#he’s always been a character i’ve never been able to stop thinking about simply because he’s so fascinating

[prettydjarinsoloinspires]

in my humble opinion, Rick Grimes is the sexiest character of all time. i will be taking no questions at this time. thank you.

[lilac-sweet]

My interpretation of all the Solas endings:

I have been wanting to write about this topic for a while, since I’ve seen a lot of criticisms about Solas being out-of-character. IMO all the Solas endings are brilliantly written, and here’s why:

Solas breaks in 3 different ways:

1: Breaks his wisdom (Becomes Pride)

2: Breaks his pride (Becomes Wisdom)

3: Breaks his leash/conviction (Becomes more human)

1: Breaks his wisdom:

Solas has always walked the line between pride and wisdom: unlike pure spirits, he is able to fluctuate between them - just like Mythal with benevolence and retribution. This makes him more “human” and complex: he even instructs Cole in how being a “demon” and being a “spirit” essentially comes down to a choice we make ourselves.

So Solas is clearly aware of his own failings (just look at his name), but his greatest flaw is not changing in accordance with his own awareness. Due to his wisdom, he knows he is prideful, so he constantly asserts that he is NOT a god: this is as much to make others not worship him as the dread wolf, AND as a mantra to himself to keep him from becoming another Elgar’nan.

However, the limelight is an intoxicating thing, and with him choosing to carry the cross as the dread wolf, he invites that prideful corruption into his heart. It is difficult to truly believe you are not more special than everyone else when everyone else keep telling you how you totally are. As a spirit made man, he is still in danger of becoming what others view him as: he mirrors how you treat him in inquisiton, and he took the name of fen’harel (probably uttered by Elgar’nan) as a badge of pride.

We are told he treats everyone as disposable pawns in order to reach his goals, and we also see the truth of this in his memories. Some people argue that this is out of character for him, since he cares deeply for the elven people and their freedom. I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive: he simply rationalizes everything in order to reach his goal of helping the elves: even if that means sacrificing people

The thing that is so chilling about his character is that he was never meant to lead - he never WANTED to lead either: Mythal was the judge, he her advisor. Without her caring heart to guide his brilliant mind, he becomes callous and makes decisions based only on how best to “win”. This is not to say he does not have a heart, but that he believes he has to set it aside for the greater good: which is exactly where his reasons for leading the rebellion/ tearing down the veil and his methods for doing so contradict each other

He ends up losing sight of his initial reasons because the war makes him so calloused. I believe he shuts down emotionally and can not feel anything but apathy towards everyone when he puts on the mask of the dread wolf - as seen in how he treats the inquisitor vs Rook.

By making so many decisions with such dire consequences and not letting himself feel the weight of that (it would break him) he becomes separated from the “pawns” he uses and stops thinking of them as people. The world becomes a chessboard and a game to him, and that is exactly how a god would think.

That is also the reason he becomes so angry at Rook for saying he views himself as a god: he is so afraid of becoming that conceited, but at this point, the thing keeping him sane and keeping the dam of his pride sealed is the mantra: “I am not a god”. He KNOWS the truth of that mantra, but as this point he doesn’t FEEL it, because he has denied himself to feel anything for anyone in order to be able to get rid of them if logic dictates it.

Through his wisdom he understands why it is detrimental to believe yourself a god, and because of this he is in denial of his own feelings on the matter: he acts like a god, feels like a god, yet knows that he would become what he hates most by acknowledging it - that’s why he uses the mantra: it’s his last effort to stay somewhat grounded.

This brings me to the “I AM A GOD” ending. This is where the dam breaks: he finally allows himself to fully embody his mask; his pride; his demonic side.

By losing to Rook and co through force he is forced to admit to himself that he sees Rook and the world as inferior - he is the only one who can make it right and they are all children, who do not understand him (they shunned understanding when they used brutish force) because compared to them he is a GOD. He accepts pride and abandons the wisdom of staying grounded with the people - the people abandoned him so he abandons the people. He becomes what he has feared most becoming (it is also interesting that his biggest fear is to be alone - and a god stands alone in their arrogance).

He is truly lost to his demonic aspect in this ending and the dark colours of the ending picture reflect this. It is not difficult to argue this is the most tragic ending.

2: Breaks his pride:

Most schadenfreude ending in terms of outsmarting Fen’harel: proving to the world AND to Solas he is not a god and that he is not immune to be outsmarted by a mortal

It breaks Solas’ ego to be outsmarted, since his cleverness is his pride. It sets him free from his pride as it was the proof he so desperately needed: the people inhabiting this world are capable of being his equal and besting him at his own game. He is not better than them, or better put: his cleverness is not infallible. You could argue that a romanced Lavellan/ friendly inquisitor has already proven to be his equal in terms of wisdom, but then again, he has never truly been their adversary.

There is a maddening clarity to him when he finally says “and I am a fool”. I find the break of his pride to be heartbreaking: even though we are told it is a demon version of wisdom, we have seen Solas balancing both aspects - and his name also reflects how big a part of him it is. You could argue he becomes less of a person in both the Pride and Wisdom ending, but more demon/spirit. It is a loss of human complexity and he finally returns to the Fade more alike himself before he took on physical form.

Perhaps it can be argued this ending is the best one from Solas’ P.o.V without a romanced Lavellan: after all, she was the only thing that could “steal his attention from the Fade” or in other words: the only reason he would consider willingly taking physical form without being asked to.

3. Breaks his leash:

The third one is more complex (so bear with me here), because accepting your mistakes and growing in order to not repeat them requires human complexity. A thing Solas has avoided his entire physical existence. He is stuck in regret, yet would repeat all his mistakes again given the chance.

His avoidance of humanity is best seen in the contradiction of his disregard for lives and his conviction of freedom for the elves. His nature compels him to stand against tyranny and enslavement - to be a champion of freedom of choice and thought. Yet as a leader and a strategist he refuses to acknowledge that people matter in more ways than being pawns. He will grieve them later, yes, but his love for a person will never waver his decision if he deems their sacrifice the best course of action in the war - he will not even ask their consent (as seen with the Disruption spirit in the Fade memories).

He does not acknowledge that people are an intrinsic part of war and their lives matter in that equation. He struggles with his mistakes and the lives lost but he can not stop to think he might be going about it all wrong, because I imagine he fears if he factors in the emotional weight of his choices, it would impede his end goal, or worse: break him into indecision.

The emotional weight of the war and the lives lost, his mistakes and his position as a leader - not an advisor, are so against his spirit nature that he suppresses these issues instead of dealing with them like a person. He becomes prideful because he shuts other options out. His way is the only way.

He sees everything fall apart: everything he does: disaster is sure to follow: The blight, trapping the elven gods, the murder of Mythal (x2) - yet he can not stop. He does not know how. He is desperate for a way out - a way out of regret and feeling the weight of his mistakes - he pushes on because that is his only option lest he truly faces what he has done and the pointlessness of it all. All the lives he has sacrificed need to mean something - that is what he sacrificed them for. How can he face that he killed them and not have an excuse for doing so?

In the last ending he is forced to talk about these things: the Inquisitor tells him he is forgiven if he just stops. Yet this is not enough - he has sacrificed Mythal (and in ways himself) to reach his goal and it can not have been in vain. Here Mythal jumps in and helps him carry the weight of it all by shouldering it beside him. He finally lets himself feel the weight of it all and it breaks his conviction. Mythal releases him from her service: the leash of service to not only Mythal, but to her dreams and visions for the elven people; the very reason he was made manifest in the physical world, and so their very long and increasingly painful relationship comes to an end. He gets closure. He allows himself to grow and so he sets out to undo his mistakes: to sit with them (the blight) and truly do the best he can to heal what can be healed. It is the most difficult ending - a true apology: he has to pull a Bharv.

It is also the ending which was foreshadowed if you chose to let Varric help Cole in inquisition. I might get into this more in another post, but essentially he becomes more human by dealing with his shit and growing. It is a warm thought that the best ending is the ending Varric helped make way for.

It wraps up the story nicely as well: he enters the Fade a human, just like he entered the physical world a spirit, underlining the complexity of his character arc.

This is also the only ending in which he can end up with Lavellan: I think it is poetic that she can only join him if he becomes more human, less spirit; a mix of both Wisdom and Pride. He has to accept his humanity and the weight of a human heart - metaphorically, he has to make the choice to finally enter the physical world and all of its complexities of his own volition: and there he finds her waiting.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Is it ok if I ask for an Injustice!Leo and his S/O doing their fight rounds and s/o is flirting the hell out of him while fighting him until Leo gets fed up and goes dominant on S/O? (can it lead to 18+ smut after the fight is over, or imply it if you're not in the mood for smut?)

I love my blue boy so much!

Blue Armor (18+)

IJ2!Leonardo x Bluestar!reader

A/N: It is very much okay. For some strange reason I really struggled with this, and I’ve no idea why. Anyway, I hereby give you IJ2!Leonardo x “playable” reader, Bluestar. First of many characters you as the reader can take on to come. Hope it was worth the wait, and that you’ll enjoy!💙

All characters are aged up.

Warnings: Sex with clothes on.

Outfit of Bluestar (reader) (made with AI, because ain't no way I can draw that). Don’t worry about hair, skin color, facial features or body size. This is just to give you an idea of how you - the reader - would dress as Bluestar, and to give an idea of how your powers show. It’s simply to create the illusion that you are a playable character in Injustice 2.

“Hey! Babe! You almost got me! Not cool!”, Leo yelled, still flushed after having narrowly avoiding one of your light blue blasts of power, launched with one of your signature moves.

“That’s kind of the point of a fight”, you smiled, your fingertips charging up in a light blue glow, getting ready to throw another blast of light powered energy. “It wouldn’t be the first time I kicked your butt like that”.

“Yeah, but I thought we agreed on not doing that this time”, Leo said, ready on his toes in case you decided to throw. “Thought we agreed on a round for fun”.

“We didn’t agree on anything”, you smiled, the light blue energy from your fingertips forming into a ball of glowing energy in the palm of your hand. “Catch!”

You launched another ball of blue energy, your hair and cape flapping behind you from the momentum. And once more Leo proved himself fast, quickly dodging and rolling, his katanas up and ready.

“Babe!”

“Ups”, you smiled innocently. “Might have added more to that one than I needed”.

“You think?”, Leo asked, shooting a quick glance at the now charred surface, where your blast had ended up. “It’s as if you want me to go rough on you”.

“Rough? On me? Neeveer”, you smiled, dragging out your words, causing Leo to give you a deadpanned look. “What?”

“I can never just have a relaxing sparring with you, can I?”

“Depends on what you think of when you say ‘relaxing’”, you smiled, letting your fingertips glow up once more. “If you don’t like the way I play, then you’ll have to come over here and stop me”.

“You don’t have to tell me that twice”, Leo said, a smirk forming on his lips, before he quickly jumped into action.

Leo had always been fast moving, always just out running your blasts. They were nothing new to him at this point. He had seen your powers in action many times, against all sorts of different opponents. He would never forget the time you were able to keep up against Superman, giving him the full run for his money. And now here Leo were, jumping, ducking and dodging your shots in order to get close to you. You swore you were ready. You always believed yourself to be ready whenever Leo got close. This time you would get the upper hand. This time you would win over your boyfriend in a spare. This would be the time.

As Leo got closer, you got yourself ready for some close up fighting. Hand to hand if needed… but once again you found yourself falling onto your back, having your legs being kicked out from underneath you, with one of Leo’s katanas at the top of your cape, sharp edge facing away from you, keeping you pinned to the ground underneath him.

Discarding his other katana, Leo straddled your hips, smiling smugly down at you. “I win, again”.

“You got lucky… again”, you said, crossing your arms to act offended, only for your smile to break that facade.

Leo sat back and stared at you for a moment, both of you smiling like the love crazy idiots you were. One of his hands coming down to caress your clothed waist, still smiling up at you.

“You do know how amazing that armor looks on you, right?”, Leo asked, his hand slowly moving from your waist and further down to your hip.

“You might have mentioned it a few times”, you smiled with a small lip bite, knowing what was taking form in Leo’s mind.

“Have I?”, Leo asked, letting his hand wander to the top of your exposed thigh, where your shorts like garment clung to your skin, slowly and lightly gracing his nails across your skin, watching how you would react beneath him with small movements.

