#i feel like im tagging ao3 tags

[neptunezo]

Thalia: Hey Annabeth which looks better-

Jason and Leo: Oh hey

Thalia: Do you know where Annabeth is?

Jason: You can’t ask me? Come on I’m your brother!

Thalia: Okay which one will help your older sister seduce your ex-colleague Reyna? The black or dark blue dress?

Jason: …

Leo: Go dark blue, you Grace siblings look sexy in dark blue

Thalia: Gross and thank you

[introspectivememories]

was it casual when i sat in your lap in public? was it casual when i said "recently my heart is crying because you're leaving"? was it casual when we decided how your last name would fit with mine? ("yuki tsunoda-gasly" / "no tsunoda, only gasly" / "yuki gasly?") was it casual when we sang adele's "someone like you" together at your going away party? was it casual when i knew it was you just by touching your ass? was it casual when i knew it was you by smell alone? was it casual when "will you miss me?" / "for 2-3 minutes maybe" / "i'll take that. even if it's just 2-3 minutes, i'll take that"? was it casual when that bus was completely empty and we still sat right next to each other, all the way in the back? was it casual when i picked you up multiple times so you could dunk a basketball? was it casual when i begged to come over to your house multiple time and then you finally let me and we cooked fried rice together? was it casual when we played christmas twister together and i said "your big eggplant is touching my ass"? was it casual when we were pressed up against each other on a scooter going two miles per hour? was it casual when-

[lucabyte]

I don't know how everyone isn't also always constantly thinking about how burial rites seem to be potentially one of the few things Siffrin instinctively remembers about their culture. But rest assured. I am in fact always thinking about it.

Textless version where they're just hanging out. It's fine!

[skywerse]

currently I'm 42k into the II act of space pirates (part 1 of 3)

soooo as you can tell it'll take some time,,, so here's your little treat—space fnc and pretzeeel

[williamvapespeare]

oops i wrote a Payneland first kiss ft. the aftermath of a probably horrible case, Charles being a little bit hysterical, and Edwin being a gentle little bitch Charles is happy to see him. He really, really is. He’s so chuffed it feels like his whole body is fizzing with energy and his head is pounding with something that might be pain or might be relief. And his grip on Edwin’s shoulders is only half meant to keep himself upright. It’s also because Edwin is properly, actually here in front of him, as solid as anything gets beneath Charles’ fingers these days. 

He doesn’t think he’s stopped grinning since Edwin hauled him upright. 

“Edwin,” he says, and can’t quite piece together anything better than, “you bloody genius!” 

And then Charles surges forward and kisses him. He’s aiming for Edwin’s cheek but he’s a little giddy and his eyesight is still a bit blurry and he ends up with his lips pressed to the corner of Edwin’s mouth. 

He feels more than he sees when Edwin startles at the contact, but doesn’t think he has it in him right now to pull back for a talk or a scolding or, god forbid, a lecture on impetuous behaviour. So, he tightens his hands around Edwin’s shoulders and tugs him in a little ways, until their foreheads are pressed together. Edwin blinks a few times and Charles feels his eyelashes flutter against his own cheek. 

“You did it!”. He can hardly believe the words as he speaks them and he keeps kind of laughing in little bursts of uncontrollable giggles. “I thought I was going to - that you were - I can’t even really -” 

Edwin, who has been relaxing against him by careful degrees, finally jolts into action and brings an arm up around Charles’ shoulders. 

“It’s alright,” he says, which Charles thinks is pretty thick for someone as smart as Edwin because of course he’s alright! Edwin just single-handedly swooped in and saved the day and dredged Charles up from the bottom of a literal and metaphorical hole and now he’s got his arm around Charles, close enough that each of his unnecessary breaths stirs the curls around Charles’ ear. He’s a lot fucking more than alright. 

Edwin’s hand starts to rub little circles between his shoulder blades. It feels nice.

“Mate,” he tries again. “You are…” but he doesn’t quite know what Edwin is other than the most important person in the world and, anyway, he can’t finish the sentence because Edwin cuts him off in a tone that Charles still thinks is far too serious for the situation. 

“Charles, you seem a touch, well.” A slight pause. “For lack of a better word, hysterical.” 

