#i dunno it's just like. people exist outside of you.

[lvllns]

there’s something very comforting in going from talking on skype until three in the morning almost every day to reaching out once every few months and yet. it feels like nothing has changed.

[farshootergotme]

Now that I have the confidence to send you asks, fully expect me to bug you periodically from here on out

Anyways- do you think Dick qualifies as a scapegoat? Cause I 100% think he's a scapegoat. People always try to shove the 'golden child' role onto Dick, and it always confused me cause like. He doesn't fit it at all if you actually look into what a golden child is.

Dick is definitely one of the scapegoats of the batfamily (Jason being the other) and it makes me sad that people always label him a golden child when he's the exact opposite. Seriously- he's hit, beaten, unfairly blamed, lashed out at, not told about important things (Jason or being replaced, Jason dying, Jason's funeral, probably other things, i wouldn't be surprised), etc. Definition of a scapegoat to me.

It's also why I hesitate to label him the 'favorite' even when the comics try to say otherwise. Mostly because... favorite children aren't really treated this way. Favorite weapon, maybe, as I've said in a post I've made before, but that's it. Bruce wouldn't kill for him or any of his kids. He's come close, yeah, but he's also come close to killing the Joker too after Jason's death and had to be threatened into not doing it. Every time, it's in a strong surge of emotion, and the second Bruce thinks rationally- well, he doesn't do it. Dick isn't at all unique, Bruce wouldn't kill for him either.

I think Bruce is the most proud of Dick, and has a unique relationship with him due to knowing him the longest and the parentification, but I don't think that makes him the favorite. Maybe to the other batkids, but probably not in reality.

I don't think Bruce really HAS a favorite- Dick is probably the closest to it, but still.

Though, if you wanna play around with angst and fanon ideas, maybe both Dick and Jason are the favorites and that's why Bruce treats them the worst? Dunno, it'd make a fun fic, even if it's not really grounded in canon (though I ignore RHATO and Comic UTRH).

Idk. Just,, gestures. Dick is a scapegoat to me.

Hope my 2 am rambling made sense lol

Okay, I see you, but I'll argue:

Dick Grayson is both the scapegoat and the golden child.

Now, you might not believe this since he doesn't tend to be both at the same time, and it isn't common for these roles to exist within the same individual. But Dick Grayson is praised and favored as much as he's blamed and pushed.

A golden child is the one who carries most of the expectations in the family. The parent expects them to be perfect, make no mistakes, take on roles they're pushed into with no issue (thus parentification can happen), and continue on and on to be good enough and meet the criteria so they don't make the parent disappointed.

The love is conditional hence they develop this unhealthy perfectionism and self-esteem and self-worth issues that will follow them till adulthood even when they're out of that environment and living their own lives.

The reason why a parent might choose a specific child (or children) to be the favored one is because they tend to see this child as an extension of themselves. And consequential to this, they will project their insecurities onto said child and force them to improve—be the best—where they fall short. All of their capabilities are overvalued, making the parent see them as special and much better than the rest, causing the unrealistic expectations a child must hold and fulfill so as not to “fail” their parent(s).

Although this child might seem like the favorite and who could do no wrong on the outside, the love they receive isn't something they can take for granted.

When a golden child underperforms or isn't as good as they're expected, the parent’s demeanor might change. They will feel the disappointment and fear this might cause the treatment they get to change. Sometimes the child might even fear abandonment or rejection from their parent as a result of their failures.

The mix of all this turns into a person who's over-competent, hard-working and someone that tends to take charge of things so they aren't at risk of failing, making them ‘natural’ leaders in any group they might be part of.

Sounding familiar yet?

Now, let's move on to the scapegoat:

A scapegoat child is the one that is blamed by all the things that go wrong in the family. They are constantly criticized and shamed by things they might've not even been part of, but somehow they're now involved and taking all the blame for the others so there are no consequences for anyone but them.

(All the blame also messes with their perception of certain events, making them prone to self-blame for the problems that occur in the family or their behaviors towards them.)

The scapegoating in the family may be due to subconscious projection from the parent when they're dealing with difficult emotions such as shame, guilt, rage, etc. They feel threatened by their own feelings and therefore they will try to escape from them by externalizing those feelings and making them their scapegoat’s problem.

Because of this treatment, the scapegoat might become an outsider in the family, feeling excluded and isolated from the rest. And for this, when push comes to shove and they're going through a rough patch, they will not have any reliable support they can go to inside the family as they'll be ignored or otherwise unfairly treated, having their feelings be invalidated.

Like the golden child, there's some aspects the scapegoat shares with the former:

Being treated differently by the parent/family.

Having unrealistic expectations placed upon them.

Being pushed into roles or responsibilities the child isn't meant to take.

Fear of expressing how they feel.

Self-worth issues and low self-esteem.

Although they're usually roles that are considered opposites, they aren't as incompatible as one might think. A child can alternate between being a scapegoat or the golden child, and this usually happens when the parent is very emotionally unstable, commonly due to a disorder such as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD).

(I have so many thoughts about the latter applying to Bruce, but I will refrain from elaborating to not make this longer than it needs to be)

Having all I've said until now in consideration, I'm sure you've noticed how Dick meets both criterias—dare I say the golden child more often than the scapegoat.

Bruce is always speaking about how Dick is “better than him” and “the thing he's ever done right”, but in both of these statements you can see he's taking who Dick is and making it as something that's part of him, comparing Dick's accomplishments to his and putting him in this pedestal, and because of this projection happens and Bruce starts seeing Dick as an extension of himself.

This is why, when he or Dick fail, Dick will suddenly become the scapegoat, contrasting with the former golden child position he was in.

Here you can see the high expectations, praise for his accomplishments, his siblings feeling like Dick is better than them (i.e. treated differently than the rest), and you can also see how when he doesn't meet the expectations, he's met with disappointment (see: Alfred disappointed he's not as bright as he usually is) or judgment (see: Bruce angry at him because he isn't committing to his cause as much as he expects him to).

And these are examples of Bruce being too harsh on Dick and expecting him to do better, blaming him for his brother's death, and in result Dick having a habit of blaming himself and accepting mistreatment, thinking it must be his fault.

More often than not, Dick is put on a pedestal by his family and even his friends sometimes. They praise and love him, but when there's occasions in which he's acting less than perfect, the treatment towards him can change.

Dick Grayson can be the golden child as much as he can be the scapegoat.

