#from a completely neutral point of view I think it’s very reasonable to hate on a ship or a character etc

[marauderingminnie]

So much of the current marauders fandom controversy wouldn’t even exist if people just tagged their posts right 😭😭

[kjhbsies]

Preview: The Disaster Zone

Roomate!Abby Anderson x reader

Synopsis: Living with the hottest girl wasn't that bad, right? Except that she was completely straight and has a boyfriend you hate.

note: if you want to be tagged in this fanfic, please let me know in the comments down below!

full fic

Sweat prickled from your forehead, trickling down your face, and across your neck and you almost yelled in frustration at the feeling of getting overstimulated over everything. You sighed irritatingly, trudging your way outside of the apartment you just viewed. 

One week before the class starts and you still haven’t got a place to live and stressful is such an understatement to say. No, it’s much more than that. You never thought that finding a decent place to stay for two semesters wasn’t hard but no — it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and the needle was just a reasonably priced apartment with no angry roommates. 

You grumbled, laying your head on the couch of your bedroom. You pulled out your phone, scrolling through the listings of the apartments available, feeling the stress building with each rejected option. 

But to your luck, you stumbled upon someone’s ad. It was a nice, cozy place that was perfect in size for two people. Her name was Abby Anderson, her last name was quite familiar but you couldn’t pinpoint where you heard it. Her place looked promising enough, and the reason she was finding a roommate was that she couldn’t pay all the house bills by herself. Under that, there was a deadline — which was supposed to be today, so you mindlessly hit the ‘call’ button with no second thought.

“Hello?” Abby’s voice came through the other line, her voice was deep and businesslike.

“Hey, uh, I saw your ad for the apartment,” You replied while nibbling through your fingertips.

“Oh, great. Are you interested in visiting it?” She asked, her tone was still cool and detached.

“Yes, please, I need it so bad.” You bit your lips while nervousness came through.

“Alright. Let’s set up a time, then. Are you free this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“Great. I’ll send you the address.” She said before hanging up quickly.

You stared at your phone for a minute, finding the interaction a bit… awkward. A sense of relief washed over you as the thought of finally finding a place to stay for the whole academic year was done, but something about Abby made you feel anxious. Her coldness scared you for a second — even if you just talked to her for a couple of minutes. 

But no, you promised yourself that this was the last time you’d reject a place because of a bad roommate. So you don’t have a choice but to go. 

Arriving at the address, you knocked at the door thrice. Seconds later, you saw the Abby Anderson. You gulped, taking in her features. She was tall, stoic, and… unimpressed. She was wearing a simple black shirt that perfectly hugged her toned body, making you gawk mentally. Her eyes bore into yours, looking at you from head to toe. Something inside Abby’s mind twitched as she did not expect how good you looked. But she immediately strayed away from that thought, minding no attention to it. 

“Thanks for coming. I apologize for my appearance — I just got off the gym.” She says in a neutral voice, opening the door wide open. “Come on in.” 

“It’s fine.” You said before stepping inside. 

The apartment was bigger than you expected — much bigger than the photos she uploaded. The furniture was complete and the choice of its design was very intricate and extravagant — you wondered if she bought it all with her money. Maybe she spent her money buying decorations which is why she couldn’t pay the house bills.

The huge windows perfectly let the sunlight in, casting a warm glow through the whole place. You admired how neat it was, and how everything was in place. Not even a small piece of trash in sight. As Abby showed you around, pointing out every amenities and quirks of this place, you couldn’t help but admire her silently. 

“So what do you think?” She looked back at you suddenly, making you snap out of a trance.

“Oh! Uh, yeah, I like it.” You shot her a smile. “This was much better than all of the places I’ve checked.”

Abby nodded, taking your answer without further comment or questions. I looked away, feeling nervous at the closeness between you two. With the whole three hours of you and her in just an enclosed space, Abby did not look at you. Something about your presence makes her uncomfortable and she did not know what that is. 

But then she looked at you for the second time, taking a couple of minutes to stare at your features without you knowing. Abby did not know why it was so hard for her to accept that you were pretty. No, you were something more than that. And she did not know what that was, or what was doing to her that was making her heart churn.

“Damn it,” Abby looked away and cursed under her breath.

You snapped your neck to stare at her. “What was that?” You asked.

“Nothing. It seems like you are interested. Are you open to discussing the other details?” She said, gesturing at the couch.

And just like that, the deal was done. 

And oh, that was one month ago. 

You and Abby are still living with each other. But all of your admiration for her was over.

She has a whole-ass boyfriend. 

And she’s straight as hell.

Now, you hate each other to the core. 

[liketwoswansinbalance]

In the modern publishing landscape, these days, I think like we do not have many (if any) point-of-view characters with low social motivation for whatever reason.

Sure, there are lots of characters with social anxiety or other perceived or legitimate foibles to overcome, there are many YA villain origin stories, and there are many unpalatable, traditionally "unlikable" men in classics, but disregarding those, who else do we have?

Can the state of openly being alone (and content) rarely be presented as morally-neutral or as the end result of a narrative? Must it always be that either being alone is the starting point, so there's room for "personal growth," or that being alone is seen as "undesirable" and/or an indication that the person alone has a "problem" or something otherwise wrong with them, like a deficit or moral failing that in some kind of karmic way gives them "what they deserve," which is being alone and discontent with it?

Characters with society anxiety, any differences in communication, or other reasons that interfere with forging connections "don't count" because they may still be motivated. Traits such as these only stand in the way of gaining relationships, as plot obstacles. They aren't intrinsically tied to indifference or to low motivation. So, these characters clearly are not experiencing a lack of interest. And they are not the ones rejecting others. Thus, they "don't count" as far as the archetype that I'm looking for goes.

Characters who undergo villain arcs or otherwise negative arcs may want to maintain their relationships or gain them, so some examples are immediately disqualified (hence not having low social motivation), even if they are the type of character most likely to alienate themselves by a story's end, conflicting with what they wanted.

(Unfortunately, Coriolanus Snow, who is quite close to the type of protagonist I'm searching for "doesn't count" because he has some drive to keep people in his life.

Rafal Mistral partially "counts," and is satisfying as a character, but also doesn't count because he temporarily makes "friends" or allies, depending on how you look at his exploits. Yet, despite all this, not having friends isn't exactly framed as a morally-neutral state either, so he is also disqualified by the end. Basically, he does have low social motivation, but his narrative lacks the conditions that would make the natural consequences of that low motivation play out for themselves. He is always surrounded by people, even if he hates every last one of them.

And, generally speaking, the usual, moody-broody, "misunderstood" YA love-interests very easily "don't count" because they have a desire to get closer to their object of affection.

Even Katniss Everdeen, an overall good person, who usually views herself as "unlikable," befriends others, originally for pragmatic, survival purposes. However, she does start with low social motivation, so that's something in her favor.

And yes, I'm aware that we need other people in this world—I would just like to see someone prove that supposed truth wrong once. And perhaps succeed in their world, if that's not too much to ask for.)

Also, are there any instances of characters who progressively alienate themselves from others, in which that progression is not inherently seen as negative? Like, what about non-corrupt misanthropes? Are there few of those in literature? (Maybe—Eleanor Oliphant from literary fiction counts, but something about that book did not appeal me and I didn't finish it.)

Classics guys sort of "count," but I haven't really seen examples of any comparable protagonists today since many authors and readers write and look for "relatability" in blank slate everyman figures oftentimes.

(I'm not done with Crime and Punishment yet, but Raskolnikov is very tentatively looking like a safe bet for a character who may end up alone and who may not be completely malcontent over such a fate, even if I'm expecting tragedy. I'm that not far along, but I also wouldn't mind it too greatly if he died, I suppose.

And even Sherlock Holmes has Watson as his constant, even if he's notoriously asocial! So he "doesn't count" either.

Carol from Main Street also comes close, but still ultimately desires approval from others.

Maybe no one is truly immune to humanity and I should give up on this notion?)

How many pov characters out there are 1) apathetic toward the masses and 2a) either alienate themselves as the plot progresses or 2b) do not make any friends? (I will allow them making friends and consequently losing them though because that still ends in net zero!)

Indeed, this "gap" in protagonists I've been running into lately, especially with coming-of-age arcs and protagonists whose arc is some form of "getting out of their shell," is: why do we (almost?) never see protagonists who just flat-out don't progress in terms of connecting with fellow humans?

Wouldn't having even a handful of those types be reflective of reality? (We as a society are more disconnected than ever, to be fair, despite constantly having access to one another via technology.)

Or I would completely understand it, if it were narratively impractical to have a plot in which a protagonist makes zero friends. Maybe, it's a near-unwritable form for a story?

So, my question is: does anyone have book recommendations, which present a character whose end goal is not to make friends or forge connections (any other ambitions or motivations are fine) and whose state of being friendless both lasts and is regarded as morally-neutral or as not outright evil? Any genre is fine. High fantasy is preferable. I am stumped.

(I also wouldn't mind recommendations of books in which the protagonist is vilified due to being alone, even if that is not my primary query here.)

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

Hello resident Eridan expert! 0u0 I was wondering if you thought he might get on well with Aradia? Thank you for your time!

Actually yes! In moderate doses. After Eridan's character development. The list I like to keep of his platonic friends, from most to least close to him, is like.

Nepeta -> Dirk -> Feferi -> Vriska -> Aradia -> Other

So I already talked about how he and Nepeta seem like they'd actually make for really good friends - the Heart player who can't help but see the good in him, and Eridan liking nice people and the fact that the two of them have a lot in common. I've also made mention before about how I think he and Dirk would have an extremely lethargic, almost transactional bro-ship where they sometimes beat each other to death. A completely neutral friendship, where they do not make each other better OR worse, they just help each other take the edge off the Prince Ennui. Using extreme violence.

He and Feferi are also not so different, and, honestly, they're childhood friends. She's pretty fond of him, and he's TOO fond of her, but after his character development and he fully gets over her, I think they'd be perfectly decent friends. He and Vriska have much the same deal, but I think their personalities mesh slightly worse than his and Feferi's.

If you're wondering why Kanaya isn't on this list, it's because she hates his dumb ass and always has. I think Eridan thinks he's really good friends with Kanaya. Kanaya has literally never respected Eridan even a little bit. Same with Rose. It's really funny.

So Aradia is kind of the last person out of the characters that I think I'd emphatically call "Eridan's Friend." Everyone covered in "other" tends to be people who are everybody's friend (like John) or basically tolerant of his behavior in small doses (like Dave).

With Aradia specifically, there's a few factors to consider; first of all, she has a pretty negative view of highbloods in general, calling them "hateful sn0bs" at one point. She's a lot more tolerant as the stewardess of the afterlife, because Alternia's gone and everyone else is dead, but I think it should still stand that she'd be sensitive to anti-casteist sentiment, since casteism colored so much of her life back when she was, y'know, alive.

