#give me people not respecting you and that fueling you and then you get revenge on those people 1000%

[juanabaloo]

me rewatching Inventing Anna (Anna Delvey) and Griselda (La Madrina Griselda Blanco) on Netflix.

(with all respect to La Madrina)

[aajjks]

The Conqueror (XXII)

Synopsis: He had conquered everything, anything but your heart.

Pairings: Yandere!King Jungkook x Commoner!servant Reader (FT. Cha Eunwoo From ASTRO.)

warnings: yàndèrè thèmès, blóód, únhèálthy pôsèssïvènèss, öbsëssïön.

note. I guess I will meet you in my inbox. ;)

taglist: @mageprincess7 @starsggukk @koremis @minshookie29 @sana-b @oonaaurora @jeonsweetpea @sugaslittlekookies @outro-kook @kthyg @lunaashes @debicaptain-saturn @laurynne5 @captainsjoongs @myblackconfessions @namjooncrabs @natalie-rdr @angelicasdre @mermaidtea @foulnightharmony @ungodlyjoon @quechulitaaa @telepathytae @j3alous-ang3l @bunzom @1-in-abillion @breadgeniedope @jiminie-08 @artgukk @lovesthetword @bunijmin @pinkcherrybombs @afangirllikeme-blog @twilight-love-nochu-main @wedarkacademia @hollxe1 @bighitfics @darkuni63 @golden-thv @investedreader @sweetempathprunetree @koocreampie

series masterlist.

Jungkook loves getting his hands all bloody, killing is like a serotonin boost for him, especially when he kills to get rid of any obstacles in his way of getting you.

It’s been a year since you arrived in the Palace.

Yet, the improvement you two have made in a year is, rather embarrassingly close to none currently.

Jungkook walks with heavy steps to see who is it this time, he’s going to get his hands all bloody once more, before your wedding which is soon. “PREPARE FOR ATTACK ON HIM IMMEDIATELY.”

The King along with his guardsmen make their way to the palaces gate, Jungkook feels rage course through his veins. “What is his name?!” He spits, voice full of anger as his steps echo on the ground.

The palace is so big, but they’re almost at the gate.

“Y-Your majesty we don’t know- but- he’s young, brown hair.” The guard replies, only fueling jungkooks jealousy.

Soon they’re all the gate and Jungkooks grip on his sword tightens, he wields his sword and walks straight through the gate.

People around the palace’s boundary are confused but they immediately lower their heads in respect, it’s dark outside, Jungkook looks for the man.

“BRING HIM TO ME!” He orders, eyes frantically moving all around the roads, and that’s when he catches a glimpse of the man.

“YOU FUCKER.” Jungkook runs to him and growls.

Jaehyun is definitely caught by surprise, his eyes wide like a ball, Jungkook begins to attack on him and Jaehyun tries to save himself, but the king manages to give the brown haired male a big cut on his arm.

Jaehyun can’t help but scream in agony as he sees the blood pour out of the cut, it hurts so much that his eyes are now full of tears, Jungkook smirks, the drops of blood quenching his burning thirst.

“Y-YOUR MAJESTY PLEASE DON’T KILL ME! I’M NOT HERE TO TAKE HER!” Jaehyun tries to clarify. Jungkook rolls his eyes, “shut up boy. Do you think that you can fool me?” He grits his teeth.

Jaehyun grunts in pain, holding onto his bloody arm as he tries to make the bleeding stop. “Y-Your majesty please! I-I’m here for someone else.” He pants.

Jungkook raises his eyebrow, the guards grab Jaehyuns body as they hold him. “Who?” Jungkook questions.

The whole place fills with silence, occasional grunts from Jaehyun and his heavy breathing are the only sounds that can be heard.

He’s gathering his breath, Jungkook bites his inner cheek in annoyance.

“HURRY UP.”

“L/n Doyun.” He whispers and Jungkooks heart stops.

“TAKE HIM INTO THE DUNGEONS!” Jungkook roars in anger, his veins popping out as he screams.

Jaehyun looks into Jungkooks eyes.

“YN WILL FIND OUT EVENTUALLY! PLEASE FREE HIM!” His screams get quieter and quieter as the guards drag him away.

Jungkook lets out a growl in return.

No, you cannot find out. Not until you’re married to him and that’s when he will truly have his revenge and he will have you with him forever..

This needs to pass by really fast.

And he’s not worried about about the man finding Doyun because he’s being held captive right below this palace. And no one knows except for Jungkook and Dongmin.

Who is at the verge of death due to starvation.

Jungkook lets out a frustrated sigh and makes his way back into the palace.

Looks like he will have to pay L/N Doyun a little visit tonight.

You have no choice.

Your fate was already decided the day you caught Jungkooks eye.

 the whole palace looks regal to say the least, you have no words to describe the beauty of the palace, everyone is preparing for the grand wedding of the king.

It’s all so bright and magnificent.

You are being pampered against your will.

Right now, they are taking your measurements for your dress and undergarments for your wedding night like the older woman keeps telling you.

“M-Mrs Lee.. please.” You whimper, the measuring tape taking the size of your breasts, two court ladies hold you in please so your measurements can be perfect

She ignores your pleas.

“Perfect, my lady.”, the seamstress exclaims, her helpers follow her every lead.

“now we need my lady’s wedding dress in less than a week.”

The court ladies, maids, ladies in waiting- every single person in the palace are gossiping.

They are gossiping about your upcoming coronation. You don’t know what’s worse. You are Hoping that this wedding will not happen, but that seems to be impossible because the celebrations have reportedly already started in the whole kingdom.

It all makes you feel suffocated, you don’t want to marry that monster. He killed your father. He made you an orphan. How can you ever love your husband to be?

“leave me alone!” Na-yeon is by your side, making sure to keep an eye on you so she can report to Jungkook about every single move.

Everyone takes their leave, including Mrs. Lee and the seamstress with her workers

You don’t know the truth about her identity yet.

She’s gonna have to be careful.

“Yn.. my lady.. please calm down this is supposed to be the most greatest time in your life.” She sighs, helping you fix your clothes.

“greatest time in my life? This is the worst time in my life I want to die.”

You terribly miss your father you wish that he was still alive so he would come and save you from this monster.

It’s the midnight, the weather is getting colder. The winds are wild.

Jungkook is wearing his dark cloak, the cloak covering his whole figure as he walks with a flambeau in his hand as he makes his way to the secret staircase to the older dungeon hall.

It’s dusty, awfully dark.

Jungkook patiently walks towards the cell where his favourite captive is.

He smirks unlocking the cell and making his way into the dark small cell, Jungkook keeps the keys to himself personally, making sure that there is no way of escape

“Hello L/N Doyun… or should I say now.. my dearest father in law.”

[yourfingeronmytriggers]

The "Ghoulcy" Songs of Fallout (3/4)

“We Three”

This one is the most overt of the four I deem “ghoulcy”.

I've seen different takes on whether the Ghoul/Lucy is "Me" vs "My Echo"; personally, I feel this song is also respective to the ghoul. It just makes the most sense to me.

My echo- Lucy is the echo of his former self, already resembling his current self in some ways due to the parallels in their circumstances

My Shadow- Dogmeat who follows him loyally now like his “shadow” ever since he healed her (so cute she seems to have bonded with him despite their rough beginnings! maybe like a certain Vaultie in the future, wink wink)

Me- this leaves the Ghoul himself 

And it’s crazy how well the song fits once again.

 We three, we're all alone

Living in a memory

My echo, my shadow, and me

… We three, we're not a crowd

We're not even company

My echo, my shadow, and me

They may not be much "company" to each other yet but I'm looking forward to the development between them as they travel together in season 2. Cannot wait to see how they play out the "reveal" of Lucy finding out who he is.

I walk with my shadow

I talk with my echo

But where is the one I love?

I think it’s interesting to note he asks Hanks where his “family” is, not just where his “daughter” is. However, I still am of the opinion his love for Barb died long ago and he may even be looking for revenge. This is only speculation but I would find it very anticlimactic for him to potentially find Barb and then try to get back with her after all this time. I just don't see that happening after 200 years of bitter betrayal fueling him. Which gives me brain worms on how he’ll handle that (and Lucy if she’s with him when he does).

If that time comes, I can see him conflicted on whether to pull the trigger on her for what she did and Lucy gently placing her hand on his arm, saying something like "She'll hate you if you do, Cooper. Trust me. You don't want that."