[dontbesoweirdkira]

Context

@silken-moons

Yes!! Okay so short discussion post.

like I always felt like yan! Dick is like completely scared or rather doesn't know to be authentic. It's no lie that he takes the place of dad for practically every kid over Bruce since Jason came along. He feels the pressure of being this super smiley guy all of the time. It's exhausting. He cannot have a bad day.

Most of his temperament comes from the stress of taking on the family. He's constantly expected to neglect his personal relationships, careers and hobbies all for the sake of his siblings. He doesn't mind because he loves them to the bone but he has so much resentment about his entire life and unresolved traumas that it's just sitting there.…

No one else sees this. Or maybe they do but they choose to ignore it. But you immediately noticed there was something disingenuous about him...it really irked him. He tried so hard to keep things like that hidden and he hates that was the first impression his new sis got of him. He knows that you cannot unsee it and everything might crumble because of it.

He doesn't want you telling the others about what you see in him and they then don't depend on him anymore out of worry. His entire existence revolves around them and he's just as yandere over them as he is with you.

Also yeah I do agree with the Jason thing. I think most people would gravitate to him because Jason knows what it’s like to be an outsider coming into this family.

Dick is so jealous over you and Jason's relationship tho. He cannot understand how you could feel safer with Jay over him when his younger brother has arguably more seething rage than he does.

Jason isn't always the nicest to you, and even has said hurtful things yet you still cling to him? Why is even being in the same room with Dick so nerve-wrecking for you?

Jason is also just as confused about this and asks you one day. To him, Dick is a good boy that would never harm you. If you think his big brother is bad, then he’s worse.

But what Jason failed to realize is that he’s extremely honest…even to a fault. Which is good. You know when to stay away from from him and when you’re in danger. Dick hides it so well that if you blink you might miss the crack.

"I dunno, Jay. You're just easier to read. If you're angry with me, you'll just flat out tell me. It's more terrifying to interact with someone that you have no idea what is going through their head. He rubs me the wrong way."

Jason accepts your answer and the conversation is done. Maybe Dick overheard it or maybe Jason relays it back to his brother in hopes to be helpful but it really gets to Dick.

You're not entirely wrong but he also doesn't really know how to go forward? If he suddenly stops being the happy-lucky Richard that everyone loves, his other siblings won't like him anymore...but if he acts more authentic...you might even hate that version even more. Damned if he does. Damned if he doesn't.

The best option is to just continue forcing you into submission like he did in the other post. You'll get worn down and eventually accept him as the rest do. He just knows it.

[endivinity]

I've been diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive! It's clinically mild. It wasn't picked up in childhood because I was a gifted kid who wasn't disruptive or fidgety, or doing otherwise vastly inappropriately-timed behaviour outside of the usual for my age group, and then when it started presenting in later high school years I got the classic 'has potential, just needs to focus. Unfinished projects' in my reports, but because I wasn't fidgety or majorly disruptive it just got sort of sidelined. I fell between the cracks. But I think that's just the done thing, for people like me. Not severe enough to be noticeable, or the symptoms are managed (with a lot of hidden difficulty), or you're not enough of a compelling case (trying to get government assisted work placement failed, back when it was just the sleep disorder) - just mediocre, a mild inconvenience, your strengths prevented from being fully reached because they don't like all the issues of your deficits. which for me is in administrative stuff, as evidenced by never replying to emails :'D And then people sort of wonder why you're not doing everything they think you can. Believe me, we fucking know. We're frustrated too. There's a special kind of grief that comes with that, being left behind because you exist in a middle ground of expectation and disappointment, that I think I have to make peace with as I move forward with this. I'm 31. I've lost nine years to struggling between my degree and now. It wasn't all bad, but it's one of those things where I can't help but wonder how different it could've been if I'd known earlier. So what happens from here? I dunno. I'm being put on a trial run of meds and I have to properly handle my life balance since it's very easy to neglect your health when there are no outside pressures to do otherwise. more than anything I want to finish those five-year-old commissions that are still outstanding. Every time I open the files I get anxious and it really, really fucking sucks for everyone involved. From there, who knows?

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for Mango Bat; Kon meets pink kryptonite and decides to fuck Tim and his boyfriend about it. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Okay, so not an alien, just like, I dunno, a second-gen immigrant,” Bernard says, and Kon blinks at him a couple of times and is sort of, like, low-key fascinated by the dude’s brain for a moment. That is like, practically Bart-levels of “random shit that only makes sense in your own head”, but much better-translated for the outside people. “. . . this is not my fault, okay, you’re way too hot for me to make sense and act like a normal person in front of. Also we’re in Gotham and you have to understand that skews the ‘normal’ scale so much, okay?” 

“It’s fine, dude, I’ve heard way weirder,” Kon replies, kinda amused because Bernard’s wincing kinda awkwardly and doesn’t seem to know what to do with his hands anymore, and then just smirks a bit and leans in to nip at the other’s lower lip. Why not, right? “It’s just kinda funny ‘cuz the awkward rambling thing makes you look stupid cute.” 

“Jesus,” Bernard mutters very feelingly, then grabs his face again and kisses him back hard. Kon purrs into it and pins him down heavier against the mattress again and gets a breathy little groan out of Bernard for it, plus a handful of very decided clicks from Tim’s camera. Kon is, like, very used to making himself look good for a camera, even now, and it’s not hard at all to make the stretch and display of his body pressing down against Bernard’s into something natural and easy-looking for the camera lens. It is natural, because it’s something he’s been doing since the day he was fucking decanted, and also it’s not like he didn’t get all that media training from Rex and even a bit from Cadmus’s original uploads and also in bits and pieces a dozen other places and counting. And if nothing else, the photogenic thing very literally paid the bills for a while in there. 

Doing it for Tim feels different, though. Showing off for Tim, displaying himself, framing Bernard just right with his body the same way he got taught to frame whatever pretty girl they threw him on-set with–

Except it’s not like being on a shoot or a set or anything like that. Not like doing some boring ad or magazine shoot with a photographer who isn’t interested in him as a person, just a paycheck, not like doing a thousand takes of some brain-dead commercial for some lame, useless product he doesn’t give a shit about, and not like Rex trying to get him to take “candid” pics for social media shit or anything like that, or even just some random civilian who just wants a selfie or anything like that. 

Which, like–most of those photos don’t even exist anymore. Just about all of them don’t, in fact. 

Kon’s good at being photographed–one of the few things he was always good at, that always came natural and that he learned inside and out and just had an actual talent for–but that doesn’t actually matter anymore because everything he got good at it for doesn’t even exist now. Isn’t even remembered, mostly. 

