#depending on how good at fighting you are personally

[olderthannetfic]

There's an author of a long fic that's been running for awhile that I've been following since the start. They don't respond to comments, never have, as is their right I suppose. Recently the fic has gotten a burst of attention and new comments, big name fans sharing it and so on.

They've added an author's note to the latest chapter along the lines of "I have severe social anxiety so probably won't respond to comments unless they're a specific question that needs an answer (I'm happy to provide trigger warnings if needed and stuff like that.) but know that I do appreciate and treasure your comments, so thank you for reading along. I read them all."

And it kind of pisses me off and feels hypocritical. I have social anxiety, but I've been commenting all along with no response? Just putting myself fucking out there. And they read it, but never bothered? They only say something when they get flooded with comments other writers would fight for? I'd kill for that kind of response to any of my fics. And even then they can't respond to people beyond an AN? If their anxiety is bad enough they can't do that, maybe ao3 isn't for them? Or they think they're that much worse off than everyone else? Or better than the rest of us? I know it's not personal, but it sure feels personal as someone who's been there all along rooting for and encouraging them to silence. Is there such a thing as "bare minimum" engagement with your audience? Good for them I guess. I'll keep reading but if they aren't going to push past their anxiety to interact why should a commenter for nothing?

--

Is there such a thing as "bare minimum" engagement with your audience?

It's tragic how much funnier it would be to post this with no response from me at all.

(No, there's no widespread expectation that an author spend their time replying to comments. It depends on the part of fandom and a bunch of other factors. The reward from commenting is that, hopefully, the author is encouraged to post more of the thing you want to read.)

[b0n3s-is-gay]

Could I request how the gang are the first time they share a bed with reader? (First sleepover)

Of course! (Post divider credits go to @thecutestgrotto)

Darrel Shaynne Curtis:

I can see this going quite a few different ways depending on when you meet him/how long you've known him.

Say if you knew him from diapers, yeah. It's no big deal, he's fallen asleep on the floor with you while doing high school projects when you were 16-17. It's no different than any bump in your friendship.

If it's a romantic relationship with the added context of old friendship like the hc above, it's no different. He'll pull you in for a hug, your head on his chest and just fall asleep with you like that.

Now if you're new to his life, think 19 to present, he's going to be a bit more cautious as he now has his brothers to worry and care for.

For friendship, I can see him offering you his bed (maybe you work together or you're staying over while your house is getting worked on) but you feel bad about taking it. So you say it's okay to share the bed and you go to sleep. You fall asleep apart and wake up with Darry's arms around your waist and his face in your neck.

Romantic Darry with someone who's new into his life is different. He'll let you stay in his bed when his brothers are out. You'll do your things and when you fall asleep, you're cuddling. When you wake up, you see Darry relaxed. Like full on mouth-hanging open, drool dripping down his chin as he sleeps, relaxed.

Keith Two-Bit Mathews:

Clingy! He's clingy!

Like it doesn't matter who's bed you're sleeping in, where you're both at, and who's in the room. You're going to be cuddled by him in his sleepy glory.

He's not nervous, not at all. You'll be laying awake with him, playing with his hair as the Sandman lures you to sleep with the promise of sweet dreams, and Two-bit will start joking with you.

He'll have his head on your chest or vice versa, he lives for physical contact. It's no different than anything you've done before, like cuddling on the couch or at the drive in.

In my personal opinion, Two-bit is a great option for this prompt.

Dallas Dally Winston:

Arguably the worst on this list. He was reluctant to even share a bed with you. Not that he didn't want to, but because it made him feel weird.

The only night you'll get to sleep with him is if you're hurt, he's hurt, or you're both drunk. Dally doesn't trust easily.

When you're hurt, he's going to lay you down on his bed and clean up your scratches and shit. If it's the inverse of the situation then the same follows, it all ends up the same.

When you sleep in the same bed, you're going to fall asleep apart from him unless he's really comfortable with you. If you want cuddles, you have to do that yourself.

Dally moves a lot in his sleep, so do be warned about that. You'll fall asleep apart and you'll wake up with his legs draped across your lap and his head mushed against the wall.

Sodapop Patrick Curtis:

Another really good one to share a bed with. He's not nervous at all because he BREATHES, nigh, LIVES for physical contact.

How you met, how long he's known you, and your relatioship doesn't fucking matter to this man. If you're going to share a bed with him, he's going to be holding onto you and loving every minute of it.

When you both get a chance to lay down with each other, it's going to be when Darry and Ponyboy are out of the house. Either that or you're at your house.

He'll loop his arms around your waist and rest his chin on his shoulder while you sleep. He's not going to let you up.

Much like Dally, Soda also moves a lot in his sleep. You'll sleep with him really close by and wake up with him on top of you. He's just drawn to warmth.

Steve Randle:

He's nervous. SPELL IT PEOPLE, N-E-R-V-O-U-S! The first time you share a bed/sleep together, it's after a fight with his father resulting in him getting kicked out.

He's going to stay up after you sleep, both nervous and stewing in his silent rage. Nervous for taking away the sleeping space, so nervous and guilty feeling that he nearly sleeps on the floor. Rage filled due to his father because what the shit?

Not really touchy, not that he doesn't love it, but he worries that he'll hurt you while sleeping. He's a bit harsher than Soda when it comes to physical contact, so he's afraid of hurting you.

Will only fall asleep after you do and he's calmed down. He'll close his eyes and fall asleep on his back. He's a still sleeper, so no need to worry about waking up under a sleeping human.

Steve does have small nightmares, they're rare but they do happen. He'll toss and turn just a bit before settling down. Don't hold it against him.

Johnny Cade:

The first time you sleep together is either at the Curtis House, the Lot, or at your house after he gets kicked out by his mom. Point is, the first time you sleep together is because he trusts you and because his folks are being abusive as shit.

He's okay with cuddling while you sleep. He cuddles with Ponyboy and Dally all the time so you're no different. You'll lay down and get ready to sleep, not before Johnny slips under your arm and starts leeching the warmth from you.

Johnny is warm, like heater warm. Everything about him is warm BUT his feet. So if you're at the Curtis Home or your home and he has his shoes off, it's like someone put a piece of ice on your skin.

He doesn't move when he sleeps, he'll only move if you move. It's like fluid moving with fluid. No need to worry about him being on the floor when you wake up but there is the concern of him somehow being partially under, again, just to leech off your warmth.

Just like Steve, Johnny does have some nightmares. He'll shake, small tears will escape his eyes. Don't worry though, he won't wake up. Just rub his back and play with his hair, it'll help a lot.

Ponyboy Michael Curtis:

The door will be open. Don't fucking try and close it unless it's your house. At the Curtis House, the door stays open. It doesn't matter the relation, the door stays open. Why the door stays open? Ask Darry and Soda, closed doors are bad choices.

When Ponyboy sleeps, he's okay with you touching and cuddling him as Sodapop and Johnny basically use him as a teddy bear. If you cuddle up to him, it's no different than a regular Tuesday for him.

Doesn't move that much in his sleep. Like he's really fucking still. If you think he's dead, don't. He's just really, really still. So still that Sodapop has had to take his pulse in the past to make sure his brother hadn't died in his sleep.

If you're sleeping in the same bed as him pre or post book makes all the difference. If it's pre book, he's quiet and hard to wake up when he sleeps. But if it's post book, Ponyboy wakes up really easy as he's afraid that you'll slip from his life if he lets go.

Both Pre and Post book Pony have bad dreams. Pre book, it's a rare dream about his parents and how they died. The sounds of trains. Post book, it's the sound of those guns spitting fire across the lot, the sight of Dally hitting the ground like a crumpled paper. He'll wake up, shooting out of bed with sweat running down his face as the words "Stay Gold" echo in his head. If he cries, don't shame him and don't comment, just hold him and lull him back to sleep.

