#fox plays persona

[ur-favoriterecord]

I love the Royal Trio because you have:

The sweetest person you've ever met

Tsundere Sherlock Holmes

and Just Some Guy

And they're all going through an identity crisis of varying literalness

[ziracona]

me when Ryuji

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Haru just roasted poor Yusuke in the politest way possible over his puns ahdjfnfn

[katagawajr]

yusuke sketch page because i finally get to meet him next in royal <3

[myname-isnia]

For once the fact that I, aged 11 through 15, spent most of my free time locking myself in the bathroom to mouth along to songs while practising expressions in the mirror was actually useful

[mel-is-genderfluid]

-“Hey New World”!

[sipthegossip-if]

SIP THE GOSSIP! is rated 18+ for explicit language, skippable sexual themes, drugs, alcohol consumption, extra marital affairs and more. Best to be avoided if romance and drama are not your cup of tea.

You had everything in the palm your hand since birth. Success kissed your feet, the billboards sang of your symphony and the public chanted your name.

Until they didn't.

After years of a blockbuster after a blockbuster— ignoring the fact they were all your uncle's productions— you found yourself tangled up in serious allegations that left your reputation in shambles.

You lost thousands of followers across all your social media accounts and all your endorsement deals.

But you persisted. After things were resolved, you tried getting back on your feet. Starred in movies that had no connection to your dearest uncle.

But here's the thing : they all flopped. Badly, at that.

And you found yourself once again, at the rock bottom. After some time of having disappeared from the public eye you have decided to make a comeback and do what you were always good at— use your connections to gain a spot in the upcoming, very much hyped romantic series TO THE MOON AND BACK.

You will do anything to get your stardom back even if it means getting your pretty hands a little dirty.

✭ Play as man, woman or non binary. Straight or queer. Customise your brand and appearance.

✭ Choose the article that destroyed the reputation you spent years building.

✭ Engage in a scandalous & fiery romance off and on set!

✭ Use whatever means you can to avoid being teared to shreds on the internet.

✭ It's been long since you have acted. You haven't forgotten how to bring those tear ducts to use, have you?

✭ Give interviews. Because isn't that what the blizz and bling all about baby?

✭ Engage with your fans. If they still haven't forgotten about you, that is.

✭ Escape or annoy the unrelenting paparazzi.

✭ Customise your public persona. Do things that transpire behind cameras differ from on camera?

✭ Choose the plot of T2MAB.

✭ THE BODYGUARD.

Kai D'melio. [he/him or she/her]

Single and in early 30s. Stoic and all business. It's hard to get a read of them. They are a constant in your life.

Tropes : Bodyguard romance, slow burn, yearning, "crush" route.

✭ THE VETERAN ACTOR.

Shiron "Shay" Hill. [he/him or she/her]

Married and in mid 40s, they continue to be a social media sensation to till this day. A friend of you and your uncle. They are the one who introduced you to the director and producer of To The Moon And Back and helped you score the lead role.

Tropes : Extra marital affair, steamy.

✭ THE DIRECTOR/PRODUCER.

Victor/ia "Vic" Alvarez. [he/him or she/her]

Single, former actor and in mid 40s. An incredibly close friend of Shiron. They have been attached at the hip since the two first began working together in the industry. All their works have proved to be the public's favourites and you hope that is also the case with T2MAB.

Tropes : Work romance, sort-of sugar mommy/daddy, steamy.

✭ THE M/F LEAD.

Alexis "Alex" Sinclair. [he/him or she/her]

Co-actor and in late 20s. Charming and titled 'Hollywood's Budding Star' by People's Magazine. They seem to have a tendency to flirt with whatever that breathes. It would serve you best to not get involved with them, judging from their messy dating history.

Tropes : Steamy, co-stars with benefits.

✭ THE SECOND M/F LEAD.

River Fox. [he/him or she/her]

Co-actor, singer and in late 20s. After having caught their now ex partner cheating on them, they seem to have a hard time trusting people. The fact that they dislike you for the means you used to get the role and the consequences it led to, doesn't help either.

Tropes : Slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, melting the ice king/queen.

✭ THE CAMERA(WO)MAN.

Arlo Kent. [he/him or she/her]

Single loyal to you and in their early 20s. They get all starry eyed and overly enthusiastic at the sight of you. More often than not, you have caught them not so discreetly keeping an eye you. You can only hope they are merely star struck and nothing more.

Tropes : Stalker/yandere fluffy romance.

DEMO. TBA.

FORUM. TBA.

[demonlordcosnime]

persona 5 royal extra ITS SHOWTIME

[purgatorychxsm-a]

HOLDS YUSUKE GENTLE LIKE HAMBURGER.