But–Tim likes to take pictures. He’s always liked to take pictures. And right now, Tim wants to take pictures of him. Ones he maybe really does wanna keep, even. 

That’s–that’s a thing that Kon’s thinking about, right now.

[lotuspeacock]

what the fuck even happened episode 8????

like, plotwise i know what happened but like there’s so much new info i’m processing.

rei dresses like that not for the professionalism of the job, but because his father expects him to look high-class even when he’s murdering people

anna’s musical talents literally traumatize children.

rei’s father has a god complex about his bloodline

the “organization” is more or less run by rei’s father. this is why kyutaro said that rei should know best what happens when you betray the organization, because every childish rebellion was treason on the organization.

rei doesn’t get too close to kazuki because the consequence if he does are dire.

side note: when rei says he has something to protect, he’s not just talking about miri. there is no mistaking that kazuki is precious to rei.

when rei is asked “did you find true belonging on the outside” he denies it. this is probably because he wants to protect kazuki and miri but it could also be because rei genuinely believes that he doesn’t truly belong in their little family. i believe this changes by the end when rei sees that kazuki and miri were waiting for him just to see him smile.

this is from a few other posts i saw, but rei’s mission was a warning. a peek into the consequences of forming attachments.

a continuation of point six, we see rei standing in his family home, feeling completely estranged while he’s on the phone with kazuki and miri being told to be back by dinner.

rei never seemed to be affected by his job before. but in the car with ogino he expresses shock at the picture of his mentors murdered wife. and the picture seems to be taken in the goriest way. rei is opening his heart to his family and as a consequence, he has to face the reality that he is not just killing, but taking lives.

“for the concept” WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN???? this man makes me so uncomfortable he is so goddamn psychotic. he definitely kills for fun even though he pretends its some big philosophical thing. essentially he was saying people exist to die. also his fucking blue eyed stare 🧿👄🧿

WAIT WAIT WAIT THEYRE TOTAL FOILS OF EACH OTHER. rei and his mentor that is. they both have that single slut strand.

miri is extremely insightful. she notices when someone close to her is hiding their dissatisfaction with life - what she calls “sadness”. her mom was dissatisfied with her life as a single mother and rei is dissatisfied with living under his father’s boot.

rei didn’t tell ogino his mentor’s last words because they weren’t meant for him (but probably also cuz ogino is a creep sob). rei “didn’t hear” anything because the words were directed to someone already gone.

this is less a plot point but more a personal analysis - i was sorta hoping that kazuki would show up during the fight and save rei, and he does! he saves rei, but not during the fight because that’s not really where rei was struggling. rei needed to be saved from his own belief that he was irredeemable, and kazuki did that perfectly bu showing rei that no matter what, he’ll be there. unconditionally. i mean, the man didn’t even ask about all the blood on his suit. (another i won’t ask i wouldn’t tell moment)

kazuki cut rei’s hair and decorated the apartment. when rei said “but then you suddenly started cleaning”, he’s saying that he didn’t care about kazuki until kazuki taught him how to care. when kazuki barged into rei’s apartment and cleaned the blood stained hands of a child assassin, he also cleared a space for himself in rei’s life. (side note: of course the undercut was kazuki’s idea)

“you think we can change?” god this was such a good quote. and the way kazuki doesn’t put up a front and say “of course” because he’s trying to figure out if he can change too, so he just says “dunno” but its so sincere and hopeful. i love the dichotomy of kazuki not knowing if he can change because he’s spent the past 4 years trying not to and rei not knowing if he can change because he doesn’t know how to. at the root, it’s because they both see themselves as unforgivable.

continuation of points six and eight, rei smiles when he’s home with his family.

oh my god the angst just doesn’t stop.

[maimurariki]

𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐢��𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Synopsis: you wake up in a dream, a rather eerie dream. There was a boy, a boy that just seemed so familiar to you, but you don’t know why….

Pairing: ni-ki x fem!reader

you woke up in a forest, the sun peaking through the leaves in the trees up high. You were barefoot, wearing some sort of white babydoll dress? You didn’t know what was happening. but something in your head was telling you to get up and go explore whatever this place was.

You stood up and looked around, looking down seeing a white bunny at your foot. You looked back up and suddenly saw a tall boy with black hair standing in front of you. Startled, you fell right back on your butt, holding your chest

“the hell? Don’t just pop up in front of people like that! jeez I almost went into cardiac arrest…”

“sorry about that. I’m niki. What’s your name?” He asked, helping you back up.

“I’m y/n… are we the only ones here? It seems a little creepy…”

“Creepy? This place is peaceful. grab my hand. I’ll show you.”

after hours and hours of running all over the place, you were actually having fun in the dream. You both came to a stop, seeing a field full of dandelions. You both sat, talking to eachother.

“So… exactly how long have you been in here?”

“dunno… maybe since last week? I haven’t found a way out, nor do I plan to. Time doesn’t really exist here either. The sun comes and goes as it pleases. but when I wake up, everything is back to the real world. All noisy and stuff. I’m glad I get stuck here when I sleep”

“let’s hope I get stuck here too then. It seems fun here.”

Before you can utter anymore words, you suddenly woke up. Your mom had been calling your name for the past 10 minutes, telling you to come down for breakfast.

You went downstairs and sat at the table, your older sibling teasing you for waking up so late. Throwing a whack at the back of her head, you sat down at the table and began to eat.

“we have some new neighbors across the street, why don’t you guys help them move in after breakfast? Make new friends instead of staying inside the house all the time?”

your mom suggested, taking a sip of water. You thought it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It was summer, you and your older sister didn’t have jack to do. You ate your food and put your shoes on, going outside to help your new neighbors move in.

You were about to cross the street when you saw a familiar boy carrying a box with the name ‘niki’ labeled on it. your world came to a stop. That couldn’t have been the boy from the dream… right?

after helping them, your mother invited the new family over for dinner. You were done eating, so you just decided to sit in the trampoline out in your backyard, looking up at the constellations that flooded the sky. You felt the trampoline dip a little bit, your head turning to see who was next to you.

“I found a small lake in our little world. whad’ya say we go swimming tonight?”

*ೃ༄

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

"You ever think we lose track of ourselves these days?"

You were standing at the window, looking out at the grayness of the city below, waiting for night to fall.

Daryl looked up from his seat on his piled bedroll. He still hadn't laid it out completely—he was waiting to see where you would lay yours... "What d'ya mean?" he asked.