But the reason I think they'd work as friends is because Aradia has a bluntness and straightforwardness about her that happens to mesh well with Eridan's suite of issues. He's actually fairly easy to manage if you're fully honest with him and set and maintain very clear boundaries, because he doesn't catch social cues, but also doesn't really see naked hostility, bluntness, or aggression as bad things.

And Aradia can be viciously sarcastic, but her natural tendency is to be very blunt and honest and call things the way she sees them. This means that if she's ever too annoyed by Eridan, she will let him know that as bluntly as humanly possible, and then happily fuck off, with Eridan generally no worse for the wear (although he may have a negative reaction in the moment. But Aradia's self-possessed enough to not really give a shit as long as she's not in the wrong).

The main issue between them is that I think Aradia would believe Eridan IS a nasty, casteist highblood, unless somehow given reason to interact with him for an extended period of time. Eridan didn't really talk to the lowbloods, and the two generally had no reason to interact, so she'd basically have no reason NOT to believe him when he starts spewing bullshit. Moreover, Eridan's the type of aggressive idiot that would outright admit that if they'd FLARPed together, there was every chance she'd wind up orphaned or dead (this is just a neutral fact to him), and then comment that maybe it wouldn't have mattered because she wound up dead anyway (again, just a neutral observation to him). Writing Eridan mostly consists of coming up with words that make you cringe.

Aradia is smart enough that I think any extensive conversation or time spent with him would make her realize how performative his casteist stuff is, and how little he actually cares about blood color. Since she generally never had reason to interact or care about him before (not even her friends are friends with him), this would pretty much shift her opinion from "idgaf about him, seems like a snob like the rest of the highbloods" to "oh... he's funny as hell. what's wrong with him".

Once she figures out that he genuinely doesn't mean any harm or offense by the awful dumb shit he says, I think she'd be willing to engage with him on mutual interests (they both FLARPed, so they're presumably both roleplayers, and they could probably bond over death - something Eridan is unfortunately obsessed with and Aradia doesn't have many discussion partners over). Emotionally, she'd probably keep him at arm's length - he has a lot of Issues and Problems, and she's not really interested in helping him handle them (she doesn't really bother with trying to cheer people up on the bubbles so much as just explaining what they can do now that they're dead, and letting them make their own decisions). Not that she isn't a nice person, but I do think it'd just be kind of difficult for her to have too much sympathy for a guy whose problems were largely caused by being too aristocratic.

But, like, she would also pretty happily call him "her friend," because she always cuts it short when it gets too real for her, minimizing her negative experiences with him. I think eventually, like training a dog, Eridan would figure out that Aradia is just Not The Friend For That, so it'd become less of a problem as time goes on.

She thinks he's ridiculous and funny, calls him up when she wants to infodump on someone and her usual buddies aren't around, and I think they'd play good DnD together with Nepeta and Vriska. Yeah I know Vriska killed her but she killed Vriska so they're even. The energy at the table is deeply weird but Eridan wouldn't notice and Aradia would get a kick out of it, leaing poor Nepeta to suffer it alone.

Anyway, I love that Eridan's assortment of platonic friendships is so haphazard. Nepeta AND Feferi, who hate each other. Vriska AND Aradia, who killed each other. And also Dirk is there. He's the DM.

[river-of-wine]

I hate the attitude that so many people in the RDR2 fanbase have that gun = strong. When discussing the women - Abigail, Molly and Mary specifically here because they are who I was talking about when I was told these things - who are, to me undoubtedly, strong women who withstand horrible circumstances, I am told that no, actually, they’re not strong. Only women like Sadie are strong, or maybe Miss Grimshaw, on a rare occasion Karen, but always Sadie, because Sadie has a gun and she kills people with it.

I know I pin a lot of things on misogyny in this fanbase, but in a gaming space mostly full of men, you’re going to see a lot of it, and the way men and some women who like Sadie discuss her has always reeked of it to me. They reduce her down to only being a gun, taking away the actual depth and emotion of her character in favour of seeing her as one of the men, because she wears boy clothes and has a gun and she’s nice to Arthur, so she’s cool. Not like Molly who cries all the time and wants to die, not like Abigail who’s doing everything for a man, who aren’t strong at all despite what they have been through because they never go on a shooting spree, which as we know is the only thing that makes a woman strong.

The way Sadie is viewed by these people also completely diminishes the person Sadie actually is. I have so often found that Sadie is only held in such favour by certain men in the fanbase because she is the easiest woman to turn into a man, as it were, or they’re attracted to her. She dresses like them, spends most of her time around them, kills lots of people like them, and she’s still very pretty, so if you only value women for fitting in with men or for how attractive you find them, Sadie is the perfect candidate. She challenges plenty of men, but not Arthur, so she’s a good one, and she’s even got a more neutral stance on Dutch, so she’s doubly a good one, because now she’s not angry with the cool leader either.

This is not to say Sadie gets no hate. She absolutely does, and it’s all as unwarranted as you’d expect. Sadie has established skills with her gun, she’s going to be skilled with it when she picks one up, her and her husband shared the work as she says. She is rash and she has a short fuse, but her husband was murdered and she’s not going to be at all calm about that. Her final mission is optional. If you don’t want Arthur to go on that, don’t make him. She got a lot of people killed unnecessarily. She’s flawed, she’s very, very flawed, and she’s also not the only character to cause the deaths of innocent people during the game. But just as much as overly criticising her behaviour and looking at no motivations or reasoning she might have had, treating her more critically than you would the men, reducing her down to her flaws is an unfair view of her character, so is reducing her down to a generic cool woman character with nothing happening besides guns and chest, because that’s apparently all women are good for to plenty of the men in the fanbase.

The point of this ramble is just that Sadie is more than her gun, she has a whole personality in there, and while I do think it’s a shame that the entirety of her character was hinged on her revenge until the epilogue since it gave us quite a limited perspective on her, we still get to meet her properly when the epilogue comes around and she has mostly gotten over her grief. Sadie isn’t just a gun and her strength doesn’t just come from her killing lots of people, and there is no lack of strength in Molly, Abigail and Mary because they either kill very few people or none at all.

The strength these women have does not come from the bodies at their feet. Arthur Morgan isn’t a strong man because he kills people. Why is that only a condition for the women? Why does Abigail coming from being a teenage sex worker, a dangerous industry at the best of times, to a very young mother trying her best to keep her family together, to give her son a better life than she had not constitute as strength? What about that does not make her a strong person? Same for Mary, same for Molly. Both went through a lot of abuse, Mary did all she could to protect her brother and Molly’s drove her off such a frightened, paranoid edge, leaving her convinced everybody in the gang who she already knew weren’t the biggest fans at her were laughing at her, and yet she still went through multiple sessions of being sweater by the Pinkertons - who, I’ll remind you, treated Strauss rough enough to kill him - and didn’t say a word. How aren’t they strong?

They don’t have guns. Abigail kills Milton, but he’s a character you 100% hate by now. Mary and Molly never kill anybody. If your one condition for a female character being cool and strong is they shoot a lot of people, these three don’t fit that, but if that’s your condition for the women, that says more about you. Stop using Sadie Adler to back up your misogynistic feelings about the other women, she’d hate that

[averageallogene]

After the battle against Osial and urged on by Paimon, Lumine tracks Xiao down to confess her feelings, only to find him on a family outing with you, his wife and your son.

Xiao ♡⊹˚  Couldn’t have known [SFW]

fem. reader (3rd person) ; don't know whether to tag this as angst, or fluff, or both??? It just depends on the perspective I suppose. Xiao and reader are married. Cw. for unrequited feelings of a third party.

5k words.

notes. Poor Lulu, it's okay babygirl I'll try to do you justice on another drabble in the future <\3. But at the same time I got to give Xiao some semblance of peace with wholesome family time so I suppose I can take the heartbreak. Hope you enjoy ✧˖°.

The wounds within the nation were still fresh. The Harbor was on edge, its people doing the best they could to return to everyday life as part of the destroyed homes had already begun reconstruction. If before the battle with Osial the fatui were at the very least viewed as neutral, they were now deeply hated by every Liyue citizen, the organization being completely shut off from the outside as some people even resorted to physical violence as a response for their involvement with the tragedy. 

Suffice to say, Liyue was still shaky. Their God was gone as far as most knew, and the Qixing was the top of the food chain now. And despite having averted the crisis fairly well, most couldn't help but wonder, would they be able to protect them as well as Rex Lapis had? Some were hesitant, whilst others clung with the hope that it would be smooth sailing from there. After all, even if their God was gone, his adepti still remained, as well as the now hailed Hero of Liyue. They would be safe. 

Lumine hadn't quite gotten used to the flair of being hailed a hero still - after all, her primary reason for being there was to look for her brother, simply having stumbled upon more chaos that she was shoved into without her being fully aware. Even still, she knew better than to have turned her back on an entire nation on the verge of crisis, and so she had stayed and stuck around far longer than what she would've initially liked. It wasn't all for naught, though - she met new wonderful people, got to know more of the world of Teyvat and its customs and cultures. She got to hone her skills and become stronger, as well as, as her gut told her, take a step forward towards the truth. 

Among the many she had met, one had seemingly stuck around in her mind - Xiao, the lonesome Conqueror of Demons that would mostly stick around Wangshu Inn. Admittedly he'd been rather curt at first, yet it soon became obvious he carried more on his shoulders than what he would admit. And on that, as well as other things, Lumine found herself relating to him. It was slow progress, but Xiao had begun to open up as well, leaving her small cracks from which she could peek into. It was as though he was testing the waters, seeing if she would find him repulsive or unapproachable. He wasn't, not to her. 

He had been there for her, during the confrontation with Osial. It had been perhaps one of the only times thus far on her journey where Lumine had truly felt like she wouldn't make it, were it not for the aid of her allies. It had been a day filled with raw emotions, amplifying them beneath the surface and under the obvious threat from which they had lived through. And it was only after the fact, when she had taken some time to rest and ponder, that the emotions began to set, carving themselves into stone.

"I think it's quite obvious what needs to be done." Paimon had placed her hands on her hips, hovering close to her face as she gazed upon her with narrowed eyes.

"Oh? What are you talking about, Paimon?" Lumine feigned ignorance, an eyebrow being raised as she made a last ditch effort to avoid the topic.

"Don't play dumb with me, missy! I know you very well, you know?" The fair haired fairy pointed her finger to her, before shaking her head. "It's obvious you're head over heels over the lonesome adeptus Xiao. And the last thing I wanna see, is my companion regret not confessing her true feelings."