[ur-favoriterecord]

To commemorate me playing another game: woe, my opinions be upon yee

[soular-sisters]

The most common celebrity/fame Astrology placements ✨🤩📸

The glitz, the glamour, the endless number of fans that seem to be mesmerized by them… have you ever notice how a lot of famous individuals have a certain grab and magnetism about them? Well, they might have more in common astrologically than you thought. Without further ado, here are some of the most common traits you will find in famous individual’s natal charts:

1. Pronounced Leo and Cancer placements in personal planets, especially sun, moon, and ascendant.

In the world of Hollywood, Leo energy is prevalent with countless Leo suns in the industry including: Demi Lovato, Steve Carell, Robert De Niro, Kylie Jenner, Daniel Radcliffe, and Madonna just to name a few. Cancer energy also runs strongly, with cancer sun celebrities also finding major success such as:

*Lana Del Rey (a Cancer sun with a Leo Moon, Scorpio Ascendant, Leo midheaven and Venus conjunct her north node)

*Ringo Starr (another cancer with a Leo moon)

*Margot Robbie (a cancer sun with a Taurus Midheaven & Aquarius north node)

Cancer & Leo personal planets can be found in a wide range of celebrities including:

*Dua Lipa (a Leo sun/Cancer Moon)

*Taylor Swift (a Sagittarius sun/Cancer moon)

*Micheal B. Jordan (an Aquarius sun/Cancer Moon)

*Drake (a Scorpio sun/cancer moon/Leo ascendant)

*Julia Roberts (Scorpio Sun/Leo Moon)

*Megan Fox (Taurus Sun/Leo Moon)

*Paul McCartney (Gemini Sun/Leo Moon)

*Bruno Mars (a Libra sun/Leo moon)

*Blake Lively (a Virgo sun/Leo ascendant, with plenty of positive sun aspects including sun conjunct her natal Mars, venus, and Mercury, & also sun trine her Jupiter)

There are many more celebrities who have these similar placements.

2. Prominent north node aspects or favorable house placement.

The North Node shows our Karmic Destiny. Certain placements show where an individual might see fame more than others, including the 1st, 5th, 10th, and 11th houses. Some celebrities that have these placements include:

1st house of identity:

*Martin Luther King Jr. (North Node in Taurus: who showed fearlessness in the face of racism to unite the people)

*Amy Winehouse (North Node in Gemini: who’s songs about her life have remained popular long after her untimely death)

*Megan The Dutchess of Sussex (Leo sun/Cancer Ascendant with North Node in Leo: who is one of the most famous women in the world now whether you like her or not)

*James Dean (North Node in Aries: who’s image as a bad boy heartthrob has been solidified in history long after his untimely death)

5th house of creativity, children, and happiness:

*Angelina Jolie (who is also cancer Venus and Ascendant at 28°, has her North Node in Sagittarius. She is a talented actress that has also traveled the world and made it her mission to help and adopt children)

*Selena Gomez (who is also Leo Ascendant, with moon & part of fortune conjunct her Taurus midheaven, has her North Node in Capricorn, and is also a talented actress, who due to her illness cannot have children. Unfortunately, the planet of Saturn, Capricorns ruler, may deny children entirely, or only bring very few)

*Christiano Ronaldo (who is also Leo moon, has his North Node in Taurus, he has had a stable career playing soccer, known as a heartthrob with the Venus energy, and also the father to five children)

10th house of public image:

*Donald Trump (who is also Leo ascendant & Taurus Midheaven, with sun & Uranus conjunct his North Node in Gemini, he has captivated audiences on a global scale with his words and with Sun and Uranus being opposite planets conjunct his north node, he is extremely polarizing with his supporters absolutely loving him and his opposers absolutely hating him)

*Beyoncé (who is Mars conjunct her Leo North Node in the 10th house. Beyoncé is also known on a global scale and the amount of time and energy she puts into her craft is very evident, she also carries herself with a mars-esque energy in her public persona.)

*Britney Spears (with her North Node in Cancer. While she is extremely talented, her career has had a lot of exploitation of her and her assets and made her a victim in the public eye)

11th house of social circles aspirations and collaboration:

*Lady Gaga (who has her North Node in Taurus, which rules the voice, has famously collaborated on singing projects with other creatives including Tony Bennett, and Bradley Cooper)

*Robert Downey Jr. (who has his North Node in Gemini has famously gotten himself into heaps of mischeif when he was younger turned his life around when he associated himself with Marvel and propelled himself further into stardom, eventually getting his Oscar winning role in Oppenheimer)

*Ariana Grande (who has her North node in Sagittarius. In Jennette McCurdy’s book “I’m Glad My Mom Died” she recalled being jealous of how lucky Ariana was for all the opportunities that were being granted to her though her association to higher ups at Nickelodeon)

3. 1st house planets, 5th house planets, 10th house planets, and 11th house planets (especially Sun, Jupiter, Neptune, and Venus)

House placements are always important to check when looking at a natal chart and this area is no different. We see many of the same placements among famous individuals such as:

*Blake Lively (who has a first house stellium consisting of her sun, mercury and Venus, and a fifth house stellium with Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)

*Paul Rudd (who has a fifth house stellium with Neptune, moon and mars, and a 10th house stellium with his Mercury, sun, Venus, and Saturn)

*Vanessa Hudgens (who is also Leo ASC & Taurus MC also has a fifth house stellium with her sun, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Mercury)

*Kim Kardashian (sun and mercury fall into her 11th house and she has a 10th house stellium consisting of Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn. She also has Neptune in her first house which is another popular fame placement that is also seen in Marilyn Monroe) A stellium is not needed in these houses either.