You looked over your shoulder at him. Half of your face was in shadow and half was only dimly illuminated from the wash of cloudy late afternoon outside. It made your cheekbones seem more pronounced, your lips fuller. "We don't have photos or anything to look back at and remember. It's almost like after a moment passes, it doesn't exist anymore—it didn't exist. We only exist in the present now."

Daryl considered this thoughtfully. "Well, that ain't true. It exists in the people around ya. Even if you don't remember or can't see it clearly, somebody else prob'ly does."

"Yeah... I guess I meant to ourselves mostly. Other people remember you differently than you remember yourself, and without any help from photos I feel like it's more difficult. I mean—I get flashes sometimes, of who I was before. But it's like I was a whole different person. And I dunno how true it is."

"Mm," Daryl hummed, nodding. "Yeah. I get that." He scratched at a non-existent itch on the back of his head, ruffling his wavy hair. "'M glad I didn't meet ya 'til I did..." he drawled.

You cocked an eyebrow at him. 'Really? Why?" You faced him fully now, leaning back against the windowsill.

"Ahh... I was a... I was just—immature, I guess," he said with a dry laugh, ducking his head.

"Wait," you smiled, "you aren't now?" you teased him.

He shot you a look and you laughed lightly. "I'm kidding," you clarified. "You think we wouldn't have gotten along?"

Daryl shrugged. "I dunno. I was angry and—just a kid really."

"Hmm. I'm sure I would have seen through it in a second," you said, smiling at him again. Daryl's heart jumped in his chest.

"Maybe... or ya woulda hated my guts," he said with another wry laugh.

"Impossible," you replied. The look you were giving him was soft and fond and Daryl felt suddenly entirely too warm.

Prompt: "I get flashes sometimes, of who I was before. But it's like I was a whole different person."

[angelsleepinggurl]

𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣' 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧

₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. you've broken up with your on-and-off boyfriend...again... for the umpteenth time. life as a stripper isn't treating you easy, and although it pays well it doesn't fill the emotional hole left by your toxic ex. as you take a breather outside you encounter someone you would rather than speak to again. things start to take a dark turn rather suddenly.

wc. around 1,721

tags.dabi x reader. toxicexboyfrienddabi! x stripper reader.dabi x reader smut. toxicexboyfriend!stripperreader smut. all characters are 18 years old. alternative au. non quirk au. fucking your toxic ex boyrfriejd. toxic dabi. dabi has a dick piercing. dabi fingers you. dabi fucks you agaisnt a window. exhibitionism. slut shaming. degration. 18+ mdni!

‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡

" You're nothing to me, just a mere comfort whore I come to when I need to. But still, you should feel special you're not like the rest. The rest are mere fuck toys, you're something more."

Gritting your teeth once more, you angrily sit down on a sofa, shoving your foot inside another heel. " Fucking cheater." You curse under your breath " I'm gonna dump his ass. I'm something more than the rest, shut the fuck up. "

"Woah there girl, you're gonna snap your ankle in two if you keep at it."  Cagney’s familiar playful voice instantly calms you down, from your racing thoughts and growing rage. The beautiful girl squats to meet your level. " Whatever it is girl, it's not worth bringing you down tonight. Besides, when you're done being fabulous as  always, you can go kick its ass." She jokes grabbing your hand to help you up.

" Cagney, what would I do without you?"

" I dunno, probably kill someone, to be honest. What would you do without me?" She flips her hair for more dramatic effect and you both erupt with tiny giggles at her response.

" Showtime y/n." the woman with her clipboard enters the room, her usual irritated expression on her face before leaving the room.

"I'll be cheering for you girl." Cagney cheers before you exist.

As you enter the stage, an erupting canon of cheers explodes from the audience, and as the music starts the audience begins to settle, watching in awe as your body spins and twirls at so many angles. You were almost hypnotizing, looking as angelic as ever. Most people in the audience suspected you to be a pole dancer fill-in rather than an actual stripper. During the song, you eventually glide to the top of the pole, before sliding down and smoothly shifting into your floor routine.

When the music faded, the audience yet again cheered, shouting and screaming as your stood. " Thank you." you mouth, waving at the crowd before the light on stage dims, allowing you to scurry and collect the cash people there on stage.

" She was almost too innocent looking, like an angel" you hear as you scurry backstage, causing you to smirk to yourself.

'Damn right, I worked my ass off making that damn routine.'

After a couple of songs, you decide to go out for a breath of fresh air and observe other performances. Though once you manage to step outside and hand on your shoulder stops you. " Hey, dollface." His familiar voice rings through your ears, triggering the anger felt earlier on. You immediately spin around, fueled by anger and raise your fist in an attempt to punch the villain, but his rough, larger hand blocks the punch. By now, you're breathing heavily as tears begin to cascade down your face. Yet again, you try to punch the unwavering man, over and over and over again and after a while, you stop.

" Fuck you want? I don’t wanna deal with your shit, you know I hate you?" You mutter, too exhausted to shout. The anger is evident in your, face and voice, yet the villain remains unbothered at the fact that you are breaking down because of his actions. Either way, he still gets you back.

" How sad, you hate me. Now stop crying and let's go inside. You're acting like a fucking baby and it's pissing me off."

" You just don't get it, do you? This means we're over Dabi. No more of us."

The man turns and walks away for a bit before stopping.  He turns to look up at the sky, the wind shaking up his black hair. " See if I care. I can leave right this very second, but what will happen? That's right. You'll come crawling back to me like you always do."

.. like I always do. Dabi approaches you as you begin to back away.

" And besides, I know how to get what I want, when I want princess. After all, you were just a cum slut to me anyway. You'll come back to me because you love that don't you? You little perverted fuck. You want someone to put you in this type of position like I do, but who on earth will do that for you." By now you were up against a wall, caged in by him. The man you want to escape from but he's right. Who could I go to?

You do not process and register the fact that you dive in for a long kiss. A kiss that feels long-awaited, it feels like you're pouring all feel restrained emotions into it, it feels like you're accepted again.

But is that all I want? You ask yourself, breaking for the kiss for air.

Without further hesitation, you grab a hold of Dabi's hand and drag him into the room filled with various lights. You slip past people and walk through hallways to avoid meeting others. The both of you standing near an isolated staircase, your voice hushed as you begin to speak. " Don’t think I’ve let you off the hook. Just because I keep coming back to you doesn’t mean we should stay together.” A silence passes and you pause, steadingly yourself to state the truth “Maybe that's why I'm tired. It feels like you won't stay. "

Dabi can sense the neediness dripping from your voice. " That's my girl." he breathes in your ear, before grabbing your chin, the both of your faces so close you can feel his breath against your face- but he doesn't kiss you. You unconsciously let out a moan of frustration from the teasing occurring. " What's the matter? Want me to kiss you? You want me to fuck you?" No words emit from your mouth.  His chuckles resonate and vibrate throughout your body before he leans in and connects his lips with yours, grinning into the kiss. He had got you back again. Without doing anything.