Is he hysterical? Charles doesn’t think so, but then again he’s never been great at thinking things through properly at the best of times. 

“Also, I must ask.” Charles’s eyes are only centimeters away from Edwin’s, and he watches Edwin squeeze his close. Eyelashes flutter together. “Did you mean to kiss me?”  

Charles blinks once.

“Uh,” he says. “Yeah, mate.” 

The hand on his back tightens, fingers gripping the fabric of his polo and that feels pretty good too, like Edwin is clinging to him with all the same desperation swirling up inside Charles. Like maybe he’s something solid even when he feels as insubstantial as ghosts can get. 

“Well,” Edwin says, finally, with a posh little sniff like he’s right fucking pleased with himself. “That is good to know.” 

Charles collapses against him, eventually, when he finally starts breathing steadier and the heavy weight of exhaustion settles over his shoulders. When the giddy adrenaline leaves him feeling a little more cracked open than he’d like. Edwin just gathers him close with the same possessive gesture as his hand. 

There’s a soft brush of lips against his temple. He smiles into the collar of Edwin’s coat and lets himself drift, warm and soft and held together

[ryssbelle]

Poppy for N2 au, it took me so long to make her design cuz I didn't really know what I wanted to do only because I feel like her design is pretty perfect.

But then I just thought about fun outfits to give her or outfits that I would find comfortable if I was wearing them and it all came together.

Poppy here is pretty much the same as here movie counterpart, as nothing really changes on her end of things other than having more insight on Branch through his brothers, and through Lief. Shes also a bit more understanding a bit earlier on because of it but it doesnt do much to change her own character arc I would say.

Bonus

Part of Poppys design was based off a design I had made for previous rulers of Troll Village/Tree

Namely Queen Protea who I designed as Poppys grandmother

Named after the Protea flower which part of her design is based off :D

In the context of this Au Protea was the one who conceptualized the tunnels while her son, King Peppy, was the one to follow through after her death

[wow-an-unfunny-joke]

Dazai leans over the edge, a strong gust of wind is all it would take to push him over, to send him falling to his sweet, ultimate demise.

Chuuya grabs his arm in a strong grip- but he doesn't pull Dazai away from the edge. Chuuya looks Dazai straight in his eyes. Bright blue eyes meet Dazai's and he says in a firm voice,

"If you jump, you'll kill both of us."

And it's clear, right then, how deeply Chuuya trusts Dazai.

And Dazai doesn't jump.

[mamawasatesttube]

tbh i do think its annoying when people tag poly ships as all the variants of that poly ship (i.e., #ABC #AB #AC #BC). i am not going into the clois tag because i want to see bruce wayne. i am not going into the timkon tag because i want to see bernard dowd. please. if i wanted to see that guy shipped with these guys i'd be in the poly ship tag. get that man out of here

[strangersteddierthings]

The Response

Part Two of The Interview [Part One] [Ao3]

With no exact time given by Robin, Eddie's left to kill time. He drags himself from the YouTube spiral to try and track down Steve on social media. After two hours, he concludes that either Steve has his (and official Corroded Coffin's) socials blocked, or Steve just doesn't have any. He's a bit baffled that people can even find Steve to send hate mail to him.

He shoots a text to Gareth. Can you find Steve on any socials?

He gets an instant reply.

DO NOT CONTACT!!!

WAIT FOR RESPONSE

DONOT MAKE THISS WORSE MUNSON

Eddie frowns down at his phone but doesn't argue. He probably would make it worse. He sends back 'k' and looks back to the laptop. Watches it auto-refresh but Robin's feed hasn't changed.

God, what will Steve have to say?

It's mostly true, that Eddie hasn't thought about Steve in years. That's been deliberate. Eddie was so furious back then. Robin wasn't wrong about him venting his feelings into a song, but how was he supposed to know Hey Steve would be the song the catch the ear of the people? And yeah, the lyrics are very unflattering.

A lot of their first songs were filled with rage. The whole first album is just their collective high school experiences. Songs about growing up in Hawkins and how shit that was for them, a song about Eddie's complicated feelings towards his dad, songs about dungeons and dragons disguised as fantasy ballads, things like that. And, of course, Hey Steve.