And she doesn't even have to explain what she means, because he knows. And he knows she of all people knows.

Maybe he'd say "She doesn't need to know." Or a similar sentiment. Then Lucy looks him dead in the eye and says:

"She'll find out."

Oh man, I am getting myself so hyped up over these two. So many possibilities for next season and I'm having so much fun teasing them all out in my brain. Either way, I think the only one who he currently regards as "his love" is Janey.

[dykealloy]

on wano law gets on luffy’s case for giving stolen food to villagers bc ‘pirates helping people makes him sick’ or something like that. so he thinks hes a pirate-y pirate

law is fascinating in that he's one of the only people who's convinced he's this big bad pirate captain. sure his crew respects and loves him and he's got the looks and the ship and the power to stand up with the best/worst of them but his commitment to his identity as a doctor and his inability to let people suffer for his own benefit really makes it difficult for anyone that knows him to believe he's morally reprehensible. also makes him a petulant brat and nerd whenever he says stuff like this because dude you saved the protagonist "on a whim" from a war you had no place in. less than a month ago you were willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of a random island kingdom (also for the sake of corasan and revenge but the end result would be the same).

his perchance for organ theft might raise an eyebrow but past his ooc sabaody intro he only seems to take part in it during fights or for a given motivation e.g. achieving warlord status so he can garner access to restricted world gov areas. also this requires discussion of whether organ black market trade is a thing in one piece for it to be considered a pirate-y pirate crime or if law is just a weird freak who keeps spare hearts and kidneys in his submarine walk-in freezer or to feed bepo.

I do think law's bad boy reputation is something he actively tries to add fuel to (and a defensive tactic that was instilled into him from a very young age) just so he can not be seen as an easy target to attack + avoiding the trouble of the general public thinking he's a non-freak who can save them (guy's already got enough survivor's guilt for one lifetime). I feel like Law would like to mean it when he says 'pirates helping people makes me feel sick' but deep down I don't think he has the heart to stop himself given the circumstance.

[andro526484339]

Transported oc ramblings from twitter for you all

phan literally gets red with anger like a tomato if carter shit talks mama brannigan. carter can't even reference the woman. it's good that carter finds brannigan too scary to be hot cause if she ever did verbalize that phan might actually sock her in the jaw

Yes I killed my boss mentor maternal figure. No you cannot say she deserved it or had it coming or that she hid everything from me. She did what she had to do and so did I so show some respect idiot before I slap you again

ofc phan shooting brannigan wasnt a planned act she just did it and blacked out the whole stomping in the corpse until she breathed heavy thing. brannigan had no belief she would pull the trigger even while looking down the barrel she underestimated how far this carter thing went

anyway since that day forth carter does see phan in a legitimately different light as someone she can be scared of. because before the violence was fun and she was enjoying it despite her claims to the otherwise. but that was notttt fun ehm she flinches when phan gets close again

once again a case of carter not giving a shit until she's forced to confront it with her eyeballs. knows what phan is and what she's capable of and doesn't care. it is different though because brannigan is well brannigan but carter is carter so what does that mean for her

also phan does not kill like that. she's an efficient one shot kill. it was grotesque and uncharacteristic and fueled by a level of hate that phan will never be able to muster up again. you cant talk about brannigan because phan refuses to confront it

at the end of the day despite all of this carter is not different from phan in the violence she can perpetuate. she does strangle a woman to death out of eloises revenge that she didn't ask for. maybe she's scared of phan for a bit because she knows how alike they are who knows

really the only main thing to understand is that the two of them enjoy violence and having power over people. that is why they are what they are. phan admits this and doesn't care. carter refuses to and says she's better than that. they're two sides of the same coin

this is why eloise is disgusted by carter now bc she knows this. and this is why eloises killer is a mirror image of phan whose main difference is not having a carter to set her off the path. Carter Le Hypocrite whos fucking the same bitch whod kill eloise without second thought

Anyway moral of the story is they're both selfish cunts who like to exert their power and hurt people and get lots of money from it and they both deflect from the ramifications from this in opposite directions

I fear carters inferiority complexes has caused woman cop syndrome. self explanatory. I feel no power in society so I am going to gain it with the system

[hypergamiss]

Hello 👋

How are you? I had a really bad ex where he cheated on me with basically everyone (my cousin, ex gf/bestie, someone from law class, and several other randoms). He cheated on me and ended up with his bestie that's also his ex gf even though he said there wasn't anything to worry about, in fact he didn't even break up with me 🙈 he went on holiday with her for his birthday and put up romantic pics. His bestie/ex gf even tagged me in their relationship announcement. I found out that they got married because his now wife came to the law firm that I'm serving articles with to shout out at me to 'Stay away from her husband ' 😂 I don't need to tell you that I got fired because of this 😭. I feel like with the amount of cheating, gaslighting and my ass getting fired, I just feel emotionally exhausted and I don't where to go from here... I feel like I lost my confidence. Sorry for the rant and I would love some advice ❤️

Girl. First of all, lemme give you a virtual hug, a stiff drink, and a standing ovation for surviving that dumpster fire of a relationship. Your ex sounds like a walking, talking red flag convention. Cheating with everyone except the mailman? Gaslighting you with the subtlety of a neon sign? And getting his new squeeze to ambush you at work? Honey, that's not just toxic, it's a biohazard.

It's totally normal to feel emotionally wrecked after going through something like that. Betrayal, public humiliation, AND losing your job? That's a triple whammy of suckiness. No wonder your confidence took a hit.

But here's the thing: you are NOT defined by that trashbag of an ex or his drama-queen wife. Here's how to start picking up the pieces:

Ditch the guilt trip: You did NOTHING to deserve this mess. His cheating, their craziness – that's on them. Don't let anyone, including your own brain, blame you for their terrible behavior.

Give yourself time: Healing takes time. Be patient, and allow yourself to feel the feelings – anger, sadness, even a touch of pity for those two idiots.

Build your support squad: Lean on good friends, family, and maybe even a therapist. They'll remind you of your worth and cheer you on.

Rediscover your awesome: What lights you up? What were you passionate about before this mess? Dive back in, even if it's small steps at first. Passion fuels confidence.

Embrace the "glow up": Not about revenge, but about YOU feeling your best. New haircut? Hitting the gym? Rocking those power outfits? Do it. Outer confidence helps rebuild the inner kind.

Red Flag Radar Upgrade: This whole ordeal might feel like a sucker punch, but it can be a powerful learning experience. Here's the thing: there probably WERE red flags in your relationship, little warning signs you might have ignored. Next time around, become a red-flag detector! Here are some things to watch out for:

Excessive jealousy or possessiveness. A healthy partner respects your independence.

Gaslighting and manipulation. Don't let someone twist reality to make you question yourself.

Disrespectful behavior. A partner who puts you down or doesn't value your opinions isn't a keeper.

Broken promises and inconsistency. Actions speak louder than words. Pay attention to how someone treats you.

Bonus Tip: Trust your gut! If something feels off, it probably is. Don't ignore that inner voice that's trying to protect you.

And as for your job situation? File for unemployment, then dust yourself off and start hunting. This setback is temporary. You're obviously driven to be in the legal field. Don't let their bad behavior derail your dreams.

Remember, you survived the worst they threw at you. Now, you get to rebuild your life on your own terms, surrounded by people who actually deserve you. And trust me, someday you'll look back at this and think, "Damn, I'm a total badass for getting through THAT."

[skye-huntress]

The Witch from Mercury Reaction

Episode 11: “The Witches from Earth”

I was a little wired during this episode so I made not time to stop and take notes. So now I’m going to try to remember everything bit by bit and it’s not going to be in any particular order

First, from now on the Jeturk son’s name is Bob. I accept no criticism

Speaking of Bob, it is safe to say he is the official punching bag of the show. We could compile a lengthy list of the number of times he has been owned and we’re not even halfway through the show

There was a lot of talk since the last episode about how the big miscommunication came about, and someone mentioned something I hadn’t consider. Suletta evaluates her own worth to how useful she can be to other people. When you give her a job you say no one else can do but her, that makes her feel happy and valued. Take that away from her, make her feel like she’s replaceable and she loses all confidence in herself and feels a constant need to prove her worth. The worst part, the more nervous she is, the more prone she is to make a mistake, which in turn further fuels her anxiety in a vicious cycle.