[slu7formen]

luke castellan x fem!reader

fic inspired by the song ‘but daddy, I love him’

warnings: reader is a daughter of the big three (ooh, suspense), daddy and mommy issues (?, angst.

₊˚⊹♡

What does love feel like?

Perhaps we could start with a simpler question. What is love? It's a feeling, of course, one of the strongest ones around, no wonder there's a goddess of love out there, but beyond that, it's kind of hard to pin down. Love is a weird feeling. It's a feeling that can be as simple or as complicated as people want it to be, as brief or as long-lasting, as common or rare, as deep or shallow. Is it pain? Is it soft? Is it pink?

It depends, but pink is a nice color.

There's people who even just feel love for themselves, or people who don't even feel love at all. Which darts us back again to the first question; what does love actually feel like?

Well, maybe people would need to look at who or what they're in love with. And why. And when. Maybe love is like a puzzle, where there's always a unique set of pieces for every person you love, and you try to fit them together and make the picture make sense. Some people get their picture together fast, others don't know how to make it work, some never find the right pieces, some get tired of searching for them.

But, it also depends on what type of love we talk about. Is the love for your boyfriend the same as you feel for your father? Gods, no!

Some say love is an all-encompassing feeling, a strong, passionate and overwhelming feeling. Others state that love is a soft, warm and comfortable feeling. It could also be a feeling like no other, that you'd do anything for the person you love, that your heart aches with it, and your hands tremble, and your brain melts away. There's others that say you feel safe around the person you feel this love for, like the safest place is in their arms. And to you, all of those definitions apply; mania.

The love you felt for Luke.

Then there's other people, who say that love is something you have to work for, that it doesn't come knocking on your door even when you shouldn't look for it, you must walk out there and fight for it. Doesn't matter that they engendered you, you can't take love for granted, not from them. It hurts, it's pain, it's agony, and you want it gone. And to you, that applies too; storge.

The Greeks had all kinds of different words for different kinds of love, and even though most of those have fallen out of use, the concept is still there.

And that, was love you felt for your father. Zeus.

As much as you hated to admit it, yes, you loved him. He may have been a horrible father, and a terrible god, but he did care for you, in his own way. And it hurt. To know that he could protect you, to look after you, but when you called his name or turned around to see his face, he'd evaporate in the air, like his presence was the result of a cruel trick your brain was playing on you. To know that his way of being a good father was being as far away from possible, affecting you with his decisions. To know that you weren't the one he wanted. To know that your siblings didn't mean a thing to him.

His love for you didn't mean a thing.

But if he didn't care, why did he act against you this way?

Tears wet your eyelashes as you fixed your dress, chest aching with sharp pain as it pressed your heart. The elevator's speakers played an annoying song you could barely handle now, impatient to reach the final floor and step out in thunderstorm, just like your insides were feeling.

What kind of love is that? Why would he go against everything you believed, every choice you made, just because you chose something different from what he expected you to do? You weren't a fifteen-year-old trying to rebel. You weren't trying to hurt him, betray him, or the Olympians. You weren't trying to overthrow the gods. You weren't doing anything he thought you were. But he didn't believe you, and he punished you anyway. He punished you like a child that needed to be put back into place, a naughty pet, not a woman trying to build her own life. And it was not fair. It was not right.

A cold spring breeze washed your face as the doors opened. With electricity pinching on your toes, you stepped out and into Olympus. In another time, and maybe now, in another life, you would've appreciated the place a lot more. It was unlike any architecture you have seen before, mostly thanks to that wise wgirl, Annabeth Chase.

Your eyes didn't dare to look around the place, didn't dare to let yourself loose with those breathtaking buildings. Olympus was once described by you as a paradise, with golden palaces, parks, and streets bustling with minor gods, godlings, nature spirits and demigods. Alongside the gods live hundreds of other creatures and beings. You used to love it there, even when you only visited it once, your heart and soul fell for it way harder than you expected. What would your future life be like once you lived there?

At your days at camp, you used to daydream about life in Olympus. How fun, refreshing and never-ending it would be, how much you'd get to actually enjoy your eyes without being scared.

Ironic to say that such a beautiful place is runned by your father, huh?

Some creatures and spirits saw you walk by, trying to get your attention with soft laughs and playful music, yet their eyes didn't stay on you long before they started chatting; you ignored them all, they knew something was wrong. Something was off. You walked the streets in silence, the only sounds coming from the people around. They were loud, so, so loud. Your ears rang and your head felt heavy, as if it was going to split in two. It only started to go away when you reached those steps. Gods, those steps.

Cold, shiny, hard. Just like some hearts could be. They raised upon the sky, or so it looked like, because you knew where that final step would take you, what you'd see there. Who you'd see there.

You'd be lying if you said it didn't scare you, to think of what awaited you. It's not like you gave a call and said you'd be there but, every god knew what was happening at any moment. And your father? He knew even better.

And so there he was when you approached it. The place, that classic U in which your daddy sat in the center. It was just like the pictures, the movies, the songs. White marble, with golden details here and there, and a roof covered in silver clouds. The gods had thrones made for them, and Zeus's, your father's, was the biggest, and the shiniest. And there he was.

He wasn't smiling, as usual, with his dark eyes scanning the horizon in front of him, looking for danger, for things that could upset him. The stormy winds blew around him, as if they whispered in his ear that his perfect and oh so loved forbidden daughter has arrived. His eyes pierced you as you walked, but you wouldn't give in. No. He had made a mistake, and if he wasn't gonna pay for it, then you'd unleash your anger on him as much as you wanted, and no one would stop you.

He was alone, as usual. It's not like his family wanted to be around him all the time.

"Father" you spoke, voice clear and firm.

He didn't even blink, but his eyes were remained on you ever since you stepped into that place. "Daughter."

His voice, as deep and thunderous as always.

You took a deep breath and approached him just a little more.

Zeus spoke. "What is it that you wish to talk about?"

"You know why I'm here, Father" you state, hands closing into fists when you felt the cold wind pick up again. "Do not play dumb, I know that's not what you are."

He chuckled, looking down as he inspected his rings on his fingers. "Of course, of course."

You stood still, jaw clenching in anger. You should've known, speaking with your father was impossible, unbearable. The only reason why he was sitting there was because he must've sensed your presence in no other place than Olympus. But he didn't want to be there, he didn't want you to be there. He just felt like he had to, but if you could just shut up and walk away or suddenly become unable to talk, he would've thanked you.

"You're not sorry, are you?" you blurt out.

He was still far away, far enough for a normal person to not hear you, but you knew he felt your voice very well.

"Why should I be?" his eyes are on you again.

"Because what you did was not necessary, and you know that." your voice slightly raises in frustration, but it had no effect on Zeus.

He sighed deeply, as if he had explained himself to you a hundred times before. Which, was ironic. He would never speak to you that many times even if you asked. "You were doing the wrong thing. I was putting you in the right path again." he explained.

"I don't need you or anybody to put me into any path" you take a few steps towards him. The marble resonated with your steps, and that only seemed to accelerate the black clouds painting the sky to make their appearance.

"That's what you think." he replied.

You rolled your eyes. Of course, he's not going to accept that. He's not going to accept the truth, the fact that you are an adult and can make decisions by yourself. You are not a kid anymore, and it was time for him to understand that. Even if you were a kid, even when you were a kid, he didn't care for you. So why play the 'good father' part now?

“Weren’t you the one that claimed that I was grown up now?” you challenged, “The one that didn’t need my prayers anymore, that I could live on my own? What happened to that, father?”

A sharp wind flicked your hair back, brushing it past your shoulders just as he lifted his eyes again to look at you.

He stood up from his beloved throne, and it made you shiver, the way the clouds suddenly grew darker, the sky getting grayer, the wind stronger. He didn't say anything as he just stood there. His presence pressed against your chest, like a magnetic force trying to make your way to you and you rejected it with all of your self-being. He seemed to be waiting for something, as if something had to happen before he continued on talking.

