#he's limited only by his imagination and it just doesn't occur to him to do a lot of thibgs. he finds out he can shapeshift the material

[gelatinous-globster]

Somebody in the tags mentioned a scene i considered including in the original post, but elected to save for later for its own spotlight because i love it so much;

THIS scene, where Globby dumps Krei off on the top of the skyscraper in "Big Roommates 2".

The shot does a fantastic job of establishing how Krei sees him and what draws his attention the most—the neurotransmitter. The outsider perspective also serves to demonstrate how unnerving Globby is/can be; he doesn't realize it or have much of a grasp on the extent of his powers, but despite how goofy he is, he's still capable of being a threat.

He appears a lot less... well, put together, in his debut episode, as he doesn't have a handle on his abilities yet. As the series progresses his design becomes more consistently humanoid, or at least less creature-esque by default. I have a soft spot for how off-kilter his earlier appearances are.

big fan of these frames where the animators omit Globby's mouth

[triluvial]

Imagine being a freman captured by feyd and just as you’re on the cusp of stockholm syndrome he spits on you. To him he’s just degrading you but you see it as an honor he’s giving you his water…

oh I love this. I feel like to fall into this the Reader has to be primed for it.

Like the Fremen seem to live in fairly small groups (aside from the deep south) so if Reader came from a bigger family then their romantic options may be severely limited. Reader, feeling lonely and longing to leave their small settlement just to find romance would be a great start for this AU.

Then when Feyd captures her, she knows he's probably going to be tortured and killed or turned into a slave. She may have read books and heard stories of dark lovers being soft for their one true love but she's not an idiot, she's under no illusions this will happen to her.

But then the first few weeks pass and Reader is unharmed. She's not tortured or raped and doesn't even see the face of any person other than Feyd.

Feyd is likely thinking he'll keep Reader like an exotic pet - the last of her kind once he razes Arrakis to dust - as he torments her with news of Fremen death. (Paul's rebellion is taking way longer ig)

Unintentionally, he's training Reader bit by bit to be totally dependant on him. He brings her food and water when he visits every second day so the relief of hunger and thirst becomes inescapably entwined with Feyd's presence. As he is literally the only other person she sees, he becomes the only thing she can think about, the only thing she ever dreams about.

This is when the spitting scene occurs. It's a declaration of love. Reader's thrilled. She swallows. Feyd begins to spend more and more of his time just thinking about Reader because no one ever reacted that positively to him just behaving however he wanted (this would probably work best if the Harpies weren't allowed to come with him, were killed right after he arrived on Dune or never existed in the first place).

Childish dreams of an Out-Worlder sweeping Reader off her feet and away from her inescapable family and into a life of dramatic romance begin to be mapped onto Feyd's face as Reader spends most of her time alone in the darkness of her cell.

Until I'm thinking Gurney and some Fremen scouts break into the Arrakeen palace for an assassination attempt and while they're there, they free Reader against Paul's orders (Hey, she has a big family at least two of them are on the team). She's ok with leaving until she learns they want to assassinate Feyd. The Harkonnen tactics advanced so much upon his arrival they think they can win if they take him out. Reader knocks them out from behind. This is how Feyd find her. Surrounded by the unconscious bodies of her would-be rescuers.

I couldn't pick an ending here so here's both:

Feyd tests Reader by "accidentally" letting her take one of his swords. She uses it to kill the scouting team to protect him. He proposes with the idea of stringing her along and seeing what else he could make her do for him before locking her up again. However, the horror that his fiancée evokes in the Bene Gesserit makes him so happy he decides to drag it out longer. Then, she tells him about the deep-south holdouts and stops him from relaxing when all the northern Fremen are seemingly dead he has to keep her on his arm a little longer. Then she wins a sparring match against him so he has to keep her around until he can soundly beat her, take everything she can teach him and turn it against her. Before he knows it they've been engaged for a year and there's legitimate wedding planning happening. He still wouldn't call it love but it might be as close as he gets. Reader still loves it when he spits on her.

Feyd gets Reader to fake a break-out and helps her move the unconscious rescuers out a secret escape. When they wake up she claims Feyd found them but she killed him and dragged them all to freedom. She's his spy on the inside and with the confidence of Feyd's supposed assassination Paul and the other Fremen will be overconfident. This would probably culminate in Feyd winning the knife fight against Paul and then saying, "You did perfectly, sweetheart." And Reader bolting like an Olympian into his still bloody arms.

[porkcracker]

Can you do a TFA decepticons (separate) falling for a kind and innocent autobot reader that believes they’re good deep down and tries to befriend them

Hello, yes, I'm a sucker for these bastards. For the sake of my sanity and limiting the wait time, I only took the Decepticons on earth (plus Shockwave, bc Shockwave is <3) and not all and every one of them. I do hope you enjoy this, and now let's get to it.

I actually started to answer this ask months ago, but never finished it, I truly hope this can still be enjoyable even being this immensely late.

TFA Decepticons x Autobot!GN!Reader

Soundwave

Soundwave is a very logical and goal orientated bot, it doesn't even really occur to him that he isn't good

After all, his goal in achieving robots and mechanical beings as the rulers not the workers is going to benefit all kind of mechanical life

So he really has no problem with you per se, but with the cause you align yourself

It's really a shame as well, you would be such a good ally

even if you don't end up becoming a Decepticon, as long as you don't hinder his plans too badly he can accept you as someone who will see reason when the time arrives

With your kind attitude, he knows you will get used to it, when the time arrives, and then you can maybe become even more than friends

A thing that he especially loves your sweet and caring behaviour towards his cassettes

He cares deeply for them, so to have you treat them so gently makes his feelings go wild

Blitzwing

Blitzwing is a rather loyal bot, so he doesn't like you insisting he's actually good deep down

Icy simply ignores your insistences and tries to correct you, even if he pulls his punches in a way he would never admit

Hothead on the other hand sees your kind behaviour as a personal insult

Are you saying he's not a real strong warrior, going so soft on him?

Not on his watch, he almost always insists on fighting you when the opportunity comes up

Random thinks your sweet personality is cute and aggravating at the same time

He wants you to keep going and at the same time to stop, he'll egg you on and in the same breath lean into your words giving you a bit of hope of getting through to him

It's a slow fall, but when he realises his three personalities go about winning you over differently

Icy cuts back on the physical fighting and engages you in verbal fights that are far more attempts to show you he can be what you think he could be

Hothead doesn't change too much, he's not one for too soft feelings and attempts to show you that he could protect your sweet nature easily

He does also love to give you words of affection, where Icy prefers gifts

Random loves to spend time with you no matter in what way, as long as you're close and having fun

Though his fun is relative, he does attempt to make it fun for both of you

Lugnut

Your chances of actually winning Lugnut over are very low

He is a warrior and not necessarily the smartest, but he is loyal as all hells come

There is a use in bots that have a talent with words that he can acknowledge

But there is already one bot whose words have pulled him into an orbit

He might develop some kind of crush on you, due to your kind side, but unless you change to the Decepticons he will most likely never act on it

But sometimes he likes to think of you, not as an Autobot, but a Decepticon like him and imagine what it could be like

Those times are very rare, however

Shockwave

Shockwave is at the same level of loyalty as Lugnut and there is very little that could make the Decepticon reconsider his opinion

He thinks it's rather cute how you attempt to convince him that he isn't actually that bad and good deep down

During his time as Longarm Prime, he had seen your kind behaviour directed towards many bots for various reasons

It's a no-brainer that he took advantage of that several times

But still, even as useless as your endeavour is, he can't deny that you're cute

Maybe, just maybe, he should get himself a little souvenir from Cybertron

Surely Megatron wouldn't mind his spy indulging himself with a cute little prisoner

He'll show you how wrong you are with your opinion, but don't worry, he'll give you a very long time to attempt to change his mind

Depending on how forceful you behave, you'll stay with the Decepticons for a very long while, or he'll set you free, because he grows too fond of you

Starscream

He will deny having any good in him vehemently

The moment you start to talk, he'll talk over you and don't you even think of speaking over him

That's actually the first thing he really notices

Sure, he knows you exist, but he only starts paying attention after he notices that you actually let him do his speeches and listen as well

It's surprising

He pays more attention, and he can't help, but be very pleased by the attention you give him, no matter if it is to convince him he's actually good or some bullshit

At first, he only uses you to stroke his own ego

But as time goes by he starts to really care for your validation

He'll search you out in fights and outside of fights

Megatron

Making sure your attention continues to stay on him at all times, no matter what

You don't stand out to him at first, and it is unlikely that he will notice you in a broader setting

But when it comes to a one on one meeting things change

You're so small in comparison to him, most Autobots are, and usually he doesn't care much for it beyond battle advantage

He brushes your words off at first

From his point of view, he is the good guy

But as you keep running into each other, he can't help but note that you seem far more innocent than even your fellow Autobots

You try to see the good in every thing and every one, and you help where you can

It's hard to imagine a bot like you being a product of an Autobot lead Cybertron

He is impressed that you have not yet consumed the propaganda every Autobot seems to believe and hopes that it will stay the case for longer

Once he notices that he is growing fond of you, he reverses your situations

Where you have tried to appeal to him before and bring out his good side, he now attempts to appeal to you and win you over to the Decepticons

You could be great together

[cripplecharacters]

In general, how would you approach writing nonhuman/feral characters with disabilities? How would you balance the symptoms animals usually show vs human symptoms, experiences and available accomodations?

I'm considering giving my Warrior Cats character with TBI-induced blindness (yes, I know, these books are awful about disability rep and yet I can't help but get attached) a guide animal of some sort, but... in real life blind cats can get by just fine using their whiskers, and though realism isn't a concern here, I'm worried that'll come across as nonsensical. However, I'm personally uncomfortable with writing yet another blind character that doesn't need mobility aids despite not being able to distinguish objects from one another "properly". He may not be totally blind, but I feel like I'd be contributing to the misconceptions surrounding my own condition that way. Thoughts?

Thank you for your ask! In real life animals, including cats, have been known to assign themselves as a guide for a blind packmate, usually walking on the side with less vision to help with navigation. Sometimes an animal of another species will act as a guide, but only if they’re bonded. This also occurs more often in domesticated animals, so if you don’t want the guide to be another cat you could do something like a dog, chicken or rat (though I’d imagine the last two would be hard to keep in a cat pack!).

You could also have your character able to move around unassisted in familiar areas that he is often in, but need assistance in unfamiliar areas.

As for writing your character, I’d say research how his injury affects his other senses. Touch, smell, hearing and limb movement can be affected by a traumatic brain injury, and it would definitely affect your character's ability to get around.