*Rihanna (her sun & mercury is in the 11th house with her Jupiter in the first house and though her moon & Venus fall in the 12th house, they do conjunct her ascendant)

4. Having a fixed midheaven: Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius, Leo

The midheaven shows where the most ideal career placement for an individual. Usually fame can been seen amongst fixed midheaven placements. Some examples include: Taurus MC:

*Margot Robbie

*Timothée Chalamet

*Emma Stone

*Vanessa Hudgens

*Miranda Kerr

*Nick Jonas

*Justin Timberlake

Leo MC:

*Harry Styles

*Daniel Craig

*James Gandolfini

*Chevy Chase

*Robin Williams

*Nicole Kidman

*Jim Carrey

*Aretha Franklin

Scorpio MC:

*Hilary Duff

*Zendaya

*Jane Fonda

*Johnny Knoxville

*Barack Obama

*Willem Defoe

*Carrie Fisher

Aquarius MC:

*Miley Cyrus

*Pamela Anderson

*Will Smith

*Drew Barrymore

*Gordon Ramsay

*Tim Burton

*John Krasinski

5. Having personal planets at 5°, 17°, or 29° as they are degrees ruled by Leo.

In degree theory, these degrees are ruled by Leo and can also be seen as a common placement among many different famous individuals including:

*J.P. Morgan (successful banking mogul, who actually used astrology in his personal life, had his Taurus mercury at 29° and he once famously said, “Millionaires don’t use astrology, billionaires do.”)

*Post Malone (also has his Gemini Venus at 29°, and he has made his career diverse in various genres and has been extremely loved wherever he goes)

*Morgan Wallen (has his Aquarius moon at 29°, and his 5° Libra Jupiter conjunct his Midheaven)

*Steven Tyler (who has his Aries Sun at 5°. He has amassed many fans among his decades long career)

*Jim Carrey (who has both his Gemini moon at 17° and his Capricorn mars at 17°, once wrote himself a check for a million dollars before he became famous to manifest his future as a successful actor and around a year later found himself with major roles)

*Loretta Lynn (the iconic “Coal Miners Daughter” singer has her Aries Mercury at 17°, and her songs have stood the test of time)

6. Having personal planets at 28° ruled by cancer. Makes an individual a “household name”

Cancer rules the home, so it goes hand in hand with creating a household name among 28° holders. A few examples include:

*A$AP Rocky (who has his Leo Venus at 28° is famously known for his music and style)

*Miley Cyrus (who is 28° Taurus ascendant is definitely a household name and made her way into homes being a child actress and singer)

*Rihanna (has her Sagittarius mars in 28° as well, and she has had a fruitful career full of energy that she has put forward to become a self-made billionaire before 40)

7. Strong 11th house energy

The 11th house in astrology is the realm of Aquarius. Think of these individuals being innovators, and different. 11th house energy is commonly seen in famous individuals including:

*Johnny Depp (world famous actor has his Gemini sun in 11)

*Beyoncé (billionaire and one of the biggest singers in the world also has her sun in the 11th)

*Angelina Jolie (renowned actress and philanthropist has her Gemini sun and Mercury in the 11th house)

*Rihanna (another one of the biggest singers in the world has her Pisces sun and Aquarius Mercury in the 11th house)

*Lady Gaga (has her Aries sun, Aries venus, and Taurus north node in the 11th house)

*Kim Kardashian (A-list reality television star, model and business woman, has her Libra sun, and Scorpio mercury in her 11th house)

*Zayn Malik (another one of the biggest boy band & solo singers in the world has his Capricorn sun, nept, Uranus, and Mercury in the 11th house)

8. Prominent Jupiter Aspects

Jupiter the planet of luck, optimism and abundance having prominent energy in the natal chart can have a “lucky” influence on a famous individual, a few examples include:

*Elizabeth Taylor (world famous actress has natal, Jupiter trine ascendant, Jupiter trine Uranus, Venus trine Jupiter)

*Quentin Tarantino (talented movie director has natal Sun conjunct Jupiter, Mercury conjunct Jupiter, and Jupiter trine North node)

*Zendaya. (world famous actress, singer, and model has natal sun trine Jupiter, moon trine Jupiter)

*Samuel L. Jackson (another one of the most famous actors in the world has natal sun conjunct Jupiter, moon trine Jupiter, Jupiter trine Saturn, and Mercury conjunct Jupiter)

9. Aspects made to the ascendant and/or midheaven.

Our ascendant (how we portray ourselves) and our midheavens (career placement) having plentiful aspects can be seen in a wide range of well known celebrities in both old Hollywood and in recent time. Here are a few examples:

*Jayne Mansfield (one of the biggest sex symbols of her era before her untimely death had, North node trine ascendant, Neptune sextile ascendant, mars sextile ascendant, ascendant trine Midheaven)

*John Wayne (world renowned western actor, was a natal holder of, Mercury conjunct ascendant, sun conjunct ascendant, ascendant trine midheaven, sun trine midheaven, Mercury trine midheaven)

*Judy Garland (who played Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, had ascendant trine midheaven, moon sextile midheaven, mercury conjunct ascendant, Mercury trine midheaven)