And suddenly, it did. Like when time stopped, you felt a wave crush into your body, as if something had just passed through it and has taken your lungs with it. You felt breathless for a second, dizzy even. You almost fall, and Zeus watched. He waited.

And then, it disappeared. You look around the second you get your breath back, because you felt it. You felt it before you saw it.

The Gods.

They were there, they were everywhere. They sat on their thrones, looking at you. Not judging, like you would've expected, but waiting, expecting to see what is it that happened that had your father calling them.

"Ugh" you heard, "This kid" someone said. You couldn't mistake Ares' voice even if you wanted to.

Their presence was overwhelming. Too much power around you, too much energy. Every pair of eyes pierced through your soul, a simple soul belonging from a demigod, a forbidden child. Fragile in the eyes of so many creatures. You knew they didn't like you, or so you thought, because no god has ever stepped in front of you and said 'I despise you', yet their intimidating beings was enough to make you feel unwanted there, standing right in the center of their thrones.

Yet, your anger was still very much fresh, which still led you to not lose that skin of boldness and encouragement.

"You called your audience" you scoffed.

"Never mind" the god spoke again, getting comfortable on his throne, "I like her"

You tried your best not to roll your eyes back, no one thought you to be that disrespectful, not even to the Gods.

Aphrodite sat next to him. With her graceful hair, her breathtaking beauty and playful eyes, full of love but lust too, she seemed to be the calmest person on that place. She placed her hand on top of Ares'. A warning for him to calm his fires down. Her soft looking being had barely anything to do with the other god, full of scars and stains of blood decorating his hard knuckles and a cut on his cheek. Soft and hard. Love and war.

Love.

Was it fair? Bring love and war together? The beauty of the lightest kiss that could drive a man to pure madness touching the skin of a god who represented nothing but destruction. But, were the Gods ever fair? If they did it, it was right and no one could ever deny that, but it someone from the outside, a stranger to their world, did the same, they'd be standing on the same spot as you are right now. Being judged in the Underworld seemed much better than be standing here.

"My audience is as affected as I am because of your actions" Zeus brought himself to speak again, taking the attention away from the couple.

Your brows furrowed deeper than ever. A thunder cracked far away, echoing more like a distant footstep than a real thunder erupting from the sky. You felt a tingle on your skull, just like you felt every time you knew you were about to lose control and bring yourself with a storm.

You forced yourself to calm down, trying to turn off the tingling on your fingers. You couldn't bring yourself to act like this. Not here.

"As if someone would care about what I do" you spat, "You never did, so why now?"

Zeus looked as if he was about to explode, which meant, he looked as chilled as ever. With his voice low, and the sky rumbling against his feet, you knew that that only meant a bigger explosion when the time comes.

"You are in companion with the enemy" Zeus announced, clenching his jaw. His face was a mixture of disappointment, anger.

"There is no enemy!" you shouted, taking a firm step forward. The closer you got to him, the scarier it felt, yet you couldn't bring yourself to back away now, not with the thunders responding to your alarms, not when your voice was loud and clear as it echoed through Olympus. "The war is over; the gods have won! What else is there that needs to be done!?"

Somehow, in a moment in which your mind decided to skip, your father was holding his bolt. Big, heavy and bronze on his hand, his fingers wrapped around the material as if it were to escape his hand... or explode.

"Stay away from that boy!" he rumbled.

“I am not!” you rumble back.

“That’s an order!” he commanded, as if he was back into those old times in which he led soldiers.

"Just like you asked him to stay away from me!"

His shouting stopped as he realized what you had just said. You knew. His simple being made everyone in the room shudder, the god's faces doing everything to avoid looking at him. They knew better than to test him, or his patience.

"You thought he wasn't gonna tell me? You thought that your stupid little plan of bringing him here and embarrassing him in front of all of you was going to work?" you challenged when the silence became too thick to handle.

Zeus didn't reply. He just stared, and stared, and stared. You could feel the electricity running in his veins, just like in your own too, and the air vibrating, trembling. The clouds grew thicker and darker, covering the whole sky with the color of his anger.

"He did tell me" you continued, "And he told me the truth. About the stupid meeting, how you threatened him, and how much you hate him. And how much you don't want us together." You had to bring yourself to breathe for a second, to get your heartbeat to slow. "'Stay away from her'? All of you, seriously?" you accused the whole room. Could they bring themselves to destroy you and keep you there for the rest of times? Yes. But could they judge you? No, because that's exactly what they did. "Luke's a hero, dad. He saved your ass, and you just can't handle that"

"You do not know what is it that we are dealing with. And you know, that hero or not, his actions remain alive and will never be forgotten" his voice boomed, his words coming out more like a growl.

"And so do yours!", you could feel the tears pricking on your eyes again. Your chest ached with a deep pain. "So does everyone in this place and so, do, yours" you brought yourself to step a lot closer now. You weren't going to let him intimidate you.

You didn't even notice the other gods watching, some with fear, some with surprise, and some with confusion. Zeus always had the last word, and they knew it, yet his daughter, a demigod, was able to speak with him and make her stand, no matter how mad he got.

But, there was something, someone. He didn't move an inch ever since he appeared, unlike the rest of his family, which wobbled in their seats as if snakes were biting their butts, out of pure nervousness. Some whispered, some pierced their golden eyes at you, some were just waiting for you to leave and stop making a fool of yourself.

But Hermes didn't.

You saw it, just for a moment, but you did. His face. You've met the god before, yet you never got to see this new expression on him. The god of thieves, travel, and messengers, who you heard so many good and bad stories about, now had a worried expression on his face, and his eyes, looking deep into his own mess, his own thunderstorm inside him, thinking about his own son. But at least he had guts.

"Luke has a good father now" you continued, "Which is something you will never get to be with me" your voice was laced with venom, and you wanted it deep inside his heart. "My mom's still at that psychiatric because of you"

You could hear some god hiss. They hated Luke, and you guess that they hated you too, and they hated that you were right. It didn't matter how much they wanted to; they couldn't deny that what you were saying was true. Zeus has failed his role, as a king, a husband, a father.

Hera scoffed from her throne, looking down at her nails for a second before turning her gaze back to you. You had great history with this lady, but there was no need for new chapters to be written, so you let her childish being pass. Zeus took a deep breath, nostrils dilating wider than ever. His grip on the bolt tightened, the veins popping on his neck and temples. Yet, he didn't speak.

"You're the one who drove her to madness, and I don't see you pay for what you've done" your voice is steady and loud, and even though you were afraid of the consequences, your mind didn't give it much thought, the words just came out.

Zeus looked down at you, a twitch in his lips made it look as if he was laughing, as if he was about to say something that was obvious. "Your mother was a weak woman"

You press your teeth together as you speak, the first of many tears you'd cry falling down your cheek, "My mother adored you" you pointed a finger to him, and another loud thunder erupted, the storm embracing you. Some gods flinched, you even witnessed Apollo looking up to the sky, surprised by the quick change in the sky. Zeus acted as if it was daily. "And she was on the edge of death. Unable to see, unable to speak. Because of you!"

"You were on his side on that war!" he shouted back, pointing a finger back at you, "Do not try to hide that fact!"

"And yet, your home was not destroyed!" you cried, the words ripping your throat open. "I wasn't there to kill you, I wasn't there to kill anyone, nor I was there for Kronos. I was there for the one person who always stood by me, and who I will always stand by too" a sob escapes your lips, and the tears come like a river. You're a mess, the wind is wild around you, yet Zeus's rage is stronger than anything. "And you, can't, stop it, You're the one who spared his life, after all"

He was no father figure to follow, that's for sure. Yet you couldn't help but think that maybe you'd gotten too far, even for you. But the truth is, you were right about what you said, none of it was a lie. Love could be a lot of things, but you didn't feel like Zeus had any to share with you, or someone else rather than himself. After all, when he did what he did, you were a forbidden child. And you still are.

