#i am very easily emotionally manipulated i know

[corgiteatime]

yeah sure i'm fine i'm totally normal i'm ok i'm fine i'm normal i'm n

[wyllaztopia]

You mentioned that if we know Denji’s characterization of Killer and Killer’s original backstory that we should understand why he’s so touch starved and has such a messed up definition of love. Is there any way you could tell me who Denji is?? I’m very curious now lol

Denji is a character from Chainsaw Man. I recommend you read the manga or watch the anime - though just the anime alone won't grasp the inspiration I derived from the character into Killer.

I also took inspiration from Gojo Satoru (Jujutsu Kaisen) but more so from his younger self more than the present Gojo.

(These are just drawn for the sake of meme-ing, not actually AG Killer's design)

Further down is explanation and slight spoilers. I don't talk much about it since I want most information to be a slow burn reveal for the characters, as if the audience is getting to know the AGDT cast in real time. (I am a sucker for narratives where it keeps you wanting to psycho-analyze a character rather than revealing everything upfront.)

Starting off with Denji, he's a teen boy who suffered through poverty and taken advantage of for labor just because he's willing to do anything just to get by in life. He's a boy who will do anything to live a normal teen life without having to worry about if he'll die from starvation. Along the story of CSM, he's been treated poorly due to how easily he can be manipulated - he literally has no idea of his own rights as a person. He's also very emotionally unaware because he's lived all alone his life except for a friendly devil named Pochita, who gave his heart to Denji so he can live and become chainsaw man to protect himself. Again, this is just a rough summary I made of Denji's character and I can't exactly explain it here! I recommend watching character analysis video that can further explain him or- you can also check at the original source (manga or anime) yourself which I believe will be worth it since CSM is such a good story.

In AGDT, I suppose you can consider Chara as Killer's Pochita, but in a more unhealthy / partners in crime way. I'll leave that up for the future to explore since at the moment, that's not what I want AGDT to focus on.

As for young Gojo, he's also complicated. He believes himself to be invincible and he can rub off as cocky most of the time. In the story, he holds no compassion or positive feelings for people who are weak - which is essentially everyone for him since he views himself as the strongest. This changed for a while when he was tasked to protect someone - he grew fond of them. However, later on this care disappeared when he perfected a technique - his feeling of pride for himself was stronger than his care for the person he was meant to protect. Gojo is usually nonchalant and playful, also emotionally unaware most of the time as he only thinks about himself (and a fellow 'strongest one' ahem, Geto but that's something I'll ramble for another day). However, he does go absolutely crazy when he's in intense fights since he's absolutely determined to win out of pride.

I would love to talk about what else Killer takes from Gojo but I'd feel like I'd be spoiling everything so I'll leave it for another time to talk about or explore.

There's other medias I took inspiration from for other parts of AG Killer but again, it's a subject to navigate around another time.

I hope this gave some insight on how this variant of Killer is and I hope you enjoyed reading through it!

[mikolovesracing]

i’m gonna rant. and if youre gonna come and comment on this post saying rude shit you can fuck right off with that bc im not having it. reconnect.

———

i can’t fathom what today did to lando.

his deflection of compliments from lewis hamilton in the max verstappen podcast room was heartbreaking. ik it looked like he was being an asshole and yeah! yk what, he probably was! but if you just had your second win pulled from you on a VERY PUBLIC STAGE, wouldn’t you be too?

and yes i understand that he under cut oscar im not saying that was right. dont get me twisted rn.

but can yall fucking stop with the lando norris hate club please? its such bullshit! i hate seeing it! forget hes an f1 driver and remember hes a person? that has real feelings? and real emotions???

he was used today! go back and listen to the team call of them emotionally manipulating him. its fucked!!!!

not only that but lando is incredibly hard on himself. lando truly is his own worst enemy. this man will beat himself up over anything, he cannot accept that he is worthy of celebrating himself and it kills me because i know what that feels like.

it hurts to see.

i know hes hurting.

he was hurt by his team.

fucked over by strategy.

and he still has to have happiness for oscar because he is a good person at heart and he has said that he can be more of a dick, yall forget how fucking nice he is. he puts effort into others and celebrates his friends and he is a good person at heart. yall are making him out to be this spoiled bitch brat and saying horrible things and im over it. ik zak brown treats him like he hung the moon and stars. and ik that oscar piastri DOES NOT get the same recognition. but that doesnt mean we get to come on the internet and whine and bitch that he was even slightly rude to lewis hamilton and that he didn’t seem pleased about p2

NEWSFLASH: he fucking wasn’t!!!!! oscar racec better than lando today, yes. but their team dangled a carrot in front of lando and took it away. they spoiled what could have been a great celebration for both drivers.

think about the sportsmanship he had today when he let oscar through. he could have easily said fuck you strategists, i’m in the lead.

so no! he didn’t want to! would you?????

he had to give up a win.

and please dont take this like im unhappy for oscar i am thrilled for his maiden win.

but even in oscars voice.

he isn’t celebrating himself either.

because mclaren hurt both of their drivers today. not just one over the other.

it feels wrong to be happy and sad simultaneously for a mclaren one two.

but neither of them seemed thrilled today.

not even oscar.

i think they have the power, they have the car, they have the drivers

put into perspective for a minute how cohesive of a team oscar and lando are, they work together closely and they have the opportunity to make big plays with big results! they respect one another and they have good chemistry and they listen to one another and they give each other a leg up.

its bittersweet.

but proceed with kindness in your words and hearts. celebrate oscar like theres no tomorrow(i am!) but equally treat people with respect. including lando.

thank you.

[soberpluto]

Know Your Soul Purpose With Your Big 3

It's been so much time since I've been here, but it's amazing to be back! Now, here's a topic I was wondering about today...

All our configurations hold divine meaning, in that before we are born, our souls chose the type of experiences we needed to undergo as part of our next visit on Earth. What makes us "us" is perfect in design. And what we're "made of" can be neatly seen in our birth charts. No birth nor birth chart happen by chance.

While it’s accurate that specific karmic work (which is part of our life's mission) is indicated by studying the positions of Saturn, its aspects, planets falling in water houses and the configuration of lunar nodes, I feel we can also find great part our soul's purpose (our main lessons) by analyzing our Big 3. This is equal to drawing a picture of the blueprint of our unique navigation system, our compasses through our human experience.

To make a draft of your soul's blueprint, take these steps!

Look at your chart to know your Ascendant, Sun and Moon signs and chart ruler(s). If your rising sign has two rulers, take them both into account. In my case, I always use whole sign system.

Identify the houses of your placements.

Start drafting your Ascendant, Sun and Moon signs' significations using the tables below, including both positive and negative traits. If we're moving through life based mostly on our positive qualities, it's very likely we're on the right track. Conversely, living constantly under the influence of our negative traits marks potential blockages to get where we need to be.

Add to your blueprint areas in which you naturally express your placement's traits (houses). This is important because you will know where your mission will be accomplished more easily or naturally.

Have fun!

If you're having a bit of trouble to come up with yours, take my own example...