10. Positive mars & Jupiter aspects

Mars the planet of action in a harmonious aspect with Jupiter the planet of luck, abundance and optimism can bring lucky opportunities with action and can be seen in famous individuals such as:

mars conjunct Jupiter:

*Ariel Winter

*Channing Tatum

*Lily Collins

*Ludacris

mars trine Jupiter:

*MGK

*Rachel McAdams

*Heath Ledger

*Joaquin Phoenix

mars sextile Jupiter:

*Nicki Minaj

*Emma Stone

*Bella Thorne

*Reese Witherspoon

11. Natal Midheaven conjunct north node.

Our career placement, the Midheaven, in conjunction with our North node, karmic destiny can be seen in quite a few famous individuals including:

*Jared Leto (We the Kings singer and actor has his conjunction in Aquarius)

*Jaden Smith (actor, rapper, and nepo baby has his conjunction in Virgo) *Donald Glover/Childish Gambino (actor, writer, rapper and producer has his conjunction in Gemini)

*Meryl Streep (world famous actress has her conjunction in Aries)

*Mike Tyson (world famous boxer has his conjunction in Taurus)

12. Gemini energy is very common amongst rappers.

Gemini energy is extremely prominent amongst rappers, for the sake of keeping this example shorter I will just be using sun sign Gemini’s. The list of sun sign Geminis:

*Kendrick Lamar

*Sage the Gemini

*Fetty Wap

*Ice Cube

*Kanye West

*Tupac Shakur

*Notorious B.I.G.

*Trippie Redd

*Kodak Black

*Takeoff

*G-Eazy

*Don Toliver

*Azaelia Banks

*Macklemore

*Swae Lee

13. A 10th & 11th house conjunction. If two planets are conjunct but fall into the 10th house of public image and the 11th house of friends/friend groups.

Both of these houses are major players when it comes to our public life. A few examples of these placements are:

*Kim Kardashian (sun in 11 is conjunct her Pluto in 10th)

*Eminem (sun in 11 is conjunct his 10th house Uranus)

*Nicki Minaj (her 10th house sun conjunct her 11th house Venus)

*Marilyn Monroe (11th house sun conjunct her 10th house Mercury)

14. Having prominent Mercury aspects.

Mercury is the planet of communication and self expression. Having mercury aspects are common amongst famous individuals as well including:

*Stephen King (who has had an extremely long career with countless dark books written and movies made, has natal Mercury sextile Pluto & Mercury conjunct Neptune, and Mercury sextile Saturn)

*Drake (has natal Mercury conjunct Venus, common amongst musicians and actors)

*Beyoncé (has her natal Mercury sextile North Node, Mercury sextile mars, and Mercury conjunct Saturn, and her songs have been listened to around the world countless times)

*Justin Bieber (who unfortunately has had a lot of hardships explaining himself and expressing his truths has Mercury square North Node, Mercury square ascendant, and Mercury square Pluto)

*Liam Neeson (the world famous actor has his natal sun conjunct Mercury, Mercury conjunct Venus and moon opposite Mercury)

Research Disclaimer:

All research was conducted by Arielle in April & May 2024. This is all information found by her own research. There are definitely more celebrities that fall under these categories not listed. There is more room to further research this topic.

-AH

IG: @starlit.artistry

[keldabekush]

Fox plays it completely straightfaced for a whole year of his career and doesnt break his stone cold professional persona until Thorn edits a clip of him to look like he's being carried off the edge of a platform by an eagle and Fox cries laughing in the 30 minute morning briefing for the first time in his life

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Mabel Normand (Mabel at the Wheel, Mabel's Blunder)—One of the best slapstick comedians of the silent era (who you've probably never heard of)! She wrote! She directed, in fact, she was Charlie Chaplin's first director! And of course she acted!

Theda Bara (Cleopatra)—One of cinema's first female sex symbols. Nicknamed "The Vamp" due to her looks. The OG Goth Girl. She would be HUGE on Tumblr if she were around today!

This is round 1 of the bracket. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Mabel Normand:

can never let mabel normand go by without mentioning mack & mabel, a deeply flawed musical with a beautiful score about her and mack sennett. (find a good cover of 'i won't send roses' and cry a little.) also, according to wikipedia mabel was the first film star to receive a pie thrown in the face!

Theda Bara:

She was simply nicknamed "The Vamp". Her sex appeal and typecasting was so intense that people actually thought that she lounged around half-nacked and seduced men left and right in her free time.

She is one of the most famous and enduring faces in silent film and yet only 6 of her 43 films survived the 1937 Fox Vault Fire! 6! Think about what we could have had!

She's the original Vamp and first film sex symbol! She said: “The vampire that I play is the vengeance of my sex upon its exploiters. You see, I have the face of a vampire, but the heart of a feministe.” Many of her films were banned or severely cut by state and city censorship boards due to her revealing costumes and suggestive acting. She even sued the Chicago Funkhouser censorship board to let her film Cleopatra be shown in theaters. Riots broke out in theaters during showings of her film Kathleen Mavourneen. In contrast to her film persona, her private life was pretty quiet. She grew up in Cincinnati as Theodosia "Theda" Goodman, the Jewish daughter of immigrants, and had one happy marriage that lasted 30+ years until she died at age 69.