You were just four.

He was the last person in the entire place to tell you what to do with your life.

Zeus seemed to settle down in his anger. His fingers still gripped the bolt tightly, as if all of his strength was focused on five of his ten fingers. His chest filled with air, and your heart sunk in a deep river of sadness when you realized that the only reason that he brought himself to speak, was to hurt you.

"You're a disgrace" he said.

Your scoffed in disbelief. The god's watched in awe, not one dared to look away from the scene. Even Hermes was taken aback, his eyes wide and a pained expression on his face, which seemed to be the norm for him in these moments. No one was expecting that. Not at all. The god who gave a second chance to the most horrible people, had called his own daughter a disgrace.

"Father" the unmistakable voice of Athena spoke, like a warning, a thin brick wall that tried to stop his hurtful words. It didn't.

You couldn't bring yourself to speak.

"How dare you speak to me this way, after all the things you've done?" he demanded. "After the choices you've made? You've been nothing but trouble since the moment you put a foot into that camp, and even though I thought I could make you learn, I was wrong" he admitted, and you were about to explode, and so did the clouds above. "You are not welcome here. And you will never be. You are also forbidden to see that boy again, I'll make sure somebody gets rid of him" he announced, and the thunders boomed in unison.

"What? No!" you protested, not caring about the tears falling down your face, "No. I'm not gonna let you-"

"Leave Olympus for once" he spoke, stepping forward, his bolt lighting with blue and white electrifying lights, and the skies thundered again.

"You can't do this to me!"

A cold spring breeze brushed your hair past your shoulders and a few locks landed on your wet cheeks. "I can and I will!" he shouted, his voice echoing just as loud as a thunder would, shaking and pounding in your chest. "The last time you saw him was the last time you'll ever see him at all!"

"But dad, I love him!" you screamed back.

And the only thing that could be heard was the storm around, and your breathing. It took a moment for Zeus to speak. And when he did, he did it calmly.

"Love?" he scoffed, "You have no idea what love is"

"I very much do" you challenged, "I love Luke. And he loves me too"

"No" he denied, and the winds picked up once again, the clouds darker and angrier. "I will not let you"

It happened, but it took a second for it to reach you. A flash, a wave of light. Gods. What did you do? Your stomach turned upside down. You felt like throwing up. But, that didn't make it less true. A sharp and powerful wave that took your breath away, the thunder you created that just crashed on your feet. It was like all your anger but all your energy had been scrapped away from your body and became a lightning. It was so strong you didn't hear it crack, or break the marble you were stepping on, but the aftermath was a nightmare.

You couldn't hear. Well, you were, but nothing else but a beeping sound crushing your eardrums. It got to your head, like a thousand needles scratching your brain, a knife stabbing your skull. Your chest felt as if a rock was crushing your ribs and lungs, and every inch of skin burned. You didn't care that your legs were shaking, that the storm was a mess, that Zeus's anger was the worst it could've ever been. You didn't care about anything anymore.

Anger. Maybe that's what love was.

You felt weak on the knees, like every time you did when you did too much usage of your powers. It's not like it happened a lot, you were used to your powers, and using them wasn't really a problem. But you had to admit, the presence of your father was enough to bring the best and the worst of you, and today, it was the worst.

Smoke came out of the mess you had created, the crack in the middle of the floor dark and dirty against the perfectly white and gold marble. Annabeth was going to kill you.

"Get out!" Zeus demanded, and the sky exploded with another thunder, "Now!"

You didn't have to fight back in order to do that. If this was the last time you were going to see your father, then it's best to leave it just like this, after you literally broke his floor.

You sniffed as you turned around, trying your best to get the image of him out of your mind, so you wouldn't be reminded of him every day, and the tears that stained his face would eventually disappear. With shaky hands and an aching heart, you walked away. You did the best you could to ignore the gods, but their presence was strong, and every step was hard. The gods kept watching. You heard a few whispers, maybe curses. Yet, you kept going.

But then someone called.

"Kid" a feminine voice said. You stopped your tracks, and turned around to see. Aphrodite. She had a kind smile on her angelical face, but her eyes told another story. Ares, next to her, didn't say anything, just watched as she stood up.

"What do you want, Aphrodite?" Hera spat.

The goddess of love didn't take her eyes away from you. She admired you for a moment, but not as if you would've expected. Not your looks, not your runny nose or your messy hair. She looked right through you, like a naked soul attempting to caress other.

"I believe in you, dear" she said, her soothing voice so sweet and so pure it made you want to cry out of pure overwhelming. "I know it's love" she gave you a warm smile along with a secure nod of her head, "I see it"

You didn't even know what to say, or how to feel. The words got caught on your throat and your heart jumped a beat. You decided not to say anything, but rather take in her words as you walked again, getting as far away from this place as possible. You knew she'd understand. She was the goddess of love, after all.

It was a long walk back to the elevator, a very painful and tiring one. But, somehow, you managed. As much tired and hurt as you felt, the skies didn't seem to calm down. They didn't clear or show a bit of sun, the air was still cold, and a lot heavier than before. You knew it had nothing to do with the way you felt.

"That's how he's like" a voice came from behind you, a hand placed on your shoulder, "Don't take it personal"

You flinched, only to find another god standing behind you.

"Oh" you breathed out, "Hello, Hermes"

He had a sad smile on his face. His golden eyes looked just as tired as yours, yet he seemed to be a bit calmer. You didn't know if that was good or bad, but the good thing about Hermes? He was not as scary as the rest of the gods, at least, not for you.

"I'm sorry" he said, "About what happened. He's..."

"Our father" you rushed yourself to speak, "But I guess you know him a lot better than I do"

He wanted to say something, yet the only thing you saw him do was open and close his mouth continuously, unsure of what to say. He ended up groaning, scratching the back of his head as he looked down. Sometimes it surprised you how human Hermes could look; his features, his body language, it was almost as if you were casually talking to a neighbor rather than an actual god, and the father of your beloved boyfriend.

"I wanted to ask you," he began, "If you see Luke. Would you tell him I'm sorry?"

It was strange, and it took a second for his words to sink in. Ever since the war, Hermes made it sure that he would be as close to Luke as possible. Not because he was afraid that his son would start another war, like Zeus liked to believe, but to get back all those times he wanted to be with him, for him, yet he never did. He was an absent father, just like any other god was, but that didn't make him feel better.

He has made mistakes in the past, and he felt guilty about them all, especially the ones involving Luke's life. And now, he wanted to make sure he'd be there, he'd be present, he wanted to make sure that Luke was able to feel the love that he never received. And you wished, silently, that Zeus behaved that way too.

"I will" you nod, "Don't worry"

He gave you a small grateful smile, "Thank you" he whispered. Before you could spend another second thinking, a few steps forwards and a soft grab of your arm had you standing in front of the doors of the elevator. Being the god of travel, he could take you to the other side of the world in a matter of a single second only by holding you, yet it made you feel dizzy. He must've forgotten how weak you felt. "Much faster this way" he muttered before he pressed the elevator button for you. "Good luck" he stated just a the ding of the elevator echoed, and the door opened.

You stepped inside with slow velocity. "Yeah, thank you" you said, just as the doors started closing. You didn't get the chance to look back at the god. The doors closed, and the elevator moved down. It was a lot slower this time. Your eyes fell shut. You took a deep breath.

And suddenly, you were outside.

Apparently, you weren't conscious enough throughout the entire elevator ride, or as your feet walked their way outside the Empire State. You took a quick look outside; the sky could easily be pitch black. It wasn't a nice day at all, and that was for sure. The wind picked up and the storm rumbled in the distance. Thunders rumbled continuously as cold and hard rain smashed against the pavement, those poor people covering their heads with their briefcases because none of them could ever prevent such a big storm.

