun - show that a part of him is still that abused kid, like his anger and his impulses and the way he can change his devotion to hatred at the betrayal he feels toward Chiyeol. The adults around him really screwed him and his sister over. Even when his sister wanted to do the right thing, all she got from it was abuse. And it’s really dangerous that this kind of abuse is being normalized when justified that it’s for grades or the future of the kid. The adults screwed him up so badly that he could only trust a single adult, and fixated on him in a way to have a connection with his sister. I’m sure he became obsessively protective because of the residual guilt he felt at not being able to save his sister on time. If he had gotten therapy or the support he needed back then, even after he had killed his parent, would he have had a chance to heal alongside Chiyeol now?

The parallels are heavy with Mr. Ji, Seung-jae, and Su-a, and again it is a tragedy that the adults around them pushed them to the brink. Although there was still an element of choice because Mr. Ji still chose to kill his mother and others, I guess Seung-jae had what Mr. Ji and even his sister didn’t have at the time. Seung-jae would have gone the same route if he wasn’t pulled back.

And it’s really refreshing to me this emphasis on found family. It’s not necessarily that blood family is automatically bad, but you shouldn’t let preconceived notions and moral superiority cloud your judgment to the point that you’re already seriously damaging your child because you think you’re doing what’s ‘best’ for them. It’s refreshing to me that Haeng-seon wasn’t submissive towards her sister and was rightly mad because Haeyi is her daughter not anyone else’s. Same with Jaewoo. I’m glad they’re not going to push the redemption arc for their eldest sister just because she’s ‘blood’.

Another refreshing thing about this episode which I didn’t expect but really loved is the communication between Haeng-seon and Chiyeol. Chiyeol takes her concerns seriously because of course she would know Haeyi best. And I really didn’t expect it because most kdramas would have the lead keep it as a secret (another source of danger and misunderstanding), but I love, love, that Chiyeol was genuinely honest about the proof he found about Mr. Ji. I’m sure that even if Haeng-seon thought that Mr. Ji hated her, she didn’t expect him to go that far.

Another reason why I like the murder plot is because I prefer this as a source of tension rather than the usual break-up, miscommunication, long-distance, timeskip plots that usually happen during these final episodes. I would prefer my ship to be communicating as they hurdle outside obstacles together.

[wake-up-get-up-get-out-there]

Y’all know I love P5 down, but I feel like 3 and 4 were bolder in certain areas and I really admire that about them. One of your teammates is murdered, for one, which I think that’s a rarity in most games (only other that come to mind is FFVII) but still. The protagonist also sacrifices himself (again, a rarity), you have the option to kill a person, and then depending on the choices you make in P4, an innocent child—and someone whose basically your little sister—can permanently die. Then there’s the fact that you can fucking KILL the wrong culprit alongside your party members, with the game requiring you to say specific dialogue in order to avoid that outcome. And the desire to kill him is born both out of a sense of justice, but also hatred and anger over what happened to Nanako. I feel like there’s some stuff I’m forgetting but that’s what comes to mind first.

Side note—that shit with Namatame is one of the reasons why I love P4. I’ve never seen something in a game like that before. And I think the “joining the villain” ending is done better than the one where Joker joins Yaldabaoth. It always felt strange to me that Joker smirks at the end there, like he was doing this for his own gain rather than the world’s (I love how creepy it is, though). With Adachi, even though he was a piece of shit, I feel like Yu genuinely connected with the goofy detective he thought he knew—and more than that, he was kind of chill with Dojima, and Nanako liked him as well.

I DON’T KNOW, MAN, PERSONA 4 IS JUST SO GOOD