As of now, this blog unfortunately doesn’t have any blind mods (applications are still open as of posting this). However, you can check out other blogs for more information on blindness, such as BlindBeta, AskABlindPerson, and Mimzy-Writing-Online.

Have a lovely day!

Mod Rot

Hi!

When talking about TBI induced blindness, you have to keep in mind that it's different from ocular blindness. The brain-based type of blindness is called CVI, or Cortical Visual Impairment, and it's very common!

(Note: I have done a lot of research on CVI, but I don't have it myself. I heavily encourage you to check the blogs that Rot mentioned!)

A CVI will often have different symptoms than ocular blindness. For example, the character's field of view could be severely limited - the left (or right, or top, or bottom...) half of their vision could be non-existent, and the other half could be what is sometimes described as "incomprehensible". It could also present in infinitely different ways from that, as it can be very diverse!

CVI is often fluid and the person (or cat) can function very differently depending on the circumstances like fatigue or stress or even the weather. If he's having a horrible day he will be able to understand the visual input less than when he's doing fantastic.

With CVI, it's important to remember that visual acuity generally won't be the main problem, but the brain's comprehension of the image is. This is where cat-available accommodations can hopefully come in.

Showing him experiencing visual fatigue and how he deals with it could be one of them! During his kitty activities he could prefer to have them spaced out so that he only sees one at a time and makes it easier for his brain to comprehend without tiring him out. A cluttered environment would probably only make it worse, so you can have him make sure that everything is nice and in its place. He could also take longer to recognize new objects or cats.

If he has, for example, very limited field of vision, then he could have his kitty house (I don't know how warrior cats work I'm trying my best here) arranged so that it would work for him; i.e. everything being on a specific height.

I also very much agree with Rot that he should have more symptoms than just blindness! One example of a brain-based cat disability could be cerebellar hypoplasia; it can't be caused by a TBI, but it causes ataxia which can be a result of a TBI (mildly complicated, sorry). Either way you can use it as a reference to visualize how your character could move!

I hope this helps! I really appreciate the effort of trying to include disability accommodations in a character who's a forest cat.

mod Sasza

[blackfeathercourt]

Got Nocmos Brain Rot™ again and made a timeline to pinpoint the most important events of her life and to illustrate the way she's been changing and growing

Close-ups and some notes below the cut

weirdly cut because I didn't want images to be giant and long to scroll by x_x

Just a baby. Nocmos had a relatively normal early childhood. Definitely cast her first spell before spoke her first word.

Nocmos begins her studies when she's around 10 years old… and that's when her free time is done for. Almost every minute of her day now is dedicated to studying, with magic being most paid attention to, which is a given with her Telvanni background. Moreover, she was taught with the intention of her enrolling to Shad Astula, a prestigious magic academy near Mournhold. She wastes all her teen years being stuck in her family's tower in Sadrith Mora, barely leaving the settlement and having little idea of the world outside.

elves must hit their puberty later then humans, so she's still yet to grow a little

Alright, Nocmos makes it to Shad Astula. She immediately starts distancing herself from her family back on Vvardenfell, since now she's away on the mainland (kinda). She keeps her studies up, a bit more enthusiastically now since she can finally meet people all over the Ebonheart Pact and not be limited to the Telvanni bunch. Starts learning to socialise on her own, catastrophically at first, with accidental racism all over the place... But it's alright, she even manages to make some first friends.

Initial meeting with Endalwe occurs at around this time, somewhere on a field trip I suppose while Endalwe is adventuring around the region. Neither one of them pays much mind to each other at this point.

Nocmos (barely) graduates Shad Astula and begins her own independent research, albeit under Divayth Fyr's guidance. She becomes his apprentice, living in the same tower as him, assisting him when he makes her and accompanying him in his travels. She learns a lot during that time and finally gets to explore Tamriel a little, which inspires her greatly to continue her studies.

At around that time, Nocmos discovers her new special interest - tinkering and constructing, though still on a very early stage. She meets Endalwe again in Vivec, when she's completing the Morrowind story line, and spontaneously decides to assist her. That allows not only for them to develop deeper friendship, but also for Nocmos to become acquainted with a former Clockwork apostle, Barilzar. I imagine she does all the quests which involve him, which means she gets a peek of the Clockwork city at the very end of the storyline. And… she becomes obsessed! Barilzar kicks her out and doesn't really want anything to do with her anymore, so she takes matters into her own hands and starts exploring Dwarven ruins on her own, eager to study the nature of the constructs. She even tries to build something on her own, bringing home spare parts and tools, thinking Divayth isn't aware of her new hobby. He is.

So, this is the most crucial point of Nocmos's life. She completes the Clockwork City DLC! With Divayth's guidance, as he notices her interest and deems her worthy of such endeavour, but she does all the quests mostly on her own. After that, they bid farewell and he officially ends her apprenticeship. Nocmos decides to stay in the Clockwork City and later becomes an Apostle. This allows her to bring two of her hyperfixations together - she starts practicing some actual constructing and occasionally studying magic from Sotha Sil himself as she's now in a pretty favourable position, having rescued his life and everything. Yeah, that also makes her times more religious than before.

Another point of importance is that her design finally settles down. Her appearance doesn't change much past that. She gets that Apostle tiara, crafts some ear extensions to correct their shape, loses her arm in an accident and gets a prosthetic (along with her staff, but that happens a little later) from Sotha Sil, adopts local clothing style which she uses later independently and grows her hair out to its final length, not letting it get longer or shorter.

Some time later, Nocmos's Telvanni heritage starts calling out to her. She gets a permit to travel freely to and from the Brass Fortress, and returns to Tamriel, intent to make a name for herself as a Telvanni sorceress, just to spice up her life a little. Nocmos manages to get on Mistress Dratha's good side in Vos, and gets a permission to grow her own tower in there. Then she starts eagerly and deliberately climbing up the ladder, rising in ranks, using all means to get as high as she can - charisma, cunning, thievery, backstabbing, secondhand murder... whatever. She acquires all those necessary skills which help her later on in life. Of course, this process is a very long one, and goes on for decades, but eventually she manages to rise to the rank of Master and only then does she settle down.

Here she's pictured in a Telvanni attire from ESO, tweaked a bit to my liking, but I think she continues wearing her Apostle robes just to remind people who she is

This is the point in her life when she reunites properly with Endalwe and starts adventuring with her, along with Bliss and Tanarion. Endalwe lures her in by promises of an endless research material during their world-saving quests... and Nocmos doesn't need a lot of persuading, since she's herself eager to travel and explore, especially in the safety of the company of warriors. And since she likes Endalwe as it is, of course.

Okay, so I haven't developed anything much beyond that point. Nocmos and others does all those big chapter and dlc storylines... and that takes years and years because I absolutely refuse to believe that Vestige has to do everything on their own within the span of one year. They also have periods of rest in between them, when Nocmos either collects the data she's earned on their adventures and writes a paper or too, ooor comes back to her duties in the Clockwork city.

[cyren-myadd]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea of ​​Spider gaining the ability to breathe without a mask/getting his avatar/kuru in the next parts? I kind of like that he has these limitations and it would be more interesting if he completely accepted them and found his way to connect with Eywa and live on Pandora instead of just removing them, I feel like that would take away all the uniqueness of his character

Don't worry, anon, you're definitely not the only one who feels this way! I personally do like the idea of Spider getting an "adaptation," but I've seen other folks raise the concern of these potential changes taking away Spider's uniqueness and I can understand where the fear comes from. It's a totally valid worry to have.

Let me share my perspective on the topic

So you listed three possible changes to Spider's character that have been rumored to occur in Avatar 3. Let's break these down first:

Spider breathing without a mask

Spider getting an Avatar

Spider getting (growing?) a kuru

There are different reasons people believe each of these things may happen and all of them are possible, we won't know for sure until A3 comes out, but as of right now, it's looking like option #1 is the only one that's happening. #1 is the most likely option because it's the one with the most evidence behind it. In Avatar 2 BTS footage, a bit of the script for Avatar 3 was accidentally shown, describing a scene of Spider breathing without a mask. The script was quickly blurred out in the BTS footage, but not before some twitter users were able to transcribe the script. Since the avatar creative team made an effort to cover it up, that makes the first option seem like it's the most likely to happen. @spider-socorro-stan has an excellent breakdown of the leaked script on their blog and you can read it HERE if you'd like to know more.

I've also noticed that Spider's official character poster seems to confirm option 1 as well. The character posters for Avatar 2 are all screenshots taken from the movie, like Jake's is from the scene where he talks to Neytiri about being too hard on their sons, Kiri's is from her first swim in Awa'atlu, Quaritch's is from Spider's interrogation scene, etc, etc. Spider's poster (center) is the only one that isn't a screenshot from Avatar 2, and in fact, he doesn't have a forehead stripe or chest garment in Avatar 2 at all like he has in the poster. Since Spider's look in the poster matches BTS footage of Spider's look for Avatar 3, most people assume the poster is a screenshot from Avatar 3 instead of 2. In the poster you can see plants and trees behind him, meaning he is outdoors, but despite this he is not wearing a mask. The poster on its own wouldn't really be sufficient evidence for such a wild theory, but when it's combined with the leaked script, it seems to make option #1 seem very plausible.

The second rumor stems from a BTS image of Jack Champion lying down in a link chamber (left) making it appear as if he is he is about to link to an Avatar, and the third rumor stems from some concept art that was shared at an Avatar exhibition in Las Vegas (right) that depicts Spider with a kuru. Since these images were shared on purpose and there hasn't been any effort to cover them up, plus they lack any confirmation in a script like the first rumor, I believe it's likely that rumor two and three will not actually happen. The image of Jack in the link pod could've just been Jack messing around, and the image of Spider with the kuru, while legitimate concept art, is most likely an old, scrapped idea because I can't imagine the creative team showing such a massive spoiler on purpose. If you want to know more about the kuru-theory, I made a post discussing it HERE.

So now that we've gone over the three potential changes to Spider's character, and established that the only change that has a real likelihood of happening is the maskless Spider one, let's talk about people's reactions to it.

I'm active in the Avatar communities on tumblr and reddit, and I occasionally peek at tiktok and instagram (I don't touch twitter with a ten foot pole so don't ask me about that), so I've seen lots of different opinions on these changes. Some people, like myself, are enthusiastic about it and curious to see where it goes, while others, like anon, worry that this will take away the underdog qualities that make Spider such an interesting and unique addition to the Avatar cast. Both of these reactions to this shocking leak are completely valid. (There's also a third party that insists the leaks are fake and nothing miraculous will happen to Spider in Avatar 3 because they really really want him to die, but we're not talking about them right now.)