You walked outside, the fat drops of water smashing on your head as you found yourself soaking wet in no time. You looked on both sides before crossing the street, careful not to smash yourself against the concreate. It truly was the last thing you needed.

You made your way to where you said you'd meet, a dark alley. Was it the best idea? No. Did you have a better place to meet up? No.

Your mind was racing, a thousand thoughts a second. The cold wind pinched your skin, the rain making the cold worse. You tried your best not to shiver, and focused on the fact that at least now, the sky was crying with you.

The alley seemed to appease the rain a little, yet the wind still blew cold and sharp, like a thin knife scraping through your skin. You hugged yourself, taking a quick look around you. "Luke?" you called.

A rustling sound came from the end of the alley, a shadowy figure walking your way. You recognized the silhouette and the footsteps immediately. "Hey" the voice called, and the figure stepped out.

"Oh my gods, Luke, hi" you sighed in relief, walking towards him and into his arms.

You crashed your body to his as you wrapped your arms around his neck. You didn't have the strength, so Luke was the one who hugged you back. It was a little funny to him how you hugged him as if you hadn't seen him forever, when in fact, he walked you to the Empire State's doors, and you knew exactly where you had to meet him after your meeting was done.

He smelled just like always; mint, a faint scent of his cologne, and a tiny bit of sweat.

"Hey" he greeted again, this time softer, his chin resting on top of your head, and his arms tightened around your waist. "I'm here"

You pulled back, tears pricking your eyes again. "I thought you were already gone" you sniffed.

"What? I wouldn't go anywhere without telling you first" he replied in disbelief, but that was not what you were referring to. But it was okay, he didn't need to know exactly what Zeus wanted to do with him, at least not now. He looked down at you, as if he had just realized the state you were in, other than the look in your eyes. "You're soaking wet, baby" he stated.

He cupped your cheek with his hand, brushing a tear away from your cheek. You leaned into his touch, and the feeling of his warm hand on your cold cheek felt like heaven, a soft caress from what you wanted, yet you couldn't have yet.

"Um, your father" you begin, trying your best to swallow down the knot that was tightening in your throat, "He asked me to tell you that he's sorry"

Luke chuckled, "He's still apologizing, huh?" he inquired with little to no reaction at all. Just last year, if Luke had any type of information brought about his father, or even mention Hermes in front of him, he'd gone mad.

But ever since the war ended, and Luke's life was forgiven, Hermes has been a lot more present in Luke's life. At first, it was hard, a door that Luke did not want to open to the person that closed it right in his face, but he learned. His father has done mistakes, just like everybody else, and so has he, and after some time, it was clear that both of them wanted the same; forgiveness, a new chance. A new start. And, even though it's still hard for Luke to talk about his dad, it's a lot easier than before. And, as much as he wants to deny it, you knew Luke loved him.

Storge.

The sky was painted with white for a second, illuminating Luke's face in the dark alley. You flinched a little when the loud crack of thunder erupted, big and heavy.

"I'm guessing it didn't go so well" he said in a weird tone, you couldn't really tell how he felt because of it. But to you. it seemed like he was disappointed, sad, but also, oblivious, as if he was expecting just this to happen. The way he looked up at the sky, so nervously and restless, as if he was waiting for another bolt of lightning to fall. "That thunder from before. Was it him?"

You sniffed, and his hand went down to hold yours. You shook your head, and a sigh left your lips. You tried your best to smile, but it didn't look real. "That was me" you explained. You couldn't even imagine how loud it had to be for Luke to question if it was a regular one or not, doubting you father's powers too.

"Are you feeling okay?" he rushed himself to ask, but you were quicker to answer.

"Yeah, I-, I'm okay" you assured.

He brought his hands to your arms, and brushed your skin softly with his fingertips. "Luke" you called, "He hates me" the tears were back, and so was the lump in your throat. You felt like choking, yet the words wouldn't stop spilling. "He doesn't want me to step into Olympus again and, he called me a disgrace" your voice cracked at the last word, and the tears were free to fall. You couldn't care less now, and it was not like Luke would've judged you for being emotional. "He wanted to forbid me to see you, too"

Luke was looking straight into your eyes. For a moment, you thought the old Luke would come back. You always thought about that whenever something bad happened; his temperament would break, like a bone, and the Luke everyone hated, would come back. The Luke who had a mission, who had a goal, and was willing to do whatever it takes to make the world the way Kronos wanted.

That his jaw would clench just as it did every time he got mad at the most unsignificant detail, that he'd call on whoever he relied on to look after you while he was gone, taking matters into his own hands, and would take his revenge on the gods. Or maybe, he'd do it for you, because of you, and the pain the gods caused. He had a short temper, and you knew that very well, and he had a very, very dark side, and he could bring it back whenever he wanted.

But instead, he softly smiled at you, and it confused you, just like every time he did. He cupped your jaw with a hand, his thumb caressing your cheek, and brushed your hair back, just a bit, because of how wet it was. The tears that fell on your cheeks were a mixture of raindrops and your own, and he was quick to catch them.

"Your father will never forgive me for what I've done" he stated, and he said it so casually. As if he got reminded so much about the things that he's done that he couldn't even bring himself to take a break. "He will never like me. Or approve of me. I told you, it was a bad idea to come here"

"He threatened you, Luke" you scoffed in disbelief, "I was not going to stay here with my arms crossed"

He laughed softly, but not as if he was trying to make fun of you. More like a 'what did you expect?' kind of laugh, one that would come out of him when you'd act impulsive. And sometimes, he would laugh the same way. Impulsive. Reckless. A little crazy. Just like right now.

"And I love you for that" he stated, his other hand taking a hold of the other side of your face, stepping just a little bit closer to you. No matter how many times you did this with him, it got your heartbeat running fast every single time. "But," he began, and the way his eyes shifted down for a moment made your stomach turn, "that doesn't mean I expect him to accept me. He spared my life, do I really need anything else?" he asked, but the way his tone rose slightly, like a rhetorical question, told you that he was expecting no answer. So, you didn't.

"I just hate to know how unfair he is" you stated, your hands finding their place over his own.

"When has he ever been fair?" he inquired, slowly lifting your head up so you'd look at his face properly. His expression was the softest it could've been. There was not a single hint of anger, nor was there anything that could resemble frustration. "And he knows we won't listen. If he wanted to get rid of me, he would've already done it"

It was a strange, strange feeling. You were standing in a dark alley, the rain pouring on you and the sky crying just like your heart did. Yet, somehow, the person who was holding you close to him, the one who made you feel safe, was the person that your own father seemed to hate the most right now, his bitching and moaning reflecting on how grey the sky was, how thick the clouds, and how loud the thunders.

"You're the only good thing he's done" Luke said, his thumb caressing your cheek once again. "I love you"

You felt so vulnerable, and you couldn't help but feel the need to get the attention away from you, from your sadness, from the mess your father has made. Luke has done the same thing, and the worst part was, that he had a reason. A good one, and a valid one, even. He just wanted one thing in the world that he never felt like he had; love.

So, again, maybe you'll never get to actually know what love was, or you just discover a new meaning as you live. It's anger, it's sadness, it's disappointment, it's happiness, or even trust. Maybe the question that you have to be asking is not what love is, but rather, why is love different every time? Why does it feel like it's pushing you away, but it can also feel how you're pulled to an embrace.

You had both sides of it now, and you had to choose and whose you stayed.

Luke's eyes were the prettiest you ever looked at, filled with emotions and shining even in the darkest corner of earth. He kept you warm under the rain, and safe under your own crumbling.