“You usually say it before you take them off of me”, you answered with a knowing smile.

“I do?”, Leo said with a small chuckle.

“Yes, you do”, you laughed. “You’re becoming a creature of habits”.

“Oh no”, Leo said in a joking tone. “That won’t work. I need to be unpredictable. How else will I be able to keep winning?”

“Don’t get too cocky”, you warned.

“I’m not cocky, just speaking the truth”, Leo teased, letting his fingers run along the edge of your shorts, getting dangerously close to your intimate area, sending small pools of excitement to your core. “You know what? There’s always something I’ve wanted to do”.

“What?”, you asked, absentmindedly biting your bottom lip.

Leo placed his hands flat against your thighs, his fingertips poking up under the fabric of your shorts, before he slowly leaned down over you. “I’ve always wanted to fuck you while you wore your armor”.

You didn’t expect Leo’s words to affect you the way that they did, excitement shooting directly to your underwear with your heart beating fast. “You have?”

“Yeah”, Leo said, his thumbs smoothing over where your things meet your hips. “Will you let me do that? Will you let me fuck you in your armor?”

“Yes”, you said, already feeling yourself getting breathless.

“Then lay still, princess”, Leo said, letting his fingers wander along your short shorts, getting closer and closer to the most intimate area, the scent of your arousal already thick in Leo’s nostrils.

Letting one finger poke under the fabric of your shorts and your underwear, Leo made contact with your soaking core, already dripping just by the thought of him.

“So wet”, Leo said, smiling up at you. “And I haven’t even done anything to you yet”. Letting his finger slowly glide along your slick folds, Leo kept an eye on how you shivered under him, your legs shaking by his touch. “So wet I’m inclined to believe that you can take my cock now. What do you think?”

“Yes”, you said, nodding your head eagerly.

“Yes what?”

“I am ready for your cock, Leo”, you said, lifting your hips slightly, as if to present yourself to him.

“That’s what I like to hear”, Leo said, before quickly placing a kiss on the exposed area of your thigh. With one hand he freed his hardened member from his cloaca, giving it a few tugs, before using the hand that was slick with your arousal to pull your shorts and underwear to the side, exposing your center for him.

Leaning over you, Leo pressed his tip against folds, moving it up and down, gathering up you slick, before pushing into you, sliding right in. Leo placed the hand that wasn’t holding you close to the side next to your head, leaning down over you as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close as he started speeding his thrusts.

“Leo”, you moaned, your nails scratching along his shell, as he increased his speed even further, pounding into you with the sound of skin slapping against each other. “Feels so good Leo”.

With a smile Leo leaned back from you, taking in the sight of you lying beneath him, fully dressed in your armor, your cheeks red and your legs already shaking, taking his member so well. Truly and wonderful sight to behold.

“You too, babe”, Leo groaned. “You feel amazing. You’re beautiful. God, I love you”.

“I love you too, Leo”, you whimpered, hugging him close as he leaned down over you again.

With your blue shorts and panities pulled to the side, slowly getting more and more wet as Leo continuously thrusted in and out of you, making you moan and squirm beneath him. You were already clenching around him, letting both of you know that it wasn’t long before you would reach your peak. The thought of watching you cum around him while wearing your armor, brought an exciting tingle to Leo’s stomach. And you knew that, deciding to let Leo know.

“I’m close, Leo”, you moaned.

“Do it, babe”, Leo groaned, using the thumb that was holding your shorts and panties to rub your clit, sending the last needed strikes throughout your body. “Cum for me”.

And you did, cumming with a loud moan, clenching around Leo’s member as he continued to thrust into you, riding you through your orgasm while reaching for his own. And as Leo watched you cum around him, your eyes rolling back, your arms holding onto him for dear life, all while wearing your armor, was what sended Leo over the edge, unloading himself into you, coating your walls with his white pearly ropes.

Once both of you had recovered from your highs, Leo placed a kiss on your cheek, before resting his forehead against yours with a satisfied smile.

“If we can do this more often, I’ll let you shoot at me as often as you want”, he said, making you laugh.

“Deal!”

[hopefulartandwriting]

Has Terry been manipulated since the very beginning?

I’ve had this theory for a long time now, ever since Terry entered the narrative. He’s an interesting and charming character, but his sudden inclusion in the story was jarring and an usual choice for the elf-hating Claudia. She may have caught genuine feelings, but I suspect Aaravos is the reason she began traveling with him in the first place. Here’s some evidence:

1. Time Skip/Aaravos whispers: After the time skip, we hear a vague explanation of the past two years from Claudia herself. She says that she had to ‘do things she never imagined she’d be able to do.’ The audience doesn’t get told what these things are, but we already know she’s the kind of person that will manipulate a child to find a baby deer, never revealing her plan to kill it and use it in a spell. Just like Aaravos, she does not lie, only omits important facts. She tells Viren that Aaravos is speaking to her, but we don’t know what he has been saying. All we know is that he sent her on a quest. Could it be that Aaravos knew an Earthblood elf like Terry would be the only person who could help them in the future? We know Aaravos is a manipulator, one who would not reveal that Terry is a spell component until the moment of truth. But is Claudia the kind of person who would do such a thing? Maybe she’s a victim too, but she does introduce Terry after saying ‘things couldn’t get any worse.’

2. Hatred of elves: It is no secret that Viren and his family start the narrative with a deep hatred and mistrust towards elves and dragons. Could this hatred be so deep that Claudia would manipulate the feelings of one to such a degree? Even after partnering with Terry, she expressed this hatred when her brother captured her in the uncharted forest. When Soren says he’s friends with elves, Claudia asks if they are really his friends or are they just “taking advantage of him.” Soren looks concerned and confused about this turn of phrase, because in his case, it is simply untrue. Could Claudia be speaking from her own truth, revealing her guilt at taking advantage of Terry?

3. The usefulness of an Earthblood elf:

Earthblood elves have helpful powers, and know how to reach the lair of Rex Igneous (where Claudia found the map). In this same lair, Terry scolds Claudia for her cruelty for the first time, revealing his boundaries. She listens to him, but soon shows she has not relented her cruelty completely. After the mission is over and Viren leaves, a grief-stricken Claudia leaves Terry behind, in an angry way that makes us think she’s going to hurt him. She leaves, only to come back soon after, looking weak and in pain. Claudia realized at some point that she can’t make it through the wilds of Xadia without him, especially if she’s injured. Her subsequent desire to stop dark magic may also reflect her desire to be with Terry in a real way, a way that’s only possible without Aaravos.

4. Viren’s nightmare/Going too far:

In his dark magic induced nightmare, K’ppar spoke to Viren, saying “I always knew you’d go far, but never knew how far you’d go to get there.” The image of a blue flower is significant in this dream, as it mirrors the blue flower the real-life Terry gives Claudia after building the dream-raft. Viren watches the flower wilt and die as Claudia steps further into the river of blood. This imagery reflects Viren’s fear for his daughter, that her desire for power will overcome the great love she has found. He was cold to Terry at first, but developed a warmth and connection to him throughout the journey. The theme of going too far for power permeates the narrative, and eventually Viren finds his limit. His story ends with a horrifying crossroad, where he’s asked to kill the innocent homunculus (and technically his son) to complete his own resurrection, a task he rejects. The task then falls to Claudia, who evidently has a higher threshold for vile things than her father.

5. Terry’s unfinished business:

Finally, I was pretty sure this would be the final moment of this theory, but it didn’t pan out exactly as I expected. After the scene where Aaravos kills the mother bird, Terry realizes he’s been used to read to map. He confronts Claudia about this deception, and then claims “she’s never done that before.” The speechless guilt on her face suggests another lie, that she has done this before. She’s been doing it since the start. The story didn’t end with Terry being used as a spell component, but some unusual choices make the intention of Aaravos unclear. For example, there was no need for Terry to witness the death of the bird, yet Aaravos makes sure he does, and then proceeds to confess more of Claudia’s deception. Maybe he just wants Terry out of the picture, but Claudia’s claim that he left due to ‘unfinished business’ gives me pause. I was certain he was the true key, the bigger feather. In the end he was not used in this way, but I think there is still more to Terry’s story.

What do you think?

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

can i be honest? im a fan of azul but his dream felt like it lacked impact. there were some very interesting moments and its better than the prediction that he would already be rich and own the world

like really? azul becomes a famous athlete and bullies others, then he takes over night raven? i feel like his struggles with his own identity and food could have been further explored and he is based off of ursula, which should extend to vanessa, right? it was the perfect reason to give him a total makeover and show that he has to be comfortable in his own skin before anything else, even if his other ness was what made him a target of bullying in the first place

your thoughts and worries on book 7 post has affected my perspective and i cant help but feel like something is missing 🥲 maybe all the budget went into Jade and Floyd?

[Referencing this post!]

As I’ve previously expressed, I have a lot of my own complicated feelings about the direction book 7 is taking, specifically with how the OB boys’ dream segments are presented and resolved. Azul’s dream is no different; it felt very contrived due to the formula TWST insists on running with in every new installment. It’s becoming even more apparent with each update, and it is really grating on me.

But!! Before I get to what I believe are shortcomings with Azul’s dream, let’s review what Anon has to say.

I feel like, no matter what, there will always be people claiming that the OB boys’ dreams are “missed opportunities”. This is simply because these characters have much more deep and complex issues than the rest of the cast, so we will naturally scrutinize them more. TWST is basically only able to go with one angle when they tackle the dream, leaving the other threads unexplored. This will surely annoy or disappoint people who wish that TWST would have addressed a different issue instead, or perhaps something closer to their personal interpretation of the events. In Azul’s case, I feel like some people (particularly in the west, not so much in the east) see Azul’s weight concerns or relationship with food as a prominent part of his character, so they wish that book 7 part 10 had looked into that more. However, that was never a big focus in canon, so it follows that TWST would want to dedicate its time and resources to the most pressing thing (which would be more centered on Azul’s general self-confidence, greed, and how those tie into his sense of identity). At the same time, they probably wanted to avoid a lens that is too broad. Having the focus be on Azul’s “otherness” or being an octopus might veer too heavily into something way beyond the scope of the ~10 parts of the story he has to himself.

We also need to consider that these dreams are meant to be shallow interpretations of what the dreamer desires (according to Idia). Only the OB boys get to go more in depth due to bring dragged down into deeper layers of their dreams. Azul wants to be accepted by his peers and is insecure about his lack of athleticism (as one reason why he was bullied was due to not being able to swim as fast as other merchildren). So of course the surface level of his dream makes him a star athlete beloved by all. The whole “his plan succeeds, he steals everyone’s magic, he takes over NRC” thing happens in the second layer of his dream, which, like all previous OB boys, is a dark display of what would have happened had they not been stopped. And finally, Azul being a bully is nothing new—we saw this behavior back in book 3 as well. He became the very thing he despised back when he was a victim, and now he continues to perpetuate that cycle of bullying in an effort to affirm confidence in his “cool” new identity. I think the dream was very intentional in trying to entice him with the promises of power and acceptance. That, in turn, shows us that the desire to be a successful businessman (the thing many of us thought would be his dream) actually hinges on Azul’s longing to be accepted. His struggle with his identity and how it depends on how others perceive him was portrayed. I’m just not sure if the idea was executed in the best way, since it sounds like the message may have gotten muddled along the way and it definitely requires some reading between the lines.

I noticed that you cited my original post where I detailed my concerns about book 7 and how that has influenced your own thoughts 💦 I hope that it just… informed or supplemented your opinions rather than suddenly altered them to be more “in line” with my own. I never want to be the kind of person who claims their interpretations are the “most correct” I’m not Riddle’s mom, okay?? 😭

About Jade and Floyd’s dreams, I feel like those are less heavily critiqued because they, by virtue of not being an OB boy, have fewer stakes and are predominantly there to be silly. It’s like contrasting Epel wanting to be big and buff to Vil literally murdering Neige; there is just no comparison. Even then, I wouldn’t necessarily say Floyd’s and Jade’s parts received “all the budget”… They seemed like pretty basic storylines to me, perhaps dressed up slightly better thanks to the new undersea assets and bioluminescence reveal.