I am proud of myself when I present to the world as passionate, powerful, magnetic, and intuitive (positive Scorpio rising qualities). I realize that when I become vengeful, jealous, obsessive and/or mournful (negative Scorpio rising qualities), I am attracting unnecessarily challenging circumstances that hinder my lessons in my life. My personality (rising sign) projects most in my physical appearance image and identity, in my close communities and in the pursuit of my dreams (Chart Rulers in 1st and 11th house). I feel my life has meaning when I act as a nurturing, sensitive, creative and empathetic person (positive traits of Cancer sun), but when I become needy, emotionally instable, insecure and/or manipulating with others (negative traits of Cancer sun), I realize that I am blocking myself from living in my fullest potential. The area where my conscious self (Sun sign) shines most is in my path towards higher learning, distant travelling, truth seeking, legal affairs and spirituality (Sun in 9th house). I feel safe and fulfilled when I can be brave, independent, assertive and passionate (positive Moon in Aries traits). But, when I realize that I'm repeatedly reacting in a violent, selfish, impulsive and/or inconstant way (negative Moon in Aries traits), I know that am blocking my ability to be peaceful within myself and move ahead in life. My emotional needs (Moon sign) are best taken care of through my habits, health care, daily routine, service to others, jobs, and pets (Moon in the 6th house).

Now, what information can you derive from this description? What does this tell about my purpose in this life?

Naturally, I am pulled to creative, healing and spiritual work. I studied Industrial Design in college, but I've expanded my career in other directions, including developing and managing intermittently art and esoteric online businesses while also holding an office job in Change Management. I am also the eternal student, self-learning and passionate about higher knowledge. I like to share my insights with others and help them find their own truth, their own awakening. I am drawn to intense (and sometimes not so positive) experiences and relationships, and have drastically changed my own image, jobs and spiritual views along the years. I've certainly went through a lot of turmoil, but also have gained significant life lessons and valuable wisdom thanks to the way I approach life. I cannot help to be deeply emotional, empathetic, passionate, excitable, idealistic and inspired, for the good and the bad! Even though it's not been an easy road, I realize that little by little my purpose is being fulfilled... and I hope you all do!

What about you? Let me know what you find out about yourself!

Thanks for reading! 😘🖤

Written by @soberpluto

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Awright I'm gonna get my take in on the current round of CJ discourse, because I do think I have a couple things to add! I'll be super clear upfront that I don't really care very strongly about Jack in any direction, he's a convenient character from Ed's past but that's about as far as I think about him.

So, Jack is the only character who we explicitly know has known Ed since he was very young, and the only one confirmed to be with him back in the Hornigold days. It's for this reason alone that I tend to take the information he tells us about Ed at face value - not because I think he's an honest character, but because he's the only window we're provided into that time of Ed's life. We can assume Jack also got into piracy young and he's been through the exact same grinder as Ed; this is one of the reasons that Ed takes it so hard when Stede kicks Jack off the ship. He feels like Jack and himself are the same genre of person - if Stede doesn't like Jack, then he'll realize soon he doesn't like Ed, either.

If he and Ed have had a sexual relationship in the past, I think that's so much more interesting than assuming Jack is lying. Ed and Jack very explicitly are not friends. Jack talks about his "dalliances" with Ed so dismissively. I think it's much more interesting to look at this with the takeaway that Ed's past sexual relationships have been emotionally unfulfilling and do not allow him to be vulnerable because that informs our understanding of Ed later (for example, that can be a fun wrinkle into how Ed brings up the satisfying, intimate sex he had with Stede during his panic in s2e7).

Another function Jack serves is he pushes the atmosphere on the Revenge closer to what it would be on a typical pirate ship. He's constantly making cracks at the crew failing to act like "real pirates," making Stede feel left out for not enjoying such rowdy, dangerous games. This is very useful because it cultivates an atmosphere designed to drive a wedge between Ed and Stede. For Ed, these games are nostalgic. When Jack makes him uncomfortable, it's quickly followed by Jack suggesting another game. When Ed tries to apologize for one of their activities hurting Stede's feelings, or when he tries to encourage Stede to join in, Jack is there to distract Ed and make him feel, in turn, that Stede isn't just rejecting the games, he's rejecting Ed.

It highlights one thing we know about Ed: he's very, very good at conforming to what's expected of him in any given situation. He can be a people pleaser, and he very obviously just wants Stede and Jack to get along and feels stuck in the middle. I'm not saying he doesn't hurt Stede in this episode, but I am saying that when Jack is creating an atmosphere that feels like a more "typical" pirate ship, and Ed leans into the behavior that he feels is expected of him, it leaves him easily confused and upset when Stede obviously isn't enjoying it. We see unusual lack of regard for others from Ed in this episode (like him shouting "that's what you fuckin' get!" at the Swede after the Swede gets hurt), and it stands out because it's not how Ed normally acts, only adding to the guilt Ed's going to feel that makes him leave with Jack.

Neither Ed nor Stede are trying to hurt each other in this episode. Ed is falling back on old behaviors, and when Stede says he doesn't like it, the fact that he still sees Jack as being so similar to him makes him take it as a personal rejection. I don't think Ed's intentionally trying to make Stede feel singled out or bullied, and it's not Stede's fault he's not enjoying what's going on, but Jack is a very, VERY good manipulator and he's set up the perfect situation to make both of them feel wrongfooted with each other. He's not just manipulating the two of them, he's orchestrating the entire vibe of the ship to make Stede feel left out and make Ed blame himself when things go too far.

[jyeshindra]

Astrology Testimonials (I)

Hey y'all! I'm doing a new series on my blog where I document my personal testimonials of how I have experienced my particular placements. This way, other people can gain insight on how astrology manifests for the individual and those who share similar placements may compare.

On being Jyeshta Moon

A big theme with Jyeshta is authority and power. Jyeshta often rises to some position of authority over the course of their lives (Naomi Campbell, Donald Trump) and if they don't this theme of power/authority will present itself somehow.

For me, I have always witnessed power being abused! Whether it was in my own home or in work environments, this has repeatedly come up in my life. My father controlled the emotional climate in my home but was cold and emotionally absent. He misused his authority as a parent to control and constrict his home and failed to fulfill the duties of his role (no shade, Dad! Love you!)

When he passed away, I learned about his secrets from my mother and through the events that took place after. Mismanagement of our finances, adultery, and other scandals emerged, which continued this theme in my life. More happenings of my father misusing, abusing his authority. My mother isn't entirely innocent either but I won't shade her here (lol).

I was hungry for money when I came of working age and came in and out of a lot of different fast food positions. I would rise to the position of manager quite easily (another Jyeshta theme) and constantly witness my bosses and fellow managers mishandle or abuse their power. (iykyk, ff industry can be very toxic and abusive)

Because my father passed away at 13 and I learned his secrets between that age and 15, I spent much of my teenage years having this deep awareness that power could be misused. I would see it in institutions, in my teachers, at school, among my peers. In the world...hell, everywhere! Also, as a black person, I am no stranger to systemic oppression--another abuse of power. This too has given me a lens to engage these Jyeshta themes.

Such experiences then manifested as a deep mistrust of authority and by extension, my own authority. I have a difficult time believing people in power and at times have an unhealthy amount of skepticism within my mind. I feel at times I have seen too much. It can make me hopeless and almost corrosive inside. Thankfully, my Pisces sidereal placements (Revati) balance out my cold pragmatism.