Well, she had to give it to Paimon. She could be simply and only driven by food, sure, but she had a more keen eye than what Lumine had really thought. 

The traveler huffed with a weak laugh, her head shaking. "No no, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?!" She seemed utterly flabbergasted. "Wait, you're not even denying it-"

"What if I make him uncomfortable?" She thought aloud, eyebrows furrowing. "Or, let's say that I do manage to confess. What then? I can't expect him to leave Liyue behind."

"No one has to leave anything behind. We can always periodically return to Liyue Harbor while we travel!" Her flying companion suggested, her head nodding at her own proposal. 

She watched as Lumine seemed to consider that idea, a small sigh leaving her lips as she pondered over her options. As a seasoned adventurer, she had to, along her journey, learn to always consider the less favored outcomes an option. Were she to be rejected, she and Paimon would simply have to haste their move to their next nation… Yet, the idea of it not ending like that… It alone seemed to be enchanting enough for her to, in the end, decide to go forward with Paimon’s proposal.  

“It’ll go well, trust Paimon on this one!” She kicked her smaller feet in the air, her eyes sparkling with great hope for her companion. She helped Lumine pack before they were to head off to Wangshu Inn, the hailed Hero of Liyue feeling nervous for the first time in a little while. “There’s no way it won’t end well, Lumine! After all, you’re downright perfect!”

She couldn’t have known. Paimon couldn’t have known, either. It honestly was something even most adepti didn’t know of - it was something Xiao kept close to his chest, only a select few knowing about that side of him. He cared naught for finding a partner, never had in the eons he’d existed for. He saw no need. 

That was, until he had met [F/N]. A mere mortal, yet one he loved with his whole being.

It had been rough to come to terms with his emotions. It had been rocky, a steep climb for  [F/N] to be allowed in; yet somehow, she had managed to reach the peak, finding at the end of her journey a side Xiao would only reveal to her - it was always present, in the way he gazed upon her, his golden eyes reflecting the warm sunset that would bathe them each dusk that she visited him in Wangshu Inn. It was always present, in the way his gloved hand would hold her own, delicately, almost afraid to break her as if she were made of porcelain. He wasn’t one to outwardly express his emotions, yet the silence with him had felt comforting. It felt like a safe haven, Xiao finally finding a semblance of peace each time [F/N] would bless him with her presence. 

He was very well aware of the fleeting existence mortals led. It broke him each time he thought about it, yet, as [F/N] had asked him of, he’d always tried to think instead of the present. Even still, it was always something that had been at the back of his mind, ever since he’d finally accepted his emotions, and allowed her into his life. It gave him all the more reason to ensure she was safe, that only those who he could truly trust knew of her existence - for, when he couldn’t be there, they would ensure she wasn’t in danger. 

And this worry only doubled when [F/N] had confided in him that she, indeed, was carrying his child. Well, it had certainly been a surprise, and Xiao… He at first panicked. He had never thought about ever loving someone, let alone creating a little one alongside another. It took a lot of talking, a lot of gentle touches and hugging. But in the end, like everything else with his [F/N], Xiao knew it would be okay. 

On that lovely day, [F/N] and their youngling had waited for him by the Inn, their usual room ready and waiting for them. By that point, the boy was only two, yet he already showed so much life and personality that it never failed to knock the wind out of his father. As per usual, Smiley Yanxiao would, exclusively, allow [F/N] access to his kitchen so she could cook food for her little boy, as well as her husband who would be arriving later as he’d promised - why? Her almond tofu was simply the best, and whenever Xiao could, he’d rather eat hers than any other chef’s. And who was she to deny her diligent beloved, who worked tirelessly to defend their land? When compared to all the terrifying work and responsibilities Xiao held, a simple dish felt like child’s play. Yet he always, always cherished such an act so deeply, it felt like it was the other way around.  

[F/N] had already fed their son before Xiao had arrived, gently holding him in her arms as they walked calmly across the Inn’s upper balcony. Patting his back with rhythm, her eyes peered out into the distance, the wind blowing ever so gently across her face, eyes shimmering with the light of the sun as all was peaceful. She hadn’t even heard Xiao arrive, his figure simply appearing on the wooden rails near her, his body perfectly balanced on the small surface as his mask dissipated before either of them could see him. His face, previously scowling with the horrors he regularly faced, immediately softened upon landing on the two people he loved the most, spear neatly placed away as his feet finally touched the balcony.

“Qingxin…” He called out his beloved, watching as she turned around with the same amount of love and excitement she would always display whenever he arrived. It never failed to melt his heart.

“Xiao, you’re back!” [F/N] sighed in relief, eyes softening as she hastily made her way to him. Meeting halfway, he carefully embraced her, foreheads touching as he felt his weary body finally relax. “Welcome home, my love.”

“...Thank you.” He murmured, his lips brushing against the top of her head as his hand rested on her lower back. His words felt heavier than a simple sign of gratitude, one that ran deeper and meant far more. One that [F/N] understood far too well, but didn’t dwell on. Instead, she smiled his way, her arms still carrying their bundle of joy with care. 

“Papa!” Their young boy chirped out, his attention clearly gravitating towards his father. His little arms were already stretching out, yearning for Xiao to hold him after being apart for a long while. And while Xiao always showed hesitancy to, he never found the strength to deny his little son.

Carefully the adeptus picked his son up, the softest smile making its way to his pale face as his golden eyes gazed at his son’s. [F/N] had always stated how his son was a mirroring image of himself, and with each passing day, Xiao could deny that reality less and less. His hair color was the same deep dark green, streaks of a lighter tone along his tiny locks. His cheeks, chubby, hid away the smallest little pointed teeth that resembled his own. His eyebrows, never furrowed like his father’s, displayed the same shape and sharpness. The only thing he seemed to have picked from his mother had been the color of his eyes, the same beautiful shade Xiao could drown himself in - and even still, the eye shape had been taken from him, the same little diamond pupils staring back at him with the wonder and adoration of a pure child. His child. He still could hardly believe it. 

“It’s okay, love. Here, just like this…” [F/N] gently coaxed him, noticing how his arms trembled the slightest - mostly due to exhaustion, but always partially to anxiety. After all, what if he tainted his little boy? What of his karmic debt? Everyday he prayed such a thing would never happen, hoping he would develop some kind of resistance due to his bloodline; yet even still, it was always a possibility.

His little arms flailed around, practically leaping for Xiao’s embrace as he hugged his neck. Xiao couldn’t help but let out the quietest of laughs, holding him with more confidence under his wife’s guidance. His eyes landed on the vajra necklace he would always have around his neck, one of the many religious items he’d given the two of them in order to ward off evil when he himself wasn’t around. In truth, [F/N] did it more to ease her husband’s mind than anything, but that was something she’d take to the grave - she knew she was safe even when he didn’t stand next to them, but then again, she would never be one to go against his wishes; they were never many, anyway. 

“You must be tired. Here, come sit. I made you your favorite.” [F/N] smiled his way, signaling for him to sit at the table they would usually take. Without hesitation he followed suit, his eyes following his wife’s movements as she presented him his dish. 

“Thank you, qingxin.” Xiao murmured, his eyes softening at the sight as he could finally feel his heavy soul at ease. He took his seat, carefully shifting his son to sit on his lap whilst securing him with one arm around him - more of a precaution than anything, for the simple fact his little one did behave wonderfully most of the time.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to hold him while you eat?” [F/N] smiled, humored by the absolutely endearing sight of her husband holding their little one. The way his cheeks gained the faintest hint of color didn’t escape her gaze, yet she knew better than to embarrass her poor little adeptus. 

“No need, I can eat like this just fine.” He responded.

Or in other words, No thank you, I really want to hold our little boy like this. [F/N] already knew her lover very well despite his attempts at keeping himself at arms length for the longest time, so reading in between the lines wasn’t difficult. All she could do was nod her head, a delightful smile across her lips as she sat with them, pleasant conversation filling the air. How had their day been, where they had gone, who they’d been with… Xiao listened to it all, his leg bouncing gently, up and down, up and down, his child content with the rhythmic movement as his tiny hands rested against his arm. 

The sky was still painted in the loveliest strokes of oranges and blues upon the pair arriving at their final destination. The journey had been otherwise uneventful, only further filling Lumine with the slightest creeping anxiety as the tall Inn was seen in the distance. Surely, she had figured, Xiao would be there. It was the only place she knew he’d have any sort of roots in, and given the fact she dared not abuse her permission for calling upon him, she figured paying a visit was the next best option. 

“Come on, that’s the Wangshu Inn in the distance!” Paimon pointed, her smaller body flying across the air as her friend picked up the pace as well. Her stomach already rumbled after their trip, and truth be told, the little fairy already planned to grab herself a few plates whilst watching from the distance the scene unfold. 

“Hey, wait up Paimon!” The young woman sighed, her scarf blowing against the wind as they hastily came closer and closer to the structure. 

There were very few guests aside from the regulars, of which the owners could count with their fingers. Verr Goldet was finishing up taking care of a few details at the front desk before she heard a set of steps rushing up her stairs, her eyes gluing to the entrance of their Inn before she finally spotted a familiar figure. 

“Ah, Lumine, Paimon! What a surprise to see you once more.” She smiled kindly, her hands resting in front of her figure as the blonde woman caught her breath. “And what brings you to the Wangshu Inn tonight? Seeking to book a room?”

“Hi miss Verr-” Lumine smiled amidst the heavy breathing, both her and Verr being cut off with Paimon who happily interjected.

“Hi boss lady! Is Xiao back yet?”

“For the last time, I am not ‘boss lady’.” Verr shot her a look, to which Paimon silently apologized for. “And… May I inquire as to why you’d like to see him at such a time?”

Usually, Verr Goldet wouldn’t be one to deny them the knowledge of the Conqueror of Demons’ whereabouts; after all, they were friends and allies. However, given the company he currently had, the woman couldn’t help but wish to avert any unwanted visitors to their family time. Not to mention, she herself, as well as her husband, had gotten quite protective of [F/N] and their little one - as if, by some strange mortal bond Xiao couldn’t quite understand, they had considered them their extended family. 

“Oh… Are we intruding on something?” Paimon asked, her voice growing softer.

“Well, it’s just that, as you know, the Conqueror of Demons is a very busy adeptus.” That much wasn’t a lie. “He’s expressed his wish for visits to be limited for the time being, lest something be really urgent.” …That however, was something he himself hadn’t requested of her. 

“Oh, if that’s the case-” Lumine, being understanding as she was, attempted to avert the situation. After all, they could always ask for some of his time the following day.

“It kind of is.” Paimon however, once more, chimed in. “After all, we came all the way from Liyue Harbor for this!” She was now planting her hands on her hips once more. “Besides, we won’t take long.”