So all of Earth House and even their animals (and Belmeria) are along for the ride. Now that I have a chance to think about it, that’s actually extremely worrying. I’m not worried for Suletta or Miorine losing their lives, but the rest of Earth House is a long list of expendable characters.

I’m still very disappointed in Nika, but at least she has a bit more awareness with what is going on with Suletta, and the likely cause of it

In a surprising twist, Prospera chooses now to act like a decent mother to Suletta.

I have to wonder, both Miorine and Suletta have used the toilet to hide from people. Either it’s something they just happen to have in common, or maybe Suletta picked up a bad habit from her bride. The thought is both sweet and unsettling at the same time. And hey, Miorine did find her there on her own.

I enjoyed the chase, even though both our girls were having a hard time. I sort of feel like I should be disturbed by Miorine using such an underhanded tactic, however I can’t help but respect that it was both clever (she had me fooled) and, unfortunately, very necessary.

Suletta, true to her nature, spent much of her “explanation” rambling incoherently about things Miorine couldn’t understand without the proper context but somewhere along the way she picked up the general message. Miorine herself is not much better with all her contradicting statements, like how she wanted to run away from father, and now can’t and has to face him regularly and that’s the fault of thanks to Suletta. I’m glad they got some of their issues sorted out and now have a clearer idea of how the other feels about them, just in time for them to fall victim to a terrorist attack

The mystery of Prospera’s schemes deepens. She straight up uses her true name in front of Delling and appears to be using data from Aerial to assist in Delling’s super secret project. Prospera is hellbent on revenge according to the short novel, but we do not know what form it will take.

It’s interesting to see the pilot from the prologue make an appearance. He seemed formidable as a pilot, but now I’m not sure what he is supposed to be.

Jeturk continues to play his games. Unfortunately for him, he forgot something very important, you can’t trust a traitor. Anyone willing to help you stab someone else in the back is just as capable of turning the blade on you.

Speaking of traitors, that’s a good shot of Nico realising the consequences of her actions. She is now complicit in terrorism, and if anything happens to any member of Earth House, it will be partly on her head.

So, these witches. Seems one of them, Sophie, has taken a personal interest in Suletta. She seems like the wild card of the bunch so it’s up in the air whether this is better or worse for Suletta.

All that said, since Suletta and Miorine are communicating again, I’m more confident that they will end up working together to get themselves out of this crisis.

The real question is, can Bob break his losing streak?! A thought just occurred to me. If the terrorists are using Jeturk suits, Bob could probably hijack one and pilot it better than most could.

That’s probably not everything but it’s late and I’m at my limit. Another 2 weeks, was it?

Edit: I forgot the damn keychains! Miorine was really like: “this looks lame, cheap and ugly, no one with give this to me but you, which is exactly why it is now my most cherished possession”. That is exactly the reaction I was expecting.

[yuanwang]

i'm back home and have thoughts about joh.n wick things, but more specifically akira

because akira was not subtle in her disapproval of sheltering john but it's the respect & overall trust for her father ( and with it the traditional principles that he holds that overwhelm that of the high tables ) that ultimately has her give in--if you can even call it that. she was shoved into battle with her only option being that of fighting by her fathers orders or dying against them, which if she somehow ended up surviving would be dead to him. arguably worse. i just think it was a very unique way to demonstrate the generational gap of priorities that is talked about between that of elders and the younger generation that are of asian descent, but obviously more specifically japanese, that exists outside the realm of john wick and fictional media. without getting into everything the gist we see with akira and koji were were their concerns over saving their own skin or aiding john with the clear foresight of the consequences were they to do so. from the older generation its quick to label the youth spineless and selfish, and from the younger generation those that are older are carrying a holier-than-thou attitude and an almost insincere amount of altruism that hypocrises their self-proclaimed family-orientedness. these are all very loose, exaggerated terms and both akira and koji’s beliefs are justified through many lenses, with the way the world they exist in is built i believe they are closer than most father-daughter relationships and recognize what fuels their respective actions, but i also think they both realize koji’s word is final so many things are left unsaid that can potentially turn into resentment. were they ever to make it that far..

i also think it’s important to note ( bc if you’ve talked to me at any length i wont shut up about restrictions in culture roles ) that akira is a daughter, and while that’s obvious i feel the need to reiterate that she’s a japanese daughter, in an arguably(?) male-oriented field of work. she is having her strings pulled by men in her life, majority being koji obviously, and while they share a father-daughter dynamic that is closer than most i dont think it’s entirely absent of these gender and hierarchical roles. whether she submits to koji’s wishes due to being her father or male superior is irrelevant. john ultimately pulls the strings that have her help him escape the continental, and caine is stringing her along through a path of revenge. it doesn’t matter whether these were intentional or not, the whole purpose is that all three of them just happen to be men interacting with her in some way, and yet through all the thousands of people involved in this line of work these three individuals that end up completely ruining her were men whose priorities overshadowed that of her own life. and she wasn’t even involved to begin with. it’s the words she snaps back at koji, the glares she throws at john, and the ambiguous end credit scene with caine, that drive the fact she is, was, ultimately in a role that could not do much. i wish i had the brain capacity to say what i legitimately adore about akira’s narrative but i am still jet-lagged so we move on to caine..

every piece of her anger is being directed towards caine, i think that goes without saying, and just because she does not strike at john in the train its clear she hates him equally as so, perhaps even more if she takes in his domino effect of coming to koji for help, and maybe even after hearing both john and caine are let go due to the duel..BUT ANYWAY i really adore caine in the fact he recognizes the pain and vengeance that comes from spilled family blood. and he recognizes akira’s intentions instantly, tells her he’ll be seeing her soon and AUUGHGAJGHDS i just. love it. i love it and it hurts me but i love it. there is a unique pain of doing what you have to, what you're personally against, and still going through w/ it. especially w/ caine, koji, and johns strong brotherhood..it just.HURTS WOW. and akira is fucking thrown into the shit storm of it all..

[innocentimouto]

So you think Levi should've been the one to kill Eren?

I mean he was a core part of killing Eren

But I don't care either way. The Rumbling didn't need to happen in my opinion and seems to feed into the colonist propaganda of "give these people a chance and they will wreak havoc (and steal land and kill and cause destruction and ruin societies)". That somehow, these people who weren't doing anything will be so much more animalistic and brutal if given any freedom.

The actions of Eldians in the past is just a justification used by Marley to attack other nations with titan powers. They don't care about the past. They wanted to do the Rumbling themselves. They only refocused on Paradis because they made so many enemies (shocker) and Paradis had minerals that many nations wanted. It was never about being fueled by revenge. They attacked and killed people who weren't Eldian. I mean, Gabi is the prime example.

She's a child soldier and so is molded to what is expected of her to survive and she laughed at the soldiers who hesitated in killing her because she was a child. Nothing about them being cursed children of Ymir. Apparently killing other people and taking advantage of their humanity is something expected in Marley.

Marley doesn't get this high ground of being better, especially to Paradis. Paradisians were the ONLY group to realize the atrocities they had done and tried to atone for it. I cannot get over the Tyber family knowing the truth and reaping the benefits of actions that weren't theirs, and decide to only reveal the truth at the last second when they're forced to. To me, they are the absolute worst.

They're treated with respect which proves people can respect Eldians and they sit back while their people are oppressed instead of doing anything to help and allow Paradis to be flooded with titans for years.

Basically Paradis are the "best" of the Eldians. Which is also in line with themes of war and genocide. The oppressors always accuse you of what they do because they can't imagine why you wouldn't do it also.

My ideal version is that Erwin lives and forms alliances with other nations to attack Marley and these alliances aren't perfect and there's still a lot of hatred against Paradisians, but it buys them time to win other people over and eventually remove titans entirely.

Plenty of their people die. I think I would even make Levi die years later. The Rumbling is never used because characters are actually doing things. Why was it necessary to show Marley had so many enemies if it couldn't be used against them?

There is a lot of racism against them still. However Marley has made so many enemies, and Erwin isn't what people expect of the island devils at all. Erwin captivates the world leaders, while others captivate the people. Also when Erwin dies, it WILL be impactful to Eldians all over the world because this man deserved better. (All the character did)

At some point Eren uses the founding titan's power to speak to everyone and a change begins. We saw how Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt made connections with people they were sent to destroy. I found it hard to believe that Eldians around the world also haven't made friends who could help them. And aren't in desperate need for justice.