All that being said, I am changing. And I am making space for a different framing of power. I am reclaiming my own now as I enter young adulthood (I am 22 years old!). I will always have a bit of a thirst for power. I can't describe it. I just know I'm meant for it. It suits me. And I know that all these insights on how power has been abused has cultivated a deep belief that if power chooses me, I will try to wield it responsibly.

So, I do everything with intention. Everything. I lead with intention. I love with intention. I speak with intention. I pray with intention. I manifest with intention. I do my best to be mindful and aware.

Those who use their power over others do not understand themselves. There is something in their hearts that is wounded and something in their minds that distorts their cognition. Wielding your power to abuse, lie, cheat, manipulate, hide, extort, abandon, indulge, etc. is an indication that healing is necessary. Rehabilitation is necessary. A change is needed--more love, is needed. And if that change is not sought, karma will come. This, I believe.

-jyeshindra

[mermaidsirennikita]

Louis de Pointe du Lac, as originally written, could be regarded as one of lit's most famous "also rans", someone who was originally positioned as Thee Tragic Figure of the series, only to be almost immediately superseded both in the readers' and the author's minds with Lestat. Like, you know Louis because of the original book, but Lestat is the one everyone talks about, Lestat drives the rest of the series, Lestat has all the best lines.

And the movie, as much as I personally don't like it, only sort of dug this further into the pop cultural understanding of the story. Brad Pitt is at his most "I am relying on pretty" boring and sulky; when there is a performance, it's largely annoying. And Tom Cruise... I mean, it's literally nothing next to what Sam Reid does in my mind, but it was at least very off-brand for him at the time, and he was doing SOMETHING, and he (and Kirsten Dunst) have the most iconic Moments, the camp, the arguably most memorable part of the movie (the very end with the Sympathy for the Devil cover playing us off).

So it's honestly SUCH a testament to the innovation of the show's writing and the brilliance of Jacob Anderson's performance that Louis has been reinvented, not only as a compelling protagonist, but as a character that is EASILY as complex and multilayered as more traditionally antiheroic/villainous types like Lestat and Armand and Claudia. He's more than the beautiful, tragic object of Lestat and Armand's affections, he's more than the guy telling us the story.

Louis is self-loathing and self-aggrandizing; he's victimized by Lestat, and he manipulates Lestat, very aware of his own emotional hold over him (might we note how much agency Louis had over Claudia's turning, and how Lestat in no way would've done that if not for Louis... and that act was arguably one of the most selfish in the series, if emotionally understandable). He's controlled by Armand, yet we get hints that he's actually quite dangerous and perhaps in some sort of self-delusion about just how dangerous he is (and Assad certainly plays Armand like he's nervous as fuck about Louis knowing the truth--and I don't think that's JUST about the possibility of Louis leaving him once he finds out).

Louis tells himself that he loved Claudia more than anything and that she was his "spark in the dark", when we see that in reality their relationship deteriorated over time and continued to do so, even after the person who was seemingly a wedge in their relationship was vanquished. We see hints, perhaps, that Claudia was no more the ideal daughter in his mind than Lestat was the ideal lover.

And that last scene in the premiere? When we're not sure who the "you" is? Sad and kind of horrifying, too. Because like--what will Louis do to Claudia to further his own love and obsessions? Who does Louis prioritize more--Claudia, Lestat, Armand? Maybe none of the above. Maybe himself and what or who he thinks will stave off his own loneliness, his need for love and validation and, yes, power.

None of this is a criticism of the character. The show already did something SO good and SO smart by turning Louis from a white slave owner to a Black man with money and social standing, still so held back by the laws and environment of his day. Vampirism gave him agency, yet the show, in season one, showed the potential for Louis to still be the perpetual tragic victim (in episode five especially). And maybe they'll still slip up and do that.

But increasingly, with the reveal in the s1 finale and the s2 premiere, I think we're getting the implication that the thing Louis could be protecting himself from mentally (with some help from Armand--I don't think Louis's memory issues are all Vampire Magic, though) is something horrible that he did. A choice he made. Because Louis does have agency, and the narrative allows him to be someone with conflicted desires and a complicated sense of self. Someone who doesn't love PRETTILY. Someone who is manipulated and manipulates.

Like, I've joked about him being this kind of like vampiric Helen of Troy because of the allure he holds for powerful figures like Lestat and Armand, but I also think it's so powerful to explore the way that Louis uses that appeal and ALSO makes fucked up decisions on his own because he is... into being adored, frankly. Even if the people who adore him also hurt him. He gets caught up in his own romanticized retellings of his life story, whether heartfelt or tragic, because in those retellings he can pretend that he had no choice, he had no ability to say otherwise.

But like--Louis could have stopped that woman from being decapitated, potentially. Louis didn't have to walk away from human affairs. He chose to do so, just like he chose to beg Lestat to turn Claudia. Just like he chose to deny her Lestat's true death.

And I think there's like, an attempt to reckon with this in the unreliable narration of the books, but I also think that this is so dependent, in Anne Rice's version, on spinning to Lestat... That Louis's culpability and untruths are overshadowed by his Everything. Here, the story lets us soak in Louis's mind, and Jacob Anderson's performance really seals that. I find it so smart.

[ehh-is-the-name]

I ENTIRELY disagree with your statement that cobs and mephone are one in the same. They just arent!!! they arent!!!! it's comparing a person who Was Abused to their Abuser. And i think thats really dangerous, especially because cobs did things knowingly and out of ill will and is absolutely manipulating suitcase and knife in his speech to them, but also because mephone literally has/had no fucking idea he created the contestants.

theres something wildly different between creating a fantasy UNKNOWINGLY where everything goes your way (kinda- i'll yap about that later) and you have your contestants and your show where you can be the perfect host you always wanted to be!!... And creating Sentient Beings (who you know are sentient) and sending them off TO WAR only to physically and emotionally abuse one of them when he comes back with Only ONE of the children you sent him to steal. like. Fellow mephone apologist, he's not really that bad!!!! there is hope!!!

Back to the whole. 'everythign goes his way' thing- A key difference between Cobs and Mephone to me is that Mephone, not even knowing he created the contestants, doesn't force them to do anything. He's kinda... dumb? like, let's be real, his biggest threats come up to 'you'll be kicked off the show' and yada yada... Like. take Marshmallow.

He (UNKNOWINGLY) created marshmallow to be on HIS show. But when she chose to leave... he didn't stop her. And yes, he knew she left because of his confrontation of mepad where he expressly asks him 'why did you let marshmallow leave?' Mephone 100% KNEW. but he didn't stop her (nor apple, for that matter) from going off and starting a life of their own.

MEPHONE DOESN'T WANT CONTROL OF HIS CONTESTANTS LIVES.

Yes, he's a jerk, YES, He's absolutely terrible to his contestants sometimes, and YES, he will have to deal with the consequences of his actions.

BUT. He's not anything like cobs-- at least, not where it matters.

Cobs tried to kill mephone, multiple times, when mephone tried to start his own life. Mephone views his contestants as real, sentient people- Cobs doesn't! He sees the contestants as toys, if anything... And he sees his own creations as tools. Valuable tools.

So like. what im trying to say. Is uhhh sorry for yapping so long and i hope you have an awesome day!!! I've just seen this whole Mephone=cobs thing going around and it gave me a headache SO SORRY FOR MAKING YOU DEAL WITH IT </3 but i do hope thsi was informative!