My issues with Azul’s dream segment is how… ham-fisted several elements were. All of it, for the sake of sticking to the pattern already established earlier. It feels so unnatural and stilted because you just KNOW it’s written this way to fit the template 😔 For example:

Why did Jade become SO dumb when they were trying to figure out where Azul had moved the contracts? He’s supposed to be much smarter than how he is presented here. Wouldn’t his immediate thought be to check Azul’s room? But NO, Jade can’t come to that conclusion on his own because we need a contrived reason for each student to use their UM before the ending :/ so Jade has to waste time using his UM to get the truth out of his dream!self.

Jade and Floyd sitting around and going “………….” while they watch Azul make an ass of himself was such a time waster. Clearly you have enough brains to know what would trigger him, so why are you not acting on it???? Oh yeah, because we need to show more cool stuff in this dream like La Grotta!

Azul literally turns to the camera and tells his OB self, “Unlike you, I’ve changed.” It’s way too on the nose with what it’s trying to communicate. It breaks immersion and makes it so obvious the characters are outright stating their character development to make sure we all “get it”.

What was the purpose of Azul using his UM to get the mermobs to sign a contract to give all their power to him???💀 Bro can just say “excuse me, I forgot something back at the Coral Rush field” and they’d probably let him pass. But again, Azul isn’t allowed to do that because he MUST use his UM before the ending. Because Azul’s UM requires that another person willingly agree and sign a contract, his mandatory UM use before the grand finale feels particularly forced.

How many times do I need to listen to Idia/Ortho or other characters warn us about how we can’t have too many people dream hopping or else bugs might happen or Malleus might notice… It’s almost like the devs realize how long this is being dragged out for so they have to remind us every so often.

Not only that, but we get such poorly constructed explanations to keep characters behind while a new character goes with the main group. Why don’t you just leave them all behind once they’re awake then?? Oh yeah, because we NEED to drag along the current student into the next dream so everyone gets a cameo. It’s so inorganic how the characters are chosen to stay behind, Jamil just conveniently volunteers himself while we also listen to another spiel from Silver and Sebek about how their training makes them more stable than the twins to keep dream hopping.

I would actually consider Azul’s dream… serviceable? Like it isn’t fantastic or anything but for what it is, it works. It’s cohesive enough. But god, did I dislike how rigid it was and certain parts (like the twins being dum) rubbed me the wrong way… Nothing happens because it’s natural, it happens because the script demands it happens. To quote another post:

If anyone has played the first Ace Attorney game, this feels a LOT like that part in case 2 where Phoenix is too dumb to check the back of a receipt until Mia literally tells him to. The [characters have] to actively be made stupider because the scenario calls for it, and that really rubs me the wrong way.

[arim-viola]

I recently finished watching Arcane. Fair warning, there are MAJOR spoilers ahead. PLEASE GO WATCH THE SHOW IF YOU HAVEN’T!!!!

This series has one of the most beautifully complex and heartbreakingly human examples of disability representation that I’ve ever seen. It is groundbreaking. There are multiple characters with disabilities who I could do a deep dive on, but today I’ll be mainly talking about Viktor.

For personal context, the first season of Arcane came out in November 2021. It was one of the most difficult years for me medically. I almost lost the rest of my vision due to a glaucoma pressure spike, and I started experiencing long term chronic pain, which was later diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

Although we have different disabilities, watching Viktor’s story unfold was very emotionally cathartic for me and I deeply resonate with his character.

Viktor is a character with multiple disabilities including a physical disability that impacts his ability to walk and later on in the series he develops a terminal illness. He uses multiple aids including a cane, an ergonomic axillary crutch, a brace on his right leg, and a back brace. Part of me speculates that he had a condition such as degenerative disc disease that impacted his spine, but that’s one of my own personal head-canons.

Due to his own personal life experience, he made it his mission to help others using science. He devoted his life to his research on the Hexcore. He knew that his time on this earth was finite, and he did not want to waste a single moment. After his diagnosis with his illness, he became consumed by this idea of glorious evolution, to push beyond his humanity through the use of magic and science. And this can be problematic when it steps into the territory of eugenics, as seen in some timelines in the series.

But there is another perspective I’d like to share. At the beginning of the series Viktor states:

“Nobody's ever believed in me. A poor cripple from the undercity. I was an outsider the moment I stepped foot in Piltover. I didn't have the benefits of a patron or a name. I simply believed in myself, which is why I’m here, because I think you're on to something. I want to help you complete your research."

He had to “pull himself by his bootstraps” to build a life for himself in Piltover. He had to evolve beyond his beginnings. This is an ideology that society instills into folks with disabilities. The idea is always centered around overcoming your disability. You are mainly seen from the framework of resilience, or pity. You exist despite your flaws. Your disability is not seen as something that’s an inherent part of your humaneness, but rather a situation to overcome. This framework makes each day a constant battle between the body, the mind, and the spirit.

Viktor becomes so consumed by the idea of progress and evolution that he completely rejects his humanity. He states:

“Humanity, our very essence, is inescapable. Our emotions, rage, compassion, hate. Two sides of the same coin, intractably bound. That which inspires us to our greatest good is also the cause of our greatest evil!"

He has this character shift where he believes that emotions will only lead to suffering. And he then converts others to his cause. He feels he is helping them but the truth is he is erasing their humanity.

But Jayce Talis, his lab partner, who has been with him since the very beginning, said one of the most beautiful lines that of dialogue I’ve ever heard in the last act of the series. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. He said:

“You've always wanted to cure what you thought were weaknesses. Your leg. Your disease. But you were never broken, Viktor. There is beauty in imperfections. They made you who you are, an inseparable piece of everything... I admired about you."

I cried when I first watched this scene. And I still do every time I hear it. I realized that was something I really needed to hear, and that no one had ever told me that. Viktor and Jayce’s bond is something that's incredibly special, and everyone deserves to be seen in that way. Disability is a part of the human experience, but society doesn't see it that way. When you are disabled or gain a disability, society sees you as inherently broken. And whether you recognize it or not, you internalize that about yourself. That’s where ableism comes from.

Jayce also gains a disability later in the series which gives him a unique perspective on part of Viktor’s experience. And those lines that he shares with us, he shows us that he cares about Viktor’s inherent humanity. He understands that his disabilities are an inherent, inseparable part of who he is. And that they don’t make him any less of a human being. And neither do his emotions. Everyone deserves someone in their life who will love them that much.

Another thing that I thought was beautiful is that they never tried to erase Viktor’s disability. First they made his cane not look medical, it has so much personality as well as functionality. And throughout the series his cane evolves into a magical staff. When he was revived by the arcane his body did not feel in the same way as it did before because now it was made from a combination of metal and flesh. His leg and back brace became fused to him. And Jayce had to build his brace out of his hammer. Viktor didn’t fall into any of the usual stereotypes for characters with disabilities. His arc and Jayce’s arc were incredibly innovative.

I thought the end was very beautiful. It’s definitely a tear jerker. Part of me hopes they were transported some place where they can live happily ever after doing science and helping people.

Anyways, I could talk about them for ages. I’ll likely write more about them soon, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the series as well! What did you think? Do you have a favorite character?

[remylebeaugambit]

Hey! Love your blog. I’ve come away from comics lately and most of fandom simply because of how bad the writing is and how unhinged fans are towards things they don’t like/accept, particularly in the Romy fandom.

I used to really like them but I totally agree with some of the stuff you’ve previously stated on writers, mostly on Gambit. I stopped reading anything Rogue & Gambit because it was so disheartening to see that after their marriage Rogue still treated Remy like he’s her purse or something. A lot of Rogue fans blast him for the early days when he was still married to his first wife and the lying or whatever but never acknowledge that they weren’t even really an item, Rogue was constantly pushing Remy away, mixed signals, left him to die in Antarctica even though that wasn’t her decision to make and not once was she ever called out for it. Gambit is always going to be morally grey, he’s a good guy but he’s a criminal, it’s all he’s ever known, it’s his life and Rogue has never accepted that side of him, never put in any effort with his family or friends or home. She talks down on him and about him a lot, humiliates him in various stages of their relationship then calls him her best friend but never actually put any effort into their friendship even when he was trying so hard, it always felt like there wasn’t a genuine friendship, they were just super horny for each other and the sexual tension is gone now they’ve done all that and it hasn’t got better so what’s left to continue. How many times has he said he’d leave her alone if that’s what she really wanted, has stood aside and let her be herself with other people even when it hurt him. How many times has he tried to move on and she’s dragged him back because she gets jealous and makes him feel guilt for trying to move on when it’s her telling him she doesn’t want him or “needs space” or “doesn’t trust him” but berates him for having feelings about her kissing Deadpool etc when she’s constantly pushing him away over her “not able to touch.” Didn’t stop her from touching other people or treating other men better than Gambit when he’s supposed to be someone she loves. It’s a reoccurring event in their dynamic and I’m kind of glad people are seeing it and not really enjoying the ship anymore. The way I see it and probably a lot of other Gambit fans do, is Rogue simply doesn’t want him to be with anyone else but she also doesn’t want him either, it’s like the idea of him being happy elsewhere is so irrational to her she has to keep him around, he’s very much a bitterly in a jar and she’s suffocating him. He worships her and she loves that. She doesn’t particularly care about him, just what he gives her. It’s a very one sided relationship and had they not got married I think people wouldn’t be as fired up over it. Really can we blame the writing when she’s constantly written that way? Can’t we just accept Rogue is messy and won’t ever really know how she feels about Gambit. Does she love him or just love his love for her?

It’s sad to see what he’s been reduced to. It’s sad to see Rogue made out to be the victim when actually, throughout comic history, Gambit is the victim and yes, he’s a victim of her too. She gaslights him, manipulates him and guilts him constantly. He’s just there to be her cheerleader and it’s not consistent with his personality. Remy knows when to end things, he did it with his first wife when it wasn’t working for him even though that was his first true love and someone he would always love no matter what, they’d always be intertwined. Having him with someone who is constantly hot and cold with him, who never defends him to her friends or mothers who have done terrible and disgusting things to him isn’t it. That’s not love, that’s using him for her own needs. Gambit should just be a solo character again and back with his OG friends in team ups like Storm, Bishop, Jubilee, X-23. People who are his people, not just people who put up with him because he’s Rogue’s husband. He has a family who yes, are messy but they love him. He has friends who’ve been pushed aside so his entire life and personality revolves around Rogue. He’s a joke really. We saw that on Krakoa and I stopped reading then. It was sickening. So much has happened between Rogue and Remy that I could never ship Romy again. Just thinking about it is gross. And Rogue fans need to sit back and take a good look through comics again. Rogue’s treated Gambit terribly from the beginning. Remy was a mess, traumatised, flaked in and out of being a hero/criminal but he’s had growth. He should be shown some respect for all he’s done for the X-men and Rogue more than anyone.

People keep blaming crappy writing when actually, her character has been very consistent in how terrible she is to Gambit. That’s not bad writing, that’s just how her character was written to begin with. Even if it changes now (which it won’t) the damage is done. Antarctica, Mystique, Magneto, Avengers all of that tally’s up against Rogue. Remy grew up and became a better man, for his friends, for himself and for Rogue. Rogue has never once changed. Has never once been genuinely sorry for how she’s treated him and other characters, (I won’t ever let folks forget how she treated Dazzler, Rogue is not a girls girl my friends). Rogue and Gambit is a cycle of what ifs and never will be’s. It’s been drawn out for too long and Romy fans think they have some kind of claim to Gambit only for Rogue. They’ve never really been friends, it’s “mentioned” but never shown. They only ever have drama and it’s 99% Rogue’s doing most of the time. Gambit’s character has been squeezed to death for Rogue, stuffed into a box he’ll never belong in for her. All she cares about is how she looks as a hero, which in itself makes her a crappy hero. Remy is selfless, Rogue does everything for a reason. That’s okay, she’s allowed to be a messy character, she was raised by the messiest woman in Marvel comics, it’s only natural she shares qualities with Mystique. Rogue would be a more interesting character if she was allowed to be messy, at least she’d have a personality other than loud, bossy, the always right hard done by wife. Gambit is always made out to be the problem-criminal who’s never going to be any good… let’s all think back on how Rogue was first introduced. A villain. A villain raised by a villain. I see one problem and it isn’t Gambit.