Verr Goldet’s expression didn’t falter, though she was rather ticked over how they seemed to not catch the hint. “Well, even still-”

“He’s probably upstairs, isn’t he? If not we can always call on his name. Come on Lumine, up we go!”

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” The owner was practically left to speak to the wall as they were already up the flight of stairs, her eyes widened as she sighed in frustration. Hopefully, she prayed, it wouldn’t be a big ruckus; not that [F/N] would mind, ever. More so from Xiao’s end. 

Being practically dragged up to the balcony by the suddenly overtly strong Paimon, Lumine nearly trampled on her own feet as she could feel her heart palpitate stronger and louder. The heat that rose to her face couldn’t be hidden for any longer, and all she could hope was that Xiao was there, and that all would go well. Why was she so… Nervous? She’d fought against many monsters, defeated abyss mages, aided in the saving of Dvalin and the defeat of Osial, yet how was a simple opening of her own heart causing such a ruckus within her?

The husky voice of Xiao was unmistakable as they finally reached the balcony, her head turning to her right as she took a deep breath. He seemed… To be calmer, at peace. His voice softer while still speaking in the usual tone she had grown used to. Paimon let go of her hand as she flew ahead, silent for long enough until the adventurer was able to pick up another voice - an unknown one, being a soft and female giggle. 

“Xiao! Xiao, you in here?” Paimon called out, rounding up the balcony in search of the adeptus.

In the table in which they stood, the Conqueror of Demons seemingly froze, his eyebrows immediately lowering as a smallest scowl reappeared on his face. He held his child a little tighter, his head turning to gaze to where the known voice had come from. [F/N] followed suit, her head turning before landing on her husband once more, curious over anything else whilst silently inquiring him who it could be - after all, he seemed to know who the voice belonged to. And in most other circumstances, he wouldn’t exactly mind to hear the talkative pixie nor her friend, yet when it came to such sacred time with his family… He couldn’t help but feel his mood grow sour. 

“Oh, there you are-!” Paimon chirped whilst Lumine came right behind her. However, she stopped in place, no longer approaching him. The voice died on her throat before she gazed around, her colorful eyes skipping through the two unknown people.

“...You two.” Xiao called out, his body having already turned in his chair while remaining sat still. His hands were holding his son in his lap, who too eyed them still, though his carefree expression deeply differed from the seemingly annoyance Xiao displayed. “What’s the matter? Is everything alright?”

“Ah, you’re… Accompanied…” The white haired guide seemed to have suddenly grown embarrassed, her eyebrows furrowing softly as she felt even smaller under the intense gaze the Conqueror of Demons sent their way. “...S-Sorry, we didn’t know-”

“Didn’t Verr Goldet tell you?” Xiao had let out without thinking much, his wife to his side softly muttering his name he cleared his throat. It was only then his face seemingly relaxed, gazing back at her for a mere moment.

“Are they your friends?” [F/N] smiled kindly, her hands extending briefly before taking their little boy into her arms once more. 

“...Yes.” Xiao nodded his head. The way his beloved’s face lit up was enough to melt him away, finding it outright adorable how she seemed to always… Be happy, whenever he spoke of others he held in high regard. To him it was strange, how she apparently thought it was such a big deal. 

“It’s alright, go and talk to them! We have the whole night ahead of us,” [F/N] warmly reassured him, while Xiao attempted to keep the pout from forming on his face. The last thing he wanted to do during his family time was have guests over, but since they probably had gone out of their way to get there… He didn’t want to cause a bad impression to [F/N], anyway. “We’ll stay here, since we don’t know if it’s something private. If not, just look our way and we’ll join you straight away!”

His boy seemed to agree with his mother’s statement, babbling on as they both watched Xiao hesitantly get up from his seat. The Adeptus calmly walked their way, his gaze somewhat sharper than what Lumine would’ve liked. Unlike Paimon, who was still somewhat oblivious, she had already begun to piece the puzzle together - the way he had glanced at that young woman, the way they had been sitting together, the way the little child looked so similar to him… It was difficult to think of any other possibilities. 

It was difficult to keep oneself from breaking down at the realization. 

“...Yes, Paimon, Lumine?” The traveler had been shaken out of her thoughts as his eyes bore into hers, patiently waiting for them to speak up.

“Hi Xiao,” Paimon took the lead upon Lumine taking longer to talk than what she would’ve guessed. “We didn’t know you had company, haha… So… Who are they?”

“...” It wasn’t as though Xiao himself was exactly bothered with Paimon’s general nosiness, more so he was annoyed they had been interrupted for seemingly meaningless banter. Here he was, thinking there was something wrong and his assistance was needed, actually getting up from the table where his family stood to greet them for nothing happening after the fact. 

His head turned around to gaze back at his wife, who bounced her leg up and down slightly to amuse their son as he would usually like. Their eyes met, and with the softening way in which he looked at her, [F/N] understood everything was alright. It relieved her to know so, taking the moment to get up and hold their son before approaching them with a kind and sunny smile. Paimon and Lumine watched as they approached, the little youngling’s eyes scanning them before landing on the adeptus once more, refusing to look anywhere else after the fact. Up close, it was even more undeniable who exactly the little boy was, his hair color and shape exactly the same as Xiao’s, as well as his little brows who sported a much more relaxed expression. 

“Hi! I’m [F/N]. Pleased to meet any friends of Xiao.” [F/N] spoke softly, introducing herself to the pair before her baby was wriggling in a vain attempt to jump out of her arms.

“Papa…” He shyly mumbled, his arms stretching in his direction as he seemingly didn’t give up in his pursuit of remaining in daddy’s arms. 

Lumine couldn’t help but smile weakly, even as her heart wilted. The image before her was… Adorable, she couldn’t deny that. The way Xiao’s face gained color, embarrassed by the display of affection to a crowd as his significant other attempted hushing their son from interrupting them. And despite the utter shock she felt from not only realizing Xiao had a lover but also had already formed a family, she couldn’t help but glance at them still.

“It’s alright love.” Xiao murmured, the last word barely above a whisper as his cheeks were by that point the same shade of the jueyun chili. “Here, let me hold him.”

“Ah… Sorry. He really wants daddy time, huh.” [F/N] laughed softly, carefully letting go of the boy before his arms were wrapped tightly around his father’s neck, his face nuzzling against him as he hid his gaze from the strangers. The young woman turned to the pair, who remained quiet, an apologetic smile on her face. “I apologize, he can get quite shy around new people.”

“No, don’t worry about it…” Paimon let out in struggle, the cogs inside her head nearly visible as she was rather late to the party when it came to figuring out what exactly the relation was here. 

“So,” Xiao broke the chit chat short, clearing his throat before attempting to be… More courteous. Not for himself, but for his wife. “Is there anything I can help you with? After all, you did call out my name.”

“Ah,” Suddenly Paimon remembered what the exact initial plan was, panicking inwardly as she floated rather awkwardly around Lumine. The adventurer, on the other hand, seemed outwardly calm, the forced smile on her face remaining. “Well, about that-”

“We just thought of passing by to bid our goodbyes,” Lumine finished it for her, leaving her companion quiet and Xiao somewhat surprised. “Since Liyue is stable now, we’re thinking of continuing our journey towards Inazuma.”

“...Oh, I see.” Xiao responded, tone quiet as he nodded his head gently. “Are you sure you’re ready to leave?”

“Yeah, it was… About time, anyway.” Lumine awkwardly laughed, her hand rubbing the back of her neck as she averted her gaze for a solid second. “We still have a lot of questions that need answering.”

[F/N]’s expression shifted to worry and sorrow, somewhat bummed that they wouldn’t join them for a little longer, or she wouldn’t exactly get to know personally those friends of her husband’s. More so, the concern on her face also extended further to Lumine, something in her gut telling her the young woman before her was hurting deeper than what appeared to be. Call it a woman's intuition. 

“I see. Inazuma… You’ll be far away.” Xiao thought aloud, his arms shifting gently to ensure the comfort of his son as he seemed to calm down in his embrace, lulled to sleep by his husky voice. “Still, if you ever return and need any help, you know how to seek me out.”

“Please be safe out there.” [F/N] added, a soft smile ever present on her face before her gaze jumped between them. “Still, it’s getting late for you to begin your journey back… Won’t it be best to stay the night and leave in the morning?”

“No, we’ll be fine.” Lumine shook her head, the bitterness in her tongue being swallowed as she smiled [F/N]’s way. She couldn’t hold anything against the woman in front of her - she was being nothing but kind to them. “If we get to the Harbor by dawn, all the better.”

“Ah… Alright…” [F/N] understood, still thinking of ways to help them however she could. “Would you like for me to pack you some food, though? It’s a long way back.”

Xiao couldn’t help but glance his wife’s way, his gaze softening as the smallest smile rose on his lips. He simply couldn’t have enough of her, not ever, especially when she displayed the same caring nature that had broken down his walls in the first place.

Lumine however, only wanted to leave as soon as possible. “No, it’s alright thank you. We’ll be going now, yes Paimon? Goodbye Xiao, [F/N]. Stay safe.”

And before the floating pixie could even have a word on the matter, they were already descending the stairs, the young woman’s legs sending her flying as her mind blurred to a shapeless stain. Before she even realized they were already far from the Inn, Paimon’s soft tone of voice attempting to call her back as she nervously tried to apologize, try to cheer her up, try to distract her…

It wasn’t Paimon’s fault. Neither of them could’ve known, really. She’d suggested their visit in high hopes after all, it was alright. She would be alright. After all… 

The way Xiao smiled so softly. The way he glanced at [F/N] in such a matter, the way he held the young boy with such care. He looked happy. He was happy. And even if it wasn’t with her… Lumine was sure one day, the sorrow would subside and substitute itself with happiness for him. 

He deserved it all and more.