He can admit that years ago he reevaluated the lyrics and found it to be more harsh than was warranted. But he figured there was no point worrying about that. People exaggerate in songs all the time. The song is out, people still plead for it to be played during encore performances. Eddie hadn't thought it was hurting anyone to play it.

Hey Steve had taken Eddie less than two days to write. He did almost nothing for those two days except write. Fuck. He was still just a dumb kid when he wrote it, barely graduated high school. And the reason for writing it...

Eddie had know Steve wasn't out to his parents when he'd asked Steve to essentially runaway with him. Steve had worried about things like money, and living situations, and getting food. It had all sounded like excuses to Eddie back then. Like Steve was picking the safety of Hawkins and his parents' house over going out into the world to be with Eddie freely.

They'd fought about it. The worst fight they'd ever had. Yet, here Eddie is, a decade later and unable to recall anything that was actually said. Just a summary of that conversation exists in his mind, now. Steve wanting to wait. To save more money now that his hours at the grocery store would be changing from part time to full with him no longer being in school and able to work the morning shifts. Wait to get his car fully transferred to his name from his parents.

All things that adult Eddie can now see as reasonable. Jesus Fucking Christ. He remembers he'd given Steve some sort of ultimatum. He was leaving on the last Grey Hound from Hawkins to Indy. Steve could meet him at the bus stop or stay, but Eddie was going, with or without him.

Steve had shouted back. He knows they just got louder and nastier until Steve finally told him that he would be going without him, then, because they were over. Even as angry as Eddie had been, he'd held out hope. But that last bus left Hawkins with Eddie on it and no sign of Steve in sight.

So Eddie did what he did best. Channeled that hurt into anger and wrote a song. Never in a million years did he think that, in the very first bar they played at in Indy, they'd meet a man who wanted to take a chance with them and get them a demo. All they needed to do was get from Indy to LA. Eddie had a van and the motivation. The next year of his life was too busy for him to even think, much less worry about Steve and his breakup.

Well, that was a lie. He thought about it constantly and shoved the thoughts aside as quickly as they came. Easier to do when he had no way to check up on Steve. He left Hawkins with no laptop and a pay-per-text flip phone he'd bought at a gas station. Wayne tried his best to provide for Eddie, and that meant they'd had one cell phone between the two, and Eddie had insisted that Wayne keep it.

By the time he got a laptop and internet, Steve had blocked him on Facebook and Twitter. That was the conclusion Eddie had come to when he finally worked up the nerve to swallow his pride and apologize and couldn't find Steve on either platform. Another thing that had filled Eddie with anger and hurt. Steve had broken up with him and then made sure Eddie couldn't reach back out.

Now he wonders, did Steve block him, or did Steve delete his socials to stop the hate mail?

Eddie feels nauseous.

Fuck!

What's worse is that, before the fight, Eddie had been so sure he was in love with Steve. But how can he say that with how quickly he dropped him? With how he's acted ever since? He could justify it to himself when he was still freshly broken up with and hurting but that faded away as fame took over.

Hard to be sad about not having a boyfriend when there were plenty of people lining up to be with him.

He pulls himself from his head to look at the laptop. A new tweet shows on Robin's screen and he scrambled to turn off the auto-refresher.

It's a short tweet, and Eddie sees she's changed her name as well.

Clicking the link takes him to a YouTube video.

It starts with the camera slightly jiggling, presumably from someone hitting record. It's been set up in a recording studio. A stool in front of a mic that's suspended from the ceiling is the only thing in the frame.

"Alright, dingus, last chance to change your mind about this," Robin's voice is picked up from off screen.

"You can't talk me out of this," says a male voice, and without any thought about it, Eddie's hand flings out and slaps the space bar, pausing the video. His heart is pounding, and he has to take a few deep breaths. That was Steve's voice. Of course, it was Steve's voice, it's his statement video, but hearing it again. Hearing it spoken softly but determined.

Swallowing feels difficult. Eddie's last memory of Steve's voice was screaming. This is... this is the Steve he never thought he'd hear again, and hasn't realized how much he desperately wanted to. With shaking hands, he presses play again.