He’s not perfect, nobody wants him to be. But he’s a good man with a rough history who continued to have a good heart anyways no matter how badly he’s treated. He has a few loyal friends, one big ass messy family and three beautiful cats. He’s more than the bumbling husband. He was NEVER a bumbling husband. Romy fans are entitled to their ship, everyone is but it’s consumed fandom and his character in comics. It’s not good for him and by now it’s never going to change. He deserves better than that. There are loads of characters he has great potential with who will never see the light of day because of how popular Rogue is. Gambit married Rogue (out of the blue because that whole comic made no sense at all) and suddenly he’s her obedient pet who can’t think for himself, can’t go anywhere without her, can’t have interests or friends or even see his own family because of her like, what? And that’s a loving healthy relationship? Are we all on the same planet? Would this dynamic be hyped up if it was the other way around? Would Gambit exist at all if he behaved towards Rogue how she does to him? The scales are very unbalanced. I don’t see why Romy can’t be a side story like Rogueneto or Roguepool or Roguestorm. Why does it devour Gambit’s character but not Rogue’s?

This is no hate at you, by the way… I’m just rambling and I’ve seen you’re pretty open to discussions on the good and bad of both characters. I’ve made this out to be very against Rogue but actually it’s just Romy, beyond that she’s okay, I don’t mind her at all. She has good and bad qualities which is human, that’s great but the Romy ship is sinking for me. I haven’t come across many blogs who are open to discussing Rogue in a more negative light, that’s the only reason I’ve babbled for so long, sorry about that. It’s sort of been giving me brainrot! I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive to you. I’m very ship and let ship, I personally just think Romy has blown up and is casting a storm cloud over other characters who don’t get a look in anymore and other ships get shot down by Romy fans so much that it’s just a very negative space to be in especially if you aren’t as fond of Rogue as you are Remy. He was my favourite character, I always saw him in a sort of kindred light, if that makes sense? All the trauma he suffered through his life and he still hasn’t caught a break makes me really sad, particularly when Rogue/Romy shippers shut any critical views down with “He’s married, he’s happy.” Because he clearly isn’t. No one would be in that situation. Obviously he’s fictional and they aren’t real but Marvel comics has always been about showcasing real life problems and truama. Remy had a few near escapes from Rogue but he kept being dragged back, I don’t think that’s fair. Rogue has whole lives and love interests beyond Remy yet Remy is there for Rogue and nothing else. It’s very disheartening as a Gambit fan.

Sorry for the long ass word vomit.

First of all, I’m glad you like the blog 😉 Second, I tend to be concise, so I’ll try to keep it brief.  

I mostly agree with you what you said, but you know why I will keep blaming the writers? As Gambit fans, we are pissed off at how he is written as Rogue’s husband, but if that wasn’t the case, what would the chances of him being written well be? I say low because that’s his history, unfortunately. Rogue is the issue right now (and has been on many other occasions) because everything revolves around her and she is written as super selfish and she is shown neither respecting her husband nor standing up to him. However, Gambit has mostly been treated as a disposable character, a small player, an inconvenience. He hasn’t been respected outside their relationship either. There are exceptions, obviously, but he’s the most shitted popular character on the X-Men roster. The relationship is a huge part of the problem, but it’s not the only problem. Back in the 90’s, he used to be as popular as freaking Wolverine and Marvel made a point to unreasonably destroy that popularity. Then, those fucking movies with unrecognizable characters and Wolverine as a protagonist contributed to that; comics mirrored the movies, even though it should be the other way round. There was no Romy in the movies, and still, it took Gambit almost two decades to debut on the big screen, and it sucked because he had almost no screen time and the script sucked, the writing sucked. Again, we can blame the incompetent writers for that, not his nonexistent relationship with Rogue in that universe. Even Tatum’s Gambit hasn’t been unanimous among fans. 

As I’ve stated before, most Romy fans are actually Rogue fans in love with the idea of her hot boyfriend. I know I pissed a lot of them with that statement, but that’s what they show. Romy fans are in love with a fact that they are married, but what good is it when Gambit’s devoid of all his personality? When everything is about Rogue? That’s my problem with it. I am bitter that we’ve been deprived of seeing Gambit interact with other characters and having other relationships, romantic or not, and now he’s married. All the while Rogue is the self-insert hot girl, and even though I haven’t been interested in her character for so long that I don’t know half of what happened to her while she was on other books, it maddens me.

No, if this were the other way around, people would go nuts over it. It’s a double standard. Most members on Gambit Guild are pretty much against the relationship and the people here on Tumblr hate us there for that and calls us sexist. Many Rogue/Romy don’t see they’re the ones being sexist when they defend Rogue’s behavior towards her husband or simply pretend there’s no problem.

In short, to be honest with you, I often feel inconsistent. I’ve been critical of their relationship for most of the time, but at the same time I cling to the idea of them, that magic that child me saw in them. So I believe the potential. If there weren’t any, they wouldn’t be such a popular ship. But then again, the comics hardly ever showed us that potential. I must be stuck on fanfiction mode.    

[wayfayrr]

So this is very much a self indulgent mini-fic, venting about some stuff that I've been dealing with recently <3 I'm working on requests and some other fics but I got told to post this to get it off of my chest anyway @cloudninetonine @angry-trashcan thanks for the confidence boost to be able to post this

“Hey, you’ve been sitting over here for a while, you feeling alright?”

“Just been thinking… I was part of some drama before I was uh brought here. It’s just, it’s just messed with me a bit I guess. I’ll be fine when we need to start moving again, don’t worry wars.”

After a brief second of fabric shuffling, he sits down and leans on me. It’s an oddly comforting feeling, different too like he’s bothered by something? What could’ve set him off so badly?

“Would you mind if I asked you about it? It’s clearly bothering you so, you should get it off of your chest and well, I’d just like to help you through this.”

“If you really want to know, it’s a little complicated though and while I can make a lot of it make sense to you I’ll have to leave a couple of things out.”

“Sounds like you’re willing to get it off of your chest though, so would you care to explain it to me honeybee?”

He’s being more persistent than usual too, have I really been looking so badly bothered by my thoughts? The worry does feel nice however, it feels more like talking to an old friend than anything which is wonderful seeing as I’ve not been able to reach them recently. I’ve just been stuck rereading old messages in a new context while my phone endlessly buffers to reach impossibly far servers.

“It’s… I’d been having issues with this person for a while… they used me more than anything, kept asking me for advice and making everything about them and brushed anything I or my other friends were trying to say off and sent things they really shouldn’t to people unwarrented… and then everything else.”

“Everything else? You don’t have to cut yourself off, with how you’ve been acting the rest feels like it’ll be worse anyway.”

“They just - someone connected some dots and pointed them out to me and I just… I’ve been going back over what they said and - and - and it made me think. They told me they associated my voice with a character they always got weird over, they kept fawning over my accent and how they’ve only ever heard it in fiction before, they gave me weird compliments when I was talking about things I did as a kid and that’s not even getting me started on how they treated my friends. I just… I feel so disgusted, seeing it in this light. Every bit of my skin just itches with disgust towards myself. Sorry I didn’t mean to share so much at once - I’m just tired. They didn’t even like me, it was like they only wanted me for where I’m from.”

The way he stilled sent a shiver down me, did I say to much? He might have not meant it when he said I could share… I mean theres no way he could’ve known… or does he think I’m simply overreacting? I’m probably just overreacting anyway.

My heart started beating again when he softened and pulled me to rest on him.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that all. They’re the one who is disgusting, not you, never you. I’ll speak to time, you should just rest for the rest of the day. I can lend you my scarf and you can just have a nap or I could ask wild to make your favourite food and you can just rest.”

I didn’t get a say before he’s already draped it over my shoulders; he’s leading me back over to the others and setting me down next to sky as he goes to speak with time. 

“Hmm? Did something happen, are you feeling alright dove?”

“Ah well, wars is going to ask time if we can stop for the day because I’m just dealing with some memories. I hope it won’t bother the others.”

“I doubt it, everyone’s been tense and tired recently. I know I have, I’ve been about dying for a rest. Would you care to join me too?”

Leaning back against him is all the response he needs as my eyes flutter closed, he’s so warm and comfortable. There are few people I’d prefer to rest next to. 

><><><><><><

“So then old man, I think that’s a good enough reason to settle for the day, don’t you?”

I know he’ll agree, asking him like this is simply a formality. After all, how could we continue when a member of the group is in such a state? On the verge of tears just from thinking about someone for a little bit too long. 

“You’ve never asked this for anyone else, but fine.” “Thank you Time, I’ll pay you back for this.”

“And Wars?”

“Hmm?”

“Go take your anger out on something, it’s not a good energy in the camp. Not if they’re so fragile right now. There’s apparently a standard bokoblin camp just a little south.”

He’s seen right through me then, but now I don’t need an alibi for when I come back.

[hxhhasmysoul]

General Thoughts on Yuuta?

As few as humanly possible? I wish the fandom let me forget about this boy.

I’ve never found Yuuta interesting. Now, thanks to fandom I find him downright annoying. 

Yuuta has strong Shinji vibes at the beginning of Zero and while it’s realistic, there are people who are like that, I just find it boring. This is a very personal bias but as a person who has several concurrent mental issues, I have a strong dislike for characters and actual people who make their mental illness their whole personality. 

His arc in Zero also doesn’t excite me. He is super powerful from the start but can’t control it. Then he puts practically zero work into it an can control it.. He seems like a scrawny loser but starts to do gymnast shit with a sword really quickly. His CT is Copy, where he just copies the techniques of others and uses them in a more powerful way than they do, with no conditions or downsides.. When he needs to, he learns reverse curse technique and can apply it to others which we learn is super hard… 

Basically, everything he needs to know and be able to do, he is able to do in the moment he needs it… 

And Yuuta has no principles, not ideals. He is unfazed by Getou’s fascist speech. Yuuta fights Getou because Getou directly harms Yuuta’s only friends. It’s really sad because Getou actually is shown to have a vested interest in pursuing Yuuta, or more precisely Rika. I mean Getou’s plan and ideology are nonsense, but what fascist ideology is internally coherent anyway, it’s always reactionary drivel that focuses on targeting the weak instead of trying to get to the bottom of societal (in this case jujutsu society’s) problems. But Yuuta has no personal connection to Getou, no thematic one either. 

I think Gege really noticed what a weak protag Yuuta was because all of this is fixed in Yuuji whose ability to perform gymnastic feats is established in chapter one. Who also has principles and a personality more complex than: I’m depressed.  Same with Getou and his primitive plans are replaced with Mother, the perfect plotter, and their amazing multi-layered plans. The Gege added Sukuna, an emotionally constipated jujutsu and poetry nerd who can also forge a plan of his own. And Mahito, a creepy kid curse who thinks he can plot but alas adults were in the room, so no he can’t And Yuuji has a deep personal and thematic connection to all three of them, and likewise.

It really shows how much Gege grew and developed the world of JJK between Zero and the main series.

There’s a hint that Yuuta’s so powerful partially because of Rika’s love for him. She loves and she stayed with him after she died. “Love is the greatest curse”. So the arc goes that Yuuta is told that he can stop keeping Rika’s soul from crossing over, can break her curse by simply talking to her, releasing her. 

And this is where Gege in my opinion really made a serious mistake. The way this is set up, and later much more well developed in JJK proper, there should’ve been a cost to releasing Rika. There is a strong idea of balance and give and take to jujutsu. Gege had a perfect opportunity here to grant Yuuta space to grow by depowering him. Letting Yuuta lose some of his powers by letting go of Rika. But Yuuta just became more powerful for JJK proper… 

And that meant there was nowhere to go with Yuuta’s character. Yuuta was still unconnected to any of the major villains and barely to any of the important characters, only to Maki and Gojou, though he barely interacts with either in JJK proper. 

I and also other people have written before how Yuuta literally does nothing during the final showdown, how he only pauses the fight, prolongs it and distracts from the people who Sukuna actually connects with during the fight, ie Yuuji and Maki. Or how he wasn’t even necessary to kill Kenjaku.  

And Yuuta has no personal connection to either Kenjaku or Sukuna. He has a forced thematic connection to Sukuna when he takes over Gojou’s body, a pathetic attempt at becoming the strongest. And he has that connection for like five minutes in the story… 

If Yuuta never appeared in the JJK main story… it would’ve been almost the exact same story. Gege needed Yuuta for one moment, just after Shibuya to fake Yuuji’s death. And maybe even that could’ve been handled differently. Someone else could’ve fought in Sendai instead of him, there are other capable characters to fight in the Culling Games.