First off- LET'S GO I LOVE II DISCORSE THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY'S ALL ABOUT!!

Anyway, I will say, that I'm giving you a hug and crying into your shoulders for bringing up the marshmallow thing- I completely forgot about it even though we literally just saw her again (I think it's pretty clear that my priorities are ALL over the place).

Rewatching the scene I get what you're saying.

I'mma be soooo fuckin honest this scene went right the fuck over my head, and by that, I mean I didn't know if Mephone was being genuine with his confusion or fuckin' anything actually. When I say ii 16 has killed me and left me rotting in a gutter, I'm so serious. Mentally I am in a gutter and your ask has at least rolled me back on the curb so I can breathe air instead of sewer water.

Literally reading your thing has made me remember other posts I have seen and taken to heart about this phone, like examples A and B. (They're both tumblr analyses that are kinda outdated 'cause of the bombshell but still pretty good imo). Mephone DOESN'T want to control the contestant's lives and, although he can be a dickwad at times, he still cares about them. Though is that just because they're his OCs in a way? I-

I say all that but I'm also like, I don't want to be completely throwing away everything Cobs is saying just because I feel ill every time he talks. You right, it's very clear that this whole thing is heavy with the manipulation but fuck man I think I'm just easily manipulated... I'm being so serious when I say I lost what hte fuck I was typing in the middle of this and I don't think it's coming back to me. I rolled back in the gutter, sewer water is my home I fucking guess.

Anyone who's listening to me at this point- I don't recommend it I actually don't know what the fuck is happening. I think I still have it in my head that Mephone knows about the whole "making the contestants thing" which makes it hard to fully embrace what you're saying. I should clarify tho:

Mephone and Cobs aren't the same, but the things he's indirectly picked up from Cobs (because of his abuse) are presenting harder than I thought originally. And I think that's what I really meant when I wrote the note. Or at least, that's how I feel now. It's been a couple days since I wrote the stuff in the blockquote. That's the best way to explain how I feel about the Mephone = Cobs situation—yes, but genuinely, in all honestly, no they're not the same.

And do not be ashamed of ranting, really, we love it here. Plus, my friend called this the 9/11 of inanimate insanity and yeah there's a lot of fallout and theories rn. Perfect time for discourse 'cause we're all going through the wringer.

[bestworstcase]

First i want to say that i love your rwby analysys, but i just discovered your blog, so can you explain to me why you hate Ozpin so much? Like, every minor thing he does and says must have some malicious intention behind it, but everything Salem does is part of a big plan that means that she's not actually evil?

ooh it’s been a while since we had one of these! 1. i think perhaps a closer read of my salem analysis is called for, because you’ll notice that i am, er, not shy about noting that salem is evil and this is in fact a central tenet of my reading of the narrative; i just don’t think she’s a one-note genocidal lunatic and it is extremely obvious that the narrative is heading in a "the brothers were and are wrong, and salem wants them gone" direction; 2. oz is second in my heart only to salem and cinder, which sort of speaks for itself in terms of "this character did bad things!" not being remotely a bad thing in my book, 3. and speaking of cinder, i get exactly as cranky about uwuified fanon sad wet rag ozpin who’s never done a thing wrong as i do uwufied fanon poor wittle cindy who doesn’t want to hurt people but salem makes her do it for exactly the same reason, which is that it strips out everything that makes these characters narratively and emotionally compelling in favor of mashing them into gutless marshmallow pod people for the sake of… i don’t know, making them neat and bland and easily digestible, i guess? uwu?

4. this is an ozlem house

5. i don’t think ozma has ever acted with malicious intention; rather, he’s been coerced into this situation where his faith in his god, his intense desire to do the right thing, and his terror of what will happen if he fails or disobeys—in combination with a divine curse that is literally designed to prevent him from being able to change or break free, because he has a reflection of himself monitoring his thoughts and actions all the time—are at war with his true desire (he wants to be with salem) and his conscience (he knows that salem was right about what is necessary to fulfill his task, that uniting the whole world under one creed is impossible except by genocidal conquest, and he cannot bring himself to do it because it’s wrong). he’s trying very hard to do the right thing in a situation where he genuinely believes his only options are to commit genocide for his god or sacrifice the whole world for his love and he is desperate to figure out a third option that does not end with "rocks fall everybody dies;" thence the lies and manipulation and all the miserable moral sacrifices he’s ever made.

6. the reason this is an ozlem house, in the sense that my reading of the narrative in its entirety is predicated on the ozlem reconciliation, is that salem and ozma are two sides of a coin: she is doing terrible things in pursuit of a world where the gods aren’t holding a knife to remnant’s throat and he has done terrible things for the sake of the same. their conflict isn’t evil-vs-good, but apostate-vs-zealot; salem believes the gods can and must be defied and ozma believes her defiance is doomed to failure. salem tells him that in order to unite the world he needs to spread his word and crush all who deny him; as the king of vale, ozma uses the divine relic of destruction to lay waste to not only his enemies but even his own allies, thus he forges the vytal accords that established the united global order in which the story takes place. he’s a better person than she is—because she’s been living in exile for thousands of years and her capacity for caring about other people has withered away to almost nothing as a consequence—but they are in every sense equals.

7. the narrative is overtly not on ozpin’s side? he has a whole atonement arc about it in atlas—& this is why i made the comparison to uwuified fanon cinder earlier, because the framing with regard to ozpin is very emphatically clear that he does a lot of things that are not good, and are in fact pretty sinister and in some cases (amber, pyrrha) outright evil, and he has to make the choice and put in real meaningful effort to be better. i don’t think there’s anything to be gained from ignoring what is plainly in the text of the story, especially when rwby is categorically disinterested in sorting its characters into neat little good-or-bad boxes. there’s no such thing as pure evil—that’s been the explicit textual conceit since volume one—and the implied converse is that there’s no such thing as pure good, either. (which is a conceit that ozlem exemplifies.)

8. i threw a fucking PARTY when we found out salem razed vale, i get the vapors every time i think about what sort of narrative escalation we can expect in V10 given that something as huge as razing vale can happen off screen to set the stakes for vacuo. not that i don’t also adore characters who are good or who (like oz in v7-8) grow and change to become better, because i do, but i really can’t emphasize enough how much i Do Not hate fictional characters on the basis of them doing awful things. what i want from a character is for them to be interesting, which ozpin is. what you’re perceiving as me hating on him is me dissecting him under a microscope because i love him to bits.

9. the ozlem screeds will continue until morale improves

[writtenbyjeanofarc]

— Johan Liebert - NSFW Alphabet —

Discussion

Alright, so I finally made the decision to take on this challenge and put my creativity into work while making this.

Note that I am not very good with headcanons since I suck at character analysis myself (I lack basic comprehension skills).

I’m just relying on my luck hoping there’ll be people who can relate to these headcanons of mine.

Though I don’t consider Johan to be big or standing out on the topic of romance and sex, it wouldn’t hurt to explore how he’d be like if he ever succumbed to these feelings.

I headcanon Johan as aro-ace, but since sex or having sexual thoughts/fantasies are a part of human nature, I wanted to write this in the RARE scenario where he succumbs to these feelings.