When it comes to the rumor that Spider will be getting an Avatar at some point, I actually agree with the folks who worry about it taking away from Spider's character. We already had the human-gets-an-alien-body story done with Jake in Avatar 1, and we had human-gets-an-alien-body 2: The Revenge done again with Quaritch in Avatar 2. If we had human-gets-an-alien-body part 3: electric bluegaloo with Spider in Avatar 3, the trope would've worn out its welcome. We've already had the topic explored twice already; we really don't need it to be explored again. There's nothing Spider getting an avatar would add to the story that hadn't already been explored by Jake.

But the good news is this rumor seems very unlikely to happen, so unless I'm way off we won't have to worry about that.

Now the rumor about Spider breathing without a mask is where I hardcore disagree with the worries that it will take anything away from Spider's character. I understand and agree with this worry when it comes to the Avatar body, because as I said, the Avatar body story's been done before ad nauseum. But breathing without an exopack? And still being human? That's definitely never been done before.

Two things that make Spider's character so charming IMO is that he's unique and he's an underdog. Unique, because literally no matter where he goes, he sticks out like a sore thumb: among the Na'vi he sticks out because of his humanness, and among the humans he sticks out because he looks like tarzan lost a paintball fight to the blue team. He is literally and visually trapped between two worlds, and that makes for a really interesting story. He's also an underdog for the obvious reason. Poor kid's at a disadvantage no matter where he goes too. He's much smaller and weaker than the Na'vi, he can't bond with any of the cool animals, and he doesn't know how to use any of the cool human weaponry so he can't make up for his size the way human villains like OG-Quaritch did. And yet, despite constantly being the underdog, he never gives up and always fights to protect his loved ones. That indomitable human spirit is always an appealing character trait.

If Spider does get the ability to breathe the Pandoran atmosphere without an exopack, that doesn't take away from his two important character traits. He will still be an underdog, because even if you remove the breathing handicap, he still lacks the size and the ability to bond with the animals that the other main characters have. The audience will continue to see him struggle to overcome his physical disadvantages. He will also still be unique in having that caught-between-worlds quality. In fact, the breathing thing would make him even more unique than before because as far as we know, he is the only human to ever gain this ability.

Unlike Jake and Quaritch, Spider has not left his humanity behind for something completely new. Spider is still fully human, but a part of him will also be fully Pandoran, now able to survive on the planet that's so unhospitable to his kind.

Spider will always be the same goofy little underdog we know and love, even if he does get a new ability in Avatar 3. I fully understand that not everyone likes this concept, and that's fine, but I sincerely hope that everyone who dislikes it can at least come around to it by the time Avatar 3 comes out. There is a lot of evidence supporting this theory, and I'd really hate for anyone's enjoyment of the movie to be ruined because of this creative decision!

[lightlycareless]

I don’t know if you’ve seen the cartoon King of the Hill but there’s this side character named Cotton Hill, father of the main character: Hank Hill. So Cotton treats Hank very poorly and is/was a horrible father but he has a soft spot for Hank’s son, Bobby. Idk if this is me craving a somewhat soft Naobito but I can imagine him having a soft spot for maybe one of the many kids Y/N and Naoya have.

Hello!!

Omg hahah I haven't seen much of king of the hill tbh, except when I was channel surfing and I'd see like a scene or two, but I searched it up a bit and that + a dream I got recently was exactly what I needed to answer this ask.

So, let's say that you and Naoya end up having... 4 kids. Planned, loved, cared for, so on and so forth. Some members of the plan push you to have another one (either because of the superstition behind the number 4, or because they want more strong sorcerers, idk) but you don't let them get to you because you and Naoya are happy with the family you have now.

Years pass, your youngest kid is like 10, and then... an unexpected surprise occurs: you're pregnant! Naoya wishes to say he didn't know how it happened, but you know, one day... both decided to... you know, why not, take a little risk...

And the rest is history.

Either way, both take this surprise very well and end up having one last child: a baby girl named Naohime. (don't ask why, in my dream it was like super cute and I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I rarely dream with Naoya, if ever soooo aajgkhkajgha)

So obviously because of your age (I keep thinking 40's but let's be real, somewhere around 30's mid 30's), alongside the fact that she's probably the last baby both are going to have, the two decide to spoil her even more. Like, give her even more things than what you gave your other kids, be a bit more lenient with being grounded and what not...

Because all of this, she grows up to be quite the troublemaker; always making her relatives upset some way or the other, constantly testing the limits of everyone's patience, with no indications of stopping, nor caring whenever you or Naoya try to correct her. Amongst other things.

And this... amuses Naobito to no end.

I have to admit that more likely than not, Naoya is the only one of his siblings that ends up having kids; I mean, the others are not really pressured to do so, and I don't think they're interested either, or didn't get the opportunity who knows,

Anways, Naobito, with the notions that he's not going to have any more grandkids + his age + his amusement for Naohime's antics, he quickly grows to have a soft spot for her.

The whole clan thought Naohime couldn't be any more spoiled when it came to her parents, but when the clan leader got involved, that's when they learned what spoiled truly meant.

Naobito would end up making lots of... questionable decisions because of his favoritism towards her. Like, placing lands under her name, gifting her cursed tools, or even asking her opinion on trivial matters relating to the clan.

Naoya attempts to put a stop to this, but all that he manages to do is... well, nothing, really. I mean, Naobito doesn't involve Naohime in important subjects anymore after Naoya spoke to him, but she's still involved one way or the other.

The other shocking thing he does is train her personally. That's like, wow, haven't seen that one since he trained Naoya, although the surprise here is that at his old age is still capable of moving haha. To Naobito's pleasant surprise, Naohime is an excellent student, so he ends up liking her even more.

"Maybe Naohime is a much better candidate to be the next clan leader." Is what Naobito would ponder about one day, much to Naoya's horror.

"She's—she's just a child!" he exclaims; although he won't deny that losing what was promised to him is quite terrifying on it's own.

Naobito just shrugs.

And obviously... the two watch anime together. Spend their time criticizing all the same things Naobito complains about, even though Naohime doesn't know much of it (does it look like a child would care about animation?) But she likes to parrot Naobito so there's that hahah.

"anime time" is scared for the two; no poor servant would dare interrupt them while they're watching their favorite series; truth to be told, all his schedule revolves around this.

"Will this meeting clash with the plans I have at 5?"

"Yes, but only because it's of utmost urgency."

"Then no."

"But it's important. It pertains to the future of the clan!"

"I said no—I'm not going to miss my anime with my granddaughter just for some stupid meeting."

"For your—you're avoiding this meeting to watch anime with your granddaughter?!"

Naobito doesn't like being questioned, so that man is never seen again.

So, there you have it. What I think a Naobito with a soft spot for one of his grandkids would be :>; I honestly didn't want to write something like "yeah he'd only like the BOYS" because idk, I've heard stories (and seen them first hand) of people being completely set on their morals, and then, when they grow old and have grandkids, they're like "oh that? idk what you talking about."

Also, I thought it would be cute for Naoya and Y/N to have one last little girl, you know? 🥺❤️ unnghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh one that everyone loves the most.

Anyways, thank you so much for sending in this ask! Y'all be asking the REAL questions I love day dreaming about 😈 (jk, I appreciate all asks ❤️❤️)

Take care, and hope to see you soon!!

[honeyydrunk]

niragi suguru a-z don't judge me for this sakurada dori was hawt as hell in that role

a: aftercare oh be SO real rn. 🧍

b: body bro has 3 good qualities and his body is one of them. but aside from everything let's talk about the main attraction, that damn mf absolutely ridiculously crazy tongue piercing of his. man i wanted to JUMP through the screen for that. it had me blushing and shi

c: cum hm. well he just nuts all up in your guts. consequences are not something he's thought about. but this is the borderlands what's going to happen be fr. you'll probably die before anything bad occurs from the raw nut.

d: dirty secrets  he has no secrets and everything about him is dirty.

e: experience before the borderland? nothing now? everything

f: favourite position it's a tie between you tied up and like 'at his mercy' or whatever that means, and you riding him. actually he likes anything. bros a freak. a high stamina constantly horny ahh freak.

g: goofy that all depends on if you consider him insulting you 'goofy'. it also depends on whether you considered him goofy in the show, because that's exactly how he is in bed. ngl i thought he was kinda goofy, so this one is all up to personal interpretation.

h: hair untamed and unruly bush of hair. (before the borderlands he actually did trim it)

i: intimacy  do you consider him eating you out with a tongue piercing intimate? because BE FOR REAL 🧍

j: jacking off why jack off when he can just fuck you.

k: kinks everything (sort of) licking, biting, cnc, hair pulling, just plain raw animalistic fucking going at it like crazy people. how can i explain extreme desperation and looking like you're attacking each other during sex as a kink?

l: location anywhere everywhere. though he prefers semi public sex as a way of kind of getting adrenaline and showing off. surprisingly, he wouldn't fully fuck you publicly, but totally kissing fingering cockwarming, that kind of stuff in like broad daylight. funnily enough, he doesn't actually like fully private sex anything. it feels too intimate and we can't have that.

m: motivation  everything. if he sees you, he'll try and pull you to a hallway. bros ALWAYS motivated.

n: no no no  him bottoming is an absolute no for him. he will not put himself at the liberty of another person. that or you trying anything he didn't ask you to. basically he wants to feel power, so anything that doesn't give him that feeling is a no.

o: oral oh he loves oral. you crying on his dick is like crazy hot to him. and you'll love oral too LIKE ngl i want that tongue piercing in me or whatever like my imagination is getting so crazy i can actually visualise him eating me out like lowkey can even feel it.

p: pace fast fast fast crazy fast extremely fast no breath no breaks no air constantly going at it you need ridiculous stamina for this crazy attacking sex

q: quick fucks one of his favourite games is you fucking during the games. that's a real time limit isn't it. i just thought of something HORRID ngl. imagine he makes you wait until your visa ends you're outside the game arena and bro says make me cum before the game registration ends or uh you'll die.

r: risk take a wild guess. what do you think? this is niragi suguru. be for real. what do you THINK.

s: stamina crazy high. hope you were one of those cardio pilates people before borderlanding otherwise you might be fainting on him. (actually i think bros realistically isn't high at all i just want it to be)

t: toys bro we're in the borderlands tf is there  (i consider that tongue piercing of his a toy)

u: unfair unfair boy oh god he's horrible. this is NIRAGI. brother isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows he is going to be in it for himself and him only. sorry babygirls he is going to be the most unfair person in bed you'll ever be with

v: volume surprisingly very normal in volume.

w: wild card he IS wild. what else is there? (he likes you wanting him and taking him, but this is only in VERY specific moods. otherwise he'll just kill you for being an annoying slut or whatever)

x ray: slightly above average in length, massive in width.

y: yearning  all the time.

z: zzzzzzzz he never sleeps with someone else in the room. and when he sleeps, it's holding a loaded automatic.

if he gets bored, you're annoying, or he realises he's falling for you, you're getting shot with that mf rifle of his. sorry 😔 for that guys. can't win in this society. i'm praying you live fr because now you got not only the borderlands that is a death wish (i wanna kiss him so bad when he got his face burnt off bros hotter like that. that's not a pun btw)

[mindibindi]

No Place like Home...? 🌈

So what...Ted Lasso just goldfishes his way into forgetting about his big diverse found family so that he can return to humble, hometown heteronormativity? Look, I get that "be a goldfish" is a cute moment from s1 and an idea that has some (limited) practical value. But isn't it also emblematic of Ted's initial overly positive attitude which ultimately just served to ignore difficult emotions, interactions or situations? This is his big advice to his son and his parting words to his audience? Wasn't the whole point of his time in Richmond and his return to his son to establish and encourage an alternative kind of masculinity? One that expresses, not represses? One that deals with difficulty maturely rather than just avoids it? One that actively and ethically chooses rather than simply doing what's always been done?