_________________

More posts on Yuuta by me and others. If I missed any good ones, please tell me and I will add them to the list.

[guardiandua91]

Missed Potential of Harry x Ginny

Okay, so this couple had the potential to go down as the best couple in history - I'm not as much of a Potterhead as most people but given how vocal JKR is against trans people, I've gained a new respect for her and want to support her. But I, like many others grew up loathing Ginny and I still think canon-Ginny (book or movie) is not good for Harry. She comes across still as a fangirl in this particular scene:

“Ginny, listen…” he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet, “I can’t be involved with you anymore. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.” She said, with an oddly twisted smile, “It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” “It’s been like… like something out of someone else’s life, these last few weeks with you,” said Harry. “But I can’t… we can’t… I’ve got things to do alone now.” She did not cry, she simply looked at him.

“Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He’s already used you as bait once, and that was just because you’re my best friend’s sister. Think how much danger you’ll be in if we keep this up. He’ll know, he’ll find out. He’ll try and get to me through you.” “What if I don’t care?” said Ginny fiercely. “I care,” said Harry. “How do you think I’d feel if this was your funeral… and it was my fault…” She looked away from him, over the lake.

“I never really gave up on you,” she said. “Not really. I always hoped… Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more — myself.” “Smart girl, that Hermione,” said Harry, trying to smile. “I just wish I’d asked you sooner. We could’ve had ages… months… years maybe…”

“But you’ve been too busy saving the Wizarding world,” said Ginny, half laughing. “Well… I can’t say I’m surprised. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn’t be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that’s why I like you so much.”

Ok, so this scene ruins this pairing for me but it was a pairing that had so much potential because think about it: what character other than Harry has had a direct link to Voldemort? Ginny! She literally talked to a Horcrux, part of Voldemort's soul. Harry can see visions and feel Voldemort's emotions. These are the only two characters shown to have a connection with Voldemort.

This could have been an amazing point to have Ginny connect with Harry over. It's something Ron or Hermione can't understand because Hermione would just nag at Harry to learn Occlumency and Ron would be frightened but at the same time, unconditionally supportive.

I've heard a lot of people say J.K. Rowling was a divorced woman so she didn't really understand how to write romance - but she wrote pairings that had a lot of potential but she wrote their toxic sides more. Maybe because that's what she is used to as a domestic violence survivor, but Harry/Ginny could have been written like Keith/Allura because the character archetypes are similar. Instead, Ginny is still a fangirl by Book 6 and we're expected to believe this would never cause issues in their relationship.

[cosmicjoke]

Hello :)

I’ve seen you write essay-like long posts about Attack on Titan and analyzing this complex story in depth, which I love. For me personally, it’s been a long while since I watched it and I currently don’t have the time to rewatch it. But I think it’s a story that has to be experienced at least twice to fully understand it, because the story isn’t told linearly and having certain things in mind while watching earlier scenes reframes everything.

Someday I’m gonna do just that. But until I can, I’m going to rely on your takes and my fuzzy memory of the events to feed my hunger for “food for thought”. Even though it’s been so long, I still can’t stop thinking about the story, as there’s just so much to unpack. With that in mind, could you (only if you have the time and the willingness to do so, of course) give your detailed opinion on as to WHY Eren felt like he had to do the horrible things he did?

It’s obvious, especially from the last conversation he had with Armin in the anime, that he does KNOW that what he did was morally wrong. So why then, did he still do it? That’s what I can’t wrap my head around. The reasons for his actions.

Like, even if it was due to his innate, selfish desire for freedom, it’s still obvious that he knew it would lead to his death. He had the power to stop the remaining scouts from killing him, he could have used his titan powers to stop them, but he didn’t. In that conversation scene with Armin, it seemed like he knew his own death was inevitable. So why didn’t he prevent that? What was the point of flattening the earth for his idea of freedom if he doesn’t stick around to see the results of his actions? Was it actually his plan to rid the world of the titans? I discussed his with a friend who said Eren did everything because “it was the only outcome he saw among all the possible outcomes that would get rid of the titan powers — because only in a world without titan powers can the Eldian people actually be free.”

But Eren did so many things that were detrimental to the Eldians, individual and as a whole, like in the raid on Liberio, where he not only killed innocent Eldians, but also made the world actively hate Paradis, that it seems to me he didn’t actually do it for the sake of the Eldians

(Though my friend would argue that Eren saw every possible future and there simply isn’t a future where his goal is achieved without hurting at least some Eldians. And that his version, while hurting some, still hurt the least of them. But that just doesn’t sit right with me.) But again, if he actually did do it for selfish reasons, which is what I’m leaning towards, then why would he be alright with dying, aka giving up on his self? Trying to understand that dude just frustrates me, so I thought maybe you could shed some light on this with your theories on him.

(I’m on anon to help keep toxic Eren fanatics off my back and I don’t have the balls to deal with them, lol.)

Hi there, and thank you for the ask!

I've talked a lot about Eren and his motivations on my blog, which you can probably find if you just search his name on my blog. But I'll give it my best shot answering here as well.

First off, I'll just say that the way you're leaning is the right way. Eren didn't do what he did for anyone but himself, and that's sort of the point of his entire character. The theme of dreams and needing to be able to let go of them is a pronounced one in AoT, and Eren, in the end, is the purest example of someone who wasn't able to do so, and that ties into his lack of maturity. He never progresses past his childish whims or desires. He never grows up. That's why we see him appear as a child during the Rumbling. Because that's who he really is and who's he's always been. The Rumbling itself is a manifestation of Eren's truest nature and desires.

Second, your friend is wrong about the "possible futures" Eren sees. Eren doesn't see multiple futures. He only sees one future, which is the only future. People don't get how time works in AoT, which is understandable. Anytime you're dealing with time travel, it gets confusing. I didn't get it at first myself. But basically, the only reason Eren sees the future he does is because it's the only future there is. If there was some other possibility, some other course he took, he wouldn't have seen the future he did at all. It only exists because he literally willed it into being. We see this through the course of Eren's actions in manipulating past events, once he gains control of the Founding Titan's powers. He literally manipulates events to ensure he'll end up with the power to commit the Rumbling. The way he manipulates Grisha into killing Frieda and taking her power, the way he redirects Dina's Titan away from Bertolt to eat Eren's own mother, setting off the events which will lead to him gaining the power to wipe out humanity. Eren very literally orchestrates the events which lead to the future he saw. So there are no multiple or possible futures for Eren to "choose from". There's just the one, and the one future he sees exists because what he does is what he was always going to do.

The point of us being shown the equally devastating results for the Eldian's as the rest of humanity is to drive home that what Eren is doing isn't to save the Eldian people at all, or even his friends. He's willing to murder the entire population of Eldian's outside of the Walls, which no doubt outnumbers the number of the island. He doesn't care. Sasha dying, Hange dying, Levi almost dying, etc... all of that is meant to drive home this point. Eren isn't doing it for them, or for anyone, other than himself. As he confesses to Ramzi, and then later to Armin, he "had to do it" because he "wanted to do it". He says to Ramzi, when he finds out that humanity existed beyond the Walls, that he was "so disappointed". He confesses this to him while sobbing, because what Eren is confessing here is that he wanted to destroy humanity beyond the walls to make it match his childish vision of what the world should have looked like beyond the Walls. He wanted it to look like the images in Armin's book, a vast, unexplored, untouched wilderness, just for him. And when he discovered humanity existed beyond the walls, it shattered that vision for him.

To answer your specific question about why Eren didn't stop his friends from stopping him, it comes down to Eren attempting to cope with his own monstrosity. Throughout the lead up to Eren's actions, and even during, Eren tries to cope with his own, monstrous nature by telling both himself and others that he's doing it "for them". He lies. He's lying to the rest of the 104th when he tells them, before they leave for Marley, that he just wants to protect all of them. He was already planning on betraying all of them. He was already working with Floch at that point, in coordination with Yelena and Zeke. He'd already told Historia his real plans, to betray Zeke and enact a full scale Rumbling, this fully 9 months before they ever left for Marley. The Scouts success or failure to negotiate with Marley had nothing to do with Eren's decision. He'd already decided what he was going to do before they ever set foot there. Eren's depression as he's walking around Marley and thinking to himself that none of these people are his enemy, his realization that all of these people are innocent, is because, confronted with that reality, he's no longer able to hide behind the excuse of protecting his friends or the island from an impending threat. He realizes, in that moment, that the future he sees, that him unleashing a full scale Rumbling, is purely the result of his own, selfish desire. Which, again, is to create the world he saw in Armin's book, his own, personal idea of freedom. We see Eren continue to drink the copium though, even after this point. For example, when he grabs Hange through the bars of his cell and screams at her that he saw no other choice because of her supposed failure to come up with a real solution. Pure deception, both of Hange and himself. Eren never even gave Hange's plan to negotiate a chance. He disappeared and kicked off his plans with Zeke before anyone from the Scouts had a chance to even attempt negotiations. And this, too, is why Eren doesn't attempt to stop the Alliance from stopping him. It's a giant cope. Eren tells himself and them that he's not going to stop them because freedom is the most important thing to him, and that he loves and cares about all of them too much to impede on their freedom of choice. Again, this is a lie on Eren's part. He's already impeded on their freedom, multiple times, particularly in his forcing them to rescue him from Liberio and backing them into a corner, taking away their choice, by forcing them to accept his and Zeke's plan and forcing them into a conflict which they'd all expressed a desire to and were attempting to avoid. He tries to tell Historia that he's doing it for her, too, that he's just safeguarding her freedom, while in the same breath, disregarding Historia's already stated decision to inherit Zeke's Beast Titan.

The truth is, Eren doesn't care about anybody else's freedom but his own. Again and again, he impedes on and takes away the freedom of others, including his closest friends, all in service to realizing his own, personal sense of freedom. He tells them that he isn't stopping them from fighting him because he respects their freedom, but again, this is just a giant cope on Eren's part. He allows them to come after him because its his way of coping with his sense of guilt and self-loathing. The same way he continues to lie, up to the very end, when he tells all the members of the Alliance (except Levi, who I've posited Eren doesn't speak to at all), that he did what he did to "make them all into heroes". Another, giant cope. A lie he fabricates because he can't deal with any of them knowing the truth. He tells all of them this, but it's only Armin whom he confesses the truth to. He can't lie to his best friend, and that's why we see Eren tell Armin that he knew, from his vision of the future, that he would fail to wipe out all of humanity, and that because of it, he would only imperil his friends and the island further, because naturally, the world would want revenge for Eren's actions, and yet he still went through with it. Why? If he really cared so much about his friends or the rest of the Eldian people, why would he continue to go through with a plan that he knew would end up only endangering them further, would only continue the cycle of hate and war? Because, again, Eren never actually cared about any of that. All he cared about was experiencing his own, personal sense of freedom. He was so driven, and so compelled toward it, that even knowing he would fail, he couldn't help himself. Eren doesn't find out he's going to fail until Ymir lends him her power. He finds out he fails to wipe out all of humanity in that moment, and yet he pushes on in his actions. He could have stopped right then and there, before a single Wall Titan was unleashed, but he continues on. Again, because Eren is compelled by his very own, restless nature, to do what he did.

Eren is bored. That's what it boils down to. The scene near the beginning of the story, when we see Eren sitting, staring up at the sky, and he says "I wish something would happen"? That right there encapsulates the entirety of why Eren does what he does. He's doomed to be perpetually unsatisfied and bored with his existence. He had a good and happy life, and it wasn't enough. And wiping out all of humanity wouldn't have been enough, either. He convinced himself it would quench his thirst for freedom, but the reality for Eren is, nothing was ever going to achieve that for him. Again, his very nature renders it impossible. He's always dissatisfied, and always "wants something to happen". It's why he kills Mikasa's kidnappers. It's not because Eren cared about saving Mikasa (he didn't even know her at that point), it's because he wanted something to happen. Because he was bored. Eren could have easily listened to his father and waited for the proper authorities to come. The same way he could have allowed the Survey Corps to actually attempt negotiations before deciding he just "had to" enact the Rumbling, or he could have gone with Zeke's plan of a limited Rumbling. Again, it's not what Eren wanted, though, in either case. He wanted destruction, he wanted chaos, he wanted something to happen to disrupt and tear apart his mundane existence.