*Theeee* celluloid blueprint for both goth chicks and sexually-manipulative women--her persona was that of a "vampire", in the sense that would eventually be shortened into "vamp", although in truth she blended both definitions beautifully. Alas, the prints of most of her back-catalogue were lost to a studio fire in 1937, but enough survives to clearly demonstrate the fantasy of enticing danger that she was so kind as to serve us.

my favorite goth icon i want her gender

[cjrae]

Carelessness. Or; Lakan's crime in Maomao's eyes is worse than malice.

There is a temptation to take Lakan's character lightly. After his initial, sinister introduction had played out and we are given the story of how Lakan met Maomao's mother, much of Lakan's devotion to his wife and daughter is played for comic relief, allowing him to be the butt of the joke, along with Maomao's exaggerated reactions of disgust and insistence that she has no relation to this man.

It is worth remembering, though, that Lakan is referred to as the fox for good reason - the fox is a trickster figure and Lakan's whole character lies in how he can turn on a dime between being funny in a very pathetic way to those same qualities becoming extremely dangerous when his fun is threatened.

Lakan's heroic qualities do exist, but they are overshadowed by his carelessness and selfishness; it is these qualities that have, so far, doomed the relationship he craves so badly with his daughter.

Spoilers under the cut all the way up to Vol 11's English translation.

Fengxian

We see it in his relationship with Fengxian. While Lakan does not deserve all of the blame for Fengxian's fate, it is his carelessness that puts her in the position of becoming a common prostitute to support Verdigris House after her actions nearly ruined it. Let's pay attention to the sequence of events.

"…Lakan now found himself persona non grata for having been too close to him [Luomen]; he was told to go on a long trip and not come back for awhile. He could have ignored this, but it would have only been a headache later. His father was in the military too, making him not just a parent but a superior officer. At last, he wrote to the brothel saying he would return in half a year's time. This was after he had received a letter saying the contract buy-out had fallen through."

So, first and foremost, we know the following:

1.) Lakan did not strictly have to leave. It was the politic thing to do, but if he had pushed the issue, he could have stayed. If the goal had been to simply have Lakan out of the public eye, while his father may not have been pleased with it, his marriage to Fengxian could have also served a similar purpose as he began to focus on domestic affairs and kept a low profile. But his convenience weighed more heavily than his feelings for Fengxian.

2.) Fengxian tells him that the buy-out has fallen through BEFORE HE LEAVES. Assuming she's just barely pregnant at that point (call it eight weeks, ish) and his letter indicates that he's going to return for her before the baby is born, this is still a terrible sign for her. As he himself puts it later;

"Did he not grasp what happened to such women?

A little thought might have revealed the answer, but his head was full of Go and Shogi and nothing else, and he had been unable to arrive at the truth…It was all his fault for being so impulsive."

But Lakan didn't think and sure enough, three years later, Fengxian isn't waiting for him in her polite little box at the Verdigris House. Because love is not convenient and Lakan values convenience above almost everything else. It's not until he loses Fengxian and their baby (and has the loss driven home to him in a very visceral manner when he finds the fingers in his un-forwarded mail) that it occurs to him that he wants more than endless game playing.

Luomen

We know somebody did check Lakan's mail, though, as the letter with Maomao and Fengxian's fingers is the only piece that's opened. It's easy to guess that it attracted Luomen's attention because it was bloodstained, but Luomen does what Lakan should have - he immediately makes for the pleasure district to find this woman and her child.

It takes him years of patient work on behalf of the Verdigris House to be trusted to adopt Maomao. We know it takes years because Maomao is initially raised by the Three Princesses and the madam, while Luomen is slowly building trust with the courtesans by providing them medical services. At no point does Luomen stride in, demanding to be given custody of his great niece because he's her family. Instead he recognizes that she has a family already in the brothel and works on becoming a part of their lives - because that's what's best for Maomao.

Luomen understands that filial duty goes both ways - a child has responsibilities to the parent, certainly, but those duties imply a reciprocity of care. First, the parent cares for their child, which means that the child's needs must be the priority. What Maomao desperately needs is care, education, safety and stability. All of which, Luomen prioritizes making sure Maomao has to the best of his ability.

Contrast this with Lakan's immediate reaction to finding Maomao in the pleasure district.

"One day, out of the blue, a strange man had appeared and tried to lead her away. The madam had shown up shortly after and beaten him with a broom and the sight of the bruised and bloodied man had inspired fear in her young heart. Anyone would be scared by a man who reached out to them grinning, even as blood poured from his face."

Lakan literally tries to take her off the street, believing he has the right, because he's her father. He doesn't care that he's scaring Maomao, he's described as grinning and reaching for her despite the reactions of everyone around him. Which is why Luomen's reaction to Lakan reception in the pleasure district is very telling - this is a man who is described as far too kind for his own good and having been very close with Lakan.

"Nonetheless, while her old man was compassionate, he did grasp the broader situation, and he never tried to stop the old madam from chasing the other man out of the brothel with her broom. He knew that wrong was wrong."