Honestly? There was plenty of stuff about the finale that I really liked. Colin's kiss was the best bit. That godawful wedding moment the worst, for many reasons. But I'm unsure how to even read Ted's ending, and not in a oh-gosh-it's-so-rich-and-ambiguous way but in a whaaaa....???-this-is-not-consistent-storytelling-this-is-missing-the-mark-for-me kinda way. When Ted looks at the camera, are we supposed to feel happy for him? Happy that he is happy? Is it a happy ending? Is he happy?? He doesn't look happy. Or sad. Or content. Or much of anything really. He just looks kind of vacant. Which is how he looked most of the episode. The final game (which wasn't even the final game and I suppose they justified not showing it for "creative" reasons, okay, sure, whatever) was the only time he looked engaged, and even then it wasn't fully. Most of the time, he did look like a gaping goldfish with a 6-second memory.

When it was time to say goodbye to everyone, there was no sense of nostalgia for the past 3 years and no sense of those relationships continuing. There were no promises or assurances of visits or skypes or calls. Phones, planes and the internet suddenly ceased to exist (when they'd served him and Henry quite well up until then). While the corniest song choice ever played (yes! we get it! the sacred struggle of fatherhood! GAAAHH), one family was sacrificed for another because both couldn't possibly co-exist. Two things at once makes brain hurty. After all the good work they did around dismantling traditional models of masculinity, in the end they reinforced a version of masculinity which centred supposedly noble self-sacrifice rather than ethical self-actualisation, regression over growth and singularity over plurality.

Sure, it bookends the series poignantly, if predictably. And truth is, Ted leaving Henry was baked into the premise of the show from ep 1. It's actually a pretty big emotional leap to take with a character but, as the audience, we made that leap because we understood that this extraordinary move away from his son was necessary for adventure, narrative and growth to occur. In real life, this move would've been highly questionable (esp for a female parent). But we are in a fictional reality here so we are bound as well as freed by the rules of genre, character and narrative. Without Ted leaving Henry, there is no story. We also understand that Ted's adventures will ultimately benefit Henry, who gets a dad who is fully engaged, professionally challenged and supported by a community of like-minded peeps who think he's super cool. By sending Ted back (or at least sending him back in this way), it implies that there is no more story to tell, Ted's story is over, his growth is done. It robs him of further growth and adventure, robs his son of a happy and fulfilled dad and robs the audience of imagining future failures and glories all shared by an indefatigable Richmond FC.

The whole point of this show was to show Ted building a new life, home and family after the disintegration of his marriage. This marriage did not provide the space or opportunity for him to heal childhood wounds or expand as a man. He was a small man, living a small, limited, conventional life. Which would be okay, if he wasn't suffocating in the process. He needed to find a bigger pond. It's possible that Ted's panic attacks were not a sign that Richmond was unhealthy or overwhelming for him. It's possible that there, he could breathe for the first time in years, he had the time and space to feel his feelings, pay attention to his past pain, move up and out and onward. Are we supposed to believe after that 3 years away and maybe 1 of therapy that that's it? He's done now, all healed, squared away? What exactly has changed in Kansas to assure us that he will be any happier there than he was prior? Henry was there then too. Little has changed with Michelle. His mum delivered some food and guilt then left. The show hasn't spent enough time in Kansas to assure us of Ted's happiness or continued growth. Literally, all we know is Henry is there. And BBQ sauce. (And Michelle's boyfriend has turned into a dick suddenly, conveniently).

What we do know well is what Ted is leaving behind. A rich and challenging world, wacky and wonderful experiences with a diverse community, a loved and actively loving chosen family. So are we supposed to read this ending like "The Wizard of Oz" which has the most disingenuous final line in movie history? Yes, Oz has some dangerous territories and menacing figures (represented by Rupert etc). But Oz is also where Dorothy's friends, her found family are. Oz is in bright technicolour. It's surprising and bizarre and bright. It's larger than life and full of weird characters and unexpected episodes. Oz is where we all want to be, to live, to stay. Richmond is Ted's real life Oz. It's where we want to be and want him to stay, even if only in our imaginations. In the finale he says: "There's no place like home but there's no place like Richmond either" (or something similar, only watched it once). This implies that Richmond is not his home, that homes are just where you come from. Homes are not found or created or collaborated on together. They aren't malleable, moveable. They aren't out there in the wild, potential beyond. They are behind us always, defining us by our often sad pasts.

Again, this idea is entirely contrary to the premise of the show and the progress of its characters who banded together under Ted's leadership to create a home, a family, a community. Unlike Ted's small, conventional family unit, his found family is queer-coded (as all found families are, since they suggest an alternative to traditional nuclear family units based on shared biology but not necessarily values). Logical families are the family you find after you have been ejected from the traditional biological family unit. They are sought and created, based on common interests and mutual support. They are made up of people who are likewise separated from their homes, due to distance, circumstance, fracture, whatever. The home world is displaced, but it is still home (and all the more precious for it). In this case, the queer-coded found family of TL includes and celebrates LGBT+ folk (took a while for them to get there but eventually they did), women, people of colour and any man choosing to do masculinity his way. This is the environment the show set up. This the environment the creators invited us into. This is the environment Ted left behind.

Now, I do think there could have been a way for Ted to return to Kansas and Henry (but not Michelle) that would have been consistent with and faithful to this initial set-up and its themes. But that isn't what we got. Like Dorothy waking up to a dingy black and white world where there's nothing to do but talk to your dog about all the adventures you long to have over the rainbow, Ted's Kansas looks grey and dull and muddy. And Ted looks like he only half-remembers the most vivid and important things he's ever seen and done. "Be a goldfish" is a useful idiom for dropping baggage that weighs you down. If you burn your tongue on your coffee but don't wanna be irritated all day, then it works. It doesn't work for a scenario in which you need to deal with the reality that you and your co-parent/ex have carved out very different life paths. Simple, wilful ignorance is not a solution to the sort of complex family circumstances that grown adults face every day. Just forgetting the past 3 years and moving on like nothing ever happened does not in any way guarantee Ted's happiness or his success as a father. Attempting to find fulfillment through that one! special! person!! is unlikely to end well. Whether it's a parent, partner or child, the burden on them is unfair.

Ted's predicament is a huge one but it's also one that has been there from the very beginning. They had 3 years and 30+ episodes to resolve it satisfactorily, using all of the freedoms that fictional realities can afford. And yet, when Rebecca brings up the various ways in which she is willing to adjust to Ted's fatherhood, these suggestions are made to sound ridiculous, impossible and totally futile. But are they? Are they anymore outlandish than any of the other highly optimistic plot points they've gleefully included? Ted flourishes personally and professionally in this milieu. And had they made a move earlier in the series, Henry could also have integrated into it and benefited greatly from it. (He clearly enjoys the club when he's there). As Rebecca implies, Ted has the opportunity to offer Henry a richer, wider and more diverse view of the world than he would otherwise have. He would have access to a queer-coded community that includes and celebrates, experiments and strives. He would see his dad loved, celebrated and supported. This show takes some BIG optimistic swings. If audiences were able to make the emotional leap of accepting Ted leaving his son in ep 1, then they can probably be trusted to make the leap of him staying, esp. if the writers took the time each season to establish how they will manage their relationship and the benefits each will glean from such an arrangement.

After all, Ted is not one to back down from a challenge. Taking the job at Richmond was a bold and brave move. This is the same man who pledged to "win the whole fucking thing". This is the same man who looked Rupert Manion in the eye then promptly whipped him at darts. But when it comes to distance co-parenting, he's not even open to suggestions? No "I appreciate you" for the boss/bestie, just oh-so-sage resignation? Please. These writers set up this predicament then refused to resolve it in a satisfactory way. Instead, they reduced Richmond FC to a dream and Ted to a memory-challenged goldfish who flails about when faced with the reality of a pre-existing predicament of his own creation. He rejects the help of others who could actually provide real-world solutions. Nor does he seem to register the possibility of a mature relationship with a woman who wants him and connects with him. Instead, he chooses to forget, keep swimming, paddle backwards -- not onward, not forward. He has a big pool, a new home, a found family that represents human complexity and plurality. But he chooses the small, simple and singular. A traditional three-part family unit that was supposed to make him happy but never did. He had his little holiday jaunt in technicolour land, a fun lil detour into an expansive rainbow family community. He came in, tinkered about with some people's problems: gave a middle-aged woman confidence here, supported a sad gay there. But rainbow families are not just a temporary playground for white cishet dudes with a saviour complex to get their own admirable values reflected back to them. In the end, Ted's found family had something absolutely vital to teach him that he did not stick around long enough to learn.