The dark-haired man grabs a hold of your wrists and pins them above your head. "Look at how wet and needy you are for me. Filthy slut." His fingers had managed to teasingly feel through the fabric covering  your soaking folds. Annoyed at how teasingly slow Dabi is being, you drags him up the stairs and into a room. The room is empty, it contains a bed, a drawer in the corner of the room, decorated with colourful lights and a window wall covered by curtains.

Wasting no time, Dabi grabs a fistful of your hair and slams the door shut. " Strip." is all he says. " Don't make me repeat myself." You find yourself, slowly sliding off clothing, one piece at a time. When your hands travel to your panties, Dabi stops you and lifts you up by your legs before walking over to the mirror planted above the drawers. Your eyes pay close attention to how he brushes his thumb against your throbbing clit, shuddering at the slightest touch. The man hooks his fingers around your underwear, peeling it off.  Your bare cunt is exposed, glistening in erotic juices from the high level of arousal. Without another second being wasted, Dabi's fingers find themselves inside your soaked pussy. His fingers begin to pump in and out of you whilst he wraps his hand around your neck. The filthy noises being let out by the contact made only increased your arousal. Dabi took note of that, of how your hips begin to thrust eagerly in hopes of more pleasure. He starts scissoring the two fingers inside you to stretch you out, before inserting three. With each pump and curl his fingers do within you constantly hit again your g- spot. The pleasure fogged your mind, and your legs beginning to shake from such intense pleasure.

" So you are a good girl after all, taking these fingers so well." You don't respond, all that can be let out from your mouth is moans expressing the need for your climax to be reached. But your pleasure begins to fade as Dabi's fingers slip out of your stimulated cunt. He uses his hand to choke you and forcefully grabs your face, making you look at yourself in the mirror. Heated face, your hole fluttering against nothing, your tongue sticking out and makeup running down your face. " You see yourself, that is what a cum slut looks like." A moment of silence passes as you try to recover your breath, your chest falling and rising rapidly. " Let's show the whole world how much needy you are for cock." He whispers in your neck, sending shivers throughout your body.

He continues to hold you upright, bringing you close to his chest and walking towards the window wall. The view of the city is on full display, the lights brightening the darkened sky and your naked body pressed up against the glass as is also on full exposure. You feel his tip prodding against your entrance alongside the piercing on his dick. The man places his hands on your hips, gripping them tightly before slamming into you. You feel his thumb stretching your mouth open, increasing the volume of your erotic moans, the sound of skin slapping against each other and your coated arousal making the whole situation a lot filthy.  He continues to press you up against the glass, breasts and cheeks pressed against the window wall.

"Do you love being my fuck toy? My cum dumpster? Answer me bitch." He growls yanking your hair and violently shaking your ass. A masochistic smile spreads across your face and you nod excitedly, letting out more moans.

"F-fuck, don't stop Dabi." You stutter brokenly, overly enjoying the never-ending pleasure.  He begins to thrust faster, your sex clenching around his desperately hoping for the knot to be undone. " You only cum when I tell you to. Got it?" You nod rapidly, focusing solely on the satisfaction taking over your mind. After a few deep thrusts your legs begin to shake the command to " Cum." caused your legs to shake as you ride your high. Your face is flushed face,  you gasp for air and your legs shake.

"Good girl."

[benevolentcalamity]

I'm Quite Ten-tickled. [Mindflayer x Fem!Reader]

Cause I know a few people that would shout at me 'YOU NEED TO DO A MINDFLAYER' if they knew I existed. (That being about 1/4 of the Baldur's Gate fandom.)

Warning: This fic contains smut. I dunno if this equates to dubcon or what, but proceed with caution cause I have no idea what I'm doing.

There will be inaccuracies because I've only scanned a wiki and seen BG3 clips. Hopefully you guys still love me!

CURTAINS!

Come.

As though responding to the order tugging at your brain, the writhing tendrils part like a sentient curtain, before unwinding from around your arms. When the writhing prison at last gives way you're sent onto all fours, limbs limp from lack of use if only just to wriggle away from your tormentors. A cruel joke, this place, so wondrous and fascinating in its almost otherworldly structure... Yet, the moment you were pulled up by that grotesque tendril you regretted your brief study of them.

Was it a mistake, then? To push your brother out of the way even though he was the paladin? Surely he'd have laid waste to this ship by now - you simply doomed yourself to the fate he would have destroyed.

... It wasn't. At least this way he can go back to the church and mount a rescue. Not for you- alone, anyway. Everyone here that's still alive.

T'was the firelight outside that woke you to the siege. Buildings were being destroyed to kill the weak or scare the potential test subjects out into their range. You and your brother were two such folk - or to be more accurate he was the one. They always did look for the strong ones with 'potential', according to the horror stories of those that survived.

Did they know they were being researched? Or were they simply combing the continent for prey? ... Is this worth wondering if you're not sure whether tomorrow is what will be destroyed?

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

A scream, unholy and thick with suffering, pulls your hairs on end, your feet fusing to the floor for just a moment. Your heart leaps into your throat, hands growing so cold they could sustain ice-based sorcery. With a deep breath heat slowly creeps back into your fingertips, and a harsh swallow commands your legs to keep moving as though nothing's wrong.

Again, the order: "Come to me."

For the guided it isn't a long walk, any passing faces blurred or forgotten, the near and distant screams falling mute. In fact, as you get closer, only the order - and in turn the Mindflayer responsible - remaining. You hardly feel how your back straightens like a stiff beam as you prepare to be obedient.

To the rhythm of the squirming sound in your head, his elation pulses with the order in repeat. That he will rise above, and command the shared mind of his kindred...

How do you...?

A dizziness takes over, wavering your steps a moment, as the flesh doors open. The moment that his mind reaches you, you're again steady, as though his hands themselves guide you in this moment.

"There you are."

Tendrils flexing and curling, he stands, and for a moment they reach toward you. Before long they echo the movement of his hand, beckoning you with a roll of the fingers. Watching you cross the squishy floor he hums, voice digging into your mind fully as his innate power wraps around your mind.