He rested his forehead on yours as he closed his eyes. His hands made their way down your body before settling on each side of your waist, a soft and warm hold. It made you think about your past, his past. How he used to hold you like this when he couldn't handle it anymore, when he was tired, or when he wanted to just be like this; holding you, not letting you go. Even when the world was falling apart, you remained united, and that's how you hoped it would be even with Zeus against it.

"I love you, too"

[dsknsk]

Also a sort of deconstruction. A common player character in a gacha game is going to have

some sort of title

some sort of leadership role

some sort of talent and/or power that makes them irreplaceable in that role

the command over the gacha units that fight for you

some sort of amnesia to stand in for you as you are not familiar with the game's world

and usually a fairly blank slate personality-wise because of said amnesia

usually dialogue options that allow the player to talk for them

companions who have heard of you and for some reason fall in love with you because that's what so many gacha game girls do: fall in love with a total nobody

It's a male power fantasy. They're in a position of power (over women), are respected, and the character is bland enough for them to replace with themselves.

Dante is interesting in that they take those tropes and violently shake them.

Title/leadership role: While they are the Manager/Executive Manager, they're not very often called by that title. It's not a role of "they are very respected even before you lost your memories" thing.

Power/talent: Dante is irreplaceable because of their power that lets them revive the Sinners, but they are not respected because of that. Instead, as you pointed out, this just makes them (at least at first) just a handy tool for the Sinners as they can just die over and over with little to no repercussions.

Amnesia: It's notable that we get to see the moment right before the amnesia happens. Usually, the game starts with you waking up without memories, by contrast. It gives us a peek into Dante's personality before it.

Blank slate: The sequence in the prologue already makes it clear that Dante is not going to be a blank slate, not even after the amnesia takes place.

Dialogue choices: Are not present in the story at all.

Girls who swoon over you: Lol. Look at Outis. She's basically a parody of "playable girl who is very capable in battle and yet gets up close to you in utter admiration of how dependant she is of you" taken to its logical extreme.

The fun thing is that the organisation you join isn't at all some big important Good Guys Inc. That Is Well Organized And Professional. It's just another group of people, and the first thing they do after dying, reviving and learning they can be revived with pain to the manager is bash eachother's heads in.

btw, Dante Limbus Company is a subversion of the tropes of gacha protagonists. I've touched before on how they have some common traits for the type going on, like their facelessness, androgyny, and amnesia, but unlike many other RPG protagonists they have their own internal monologue and basically no player input in their dialogue or other choices. In other words they're the player character, but not a player insert.

also like just about every game protagonist, Dante has a special power that makes them unique in the world of the game, but unlike many gachas where the protagonist's special-ness has got everyone within a 500-mile radius down to fuck them, their power is what causes them to be dehumanized and treated like a tool. Don't get me wrong I love shipping Dante with the Sinners as much as anyone but it's the fact that the Sinners don't love them just because they're the protagonist, that all of these relationships started out rocky because the Sinners are all deeply traumatized people in an unpleasant situation, that causes the drama that makes the interactions interesting.

In other words: @ addle-headed gacha-brains on Reddit and Youtube - your waifu isn't going to fuck you because Dante isn't you.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Madoka Magica Ship Analysis - KyouSaya

Based on these two polls [X] [X], I will write an analysis that'll also include how I feel about the ship (similarly to my Digimon shipping game analysis posts).

Disclaimer: I won't claim this to be a conclusive/definitive analysis of all of the ship's aspects. I have watched the original 12-episode-series and movies (including Rebellion), the Magia Record anime and I've read several manga series (the Original, The Different Story, Wraith Arc, Rebellion Story, Oriko Magica, Another Story, Mitakihara Anti-Materials). But I'm aware that I haven't seen/read all of what's out there and am also not thoroughly familiar with the games. Plus, oftentimes, ship dynamics vary depending on which series/timeline you are looking at. I'm fairly certain that thousands of words must have been written about this ship already, better and more elaborate than I probably ever could - so this is going to be my personal take on it.

(Disclaimer 2.0: I may have been a little critical of them by the end of it all, but I tried my best to phrase it all in diplomatic ways! I have no intention of discrediting the ship or anyone who enjoys it, but wanted to put my own perception, interpretation and preference into words.)

Whether canon provides input on them or not.

As one of the - if not the second - most prominent combinations in the entirety of the PMMM franchise, both in terms of canon and promotional/merchandise material, KyouSaya is a ship that should be familiar to the viewer. In the "main storyline", Sayaka Miki and Kyouko Sakura are basically set up as parallels, contrasts, opposing forces that are "actually more similar than they are/at least one of them is capable of admitting (at first)"... As with the majority of PMMM ships, there is a tragic sense of "missed opportunities", "we were so close/almost there" or "wrong place at the wrong time" when it comes to their compatibility - and, just like with HomuMado, it really depends on what "versions" of them you are referring to when estimating whether or not they make a good pair. But, once more, let's start at the beginning:

When they first meet in the main storyline, they immediately clash due to their opposing values, intentions and general approaches of being Magical Girls: Sayaka treats her duty with a sense of moral superiority, she sees herself as a soldier of justice who fights to save others and defeat Witches for the sake of doing "the right/good thing". Kyouko on the other hand appears to fight with selfish ignorance, carelessly stating that she doesn't mind causing human victims by letting familiars grow if it means defeating more Witches and gathering enough Grief Seeds to sustain herself. As she and her approach are being ridiculed by Kyouko, Sayaka's initial response is wrath, hatred - and so, their first encounter ends in a fight, with either of them being perfectly ready to kill the other...

The most tragic aspect of them meeting at this specific moment in time - and also in several other timelines as well - is the fact that their attitudes were shaped by their individual relationships and experiences with Mami AND their respective (outcomes of their) wishes. Sayaka - who had never witnessed Mami's own insecurities and feelings of loneliness - puts Mami on a pedestal of being the perfect Magical Girl. And, even if she was warned by her not to make a wish with the wrong intentions on behalf of someone else, Sayaka's intention is to be a worthy successor to the idealized version of Mami in her head, being "perfect" in her place. Kyouko, as we learn in The Different Story, used to be Mami's disciple, enthusiastic, willing to learn, believing in doing the right thing for the sake of others. But as she had to realize that her wish on behalf of her father (= wishing for people to listen to his preaching properly) turned out to be the downfall of her entire family, she decided to put up a front. Not only did she push her closest friend Mami away - whom she felt was only looking down on her as a weakling -, she also began to fight with reckless abandon and a mask of harshness, only for herself, never to let anyone get close again.

It's this version of Kyouko who sees her "former self" in Sayaka - watching her make the same mistake she used to make, believing in the idealized righteousness of being a Magical Girl, fighting for "good" like the hero in a fairy tale. However, this version of Kyouko - who grew hardened, bitter and ruthless by her experiences and who cannot stand seeing Sayaka like this - isn't capable of reaching through to Sayaka. Because her approach, as much as she may be able to understand her, isn't heard by this version of Sayaka. Whether it's Kyouko's (cruel) teasing or her actually opening up to her, offering her an "apple of wisdom" - Sayaka is bound to reject her, clinging to her unreachable ideal, which is slowly but steadily crumbling;

Because upon learning about what it means to be a Magical Girl, Sayaka continues to fall down the path of despair, losing faith in the world being worth saving; not only does she start to fight with reckless abandon herself (just like Kyouko did), she feels like a "zombie", an "idiot" who made her wish for the wrong, selfish reasons (= subconsciously wanting the appreciation and love from the person she liked in exchange for healing him). And now she doesn't even deem herself worthy of love anymore. Pushing away everyone herself now with hurtful words (just like Kyouko did), even her best friend Madoka, it's Kyouko who ends up as the one who keeps her company during her last moments of "being human". Kyouko, who, deep down inside, must have felt a sense of kinship, who related to Sayaka in ways she couldn't fully explain or convey properly at this point in time... Who ends up wishing to find a way to bring Sayaka back from her Witch state and restore her own faith in fairy tales, hoping to see good overcome evil one last time. In the end, all she can do is sacrifice herself - to make sure that neither Sayaka nor herself, who both isolated themselves from everyone they loved, would have to die all alone.