[merakime]

just wanna say the tea prompts was gorgeous, wonderful, life changing. i wonder if you could do general dating headcanons with the sea urchin, Thorns ^^? have a lovely day love@

# GENERAL DATING HEADCANONS / ft. thorns

───── a / n: AHH, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! >_< an interesting phenomenon that i call "the wall of thorns" has occured in my inbox after the tea prompt. and not gonna lie! he's such a fun character to explore!!!!! i looooove breaking down the stoic boys that's my hobby

cw: none | word count: 300~

thorns' idea of of a romantic relationship is limited at best and about non-existent in truth. it's not something that he concerned himself with. he never imagined himself romantically involved with anyone, not thinking that it was something tangible for him, with his undertakings—until you came along and got him thinking.

it was of utmost importance that he learns quickly, then—your perception of him matters. and he does learn fast, but only in theory. thorns has the idea of romanticism, of courting and gestures of affection down—it is, however, much harder to execute his plans smoothly when he can feel his heart pound against his ribcage when your hand so much as brushes against his.

as much as thorns is, well, thorns, he is always quick to fluster. this earnest affection is foreign to him. when you smooth down his hair after an unsuccessful experiment, help him with some water for his dry skin, pick some fuzz off of his clothes—he's absolutely smitten and it drives him up the wall how even the smallest gestures are enough to make his face turn hot.

others may call him cold, and it's true that his tone and demeanor may give that impression—but to you he's anything but. it's true that he's still blunt with you, straight-forward and stoic—but he's never unkind. thorns seems to have a protective streak in particular—he guides you back to your place after your outings and makes sure you're fine and settled in before he leaves. he hooks your arms lets you hold onto him when cities get crowded. and when you hurt yourself, he's always there to patch you up, even if it's just a finger-prick.

that being said, thorns is very much a home date kind of guy. there's no problem with pda, no, he doesn't really care how others (other than you, again) perceive him—but he prefers the more intimate and quiet setting. there's nothing specific that he likes to do over anything else—in fact, thorns is perfectly satisfied just being in your presence, each doing your own thing.

he's not particularly touchy, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't enjoy it. he likes it when you lean on his shoulder, or when you let him lay on your chest where he can hear your heartbeat. it's oddly therapeutic to him. and he likes hearing it speed up when he takes your hand in his, toying with your fingers. it pleases him to know that he also has this effect on you.

he doesn't confess his love outright, instead opting to show his adoration for you through actions. though that makes the few spoken "i love you"'s all the more precious.

───── final note: he's such a silly little guy. i think thorns would be a little bit of a simp for his s/o. but very subtle about it. internally fawns

[glassprism]

This may be an odd question, but do you think the Phantom is as “powerful” as he really claims or is it more psychological? Like physical do you think Raoul is as strong as he is? For example if he actually dod keep his hands at the level of his eyes and avoiding the lasso, Do you see him being able to (to put it bluntly) knock the phantom out or subdue him to escape or get him arrested? I like to think if the Phantom didnt “turn nice” and let them go they could have still won somehow..

P.S. I may have asked this on a couple pages to get different opinions I hope that is ok

I think there are a bunch of related but also separate questions, so I'll just tackle each one.

First, is the Phantom as powerful as he claims? Well, in my memory, I don't think the Phantom actually claims to really be that powerful at all. He claims to be the Opera Ghost, the Phantom of the Opera, the Angel of Music, all of that, and at specific moments he will make a threat, albeit a nebulous one ("...a disaster beyond your imagination will occur!" "Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier!"). But the occasions where he does make some powerful claims are pretty limited, in my opinion, and usually happen only when he's around Christine.

And that makes sense when you think about what he is: he is just a man, though a very intelligent and manipulative one, hiding within an opera house. Much of his power relies on using subterfuge and trickery and veiled threats - so yes, psychological, not physical. His power lies in his mystery and people not knowing what to expect from him. Because at the end of the day, no, he isn't as powerful as to take on an entire opera house; were they to realize this and turn on him, he has nothing against sheer numbers. And in fact we see this at the end: once his spell has broken and the mob is in his home, his only choice is to flee; he cannot fight all of them - though he still relies on one last trick to do so.

I suppose that also answers your second question: is he as strong as Raoul? Again, we don't really know, except perhaps in non-replicas or restagings where the two engage in fist or sword fights, but in those, and I'd argue in the replica as well, I'd say the answer is no; the Phantom is pretty soundly defeated in them. And yeah, part of that feels like plot armor - Raoul basically can't be defeated because he's needed in the final scenes - but I would also argue that the Phantom is well aware of this, which again, is why he relies on tricks like the fireball - or sneaking up on Raoul and trapping him in the lasso (or a cage if you're Vegas).

And that leads to your last statement. I know it's not a question, but I want to address it as one: could Raoul and / or Christine have escaped if the Phantom hadn't redeemed himself? I wanted to talk about it mainly because the statement implies that if the Phantom did not resort to physical strength or psychological tricks, the pair could figure out a way to get away from him, but I think that discounts one last but very important factor: the Phantom's emotional hold on Christine, which then extends to Raoul. Because I think the show makes it very clear that Christine holds very conflicting feelings on the Phantom, going from fear to pity to compassion, and a great deal of her journey is resolving all of those.

So I think the question of whether the two could escape is very up in the air (and thus ripe for fanfic fuel). Christine might resist the Phantom all the way, in which case she and Raoul might "win" over the Phantom. But what if that doesn't happen? What if she resists initially but starts to succumb to her sympathetic feelings for him? What if she strikes a deal and goes along with the Phantom out of a combination of wanting to save Raoul and feeling sorry for the Phantom? What if she genuinely starts to fall for the Phantom? Because if any the latter options occur, this potentially puts Raoul in a bind, because doing anything to the Phantom could lead to hurting Christine in some shape or form. It might not even be what she wants anymore, escaping the Phantom.

So yeah, that's my thoughts on the whole thing.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

I'm bored again so let me take it out on you once more. You've gotten me into my Spider shipping era and for that I curse you with some Spider ships content (note that this is literally off of the top of my head with no thoughts or edits lol):

With Kiri it's like coming home. They don't enter a relationship so much as settle into the one that's been steadily growing between them for as long as they can remember. Kiri is his endlessly loyal rock, the person who stands by him more than anyone in the world. All she has to do is look at him to understand the thoughts running rampant in his mind. And Spider is the person who listens to her. He's the first person she told about her moments with Eywa---really told, in detail. He's the person who sets everything aside just to spend time with her. Her best friend, her fellow weirdo. Spider has no problem listening to her rant on and on about the plants and animals of the forest and how each living thing feels like it has its very own spark. And Kiri has no problem filling him in on all he feels like he's missing without the ability to connect like a na'vi. Kiri will take him on pa'li rides and give him detailed descriptions of what's going on in the pa'li's head because Spider loves getting to know each individual one. Whenever Kiri losses herself in Eywa, Spider will hunker down and wait for her to come back to him. There is nothing but understanding between these two. Nothing needs to be said.

Lo'ak and Spider are bros. Partners in crime. They do everything together and somewhere along the way they both realize that they can't imagine a world where they're separate from one another. This is quickly followed by the fear that the other might not feel the same (or definitely doesn't). Spider, who's pretty used to the feeling, goes on as normal and accepts this realization that Lo'ak may mean more to him than him to the other. For Lo'ak, however, this manifests in constant fights as a form of self-sabotage. By the time Kiri has had enough and tells Spider what the hell is going on Spider is about ready to take a running leap off of a cliff.

Loving Neteyam hurts. I mean, all love hurts, but there is nothing quite as painful as the love Spider feels for Neteyam. He loves him in the way he pictures humans loved cigarettes. Breathing in all of the toxins and feel-good chemicals at the same time with reckless abandon, knowing it won't end well (loves like this never do) but doing it anyways. It's like playing with fire. Neteyam is the oldest son of two of the most influential na'vi to ever grace Pandora. He's the future olo'eyktan, but it's more than that. He is the future of his entire clan. What would the clan think if they knew he was sneaking around with Spider? Spider doesn't want to do that. He doesn't want to dirty Neteyam's reputation. Neteyam deserves something better than the limits of Spider, and Spider thinks that everyone around them would think so too. Maybe even Neteyam thinks that. But despite all of that, despite knowing that he isn't worth the loving looks and touches, Spider soaks it up eagerly. Because Neteyam is perfect. Not in that he has no faults, but in that he never gives up until those faults make up only a small portion of him. Every now and then it will occur to Spider that he just might be one of these faults. At this point he doesn't know which one of them is the cigarette anymore.

Rotxo is affectionate. Beyond affectionate, Spider comes to learn. Spider's never been been huge on pda, sure, but he still enjoys showing his friends affection and figured that whenever he started dating that he would, like, hold hands with his significant other or give them passing pecks on the cheek or something. Small things like that. Rotxo cranks this up to a thousand, though. From the moment they meet up in the morning to the moment they go their separate ways at night his boyfriend is all over him. He latches onto Spider's hand like it's the most natural thing in the world, leading him around Awa'atlu as if he might wander astray if they aren't connected. Whenever they're sitting he'll cuddle up to Spider despite the obvious size difference, and Spider would be lying if he said it wasn't reminiscent of a large, cuddly puppy. Whenever he's excited Spider receives a million pecks through his mask or an enthusiastic hug or both. Rotxo will babble on for hours when they're alone with Spider in his arms or listen attentively when Spider talks, all while their legs are twined together. When he's sleepy he'll rest his head on Spider's lap and just. . . pass out, company be damned. Rotxo is full of love and affection and Spider didn't realize how much he wanted that until he came along. God, he loves this boy.

Ao'nung is. . . a challenge. Hot and cold. Yes and no. He's happy one moment and hates you the next. What do you want?, Spider often finds himself thinking. What are you afraid of? But he's nothing if not persistent. Years of existing in the background of other people's lives have taught him to listen and observe. So he does. And Ao'nung, he soon discovers, is not unlike a skittish yerik. Suspicious, defensive, and quick to react to anything that sets of his (for lack of better word) sensitive trigger. Spider never thought he'd find someone worse at communicating their emotions than himself (well, himself and pretty much all of the Sully men) or someone who can be more insecure than Lo'ak but boy was he wrong. It doesn't matter if he's sad or guilty or frustrated, Ao'nung's response is the same in all scenarios. Lash out. And it isn't healthy, not by a long shot, but Spider isn't going to give up. He used to not understand what people like Jake and Norm meant when they referred to just knowing their partners. Knowing not just them, but what they want and need and think. And it doesn't happen overnight for Spider, either, but eventually he stars to know too. When Ao'nung asks Spider if he wants to go for a swim he's really asking do you want to talk?. When Ao'nung clenches and unclenches his fists, he wants to hold Spider's hand but is wondering if Spider would be annoyed if he did. When Ao'nung's pupils dilate and his lips twitch up the tiniest of bits, he's happy to see Spider (and probably missed him). He likes it when Spider plays with his hair but hates it when he points it out. He likes swimming, sure, but he especially likes to just lay floating on his back. His prefers fruit over fish, actually, because he has a major sweet-tooth. His favorite color is orange. Sometimes when they're walking on the beach he'll stand still and let the seafoam creep over his feet and laugh for some reason. And this, Spider knows, is only the beginning. There will be a time when, just like Jake or Norm, he'll be able to look at Ao'nung and know everything.