[lemm-moxx]

Yap about the guys!!!

woahg

I feel like the T.U.A would stand as a "neutral" party within the multiverse, though highly suspicious , any outsider can't really pin anything down on them, W.D's placing great value to the T.U.A staying unknown within the multiverse. Everybody thinks they're up to something but it's pretty hard to investigate, when the space the T.U.A occupies is one in the same as the owner of the T.U.A. (that being W.D) and injuring or abducting an employee would at least create suspicions, and at worst ruin the potential for future relations. You either have to play by the T.U.A's rules to learn anything or hope nothing bad happens. Though at the time @ask-undersculpt is set they're still completely under the radar. (though I'm planning to make a comic some point in the future about when they do go public in the multiverse and the effects it has on the multiverse (also where bell comes in as a threat to the T.U.A)

More on the inner workings of the T.U.A, there's a very distinct divide between the two departments (that being the archive, and multiversal exchanges) The departments being more defined by their separate heads than W.D (though only one department is more loyal to the head than W.D) The archive is the very epitome of a toxic work environment, Price (the head of the archive) being the only reason for this. The man is a stereotypical mean girl cranked to 100. (I'm actually really temped to give him two assistants that are equally bitchy to finish the mean girl formula.) Price is inherently deeply insecure and attention seeking, and tries to remedy it by trying to degrade his employees(either to make himself feel better, or for the negative attention it gives him) and acting like a high almighty god. On top of this, Price has habit of locking onto a specific person and doing as much as physically impossible to gain positive attention from them. (he's a massive teachers pet) Despite this the archive's employees generally view Price as more pathetic than anything else. Though they still thoroughly dread seeing him and coming to work in general. Most of the employees hate working at the archive, but haven't quit due to the insanely good pay and healthcare,for sorting dusty files and artifacts. The archive is larger in both employee numbers and space they take up in the building, W.D tries to place more attention on the archive when talking about the T.U.A even though they are very much a front for the T.U.A. Most of the staff don't actually know this. Though appearing as bad as the archive the M.E dept works more like a close knit friend group. Sable though on the outside incredibly cold to his employees makes up through his actions, he regularly tries to promote a healthy work environment (and it normally works! everyone would ride or die for the man, majority of m.e employees view Sable as their employer rather than W.D) They also tend to match his stoic nature whenever clocked in outside of the T.U.A's main hub they all try to match their bosses stoic nature. The M.E dept is generally more secretive and loyal than the archive's staff. Sable tries to discourage discussion between the two departments believing staff not trained by him to be possible information leaks (though there are a few exceptions (such as Anne and Clay)) The M.E department also handles the majority of the T.U.A's dirty work. Both departments have similar opinions on W.D though, that being pretty neutral with a slight hint of fear. (excluding the department head's) Sable is as cold to W.D as he is to anyone else, he's the only person to actively criticize and judge W.D. Price on the other hand is a giant suck up to W.D, though his efforts are regularly unappreciated, the lack of praise compared to the importance W.D places on Sable within the company. This regularly drives Price insane, to the point of developing a secret obsession with Sable, believing he's trying to ruin him. I would go on but i despise typing anything ever so uh some icons i made for the incomplete roster of T.U.A staff

(and at the bottom the cordial bell and a guy that really isn't that important)

[slotumn]

A lot of people remember Golden Deer and their route for "defeating racism," and I think a lot of people think other minority characters in Fódlan should join them to further this goal.

What people completely forget though, is that a lot of those perceptions are from the perspective of the audience who finished the game and know about the characters' secrets and personal views (and the evolution thereof)

But from the perspective of other characters in-universe, I actually think it's very possible that Golden Deer comes across as the xenophobic house, especially pre-timeskip. After all, others in the universe don't know that Claude is half Almyran, so from their perspective, that actually makes Golden Deer the only house without any non-Fódlani students.

Not only that, they have two nobles from border territories that are explicitly said to fight the foreigners. Goneril is obvious, and flavor text on Edmund's battalions state that they were trained to repel foreign threats (and they're archers on top of that). Hilda, as many would predict, do hold casual prejudices on Almyrans because of this, and while Marianne never really weighs in on the issue herself, I think it's fairly reasonable that others in-universe would assume "border territory = not great sentiments on foreigners" (even if Edmund probably trades with Almyra, but then again you can trade with places you distrust and hate lol).

As for Lorenz, while he's not from a border territory, he is interested in furthering his house's standing, and talking about strengthening the border security would be a good way to do that; not to mention it's shown in canon that he respects/wants to gain points from Holst. He's also one of the Deer who would loudly give his takes and opinions about issues like this, so other students will hear him talk about how to better fend Leicester from the invaders or whatever, and they'd probably think once again that Leicesterians are fucking xenophobic. (Regardless of Lorenz's actual personal tendencies, which I don't see as being that prejudiced, but personal tendencies =/= political rhetoric and policy lines)

So yeah, you have kids from three of the prominent Leicester houses being either 1. actually personally prejudiced/racist 2. easily presumed to be racist or complacent in racism by others (like it's unfair to Marianne but that's probably what the default perception would be) 3. someone who'd loudly support/suggest border policies that at best could be easily construed as xenophobic due to pre-existing prejudices of the audience, or at worst is explicitly xenophobic.

And most importantly, Claude. The thing about Claude is that while his goal is in fact Ending Racism, pre-timeskip he never actually outright states that he is against all the xenophobia in Leicester and will to pursue policies to curb it. Yeah he implies things, and he says stuff like "never underestimate an outsider," so some might guess he has a less hardline stance on things overall compared to others of Leicester nobility, and they'd be right.

But it's all ambiguous enough that he always has plausible deniability; the stuff about "outsiders" could very well apply to, say, class instead of ethnicity. He never explicitly states anything that would make other people realize his real opinion is "actually I want to make peace with Almyra so people stop screaming slurs at each other at the border before dying." Look at his B support with Lorenz where they talk about border security; he never says anything that implies he'd rather not fight Almyra in the first place.

And as far as personal relationships go, Claude is on decent terms with a Goneril, is at least neutral on an Edmund, and okay he doesn't get along with the Gloucester but that has more to do with Leicester's internal power struggle than foreign policy.

Now, it makes sense why Claude does all this pre-TS: his standing as next leader isn't the most solid and some are suspicious of him, so he needs to stay on good terms with the people he can. But from the perspective of in-universe third parties who don't know the intricacies of Leicester politics, Claude's secrets, or the Deer's future development where they kill the CEO of Racism, I think it's totally plausible that the Golden Deer come across as pretty fucking racist.

I don't think any of this detracts from the themes of VW or the development of Golden Deer; in fact I think this strengthens it even more, because you get to see the development they go through— including on Claude's part, where he'd far more vocal and explicit about his real goals post-TS.

But I don't think it makes much sense in-universe for all the non-Fódlani characters (Petra, Dedue, Cyril, Shamir, etc) to drift towards the Golden Deer on the basis of the faction as a whole being "more accepting or understanding/less xenophobic," especially pre-timeskip. As a matter of fact, for someone like Cyril I think it's very possible that Golden Deer would be the house he's the least comfortable around. There are other reasons why these characters might like or want to join the Deer, but I very strongly doubt "lack of xenophobia" would be one.

So yeah, audience perception =/= in-universe perception and Golden Deer =/= anti-racist house to others in-universe, especially pre-timeskip.

[every-character-ever-poll]

SERIAL DESIGNATION V - Murder Drones

Credit for art to @mizodorito

PROPAGANDA (UNDER THE CUT):

I love V. I love Serial Designation V with my whole body and soul, she has a special place in my heart that nobody could ever replace. She means everything to me and i mean that when i say it. I could and will defend her with my whole being. Anything that anyone could say badly about her will never affect me or change my views on V. My love for her is stronger than it could ever be. I believe that V has never done anything wrong in her entire life and thats not an opinion its the absolute truth. While she may be a little crazy, she’s genuinely caring and will put herself in danger to help other people. She saved Lizzy from Uzi, one of her only friends which nearly costed her life. During the bus scene, she took the blame for Uzi as to why there were missing campers. She even keeps stuff about their past and origins hidden from N just because she wants to keep him safe, even if theres a chance that N may hate her for it. She may even be worried that Uzi could hurt N, which could be a reason why she’s been so set on killing her. All of her actions that would be considered cruel and unreasonable to others are reasonable to me because they all have reason. Even for all the killings that she did do have reason to them, as not only that she’s obligated to exterminate all of the worker drones on copper-9 because of jcjenson but ALSO because she needs oil to prevent overheating and dying. V is a very interesting character in general and people shouldn’t hate her because there are dozens of reasons to like her. Shes pretty and has always been one of the prettiest murder drones characters. She was pretty as a worker drone and she looks absolutely stunning as a disassembly drone. She has a wonderful personality that makes me gush over her and melt whenever shes on screen. As a worker she had a cute, shy, and sweet personality which perfectly complimented her cute look in the past; the rounded glasses and overall soft look to her character. While her old personality may be hidden or even completely gone in the present time, shes still absolutely amazing. Her “heartless” and sociopathic demeanor yet still deep down kind and caring, being able to show some empathy or sympathy when she really wants to perfectly fits her look as a disassembly drone and makes her entire character interesting and likeable. When Lizzy said at the prom that shes hot, she absolutely had a point. V is beautiful and so stunning, if she were to exist in real life i would die at the sight of her beauty. She has amazing taste in fashion as the dress she wore to the prom was gorgeous and it looked so nice on her. Her casual outfit is such a good fit too. She really is a girlboss.. NOBODY could ever love V as much as i do. Nobody.

[bbygirl-aemond]

HOTD fandom is genuinely the worst fandom I've been in, not even GOT/ASOIAF was so mean and toxic to people for no reason. People can't just enjoy things, they have a need to drag others every second, and someone always wants to start a fight and insult others over opinions. People also treat the book and the show too seriously like it's a history book/documentary about their family and they are the only ones who know what actually happened, then get mad when someone doesn't agree with them. It's just crazy.

This actually brings me to a point I've been wanting to make for a while, because I've done a lot of thinking about why the HotD fandom has so much heated conflict and disagreement. I think it's largely a consequence of how the show's been marketed. This ended up so much longer than I anticipated, so I'll put my commentary under the cut. I encourage everyone to read this even if they disagree with me on certain points within the fandom, because it's completely neutral on characters and teams and makes no moral commentary on any of them.

Humans love the idea of pack mentality. Think of how in America so many people identify so strongly with one of the two main political parties, and will straight up ignore logic and reasoning to blindly agree with members of "their" party and attack members of the "other" party. They'll understand that a politician is contradicting themselves or doing something they don't actually agree with, but they'll ignore it and support them anyways because of their party membership. They'll even extend this into adopting that questionable position themselves, just to defend their party against criticism from the other party. We love feeling like part of a group, and we tend to make it into a sense of identity that makes things intensely personal and emotional.

Making people "pick a team" leads to massive engagement, and it's an amazing marketing strategy. Think of Captain America: Civil War, and the team mentality that was fostered by the showrunners. It meant tons of people became really engaged in the franchise, because it allowed them to made their team their sense of identity. That's another fandom where people from different "teams" get really heated at each other.

But team mentality also means that any perceived attack on the group feels like a personal attack. I think this is why I sometimes get accused of attacking characters I haven't even mentioned, like when people thought I was attacking Rhaenyra for criticizing Viserys's parenting. It shows that those people view Rhaenyra and Viserys as part of Team Black, and that any attack on any member of Team Black is treated like a personal attack to them. They can't comprehend that you might disagree with part but not all of the members of one team.