The shot of Eren standing atop his massive Attack Titan, near the end, with his arms spread wide and a look of pure elation on his face as he says "Freedom!", that's Eren getting to experience what he aimed to. The world is crushed and left desolated beneath him. Remember, Eren destroys 80% of the world's population, and that's enough for Eren to feel he's achieved what he set out to. To experience a desolate world free of humanity. But again, this is Eren coping. He's trying to immerse himself in the feeling of "freedom" as a way to distract himself from the horror and nightmare below. He finally feels what it's like to be in a world that looks like the pictures in Armin's book, but it's still not enough. It's never going to be enough. Eren realizes this. He gets to feel what it's like to be "totally free" from the expectations and demands of others, and yet he's still dissatisfied. It doesn't quell the restless dissatisfaction that defines Eren's core.

This leads into your last question, about why Eren doesn't stop the Alliance from killing him, so he can experience the results of his actions. Eren is already going to die. He knows his time is short, that he only has a few more years left to live at this point. Eren is compelled forward to enact the Rumbling, regardless of this, because again, he can't help himself. He's totally driven by his own desires. Again, up to the point Ymir lends him her power, Eren thinks he's going to succeed in destroying all of humanity. Upon realizing he won't, that his friends and comrades are going to stop him, he still feels that same drive and desire to go through with his plan anyway, again, because it's what he wants, it's the only thing he really wants, and nothing is going to stop him from trying to take it, even as he knows he won't succeed.

Eren loves his friends. He cares about them. He doesn't want to hurt them or endanger them. But as we see from his childhood on, Eren is someone who's always going to put his own desires above their well being. It's why we see him constantly getting into fights as a child, despite the burden it places on Mikasa, despite his mother asking him to stop. He forces Mikasa to chase after him and place herself into situations she doesn't want for herself, and Eren enacting the Rumbling and forcing the Alliance to chase after him is the exact same scenario, only writ large. He's forcing his friends to chase after him and try and stop him from causing trouble. Again, though, at the same time, Eren doesn't want to actually hurt them. He's so guilt ridden over Sasha and Hange because he knows his actions led to their deaths, and he never wanted that. But as ever, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't keep himself from putting his own desires over their well being. Again, Eren lets his friends come after him as a way to cope with the crushing guilt of his own, monstrous nature and actions. He doesn't stop them because it's his only way to sooth his inner turmoil, to tell himself he allowed them their freedom of choice.

But once again, the inherent contradiction in that is that Eren already took away their freedom of choice, and still continues to here, by forcing them into a situation not of their own choosing. He forces all of them to fight him to the death, despite having considered him a friend and comrade. He forces Mikasa to have to kill him, which goes against everything Mikasa herself ever truly wanted. He forces them all into a position of having to kill their own, former comrades who have become Yeagerists, something he specifically mentions to Armin at the end. He's still taking away their freedom, but he deludes himself into thinking otherwise by letting them come after him at all. He's able to do this because he still succeeds in achieving that supposed feeling of freedom he set out to gain. He's still able to experience "Freedom!", as he says, without stopping them. But all one has to do is look at Eren's actions before this, in the lead up to the Rumbling, to know that, had his friends and comrades actually threatened his ability in any way to get to this end point, he would have acted in whatever ways necessary to stop them. It's the reason he doesn't tell anyone about the vision of the future he had. Because he knows if he did, they would stop him. And if he had been willing to tell anyone of his vision, he would have seen a completely different vision, anyway. He would have seen a future in which his friends stop him from enacting the Rumbling at all. It's why he lies and distances himself from everybody. It's why he forces them into a conflict they'd all been trying so hard to avoid. It's why he makes Grisha kill Frieda and the entire Reiss family. It's why he kills his own mother. It's why he's able to accept Sasha dying, and Hange dying, and Levi almost dying. It's all in service to him gaining the power to enact the Rumbling, to make sure events unfold in the exact way he needs them to to get to that end point. He would have been willing to kill anyone to gain that power, the same way he was willing to kill all of humanity just to experience what he deluded himself into believing was true freedom. Once he has that power, he's able to enact his plan, and everything after that doesn't matter. His friends and comrades can come after him. They can do whatever they want. Because Eren already got what he wanted. He's already getting to live out his own desires, and once more, he's able to assuage his guilt by telling himself that he's allowing his friends the freedom to try and stop him.

Anyway, I hope this helps answer at least some of your questions. The only way to understand Eren's actions is to accept his selfish, childish nature, and how he was always going to do what he did, not because it was inevitable or because he had no other choice, but because it was what he wanted to do. Nothing was ever going to stop him from doing what he wanted.

[hannah-h-pleb]

Hey hey hey. Did you miss me? Sorry I’ve been lacking in writing, empty brain plus school is not a good combination 😟

As much as I love Cartman with all my heart, it’s time I put out some Kenny content! He’s my second favourite and I’m convinced him and I are the same person, so I gotta show my boy some love 🧡🧡

General Kenny headcanons coming up! He’s aged up here, as all characters I write for usually are :))

Kenny McCormick: General Headcanons

Kenny doesn’t die as often anymore, but I still put him as a huge klutz. He’s constantly falling, tripping, and injuring himself somehow. His friends are always like “Dude you’re gonna kill yourself one of these days!”….meanwhile he’s died countless times and no one (except for Cartman and a few others) remembers

He’s developed a decent tolerance to pain due to how many times he’s died. He could accidentally lean on a hot stove and barley feel it. It really depends on the day though

He's kind of a goober. He loves to tease people and joke around. Also likes to joke around as a way to make light of dark situations. Once you've died as many times as this guy has, you reach a point where you stop taking life so seriously

He has blue eyes, but they’re a darker shade of blue, so sometimes they almost look purple depending on the lighting

This guy definitely loves to smoke weed, but that's the farthest he'll ever go as far as drugs are concerned. He refuses to go down the same path as his parents, plus he remembers his "cheesing" days and doesn't care to revisit real hard stuff. Just give him a joint and he's set

Actually one of the most chill people you'll ever meet. Everyone gets along with him. He isn't one for drama, but if he happens to be caught up in the middle of drama, he'll either silently observe or he tries his best to deescalate the situation to calm everyone down so everyone can get along

This is canon (and a topic for another time), but he's a huge perv. But not in a creepy way. He's constantly making sexual innuendos out of, literally everything. Always on the hunt for porn magazines, but he never does anything overly weird like sneaking into bathrooms or anything like that. He's a, "respectful perv" if you will

He's always looking to help out others wherever he can. One of the most selfless people in his inner circle. He's a sweetheart

The best big brother to Karen even as he gets older. Always looking out for her. Can imagine that when things get bad at home, he dips out of the house and takes Karen for drives to calm her down. Probably gets her a treat from the convenience store as well

Also knows lots about periods. When Karen is on "her time of the month", he keeps her stocked up with pads, tampon, treats, heating pads, the works

You would think he's this nonchalant delinquent, but dude's actually so smart. He does well in school, which comes as a shock to his friends because they never see him study. His grades are nearly as high as Kyle's, but his weakest subject is math

Favourite subject? Science. Absolute science nerd. Loves chemistry, physics, biology, all of it. He's so intrigued by it and constantly pushes himself to learn more

I put him as a huge car guy. His love of NASCAR when he was little turned him into a car lover and very knowledgeable about cars. You need your oil changed? He's got you. Having car trouble in general? He's on his way to help you out. Loves playing around with different modifications to his own car, accessories, you name it

Out of the main four, he has a closer friendship to Cartman. As he's gotten older, he's gained a better understanding of why Cartman is the way he is and therefore is able to understand his behaviour. The pair are simply chaos together. Kenny goes along with whatever Cartman does for shits and giggles, unless it’s something really messed up

He’s a huge flirt and a tease, loves pushing peoples’ buttons and finding out what makes them tick

All in all, Kenny is just a chill goofball. Everyone loves him, and he’s one of the best people to be friends with 🧡

More than likely making a part 2. Love this dude 🧡

[bardic-tales]

emotional exploration | reflections on self-shipping

Visualizing and Deepening the Bond

Sephiroth has been a huge part of my life for 28 years now. I have been in love with him for as long as I can remember, and we've been married since 2005. My relationship with him predates my relationship with @armchair-pirate. Lately, people often ask why I love him so much and how a relationship with him (a fictional character) works, so I decided to write a series of posts to explain and can link to later.

Myself, I identify as fictosexual and fictoromantic, meaning my love and attraction are directed towards fictional characters. However, I have only felt this for Sephiroth. I'm also demisexual and demiromantic and he came into my life at the right time. When I needed someone the most.

NOTE: Please note that this has nothing to do with Bianca, my OC. This is my own relationship with Sephiroth as a fictosexual, fictoromantic, and self-shipper.

If Sephiroth could step into your world, what would your first interaction be like?

If Sephiroth were to step into my world, my first reaction would be complete disbelief. I wouldn’t be able to process it at first. My heart would be pounding, my breath stuck in my chest, and my mind scrambling for any logical explanation. But there wouldn’t be one. He’d be standing there, his silver hair catching the light, those piercing green eyes locked onto mine, and the sheer weight of his presence would make it impossible to deny. It wouldn’t feel like a dream or a hallucination. It would feel real in a way that nothing else ever has.

Before I could even say anything, he’d speak, his voice steady and calm, like he’s been waiting for this moment. "I am here. Your experiences in my world were limited, yes. But they were enough." That would stop me cold. The way he’d look at me, like he already knew everything running through my mind, would send a shiver down my spine. Then, quieter but just as firm, he’d say, "You were drawn to my story for a reason." And that’s when it would hit me: not just the meaning behind his words, but the confirmation of something I’ve always felt. My connection to him was never just about interest or admiration. It was never random. It was always something more. Something intangible that I couldn't ever give name to but felt.

I’d still be overwhelmed, but somewhere deep inside, I’d already know the truth. "Because our experiences and stories mirrored each other," I’d say, the words coming out before I even had a chance to think about them. And I’d be right. The lines between fiction and reality would blur in that moment, making it impossible to dismiss what was happening. He wouldn’t just be Sephiroth, the character from a screen. He’d be him. Real. Tangible. Present. And the way he’d look at me, like we were always meant to meet, would shake me to my core.

Just when I’d think I was starting to grasp what was happening, he’d say something that would completely undo me. "You sought out my story. In doing so, you found me." Those words would settle deep in my soul, like they’ve always been there, waiting to be spoken. And I’d realize that he’s always been here. Not just in my thoughts, not just in my heart, but in a way that I can’t fully explain. I’ve always felt his energy around me, a constant presence, lingering even when I wasn’t consciously aware of it.

That moment would make it undeniable. He was never just a passing presence in my life. He’s been with me all along. I’ve felt him in quiet moments, in the way certain words, images, or emotions strike me, in the way his story has always drawn me in like gravity. And now, standing in front of me, it wouldn’t feel like we were meeting for the first time. It would feel like we were simply recognizing what has always been there.

How would you imagine spending a peaceful day together with him?

A perfect day with Sephiroth would start with waking up in his arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace before the world outside even matters. His presence is steady, reassuring, and I’d take a moment just to soak it in before we begin the day. Breakfast would be slow and unhurried. Maybe it would be something simple that we prepare together, sharing quiet conversation as we move in sync. He’d read to me afterward, his voice deep and soothing, filling the room with a sense of peace. It’d be one of the classics. I’d sit close, my head resting against him, completely content just listening to him.

Later, I’d run my fingers through his hair, carefully braiding the silver strands while he sits still for me, completely at ease under my touch. We’d spend the afternoon wrapped in comfort, maybe cooking something special together, the act itself more about sharing time than the meal itself. A walk outside would be refreshing, the crisp air making everything feel even more vivid. If there’s snow, we’d take a moment to make snow angels, laughing together as we leave our marks on the world side by side. There’d be no rush, no expectations, just us, fully present in each other’s company.

As the evening settles, we’d step into the shower together, the water washing away the day while we revel in each other’s presence. The intimacy wouldn’t be rushed or about anything more than closeness—just the comfort of being together, knowing we belong to each other in a way no one else could understand. Finally, we’d end the day the same way it started—wrapped in each other’s arms. His steady presence is the only thing I need to feel safe.