Tsireya is a breath of fresh air in Spider's life. Eager to learn everything about him. Eager to speak with him and eager to get to know the human parts of him. She takes to his hair the first week they start hanging out, playing with it and trying to style it in various different ways. Your hair is fun to braid, she tells him. She listens attentively while he tries to describe the plants and animals and places on Earth that the scientists have told him about and shown him pictures of. She loves both learning about English and trying to speak it. Sometimes he'll catch her mouthing various English words with a smile on her face like she's proud that she knows them. Humans have a lot of Sign Languages, Spider tells her one day. She perks up so fast he's afraid she might've pulled something and begins to bombard him with questions. He only knows the signs that Debra, a deaf xenolinguist, taught him when he was younger but Tsireya doesn't care. She wants to learn them and it becomes their thing. They've created a code of their own using the limited asl signs he knows. Her favorite thing to say in English is I love you, and she says it every chance she gets. Her favorite thing to sign in asl is I see you, and it's broken asl with zero grammatical accuracy but it means the world to him. I love you, she'll say. Then she'll sign I see you. And for once in his life, Spider never feels like questioning it.

And that's all I've got rn folks.

I have been letting this ask MARINATE because I knew I would feel all the feelings you sweet sweet anon. But, I have class for ninety minutes rn and I don't give a shit about American Literature before the 1800's so let's go.

-God, I love spiri, I know we focus on other pairings here but they really are perfect for each other and I'm so excited to see where their relationship goes in the future. I think I'm just gonna get more into it. It really is just a foregone conclusion for them. I love the idea of her just explaining everything he's missing because she knows even if he feels a little bit of jealously or feeling left out, he'd rather bond with the animals and know everything he can. It's like her strong connection with Eywa is there some of the times to help make up with him, and he is there to ground her when it's needed.

-LOL I love that we all accept Lo'ak and Spider as the clowns. They are too similar not to fuck up along the way. Even if they aren't soulmates we have been slacking on them being platonic soulmates.

-THANK YOU GET ON BOARD THE NOCORRO PAIN TRAIN. The way I literally have teared up in the back of class reading that, like it is 9:43am sir. I might really be in my nocorro era they are my FOCUS rn. The secret relationship just fucking hurts. The idea that Kiri and Lo'ak don't even know sucks too, because when Spider is taken Neteyam can't show his feelings about it too much. Kiri can cry, Lo'ak can rage, Tuk can be confused and wonder why they would leave without him. Neteyam just feels like he failed, and he can't do anything about it, not even share his feelings.

-Okay, I needed the Rotxo reprieve. Spider needs casual affection. Tuk and Kiri are always tactile, but Rotxo didn't grow up with him, or any humans. Him being all over Spider is a Spider thing. It's because Spider is different, one of the people. It's because he's him. Rotxo's just a sunny little guy and everyone loves being around him lol. Him just dragging and carrying Spider around all day like, worried he'll loose track of him is hilarious.

-Ao'nung and Spider is the trickiest Spider rarepair for me, I'll be honest. Ao'nung liking Spider is a hard image for me to come to rn, just because of how much he bullied the Sully kids for being part human in the beginning and how we have yet to see a major change or apology yet. I also struggle with Spider not holding a grudge over the Kiri bullying and the Lo'ak almost murder. Of course, I do think he's changed and he's going to be a loyal ally in the upcoming movies, but I don't see them starting off on a great foot. There's plenty of potential comedy there, but I feel like I like the idea of a clumsy apology from Ao'nung to Kiri and Lo'ak before Spider would take him seriously. Spider has very few friends, and like Lo'ak I think he's extremely loyal. I mean he did almost die and withstand torture for his friends many times. Ao'nung would have to give a LITTLE something. ALSO WHO IS NORM IN LOVE WITH I GOTTA KNOW, IS IT HIS BOYFRIEND AM I GETTING THE AGENDA THROUGH??

-AWW, I love asl mentions so much and I totally agree Tsireya and Spider both love learning more than any of the other kids. They could spend hours (sometimes with chronic third wheel Kiri) in the sea or in the forest exploring and studying various plants and animals, practicing the signs for each one. Norm and Max have NEVER had more field studies in their lives, and Norm jokes he would have hired Spider if he hadn't been there already through nepotism. Spider's in the medical mauri with Tsireya all the time, teaching her things he learning from spending time with Mo'at and Kiri and learning things in exchange. Ronal pretends to be annoyed with them every day but Spider has long since learned she doesn't actually mean it.

Thank you for this food, fav anon. This was delicious.

[stellamancer]

niku just as you predicted i would want you to write an established relationship of infinite loop. maybe with an argument. and reader is the one at fault. and maybe has to make it up to gojo. maybe.

don't perceive me posting this like months after getting the ask.

but damn sel, you really chose violence with this prompt.

okay so it's honestly hard to imagine infinite loop couple getting into serious arguments, even pre-relationship. it's really a lot of bickering (mostly from reader), but gojo is just so laid back about things… like they've only really had two real and true arguments (read: things that actually bothered gojo). but they are still friends!! maybe I should write more fics where it's more obvious…

anyway, I had an idea for this but every way I tried to pitch it in my head just didn't work: it either didn't mesh with gojo or infinite loop reader or both to the point that I was frustrated with both of them and their whole dynamic. LMAO.

so I ended up looking at old fics to see if there was something I could work with there and like. infinite loop reader is… very independent? and there have been multiple times, both seriously and in jest where gojo has told them that they can rely on him. and it's not like they make the active decision to not rely on him, it's more that they just automatically default to their own tendency to be self reliant and think that they are totally fine and don't feel overwhelmed.

which is… probably mostly true.

anyway, I think that pre-relationship gojo realizes that there's a limit to how much reader is willing to depend on him as a friend (which is way too low in his opinion). that being said, once they start dating he thinks that reader will rely on him more, but that doesn't happen. it's not like an argument per se, but more like…

“you could stand to rely on me a little more, you know,” gojo says, mouth forming a wry smile.

it’s almost impossible to miss the bitter note in his tone, dissonant amongst the otherwise light hearted sound of his voice. it makes your chest ache in a way. you hadn't meant to hurt his feelings; asking for his help had genuinely slipped your mind. “i… I know.”

you mean to apologize, but somehow the words get stuck in your throat on the way out and instead all you offer gojo is a strangled silence.

he understands though, or at least you think he does, as he leans down and presses his forehead to yours. “don't forget next time, or else I’ll have to punish you.”

you gulp, suddenly nervous to have gojo’s face so close to yours, breath warm on your face. it sounds more like he’s trying to seduce you than threaten you, but given that it’s gojo, it’s practically the same thing. “o-okay.”

gojo hums, seemingly satisfied, but he doesn’t move. your heart rate starts to pick up speed as he lingers. is he going to kiss you? is he going to demand the apology you surely owe him as a kiss? that seems like something he’d do, but he pulls away and you finally exhale.

you hadn’t realized you were holding your breath.

gojo tilts his head and grins in amusement. “disappointed?”

“...no,” you answer, but it feels like a lie.

“uh-huh.”

i mean i suppose reader could have apologized then and there but I doubt that would satisfy you so… so, soon after this gojo goes on a weeklong mission in kobe, and while he's gone reader goes to kyoto to visit their father's grave for the anniversary of his death. it very briefly occurs to them to maybe mention that they’re in the area to gojo, but they ultimately decide not to because they think it'll distract him from his mission (technically true).

so they get to the grave, but when they do they find that someone else is there and to their dismay, it's their mother. i’ve never talked at length about infinite loop reader's backstory, but they do not have a good relationship with their mother (or their mother's side of the family at that). reader debates whether or not they just want to leave and come back later to avoid dealing with their mother, but before they can she notices them and comes over to them, all cheery and smiles.

reader is just like ‘well shit’ and lets their mother drag them over to the grave while she chatters about how happy she is to see reader and how glad she is that she ran into them and reader kind of tunes it out but then—

your mother glances past you, her gaze expectant before looking back at you in mild confusion. “where is the gojo boy? is he not with you?”

her question makes you nearly choke. why is she asking about him? then again it's not like your relationship is a secret and with how much of a blabbermouth gojo is you wouldn't be surprised if the whole country knew that you're dating, not just the upper echelons of jujutsu society. “he's on an assignment.”

she clicks her tongue in disappointment. “too bad. I was hoping to see him too…”

hilariously, while gojo’s blabbermouth is why their mom asked about him, it's not exactly for what they think, but that's another story for another time.

anyway, reader's mother rambles on and eventually reader is just like ‘why are you even here?’ and infinite loop mama tells them that she cared about infinite loop papa too and that she tries to visit every year but she's glad that she finally ran into reader and this whole time reader is kinda just seething but since they don't say anything infinite loop mama is none the wiser and is just like ‘shall we clean up your father's grave together?’

infinite loop reader just wants to tell her off but thinks that their father would be happy if reader and their mom got along so they're just like “okay fine” and they go off to rent a bucket from the temple near the gravesite to use to wash the grave while infinite loop mama starts taking care of the weeds around the grave.

as reader is filling the bucket with water they're thinking how much this fucking sucks because they don't want to spend the day with their mom, but they remind themselves that they're doing it for their dad because it would make him happy. once the bucket is full they start to head back to the grave and nearly run into someone and almost spill the contents of the bucket on them and as reader is about to apologize they realize that the person is none other than gojo. he makes some smartass joke but reader is just like ?????? because wasn't he supposed to be on a mission? why is he here? he’s super casual in his answers as he takes the bucket from reader and asks them to lead the way but reader doesn't move cuz they're all confused.

“why did you come?” you ask. your mother is one thing; they were married at one point, loved each other at one point, but gojo…. he only met your father once and you doubt he even remembers that.

“your old man was important to you, right?” he answers, tilting his head. “it'd be pretty rude of me to not introduce myself as your boyfriend.”

“since when have you ever cared about propriety?”