The manga adds the context that Luomen also "knew the woman with the missing nose." Luomen feels for Lakan, but his duty is to Maomao as her adopted father and to Fengxian as her doctor. His feelings do not outweigh those responsibilities.

Maomao

Lakan adores Maomao from the moment he lays eyes on her. But his love is inherently selfish - the loss of Fengxian and his estrangement from Maomao do not inspire him to do better with his talents consistently.

The ironic part is that Lakan could have made a very compelling argument to be given custody of Maomao. We know that the whole reason he decided to use his strategic brilliance to take back the headship of the La Clan is inspired by Maomao and the life he feels she deserves to have. He also goes back to Verdigris House and although it takes him ten years, he pays off two and a half times the damages he caused - in the world of the red light district, he has paid for his initial crime. So we see that he is capable of putting forth effort when he feels inspired to do so.

If he had applied that same strategy and patience toward working on finding a place in Maomao's life that honored the relationships that supported her when Lakan had abandoned both her and Fengxian, he might have been able to convince those that cared about her that it was in Maomao's best interests to be raised by him as a princess of a named clan.

If we need further evidence that Lakan's carelessness is still a dominant character trait, we can look at a more recent example in the story; the Shi Clan's assassination plot against Jinshi.

Gossip is one of Lakan's hobbies and that, combined with his intuition, means that he's the first person to realize that something is going on. He sees all of these supposedly coincidental acts happening around them and intuits that there is a grander purpose at work. And, to his credit, he doesn't ignore it - he puts his talent of using the people around him to good use. We see him rope Gaoshun into looking into the poisoned seaweed under the guise of a colleague asking for a favor, we see him prod Jinshi into letting Maomao investigate the metalworker. Lihaku is one of his direct subordinates and he's tasked with investigating the explosion at the warehouse and following the trail as they realize that the arson was a diversion.

But at no point is he doing any of this because of anything so prosaic as duty or responsibility. This is a fun game to him that's serving a dual purpose of getting him closer to Maomao. Everything is entirely about what will amuse him or further that one, singular goal. And he's greatly amused - until Maomao puts the pieces together and realizes that this is an assassination attempt.

It never occurs to Lakan that simply maneuvering people around him to get things done and amuse him carries any danger - because he doesn't care that deeply about anyone else aside from a few select individuals. Everything in his mind was entirely about getting him and Maomao into the same place where she couldn't run away from him. Where she would be forced to accept his help.

Which is exactly what happens; Maomao can't get into the temple on her own and she needs Lakan to vouch for her. It is an extremely clumsy, transactional way of trying to build a connection.

So then what happens?

First Maomao is bludgeoned by the guard - a Go stone of a man, unimportant, except for the damage he inflicted on his little girl that Lakan did not anticipate. But worse is when Jinshi carries her out of that temple, bleeding and unconscious, after having saved his life. Everything Lakan has done to try to force his daughter to acknowledge him has instead lead to her being seriously injured.

Maomao points out, later, that if Lakan had simply stepped forward and used his official position as a Grand Commandant to spearhead an investigation, this plot might have been discovered much sooner. Maomao, having a few self-absorbed tendencies of her own, is focused on Suirei's promise of resurrection medicine. But Lakan should be more focused on the fact that, had he actually done something himself, perhaps Maomao wouldn't have been hurt.

Lakan

I said before that Lakan's heroic qualities do exist and it's important to acknowledge them, while also realizing how they are caught up in his self-serving behavior. For all that buying Fengxian out is about Lakan finally getting something he's wanted, there is also virtue in the fact that he does not see the damage the disease has done to Fengxian and think of her as damaged goods. To him Fengxian has just as much value as the day he lost her, simply because she exists. Forget an attitude that's rare in the red-light district, that attitude is rare in the entire setting, which is acknowledged as extremely patriarchal.

Lakan also gets a chance to redeem himself somewhat during the Shi Rebellion. By the time Maomao is kidnapped, it's not because Lakan has been lazy - we see that he's been actively involved in the investigation about the feifa, with a chilling understanding about what improved firearms technology could do for military tactics. He is actually using his position and subordinates appropriately, setting Lahan to investigate the financial trail, which provides Jinshi the concrete proof needed to officially put the rebellion down. This time, the danger to Maomao is not Lakan's fault, and when he realizes she's been kidnapped, he does whatever he must to get Maomao back.

"Silently, Lakan turned toward Jinshi. Then he got up, knelt before Jinshi and pressed his fist into his palm in a gesture of respect. 'I come in supplication. I humbly request that you mobilize the army to strike against the rebel, Shishou.'

Lakan was a grand commandant, in other words, a secretary of military affairs. Jinshi understood what it meant for such a person to ask for the army to be mobilized."

Jinshi observes that his motives have nothing to do with the good of the nation and he is entirely concerned with his own, selfish needs, but while Lakan's motives may be selfish on behalf of the nation, he IS actually acting the way a father should. Maomao is in danger and his priority is doing whatever he must get her to safety, whether that be using the full authority of his rank or putting aside his pride to get Jinshi to mobilize the army.