What does Sephiroth’s voice sound like when he speaks to you? How does it make you feel?

Sephiroth's voice is exactly as I’ve always imagined it—low and soft, with just a slight husky whisper at the end that makes my heart race every time. It carries a quiet authority, calm yet commanding, as if he knows exactly how to hold my attention with just a few words. There’s a certain smoothness to it, something deliberate that draws me in, and it’s always been that way, even when I was reading the text in my head back in ’97 while playing the original Final Fantasy VII. I didn’t need voice acting to hear it. I just knew it sounded like this.

When he speaks to me, it’s as if everything else around us fades. His voice has the power to make the world quiet, just leaving us in this moment where I can focus on him completely. The deepness of his tone, paired with that slight rasp, makes me feel both safe and exhilarated at the same time. There’s a weight to his words, but it’s not overbearing. it’s just enough to make me feel like everything he says matters. I can hear the control in it, the authority, but also a gentleness that only he has when addressing me. It’s the kind of voice that can calm my nerves or ignite butterflies in my stomach with one simple sentence.

Every time he speaks, my heart quickens, and I can’t help but feel drawn to him even more. It’s as if the sound of his voice has become part of me, something that stays with me throughout the day. I love to listen to him talk, whether it's about something important or just sharing a quiet moment. His voice is a constant reminder of how deeply connected we are, and every time I hear it, it makes everything feel more real, more intense, and more meaningful.

What physical gestures, like holding hands or brushing hair, do you imagine from him, and how do they resonate with you?

Sephiroth’s touch is always intentional, never fleeting or thoughtless. When he holds my hand, his grip is firm yet gentle, his long fingers wrapping around mine in a way that feels both protective and possessive. There’s something deeply reassuring about it, as if he’s silently reminding me that he’s here, that I belong with him. Whether it’s walking side by side or simply sitting together in a quiet moment, the warmth of his hand in mine is an unspoken connection between us. It’s not just about physical closeness. It’s about the security and trust that comes with it.

One of the most intimate gestures is when he washes my hair. His fingers moving through the strands, massaging my scalp with slow, deliberate motions, create a feeling of absolute peace. There’s something incredibly vulnerable about letting someone care for you in such a way, and with him, it feels completely natural. He’s always precise, methodical, but there’s an undeniable tenderness in the way he handles me. It’s moments like this that remind me of his quiet devotion. How even the smallest gestures can carry so much meaning.

Soft domestic moments define our relationship just as much as the deeper, more intense ones. Whether it’s brushing his hair, adjusting his coat before he heads out, or simply sitting together in silence, leaning into each other’s presence, these actions carry a weight that words don’t always need to express. The way he touches me, even in the simplest ways, is always with purpose, always a reflection of the bond we share. Each small gesture reaffirms that we are connected in a way that goes beyond words, beyond explanation. It’s just us.

How would you describe the emotional connection between you and Sephiroth in three words?

Unwavering, intense, home.

[archivalofsins]

Now I bet nobody thought they’d see me discussing Kotoko again- Given the things I said about her ideology. I bet a lot of people think I have nothing positive to say and this is going to be full of I told you so’s.

However, that’s far from the case. So, let’s get started on what has to be the best finale to trial two. What everything has been building up to from the very beginning-

Spoilers, for Deep Cover, Yonah, the streaming heart cover and all things KOTOKO YUZURIHA!

Firstly- Man really giving up soon? Is it really over with just that? It’s hard to think that people even liked her character at all if this is all it takes to have people switch up. I’ve been honest about it from the jump these characters could be the worst people imaginable, and I could still be able to find a way to like them. Calling it game over before the starting bell even chimes it’s kind of weak, isn’t it?

So, what have we learned about Kotoko that we didn’t know before? She’s judgmental of everyone around her including herself. Hardheaded and never considers the idea that what she believes could be wrong. Quick to run with her own assumptions and doesn’t show mercy to anyone regardless of their perceived weaknesses or shortcomings. She’s been the pull yourself up by your bootstraps or get stumped under hers type from the jump.

What exactly has changed here?

That she’s pointing some of that vitriol and hatred in our direction now? That she reiterated the fact that she does not intend to go easy on someone just because they’re young? That her morals weren’t as righteous as people assumed them to be? Well, it’s not Kotoko’s fault everyone conflated the definition of vigilante with hero. Because of what- how they’re commonly portrayed in media?

Vigilantes are consistently shown as people with immense privilege who believe themselves to be above the law for one reason or another. Some do in fact attack children, some do in fact kill people regardless of if they’re weak or strong just because they’re in their way, to some the ends really do justify the means and morals are simply a weakness to be ignored that stops them from meeting those ends.

I don’t know what anyone else here thought a vigilante was but maybe how mainstream comics and superhero culture has become watered down that word for a few.

Yes, Kotoko is still a vigilante if she attacks people that others find to be weak or worth protecting. Because a vigilante is simply someone who believes that they themselves are the law. That only they know what is truly right and have the will to act on it.

Literally anyone can be a vigilante, it doesn’t mean they’re morally just or right. It just means they’ve said that everyone else is inadequate and only they can right the wrongs they see within society regardless of what anyone says or whose job it actually is to do so.

Oh, she’s not a vigilante like Batman from Batman the Animated Series. Yeah, Bruce Wayne literally went to a mountain to train and has a psychiatry degree. Kotoko is on a break from law school. I don’t know what made anyone here conflate Kotoko with the traditional idolized concept of vigilantism but- Unfortunate that whoever did played themselves on that one.

A vigilante has never been and will never be a person that is morally correct.

Bruce Wayne commits crimes and lets others commit them. His no kill rule has led to the deaths of thousands including his own sidekicks and romantic partners. People play by his rules or hit the fucking bricks. He’s not always the good guy or the pinnacle of morality. He’s just a guy with his own morals.

Just because people disliked the individuals she was attacking before does not mean she will only attack people whom we dislike. That’s the point of being a vigilante, you don’t act on other people’s orders, you work under your own discretion.

From the beginning of trial two everyone has told us Kotoko is this way from Jackalope-

To Yuno,

Yuno: Yep! Kotoko, who you forgave, went super violent, and then injured people came rolling in one after the other! Es: You mean Mahiru and Fuuta. That was an incident even I had not expected. Yuno: Really? If you ask me, Kotoko is someone I would never want to make my friend, though. She’s the type who picks a conclusion from the very beginning and won’t actually talk with you.

And what does she do from the beginning of her second voice drama Yonah. Pick a conclusion from the very beginning instead of actually speaking with Es. When Kotoko sees that Es is upset she assumes that they are upset because she wasn’t able to properly punish Mikoto Kayano and Amane Momose. This is after she tells Es that they were late as well.

Throughout her second voice drama based on the translation I’ve seen she makes minute references to some of the second trial interrogations of the prisoners and even their trial songs.

For example,

“In order to stop someone, you have to squeeze their throat without mercy.”

Purge March

“So nary a sound can be uttered a second time, I’ll crush your throat too.”

“You’ll forgive their sins just because they’re close to you? Make their punishments less sever just because you get along with them? What next- Are you going to start giving them leniency based off their looks? Their personality? How long you’ve known them?”

Despite that Kotoko says she’s playing by Milgram’s rules and taking into consideration what Es' superiors want her statements are in direct contradiction to Jackalope’s own desires. Her getting upset with Es for forming attachments and voting based on biases is directly antithetical to the project Jackalope is trying to have and has claimed to want to have from the beginning.

This is especially interesting considering that Kotoko calls Es imperfect but from a conversation from the bonus story that came with the Milgram novel we know for certain that Jackalope considers Es the perfect guard.

So, if Kotoko thinks Es is bad at their job and that they are an imperfect guard her statements are directly in conflict with Jackalope’s our superior and the one running this Milgram/advising us.

A second reference to another interrogation comes up during this statement as well-

“…Hey, Es. Please, listen. I don’t want this either. I’m at my limit. I can’t stand it anymore. If someone died because I bashed them online and you find out about it- Even if I learn my lesson from it that won’t put an end to all this.” Futa… “Listen, I’ll forgive you for what you’ve done too. I’ll accept this pain. SO- please- Forgive me, I’m begging you!” … “It hurt… It hurt so bad, I thought I was going to die. I was scared!” Huh… “The feeling of getting judged by countless people at once is the worst, too… I can’t sleep feeling like the whole world is watching me.” … “I’m tired of everything hurting and being difficult. PLEASE! I’m sorry! ES!!” … Sigh… Futa. It’s not like I hate you guys. “… …!” I’ve been by your side for a long time, and I’ve had a look inside your hearts. Even if you are murderers, you’re no longer just strangers to me. That connection is something that can’t be cut so easily. “R-right-?!” Seeing you hurt like this makes me regret my actions too. Haahh… I’m feeling torn since my judgement my judgment may have made the situation more complicated for you guys. “…!” And also…first and foremost. I’m starting to think of you all as something like comrades. “Es…!” It’s a pity… that I’m…the warden. “Eh?” No matter what kind of suffering you’re going through, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to evade justice. “…?! That’s…!” Either way I have yet to figure out what the relationship between your current hurt self and the crime that you committed is. “…” Of course I can’t blame you for not having words of apology to say to the person you killed. “…!!” But even if you apologize to me about things that happened in the past- It’s not like I care. “Gwuahh, you’re wrong! YOU’RE WRONG!” Thank you, Futa. I realized that this requires resolve. “…!!!” The warden has to… I have to judge the sins of my comrades without holding back even while they’re weeping right in front of me. Phew- That’s all the interrogation is over.

Like honestly Es came into Kotoko’s interrogation acting real different from how they came into trial two.

Throughout her second trial cd everything given to us restates and further highlights the sort of character Kotoko has always been.

Streaming Heart perfectly following up on the disdain she's shown towards herself and receiving affection that was alluded to with her previous cover Anti Beat.

While her voice drama and song show off just how much she knows about Milgram in subtle ways without just laying it out on the table for all to see.

Heavily alluding to the fact that she’s been looking over things in her own way since the series began. Something that was heavily implied during Mikoto’s first voice drama when she came out of hiding from somewhere to help Es.

So, what does this mean exactly? Kotoko isn’t just being a pain in the ass because that’s her regular state. I mean it is but- She’s heard every prisoner's statement on her since the beginning of trial two. She’s seen every music video, heard every excuse, see how they behave in front of the guard- and did what Yuno told us she did from the drew her own conclusions about them without talking to any of them.

Kotoko also admits she’s been eavesdropping from her first voice drama because when Es asks her how much she knows she says,

Even if it’s true that you saved me, I don’t remember promising to forgive you for that rogue-like behavior.

“Is that so? Then, I’d like to ask- is Milgram purposefully designed that way?” Designed that way…as in letting prisoners do what they want? “You should be the one to know about this. The cells here don’t even have locks.” I…should know? “For example me being suspicious of Mikoto Kayano’s actions, carefully tracking him and his behavior, it’s all under your permission.” In deciding whether to forgive or not… One has to observe human nature… “It’s something like that.”

From the beginning up until now Kotoko has been using Es to get the information she wanted on the other prisoners. Because that’s expressly the deal she made. Something she reiterates in Yonah.

Cooperation is about doing what the other party cannot do. Meaning she is cooperating with us so we can do what she cannot. Not just that we’re just cooperating with her because she can do what we can’t. Es/us are the guards we can interrogate and interact with the prisoners how we see fit.

“Guard-san… no. Es. Don’t you want to join forces with me? I think the two of us would make good partners.” Join…forces with you? “With, you in the role of prison guard with the information you gather from interrogations, and me in the role of prisoner with the information I gather from my daily life in here… Working together and sharing our findings what do you think?”

But that’s weird, isn’t it?

She said sharing our findings but during her first interrogation and her second Es never shared any information, did they?

They never willfully told Kotoko any of their opinions on the prisoners. Yet she still acts as though information was shared. Because she wasn’t really asking. Throughout both of her voice dramas and over the course of Milgram one thing is consistently showcased about Kotoko. She doesn’t ask for permission ahead of time.