“why, i’ve—”

“don't even try to lie about it.”

gojo merely laughs. “okay, okay maybe you got me there…”

reader ends up showing gojo the way and when they get back to the grave infinite loop mama is there and she looks super happy to see gojo, happy he showed up after all. reader is surprised to see their mom actually made quick work of the weeds and starts lather up a towel to wash the grave but as soon as it's saturated with water gojo takes the towel from them and starts to wash the grave. reader protests but ofc he ignores them and so they reach for another towel and this time infinite loop mama takes it from them and says she'll do it.

from then on both gojo and infinite loop mama refuse to let reader help with anything and it's all very weird to them because it almost seems like gojo and infinite loop mama are competing to see who can do a better job of sprucing up the grave. so reader just stands there going ?????? while gojo and their mother scrub at the grave stone. the two of them might just take pot shots at one another because they are indeed trying to see who can curry more favor with infinite loop reader lmaoo.

when it's all nice and clean both gojo and infinite loop mama are puffing out their chests wanting praise and reader is just like ‘uhhhh great job.’ which prompts whining from both, wanting more specific praise and for reader to say who did better but reader tried to dodge and say they should light some incense and just as infinite loop mama is about to say something some little maid comes running up saying that it's time for infinite loop mama to come home and she's all huffy about it but tells gojo and reader that they should come visit some time before being ushered away.

reader is super relieved once she's gone and mentions that they didn't expect her to show up either. gojo wonders if maybe they both had the same idea or something (show that they are dependable figures in infinite loop reader’s life but gojo wouldn't tell them that). idk LMAO. but they light the incense and reader tells the grave that they're doing well and their dad doesn't need to worry and then gojo interjects saying it's because he's here for reader and then he actually says some heartfelt stuff about how he knows that reader is very independent and can take care of themselves but he still wants to do everything he can to support them so that he can be not only a good friend but a good boyfriend. reader is a little flabbergasted because it feels weird for gojo to be so straightforward with… anything. when he's done talking he gives reader a little wink, maybe asks if they've fallen in love again and they're just…. Idk a little embarrassed.

so after this gojo asks if reader is heading back to Tokyo right away but reader tells him they're staying overnight because they thought they were going to basically be tending to their dad’s grave all day and gojo asks where they're staying and reader is just like ‘oh I was just gonna stay in a capsule hotel' and gojo is like ‘lol no’ and drags them back to his hotel room even tho reader insists there's nothing wrong with a capsule hotel and gojo is just like ‘we can't share a bed at a capsule hotel!’

at the hotel reader and gojo end up having a little heart to heart when reader asks if he was serious about what he said and he's just like ‘ofc I was!!! why would you think I wasn't???’ and at that point reader apologizes and says that maybe they just weren't taking gojo and his feelings seriously and that even tho gojo said he wants to be a good bf they haven't been a good partner for him and they apologize again and gojo is pretty chill with it ig and is like ‘just do what you can, just meet me part way and i’ll fill the gap’

or something like that. I think I veered really far…….

but at any rate after that they make out. maybe they bang. I don't think I want them to fuck yet tho. LMAO.

[minecraftbookshelf]

Mistakes Are Made Chapter One Dialogue Breakdown

This was hard to make it turns out. A combination of "how do i format this" and trying to comprehensively summarize the thought processes and decisions going on. I think this works though.

Honestly, this sort of thing would probably work a lot better as like, a live conversation but we work with what we've got XD

I won't be including every bit of dialogue from the chapter but it will be most of them.

Disclaimer that this isn't a "How To" or any kind of "you should do things this way" this is just an explanation of what I put into my writing, and dialogue specifically. Also that I write in limited first person most of the time, so in a way, all the narration can be considered dialogue and as examples of character voice.

This is also only the first part of a long story that is intended to a) be re-readable and b) involve a lot of discovery as the story progresses, so a lot of the decisions I made are based off of things that will come up/be revealed later in the series. I will be talking about those, sometimes with no helpful explanation, sorry XD

I'm using color coding to specify what parts I'm talking about at any given time, so hopefully that helps.

This is going to be a long, wordy post, its entire point is to be an insight into the intentionality and consideration that goes into writing dialogue for me, if this isn't something you're interested in, absolutely pass it by. It will also likely "take some of the magic out of it" for some people. But I like to think that it might also add a bit more magic to it for others. So here we go!

On with the show behind the scenes! [AO3 Link to the Chapter] if you want to follow along there with more context to the selections.

"Hello, Jimmy!" He manages to clamber out of the fountain without tripping and falling flat on his face at least. He splashes Katherine in the process, where she is hovering off to the side but he can't really be bothered to worry about that. All he can manage to do is stare at Sausage's smirking face. "Hello, Jimmy!" Katherine's greeting is much less mocking

Starting off with the very first dialogue of the chapter, which doesn't occur until a few paragraphs in and then proceeds to be the exact same line said by two different characters.

This is one of the times that I am heavily relying on the fact that I am writing fanfiction and these greetings are words that we hear the characters in question (Sausage and Katherine) say multiple times. So I don't go into much detail with dialogue tags, counting on the reader to fill that in themselves. Even if they/you aren't imagining the exact tones I had in mind its a fairly easy extrapolation that these are said in wildly different tones. The emphasis on Sausage's is to imply the more mocking/antagonistic tone, helped along by the mention of his expression, but can also just convey that its louder and more emotive (As Katherine is trying very hard to be OfficialTM in this chapter) Also describing her greeting as "less mocking" helps fill in the appropriate tone for Sausages retroactively.

"What is he doing here?" He jerks his chin at Sausage, who is still giggling like a child. He sees Jimmy looking and grins at him, all teeth. Behind the mask, Jimmy bares his own teeth and takes some comfort in the knowledge that he has more of them; and they are sharper.

This is the first instance of Jimmy's inhuman body language being used as an extension of the dialogue/conversation between the characters. The use of teeth as a threat being a hybrid trait.

Sausage's smile is also part of this, something that isn't actually said in this chapter but will be demonstrated later on is that, as the ruler of a kingdom with a heavy hybrid population, Sausage knows this and his own body language is chosen accordingly.

Sausage keeps giggling and Jimmy can barely hear it beneath the roar in his ears. He leans down to try and whisper into the faerie queen's ear. "I really need your alliance right now, Katherine." He hopes his desperation doesn't show in his voice. She gives him a reproving look that throws him right back to his brief time spent in a classroom. "I'm allied with everyone, Jimmy. You know that."

This is the first example of really incorporating distinct character voices into the dialogue. I'm a liberal user of italics and in this case I'm using them to indicate emphasis where the ccs tend to stress their words to encourage assigning that voice to the dialogue itself. These are also, if not direct quotes from canon, very similar to actual things the ccs and their cubitos have said so it isn't exactly what I would consider heavy lifting.

Jimmy at this point is still fully informal. He's surprised and he's talking privately to a friend.

This is also more natural dialogue from Katherine, whose exasperation with her friend is partly overcoming her attempts to be Formal Faerie Queen.

I'm trying to keep the early dialogue fairly simple and close to canon voices because that way I can transition slowly and naturally into slightly different voices that suit the atmosphere while also preserving their more casual voices as the way that they talk when they are more comfortable and in less official settings. Setting up the contexts for different manners of speech is a big thing in this chapter overall.

"He invaded the Swamp," Jimmy hisses, his ear-fins flaring, ignoring the shudder down his spine from her use of his Name, even in part. "He crossed our borders. Again. He's threatened war." He's no longer whispering by the end, standing to his full height, shoulders back, sword hand by his shoulder. "And according to him, you've threatened it right back!"

Another instance of emphasis on Jimmy's inhuman body language.

This bit is actually more about Katherine than Jimmy. It does show a bit of Jimmy's sensitivity to magic but more than that, it incorporates Katherine's willingness to invoke her own flavor of threats, even in casual conversation with friends.

This is the first real deviation from canon dialogue in the entire chapter. This is the blending point where I'm taking the characters voices and using them myself instead of just channeling the pre-existing ones. The emphasis for this was important to me to try and keep it Jimmy's voice saying the words.

The body language here is a physical representation of Jimmy's shift from more informal speech to a more tense and emotionally and politically fraught situation.It's also the transition of Jimmy taking this from a private conversation to a more public one, now in earshot of both Sausage and Katherine's guards and staff. He's beginning to speak more as The Codfather than Jimmy and his physical stance is the biggest indication of that.

This is Katherine's last "private conversation" line and is, again, indicative of her frustration with her friends and the situation they have put themselves and everyone else in. It's a fairly sharp statement, geared to indicate that she is not really on Jimmy's side here. ("all sides" = "no sides" and a part of Katherine knows that, even if she refuses to admit it out loud, mostly because it is a role she has trapped herself in and can't leave.)

Sausage recovers quickly and shakes out the fur lining of his coat. "Is it just me or does it smell fishy in here, now?" "Sausage," Katherine looks disapprovingly back over her shoulder. "That's rude." "Oh," Sausage blinks at them both, "I'm sorry, Jimmy, I didn't realize."

Jumping ahead a bit we're in the "polite conversation because political masks" phase of dialogue.

Sausage is Not Being Polite. This is his attempt at "polite rudeness" but he's not very subtle in general so its blatant enough for Katherine to call him out on it. It's also a continuation of Sausage speaking more informally in general. He has something of an upper hand in the situation, and an abundance of bravado, and that is reflected in the way he talks. (Sausage just also has a very distinct voice in general that is already leant towards melodrama which works very well for the au's setting as a whole)

His apology is also disingenuous. In retrospect I should have probably used some italics or some other indicator to help convey that. (I might go back and edit something in. I do that sometimes on AO3. Major edits get notes made at the chapter end but minor fixes happen a lot.) He makes the "apology" and that connects Jimmy to his original statement, even if it hadn't been blatantly obvious.

"Oh, this one is new!" Sausage immediately changes the subject, pointing at one of the skulls hanging on the wall of the hall. It's some kind of middling-sized land animal...a sheep maybe? with poppies filling the eye sockets and woven in a crown, there are delicate lines of gold painted across the surface of the bleached bone. Katherine beams, her irritation at the rudeness forgotten (or at least set aside, fae never truly forget breaches of etiquette) "It is! It's a gift from a childhood friend," she looks fondly upon the skull for a moment. "We've been reconnecting lately." Sausage nods sagely, "It is always good to spend time with your friends." "It is," Katherine's ears twitch and her wings flutter briefly before she resumes walking. "Which is why we are going to fix this."

This is a slightly better attempt from Sausage at maintaining political etiquette by complimenting the host. A distraction and a peace offering.

And this is the first mention of Scott in the chapter, in what I am now realizing (it was not intended that way but here we go) is a context that kind of foreshadows his role of peace offering. It also is an establishing line for Katherine and Scott's relationship, as well as a nod to their short-lived plushie business (my beloved) from canon.(And the adaptation of it that exists in the au, which will come up later in Katherine's backstory at the very least.)

Sausage is being ingratiating here. It's a kind of wink wink nudge nudge "we should be friends and you should do what I want" moment.

Katherine knows what he is doing. This is also an incorporation of Katherine's inhuman characteristics, though a bit more subtly, specifically because this is Jimmy's pov and he is neither familiar enough with her mannerisms to break down exactly what they mean the way his own are, or unfamiliar enough with them to register them as odd and worth commenting on.

And then we have the POV switch to Xornoth

The entirety of Xornoth's external, out-loud dialogue is one single line, but the internal dialogue is their narration of the situation at hand. Ft. "helpful" commentary from Exor.