... And thus, it isn't really surprising that the version Sayaka who gained awareness of all of this - we shall call her LawOfCycles!Sayaka - feels a certain attraction towards Kyouko. Maybe even a sense of guilt - for not having listened to and actually having seen her, for having pushed her away and for not realizing how much they had in common. In Rebellion Story, the version of Kyouko we see had never encountered the Witch system and thus never went through the events described above with Sayaka - because this version of Kyouko came from the Wraith!universe created by Madokami. However, this Kyouko stated that she had been on the brink of "becoming friends with Sayaka" before she was "taken away" - and thus, LawOfCycles!Sayaka, who may or may not have been partly/fully aware of her mission and her previous "selves" for most of Rebellion, actually becomes close friends with WraithArc!Kyouko within Homura's idealized world inside of her Soul Gem.

Of course they are still clashing due to their opposing values in various aspects of life - but they do so in a playful, teasing and, most importantly, peaceful way. In an ideal world they are on good terms with, go to school, even live together, where blue and red aren't working against but with each other as the complementary colours they are. Really, nobody could have blamed Sayaka for wanting to maintain a universe like this, continuing to live her best life (after getting over Kyousuke and wishing him and Hitomi well), even though she knew she HAD TO fulfill her mission to rescue Homura. And so, one cannot help but feel like her confession towards Kyouko, saying she had "only one regret" to have "left her behind", does have a romantic subtext attached to it... Especially considering how devastated Kyouko appears at the idea of having to part ways again. With Homucifer then creating a new universe, serving as a fake happy place for everyone involved, she at least granted them another short period of bliss...

Long story short - just like the majority of the PMMM ships, KyouSaya are doomed by the narrative - and usually not meant to be happy together as their own selves in the same universe, it seems.

Whether I think why and how they’d work.

Without going all out on the subtext symbolism of Sayaka's arc, one REALLY cannot help but feel like it was always meant to be a metaphor for her overcoming her comp-het phase: Main story!Sayaka was failing due to committing to her (subtextual heteronormative) ideals (= clinging onto her wish to impress Kyousuke) and she could only overcome her doom as LawOfCycles!Sayaka, who gained awareness and worked hard to develop a bond with someone - a girl - she used to reject (= Kyouko).

However, as outlined above - this also means that Sayaka will not be compatible with Kyouko unless she gains the awareness of LawOfCycles!Sayaka. And that's where I, personally, have always had my issues with the ship from a romantic angle. Despite them fulfilling the typical blue/red ship tropes at first glance, consisting of two opposing forces (Sayaka's commitment to correctness vs. Kyouko's more easygoing attitude) who complement each other once they work together... Their underlying similarities would make it easy for them to relate to one another if they stopped hiding them from one another (Sayaka also having a side that would like to slack off more vs. Kyouko also having a very loyal, protective side).

There is a sense of competitive pride going on between them that, in my opinion, may make it difficult for them to allow romantic feelings to grow. Through the course of the main story, it becomes obvious that Kyouko develops a strong fondness and affection towards Sayaka in the end - but has issues putting those feelings into words in a non!Tsundere way, so Sayaka's can accept them. Whereas LawOfCycles!Sayaka, who witnessed all the effort Kyouko put into saving her, also grew more fond of Kyouko... But, as mentioned above, there also seems to be a lingering sense of guilt within her, so it's not entirely clear if she's aware of her true intentions yet again. These girls were heavily traumatized by what happened to them, both hardened by the experience - and weren't able to ever fully reconcile with each other in their own timelines. Sometimes they didn't get to know or even meet each other properly. And now, LawOfCycles!Sayaka can only reconcile with WraithArc!Kyouko in a playful, affectionate manner. NOW that she has seen it all.

Without elaborating on this much further, it's not even a question that all of the girls (no exceptions!!!) would need copious amounts of therapy - and the chance to actually become adults - to make healthy relationships work. A Sayaka who, even without the influence of being God's agent, gains an understanding of Kyouko's personality, might actually be able to put her pride aside and let her in. The same goes for Kyouko, who also has to drop the mask of ignorance and pride in order not to just casually joke and tease whenever Sayaka is in the same room - and instead, actually learn to be open, vulnerable and honest with Sayaka. As traumatized 14-year-olds, they may be too aggressive, too competitive to allow genuine romance to bloom, as they're not able to grasp and cater to the needs of the other. For instance, Sayaka couldn't reciprocate Kyouko's love language before (giving/accepting gifts, such as advice or, more importantly, food) and vice versa (acts of service in regards to fighting and protecting heroically). And thus, they may end up, even unintentionally, hurting each other instead.

My personal verdict is that they'd have an easier time opening up to other members of the Holy Quintet because of their personality structures. As complementary as they are, as much as opposites attract and as much as they genuinely value each other deep down inside - they may certainly give each other short-term comfort and have lots of fun, but are probably TOO similar to work out in the long run.

Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship.

I didn't intend to sound too "negatively" about KyouSaya as a whole, since I can absolutely see and understand the romantic appeal many, many people see in this ship. Personally, the red/blue ships (as well as the "enemies/rivals to lovers" trope in general) are rarely my favourites in a series, there have to be specific circumstances for me to enjoy them - which is perfectly fine, since everyone has their preferences! With everything I have outlined above, I was never too fond of Sayaka and Kyouko as a romantic couple. Instead, I always enjoyed them most as each other's wing-women; bantering and teasing each other endlessly as acquaintances who would slowly but steadily become good, close friends, supporting and having each other's backs.

[designernishiki]

pro tip for yakuza 0: as much as the cabaret club has a special place in my heart, if you wanna make decent money as majima later in the game, fighting mr shakedown is a way more lucrative source of income if you can manage it

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

His cultists in Congress are on social media demanding that the IRS be abolished. That would be great for the top 1%.

How could the country operate without an income tax? Massive spikes in all fees. Massive state and local taxes. The abolition of virtually every government service. And massive tariffs on everything which would drive up prices and cause a nationwide depression that would lead to a world wide depression which would lead to foreign dictatorships invading their neighbors. Just like in the 1920’s, ‘30’s, and ‘40’s.

After the US drove out Britain and declared themselves independent there was no federal government other than an unpaid Congress. There was also virtually no manufacturing in the US. As the government expanded to include a paid Congress, a tiny navy, and a postal service it was decided that tariffs would be placed against European manufactured goods. This forced the country to establish its own manufacturing base to avoid the tariff induced high prices on European manufactured goods. The small amount of government revenue from tariffs allowed a handful of courts to be built, some post offices to built in major cities, and the handful of government workers to be paid. There was no army and in 1794 a six ship navy was authorized to fight the Barbary Pirates. The government still had to rely on state militias for infantry to protect the frontiers.

Tariffs and various fees levied on businesses funded our small government until 1861 when the civil war began. Eventually the tariffs fell out of favor and a small personal income tax was established to fund the war. It was halted in 1872 due to legal challenges but was re-imposed in 1894 because it was impossible to fund the government of a vast country without one. In 1913 the 16th Amendment codified a personal income tax. Tariffs have no real use in the modern world. They only had limited use in the distant past to help developing nations establish domestic industry and end reliance on unreliable and of hostile foreign powers.

If you closely examine Florida, New Hampshire, Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, the nine states without an income tax you discover a few things. One they are all heavily dependent on tourism and tax the shit out of anything tourists need; hotel rooms, car rentals, public spaces, out of state tuition, hunting and fishing licenses, etc. They have lots of toll highways, often at entry and exits to their respective states. Fees of all kinds for residents and non-residents alike. Higher than average sales taxes, meal taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, etc. Virtually no state or local services. Municipal and county taxes are also imposed more than in other states. These are generalizations and each point doesn’t apply to each of the states listed.