Derailing but Levi killing Eren doesn't matter to me. I only mentioned it because Levi has so many reasons to not be able to live with himself after the war because he took responsibility of Eren and because Levi cares about people and was so upset about finding out titans were humans.

[kiss-my-freckle]

I read this in a review of 4x10 and agreed. Also when Paul was asked that year on what dating advice he would give Stefan he said he was in no position to give him dating advice and would give him a backhand slap followed by a forward slap instead:

Rebekah pretends to offer a gift to Elena, knowing full well how painful it would be to hear that someone you truly loved would have no memory of your time together. And here is where I lose any amount of lingering respect I may have had for Stefan Salvatore. He says yes. He asks for it, no begs for it, like the coward he is. And it is pure cowardice on a level I have never seen on this show, including by those who have screamed and pleaded for their lives. As a million people have remarked upon, when Elena chose Stefan, Damon put aside his hurt and stayed to try to make her life better. He lived with the knowledge that the woman he loved more than his own life was not his. He swallowed his pride and his emotions to try to do what was best for her. For her happiness and not his own. That level of unselfishness is something I would never be able to attain. When Elena chooses Damon, Stefan firmly raises his middle finger to her and wants nothing more to ever do with her again. That is the act of a spoiled child who didn’t get his way. And he knows he is hurting her by saying this. It actually fuels him on, seeing the pain in her face. That is no kind of love I would ever want directed at me. It is shallow, selfish, cruel, and provisional. I will love you as long as I get what I want and fuck what your needs are. Disgusting.

The Datherine - Stelena parallel.

Damon: Have you ever been so bent on someone just to have your heart ripped out by them? Stefan: Talk about what, huh? How many more ways are there for you to rip my heart out?

Stefan is a coward for wanting to erase all of his memories. This is where he pales in comparison to Damon. Stefan wants to avoid what Damon faced in the second season. So much so, he uses the sire bond as an excuse to hold on. In the process, completely alienates Elena to the extent that she can't even handle the way he looks at her. Elena's comment in 4x7 is specific in the fact that it hits back to 3x16, and in a way that's insane.

Elena: You don't have to love me like this.  Elena: But it's like I knew that he would never stop loving me. Like he would never... Die. Like he would never die. Matt: Like your parents did. 

I fully agree with what you've said of Damon in season 4. He's not just mourning Alaric, he's mourning Elena's choices. Not only because she lost the life she wanted, but because she chose Stefan. Still, he sets aside his heartbreak to help Elena. Meredith spoke to Damon about this because she sees it for herself. She knows how deeply in love, yet heartbroken he is.

Stefan was the same way in the third season. When he threatened Elena on the bridge, he basically gave her the middle finger. Like Damon in the 5th season, Stefan couldn't handle being friends with her. As far as he was concerned, revenge against Klaus was more important than a friendship with Elena. Damon just wasn't as cruel about it as Stefan was. Stefan tormented her on and off for two seasons because she fell in love with Damon. He'd rather blame her and Damon than blame himself for his own choices.

imo, Stefan is lucky to even have a friendship with her because he never intended to come home. He spent the entire summer distracting Klaus from Elena, only to have Klaus snap his neck and take him home to Elena. In that episode (3x5), it's best to put Damon's line in Klaus' mouth.

Damon: Because when I drag my brother from the edge and deliver him back to you, I want you to remember the things you felt while he was gone. Elena: He's really gone this time. I watched it happen. After everything that we went through to get...to help him. Now he's just...gone.

That's why Klaus flipped Stefan's humanity switch. He gave Stelena a romantic moment, then killed their romance for Damon. That's when the necklace became his.

[transamorousnetwork]

Violence Accomplishes Nothing For Transgender People

Muriel and I were talking recently. In case you have been up on the news, I have a girlfriend. She happens to be trans. I call her Muriel because I respect her privacy.

Anyway, she and I were talking about an article she wrote. It was about radicals, terrorists, and generally violence perpetrated by radicalized people. In it she described a trans person who, themselves was “at the threshold of radicalization”. This person, she wrote, made the case for direct action against those perpetuating violence against trans people. Muriel also said she agreed with this person’s arguments. Almost.

But she changed her mind.

During our conversation, we talked about a lot of past violence. Violence perpetrated by terrorists yes. But also “economic” violence billionaires wage. But I couldn’t help focusing on some transgender people’s calls for violence against those who wage violence on them.

I understand the sentiment. But no matter how much relief such violence offers temporarily, it’s not worth what violence ultimately creates. Which is, of course, more violence.

I want to dig into this a bit. 

Violence is powerlessness manifested

If we look at people who commit violence, we’ll find something of note. Every violent actor acts from powerlessness. Violence is the act of the powerless. It is action taken by one who has lost all control. Or someone bent on “justice”. Which in most violent cases, is really “revenge”. In every case, they believe they have no other option. That’s powerlessness.

Every racist, bigot or conservative, Christian whacko who perpetuates violence against trans people also does so out of ignorance. Think about it. Such people rarely get to know a transgender person. They do no research on the matter. Or they rely on religious texts. Texts often taken out of context. So they possess no real education on the subject. They’re fueled by fear. And they feel powerless. All that leads to irrational action. Which is almost always what violent acts are: irrational.

The only exception is self-defense. But even there, violence is problematic. I’ll get to that in a bit.

Some trans-attracted men resorted to violence. That’s the “gay panic” defense often used years ago, when it seemed trans women were being killed at epidemic rates. “Gay panic” points to powerlessness. The men literally scared themselves out of all reason. Because their stories about their trans-attraction triggered catastrophic conclusions. “What will my homies think?�� “What will my fellow Marines think?” “They’ll ridicule me!”

So people who fear the transgender phenomena act from fear, ignorance and powerlessness. Is it then really a good idea for trans people to choose violence? Trans people arguing for violence are becoming that which they fear: Irrational, ignorant powerless people.

The alternative to violence is compassion. Let’s look at that next.

Violence relinquishes the moral high ground

I argue often that trans people represent a leading edge evolution of humanity. By definition such people will face persecution. All pioneers do. At first. Then their way becomes accepted practice. And that’s what trans people are doing. They set a new bar for what it means to be human. A bar taking humanity to another level of human-ness.

This means, of course, that trans people hold a high ground of morality. And, because of what they represent evolutionarily, they exist on the right side of history. Just look at how many trans children alter their parents’ views. I argue more such positive change is quietly happening. In homes, schools, boardrooms and yes bathrooms, more positive change is happening than not. It’s just that resistance is news. Controversy is too. So the media reports that. Instead of the good news. Which explains why I suggest that my clients not listen to the news.

Good news doesn’t sell.

So the trans community resorting to violence instantly gives up its moral high ground. It becomes what it is changing. Then it perpetuates more of that.

Violence almost always creates more violence. Look around. The Middle East is aflame with it. And that conflict has been going on forever. Terrorists haven’t solved their perceived problems with violence. The US and its allies or Russia accomplished nothing with violence waged on Afghanistan. Indeed, it could be argued that they just created more terrorists. There’s no value to the trans community in embracing violence.

Which brings me to the next point.

Violence creates no positive outcomes

Very little good happens from waging violence. This is debatable though. World wars, for example, triggered a lot of positive outcomes. But were those outcomes worth the deaths, carnage and suffering?

And even with those outcomes the seeds of the next war were planted. Which is why we keep having wars. If anything is guaranteed from violence, it’s that it sows the seeds of more violence. Including escalation of violence.

Even in the case of self defense, violence creates more problems than not. Violence is very expensive. It’s legally risky. It sows the seeds of retribution.

^^A conversation playing out in graffiti between presumably trans people and cis folks.

Notice those best prepared for violence eschew that path. I’m talking about experts in meting out violence. Special forces individuals and highly-ranked martial artists, for example, are some of the most peaceful people around. When confronted with violence, they near-always mete out the least necessary violence to neutralize the threat. In other words, their violence is informed largely by compassion, light-heartedness and a rational, open mind trained through years of practice. I should know: I have high ranks in nine different martial arts disciplines.

If a situation has devolved to violence, then involved parties have both lost. The best option is averting any need for violence in the first place. Which means creating an environment where you and violence are incompatible. That’s a natural result of my client work.

But that’s also another story.

Violence brings more suffering on the violent

A client once asked me about people out there who would do violence to you no matter what. “Shouldn’t I prepare myself or at least think about those possibilities?” She asked.