Xornoth's voice is arguably the trickiest part of the entire chapter as it is the part with the least canon basis. Xornoth is a character I am functionally building from scratch, given that the majority of their canon appearances are arguably as much Exor as they are Xornoth. (at least in the context of this AU)

Xornoth's canon voice (on a purely literal level) is "Scott Smajor with a script and a voice changer" and, on the occasions they are on screen together, "someone else with a script and a voice changer", and then the single epilogue bit.

So I'm working with somewhat stilted, formal speech and a tendency for dramatic declarations.

For this first chapter there was actually a bit more effort put into characterizing Exor, as, despite it being in their pov, the majority of the Xornoth characterization is happening in Chapter Two. (which is also mostly from their pov)

Honestly, this is already really long, I'll probably do the dialogue in the second part of the chapter as a part two, but I do want to put a compilation of Exor's commentary down here to talk about.

I opted to make Exor's dialogue bold instead of italics both to distinguish it from Xornoth's own internal dialogue and to emphasize how unavoidable it is for Xornoth. It's not something they can truly ignore, its too loud in their head.

Meaningless frivolity.

Disparaging commentary on the priorities of the other emperors and Jimmy in particular, leaning into one that Xornoth themself is inclined to agree with.

Do not pretend such reluctance. I see the truth.

Denying Xornoth's knowledge of themself in favor of asserting their own.

You are still only a student. And you will be so long as you refuse to take what is rightfully ours.

Exor's goal is and always has been (as long as Xornoth as known them) world domination. This is his most blatant statement of it, coupled with a disparaging comment towards Xornoth's own authority.

Like a fish on a hook.

Dehumanization with a side of violent imagery.

They are going to hurt themselves, trying that hard to utilize what little intelligence they have.

General scorn towards the intelligence and competence of the other emperors.

If we pinned her wings to the wall like a butterfly and made her watch, that would phase her. If we gutted him like a fish he'd squeal so nicely.

Violence. Rather graphic, worded in a way to make Xornoth/The Reader paint a stronger visual image to accompany it. These are the ones that both Exor (in-story) and I (out of story) designed to have a stronger impact. For Exor its about sowing thoughts in Xornoth's mind and having them doubt themself, for me its about really conveying Exor's intentions.

Rip them all to pieces, give the farmer the fight she wants.

This is a half-step back into a more friendly-aligned bit. Pearl is Xornoth's friend. A war would make her happy! Pearl is not Xornoth's biggest weakness, but she is one and Exor takes as much advantage of that as he can.

Wheat fields burn so easily, all it would take is a single spark in the right place and all of Mythland would be in flames. Carefully, carefully, Xornoth sets their book down on the table beside them and places their hands in their lap. Katherine will stop allowing them to borrow her books if they start spontaneously combusting them. Hopefully she doesn't notice the slightly singed cover.

Arson yay!

With the previous comments designed to rile Xornoth up the invocation of fire is a deliberate reference on my part to Xornoth's powers (with the follow up in the next paragraph) and on Exor's part is a provocation towards losing control/making it harder to stay in control of their powers.

Why do you consistently choose to prove your incompetence.

Even gods that crave violence can be disappointed.

this was equal parts chosen to add to the overall comedy of that exact moment and as a final nod to the way that, while he spends a lot of time tearing down other people in Xornoth's head, he also puts a lot of time into tearing down Xornoth themself.

-

I'm going to leave it there for now, if just because of length. I can come back and make a part two for Xornoth and the other emperors during the second part of the chapter later.

[theheirofthesharingan]

You know, we all talk about Sasuke being objectified by people in the series, but we rarely (or never?) talk about Itachi being objectified just as bad by everyone. From the first moment he gained his senses, he became an object, a tool his clan, his dad, his village could use to gain some brownie points.

His father took him, a four-year-old boy, to the battlefield, who had no business being there in the first place. He was just an object to be prepared in order to be able to be used as the clan head's son. In their eyes, he was supposed to have no heart to break, no soul to be damaged. He was only a tool they could use.

When he grew up, his words, demanding peace and peaceful negotiations, had no value in the clan's eyes, but he must be ready to spy on the government for their sakes. His feelings didn't matter. His opinions didn't matter. They sent one of their own to spy on him.

This 11 year old wasn't supposed to have feelings. Right?

Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, even Kakashi, Rin, and Obito - who had been in the battlefield - at the age Itachi was, we probably would consider it cruel and inhuman to put any of them in place Itachi was. But somehow, it occurred to no one that a 12-13 year old boy should be treated as a human instead of being sent as a spy or forced to kill his own parents.

As long as he was useful to the clan, he was treasured, but the moment he developed his own ideals and began to value peace to the violent measures the clan was about to take, he was treated like crap.

The Leaf is the worst. Imagine sending a 12-13 year old kid to kill his own parents and take many more innocent lives. Imagine telling him if he doesn't do it the war that he fears so much will start. Imagine doing nothing at all to stop the war on your own while you have thrice the experience of this kid's age. Imagine thrusting the burden of the nation, the village, and even the whole Shinobi world on this kid's little shoulders.

From the moment Itachi witnessed the deaths in the third world war, he became a part of the larger scheme of things. He wanted to stop the wars permanently, stop violence, and bring peace in the world. And he was repeatedly put in the harsh situations that demanded nothing but the absolute evisceration of his soul. No one ever asked him what he wanted. His ideals, his fears, his love - all of it was used against him. He stood between the clan and the village (eventually until he had to choose one). Then he stood between the Akatsuki and the village, guarding the ungrateful world that held the wrong perception of him. A world that judged him for the things he was forced into.

However. This does not mean he had no responsibility in his own actions. But the truth is, if he had no better options, he had to go with the limited ones he had. No one ever paused for a moment to think he deserved something better. Maybe love and affection. Maybe some comfort as well.

As soon as his mission was done, he was discarded by the Leaf as well. He bore the burden of their crimes, their failures, and in the end lived a thankless, unrewarded life. To the Akatsuki, he became someone that could be easily replaced. When he died, no one mourned. No one cared. If Sasuke hadn't found out about him, there would have been no one who would think of him.

Now, years later, he's been forgotten. Who remembers him except for Sasuke anyway? In the documents, he is still registered as a dangerous criminal.

All his life, he was treated as an object. Even in death, he's not found the recognition he deserved.

[2n2n]

(Hey do you know if hanako kun seal come off, the entire world will fall in disrray..... * that was close-!!* *heart thumping*)

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your opinion on this?

It's primarily just a joke because Aida-sensei messed up and didn't include the seal on a random drawing suddenly... but I do think it's worth looking at the joke itself. Rather than imagining a Hanako saying "I'M FREE!!" or "nyahahaha", AidaIro-sensei imagine him desperate to secure it back onto his face... we can think of that as something! The gag drawing could be Kou trying to force it back on or idk, Hanako doing something silly without limits, but it's Hanako scared it came off. We can just take the silly drawing as a statement of: Hanako's desperate to keep that thang on. What does it mean to be a dog desperate to stay chained?

I do think Hanako's seal is important to him, and something he seems to want to keep. I often say it but-- I imagine Nene-chan could probably just peel it using her powers, right? But he never asks her to, and he never alludes to his seal as some sort of pain, or problem, or annoyance. There is no underhanded goal to get it off. He doesn't joke about it; he acts as if it is entirely not there and not a concern for anyone, despite it being so plain and obvious. Nene-chan seemingly hasn't worried about it ever since Kou's vague explanation, and Hanako isn't interested in doing any correcting or expositing. He isn't defensive about it, or self-pitying.

I think the seal represents repression, "holding back". Nothing could be more important to Hanako than repression, amirite? I think it's an important memory, whatever occurred, that he doesn't want to lose as a reference point. Because the Minamoto family were aware of the Red House, and their grandma forbade them from ever nearing it, and at some point, also sealed Hanako, we can assume the sealing of Hanako may have touched upon a lot of sensitivities.

Hanako is a person who deflects everything. He is cryptic, obtuse, he jokes and handwaves things, he lies. He's always compromising, or trying to run away. He'll only tell Nene-chan his wish when he believes he will never see her again. He seems afraid of leaning into his own feelings. He won't say anything out loud, not until pushed to the limit, and even then, he doesn't cede much. He is a person who surely feels it would be bad if he did all he wanted, or told the truth. Perhaps the truth is ugly, or what he wants is terrifying.

As Yako talks about "going berserk", Hanako touches his seal. He seems uncomfortable with the notion "you're still you; you don't become somebody else".

Perhaps for Hanako, it would be convenient to believe you become somebody else, or are fundamentally altered. Perhaps he would like to not have to owe all of his actions to only himself, his nature. It would be more convenient to be infected with something external that makes you behave badly, than simply have your heart speak out in its natural tongue.

(by the way, this is why I don't personally like drawing a distinction between 'Amane' and 'Hanako', and I think it is drinking the kool-aid to argue their difference. I do not think the manga's message would be "well, you're different!" versus the FAR more potent message of "you're still you, no matter what", especially when we're arguing about the personhood or authenticity of people like Tsukasa and Mitsuba. We shouldn't be calling anybody 'fake' or 'gone', and we shouldn't really be calling damaged people 'irreparably altered and lost'. Surely, we should accept and love all of somebody, and see them as themselves, at their best, or at their worst. Lost, confused, fractured-- Hanako and Amane have the same heart, and it is miserably in love.)

As humans, it's relatable. We'd often like to imagine it's not our own fault, or not our nature when we react to something. We like to think of some people as "bringing out something bad" in us, or influencing us, changing us, to become bad-- due to THEIR nature, not OURS. We don't like to take ownership of who we are. It's a complicated notion for Hanako, who both wants to be held accountable and given credit for the choices Amane made.....

.... and struggles with full ownership of his selves, his past, his present, his future. Or perhaps he struggles with the continuity of his existence? Those fragmented, lost, altered parts?

... all things his seal makes me think about.

Could Amane really become this? What Hanako is? Could Amane do all Hanako has done. I mean yes, but.... things he has to think about.

The boy behind that seal-- what did he do? What was he like? If we remove Hanako's seal, will some part of him come back-- a part he doesn't want to interface with? Is he reluctant to have access to certain power? Just how much is really behind it? It is a warping abstraction, is it an irrational sense of self-apprehension, or could it be that dramatic?

I enjoy AidaIro joking "the entire world will fall in disarray", it's like his catastrophizing is fodder for THEM to mock (I love how they bully Amane.... the normal Amane is normally useless...)

Well, whatever the case... he must be attached to the self that is sealed, the way he behaves now. He seems to prefer this for himself, but Hanako hates himself.

meanwhile sympathy for Aida-sensei who has to flipflop between sealed and unsealed boys as she draws the living and the dead boy for any random chapter or event. I cannot imagine. it's literally sf hard when drawing the boys to mind the seals.