She takes the fact that Milgram is not taking precautions to stop prisoners from observing each other as permission enough to start observing Mikoto. Probably why he doesn’t fucking sleep too. Since she implies, she’s been observing him since Milgram started simply because he was acting funny and emphasizes their cells don’t have locks. To be honest just because no one is saying that you can’t do something doesn’t mean they’re in support of your doing it. The lack of an objection is not indicative of consent but okay Kotoko okay.

So, why did Es or really anyone here think Kotoko would treat them differently?

Especially when she showed off, she was already observing the interrogations from the jump. Then she never answered how she got into the room either. She just kept that a trade secret and diverted the conversation to a secondary issue.

How did I break into the interrogation room- What a funny question. Es the cells don’t have locks here. Hey, do you want to team up with me? To someone like Kotoko who can get anywhere she wants to and see whatever she wants within Milgram-

Someone like Es who barely has a full grasp of what's going on is always going to be beneath her or just another prisoner. We still don't even know how she figured out who had the highest guilty percentages. She's that ahead of us and that's an issue.

Guilty or Innocent might not even stop her at this point.

Her voice drama puts on full display her disgust in disappointment at not only Es' behavior over trial two but the audience's behavior as well. Then Deep Cover barrels in with all the vitriol she feels towards the other prisoners who spent all their interrogations framing her as a threat to them- People who are no better than garbage to her.

Going around crying about unfairness for someone giving them back what they gave and deserve. Going as far to say just like Futa that's karma isn't it. Even pointing out Es and the audience wouldn't care at all if they didn't feel like they knew these people or her. They'd just see a bad guy getting what they deserved just like they saw with her first mv and everyone would be oh so happy right?

Why is it any different when it happens to a bad guy that you know? If something is bad it's bad regardless of, who does it right? Why should it matter if you think they're nice, if they're just a kid, if they were having a hard time- It's so dumb because none of those things cancel out what the person has done. It doesn't bring back the people they've killed it's just making yourself feel good.

Taking those things into account won't make them change, won't stop them from offending again- It's so dumb. What about their victim's reasons, their lives, their struggles? People like that who just go forgiving the unforgivable because of those sorts of feelings alone can't change anything. The only thing they can do is excuse everything then act like what happens after that is nobody's fault.

It's nobody's fault I just did what I thought was right, I didn't think this would happen, it'd be good if I could have made it so it wouldn't have happened, even if my choices were bad ones they were still my own, to save the things that couldn't be saved I had to try it's all nonsense and never ending justification all the way down. Can any of that be considered taking responsibility at all?

While still carrying that feeling of self-loathing and recognition. that just screams I hate it because it's like me and that means i'm like you. It's annoying and depressing because that's just how people are. They're contradictory. Their morals are flexible. They're not subservient to any will but their own and even if someone else were to come a long and call them stupid, weak, overly sentimental, delusional, self-righteous, promiscuous, entitled, or a liar literally they don't have to fucking listen.

That's the entire point of Milgram, it's not about giving anybody what they want but everyone being able to do what they want because they want to. Plain and simple. But when you play like that the least you can do is take responsibility for your actions instead of conveniently putting all your problems on someone else.

Like Es said to Futa-

No matter what kind of suffering you’re going through, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to evade justice.

It's hard so what- Would it be more fun if it were easy? Is living a fulfilling life something that can just be handed to everyone as simply as forgiving a transgression that didn't happen to you? It's different because it does feel like it's happening to you.

Because that's how people are and that's how they're always going to be.

[irondad-defensesquad]

I love you (you don't have to say it back, though)

Also posted on AO3!

My last work this year. Happy New Year to those who celebrate it! Still hope you have a great day today :)

--

Tony was usually not allowed to go to his father’s workshop. When he was very small, he was able to sneak inside, but the more he grew up, the less frequent it became. Not with Howard becoming increasingly angrier at him.

By the time Tony went to boarding school, he knew better than to bother Howard.

Except, occasionally, his father would take him to the workshop without saying much. He just expected Tony to follow him without protest.

But don’t be mistaken. Tony couldn’t tell Howard about school or his day overall. He couldn’t ask for help with his homework (after all, Tony was supposed to be smart on his own). Their time was strictly professional, not some father and son bonding.

The boy had to be stiff and silent like a rock the entire time, unless Howard asked him to build something while bearing a judgmental glare, already expecting Tony to fail. Either the man would say nothing, or he would straight up say Tony was doing it completely wrong. Regardless, that always meant their lab time was over and Tony would be kicked out of the workshop.

Nowadays, Tony had his own workshop where he allowed anyone to come in, bots or not. Someone in particular has been coming here a lot more.

It’s so different from the past. Tony and Peter are not even working on the latter’s suit anymore. They’ve abandoned their tools and Peter’s homework has been put to a stop. What for?

Peter has been ranting about Star Wars and how unfair it is the way people have been treating some of the new characters from the most recent trilogy.

Arguably, Tony has only seen the original trilogy years ago, but he was never a fanboy. He might not understand everything to the lore, but he’s not at all bored or annoyed by Peter’s long ramble. He’s listening all the way through, never looking away.

Peter seems to have not noticed Tony staring at him with all the attention in the world, because suddenly… The kid gradually quiets down and stops talking, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

“... what?” Tony asks, confused. “Why did you stop?”

“Do you think I’m annoying?”

Tony sits closer to him. “No, of course not.”

“Why? I talk too much and- gosh, I’ve been ranting for half an hour about Star Wars…”

“Hey, I don’t mind.”

“But it’s so stupid, Mr. Stark.”

“Kid, it’s not stupid. It matters to you. Besides, you could talk about literally anything and I would listen all the way through.”

“Why?” Peter doesn’t believe him. “Are you just saying that to be nice?”

It hurts Tony hearing the kid’s insecurity.

He squeezes one of Peter’s shoulders.

“Oh, kid… I mean what I say. I like listening to you. I…”

… that word.

Love.

Is he going to say it?

“... I like having you here.”

Ah, dang it.

Still, the light in Peter’s puppy eyes returns. They look like the clean starry sky they can see from upstate. It does sting Tony’s heart how surprised Peter is to hear those words. He feels regret for not letting the kid know how much he likes his company. Tony will make sure to correct that from now on.

He pulls the kid in a half hug, squeezing him. Peter is very stiff at first, but he eventually relaxes and lies against Tony’s shoulder like a cat. If Tony isn’t seeing things, the teen is probably about to cry.

After this, they go back to work. Peter asks for help and Tony guides him. When the kid solves it, Tony praises him.

Then, the two leave the workshop together to eat ice cream and watch a dumb sitcom.

Tony eventually notices Peter has been staring at him with the same stars in his eyes.

But not in a mere fanboyish way.

After that, Peter lies against Tony again.

“I like being here, too,” he says simply.

It shouldn’t be surprising, right?

Still, Tony’s eyes blur.

Nothing rolls down, but truly, he’s not made of iron.

And that’s more than okay.

Tony smiles and lies his head on top of Peter’s, wrapping an arm around the kid.

Maybe he didn’t say what he meant just yet… but maybe Peter knows it.

Still, Tony will say it. He promises that.

[twilightmalachite]

Wish - Spinning Thread 2

Characters: Natsume, Sora

Translation: Mika Enstars

"UgH, I can’t stand iT! Just thinking of it makes me angRY!"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Summer

Location: ES Lobby

Natsume: SiGH… I’m fine being asked to look for Senpai agaIN, bUT… I’ve already searched all the places I could think of yesterdAY.

I’d gotten a GPS installed on him without him knowing, but I ended up removing it thinking there wasn’t much of a point in having it lateLY. Now that’s bitten me bACK.

Sora: Shisho~ did something like that?!

Natsume: Without him knowING. Because every time I’d take my eyes off hIM, he’d be collapsed and be starving miserably to death before I even knew iT.

But thEN, that workaholic would be busy working away at the agenCY. It defeated its purpOSE.

Sora: That’s true, it was like Senpai was always at the office at any point of the day, huh~.

Natsume: And even when he did leave the agency offICE, the places he’d go were minimAL.

You’d only find him at a craft store to mend clothes that tORE, or at the out shopping to replenish his office suppLIES.

So I ended up overconfidENT, thinking that he’d be easy to find this time tOO.

BuT, I would have never guessed that Senpai went to karaoKE…

Sora: …? Senpai went to karaoke, Shisho~?

Natsume: That’s rIGHT. How come Senpai went to karaoke with him at a time like thIS?

UgH, I can’t stand iT! Just thinking of it makes me angRY!

Sora: S-Shisho~…?

Natsume: …SoRRY. I know venting to you won’t change anythING, yET…

Sora: Shisho~’s been in a bad mood all morning. Back in the office, Shisho~’s face was scary the entire time~…

Natsume: …Was it that obviOUS?

Sora: Yes. Out of everyone in the office, Shisho~ was the most on edge.

Natsume: Is that sO… I’m really sorRY. I’m a failure of a mastER, having scared you like thAT.

Sora: It’s okay, don’t worry~! Sora no longer is a disciple who has to rely completely on Shisho~!

If Shisho~ is troubled, then Sora will support Shisho~. Sora has become quite the splendid magician, after all~!

Natsume: FuFU. You’ve become incredibly reliaBLE, Sora.

I can’t keep treating you like a child who needs to be protectED. I should know thAT, after my graduation exAM.

Sora: Yes. So, please, tell Sora what’s making Shisho~ so angry.

It’s just a feeling but… It seems Shisho~’s angry for reasons past being worried about Senpai…?

Natsume: …It’s as you sAY, Sora. Last night, it that “Emperor”—Tenshouin Eichi told me about what Senpai was doING, actuaLLY.

Sora, why on earth was Senpai spending time with that “Emperor”?

Sora: Hmm, Sora’s not sure.

Ei-chan-senpai and Shisho~ are similar, so maybe Senpai was simply enjoying a chat with Ei-chan-senpai~?

Natsume: …I have a lot of things I’d like to say about thAT, but I’ll hold off for conversation’s sAKE.

Our Majesty the “Emperor” said that he and Senpai were hanging out together at karaoKE.

Senpai was feeling lost following his dismissAL, so despite his ever so busy lIFE, Our Majesty the “Emperor” did what he could to cheer him up and give him suppORT.

Sora: That’s what happened, huh? So Ei-chan-senpai was able to be by Senpai’s side!

Natsume: That’s riGHT. Senpai ignored how worried we were for hIM, and instead relied on that dreaded “Emperor”.

Why is it he needed to rely on someone else before he did uS? And why that old geezer of all peoPLE?!

Were we not good enough for hIM? Even though if he had come to mE, I would have done whatever I could to have comforted hIM…

I can’t stop myself from feeling irritated when I think about iT.

Natsume: My jealousy is embarrassING. Although I doubt I would’ve become this aggravated if it were with literally anyone other than that Tenshouin Eichi…

…I didn’t want to show you this uncool, ugly side of mysELF, Sora.

Sora: HaHa~, Shisho~ is only humAN. All humans have uncool, ugly sides~!

Natsume: It’s your ability to show off your cool sides that makes you a splendid magician, thoUGH.

A magician must conceal their immature sIDE, and become the embodiment of miracLES—I’ve also got a long way to gO, don’t I.

In any cASE, that’s what’s been going on with mE. I feel like I failed yOU, Sora.

Sora: That’s not the case at all! Shisho~ is still Sora’s Shisho~, no matter what~!

Plus, Sora also can understand Shisho~’s feelings a bit.

If Senpai is ever sad, or in pain, Sora wants Senpai to come to Sora and Shisho~ first.

Natsume: FuFU, I told you the same thing just the other dAY, you knOW.

Sora: …!

Sora: In that case, Sora can also understand Senpai’s feelings a bit too. It probably happened so unexpectedly. Senpai might not have known what to do…

Natsume: …You might be riGHT. It might have just been a case of that “Emperor” just happening to be thERE.

HoweVER, that’s not an excuse for how he disappeared without contacting us at aLL.

Sora: …Senpai probably still doesn’t know how to process all that’s happened.

So, Sora wants to be there for Senpai, without scolding him angrily~.

Natsume: …I understAND. Let’s hear out what Senpai has to sAY, firST. We’ll decide if he needs to be scolded after listening to his sIDE.

WeLL… In order to do thAT, we need to find Senpai firST, don’t wE?

[ ☆ ]

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