This then translates into people being unable to accept criticism of any of the characters. Just like how people assume you hate their entire Team if you criticize a single member, they'll assume you hate an entire character or dynamic if you criticize some part of it, no matter how empathetically you try to do so. I've criticized Rhaenyra's decision to have bastards from a political standpoint, while acknowledging that she had non-political reasons (youth, feeling abandoned, wanting the opposite of Daemon, trust, affection) for doing what she did. And some people have had a really hard time understanding that I can criticize her while having empathy for her, and while supporting her claim to the throne.

I think this is why, like you pointed out, people act as if these characters are their family members. It's because psychologically they feel like they are. They identify with them. And because they see these characters as an extension of themselves, they feel like they alone know them better than anyone else, just like how they know themselves better than anyone else.

So this means people have a very strong emotional reaction to their favorite characters being criticized, because it feels like a personal criticism of them. It means they're more likely to seek out and attack criticisms that weren't even directed towards them. But this black-and-white mentality of with-me-or-against-me means that they will attack anyone who supports the team or character they don't identify with, because that support is taken as an indirect attack on their team. Criticizing certain characters is seen as an attack, but so is praising other characters.

This is also why we see people blatantly disagreeing with the literal creators of this content. I've seen people try to argue with GRRM, the showrunners, and pretty much every single actor/actress involved about their understanding of their own characters. There's so much hate directed towards Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke in particular just because people can't accept having a difference of opinion with them. Like it baffles me, because these are the people who should have the most authority about their respective characters. They have all the insider info from all of the possible sources, info that you very much do not have access to. How can you say you know better than them? But people see the characters as an extension of themselves, and therefore think of themselves as the ultimate authority on them, beyond reason.

This is, unfortunately, true for both Team Black and Team Green in this fandom, so it's just this escalating spiral of people yelling at each other for not having the same opinions. I also think this is why so much of the fan-created content for HotD involves either explicit or implicit self-insert characters being shipped with actual characters. The marketing of the show kind of relied on the assumption that all engagement is good engagement, which is true for getting good view counts but not great for creating a healthy fandom capable of thoughtful and civil discussions.

[riordanness]

hey dear! Can I have ‘When Emma falls in love?’ For Pjo

Hello! Hello! 

Here is my information!

Name: Anna Lee

Pronouns: She/her

Preference: Male

Age range: Any

Personality: I am an INTJ Slytherclaw, Aquarius and a Type 6 when it comes to anagrams. Lawfully Neutral. I am a huge overthinker and stress a lot with anxiety. People tell me that I can be blunt which results in people thinking that I can be cold but in reality I try to be a kind person when it is needed. I am a realist and many consider me to be intelligent, often asking me to help with their work. I’m incredibly passionate about things I like to do and have a thirst to know everyone’s opinions as I feel that if someone is left out. I’m a creative person but sometimes my brain just goes blank, I hate when it does. I have a really dry sense of humour that usually is a mix of sarcasm, fandom jokes or self degrading jokes. I'm an extremely stubborn person and have to be right about everything. From a young age, my parents were extremely strict and had expected the best out of me which resulted in me being an overachiever. I have to get things perfect or be the best at what I’m doing. I'm really sensitive, even some small harsh words are enough to make me teary. I’ve been called a crybaby because of that and to be honest, that is true. I give too much to other people since I’m afraid of saying no since what if they hate me? And I'm too scared to ask for help or to have something cause I think they will think I'm selfish and worthless. Not the best self esteem 😔 I love to listen to other people since I think not a lot of people have others that they can tell what they wish to say without getting judged or outcasted. But the problem is that I judge too easily too. As much as I want to show a good image to others and help them, I tend to focus on my own needs and how everything can affect me for the better or worse. I hate repeating things, especially in front of a big crowd. I daydream too much, my head always in the cloud. When I get excited, I speak really quickly and stumble over my words which I get embarrassed by and stop talking. I have a rosy view of how the world works—or more specifically, of the people I love. Like sometimes I point out the negative things in life but when with other people, especially those I love, I always see the goodness and beauty in everything. I am very sensitive, especially when it comes to my appearance and personality. I’m always afraid that people are constantly judging me or hate me, which is why I tend to avoid public spaces or being around people in general. When I get familiar with someone or a crowd, I’m not that afraid to state my opinion. I get jealous and possessive easily, like I mentioned my parents are strict meaning I got very few things of my own and those things only came to me because I tried so hard to get it. So when I see someone else with it, it just irks me off. I always make plans but I know I’m not going to complete them, I just like to imagine the future if I actually had motivation and energy to accomplish things. I can never start new things while completing old ones. I am also the oldest child and have 4 younger ones, another reason why I stress too much. I don’t think I mentioned this, but I get angry really easily. The slightest mistakes just pisses me off. I suck at short talks and starting conversations, it’s much easier to have lengthier conversations. I can never do presentations, I always get too nervous. Plus, my friends say my voice is really soft so no one ever hears me much, especially since I’m uncomfortable. When I get angry, my judgement is clouded. I am terrible at holding grudges. I would be upset at someone but the second I see them again, I feel normal and happy in a way. Probably said this before, but I’m a huge day dreamer and stubborn. I can’t concentrate on my work because I always get distracted and daydream about things I will never have. I normally appear composed but have a fiery temper. I really want to be a lawyer. My parents never let me use the internet much as a kid so I pretty much live under a rock but I am incredibly book smart. 

Looks: Half-Korean and Half- White. I’m slightly chubby and curvy with a pear-shaped body (Double D cups). Upon seeing me, many people point out my eyes which are hazel with slight flecks of many colours such as green and amber being the prominent ones. Almond eyes that are doe-like and slightly turn up at the end but barely noticeable. I have a button nose and thin heart shaped lips. My face is round and my eye shape is almond. I am approximately 5’3. Two small moles are fixated on my right cheek and underneath my lip. Long dark brown hair that almost appears black but that solely depends on the lighting. My hair reaches my hips and is kinda wispy at the end. It’s usually on a ponytail with a few strands framing my face. My clothing style tends to be anything comfortable and classy. I prefer to wear black and colours that are darker, you will never find me wearing orange or neon colours. 

Likes: Chocolate, Anime, Music, Food, Being right about something, Reading, Drawing, Strawberries, Smell of Rain, Sleeping, Being the Best, Baking and cooking (even tho I’m not that good at it)  Daydreaming, Murder Mysteries, Romance, Long walks, Making Ocs,  Fiction, Name hunting, Suits, Me, Pinterest, Spicy food, Sweets, Lavender and Indicolite, Aesthetics, and Flower Languages.

Dislike: Loud noises, Jerks, Prejudice People, Slow Walkers, People who chew loudly, Getting look down on, Insects, Studying, Fake People, Self-pity, Getting below 90% in a test, Snow, Overlysweet things, Going outside, and the feeling where your brain is blank and can’t tell what you feel like, Doing nothing all day and Tomatoes

Love Language: Physical Touch and Quality Time

Ideal Type: Pretty Eyes. Will always be there for me and not afraid to speak their mind. Honest and loyal. Someone I can call her best friend, I can be weird around them and they won’t mind at all,Yet they would still help me see the light at the end of the tunnel and tell me it’s okay, that everything is gonna be okay. I wouldn’t like ‘innocent’ people nor ‘kind’ people cause I feel like I won’t be able to connect with them based on my morality level. Will be attentive to my needs. Not necessarily loud but not quite, somewhere in between. I want someone who I can feel okay around, as if everything was fine. Someone who would help carry a burden with me, we are together in everything. A type of person who would wait for me when I’m tying my shoelaces. 

Congratulations on the 400!

hii anna lee! tysm for this,, i instantly got my answer who’s i was reading and it’s clear as day to me that your ship is…

you + jason grace !!

you guys totally understand each other, both of you are a little bit too strict with yourselves and are overachieving, but when you’re together you can both take down those walls and just be yourselves. you both have the same kind of dry humour, but can easily switch between jokes and deep discussions. he’s your best friend, but he’s also your confidante. you just get each other. you both have the same love languages and you’re an a soy sucker for his pretty sky blue eyes.

here’s y’all’s playlist,, hope you like it <3

reading and daydreaming with jason grace

[destinygoldenstar]

Why I Don’t Want To Talk About RWBY Again

Yes. She decided to show her face again.

And she will probably instantly regret it.

So, this isn't usually the media I talk about. However, I addressed it in my post 'Is Screen Time An Issue For A Character', where I talked about multiple media to gain a wider perspective on a solid critique point to figure out where this possibly came from? And in terms of the RWBY-related stuff I said there, I got... some honest, fair, completely non-personal attacking feedback. No personal attacks whatsoever.

I thought 'okay, maybe I am wrong' if everyone is so insistent that I am 'incorrect' and what they're saying is 'facts'. We all make mistakes. So I decided to rewatch the show in it's entirety and actually see Volume 9 for myself. I actually hoped that maybe I was wrong and they were right and I could see this show for the masterpiece that it is...

Uh, short answer: Not really...? For the most part, the points I made in the past are still how I feel. (I just didn't word it very well in that post. I'll take the L for that one)

I'm disappointed I learned nothing too. I really wish I did.

Okay, so for my background, I jumped on the train of this show just about a month or two before Volume 6 came out. I got it recommended from a classmate in school who was obsessed. And I thought it was... okay.

And then I got bullied and harassed by the person for the remainder of the school year. Cause I DARED not said it was a masterpiece.

(Yeah, this is a running trend for me)

But with every new Volume from there, I rewatched the show as background noise for homework, to the point where I've at least rewatched it 5-6 times, maybe 7 including this rewatch. But with every rewatch where I actually noticed certain details... the certain volume would get a little worse. (Except for one case)

Maybe it's because I'm a jerk. I've been called that more than once.

Maybe it's because Celtic Phoenix's rewrites of the show are a thing. But that’s also a topic for discussion here.

But I know the exact point when I abandoned the show for over two years. When Volume 8 came out.

It was... it was a miserable viewing experience for me. And for me, this was my last straw with the show and I fell to the dark side. There were so many production problems where I could see why it turned out the way it did. There were so many decisions with the plot that I did not agree with.

And the biggest reason why I left. And this is a thing that's been consistent anytime I engaged with the show in any way. And the reason WHY I don’t feel safe talking about this show.

The fandom is terrifying.

It's not as bad as the Dhar Mann situation, I don't think, but it's still a nightmare to engage with.

There are so many toxic entitled people online that feel the need to bully and harass anyone who says ANYTHING about the show that isn't 'I think this was handled perfectly'. You say anything even slightly neutral, or even hint that you may not think perfection, you will get cyberbullied.