Steve steps into frame, takes a seat on the stool. He looks in the direction of the camera, and Eddie has to pause again, to take him in. His hair is longer than it was in high school, the ends of it touching his shoulders. He's got it pulled up in a half updo, keeping the hair out of his face. His face is familiar and yet so different. He certainly looks older but not in a bad way. The biggest difference is his nose; it's not as straight as it once was, like it's been broken and healed wrong. His strong, square face is as handsome as it ever was, perhaps more so now. Eddie's eyes are drawn to the two moles on his cheek; his eyes have always been drawn there. It was his favorite place to kiss Steve.

He's wearing light wash jeans and a deep blue Henley. And fuck if it doesn't make him look good.

Eddie unpauses again, and waits to hear the retribution he deserves.

"This good, Robin?"

"Yeah, you're perfectly in frame."

"Good. Uhh, hi. I'm Steve. Robin told me that there was a lot of fuss regarding a certain Corroded Coffin song, and that people wanted to hear from me. Which is wild 'cause like, I'm just some guy and I don't really have much to say-" Steve is saying, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Steve!" Robin interrupts him, "I just had to help you move because someone threw a brick through your window! What do-"

"Okay! I get it! But that's not Corroded Coffin's fault. They do that whole anti-bullying thing! It's not like they don't address harassment and bullying. I-" Steve cuts off, seeming to remember he's on camera. His face turns pink. "We can argue this later. Uhh, anyway. There is something I want to say to Eddie Munson, so I hope he's watching."

He makes a 'give it to me' gesture and Robin enters frame, handing him an acoustic guitar. "I thought I'd answer using the one thing Eddie understands best. Music. So, uh, I wrote this song with Robin's help. Lyrics are mine but the melody is Robin. The song doesn't have a title but, uh, okay. Here it goes."

And then, Steve starts to sing, looking down at the guitar for correct finger placement more than singing into the mic but it picks him up well regardless.

"Do you think I'd give up? That this might've shook the love from me? Or that I was on the brink? How could you think, darling, I'd scare so easily? Now that it's done There's not one thing that I would change My life was a storm, since I was born. How could I fear any hurricane? If someone asked me at the end I'll tell them put me back in it-" Eddie is sitting down, and still he feels the floor fall out from under him.

"-Darling, I would do it again, ah, ah If I could hold you for a minute Darling, I'd go through it again, ah, ah."

Eddie doesn't hear the rest of the song because of the blood pounding in his ears. This can't be- it doesn't mean- after all this time? After everything that's happened, everything Eddie let happen, unintentionally or not.

His phone buzzes against his leg. He ignores it in favor of restarting the video and listening to the video from the start. He listens to the whole song and it ends without anything else. Once Steve's strummed the last chord, he just stands up, walks to the camera and the video ends.

He restarts the video again, and again, and again. Hears Steve sing How could you think I'd scare so easily and I would do it again if I could hold you for a minute and though I know my heart would break I'd tell them put me back in it.

It's through the tenth, or eleventh, playback that his phone buzzes again and he fumbles to answer blindly, unable to pull his eyes away from Steve on the screen of his laptop.

"Gare- It's not- what did I do Gare? Everything I thought Steve would have to say never came close to what he just sang. I can't- I don't know what to do," Eddie sobs into the phone.

There's a pause of silence before what is very much not Gareth's voice says, "Well, dammit Munson. I was calling to rip you a new one but you're already crying."

It takes Eddie a moment to place the voice, "Robin?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Robin says. "I think Steve's let you off easily, but I also know I kick a hornet's nest with my interview so I think we should work on getting this cleared up, both publicly and privately."

"How did you get my num-"

"Gareth. Keep up, Munson. I'd like us to be able to call off each other's fans. Your PR team and whoever you employee to do that anti-bullying campaign have done a pretty good job so far in telling people to back off, politely. Helps that Jeff has been on top of this from the beginning. Honestly, I think the best decision you've ever made in your life was making Jeff the front man of your band and not yourself. He's much more pleasant to talk to, and so good with people."

"Robin!" Eddie has to shout because Robin keeps saying words and they don't make sense. "What?"