“Here’s another alternative,” I said. “You could create a reality wherein those kinds of people can’t find you. Then you don’t have to prepare for anything.”

It’s taken her a while, but she now sees the wisdom in those words. For she doesn’t worry about bad things happening to her anymore. The same potential exists for every trans person. Every person actually. We all are the center of our universe. Nothing comes into our experience we don’t invite. And we invite through our stories.

So if we want a life free of transphobes, creating that life is easy. It takes some work at first. But it’s available to any trans person. And when that world exists, where’s the need for violence or even preparing for it?

But the violent always are on edge. They perpetually think about facing violence. So they must arm themselves. Then they must brandish their arms. They must bluster and join forces with other violence-oriented people.

That kind of energy isn’t conducive to the human organism. It literally creates sickness. Mental illness yes. But also physical illnesses like cancer and other deadly conditions. 

Furthermore, no matter how much you prepare for violence, there will always be someone more violent than you. One that can literally consume your life.

Is that the kind of life you want? I sure don’t. I’d rather create for myself a life of peace and harmony. And let the violent blow each other up!

Trans people are better than that

Finally, trans people are so much better than needing to resort to the irrational acts of violence. So many more productive options exist. The most powerful – and rewarding – one being taking charge of your creative powers and creating a life where violence can’t find you.

In that state, we maximize our connection with that which had us choose coming into the world as trans and trans-attracted in the first place. Maximizing that connection infuses us with a sense of our divine power. That power can literally change worlds. 

And it does change worlds. Nothing else does, believe it or not.

Violence certainly doesn’t. It hasn’t ended wars. It has’t created peace. Communities aren’t free of it.

But your world can be free of it.

Embracing violence is beneath transgender people. It does no one any good. And it robs trans people of the love that inherently exists in them.

For if you’re contemplating violence, you’re not contemplating love, compassion and joy. Love compassion and joy alone makes violence go away. They’re my weapons of choice these days.

I suggest they be yours too.

[bleakfated]

there's no facing the darkest parts of himself for john. not when that's all he was since mary. revenge fueled every decision he made and clouded his judgment. everyone around him saw it and few were brave enough to voice it. bobby was an example and john had been quick to make him regret saying anything to him in the first place. everyone was quick to judge a situation they hadn't been in. quick to believe they wouldn't become someone they didn't recognize either under all of the pressure. good people had died around him because the end result of getting the yellow eyed demon trumped everything. he was, of course, concerned about the safety of his children. the life of innocents had to come first though, which left him with a black and white view of the supernatural, which only slightly changed after he warmed up to dakota.

silence filled the air between them, atypical of the patriarch. there wasn't another warning of her tone or lack of respect, both things that had been drilled hard to him within the marines and in turn drilled into his kids. after all, they were always fighting a war... they needed to be prepared in case something escaped john's clutches and made a beeline for them... which had happened more than once. there was no room for being soft when the world was full of monsters in the dark ready to attack the unaware, let alone the target the winchester bloodline seemed to put on their backs. dean had taken well to his lessons, for the most part... and he had fell into the role of keeping his younger siblings safe.

❝ human, but i hadn't had any good experiences with witches until that point. ❞ the aid a witch could provide him was initially enticing, until he realized quickly how supernatural power tended to corrupt. no truth was weaved in the lighter side of the wizard of oz. ❝ bobby and jim were the only people i could trust to give you guys some stability. ❞ mostly when he knew the cases he was taking on would have him gone for weeks at a time. leaving the kids alone for longer than a couple of days had only come after he'd felt confident in dean's abilities to keep them safe. ❝ he did right by you by not going easy. weakness, even a moment of it, gets people like us killed. i can't change who i was -- hell -- probably can't change who i am much at this point, neither. we can only move forward, dakota. is this you tellin' me you want to leave me and all of this in the past like sam? ❞

“─I'm still human, though,” Dakota spoke slowly, as if that would somehow make her words get through her father's thick skull. All these years that she thought Dean was stubborn, she never realized where the source came from. Dad. “Shit, you fucked a bitch without even realizing she was a witch and then tried to kill your daughter who just so happens to have been born half witch!”

Pausing to listen to John talk, she couldn’t help but laugh at some of what he was saying. She had to be hallucinating, right? The same man that put a gun in her face really just told her that his priority was to keep her safe? “─so, correct me if I'm wrong, but dumping me, Dean, and Sam off at Bobby's or Pastor Jim's all the time was your definition of keeping me safe?” Sarcasm was her greatest defense mechanism. It's why people always said she was so much like Dean. “How I came to be?” Dakota echoed his words. “Yeah, no thanks to you. You were hardly there half the time until I was in my late teens. When you were off hunting or drinking yourself stupid, Dean was the one training me and he didn't hold back, either. News flash: Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean you have to go soft on me.”

Dakota had always had a fire inside her. It's how she was able to stand up for herself from such a young age. When she finally came out of her shell when she was 13, her brothers realized that she could take care of herself in most situations. Though, because of how John had acted when he first met her, Dakota closed herself off and clung to Dean like a lifeline for the illest.

[never-a-stranger]

Inspired by one of kaspuur, frostlowe, alienorganzz, kitty_dorodoro 's drawings of Max & @em-doods 's coloring style

Drew Max in outfits he wears for his side jobs whenever there isn't a case from the commissioner for awhile

There's a story that you can now read below related to Sam finding out Max's secret with a lil bit of angst and a sweet ending~

Credits to my friend @peachypeach666 for helping me write the story!

CW // SUGGESTIVE OUTFITS AND POSES BELOW

In the story, they have a big fight and after that, Sam gets in a really bad slump. (Slump- sit, lean, or fall heavily and limply, especially with a bent back)

There's stubble on his face and his tie is loose, he's walking around town on how he messed things up with max and gets really low on his luck.

He wasn't passionate about his work anymore 'caus all he can think about is Max so he swallows his pride and goes to the best strip bar in town.

He's always seen it but never dared to go in there but right now he just wants to take his mind off of it.

He gets in there feeling out of his element, he thinks to himself "What am I even doing here?", as he looks over all the crowd and the half-naked employees.

He gave his coat over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket as he walks towards the bar, he gets a drink and downs it.

He didn't want to get back to his habit of drinking alcohol but he didn't care at the moment, he downed it with the taste of regret and despair then he hears the overhead speaker calls out "Lagonymph", the crowd cheers for the show.

Sam turns around to see what the commotion was and sees that someone's coming out on stage, Sam's ears perk up in surprise to see the familiar white lagomorph's face.

Max walks down the stage and does the usual routine dance that he does every other night, he takes off a piece of clothing while he slowly walks towards the front of the stage.

Sam gets up from his seat and moves towards the front of the cheering crowd, he looks at Max's seductive show as Sam finally makes it to the tables and the people gathering in chairs in front of the stage.

Sam was shocked that he has never seen this side of Max.

He felt confused, he felt like he was violating something, he felt happy to see his face again and he felt a lot of things but he just sat down and stared in awe.

Max would have dollars thrown at him as people whistled and stood up to throw the money on stage but they would all sit back down as they know what would happen next but Sam didn't know what would happen next.

As part of Max's signature performance, he would pick a person from the front row and give them their own personal show.

Max looked at the crowd and scanned the front row for a perfect candidate but instead locked eyes with a wide-eyed Sam that hasn't looked away from Max since he saw him.

Max's heart dropped as he stared at Sam.

He had a million questions, why was he here? How did he find him? It's been so hard to try and forget the work partner and best friend he shared so many good times with and now he had come to see him.

Fine, if he wanted a show then he'll give him one, Max was all for petty revenge as he kept his professionalism.

He swayed his hips as the spotlight followed him, Sam on the other hand had no idea why Max was approaching him and sat stiffly on the chair while gripping the armrests.

Sam began to wonder what the hell Max was thinking by dragging him into his show, Max gave him a smirk as he sat on Sam's lap.

Max was furious that after all that Sam has said to him, he would follow Max to where he works and scout him out.

That was a new low even for his ex-boyfriend.

Max continued to dance, making sure to put more effort to make Sam regret following him and invading his personal life.

Sam gripped the chair tighter as he almost jumped out of his seat, he had been drinking all night and tried to get his thoughts together.

He whispered "What the hell are you doing Max?!", he said in more of a statement than a question.