Neither Malice Nor Virtue

Book 11 gives us an interesting look at Lakan, first in the war conference where Gyoku-ou is gauging Jinshi and Lakan's support for invading another country and we see that Lakan does not care.

"'What do you think, Sir Lakan?'

Lakan once again stopped working his Go problems and studied the map intently. He wore the same look with which he would appraise a board game…

'I don't know about your reasons or excuses. All I know is how to win at Shogi,' Lakan said and then he started arranging the pieces on the map. The aide gave Jinshi an apologetic look.

There was no malice in Lakan - but neither was their virtue. So long as something didn't harm him or his family, he paid it no mind. If there was a chance to participate in an interesting game however - that he wouldn't miss…to the strategist war was just a combination of his favorite games; it was a Shogi match using human pieces and a game of Go in which you captured real territory."

Jinshi's evaluation of Lakan is rather damming. The man has neither malice nor virtue. He cares only about himself, his family and his simple pleasures. This is the core of the issue that has doomed his relationship with Maomao, who despite having inherited a great deal of Lakan's characteristics, values two things above all else in her relationships; work ethic and compassion toward others.

Lakan desperately wants that paternal role with Maomao, but his behavior means that the roles are often reversed - when they are forced to interact, Maomao is often stuck taking care of him, thinking about what will be best for Lakan so that she can maintain her own peace as much as possible. He cannot possibly be her parent if he insists on being a perpetual child to those around him.

And indeed, Jinshi treats him like a child, cutting Lakan's support out from under Gyoku-ou by laying out for him that his daughter and his uncle would both be hurt by this war, giving Lakan a reason to care.

Rikuson

While Book 11 is rather damning in it's evaluation of Lakan as a truly neutral figure, there are hints that Lakan is capable of at least expanding his circle. Rikuson provides first a different perspective of Lakan than we're used to, giving us his first impressions as a child;

"Among the nomadic tribes, it was said that some herdsmen could distinguish each and every one of their sheep - but Rikuson could never do that. Maybe Lakan saw people's faces the same way Rikuson saw sheep.

'Well, what do you do when you really need to remember who someone is?'

Lakan was silent for a moment…"I remember them by the shape of their ears, or their height. I look at the quality of their hair. Memorize the stink of their sweat. Or I listen for the pitch of their voice…'

'Wouldn't it be easier to just remember their face?'

'I don't get faces. I can see people have eyes and a nose and a mouth, but when I try to put them together they get all tangled up and all I can see is a Go stone. Now the size of a person's nostrils, the length of their eyelashes - those, I can understand.'

So he didn't remember an entire face, just specific details about it. That sounded exhausting. No wonder he only did it for the most important people."

Rikuson is right - that DOES sound exhausting. With this perspective in mind, it makes more sense to the reader why Lakan constantly appears lazy and apathetic; because he's always riding the edge of exhaustion just to function. And because Rikuson hasn't had to live with the consequences of Lakan's carelessness, he is better able to empathize with how Lakan interacts with the world around him.

Later, after Rikuson has killed Gyoku-ou, Lakan walks into the situation and instead of exposing his former aide, he protects Rikuson.

"'He was already murdered when you entered the room. So you killed the rebel - is that not right?

It was, of all people, Lakan standing there…What was he doing here?

…Ah, Rikuson thought, it was all over now. There was no hiding anything from Lakan. He had neither good intentions nor bad, but would simply lay out the facts…

'You heard the man,' Lakan said to those around them.

'Wh-What do you mean, Grand Commandant Kan?'

'Hrm? He's telling the truth. He killed the rebel who killed the man. Where's the crime in that? If anything, this is all your fault for leaving such scant security.'

…There was much murmuring, but the general consensus was that if Grand Commandant Kan said it, then that was that…Their suspicion of Rikuson had been dispelled in an instant."

You'll note he doesn't lie for Rikuson. In fact, he offers a perfectly truthful understanding of what happened. The man is Takubatsu, whom Rikuson did in fact find murdered when he entered the room. And Gyoku-ou had essentially taken Jinshi hostage and was actively undermining the Imperial Brother's authority and legitimacy, which does make him a rebel.

But in protecting Rikuson, he offers a counterpoint to both Jinshi and Rikuson's observations that he has neither malice nor virtue, good intentions nor bad. Perhaps it is just that Rikuson has earned Lakan's liking and loyalty over the years, but it is growth.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Where Lakan has earned moments of redemption and growth, it is when he has shown that his fun is less important than those he cares about. There is an opportunity within the story for Lakan to act as Maomao's father in a way Luomen cannot - in the matter of her marriage.

If Lakan is willing to put all of his intuition and political cunning behind Maomao's choices regarding marriage and family, then he has the chance to finally perform an act of duty by his daughter that would establish a reason for Maomao to begin to display filial piety toward him.

But Maomao's marriage would absolutely challenge Lakan's fantasy of playing 'daddy'. It would literally require him to give away his child but more critically, it would mean giving up his fantasy of Maomao as a perpetual little girl and fully acknowledging the grown woman that she has become.