Perhaps someone strikes his fancy in order for him to give two fucks about them—to a point where it starts to affect him physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The possibilities are endless.

So without further ado, here’s the NSFW alphabet indeed, and if Johan is quite OOC here, don’t mind it. I forgot most of the things that happened in the show anyway.

NSFW under the cut!

NSFW Alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

I personally have this headcanon that after sex, Johan is a pillowtalker at heart. By definition, pillowtalking is an act of exchanging private conversations, intimate and deep ones. Especially in bed.

When he’s not manipulating someone to committing suicide using guilt, he spends his time communicating with his partner about what he likes (and dislikes) about them, or what he feels about the world. He’s being fairly honest with how he feels, though he masks it as something humorous and lighthearted, but still frightening to his partner.

No, he doesn’t have dark humor, but he’d be the type to talk to you about something controversial and ask your opinion of it. Scenarios like that.

If his partner fell asleep afterwards, he would leave a short letter indicating that he catered to what they needed before leaving, and for some reason, write light possessive content that have this “I’d kill for you” type of vibe.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His and their eyes. The eyes are basically a window to one’s emotions. Johan has high emotional intelligence, and can see through how people feel. Granted, he usually doesn’t feel guilt or remorse for manipulating orphans, so he’d probably use your eyes as an advantage to target you.

Also, this may be OOC, but hands. He doesn’t connect with many people besides his sister and Dr. Tenma, so being able to “connect” his body to yours mainly has to do with hands. He’s not big on physical touch, but at the rare moment, he probably is touch starved like any other human being would be, and will usually be the one initiating it.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

His cum is pretty thin compared to other thick liquids that come from other men.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He collects a stash of mementos (that remind him of his person of interest) to jerk off to. He’s personally fond of keeping memories and storing them in a secret drawer with a lock so people won’t be able to access them. He’s quite possessive in a rather soft way.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

I personally think he has little experience with sex. He doesn’t yearn for someone physically that easily, considering he isn’t easily swayed by external advances like seduction and flirting. Instead, he’d manipulate them back.

That being said, he might be a virgin.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

I’m sure whatever his partner wants goes. But if there was something he’d normally go for, it would be missionary. (I know, it sounds vanilla as fuck)

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He keeps it balanced. He can be humorous when they’re trying things out, experimenting.

But when he’s close, I’m sure he gets serious in a rather calm way, murmuring sweet nothings on his partner’s ear as he’s about to bust a load of nut from deep within.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He isn’t one to be conscious about body hair, but imo he does shave in case something between him and the person of interest happens. He doesn’t keep a purely shaved cock, however, perhaps just a quick trim.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He’s not very romantic in a sense, but he occasionally dabs in with emotional support once in a while.

I personally thought of the “I was born to smother you with flowers” line and thought….maybe he could actually have a knack for sweet nothings and charming little messages, verbal and written.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He starts jacking off slow and gently, but it soon evolves into something slightly rough in rare cases. Though he isn’t a rough, brute man with no manners, his patience can get tested if he doesn’t come faster.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

I don’t know if stalking is considered a kink but if it is then he has it, with his role being the stalker in this case.

Other than that, he doesn’t have much interest in unusual sexual situations making him quite vanilla.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

In his house, or his partner’s house. If he’s feeling lucky, then the library.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

People’s psyche.

Analyzing his person of interest is what turns him on, what makes him feral and craving for more.

The urge to manipulate and guilt trip drives him crazy to the point of wanting to ruin them, emotionally and sexually.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Being touched, kissed, or held without consent.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He mainly prefers giving, even though he doesn’t have much experience and skill. Just like how he initiates conversation smoothly, he’d be able to carefully analyze what you want, and give it to you based on your body language (he is very good at analyzing people’s thought and emotional patterns).

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Slow and sensual. Anything fast, stiff, or aggressive turns him off.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Johan doesn’t like them. He likes to take his time dissecting an individual if he ever plans on sleeping with them.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He is game to experiment and take risks, but does it with precise control over his emotions. He doesn’t raise his voice and lash out if something goes wrong, but will do everything in his will to fix things.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He personally goes for one to two rounds. Not because he lacks the stamina, but because he grows bored and doesn’t feel the need to pursue or fulfill his sexual needs. His sexual needs don’t last, and are very fickle. He can be subject to not continuing if he gets tired.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Personally, I don’t think he has the interest to pursue buying a toy.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Expect him to tease you in every way possible. He’ll edge you completely without regret, testing how much you can take before you can just give in and cum at his will.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He moans softly like a young man would, since his voice is pretty high-pitched. He gasps on the occasional note, even going as far as to scream like that scene where he fainted in the library.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He enjoys whispering filthy things to his partner’s ear, mostly backhanded compliments and talking about threatening them playfully. He enjoys adding fuel to the fire even when it’s highly unnecessary given the situation.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Basically nothing much, except for a boner that arises when aroused at a mentally stimulating situation.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Usually low. He doesn’t yearn or crave for sex like how I stated in the beginning, mostly refusing advances out of the many people who fancy him.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Barely. He would rather continue doing other things like reading a book, sending an e-mail, but he isn’t the type to sleep right after as he prefers to keep an open eye on his person of interest.

[thevulturesquadron]

Potential explanation as to why Erik went from having a strained relationship with Wanda to Pietro despite getting along reasonably better with the latter:

Wanda subconsciously/intentionally made it that way.

Writers try to paint Pietro as the only one with mental instability, but Wanda very clearly has a history of her own issues that show she is not nearly the more sane and emotionally mature twin she is recently made out to be.

In my opinion, despite Wanda occasionally making a show of demonstrating how she does not need Pietro as much as he needs her, and how much she hated Magneto for all that he put them through, I think there was a part of her deep inside that was envious of how Erik and Pietro made efforts to get along better and strengthen their relationship.

I know that writing wise, the editorial and writers have their own reasons for making the choices I don’t agree with, but here’s my take.

Wanda subconsciously hexed both her and her twin so that their blood ties with Magneto would be severed because she couldn’t stand how Pietro was always willing to try to make things work with the latter because he was their “father.”

Because the familial relationship was gone and now she and Pietro were “no longer” mutants, it became easier to subconsciously manipulate her brother’s mind and Magneto’s against each other so that they would appear in their lives less.

Oh, but relationships/hex doesn’t easily create/destroy. It relocates and replaces. So where does that father/child bond now go?

It goes to her. Because despite resenting him for the majority of knowing him, I think there was a part of Wanda that did want that emotional connection with him. But instead of bringing herself to forgive him and easing up on her pride, it was easier to switch her antagonistic relationship with her father’s with that of her “beloved” brother’s to elevate herself up and bring her brother down.

Again, not consciously on her part, and definitely not intentional on that of the writers, but given Wanda’s track record of handling her emotional repressions and outbursts, that would make more sense as to why the dynamic has changed.

I.LOVE.THIS!!! I love this and ever since it landed in my asks my mind has been here.

I am a sucker for finding explanations/reason in things that don’t work or make little sense in what I am watching/reading/playing. I am a sucker for analyzing character’s choices or behaviors even if they are something I don’t agree with. And this!! Honestly I just want your interpretation to be out there because it’s so complex and tasteful.