And I MEAN THAT when I say cyberbullying, you get personally attacked, you get cursed at a lot, you get accused as homophobic and misogynistic, and you get double bullied and ganged up on when you ask for feedback towards you to be impersonal and focused on the work itself. There is NO breather to this.

People just really love to attack every single being they can find. Over a CARTOON.

If this was some real life documentary or something, then I would get it.

But this is a FICTIONAL SHOW.

It's very unwelcoming and it's miserable for people like me to engage with these people as a result.

NO, I AM NOT SAYING EVERYONE IS LIKE THIS. I'm sure there are still good civilized decent people in this fanbase. But the ones that are like that are the loudest.

There's also a 'hate-fandom' spawned. Which I also despise cause it's basically just the same thing but the opposite approach. And why are you even tearing apart something as sport? That's sick. Do something else with your time. Do literally anything else.

You have to pick a side.

Either you love the show, if you don't you're a horrible person.

Or you hate the show, if you don't you're a horrible person.

THIS is the real reason why I left the show.

And the fact that I'm even daring to say this guarantees that I will get backlashed.

At least I anticipate that this time. (But I'm just gonna ignore this behavior and I will only respond to people who keep things impersonal and just focus on the content. I don't care if you have a valid point against what I say, if you personally attack me or anyone else, and act like you know me, I won't listen to you. It doesn't make you better than me, it's cyberbullying.)

For the sake of this rant post, I am OPTING OUT of the idea that 'I have to love the show or hate the show'.

I'm a neutral saying my perspective as a neutral.

And I will say that as long as you're not a cyberbullying racist/sexist/homophobic piece of garbage, your opinions towards this show is VALID in my book.

If you think this is the best show of all time, that's VALID.

If you think this is the worst show of all time, that's VALID.

If you disagree with either of those two statements, then you can leave my post right now.

I am not going to take either side, as I really don’t want to. I am not the type of person to be openly happy all the time, as when I feel any emotion at all I will say it. And I am not going to hide my emotions to make other people happy. That’s not who I am.

But I also don’t want to be seen by the public as a hardcore complainer for that. Spending all your time whining is just exhausting and tiring and unrewarding, when you could be doing literally anything else, and healthier stuff, with your time. I should know. I used to criticize Dhar Mann videos. While those were worth critiquing it cause multiple mental health problems for me. So I stopped and did other stuff with my life.

So really, if I were to pick a side, either one, it would be doing injustice to my character. And the fact that people have to be split in fandom sections for a single show is insane. I’d be harassed endlessly no matter what.

And harassment like this over a cartoon is just not worth it. Even if you try to calmly explain yourself and defuse a fight, you’re not gonna be heard. They’ll just keep arguing until you reluctantly confess to their side. Which is gaslighting.

And this is a both sides issue. So you know. Again, I’m not picking sides when I say this.

This is not a ‘this side good ; this side bad’ issue.

At that point it has nothing to do with the show itself, or a rewrite of said show that some people made.

Fixing RWBY, that rewrite project on YouTube, is not immune to criticism. It’s not better than the original show. It’s not worse than the original show. It’s just a thing that exists. Like all rewrites do. This whole project is just a group of people approaching a story in their own writing style, like fanfiction tends to do. It’s really just a group of artists and writers coming together to play around and have fun.

So obviously that makes this project a crime against nature and a product made out of pure evil spite. /s

FIXING?! FIXING a show? HOW MALICIOUS CAN YOU BE?! YOU DARE IMPLY THAT YOU THINK THE SHOW ISNT PERFECT AS IS?!

Now, take note, I myself HAVE seen the entirety of this fan project. I have my own problems with it, and it certainly did not fix everything. But I can also safely back up that SOME PEOPLE are fat liars with their critiques on this project.

There’s being critical, and there’s lying.

That’s it. That’s all I’m saying about certain users. Because this isn’t really a ‘one person is entirely to blame’ problem so I don’t want to pin blame on one user.

And the worst part about all that is that it’s one thing to be a critic towards anyone’s work, you know, looking at their work and giving feedback. It’s another to act like this is personal.

It stops being about the show and more about throwing around accusations on people as though you personally know them.

News flash: ten to one, you don’t.

And it’s not just me. There are multiple blog users and YouTubers who said their peace on this and said the same things I’m saying. People will go out of their way to personally insult and harass neutrals to make sure their point sticks and they take it to heart. Because if it’s about the person and not the work, they have to change their mind, right? No one wants to be called a gross human being after all.

That’s not how that works. This is why if you go to my blog you see me more often than not making posts about other media. Not because I think these shows are better than RWBY (I’ve criticized them plenty as well, criticisms that I think are deserved), but because I feel more welcome in their fandoms…?

I’m not gonna pretend they’re perfect, every fandom has some nasty people, but at least I’m not gonna get barraded for every single opinion I have as though my opinions over cartoons are a judgement of my real life character.

Yes people have disagreed with me and given me criticism, but at least it’s focused on what I’ve written and the flaws in my logic of writing style. An IMpersonal critique towards me. That gets more through to me than personally insulting everyone and treating everyone that isn’t you like they’re pure evil.

Even when I try to look at RWBY related tags, it’s just this exact stuff.

You say an opinion that isn’t 100% positive? BASH.

You like something about the show? BASH.

You make art of a ship someone else doesn’t like? BASH.

You try to make an analysis post? BASH.

You write a fanfiction? BASH.

You like a fanfiction of the show? BASH.

You don’t like a fanfiction of the show? BASH.

You dare title that fanfiction ‘fixing’? BASH.

Then people really love to use buzz words fir extra power. ‘Sexist’ ‘Racist’ ‘Homophobic’ and all kinds of bad words. Without ever actually hearing an explanation.

You like a certain ship? BASH. YOU’RE HOMOPHOBIC. (Never mind nobody ever said they hoped their ship was canon or said they preferred that ship over a canon one)

You think a villain character is a well written and interesting character? BASH. YOU SUPPORT TERRORISM. (Never mind there’s a difference between agreeing with a characters POV and just liking them as fictional characters)

You like a character that so happens to be male? BASH. YOU’RE SEXIST. (Never mind that no one said they should’ve been spotlight characters or anything. And the least sexist people don’t even give a shit about the gender of the character)

You don’t like this character? BASH. CLEARLY YOU DONT LIKE THE CHARACTER BECAUSE THEYRE NOT STRAIGHT WHITE MEN.

Completely ignore if the person who says the opinion actually explains WHY they don’t like the character. Completely ignore if they don’t even mention the race, sex, or sexuality of the character once in said explanation. Completely ignore if they even said they like other characters that fit those same categories as the one they didn’t like.

Completely ignore actually checking out the persons blog to see if they like other characters in anything, not just RWBY, that have some sort of diversity to them. Maybe even love those characters and praise them.

Nope. Doesn’t matter. You don’t like one character, clearly you just hate women.

CLEARLY everyone who doesn’t agree with you are dares to say why and how they personally would’ve done it is a PURE EVIL HUMAN BEING GOING OUT IF THEIR WAY TO SPITE AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. Don’t even bother hearing the person out or letting them say WHY they feel this way or WHY they changed it, (like the FRWBY writers DO in streams btw) NOPE. PURE EVIL. SOLELY BECAUSE YOU MADE A REWRITE.

It’s not like rewrite fanfiction as a concept is all about people reimagining someone else’s work into their own vision, and multiple fandoms do this with varying intents, whether it’s out of fixing a critique they had or trying a different tone or ‘what if’ scenarios or whatever. And again, multiple fandoms do this. (Hell, I did it with Total Drama’s Season 2. I don’t think that show is perfect, either. Far from it.)

But I don’t even trust myself to word this all right, so I’m case you don’t trust my word. I’ll link some people who have said the same things I’m saying but in more detail than I could ever. That way I can avoid plagorism.

Judgemental Critter and Twilight Guardian go VERY in detail of these problems. They go in depth about certain users I don’t feel comfortable talking about myself, they go in depth about how this is a both sides issue, and so much more.

Go look at both of these.

It’s all so unwelcoming and I just… can’t.

I can’t take that.

No one deserves that level of harassment over something so not worth it at the end of the day.

It’s just a show guys.

This isn’t real life propaganda.

This isn’t Election Day.

This isn’t school.

It’s a product designed for entertainment purposes.

You can feel whatever way you want to about it. You don’t deserve to be shut out for however you feel.

I am not a perfect person. That much, I will admit. I will admit to my mistakes when I recognize I make them and try to improve myself. Just like the rest of you, I’m just a normal human on the internet talking about stuff I find interest in. But I will also admit I need to get better at defending myself when I recognize something is just plain bullshit.

So… yeah. I did a poll on the possibility of me doing commentary posts to expand my blog. I already decided I’m starting that experiment with The Amazing Digital Circus’s one episode right now. But I do have a set poll for shows people want me to do commentary on. And RWBY is one of the options. If that wins, then I’d have no choice but to explain all my opinions of the show in as much detail as I could.

No one deserves to feel this unwelcomed and unsupported. Maybe I would talk about the show more if I wasn’t this scared of harassment. But nothing is worth it if it’s accompanied by that amount of bashing. It has nothing to do with the show. It has to do with the treatment of said show. That’s the worst part.

And I personally don’t want to be a part of such an unsupportive and unfulfilling environment. Especially when I can do other stuff with my life.

Maybe I will try to talk about RWBY again one day. Explain my opinions fully. As honestly as possible.

But I KNOW no matter what I’m gonna say, I will NOT be welcomed with warmth, instead with guns pointed at my head.

And to that, I’ll just say, ‘Hit me with your best shot’

*sigh* Welp, if you excuse me, I’m barricading my windows for the mob that I know is gonna come at me for the sins I have committed here.

[captain-astors]

L, R and S please? 💫

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.):

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED PROMPT SPECIFICATIONS, I WILL GIVE MYSELF AN ANEURYSM. It's not exactly a secret I get really uncomfortable when it comes to Kanou or any of the other... folks like that, but I will gladly acknowledge that he's a crucial and interesting part of the manga and plays the role of villain very well! He's multifaceted, capable of being a genuinely well-meaning person and also capable of completely setting aside all emotion to conduct his experiments. I love mad scientists, I love elderly characters that act kind of unhinged, and if it weren't for The Thing I'd probably love him.