He hears a sign from the other end of the phone. "You are annoying. You know that, Munson? I'll work with Gareth to get this done. I think we should be seen together, publicly. Maybe getting a coffee. So everyone knows we've made up, or whatever it is Gareth and I decide is happening. We should also meet up privately. There's a lot to talk about."

"I'm so confused."

"Nothing new. Now, when are you free to get on a plane to Pendleton, Oregon?"

"Pendleton?"

"Munson!" Robin snaps, "we just established that you live in a perpetual state of confusion. Instead of questioning me, how about you answer my questions. Now, when are you free?"

"Anytime."

"Smart answer. Get your ass to Pendleton by the morning of the twenty-third. I'll work with Gareth for all the other concerns. He's easier to deal with."

"Can I ask one follow up question at least!?"

"You just did but I'll allow one more before I hang up."

"Why Pendleton?"

"It's the nearest airport to our destination. I am not having a private conversation with you in California. I don't want to be caught speaking to you until Gareth and I have a chance to work out the details."

And then Robin hangs up.

Eddie leans forward and restarts the video on his laptop before looking up plane tickets. Fixing things with Robin might be the first step in ever getting try and, he doesn't know, apologize to Steve? Maybe even have a conversation one day.

He doesn't deserve that chance, he thinks, but he's a bad enough person to want it anyway.

[39tn39]

Photo!

[neptunezo]

I can’t ever be normal ever again.

I was just as the airport getting starbucks and Happy Xmas (War is Over) started playing. I was on the verge of tears. Not just because of what the song means to this fandom but also because marauders was the first thing I thought of when it came on.

[shitouttabuck]

like a dog with a bird at your door

buck/eddie | 51k | rated e

The kid with blood pouring down his shins is not so far from the dog lonely enough that he thinks breaking his housetraining is worth it for the ten minutes of berating that come with it, the ten minutes of undivided, if reluctant, attention. Buck thinks, sometimes, that at least he wasn’t the kind of puppy that gets put in a sack and drowned at birth. He wasn’t always unwanted. And he isn’t anymore.

or, evan “i love you like a dog” buckley has only ever known how to love like, well, a dog, but maybe eddie diaz is the kinda guy to give a flea-bitten mongrel a forever home

read on ao3

[viskiaa]

good omens fandom !!!! I have a WIP... recreating the Favorite Poet or wtv this painting is called but with ineffable husbands :3

however... crowley's face is PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF because it doesn't look right and I need to just start over I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRAW MEN AAUAHGHGHSUSHSH soooo

Should I 1. give up on this and do my 15 missing assignments so I don't fail school

or

2. finish it and be proud of myself until i feel sad that I didn't do this as an oil painting instead!!!!!! (I really just wanted to share my wip i need encouragement...)

[starchaserdreams]

The thing about being an adult and living alone is I can do LITERALLY WHATEVER I WANT with my space so yes I am going to print out AO3 comments and put them up on my fridge

I'm like a 2nd grader with an art project lol

[kooki914]

I have to say I like that snowgrave analysis video. I love how you point out how noelle inherent he's mom coldness and her dad's complacency. However, I do think kris inherent their parents own flaws despite not trying to become them. Where given some dialogue that toriel was strict and controlling what asriel and kris did until recently. I mean, toriel made asriel go to church every day. Also toriel can have very authorian and harsh tone when she angry(granted it asgore not letting go). There Asgore being clingy and nit letting go on things. Sounds similar to kris-soul in snowgrave.

Hoo boy. I'm glad you liked the video but I'm not going to let this Toriel slander slide. Very long tangent under the read-more.

TL;DR: Toriel isn't a mean or harsh, especially not as a parent, and the way she acts towards Asgore is more than justified actually.

In my video, I made it VERY clear that I think the traits Kris is most mimicking are Asgore's, if unintentionally. Clinginess, constantly appealing to a sense of nostalgia and romance, and most importantly for the transactional analysis, constantly speaking from the Parent or Adult ego state to mask that they're acting on the needs of the Child state (impulsivity, loneliness, playfulness, emotional demands). Kris has abandonment issues similar to Asgore but more severe, and Kris isn't a people-pleaser like their father is - ergo, if we push them hard enough, they start acting manipulative in order to not be "left behind" again.