A break from this is visible solely in how there's a momentary hesitation in your hand reaching for a tentacle. That disgust fades in a blink, however, as momentary as he'd allow. Only he can feel that, if anything at all, in the turmoil that is his kind's heart. They have one, beating in only the Queen of their collective consciousness. All else is simply them following nature's grand design.

Impatient, a tentacle reaches and wraps around your neck, cueing you to simply shed your clothes. Without hesitation you follow the order, some stray tentacles wandering about your body as they pull you yet closer. Further imprisoning your mind where it should be, the rest of them wrap about your head, loosing your hair from the ribbons as his hand guides your legs apart.

Curiosity is shared between you two, the tadpole shivering in fervor as his cold gaze pierces your own.

"If yours is the body I require..." You're turned around and guided onto his lap, legs split and held up in the air. "Then through you, I'll hold the key to my ascension. So, rejoice now, for I will become the Absolute, and your womb will bear Illithid that will see my will enacted."

Clouded, you swallow. "... I will be... of service," You breathe. "My Emperor..." A thrall, yet your form hasn't changed - it's simply too sad to see tentacles spring from your flesh. Well and, you're appetizing simply in more ways than satisfying one's hunger.

Guided by his desires, your head tilts back with the opening of your mouth. Pleased, he allows a tentacle to slip inside, which you suck on as another wraps around your hand and holds it up so it can be caressed. In the meanwhile his mind engulfs your body, the very will to pleasure you seeing your insides squirm and pool warmly. Without complaint or hesitance he watches, amused, as your skin flushes and your every muscle bends to his will.

"A-aah!"

Slipping through his pants with unceremonious mucus, his cock slips inside of you with the help of a tentacle or two. It's big enough, lumpy and undulating, slipping in and out as though with a mind of its own. His powerful hands keep your legs high up, another tentacle pushing into your mouth as it throbs, swirls, and churns inside of you. With each thrust it hammers in his dominion over you, the voices of the other Illithid fading out as his own mind worms its way from the collection.

Merciful he tugs the tendrils from your mouth, save for one at the tip of your tongue, and lets you breathe. As the engorging and pulsating cock pounds all the way to your cervix, your mind grows foggier until he's all you can even feel.

I... I can see it now...!

From your body, eggs the size of your fist, squishing and squirming with new life ready to form. They'll grow into an army, nay, a legion, that will serve the new Absolute. Never will you die, for only you are worthy of this blessing - and thus the only one that should be seated upon the blessed cock of the Emperor.

Sucking that tentacle back into your mouth, your moans are silenced once again, thumb rubbing the tentacle guiding your arm around his neck.

Undulating further, his cock squirms and engorges until it settles in for what feels like eternity. He lowers your legs to hang them over the arms of the throne, familiar tendrils wrapping around your ankles. Anticipation sees your body arch, his arms wrapping around your waist as the rest of his tentacles tighten around your head. Not in hunger or malice, but an overwhelming possessiveness that will never see you be rescued or taken from him by another.

Lowering to grab your hips, his own snap up into them, and you squeal, mouth gaping open as he mercilessly pounds into you. Pleasured cries and pleas for him to never stop reverberate through the ship, him not interested in silencing them. Encouraged by your pleasure he continues his powerful claiming of your womb, his own arousal and satisfaction stoked by your flaming hunger for more.

"Yes-! YES!" You cry. "Ohhh, my Emperor! Oh, my Emperor!" Your one hand caresses his slimy head, one of his hands coming up to hold yours. "Aaah! Aa-aaah! Aaaah! Gh- fuck! Ahhh!!!"

Your back arches, and light flashes in your eyes. After too short a time he shoots a load into you, neverending, until your stomach expands and then hangs. The hand holding your precious head falls to hold your belly. In what feels like no time it feels lumpy, already hard at work in proving he made a good decision keeping you alive after you'd robbed him of the paladin.

"There. Now, you will bear the trueborn, and with me rule this world and all beyond. May our bodies never age or fall to mortal malady, for we will be the architects of a world befitting only our ilk."

He reaches beneath your body, cock sliding back into its slit, and an egg slides into his palm.

"Until time itself withers."

[patoslover]

Sorry this is kinda long.... I would have liked to share this in the discord server, it's a more private way, but then the lockdown happened and I don't think I can wait any longer to show this.

Ok so.... Yesterday night, I got a bit emotional over my life and a little reflecting on what has happened the past month or so and how it affected me and all [10khaos, maggots discord sv, 15khaos, apocalypselockdown, among others] (as I always do, I'm such a soft-ass (I do hope that made up word doesn't mean anything flirty I'm trying to lowkey insult myself in here tyvm English)) And so as I always do when emotions hit, I wrote a poem-kinda-thing.

I showed it to @lxvenderjewel and @falling-raine and this happened

And later @the-beard-of-edward-teach saw it and well....

I made changes to it since I showed it to them, but it's for better, trust me.

(the poem is at the bottom of the post woo)

I think that's enough of a warning for y'all. But just in case, this made people cry, this poem, it's very very dear to me in levels I can't write I can't explain I can't put into poems all the feelings and stuff, but I hope this poem makes up for the most part.

Be careful. I love you.

Thank you @the-beard-of-edward-teach @arkytiorlecter @voids-ideas @orpiknight @cawdra @apollos-dodgeball-target @obsessed-sketches @zonzolik @dashoulinas-fandom-dump @eybefioro @queermarzipan @lxvenderjewel @ivory--raven @styx142 @myfranticscribbles @empressumbreon @frogs-go-ribbit @thearoacemess @goodomensduh @sounds-void-fishy @arkytiorlecter @random-doctor-on-the-internet @apophid-I-eat-everything @achilles-in-a-blanket-burrito @hello-ello-ello @harbinger-of-existential-dread @howmanyholesinswisscheese @an-ace-on-the-case @goblin-named-sam @1800ineedshelp @chaoticgenderflood @ivory--raven @aroaceblackhole @three-smiles-and-a-unicorn @coppicegate @zonzolik @falling-raine @dashoulinas-fandom-dump @koboldkatalyst @arkytiorlecter @friday-im-in-love-with-crowley @good-usernames-were-taken @weirdly-specific-but-ok THANK YOU THANK YOU ILY (oh wow that's a lot of ppl) (PLS PLS tell me if I forgot anyone there's so many of you, SORRY IF I TAGGED YOU TWICE AAA AND I'M SORRY IF YOU WERE TAGGED AND DUNNO WTF I AM I GOT LOST WITH THE TAGS AAAA AND SORRY IF I TAGGED U AND THE TAG DIDN'T WORK)

I love you all so so so so so so so much, you're so dear to me. Thank you. This is a gift for you.