Additionally, Tatara and Houji are actually higher up on my list of favorite TG characters, due largely to you, but I'll happily write something about them here regardless. I love their complimentary color schemes, Tatara's devotion to serving Eto and devotion to defeating Houji, both of which slowly consume him until his demise are fascinating. Houji's twisted sympathy towards ghouls, his reluctance to kill Takizawa despite knowing full-well the consequence, both of them just scratch my brain in a certain way you see.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?: The specification of "in fandom" definitely adds another element to this... I like the way the fandom treats Hori and Tsukiyama? If Ishida wasn't a coward and Shuu's character development stuck, I think they'd be my definite favorite friendship in canon as well. I also really like Kanae and Tsukiyama.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged): I like to think Hajime was an absolute menace when the Oggai weren't actively on duty. One adolescent with little to no concept of how to behave and hundreds of barely-sentient zombie children who take orders from him? Nothing is ending well.

Also because I know I can talk about Furutui to you without feeling like I'm unnecessarily dragging my odd little pairing into a post, I've said it before but I really think it's the mundane things mixed with the horror that keep them somewhat grounded. Riding the train back to their office while half-heartedly bickering over logistics, strategizing about eliminating ghouls from another district like they're in this for any reason that's nearly noble, talking over a too-large map with so many notes stuck to it that it's functionally unreadably to anyone but each other, washing liter after liter of blood out of their clothes and hair. There's an element of Furuta trying to uproot any of the stability it provides with terrible comments and awful plans he never intends to act upon unless it serves a purpose, but eventually Koori sort of figures that out. As dramatic as their atrocious relationship-not-relationship is, I really love thinking over the smaller things. They unintentionally end up learning quite a lot about each other, by simple nature of disliking the prospect of seeking out anyone else. Because at that time, from their point of view, who's there to ask anyways? And it doesn't matter how close they get, as long as they both agree they hate each other at the end of the day. That last part's just my own delusion but I like it anyways.

[bisasterbuckley]

I don't think the problem is liking or hating BuckTommy as a ship, but more about the objectively weird stanning for Tommy and not willing to admit any criticism of his character or the ship at all. We have 5 lines and 2 kisses from them and apparently Buck is ready to settle and get married and Eddie being queer is never gonna happen.

It just feels like a part of the fandom only wanted to see two men kiss and that's it. It feels like just because Lou is attractive, his character can get away with anything, when that privilege was never given to the female love interests before.

I can agree with some of this. Like I've said, I don't dislike Tommy OR BuckTommy, but I wouldn't necessarily say I ship them either. Because, to me, it simply feels like there's not enough to go on at the point. We've honestly seen very little of their relationship dynamic at this point, and none of it is screaming endgame relationship to me (not to say it won't eventually, we just haven't had the time to establish that yet if that is indeed the route Tim and the writers would like to take).

I get it, I'm excited about the relationship from the standpoint of it being Buck's bi awakening, his first queer relationship, and the idea of getting to explore how he traverses that, his bi realization, and the way he navigates this relationship. I can't say that, as a bisexual woman, that first BuckTommy kiss that opened up Buck to bisexuality/being queer in general didn't make me giddy. It for sure did. It felt like a win regardless.

I, however, simply don't have that personal vivid interest in either Tommy or the BuckTommy relationship. AGAIN (for those that may take that as a negative statement), that does not mean I dislike Tommy or BuckTommy. I just currently don't have anything of Tommy or the relationship that resonates with me like the characters Buck and Eddie do. It can and very well may change with time as we see more of his character, more of that relationship, and more of the dynamics between them.

If I did have any negative thoughts about Tommy, I don't think it should be a reason for me to be attacked though (which happened merely a week or two after becoming involved in the fandom). I think there's an extreme toxicity surrounding simply the idea of him, and as someone who is completely and utterly neutral over him, I do not get it at all.

And honestly, in my eyes, it's not that deep. People can dislike a character without being homophobic, racist, xenophobic, etc. But that seems to be the go-to attack whenever there is any criticism about Tommy and BuckTommy. Of course, that is not always going to be the case. There are people that have thoughts based in discriminatory views like that, but the overwhelming majority I'm seeing right now in this case is not.

I'm just tired of the bickering and especially of the personal attacks over it, in all honesty. I wish we, despite who we ship, could just enjoy what we have in the moment, and not attack others for liking one character/ship over the other or hoping their ship is the one that prevails in the end. Only time will tell. Let's just sit back and enjoy our silly little wee woo show 🤷‍♀️

[witchofthesouls]

Think the crew would feel bad in the seemingly inevitable reveal that Rev used to be human and was forcibly converted and mind wiped?

Could you even imagine the raw, brutal chaos should the news break out that one human being successfully cyberformed? And is doing relatively well? From a very resource-heavy planet seeded with ore that's currently under the Council of Worlds? As well as a member of the dominant species of the said planet with a short life expectancy with great fertility rates?

In the galactic political space, mechanoids and organic species have a deep-seated distrust and/or outright hate for one another. To the point of genocidal as seen with the Decepticon's Infiltration Protocols, the gruesome process of pink alchemy (Energon derived from living tissue of organics which takes thousands of lives to muster one cube), how the Black Block Consortia destroyed Prion, and the attempts by various organic individuals to either perform experiments or wipe out Cybertronians.

The public would riot, the wrong people would leverage the process for all the wrong reasons, and the Galatic Council would join forces with the Black Block Consortia to fully commit to destroying Cybertron and its colonies.

(It's one thing to be a living act of theurgy. It's a whole other level that a mortal man -no matter the size, shape, and material -can be able to transform an unwilling victim to something malleable.)

I think the information would be completely repressed and the methodology destroyed by Tyrest's own hands.

Tyrest wouldn't have thought of it as a solution to the population and fuel crises. He would have viewed Revelation's creation akin to something holy and divine; something that was utterly his and his alone as a sign that he was on the "correct" path to Cyberutopia.

And forcibly bind Pharma to secrecy, no matter the costs. (There was a reason why the medic looked at Revelation with such pity, scorn, and wariness during the time in the Atrium...)

(And completely separate Revelation from cold construction since it's all still them and their frame eventually reforged itself to their final shape.)

I think that most the crew would get is a version of the truth: Revelation was forcefully reformatted with additional frame modifications that would be found on Songbirds rather than a bondmate and memory alternation with some level of shadowplay (courtesy of Pharma's experience with mnemosurgeons to mimic the marks).

It's enough to grind down the harsher negativity to milder levels of suspicion. Like Revelation and Remedy would be allowed to interact with Ten with supervision.

A few like Ratchet, Rung, and Mirage would figure out there's something beneath Tyrest's personal files about his beloved, Neutral sweetspark he mooned obsessively from a distance.

But never in their wildest dreams, they would guess the real events.

[the-crow-binary]

I think i know how to resume perfectly (my vision of) Mathias' evolution and changes throughout the centuries, in just one sentence:

Pre-Elisabetha's death Mathias would highly DESPISE Dracula if he were to meet him post-Lisa's death.

And there's multiple reasons why (get ready for the long post):

Firstly, Mathias has a hard time understanding his hate for humankind. He can imagine the pain of losing Elisabetha, and how MAD at God he would be if it were to truly happen (the man spent his whole life serving him, wishing for nothing more than his lover's safety, and it's the ONE thing he didn't grant him. I would be pretty upset too ngl), so he can kind of understand how Dracula must feel about Lisa's, but not to the point of wanting the whole world gone. Even about Elisabetha's death, because he hadn't gone through it yet, imagining him hurting Leon in such a cruel way is hard for him (still can't decide if he cared about Sara or not tbh).

So yeah, we're off to a good start with Mathias who doesn't understand Dracula's decisions... and then comes the second reason why he would despise him: THEY HAVE A SON AND HE TRIES TO KILL HIM ?? THE FUCK ?? Knowing how much Mathias loved Elisabetha (and since Dracula still seems to care for Alucard), pretty sure he would have been the HAPPIEST man in the world if he had had a child with her. So he CAN put himself in Dracula's shoes regarding the son he had with Lisa (and can also imagine how it feels to love her)... wich is why he, once again, can't understand him, and what could POSSIBLY drive him to try and kill THEIR SON. MULTIPLE TIMES, MIND YOU. There's grief, there's hate, and then THERE'S TRYING TO KILL THE CHILD YOU AND YOUR WIFE HAVE BEEN RAISING AND LOVING FOR YEARS.

It doesn't get much better than that. The more Mathias learns, the less esteem he has for future him. The curses, the wars, the deaths, the manipulations... the never-ending, seemingly always-growing hatred. The absolute egoism, the disrespect he has for both their wives for going against what they both would've wanted (aka NOT trying to kill people). AND he trapped LEON'S FAMILY into HIS never-ending cycle of death and destruction ? It's very simple: Dracula represents everything Mathias hates about himself and has always feared to become.

I can see him as being a man who doesn't trust nor love easily. Getting on is good side is a prowess in and of itself that not many people has been able to achieve in his entire human life. So to be someone he doesn't only tolerate, but CARE about, is basically a miracle. And when he cares, he REALLY cares, as shown with Elisabetha (and even Leon). I can also see him as having low empathy. In the sense that, if he doesn't like you to begin with (not hate you either, just, is neutral about you because he doesn't even know you for example), he just can't bring himself to care about your misery. He doesn't understand you and can't put himself in your shoes (wich is also the reason why he doesn't understand Dracula himself). Now it doesn't mean he won't do the "right thing", or at least what he THINKS it is. But that's because there was people to directly tell him what was wrong and right, not because he would feel it himself. And i definitely don't think he had only good influences in his life... Leon and Elisabetha were probably a good chunk of his most humane decisions.

But anyway, the point is, i think Mathias have feared more than once that he would end up as a cruel, uncaring man. He was completely aware of how different people can see the world from him. Mathias have a very "blunt" view, one that make him forget about basic, real human emotions sometimes, to favors "facts" over "feelings". It can be a good thing sometimes, but it not always is. Elisabetha and Leon probably told him many times how he needs to take others into consideration more (he has less problem doing so with the people close to him than with random strangers, or even his own men). And as rough and demanding Mathias can be, he doesn't want to be a bad guy. As hard it is for him to feel empathy or sympathy, he wants to do good, to be good, just... well, he has his own way.

So when he comes face to face with Dracula, with the very personification of evil, of cruelty and everything he has ever feared to become... how can he not despise him ? How can he not be absolutely disgusted, hopeless, even ? The despair in the face of his own future is so grand he can't even bring himself to actually hate the guy. Mind you, Dracula can't understand Mathias either. And he sure doesn't "like" him. He forgot how it felt to be him. He disdain him for being "weak", for being... simply human. He wants Mathias to become like him, while Mathias wish Dracula would come back to be like him. They can't see eye to eye, because they're so, so different... yet so similar at the same time.

And i think it could be use for a very interesting story. One where, while Dracula learns to appreciate his human side once again and be better, Mathias learns to let go and accept his terrible fate. Then, both their previous wishes will come true: Dracula will go back to be like Mathias, while Mathias will become the Dark Lord.

A tragedy, truly.