Whether Lakan is wiling to put Maomao's needs first above his own will be the crux of his character development. At no point has Lakan been malicious, but his carelessness has done more to shape Maomao's early life than any other influence. Could he do better? Perhaps. Will he? The answer to that question and how it affects Maomao's adult choices will shape his role within the story going forward - whether he will continue to doom the one relationship he wants more than any other in service of his own needs and fantasies, or if he will sacrifice them to do his duty by his daughter when it matters most.

[selya711-twiste]

kissing strangers

The way Rollo kisses you is chaste at first. It's his first time being intimate with anyone and he's rather shy. You had to ease your way into his personal space very slowly. He starts trying to get used to having a person close to him in life. He would prefer to make it quick, and there were times he'd bump his nose into yours. When you two begin to know each other longer, he starts holding you tighter to him and he feels and tastes so desperate when you kiss, but he retains gentleness so as to not scare you off. It's hard not to notice his change in demeanor when appearances are the most important thing to him, even in private. If you point it out, he'll look away and deny it, but then he begins losing even more of his inhibitions. It was gradual, but you feel like it snowballed when you kissed his handkerchief in front of him, a personal belonging that's always pressed against his lips. He knows what you meant by that. When he used to lightly push you away to preserve his peace, now he won't let you go. There are certain days where if you move while he's close to you, he'll grip you thinking you're trying to get away, and there comes that delirious expression you can't ignore… He's obsessed with you now. Rollo is the one initiating it, and then he blames you for tempting him to act like this. When there's no other person in sight, somewhere secluded, you should grow used to anticipating a pair of hands grabbing your shoulders and turning you around to meet the stern gaze of your lover.

On the other hand, Fellow has more experience as an older man. He must've had flings with other people in the past, so he knows just what to do with your lips. In the first stages of his relationship with you, he thinks everything is a game at first. He just treats you like the others, fast-paced and teasing, occasionally lightly grazing your neck with his fangs. He knows you love it when he does that with the way you shudder and even bare your skin for him to mark with kisses. You play along with the fox, and for every time he tricks you, you return the favor. He stole a kiss from you once in passing, so you took his wallet. There's nothing in it, of course. He doesn't know whether to swoon or curse at how you've outsmarted him. He'll only start treating you like a valuable doll when you both start taking it seriously, which took a while to establish. You find him becoming more easily flustered with you as you unearth the real him underneath the layers of lies. His showbiz-like persona starts fading away when you two are close together, and his voice becomes slower and softer... It's more obvious when he's speaking right against your ear. In comparison, nothing about you has changed. "How do I know you're not playing tricks on me again, Fellow?" You pout with your arms crossed. He smiles with his teeth and he stutters a little bit as he places his hand on his heart. "I would never lie to you, my dear, or my name isn't Honest John!" Yeah, right...

[theartsynebulawhodoodles]

Wasn’t feeling drawing much today lol, so here’s some headcanons!

-Dream Sans likes to play the harp. It is soothing for him. However he likes intense and loud music, like heavy metal, since he believes it releases negative emotions healthily.

-Swap Sans has a punching bag in his room.

-Ink Sans always has a miniature container of watercolor hidden in his scarf.

-Fresh Sans likes the gaming console Gameboy.

-Error Sans secretly likes dress up dolls. Especially ones with a large section of outfits. He never will tell anyone since he thinks it would ruin his ‘scary and threatening’ persona.

-Cross Sans would not hesitate to chug down coffee, even if it’s scolding hot. He doesn’t care. Sometimes he drinks it to where steam is still coming from it and the steam travels through his eye sockets and skeleton.

-Killer Sans would sometimes dance tango. He would definitely 100% have a rose in his mouth while doing so.

-(Sorry this one’s a little sad, the others aren’t that sad) Horror Sans likes to feed others. Like a lot. Even if you don’t wanna eat, he will make you food. He still has the fears of letting his brother starve in his AU, so he makes food for everyone a lot.

-Dust Sans secretly likes the nickname “Dust Bunny”. He finds it cute.

-Nightmare Sans’s tentacles twitch when he sees someone he enjoys (platonic or romantic). For example, if he sees someone he likes his tentacles twitch and whirl around similar to some creatures with tails do when they are happy. He doesn’t know why he does so.

-Epic Sans would always be a cookie for Halloween. No matter if it’s a group costume. He would still be a cookie.

-Geno’s favorite animal is an arctic fox. He likes how swift and pretty they are.

-Reaper Sans had once touched something/made something that didn’t die and was so happy he kept it sealed away and hidden in his cloak.

-Outer Sans’s favorite snack would be pocky. He would just eat pocky while looking at the galaxy skies.

-Fell Sans secretly watches animation memes. No reason why I think this. I just do.

-Color had tried using his colored flame things to color his outfits. Instantly regretted it.

-Dance Sans eats soup with a very large cooking spoon.

-Ocean (or pirate sans) loves mermaids. He sometimes sings at night while all the crew mates are asleep to try to see if a mermaid would respond.

-Bird Sans sometimes like to fly in lazy loops for hours. Papyrus has to get him to stop by flying up to him and getting him out of the cycle of it.

-Lust Sans sometimes likes to visits florists and learn about flowers. His favorite is hydragena.

THANK YOU ALL FOR SO MUCH SUPPORT! I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!