Demons Out.

There's a hell outside,

Demonic screaming,

Trees, fall's leaving.

And I'm just here inside,

In my bubble.

Trapped inside me,

Trapped in myself.

There's demons out,

Asking to come.

But I won't let them,

I'm not alone.

Inside myself,

Inside my world,

I've got most people

Than all of your's.

They're worth more

Than any gold,

And they're far way,

More beautiful

Than any Sun,

Than any Star,

They are right here,

They are right now.

They're my comfort,

And some my loss,

But they're all lovely

Precious along.

They're the most

Amazing

Beings to exist,

And so I'm afraid

That they'll all be missed.

Because I fear

One day they'll go,

That's why I start

To sing a song.

Please let us all

Become real friends,

Please let us all

Reunite again.

There's demons out,

Angels inside.

There's me in-between

Caring for (them) all

Please let us all

Reunite again.

There's demons out.

And I'm in pain,

But not too much,

We'll find a way.

There's demons out,

We are in pain.

But I will start

To sing again.

I care for each

And every of you,

So then I start

To sing a song.

Please let us all

Reunite again.

There's demons out.

We'll try again.

[celerydays]

Hi! I have been following you for some time and I notice you draw more and more Sebastian and Ominis doing stuff that makes me... uncomfortable.....

Sebastian and Ominis are best friends, why people are obsessed with drawing them into weird gay stuff? Seriously.... Why can't be friends.... without all Sebinis... Just stop it...

Normally I would delete messages or simply ignore the things that make me feel uncomfortable–

But, you're on anon and this is my ask inbox, so I can only assume you want an actual, public response. So alright. Fine.

Like I said: normally I would just remove odd, uncomfortable, or even outright rude messages without making a whole thing of it. I curate my own online experience and I try my best to live by that rule.

However, I've now gotten multiple unsolicited DMs over the course of a couple of months expressing the exact same sentiment (and nearly word-for-word as this ask, so I highly suspect I already know who you are). I have duly ignored or glossed over them hoping that the person/people would take the hint to simply stop engaging with the same message over and over again. But an anon ask is my last straw, I guess.

So if you are the same person as in my DMs, I'm finally giving you a response (and if you're not the same person – which I highly doubt – then I'm speaking to both of you).

Firstly, I want to say that I am sorry that your worldview is so limited that this is your stance and feelings on gay/queer ship content for Sebastian and Ominis.

Next, I ask that you please:

Don't make your homophobia anyone else's issue but your own. Don't come into DMs/ask inboxes/comments to make your discomfort with the content I create my problem. I don't know what you hoped to accomplish by sending this message but it's unlikely that you'll find the same feelings or sympathy from the person who is actively creating queer/sebinis content.

Curate your own online experience. Once again, do not make your content consumption anyone else's problem but your own. The "unfollow" button is there. Tumblr has a tag filtering system and I try to tag my art and content as accurately as possible. If you do not like something/it makes you uncomfortable, then do not continue to consume it. And if you still decide to stick around for whatever reason, then please keep your thoughts/opinions on this matter to yourself because I can promise that I don't actually care why you would continue to be here and looking at my art if it makes you unhappy.

Widen your worldview and try to reframe your perspective. Consider that Sebastian x Ominis is just as canon as Sebastian x f!MC or Ominis x f!MC. As much as we like to ship our various MCs with the canon characters, MC never actually amounts to canonically being confirmed as anything but being just friends with everyone. Using the "they are just best friends" / "why can't they just be portrayed only as friends" could literally be applied to just about any other non-canon/non-confirmed ship between friends regardless of gender. If even one of them, Ominis or Sebastian, was portrayed as cis female in canon, I would suspect that you would better "understand" why a ship between these two "friends" may exist. Then also consider a cis male MC; it's possible you may suddenly reframe all the interactions between Ominis x m!MC or Sebastian x m!MC in your head to be "totally platonic/friendly". Your issue is certainly not with their canon relationship vs. fandom portrayal (but I think we both know that).

Educate yourself. Go outside and meet and talk to people, I dunno. It is 2024 my dude. I don't even know how you're on Tumblr – the most queer-friendly social media site – with those kind of narrowed views and stigma.

I would like to finish by saying: I don't wish you the best. What I do wish is for you to learn, grow, and be better than this.

And also please stop sending me messages of this nature, because the next ask or DM I get like this, we're moving on to blocking at this point. And if your purpose was to get me to stop, I can tell you that these messages have only fueled the explicit sebinis smut maker in me. 😤

[bobcatmoran]

Ok, one thing I'm kind of uncomfortable with re: the Harris excitement is the whole coconut thing. It comes from an anecdote she told: "My mother […] would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."

Anyway, the "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree" part of this actually pretty good anecdote turned into a meme, and now I'm seeing people who support her putting coconuts in their usernames, folks are saying they're "coconut-pilled," etc.

The thing is, "coconut" is to the Desi community what "oreo" is to the Black community or "banana" is to East/Southeast Asians. If you're an Indian-American who's a "coconut," you're "brown on the outside, white on the inside." It's an insult. And Kamala Harris is an Indian-American through her mom.

Can we choose something else to make dumb memes about? Like, I dunno, embrace her nerdy love of Venn Diagrams or something?

[cupcakeshakesnake]

are you serious about believing that cats shouldn't be let outside?

why? like don't get me with that "oh they'll kill animals" well yeah, maybe they will. it's their natural instincts, and allowing them outside promotes a range of natural behaviours. so isn't it cruel to prevent that? and if you believe they shouldn't be allowed to go outside, isn't it cruel to choose to keep them inside instead of just *not having a cat?*

also for that arguement the rspb says " there is no scientific proof that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide." while you may not be from the UK, the UK isn't a place where domestic cats are native either!

I wonder if you are American as so many Americans seem to have this weird opinion - is it very common to believe solely in indoor cats where you live? /gen q. it's very common to have cats that go outdoors here in the UK, and the concept of outdoor cats doesn't exist - if someone mentioned an outdoor cat I'd think of a cat that never went inside, like idk a barn cat. a website I found said 90% of cats in the uk can go outdoors but based on what I'm seeing on your feed and Tumblr it's very different for you?

Yes, I'm serious.

I suppose it's also a natural instinct of coyotes (US), foxes (UK) and hawks to kill cats, so isn't it cruel to prevent that? Cats may have natural instincts but they are not part of nature. They're not part of your local ecosystem, you brought it there. Do you only care about your cat fulfilling its 'natural instincts' and nothing else?