Wanda has a HISTORY of emotional instability and I say that not as a complaint but in a way that acknowledges the complexity her character can have. It has been a bit of a frustration of mine in how Marvel has handled her in recent years (either as a villain in Dr Strange or infantilizing her in comics). I hated that they took away her agency and responsibility for the events in House of M and redconned it as Doom’s doing. I hate how they portrayed her ‘sacrifice’ in the Trials of Magneto because it was cheap and void of meaning for her redemption. Marvel stripped her of the importance of her emotions and chaos; took away the responsibility of her rage and the consequences of her unstable emotions because she needed to be pure and good, effectively telling women that your raw emotions are evil and only villains can own them. Fuck that noise! Her powers are chaos! Let her mind and feelings claim that as well, and let her explore that instead of forcing her into a maturity and wisdom she has never earned. 

Once again, I love what you're proposing. It justifies so many of the weird exchanges, it adds layers to her and it has a fantastic potential to explore some strong themes.

[burr-ell]

On the Matter of Trinket

So I had a lot of good things to say about Vox Machina: Kith & Kin, and I stand by them, but I do have one sticking point—the story of how Vex got Trinket. Since this extends beyond Kith & Kin and to canon as a whole, I thought it should be its own post.

So here's what happened, per stream canon in 1x65:

VAX: What's the dagger [that Saundor was referring to]? VEX: Oh, that. Yeah, I killed a couple people and I saved Trinket, that's all. VAX: When? You'll have to be more specific than that. VEX: Do you remember when I brought Trinket back to camp? VAX: Originally? VEX: Yeah! All those years ago? VAX: Yes! I thought it was a terrible idea. I was dead wrong. VEX: Well…turns out, I found him in a camp where I'd been taken. VAX: What? VEX: Yes, and there was some really dark people there, and they had harvested Trinket's mother. [...] I did what I had to do, and I killed them. VAX: The people that took you. VEX: Yes. I did. VAX: The people that took you from me? VEX: Yes. And I saved Trinket that night, and that's what Saundor saw. More than anything I just… I don't know how he saw it. VAX: Are you just creeped out because he knew or because of what happened? Why are you upset? VEX: I'm not. VAX: Well, listen. I wasn't there. I don't know what happened, but… you came back to me, so whatever happened can't be wrong.

This incident is recounted in full by Laura Bailey in a short story she wrote from Vex's first-person perspective explaining to Matt why she was so protective of Trinket, which can be found here. Even if you lack that context, though, it's clear from this conversation that Vax very explicitly did not know what happened. This is not easily missable, either; there isn't leeway to insert him into that backstory without directly contradicting what's happening in this scene.

In Kith & Kin, however, Vex tells the story of when she got Trinket to a little girl she meets, and says that Vax was actually there and helped fight off the poachers who kidnapped her—not really anything of note that she didn't do herself in the original, but he was there. This could be taken as simply her softening or embellishing the story to make it more exciting for a child, but the narration otherwise notes where Vex has left details out and does not imply that Vax's presence is an alteration. Additionally, later on in the denouement, Vex thinks about everything that's happened and reflects on "two young half-elven twins fighting monsters in a horrible poachers' camp", again suggesting that Vax was indeed there. This is further supported by The Legend of Vox Machina's change to the story, which also added Vax and had him be the one to break Vex out (originally she did it herself), and those two combined together suggests that this is going to be considered the canon narrative going forward.

Now, I'm not inclined to think any of this was done in bad faith, so don't misread me here, but I am disappointed by the change.

The conversation between Vex and Vax in episode 65 is very important for what it says about Vex and their relationship. (It furthermore serves as a parallel to a scene in episode 42, where Vax tells Vex about the circumstances of his joining the Clasp, the secrecy of which is maintained in Kith & Kin). Vex was so traumatized by this incident that it was brought up to emotionally torment and manipulate her years after it happened, and the fact that she never told Vax about it until he asked speaks to how important it was to her to avoid talking about it. Vex is a character who struggles with letting down her walls and taking off her masks, and not only could she not bring herself to explain it even to Vax at any point in the intervening years, but when she finally does, his words of support and reassurance don't even work—she still ruminates on Saundor's words at night following this conversation. That matters for the full context of where she is, and where the twins are, at this time in the narrative.

Now you can make the argument that this change only highlights a different facet of their respective stories: Vex is hurt by this incident in a way Vax is not. The problem with this is that we already have an element of their story that serves this narrative function—Syngorn, where Vex took the elves' racism and their father's abuse much more personally than Vax did. As an adult, she tries to wear a mask of untouchability and contempt for the place, but she did everything she could to measure up and meet their standards in the hopes of one day pleasing them and finding acceptance, while Vax pushed back against it at every turn and openly rebelled and caused trouble. Vax's disdain for Syngorn is straightforward; Vex's is much more complicated, and it feels redundant for the Trinket incident to repeat this pattern. It also robs the characters of the much more interesting story from the stream, where Vex keeps this to herself and doesn't seem to feel better even after Vax tries to comfort her.

As I've said, I do really enjoy Kith & Kin and TLOVM, and there are changes made in the animated adaptation that I really enjoy or even think are better than stream canon, but necessary changes to adapt a story to a different medium are different from an important character moment being undercut in canon supplementary material. Not only does Vax's insertion into this incident fail to substantively add anything to it, but it actively detracts from both his and Vex's stories as a whole. And as someone with a lot of love for Campaign 1, the willingness to do that kind of retcon unsettles me.

[ctheathy]

Hi I love your story and I read your secret histories story and I love it, I wanna ask if your not busy how about a yandere secret history tails x reader where she is a kind and sweet person who never judge someone by their appearance and she dotes and pampers him a lot

Yandere Secret History Tails w/ sweetheart!Darling

Secret History Tails x Reader

Yandere Headcanons

Short Concept

Author’s note : Why hello, Nonnie!! Of course you may, my darling, hope you’ll be able to enjoy<3<3 My apologies for slight inactiveness, I assure each and every one of you that more headcanons of our lil ol’ psycho and other characters are also coming up; things have just been a teensy tiny bit busy for me lately, but I do try keeping up with the requests. Don’t want to let yall down💞

Quick note that I do not write for gendered Readers much though!! Accidents can happen when requesting, and I promise I am not upset, but just so everyone understands that gender is not something I’m going after.

Due to the request describing identical characteristics for the Reader as the one in my A Once Innocent Act of Tenderness fic and no specified choice of content was asked for, headcanons with that particular darling were chosen =} Just see it as a minor backup continuation of the story.

A Once Innocent Act of Tenderness ➷

[Gender-neutral Darling|Female Darling|Male Darling]

Potential ⚠️TWs⚠️ :

Delusional mindsets • Obsessive + Possessive behaviour • Murder + Torture mention • Forced relationship • Co-dependency • Kidnapping • Worship • Psychological abu$3 • Brainwashing trauma [On Tails’ part] • Tails may as well get his own TW tbh

Outwardly there doesn’t seem to be all too big of a difference between yandere Secret History Tails and his neutral version. They’re both still very much sociopathic, show clear signs of unhinged behaviour and may get obsessive streaks from time to time, are manipulators at heart, can remain atleast somewhat delusional about both of your relationship with one another and they too view you as something much more above than any other mobian that might have their ways in their pathetic unworth of a universe. And although he normally could have recovered from this mindset slowly with the help by his side, his full on yandere form however, does not. And all honestly speaking, it wouldn’t even be likely to occur in the first place without a specific darling that is kind and has been there from the very beginning; when his trauma of brainwash has developed into something else ...and certainly not something in a positive light. It’s safe to say that this version of his may even be more disturbed than the sanity of his usual self, and that information alone is enough to bring in that you’re going to be stuck on quite the bumpy ride.