Toriel is, not only mature enough to properly use her Adult and Parent states, but also not really that strict at all? She's reactionary and can hold a grudge (mostly for petty things), but take a genuine look at the way she TALKS to Kris. She has a gripe with something they did for a few seconds before laughing it off (like in the case of their pie-eating) or being swayed to let them off the hook (exiting the school in ch1). Sure, these can still be seen as catastrophic or mocking from the point of view of a kid or a teenager like Kris is, but, like... they'll grow out of that. As an audience, we aren't meant to understand those scenes as Displays Of Harsh Parenting™, like we are for moments like Noelle being afraid of her mother or of Queen. Toriel is really lenient with Kris in practice, to the point I'd argue she's TOO lenient even about things like their depressive habits and lack of ambition.

She wants to ground them but when they mentioned they made a friend she drops it immediately. How is that authoritative? She took Asriel to church every day for only like a week after he had his first kiss because she's a paranoid christian worried about him. How is that HARSH? It's barely even a real punishment for Asriel, since he LIKES church, based on all the stuff under his bed and the anecdotes we get from Alvin (contrasted to Kris who only seemed to tolerate church for Fruit Juice). I don't mean to sound condescending, but if you think the way Toriel parents her kids is "harsh" I don't think you've ever actually met a mean or abusive parent.

(Tying this into a different theory of mine, the way Queen acts towards Kris showcases this too, as she's never strict or mean with them like she is with Noelle, Berdly or Ralsei. She treats them like an equal and like a fun person to be around while drunk, which is Not Good but also isn't a strict or mean parental personality. The worst of Toriel's parenting is not taking Kris' issues seriously enough and treating them with maturity before they've fully grown up and ready for that. I assume this is because Asriel's reached that level of maturity and Toriel subconsciously assumes the same applies to Kris. It be like that with younger siblings sometimes.)

Toriel can be a bit overbearing and smother her kids with affection (wanted or not), maybe a little deaf to their real needs, but NONE of that makes her a strict parent. And, maybe more importantly for this discussion, NONE of that is seen in the way Kris acts during the Snowgrave route.

Kris doesn't smother Noelle with affection, they don't make light of things she's done, they don't act overly forgiving of her transgressions, and they Certainly Don't Cave at her push-back. All of these things CAN be spun into an abusive or unhealthy dynamic for a weird route, but they weren't, deliberately so. I want you to keep in mind, Toriel is dismissive of Asgore NOW, but it's HEAVILY hinted that he slept on her couch for a really, REALLY long time after the divorce. That's not the kind of thing someone who's "authoritarian and harsh" would allow to happen. Toriel gave chance after chance to let Asgore out slowly and gently, but he refused to leave, he HAD to be kicked out. This is the OPPOSITE to what we see Kris doing in the Snowgrave route to Noelle - they're pushing and pushing and pushing and ANY sign of gentleness or compromise ends the route.

Again, I think Kris is very much embodying the Critical Parent rather than the Nurturing Parent they were raised with, exactly because of this. Even Asgore wouldn't push someone around like that, but KRIS WOULD, when backed into a corner. They're exhibiting the worst traits of their dad, while actively suppressing all the good traits their mother tried to teach them. It tracks in a psychological sense too - when you have two parents of opposite sexes, you're more likely to mimic the behaviors of the one that courted the sex you're attracted to (eg. if you're a striaght woman you're likely to act more like your mom, if you're a lesbian you're more likely to act like your dad, the ladder of which is (fun fact) seen with Noelle in general). In the Snowgrave route, Kris is romantically set up with Noelle, therefore they're mimicking the traits of the parent that courted a woman - and they're doing it without even noticing (as most of us do, this shit is hard-wired in some deep dark crevice of the human mind and even I get baffled when I notice it happening on accident).