Let's say you have, oh I dunno, the Xenomorph from Alien. Let's say you love it a lot. Are you gonna set it free on the neighborhood because its natural instinct is to kill?

If you believe children shouldn't stick their fingers in the wall socket even if they want to, shouldn't you just not have children?

And yes there is plenty of scientific proof. Cats are not native ANYWHERE. If your cat just stays in a fenced garden or maybe a catio, it's fine, but studies found that cats' kill counts are so high because even 'freeroaming' cats roam less than their wild counterparts (i.e. jungle cats) and thus kill in a more concentrated area. They also kill for fun and not just to eat. Cats have contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles in the wild, I'm directly quoting an article here.

Very weird of you to push the American button just because I disagree with you, I am in fact South Korean, and oh believe me outdoor cats are barely a thing here. Cats here are either firmly indoors or stray, save for very rare cases. Most cat owners (and people in general) live in the city and if they let their cats out, a variety of things could happen - such as their cats eating trash and getting sick, being hit by a car, or being killed (or worse, captured and tortured) by ill-meaning people (which has very well happened before).

+ Edit) Let's talk cruelty. What is more cruel, a cat being bored out of its skin, or the cat being flattened by a car, or countless small animals being torn apart and left to die? All of which is preventable with a few extra steps from the cat owner.

In my opinion, having cats (or any other pet) is a lot like raising children. Of course their needs should be paid attention to, but they themselves don't always know the best way to go about fulfilling those needs and it's your responsibility to keep them safe and happy at the same time. You can't let them do whatever they like all the time. AND, you are responsible for what your pets/children do.

[professional-bulshitter]

so I dunno how much sense this makes but Derry girls season 01 ends so perfectly and says so much with just the way they place the scenes and communicate w cinematography and chronology of the scenes? like there's one moment where you're feeling fond and gooey on the inside as the girls dance on the stage with Orla at the talent show (so that people don't laugh at her alone) and suddenly it transitions into a scene wherein erin and orla's family are watching the news about the conflict and how there was a sudden move and now people are dead and it's tragic and people are mourning and then right back to the girls laughing and holding each other and giggling on the stage

and the way I went from smiling and laughing at my screen to tears down my face is insane because this show is so good at making you care about them as characters with lives and personalities who are placed in the middle of a conflict while they still act and go along with their days as people because there's nothing more for them to do,,, it also suddenly makes you come to your senses in the way you've come to love and adore the characters and the way you relate to the world as a whole,, tying it all up in a pretty bow as a season finale

when I say that it makes you aware of the way you relate to the world,, what I meant by that was,,, that we become aware of the girls and the adults as two separate entities and two separate ways of us understanding the world,,, it's in the indication that you're supposed to be a (Derry) girl (a frame of mind) and live your life to the fullest and take care of the people you love and adore and laugh and enjoy what you have, and go about your day and,,, in the way you're supposed to be a (Derry) adult who exists with and outside of their immediate surroundings and cares about more than what's happening to them and is aware of what is happening outside (which is esp relevant when we talk about the times we live in with so many active conflicts everywhere and the way we deal w and relate to them)

this is not to say that a (Derry) adult or a (Derry) girl is limited to that kind of existence,,, just that, this is the way I understand what these particular frames placed in this way together communicate (to me)

[thewhizzyhead]

warriors 2024 and the art of giving meaning to struggle

alrighty ramble time: let's talk about luther and how he managed to fuck up NYC for good. if luther were like i dunno lex luthor, i'd say his move to destabilize gang relations in nyc is a very fucking calculated move because i really do have to give credit to him in actually achieving the goal he set out for himself because his decision to kill cyrus,,,,aka the one that organized the "Please No Gang Fighting" summit that aimed to unite everyone against the bigger baddies of NYC,,,essentially fucking killed any and all chance of such a peace summit and unity initiative from ever happening again. because, like, after seeing a beloved and seemingly untouchable leader be murdered in front of all of you despite explicit instructions to Not Bring Weapons, would you even risk witnessing that chaos again in another summit? would you trust that forming a united force work after such a tragedy? is there even a possibility of finding trust among other NYC gangs if someone among their number killed your very hope? so yea knowing how the movie ends with just the gramercy riffs saying that the warriors (with two dead people and one arrestee in tow) are off the hook because someone else witnessed luther killing cyrus,,,the original ending is actually quite hopeless when you think about it in their shoes. in the words of movie swan himself in the movie, is what they end up with all their night of sleepless fighting and struggle is worth? hence, i now really see why warriors (2024) decided to make what I consider to be the 2nd biggest diversion outside of the genderswap: making cleon live - because otherwise, the warriors' struggles surviving the night can be said to be struggle for solely struggle's sake.

in the musical, cleon is an astute believer in cyrus and the future cyrus envisions for all of NYC - thus, she becomes the harbinger of cyrus' hope in the form of still breathin' and somewhere in the city. her being alive doesn't detract from the widespread tragedy faced by the NYC gangs - i still really believe that no matter what, luther effectively killed their one shot at true unity and trust - but in cleon's own words: "What do you do when they kill everything you believe in? Give it meanin." the decision to keep cleon alive is warriors (2024) counteractive measure at the absolute shithole luther placed NYC in because in her message of keeping the dream alive despite situations that are, realistically speaking, impossible to wholly recover from, gives their struggle meaning, purpose, and direction - the end goal being hope. that theme of hope despite and in spite of adversity now becomes evident on as to why we are made to be invested in the warriors' journey home and their subsequent growth. in mercy's decision to leave the orphans for a place of belonging and pride that can make her finally hold her head up high. in ajax's and fox's decisions to retaliate against their pursuants among sleazy old men in blue. in swan's persistence in getting the rest of her crew home alive despite still reeling from the loss of her leader and her fellow warriors. all attribute their own reasons to why they resist and rebel because they ultimately hope for something fucking better. ultimately, warriors (2024) exists because of the want to give more meaning to struggle in the form of hope amidst hopelessness. in the movie, the warriors find their meaning in the sweet simple bliss of survival - in making to coney island's sunrise. but in the album, another meaning is emphasized among not just the warriors, but the marginalized communities of NYC in general: their meaning of struggle goes beyond surviving the night - because they carry on and carry forth the dream of one day having a city where they all come home alive. because after all, isn't the formation of grassroots rooted in resistance - and isn't resistance born out of the want and hope for something better?