"Don't try pinning this on me, partner, you're the one scooping me out and finding me to work.", spitting venom at Sam (Spitting Venom- to be extremely angry) using all his anger to fuel himself by finishing the dance.

Retro's Note: Sam is hiding the fact that he likes the dance while still arguing with Max

The crowd cheers around them and it snaps Sam out of his thoughts with Max.

Sam is hurt, angry, and drunk, Max wraps his arms around Sam's neck to pull him in closer.

He tries to calm himself down and tries to ignore the fact that Max is on his lap right now.

He takes a deep breath and looks at a very smug-looking Max "I didn't follow you, knucklehead.", Sam stopped at that, not wanting to tell Max the real reason why he was there.

Max snorted and got up from Sam's lap to finish his dance, swaying his hips and finishing it with a split as he walks back on stage.

Sam was left confused and walked out of the club, he grabbed his motorcycle and waited for Max to get off of his shift.

He had so many thoughts swirling through his head but guilt ate at him and figured now would be the best time to talk to him.

He had wanted to ask one of the employees when Max's shift ended but for obvious safety reasons, he knew that wasn't gonna cut it, and instead he saved his luck bad waited out front.

He looked at the mirror of his motorcycle and saw how disheveled he looked.

He hadn't thought about shaving and didn't have the strength to put effort into looking his best, he knew he had to make things right, if not, it would probably kill him.

Max was distracted all night and even messed up a couple of times, he was in the back room with the other people that weren't on shift counting their money.

Max chatted them up and waved goodbye to his coworkers for their amazing performance. He stepped out of the back entrance confused and thinking about the night with Sam.

What was he supposed to think after his best friend and work partner comes to see him at his secret side job, he shakes his head as he makes his way home.

A roaring of a motorcycle pulls up beside him and Max turns around already knowing what to expect.

Sam steps out seeming soberer and put together than he did when he was inside.

Sam reacted with cheap beer and spilled vodka, Max wasn't surprised that Sam picked up his old habits.

"Max," Sam called out, Max didn't even want him to give him the time of day, Sam runs up to catch up with him.

Max keeps his head held high.

He didn't want to hear Sam's petty attempts to win him back, Max had more self-respect than to let someone back in his life hurt him.

With everyone who has ever known Max, has always betrayed and/or left him, he wasn't gonna be a fool to let another person do that to him again.

"Max would you just look at me." Sam realized the desperation in his voice at the thought of his friend that has always had a snarky comment to make is now not even looking at him.

"I'm not stupid Sam," Max said while turning the corner.

Unfortunate for him, Sam is larger than him and could easily keep up with Max's long strides.

"I just want to talk to you." Sam said, it seemed to have pushed something within Max 'cause he stopped and turned towards Sam, "You don't get to decide who talks, I decide who talks and if you want to keep this conversation going then I suggest you make it quick!"

It seemed weird having Sam's partner so serious like this, it must have hurt Max a lot when Sam had said those things to him. "I'm sorry, I just want us to talk."

Max sighs and knows it would hurt him as much as it hurts Sam but Max was far from showing it.

Max can smell the alcohol, he can see how miserable Sam looks and it's weird, Sam has always put so much care into how he presents himself.

"How about we stop home and talk then.", Max said while crossing his arms.

They went back to the motorcycle that was still near Max's workplace and headed home.

Afterward, they're at Sam's home.

Inside, Sam tells Max how he just found a random strip bar club which Max works at as coincidence by accident, Max realizes that he assumed the worst of why Sam is in there then felt embarrassed and guilty of how he treated Sam during his performance but Sam reassures him and understands Max's perspective on it

Sam then admits that he liked Max's dance, and supports whatever Max does in his side job.

Max appreciates his best friend supporting him even after what he did to Sam then feels a lot better now that he and his partner in crime finally made up.

THE END~

Thank you so much for reading! And if you want to make fanart, make sure to add #never a stranger sm , and mention this account or my main account @retrocandyfloss 💕

[cactus-joke]

the thing i will never wrap my head around is introducing sylvie as a frankenloki & then giving her absolutely no depth despite her being the key protagonist of season 1... like mike must hate women for the fact that

1) all the tva women of color are sidelined immediately (at least the two w the most prominent & interesting roles/backgrounds) for a white ladies development

2) you can count all the tva lady agents we see onscreen w one hand

3) frankenloki aka sylvie has a bunch of gaps for a character like where’d she get blonde hair dye. if ure hellbent on revenge why are u making stops at wallmart 2 get a box of hair bleach. where’d she get asgardian leather but SPECIFICALLY for her top (she’s wearing baggy pants & combat boots w that ensemble??? which as i say it also sounds like those corny wattpad “put my hair in a messy bun, wore my combat boots” fanfic outfits 😭), why and how did she get the AoA loki horns, she didn’t have them when she was taken. if she hates the loki association why’s she wearing the horns & the color green which is... the biggest target to be perceived as loki

4) if she’s an important part of the self love metaphor romance why does she always make this face “😐🤨🤢😐🤨😐” when loki talks (berating him & betraying him in the end aside ofc!)

5) why do we not know her nexus event? why do we not know why she chose the name sylvie? why does she have no prominent character traits outside of having a vagina? why is she cis? why did she get taken at the tender age of an elementary schooler but not when she was born if her crime was being born a girl?

6) has mike waldron ever met, spoken to, or seen a woman? has he engaged in critical, intelligent conversation with anyone, really?

7) can i be emotionally compensated by disney for simultaneously the most BORING (how do you make.. the god of mischief & tricks... boring is beyond me) and convoluted overstuffed show for wasting my time?

I don't know that Mike hates women, but I do think, based on his interviews and the resulting product he made, that:

1) It was certainly a choice to make the two prominent black female characters slaves to a fascist organization and one essentially a leader of it. A choice I don't think anyone involved in creating this show spent a second to think about.

I don't think they were necessarily sidelined on purpose, however. I just think it's an inevitable by-product of the show's terrible pacing and even worse writing. That scene one between B-15 and Renslayer, a scene I think was ultimately a waste of time, made me think that they probably did want to highlight at least those two characters on their own merit. They failed, of course, in the end, and with the set-up I think the intention or lack of intention doesn't really matter since we get what we get, you know?

It's not really a shinning example of giving your characters of color time and care, either, but I do have to highlight B-15's moment of doubt, a scene I think Wunmi Mosaku absolutely killed (seriously, everyone needs to check out her other work, she is effort and talent personified.).

Besides that, if you ask me, no character in this show has any real development anyway, including Sylvie. It is an uneven display of screen-time because obviously she's a main over everyone else but, like, can it even be said that Sylvie particularly benefited from it? I don't really think so. As you said, she has no depth, she is just an empty girlboss fantasy, and the diversity in general in this show feels empty to me.

2) I didn't really even want more TVA foot soldiers to be women. It wouldn't be a diversity win so much as just more empty pandering and Marvel's typical (military) propaganda fuel.

Anyway, I'd like to highlight some youtube creators of color who make great in-depth videos on this issue:

Khadija Mbowe: Color-blind vs. Identity-conscious casting and examining Hamilton and Malcom & Marie

Town of Tawiah: Performative Diversity and Colorism in Film | Dear White People Review, My Wife & Kids,HTGAWM & More

Cheyenne Lin: GOOD Representation Matters | Colorism and Casting

There's obviously way more, but these videos are a good starting point to expand on this topic from people who know what they're talking about. I put a link to their videos while the link on their names will lead you to their respective channels.

3) Sylvie's whole appearance is bullshit from the get-go. They deliberately used comic book references on her to confuse us and make their dumbshit twist of: oh, see, she actually is a Loki variant!

I remember seeing a post essentially saying whoever thinks Sylvie is a Loki variant with 100% certainty is media illiterate lmao, so I guess it worked on some people.

So, you know, IMO, it doesn't matter that it doesn't make sense for her to wear Loki's signature colors and the iconic AoA head-wear, she just does because fuck you.

Also, "if ure hellbent on revenge why are u making stops at wallmart 2 get a box of hair bleach." lmaooo - she just wanted to be her own person, you know, visually, but only with her hair and nothing else :)

4) Sylvie so very clearly doesn't even like Loki all that much, certainly not as much as he likes her (she is a girlboss after all, "she's got shit to do!"). It would be funny if it wasn't tragic. I do feel bad for Larry from accounting :(

5) I'm guessing we don't know her nexus event because they kinda never bothered to define what it was and they don't care. Maybe Renslayer saying she doesn't remember her nexus event was supposed to be this moment of like cold truth, or an attempt to hurt Sylvie because she knows but won't tell her, or, you know... actually, who cares.