While his usual worshipping behaviour would hold nothing malicious behind it, this case is a little more ... interestingly different to say the least. Unlike his casual form who most easily said puts you in the place which was originally meant to be taken by Sonic after you’ve came along and properly earned it; this state of his and his already existing delusions have caused him to literally believe you to be his own personal guardian angel, being there for him in order to protect him from all the wrongs, misery and injustice in this existence. Unlike usual, at an early point he knows that the “real” Sonic of his dimension doesn’t want him, just letting the hedgehog take advantage of his seemingly non-lucid state and torment him to no end; causing him to both grow incredibly touch starved for any kind of gentle offering and worsening his already unstable mindset. And the one simple change that makes all the difference between the two is how he’d normally find himself giving in over time torwards your doting nature with him in particular, while this version of his had already emotionally snapped before he even got the chance to do so. Now the only motivations being left to linger in the back of his mind being the one entity that’s been sweet to him right from the start, and the desperate desire to just take them in as his own--His property. The others have been able to keep you and your dearing behaviour all to themselves for far too long by now, it’s only fair.

As information that’s been given before, a darling like this has him fairly taken aback, the sweet demeanour being, quite sadly said, totally foreign to him. On one hand he wants to give in, wants to achieve the gentleness that’s right on the end of the line and so easily accessible, the desires for the consideration and care becoming close to unbearable to him; but right at the same time, he feels suspicious torwards the close to angelic aura around them, feeling as if it’s nothing more and nothing less than some mere act. This distrust being caused by the harassment he’s got back when he wasn’t even in this position as Sonic’s best friend, despite the lack of memory from it. You’re too sweet for your own good, too perfect; of course it couldn’t be genuine. Another thing potentially stalling him is the fact how Sega has quite literally made him believe how his existence is meant to be surrounded by Sonic, it becoming closer to convincing him farther how it holds absolutely zero meaning without the blue hedgehog being in the picture. But even despite these thoughts of protest, the fox can only take so much. there’s gonna be some point where he cannot suppress these feelings anymore.

Even though his usual self is no exception to causing deaths of those that just so happened to cause immense discomfort or pain to you; another thing that can be written off as a big change is that he’s a whole lot more violent torwards any potential rivals, quite literally going off for torture right off the bat, unlike his casual self who just wishes to get the job done with by blowing the said mobian into hundreds of little bits by his excellent yet dangerous explosives. His yandere form however ... Is absolutely not comparable; his actions now being much more similar to how he treated his victims at the end of secret histories. The two-tailed fox absolutely has zero restraints over himself and is often completely out of control when doing so, the blood of his nemesis covering the floor and walls and psychopathic laughter filling the air. Another important aim being how unlike he would have behaved with Sonic’s case, he would be a whole lot more secretive about the entire murder thing around you. He wouldn’t want to upset his precious and divine admirer now, would he? You’d slowly notice those around you starting to disappear into thin air, each and every acquaintance vanishing only to never see the light of day ever again.

Something else I could picture is that he specifically holds immense grudges against any other Tails counterparts of his, going as far to just take care of the little issue almost immediately after notice. Despite being the filthy imposters they are, he’ll likely feel as if their chances with you rival his own, knowing just as well that they’re close to identical in appearance and intelligence. And if anything, he likely feels the most threatened by them, knowing they could all charm and lure you in all the same way you were captivated by him to begin with.

As for his behaviour torwards his darling after legitimately cracking and taking them in out of said ‘‘protection”, it could mostly be written down as both having a rather clingy and worshipping attitude, yet surprisingly distant right at the same time; not wanting to scare them off. You’re not going anywhere, he knows that much, but having them dreadfully fear him to no avail in improvement over time would absolutely crumble the fox to pieces. He absolutely doesn’t mean any kind of harm torwards his darling, to the point of quite literally not daring to lay a finger on them; but if it wasn’t already obvious before, he has clear limits to his patience. Although not directed torwards them, he can be found growing aggressive due to the lack of emotional touch and is often one to take it out on the unfortunate bystanders nearby, gifting you their still beating hearts as his own little way to show his graciousness torwards you, not realising in the slightest how terrified it truly makes them.

Don’t get me wrong, he adores you with your entire being, he really does; but he has never learned to express them the right way. And I cannot really help but see him as a whole lot more repulsive and abominable as a yandere due to one particular reason. The core of his delusions stop him from thinking properly while it causes refusal torwards the evidence literally laying in front of him; being blinded by unrealistic beliefs and inflicting them onto his poor darling in a sense of purification, all while holding them hostage in a cold and dusted basement. He’d also be a whole lot less obedient to what his darling has to say, feeling as if he’s protecting them despite their protests. You’re silly, of course your naiveness wouldn’t let you catch up with all the potential threats--those rubbish imposters just wandering around you throughout the day. And although the confidence in his beliefs has caused them to become close to being the actual truth in his own unhinged headspace,

that hasn’t stopped him from psychologically harming his darling over and over again.

[butterflydm]

2x7 - daes dae'mar (more thoughts)

I threw some thoughts out last night before I went to sleep because they were bouncing around in my brain and I wanted to get them down but I wanted to expand on some of that this morning.

Two things we were told in 2x1:

every choice has consequence(s)

alone, we are exposed but, together, we can be a shield wall

We have seen a lot of consequences coming to roost on people's heads this season. One that seems to have surprised a lot of viewers is that we are seeing big consequences from Moiraine and Lan's twenty years of secrecy. Which is both things wrapped up together - the choices they've made have isolated them. While in some cases that's a good thing (Liandrin knowing about the Dragon Reborn hunt would have been very bad!), they've also now had two different Sisters willing to go against Tower law in order to help them (Verin & Alanna).

Choices and consequences.

Moiraine lets Rand go at the Eye of the World in 1x8 -> it takes her until 2x4 to find him again, and it's only after one of the Forsaken has already been manipulating him for months.

Moiraine hides her weaknesses and fears even from the people she loves most -> the people that she loves worry about her intentions. Lan had to go on an entire season-long journey to come to terms with being shut out of Moiraine's head; Siuan has only just learned that Moiraine has been lying to her by omission for six (!) months. (Siuan has just as much right to be angry over this as Rand's loved ones have to be angry with him over lying about being dead imo)

Lan keeps Moiraine's secrets at any cost -> Alanna, Ihvon, and Maksim note his shady behavior and are worried that he's a Darkfriend.

I find both Alanna's worry in 2x5 and Siuan's worry in this episode to be incredibly reasonable reactions to the actual information they had been given (or not given).

Not telling the people you love what you're afraid of or about your failures creates separation (one of the themes of the season). It happened with Moiraine and Lan, and now it's happened with Moiraine and Siuan.