Long story short you can’t run a modern country without an income tax. Whenever taxes are reduced or eliminated you can always count on fees being spiked and the cost being passed on to consumers.

☠️

[imavikingo]

There is something that I can’t understand and will never understand about fandom “culture”

Why EVERYTHING (or a lot of things) need to be canon or acknowledged by the actors/directors/producers to be accepted by the fandom? In specific ships?

And why when a “ship” (two characters, really) have more screentime than others/other characters aren’t in the picture anymore, people take that as a victory as see their ship as more valid and ��actually canon”? And mock/harass others for it?

Also there is this thing people have been doing a lot too: Thats calling everyone that doesn’t like the ship you like names (and also calling them terms that before actually meant something awful but nowadays can be said for simply tagging the incorrect ship in a fucking post)

Canon isn’t always the norm here kid. At least when it relates to ships and scenarios. (Bc if we’re talking about characterization… yes it needs to be canon in a sense or we’re writing/making ocs out of canon characters)

Most of the more popular ships will never be canon and have never been, especially the gay ones. (See Drarry, Narusasu, Frodo/Sam, Johnlock, etc, etc)

So why suddenly we care so much about what NEEDS to be canon or not?

Why people NEED to see their ships be canon so badly?

Sure, I can be seen as a hypocrite because Ive been talking about Stucky a lot in the canon and what happened in EG, but they actually did that themselves. The directors talked about gay characters, the actors talked about Stucky. So actually it isn’t something ludicrous or anything. (I’ve never thought they would actually make the ship canon -bc that would be a big problem for them “how can you make Cap America gay!” And shit- but I thought they would at least make them still be friends or friendly or acknowledge the “bromance” and they just killed the friendship in one scene with the most ooc shit ever). In fact, I’m more annoyed by that. They assassinated Steve’s character and Bucky’s progress.

Nevermind…

Why people fight so much about ships and use terms that shouldn’t be brought into stupid shit like this?

Fandoms are supposed to be fun and to have discussions (in good faith) about the canon. What we like and what we don’t like about it.

Besides, a lot of current media are about stuff that’s been remade over and over again. So they have a lot of adaptations and you can pick and choose too, if you want.

And if you don’t like the canon? Easy! Do analysis, criticize it, write fics, do fanart, do creative shit or simply ignore it! No one is forcing you to keep on watching the show or the stuff you now hate/cant stand. That’s what Im doing at least.

Sure, I criticize some people and movies a lot and get actually annoyed by the disrespect towards/assassination of some characters, but at the end of the day I can only shrug and say “it is what it is” and leave it at that. (Meaning not giving them money for the new stuff/not watching nor caring about it and only acknowledging the old things I actually care about and like)

But I don’t insult or disrespect other people in fandom because of it. And also I don’t harass the directors or actors either, ffs.

Idk, Ive always been on the sidelines of the stuff I follow, I’ve never been on the thick of fandoms so maybe thats why I don’t understand.

And I’ve also not seen so many crazy shit (the most crazy stuff Ive seen is people calling others racists for tagging a ship incorrectly and also others inflating the tag of a ship in ao3 so their ship would be “the most popular” with most fics, in that fandom) because I actually curate what I see. I don’t like a ship? I mute, if I can’t stand a person or a ship? I block em. Simple and easy.

I’ve always drawn stuff for myself, read fics and made headcanons. Only recently I’ve been sharing stuff more openly, so maybe it’s that.

Idk.

I’m just tired of seeing discourse and people fighting over this stuff.

[sieglinde-freud]

if awakening ever gets a remake in the next twenty years or so my number one want is same sex marriage + still having kids but my number TWO want is a scene after lucina’s judgement where whoever is robin’s kid confronts lucina. bc like from a player’s stand point, or really even just from robin as a character, its really easy to understand lucina’s thought process, sympathize with her, and forgive her. but if you’re one of the future kids, you came back in time to save your parents (and the world i GUESS), and your friend decides that your parent, yours specifically, is expendable, thats kinda fucked up!! her thinking is valid and potentially correct from a logical standpoint, but looking at it from like morgan’s perspective, it might feel selfish or unwarranted.

but my other thing is, unless robin’s second kid is lucina (or they dont have one), i think using their other kid over morgan would be more impactful if only because morgan lost their memories of the past and doesnt have as strong of a connection with lucina as say, someone like gerome or cynthia does. if its chrom!morgan then yeah, theres the connection, but otherwise wouldnt it be fucking wild to see the perspective of someone who went back in time with their friend who promised to go back and save the world, only to find them pointing a sword at your fucking dad? literally insane where is this confrontation. number three want is fix chapter two’s map design

[mbirnsings-71]

"I don't like sad things" hello ??? you who has come up with some of the angstiest things before ? delightfully hurt/comfort ? /t

Listen Blaines my dear friend

I never said I wasn't a hypocrite, like I was in tears about your lie in april + I want to eat your pancreas and I'm always in tears about Kojika and Ronin's Right person, not enough time dynamic- I think that's just a trope that's always gonna make me cry ngl-

I genuinely don't like sad things most of the time but angst I can handle when I know there's comfort at the end. When I know the characters are gonna get a happy ending or I know where the story is gonna go or if I'm forewarned ahead of time.

And the Angst thing is because I have Ru as my role model in the angst department so Gotta keep up with their silly antics /j

[spotsupstuff]

ur grading people and if they get an f theyre blocked? my main you aint a kindergarten teacher this is a microblogging platform

yeah, that's why there's that function called blocking! :) cuz this is a microblogging site! that's what microblogging platforms have! :) so you don't have to put up with people's shit! :) interesting that kindergarten teachers where you live are capable of blocking people in real life, hope you had fun with that

[jonathanbyersphd]

Unfriendly Reminder that Jonathan cannot remember a time when his parents weren't fighting

[viderose]

he’s annoying, i don’t like him (he hasn’t given me as much attention lately)

[empuratapatient]

I think a pvp game like tf2 where you’re all robots would be cool

[redbuddi]

I think we as a society need to be reminded how good the original Powerpuff Girls was. Here's some of my favorite things about it:

the fight scenes had a level of punchiness and impact that was rare for cartoons of the nineties, and fight scenes that were way better than what one would expect from a comedy

The character writing is so good that a large portion of the show's most iconic episodes consist of just showing how the girls' personalities react to different scenarios, for example in one episode the girls take turns recapping a fight that had just happened, and the tone and art style of the flashback changes depending on whose telling the story

One of the recurring extras is a talking dog that goes about it's day like a normal human

Each girl has mostly the same powers with one special ability that sets them apart. Blossom has ice breath. Bubbles can speak to squirrels and is also fluent in Spanish. Buttercup can curl her tongue.

while the majority of the show is lighthearted comedy sometimes it'll just decide to be nightmareworld for an episode and i think thats pretty cool

The show utilizes a blend of classic upa linework and sixties art deco shapism to create a visual style that is utterly timeless. If the majority of the show wasn't cell animated you would not be able to guess when it came out

The main villain's speaking patterns were directly inspired by The Super Dictionary. AKA, the same book that brought us this:

You can tell.

In the season one finale, the girls fight a giant monster using a mech suit. During the fight, there is a sequence that is literally just 20 uninterrupted seconds of an absurd amount of missiles coming out of every possible orifice of the robot. And then they miss.

There was an anime adaptation made in the 2000's and its actually pretty good, like it does take a lot of creative liberties but its clear that the people making it understood the spirit of the original show and were just adapting it to reflect japanese pop culture in the same way the og show reflected american pop culture.

The show had an insanely kickass soundtrack consisting of early techno so clean it's kind of shocking that it was made in the late nineties and not the early 2010's pre-dubstep era

satan is there and he serves cunt