6) I think Mike has spoken to women and I think he's had plenty of intelligent and critical conversations at his level. Which is a relative zero to a generous one. Perhaps two on a good day.

Idk though, jokes aside, his writing on this series is childish and lazy, his view of Loki is boring and reductive, his original script he used for this show is absolute shit, and that's all I can really say for sure.

7) I wish. The show really is boring when it isn't actively infuriating. It still boggles my mind how this mess even happened. Like, I knew the show would be bad, but this bad? Man oh man.

[sleepy-boything-shit]

hahahahahaaa..

you think your threats scare me? keep trying, try to rip me apart. tear my heart out for all i care! if i die, i will come back to haunt you. if you kill me, i swear on my existence you should be scared.

i highly doubt you forged your own name into the records of time, without help. that is such a ridiculous claim, listen to yourself.

what could your people possibly have done to you, to make you disregard them the way you do? you have everything. more material possessions, more knowledge. how? you couldnt possibly become so powerful without help.

you say you have no need for mirrors and praise. do you think about why? why you still are not long forgotten, why you have so much more of anything humanity could imagine? people sacrifice their food, water, wealth and their LIVES. for YOU. EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. DAY. yet look at you, being so ungrateful, if i didnt know any better i would try my hardest to sway the faiths of those who follow you. i only never do it because i actually respect peoples decisions, and they wouldnt listen to me anyway, too far down into this rabbit hole youve created.

you are terrible at lying about your “wrath,”you know. what revenge are you looking for? none? oh right, you live the best life known in the universe. you have no reason to be so.. the way you are.

i could care less about the fact i am challenging a GOD. i DONT CARE about what you “see fit.” YOU, IN ALL OF YOUR FUCKING SELFISHNESS, IN ALL OF YOUR GREED, YOU ARE DESTROYING HUMANITY.

but of course you cant see that! youre wayyyyy too busy living your best, lavish life. you couldnt care about those who are crushed under the weight of your artificial pedestal.

i really dont care about your patience running thin, asshole, im here to get something done and leave. NOTHING you are doing is right. NOTHING you do is necessary. you are NOT important in any way, all you do for the universe is fuel hatred. i will question you ALL I WANT. “i say so” is the worst excuse one could possibly have so i will stand here until the end of time waiting for an answer from you if i have to. yes i DO need a god to justify himself to me!! what is all you are going to do about it? slowly kill me? good luck getting me to quit, god.

I COULDNT CARE LESS THAT YOU HAVE LIVED BILLIONS OF MY LIFE! I DO NOT CARE AT ALL THAT I AM A GRAIN OF SAND COMPARED TO YOUR PRESENCE. WHATEVER YOU GIVE TO ME, I WILL STAND THROUGH IT ALL. I WILL DIE HERE PROUDLY. I WILL BE IN COMPETITION WITH YOU FOR EVERY ONE OF MY LIVES, NO MATTER WHO OR WHAT I AM. YOU MAY BE THE SUN BUT ARE ONE OF MANY. YOU ARE NO BLACK HOLE, NEITHER ARE YOU THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. I WILL NEVER THINK OF YOU AS MY GOD. YOU NEVER WILL BE.

keep telling me how interesting i am, that is the only thing you know how to say that isnt self-centered.

a civilization will die with your death, but millions, no- billions more will thrive just as they did before. you are nothing compared to those above you, you seem to have forgotten that.

I AINT NEVER REP A SET BABY, I AINT DO NO WRONG

I COULD CLEAN UP GOOD FOR YOU, OH I KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG

CAUSE I WANNA MAKE IT, SO BADLY

IM A MILLION DOLLAR BABY, DONT AT ME

[thedeviljudges]

the devil judge + the seven deadly sins

so, i made a gifset about who i thought falls under the seven deadly sins. and also shameless plug - please go reblog the gifset i made for this. took me ages to do.

but i figured i might as well make a meta post to correlate. so this is that post. it’s not everything i could discuss. i could be here for hours more, truth be told. but i hope it’s enough to chew on.

while i feel like a lot of these are going to be a no-brainer, i still want to talk it through because idk. i can, and i want to, and i feel like it, lmao.

gluttony

the elite are privileged and have an opportunity to indulge so much more than the general public, but in many different ways. this is shown throughout the show in the fact that they can indulge on luxury food, have political power, they can make a phone call or snap their fingers and everyone must follow their orders.

and the thing about gluttony is that there is always more to be had. you take a little and then realize it’s not enough and so you ask for more. case in point: in episode 11 when sunah suggests that yohan could be the new president, the current one gives her an alternative: dictatorship. because it wasn’t just enough for him to be an actor and the presiding president.

you’ll also know they turn in on themselves - the two other guys in the elite group. one who owns the company and the other dude - i really cannot remember their names and what they do, but y’all know who i’m talking about. it was so easy for them, when threatened, to fabricate documents to give to yohan about each other in order to get ahead. gluttony is only shared in the relationships we have until one realizes they can take a little extra of the pie. it’s the selfishness of having all the leftovers. gluttony cannot necessarily exist without someone else’s sacrifice.

lust

i kind of had an ah-ah moment when i was talking this over with @technitango​. i was trying to decide who was going to be lust because lust is portrayed very, very differently in this show than what most of us are used to. we, of course, know sunah who lusts after a life of indulgence and riches because she equates that with respect more than actually wanting it because it’s monetarily worth something.

but then i realized the public is lust because of their need for justice. i won’t say revenge necessarily because they’re doing as they’re told when given the judge show. but we can quickly see how that evaporates into something akin to bloodlust, for criminals and people who normally get away with shit, to have their fair taste at conviction for their misdeeds. we even see it with yohan’s fanboy club - the lust that comes from adoration and dedication.

and even more so, the public is easily swayed and so is the nature of lust. it follows in the vein of needs and wants, and as soon as new information is presented, however may false, so does the wants and desires of what people want sway. how easy was it for them to turn on yohan for a split second on two occasions - on two accounts of bribery.

envy

envy, above all, is about wanting what others have because you do not have it yourself. it may not be exactly what they have, but a form of it. some people don’t necessarily want money - they want what it can by, which is time, health and material goods.

sunah is the perfect example of this. she envies respect and recognition. she talks about bright and shiny objects, and that’s true to her kleptomania tendences, but more than anything, she wants to be seen as an equal because being poor with a vastly different upbringing means she’s looked down upon by those she thinks matters.

which also begs the question why she feels the need to seek validation from people in higher statuses to begin with when she can be the exception and not the rule - form her own understanding and environment to show others that the typical way of the elite is not actually all it’s cracked up to be - to which we see when she has no one to celebrate her victory with. it’s lonely being at the top. you get to your goal you thought you wanted but then what?

more importantly, sunah also envies family, relationships and simply put, human interaction. she wants to be cared for and treasured, and she looks for that in her position of power. because then all eyes are on you. because then that’s what people care about. what she fails to see is that those eyes are just as fruitless and just as wavering. to be a leader means people loving the idea of you but not you as a person.