So Siuan has, for the last six months, believed that Moiraine was in control of the situation with Rand. Siuan sent Logain to Cairhien so that he could teach Rand and otherwise has been hands-off, trusting Moiraine to do what was needed to be done. And she just found out that this appears to have been a huge mistake - the Dragon has no control over his power, enough so that Siuan was able to easily shield him. He's barely been taught at all. And at the end of the episode... Moiraine feels betrayed because Siuan used her Oath against her; Siuan feels betrayed because Moiraine help the Dragon break out of Tower control using the help of one of the Forsaken. Even if you strip away Siuan wondering if Moiraine is a Darkfriend/Black Ajah (and given that she straight-out accuses Moiraine of lying, Siuan must be wondering if Moiraine is BA), Moiraine's actions look terrible. Especially since I'm assuming Moiraine didn't mention Lanfear in any of her letters either.

Rafe mentioned that one of the priorities about this season was making sure that the stage would be set for The Shadow Rising and I definitely am feeling that way in this plotline especially. We've just set up the fault lines that will lead to the coup and we've set up chaos in Cairhien.

Choices and consequences.

Rand leaves his loved ones behind, cutting his past life off behind him -> leaving him incredibly emotionally vulnerable when 'Selene' comes to call on him. We are still seeing the consequences of that initial choice unravel. His choice to try to strike it out alone has meant that he has no clue what he's doing.

Mat stays behind at the Waygate, confirming to himself that he's a coward -> again, this opens the door to emotional vulnerability. Something that both Liandrin and now Ishamael are taking full advantage of, pressing on that button of self-loathing in the hopes that it will break, and Mat will break with it.

This season has been making it clear, over and over, that it is a choice to be united, not something that happens by default. You don't have to come with me; you don't have to stay; you don't have to help. Nynaeve tells this to both Egwene and Elayne; in a reversed way, Elyas tells this to Perrin (you can come with me instead of helping your friends who were captured); Rand tells this to Mat.

Moiraine has spent all season trying to make it impossible for Lan to stay by her side, because she believes that she can't protect him without her powers. But that's Lan's choice, not Moiraine's. This fight is his too, not just hers. We see this echoed in Anvaere's storyline -- Moiraine doesn't even know that her life was threatened! She doesn't know that Anvaere destroyed all her hopes and dreams of the future, and of her son's future, to save Moiraine's life. And Anvaere did this in the full belief that Moiraine doesn't love her (which I don't think is true, but Anvaere absolutely believes it). Anvaere will lose everything and gain nothing out of this... except that she is doing the right thing.

It matters to Anveare that she does the right thing, even if it costs her dearly. Even if it costs her everything.

And this is exactly what Siuan does too -- I love that both Siuan and Moiraine make extremely terrible choices because they believe those choices are necessary to save the world -- which ties them into what Renna tells Egwene this episode in a fascinating way. We are definitely getting our Rand & Egwene parallels in 2x6 & 2x7!

Doing the right thing is a choice. But it's a choice that you need accurate information in order to make good decisions about. Lan did a lot of fact-finding recently, and what he learned helped him parse out what 'the right thing' was in the cloud of possible right things.

Nynaeve actually said something like this, back during 1x7 -- Moiraine has already made her choice, now it's time for the Two Rivers' group to make theirs. She does not get to make it for them. And that's what we're seeing this season. We're seeing all of these other players on the board making their choices (and seeing how information, or lack of information, informs those choices).

(which also ties into the theme of cages and freedom; we have to be given the freedom to make choices. Which ties into... well, something that is more spoilery than my tag, so I will stop there.)

[vole-mon-amour]

1x07, part 2.

No but the needle marks. He lets her do all of that!! He would let her kill him (too soon!!!) and still say that she's perfect. Oh, I'm already crying, the ending is going to destroy me again.

Oh, and also, she DOES complete the weapon, and he dies, and she's emotionally destroyed, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. The king is dead, long live his queen.

I LOVE the moments after the injection. He's so vulnerable and he's vulnerable WITH her and FOR her. She's everything to him.

I am absolutely heartbroken for Viktor. Mel is like, "The decision is yours", but Jayce is so easily manipulated by her, especially because he sleeps with her and he's easily impressed by her. He's a tool for her while for Viktor... I am very sad. :(

The fact that Viktor disabled Jinx's grenade while it's about to go off & how that applies to the conversation he's having with Jayce.

Maybe Jayce has good intentions, but his agenda of "They're dangerous", "We may not have a choice, we need to protect ourselves." From who? Who's your enemy? Your own people? Have you considered that maybe you're doing something wrong then, if your own people are about to start rioting?

I wish I could see Viktor thrive, but if he's going to become a villain and stand against Jayce... Oh my.

You know who has a really cool design? This dude. This is the modern fantasy I want.

siiiigh.

The way they animated Silco trying to protect himself from a falling tower and the way Jinx covers herself with the same gesture. And I know it's a common gesture, but it does something to me.

The love of Silco's life.

BTW, I totally understand Jinx in terms of Vi abandoning her AGAIN and choosing some woman she barely knows. "I won't abandon you, not again" & then she does. And then Jinx proves that Vi is afraid of her and thinks so bad of her that there's nothing to restore anymore & that Silco, in the end, was right. And she will take revenge for his sake as much as her own.

[flagellant]

Sorry to be Serious in your inbox but am I the only one terrified of this "shifting" thing? Like, I was a kid on the internet, I know how crazy it gets, but this shifting thing seems super fucking dangerous

Like....... Daydreaming/lucid dreaming to cope with shitty life stuff is one thing, but actually believing that you're travelling to alternate realities and wanting to go there instead of be here seems like. Really fucking bad.

This seems like a very good way for a bunch of emotionally vulnerable mentally ill teenagers to be completely fucked up for life because instead of learning to handle and cope with the real world they basically stop themselves from being able to differentiate between reality and daydreams/imaginations.

I've seen these people having whole ass breakdowns on Twitter because they "killed" a character in another dimension and think that they basically murdered another human being.

Also the fact they're projecting all of this on Twitter. They're basically advertising "Hey I'm severely vulnerable and mentally ill and SUPER easy to manipulate and take advantage of"

This literally looks like something that could very easily result in a bunch of teenagers being turned into a suicide cult and kids killing themselves so they can go to a different dimension because this one sucks.

While I hesitate to encourage catastrophizing, I certainly agree that there is a fundamental and very extreme danger in the sort of mindset and culture (for lack of a better word) with how "reality shifting" is being treated. Inducing a trance state in yourself in order to practice certain aspects of the esoteric has been the name of the game since we first chewed some leaves that made us sillymode. The greatest problem is that rather than recognizing "shifting" as doing such, people treat it as you've said and are actively hostile to any other rational explanation which would allow much more stability and safety when doing this.

Additionally speaking as someone who does magic wizard druid shit while having to deal with schizophrenia, the whole r-shifting and the rarer these days p-shifting make me deeply, deeply uneasy and worried for the people who are acting under delusions and are then having those delusions actively encouraged and affirmed by a community who isn't being hostile or cruel to them and instead is eager to confirm that yep what they're experiencing is Pure 100% Real Magic and there is no chance at all it's a mental illness.

All this to say is it makes me remember when the first Avatar movie came out in 2010 and left people feeling actively suicidal because they hoped to be reincarnated into Pandora. So that's something.