I genuinely hate this "Toriel is mean and harsh" angle people try to take with her character for... Having A Spine, essentially. She's mean to Asgore and it's the kind of meanness that's not only warranted but also the result of a LONG time of enduring bullshit hoping it'll pass. God forbid a woman ever set boundaries, right? Because that's literally the only thing she did with him. I can't NOT acknowledge the underlying misogyny that plagues this sort of character assassination. When you look at the wider context, you see that Toriel is genuinely too quick to put other's needs before her own to her own detriment, and the current state of her and Asgore's strained acquaintanceship is just the aftermath of enduring way, way too much from someone trying to appeal to emotions that aren't even there. AND YET people frame it as her being ~mean~ and ~rude~ to Poow Widdle Asgowe UwU who's a grown man breaking his own dumbass heart because he's too obsessed with the past to leave his ex the fuck alone.

You all know me. You all know I love Asgore and would die for him. But for the love of fucking god, it is NOT Toriel's responsibility to coddle him and prioritise his feelings at every turn, ESPECIALLY when he's FAILING to consider HERS. He is a pitiable jackass and genuinely downtrodden, but that is not his ex wife's problem. She should not have to constantly worry about the feelings of a man she's not even with anymore. She shouldn't need to do a whole song and dance to let him down easy when he gives her flowers for the billionth time that she will always throw out. I hate that I have to type this out at all because some people just Don't Get their dynamic, being too blinded by the fact that Toriel DARED to stand up for herself and the guy she stood up to was SAD about it. Like come the fuck on.

What's left of their relationship isn't healthy, but it isn't unhealthy in the same way Kris and Noelle's Snowgrave dynamic is, and the broken Dreemurr household isn't wholly Toriel's fault. Asgore is the one making things worse by refusing to let go of her and move on - things probably would've been considerably better for everyone if he actually took the divorce seriously. Kris has a now nonexistent relationship with their dad because of the cumulative effect of Asgore constantly hitting on Toriel instead of doing literally anything else (like, gee I dunno, actually fixing his living situation, or even trying to bond with Kris without it involving Toriel or Asriel somehow), and Toriel shutting Asgore out because she doesn't see any other way out of having to deal with his bullshit (she is trying to avoid confrontation without bending over backwards to appeal to his emotions for the umpteenth time, and part of that involves not actively connecting Kris with Asgore because he's inevitably going to use them as a way to reach her, like we see him doing in ch1).

Yes, they're both flawed in their approaches, but I cannot in good faith let people call Toriel MEAN for what is essentially just sweeping issues under the rug because she's tired of constantly being bombarded by them. She's flawed in a lot of ways, but you are actively mischaracterising those flaws by describing her the way you did.

Is it kind of weird and nonsensical that she took Asriel to church over something as small as a kiss? Yeah, the game actively points that out. It is HARSH that she wanted to ground Kris at the end of chapter 1? No, not at all, because they essentially disappeared for an entire day without telling her. And I keep bringing up these two scenes in particular because I can't think of any other context in which her parenting can be seen as overly strict, and both of the examples are laughable. Toriel isn't a perfect mother, but there is no such thing as a perfect mother, and I think people should stop having double standards towards female characters in specific, especially concerning setting boundaries or not being completely devoted to other people's emotions.

To add a tangent to this tangent in order to wrap up the tangent, I actually kind of see this happening with Susie to an extent too, where some people in the fandom PRAISE her constantly for asking Kris if they're okay and being worried about them and Noelle. Like, yes, those ARE good traits and it shows she's a good friend, but why are THOSE the traits she's being complemented on? Why is THAT what people point to when they say she's a good person? Is it not equally as noteworthy that she's brave and doesn't take direction from anyone, not even the player? Isn't it more important to her wider characterisation that she's so out-of-the-box that she pushes other people out of their boxes, too? Isn't is clear she's much better at physical protection than any kind of emotional comfort, and why isn't THAT being complemented and praised about her?

Why is that capacity to be emotionally available what people applaud in all female characters, without exception? And why are those women and girls so heavily demonized when that emotional availability is taken away, like in Toriel's case?

And, in conclusion, I believe Spadesgore Tuffet must be canonised.

[afterartist]

Small sneak peek to the Barrierfall world building

Not even 1/4 of a way done but hey, a few people have seemed interested recently

(Actual Spoilers btw)

Key:

Blue: Important Story Plot

Green: General World Building

Red: Character Death

Yellow: Magic related Information

White: unsorted

Again this isn’t even half of the stuff that’s gonna happen

But I suck at physically writing notes down in general so be proud of me ):<