“people of envious nature are sometimes stimulated to seek to emulate those who have completed some great achievements and in doing so achieve something great for themselves,” according to Understanding Philosophy.

wrath

while i realize that gaon not might entirely fit the wrath trope, he certainly has his moments, and i think he’s lived with a tampered flame since his parent’s death. he just learned to briefly put it out in the form of distractions and a false sense of righteousness and justice. it isn’t until he meets yohan that someone finally gives him the okay to feel the entirety of his emotions, that lets him breath and tells him it’s okay to feel anger and hurt. and while gaon ultimately chooses not to exact revenge, his wrath is what led him to becoming a judge and walking away from his teenage crimality.

gaon transposed his wrath into seeking justice, transformed it into livelihood, and reformed his narrative so that he was no longer angry and a teen with rash emotions. it was simply redirected and never really forgotten. yohan turned that redirection back around onto gaon’s ultimate heartache. fueled with that, it became easier to justify himself and his actions.

the most pivotal moment of turning his back on this mindset is, of course, the minister’s suicide, where he takes a good look at himself and doesn’t like what he sees. at this point, gaon’s upset isn’t necessarily at yohan but at the situation in which they got themselves into. because the thing is, gaon doesn’t absolve himself from what they did. he doesn’t turn a blind eye to that and try to dismiss it. he owns up to what happened and confesses how he feels to yohan and how he has to leave for his own good, and in some indirect way, for yohan’s, too.

with yohan, his ultimately weakness, despite never admitting to it, is family. his wrath comes in the form of anger when the ones he loves are threatened. yohan lives by a moral code of loyalty because that means you won’t be abandoned, and as a child who lived with that verdict since the day he was born, it’s an ever-pressing theme of his.

thing is, wrath comes in two particular forms for yohan. again, one is family and the second is the rose-colored glasses he’s given himself in his revenge story. he’s always had a goal to presumably make right the wrong for taking away isaac, but within that, 10 years is a long time to plot revenge, to the point where it becomes so much easier to lose yourself to that, to become enraged with it and forget the initial goal all along. we see this in his inability to form the bonding moments needed with his niece and his casual throwaway comments over people’s lives - the comment he made to gaon about moving on to the next plan, and the ultimately nail in the coffin of pushing gaon to leaving him.

his fury has also led him to convince himself his own humanity is nothing short of a lie. therefore, it’s easier to justify the means to an end because of his own self-worth and self-deprecation. it’s almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy: he even admitted to gaon’s mentor that he is an abyss. he’s referred to himself as nothing but an animal or a monster - all characteristics of despondency to survive and to justify what he’s doing. sort of like a catch 22, yohan claims he’s an animal/monster and behaves as such, but because he behaves as such, it means he’s an animal/monster.

wrath for gaon and yohan are very different yet the same. they are slow-burning, and that’s a dangerous type. it’s actually interesting when you think about the fire imagery surrounding the two of them because flames are quick to lap at anything in its wake, to destroy within a matter of minutes. and yet for the two of these men, their internal fire eats them from the inside out, painfully, until they’re almost unrecognizable to others and to themselves.

sloth

sloth was a little more difficult to pinpoint because of its characteristics. it was either the minister versus the mentor, both of which i think could work in this role. however, i chose the minister simply because she’s featured more and intertwines heavily with the plot line.

soth is a medieval translation of the Latin term acedia, meaning “without care.”

the ultimate characteristic of sloth is often identified as laziness, and while it’s easy to argue that the minister hasn’t been lazy in her ability to get where she is, she became as much when she started lying to get to her position. isn’t lying known as the easier way out? it absolves you of responsibility, of putting in the hard work, of apologizing and making things right. in the end, she had a goal and found the easiest solution to get there through her lack of responsibility for the roles she more than likely swore an oath to.

but that also translates into the other attributes of sloth: a failure to do the right thing, lack of emotions for people or of the self, and the fact that it “hinders man in his righteous undertakings and thus becomes a terrible source of man’s undoing” according to The Seven Deadly Sins: Society and Evil.

while i think there are a lot of components of sloth that may not necessarily fit the minister, the apathy and carelessness are enough to showcase her aggression, despondency and restlessness when what little efforts she does put in do not go her way. another interesting thing to note is that many of sloth’s traits correspond with symptoms of mental illness, such as depression and anxiety. it’s an interesting thing to note given the way the minister chooses to end her life.

greed

i don’t know that jinjoo would’ve had any provocation to the limelight if it wasn’t for sunah’s direction, but she’s eager to please and wants to be useful. it’s only natural for her to want more because it’s clear she’s a career woman, loves her job and has a heart for serving the people.

but like gluttony, greed is also that little thing that plants itself and can take on a life of its own. you start looking for justifications as to why you can’t have more than what you do, and in jinjoo’s situation, she’s already overlooked through no fault of her own. and it’s not that gaon and yohan are doing it purposefully, which is what makes their neglect heartbreaking, because truthfully, they’re after the same thing jinoo is. sure, it looks different and the foundation of it is different, same with their motives. but they’re all three judges on a residing bench working to exact justice - even if all three of them have their own personal agenda. 

i don’t think jinoo fully aligns with greed, but she does want more for herself, and i think that’s only natural. you can tell she has a heart, and she’s keen not to be overlooked. this isn’t her pain point so much as it is she knows her worth and is more than ready to do what it takes to get where she wants. this, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a bad trait, but we can see how it leads to being deceived, especially for someone who’s been left in the dark for so long.

she is enticed by the glitz and the glamour of being a head judge, but you can tell she feels some remorse and guilt for those thoughts at times. i think her sense of greed is a battle within herself more than it is extremely outwardly.

pride

soohyun’s pride comes in the form of her imbalance with right and wrong. her sense of righteousness and justice is so far leaning, even more than gaon’s. it can be chalked up to her being a cop, but we’ve seen instances of this outside of her role within that agency. her pride doesn’t let her see beyond saving gaon and getting to the bottom of every mystery that comes her way.

it also comes in the form of impulsiveness and her savior complex, putting elijah in danger, for example, instead of waiting for backup. it’s not necessarily from a belief that she can fix things all on her own, but she sees injustice and immediately jumps in. another case in point is her and gaon watching yohan wreck the minister’s son’s car. she’s ready to go stop him, but gaon pulls her back, most likely because at that point, they hadn’t been observing the situation for very long to get a read on it. also the fact that at that point, neither of them truly knew yohan and his capabilities.

but as to where her characteristics come from, we simply don’t know beyond that of gaon. it’s unfortunate because we don’t have much of her backstory, so there is no real understanding why she so firmly believes in entities of regulation beyond keeping her friend out of jail. she prides herself on her work and what she’s able to accomplish, which is why it’s devastating to her to have to protect gaon by cleaning up his bloody handprint.

aristotle is of the belief that, “pride, then, seems to be a sort of crown of the virtues; for it makes them greater, and it is not found without them. Therefore it is hard to be truly proud; for it is impossible without nobility and goodness of character,” from Nicomachean Ethics.

but pride for soohyun isn’t about honors or rewards. it’s for herself and her capabilities, her ability to protect gaon, and the virtues she’s set as the precedent for herself. because sometimes it’s not even about establishing morals and ethics upon yourself. it’s about feelings/intuition, logic and observation. and no, i don’t mean the feelings she has for gaon. there are things that humans do, both actions and words, that we inherently know are bad without someone telling us as much and without the rules of the world seared into our brains. there are some things we know, for a fact, are wrong to us as individuals.

for soohyun, she knows that gaon’s actions, and even her own, have consequences. from what we’ve seen, i think it can be argued that it’s really about not doing those actions to prevent an outcome - not necessarily from a place of being just and right. that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand good morals/ethics, but again, we have no background of what her internal guidance actually is.

to put this in layman’s terms, we’ll use gaon wanting to stab the conman in his youth. soohyun knows it’s wrong because it will incriminate gaon and therefore she stops it. gaon’s gone to her because he sees her as a moral compass. but is her own internal navigation rooted in justice the way gaon had to find it in the judicial system, or is hers rooted in her pride of keeping gaon safe? she stops him from doing things that will get him in trouble, but is she stopping him because the action itself is wrong or because the outcome will result in undesirable consequences for the two of them?

and of course, there is a flipped argument to be had there - i’m not arguing that gaon stabbing the conman would be right or justified. but what i am saying is that for her, her worldview is the only right one, and when anyone steps out of that, even gaon, it becomes a bit of an issue: the pride she has for that is palpable.

every character indulges

truthfully, every character has at least one form of these sins rooted in their characterization. some are larger than others, but the breadth of it can be explored even further for each. and that’s what makes them more realistic and not just characters written on a page or following a linear progression of their writing deity.

the seven deadly sins are also notoriously rooted in religion. they’re also a defining feature of aristotle’s works that represent the golden mean, in which each vice is parallel to a virtue.

the devil judge is so layered, but i think at the heart of it, it’s about humanity at its core. sprinked in are the philosophies and contradictions and what it means to look in the mirror, what happens when we’re blind to seeing our true selves and most importantly, how much changes when we’re swayed by our own misgivings. it really asks us to understand nature versus nurture, that people must find a belief in something to keep them going, and how futile our hopes and desires can actually be if we’re not carefully regulating ourselves, nevermind the entities established by society to regulate us, too.

the entirety of the show genuinely begs the question as to who is truly right, who is truly wrong, and if it’s even possible to find the correct answer.